KQED's The California Report

California Reacts to Calls to "Defund the Police" There’s a growing movement calling on governments to “defund the police,” as nationwide protests continue over the killing of George Floyd. It’s a provocative idea. But what exactly these kind of long overdue police reforms might look like in real life? Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Mayors: Some Promise to Reallocate Police Funding, Others Balk Some mayors are resisting calls to reallocate police funding, saying it’s not realistic. The city of San Jose released its budget just yesterday. And the mayor there says defunding urban police departments is "the wrong idea at the worst possible time." Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED "Defund the Police": Just a Slogan Or An Opportunity? Police unions will stand in opposition to many of the reforms that are being proposed in this moment. But what about the officials who run those departments? We wanted to know if there's appetite for change at the top. Guest: Prof. David Kennedy, director of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice State Releases Guidelines for Reopening Schools Facial coverings, temperature checks, and spacing of students per public health guidelines are among several of the recommendations. Courts Balance Safety Against Rights As They Reopen The state’s court system has been paralyzed over the last few months, first by the pandemic, and then by protests, which forced courts to close just as trials were restarting. California courts are trying to balance public safety with constitutional rights. Reporter: Sheraz Sadiq, KQED Oakland Protests Birth Murals on Plywood Protection Downtown Oakland has been the site of massive protests in the past week and a half -- and now it's the site of an outdoor art gallery of sorts. Bonafide artists and amateurs alike painted giant murals on the plywood covering windows of businesses there. Guest: Jonathan Long, artist and organizer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black and Tired in an American Newsroom We have a saying in the news business: report the story, don't become it. And yet, during this difficult year, it's hard to find anyone whose life hasn’t been affected in some way by the news, including the unrest that we've seen in recent weeks. Austin Cross is a producer and reporter at our partner station KPCC in Los Angeles. As he explained in an article on the website LAist, it can be challenging to separate yourself from some stories when the ones getting hurt look like you. Reporter: Austin Cross, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curfews Are Lifted As Protests Continue Across California cities and counties, that had curfews in place, started lifting them. Authorities felt that was safe to do because of a noticeable cooling of anger on the streets. Protesters marching against police violence and racism increasingly emphasized a message of non-violence and dialogue over confrontation. Governor Proposes Help For Businesses Damaged During Protests This week’s protests across California against police brutality have been overwhelmingly peaceful. But for businesses that did suffer vandalism, break-ins and ransacking…. Governor Gavin Newsom wants to offer financial help. At a press conference in Stockton yesterday, he said that aid should come in a variety of ways. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED SCOTUS To Decide The Fate Of DACA This Month The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on whether the Trump administration can end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals --or DACA. The program protects nearly 200,000 Californians from deportation and gives them work permits. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Half-A-Dozen County Public Health Leaders Have Resigned Or Retired Since Mid‐April. As California faces its greatest public health crisis in decades, half-a-dozen county public health leaders in the state have resigned or retired since mid‐April. Filling vacant leadership positions can be challenging, especially if counties are competing against each other for talent. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio COVID-19 Continues To Spread In State Prisons The California Department of Corrections has released its latest report on COVID-19’s spread within its population of prison inmates. CDCR reports two more inmates have died from what appear to be complications of COVID-19. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Reflections From An Activist, Cop, Pastor, And City Council Member This morning we hear leaders from around the Monterey Bay reflect on the last couple of weeks of unrest in America. A longtime community activist and teacher has seen it all before, politician speaks about police reform, and a pastor urges black folks to vote. Reporter: Erika Mahoney, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Issues Pandemic Voting Guidelines California counties must hold three days of in-person early voting before the November election. It’s one of several guidelines set out in an executive order issued Wednesday by Governor Gavin Newsom to address concerns of holding an election during a pandemic. Reporter: Tara Siler, KQED New State Budget Leaves Many Questions Unanswered As California wrestles with the costs of the coronavirus pandemic, leaders in the state legislature have struck a deal on a framework for a new state budget. But this new budget leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Wildfire Survivors Question PG&E Settlement Vote PG&E is close to getting out of bankruptcy. A few weeks back, survivors of several fires caused by PG&E equipment voted on a settlement. But a KQED investigation has revealed that many ballots arrived several weeks after PG&E claims they were mailed out. Now, there are calls for an audit of the vote. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Protestors Dance In The Streets Defying Oakland Curfew Thousands of people turned out last night for a rally in downtown Oakland. The event was called in defiance of a curfew imposed after recent police violence protests. Unlike some recent demonstrations this one ended joyfully. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED Privacy Groups Oppose New Facial Recognition Bill The ability of artificial intelligence programs to recognize people’s faces has many governments and businesses around the world salivating at its possible applications. In California, a bill introduced in the State Assembly attempts to create ground rules for the development and use of facial recognition. But civil rights and digital privacy groups oppose the bill. Guest: Hayley Tsukayama, Electronic Frontier Foundation CA Attorney General To Enforce Data Privacy Law Companies that gather your information online were hoping the California Attorney General’s office would delay enforcing the state’s landmark consumer privacy law. It appears they might have another thing coming. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Show of Force from Police During Oakland Protests, Despite Curfew Last night was different in Oakland. For the first time since protests started there last week, there were no flash-bang grenades, no teargas and no arrests. And protests throughout the Bay Area over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police were calmer, too. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Anti-Police Violence Protests Stay Mostly Peaceful in L.A. Really big, multi-racial protests against police violence and racism stayed mostly peaceful across the state Tuesday. Though there were confrontations here and there.Here in L.A. protesters marched in Hollywood and downtown..and things stayed civil. Guest: Pastor Winfred Bell, Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church Protesters Grateful When Police 'Take a Knee' Protesters are challenging police officers to "take a knee" to show respect for the march’s message: an end to police violence and institutional racism. Is it meaningful or purely symbolic? Guest: John Bernard, protester Do Curfews Help Keep the Peace or Inflame Tensions? Elected officials and law enforcement say curfew orders help keep people safe and restore order. But the Southern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union disagrees. It asked Los Angeles County to revise or rescind the curfew there. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report State Capitol's Black Caucus Wants to Turn Protests into Legislative Action Protesters say their goal is systemic change. But what does that mean in terms of legislation? California’s African American state lawmakers have a list of bills they want to pass this year. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Child Care Funding Cuts Could Hit Vulnerable Kids Child care advocates in California were expecting to see funding cuts in Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised budget proposal following the COVID-19 pandemic. But some worry one cut in particular could make it harder for the state’s poorest kids to get care. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Facebook Employees Still Angry About Zuckerberg's Handling of the President's Tweets Facebook employees are still publicly criticizing Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg for not taking down or flagging some of Donald Trump’s most incendiary social media posts. At least one Facebook employee has resigned on principle over this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LA Mostly Peaceful Protests Move Into San Fernando Valley Last night, there were more protests against racial injustice and police abuse across the state. Many cities and counties imposed curfews on residents. The footprint of the protests also continued to expand. For the first time since the demonstrations began, large protests were held in LA’s San Fernando Valley, home to roughly 2 million people. Reporter: Ben Gottlieb, KCRW Organizers Worried About Risk of Catching Coronavirus While Protesting Health professionals who are worried about the hazards of demonstrating during a pandemic. Organizers, like Cat Brooks with Oakland's Anti-Police Terror Project, are taking precautions. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Progressive Prosecutors Want to Limit Political Donations from Police Unions In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, a coalition of California prosecutors is pushing for a new ethics rule to limit law enforcement’s political influence. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED San Diego Bans Controversial Choke-Hold In San Diego, the death of George Floyd has led to an immediate ban on a controversial chokehold called a carotid restraint, and it involves an officer applying pressure to a person’s neck until the suspect temporarily loses consciousness. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, The California Report South LA Stays Calm, Welcomes Peaceful Protests In this week’s protests, South LA has been quiet. Community leaders in Watts say they welcome any peaceful protests that might come to their area but they won’t tolerate violence or vandalism. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outrage Over Police Violence Erupts Across California Over the weekend, thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across the state to express anger and pain. The immediate spark was George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police, as well as other acts of violence against people of color by law enforcement. But in many cities—Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and even suburban Huntington Beach and Walnut Creek—violence clouded that message of justice. Guest: Charlotte Smith, Oakland hair salon owner Mayors Ask for Calm, Impose Curfews Mayor Eric Garcetti made an appeal to not let violent individuals hijack the protests’ message about racial injustice. Audio Postcard from Fresno Voices from the Fresno protest, as organizers struggled to keep out interlopers and maintain a peaceful demonstration. Producer: Alex Hall, KQED Michael Tubbs: On Leading Stockton and His Hopes for a Better World for His Son Mayor Michael Tubbs says the protests are an "expression of nihilism and hurt" which strive to correct 400 years of historical oppression. In Stockton they were mostly peaceful, with only a few cases of vandalism and stealing. "They're children who need direction and correction," he said. He also talked about his hope that his small son will live in a different and better America when he grows up. Guest: Michael Tubbs, Mayor of Stockton San Diego Demonstrators Focus on La Mesa Police Protesters converged on the La Mesa Police Department, spurred by not only the death of George Floyd but also a recent incident in which a white La Mesa police officer repeatedly shoved a young black man before arresting him. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long Beach Restaurants Hope Closing Streets to Cars Will Help Business Few industries have been hit harder by the COVID-19 outbreak than the hospitality business. A recent state tally shows that 900,000 jobs have been lost in California alone. As the state continues to reopen, cities and counties are exploring ways that restaurants can serve customers again in person, including shutting down streets to cars. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW California's Cap-and-Trade Auction Didn't Raise Much Money Every three months, our state auctions off what are known as "cap and trade" credits. It’s a way of raising money that the state can then turn around and spend on environmental programs. But the action held this month? It didn’t make much money. It’s more coronavirus fallout. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Science Dentists Reopen With Many Changes To Protect Workers and Patients Are you overdue for a dental cleaning? Dentistry looks a lot different in the age of COVID-19. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OC Sheriff Won't Enforce Mask Order As much of California reopens, elected officials in Orange County are doing so while disregarding the orders of their own public health department to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Sheriff there says he will NOT enforce a new countywide order requiring people to wear face coverings in public. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Key Testing Milestone: CVS Pharmacies to Offer Tests to Uninsured More than a hundred CVS pharmacies in California now offer coronavirus testing even to the uninsured. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science OC Assemblyman Loses Committee Seats After Harassment Investigation In Sacramento, an embattled Orange County Assemblyman has been stripped of his committee memberships after a sexual harassment investigation. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Schools Consider Policies for Fall Several Bay Area school districts are considering temperature checks for students and staff, that’s “if” they reopen physical campuses at the start of the new school year. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED How to Self-Isolate with 12 Other People and One Bathroom: A Mother's Story Doctors tell patients recovering from COVID-19 at home, to stay in a room by themselves, and avoid sharing a bathroom. But that’s not easy for low-income immigrants doubling or tripling up to afford rent. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Fire Victims Say They Didn't Get Ballots on PG&E's Bankruptcy Deal One of the last steps in PG&E’s planned exit from bankruptcy got underway yesterday. The “confirmation trial,” as it’s called, is taking place on Zoom. Guest: Cheryl Maynard, lost her home in the 2017 Camp Fire California AG Sues EPA Over Fuel Economy Standards California is once again suing the Trump Administration. This time it's over the move to roll back national standards that require better fuel economy for new cars and trucks. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom Says You Can Now Get A Haircut Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that California counties can now allow barbershops and hair salons to re-open with precautions. It’s the latest example of Newsom turning over the keys to reopening to local officials. Reporter: Guy Marzaroti, KQED Prison Officials Ask Governor For Help With Outbreak Avenal State prison in Kings County now has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state corrections system: 198. Kings County is reaching out to Governor Gavin Newsom for help. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KVPR Mental Health Workers Step Up To Support Frontline Colleagues Mental Health experts are worried about the psychological toll the pandemic is taking on doctors, nurses, paramedics and other first responders. Mental health workers are now participating in a new volunteer effort to support these frontline workers. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Private Spacecraft Leaves For International Space Station Wednesday NASA is scheduled to send two astronauts to the International Space Station aboard the first privately built spacecraft. It's the first time astronauts are leaving for space from the U.S. since 2011. Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED Science Nursing Home Patients Often Can't Say Goodbye To Loved Ones Nearly 8 thousand Californians in skilled nursing facilities have tested positive for COVID-19. So far almost 20 percent of those patients have died. That heightened risk is why the state has locked down nursing homes to most visitors - with a few exceptions. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Look at Coronavirus Outbreaks at Prisons around California Protesters gathered over the weekend outside a federal prison facility in Lompoc, home to the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the entire federal prison system with 900 inmates testing positive and 2 deaths so far. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW Assembly to Discuss State Budget and Take Back Control from Newsom Today at the State Capitol, the Assembly is meeting as what’s known "a Committee of the Whole." That means the Assembly will talk about a topic without having to take a vote. That topic, no surprise, is the sad state of California’s budget during the state shutdown. And it comes against the backdrop of a restless legislature that’s ceded quite a bit of power to Governor Gavin Newsom during this emergency and is ready to take some control. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics California Could Lose a Seat in Congress Despite some COVID-19 related delays, the census is still underway. Next year that data will determine how many representatives in Congress each state gets. And for the first time ever in California’s history one seat will likely be on the chopping block. Reporter: Caroline Champlin, KPCC Memorial Day Beach-Goer: Everyone Needs an Escape Hatch During Quarantine On this Memorial Day weekend, a lot of Californians did as Californians do. They and went to the beach. For the most part, it seems, we did a pretty good job of following social distancing rules. Getting outside is usually a big part of the holiday weekend which is the unofficial start of summer. The California Report’s Saul Gonzalez checked out the boardwalk at Venice Beach this weekend. Guest: Michael Dorfman, Venice Boardwalk juggler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SF General Nurse Who Served in Afghanistan Reflect on Caring for COVID-19 Patients The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to find new tools to cope with this unprecedented crisis. Perhaps no group has been affected more than first responders working at hospitals throughout the state. We spoke with a registered nurse at San Francisco General Hospital who served in the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 who says he's using lessons from his military service more than ever right now. Guest: Adam Visher, RN and Army veteran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unemployment in California Climbs to 15% There are new unemployment figures out this morning from the U.S. Department of Labor showing unemployment in California in April climbed to 15.5 %. But for a lot of people who are newly jobless, filing for unemployment benefits has been difficult because of the crush of applications. State elected officials also expressed frustration at a legislative hearing yesterday. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio UC Admissions Won't Require Standardized Tests Anymore The University of California Regents voted unanimously to phase out SAT and ACT test scores as admissions requirements. The standardized tests have long been criticized for creating barriers to higher education for less privileged high school students. Guest: Education Professor Frances Contreras, UC San Diego More Questions Than Answers About Reopening Schools California’s superintendent of public instruction says most districts plan to open on time this fall. Tony Thurmond hosted a statewide meeting yesterday to get input on how to do that safely during the pandemic. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Facebook Says Half Its Staff Can Work From Home If you’re lucky enough to still have steady work, you might be doing your job from home these days. Now Facebook plans to let half of its 48-thousand employees work from home permanently. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED When Can I See My Friends in Person? Some Guidelines As stay at home orders lift across California, many people are beginning to wonder whether some degree of face-to-face socializing is safe. Seeing friends or family is more tempting every day we have to endure social distancing. But what's safe? Guest: Lesley McClurg , KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastors Want To Resume In-Person Religious Services More than 1,200 California pastors are vowing to hold religious services on May 31st, Pentecost Sunday. That would be in defiance of a state moratorium on religious services put into place to help halt the spread of the coronavirus. One pastor explains what it's like to shut down his house of worship at a time when people's needs, both spiritual and practical, are so great. Guest: Pastor Robert Chavez of Victory Outreach Church Film and TV Production To Resume, But Probably Far from Hollywood Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s "drafting" guidelines and standards so television and film projects can resume production as California emerges from the pandemic shutdown. But Los Angeles County likely won’t meet those standards at first, so Hollywood still won’t be able to shoot in Hollywood. Reporter: Shannon Lin, KQED Watchdogs: Cuts to Senior Services Could Endanger Elderly, Disabled Nursing home watchdogs say proposed cuts to programs serving the elderly and the disabled will put more people at risk for COVID-19. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Subcontractors Won't Get Part of Federal Bailout of Airlines Many people whose work is critical to the airline industry aren’t seeing a dime of that money. They’re subcontractors: janitors, maintenance workers and caterers, like one airline cook at San Francisco International Airport. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Joshua Tree Park Reopens with New Rules After a two month closure over coronavirus concerns, Joshua Tree National Park reopened this week with some limits in place. While the park is a welcome day trip for Southern Californians who’ve been cooped up and want to get out for Memorial Day weekend. But locals near the park are conflicted about the impending influx of visitors. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Justice Department Warns State Not To Violate Religious Freedoms Are measures put into place to protect Californians from the coronavirus also stepping on religious freedoms? In a letter sent to Governor Gavin Newsom, the U.S. Justice Department warns that keeping houses of worship closed might violate constitutional rights. Over One Million Undocumented Californians Seek Financial Relief This is the first week undocumented Californians hit hard by the pandemic can apply for state financial relief. The response has been overwhelming. Just two of the dozen nonprofits the state selected to screen applicants say they got 1.3 million calls on the first day. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED UC Regents Consider Cuts The financial toll of the pandemic is coming into focus for the University of California system. As UC Regents meet to discuss the issues this week, advocates are making a case against cuts. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED California Lawmakers Consider Making Housing a 'Right' California’s housing crisis has driven state lawmakers to think big: How can they guarantee housing as a right? Two different approaches to that problem have made their way to the the state capitol. Now the coronavirus pandemic is shaping the debate. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Housing Imperial County Is Turning Away COVID-19 Patients Two hospitals in Imperial County are turning away coronavirus patients because they say they can't handle any more. The hospitals attribute the recent spike to American citizens living in Mexico who've tested positive for COVID-19 there and are crossing the border to seek treatment. People Experiencing Heart Attacks Are Staying Away From Hospitals For weeks, doctors have been worried that patients having heart attacks were not coming in to emergency rooms because they were afraid of contracting the coronavirus. A new study confirms doctors’ suspicions. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Already Struggling, Recycling Industry Nosedives During Pandemic Californians are stuck at home and producing more trash than ever. However, the centers that process residential recycling say they can’t operate with workers standing six feet apart. Which means a lot of those materials aren’t getting recycled. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom Changes Qualifications for Next Phase of Reopening The vast majority of counties in the Golden State can start easing pandemic restrictions and reopening their economies, says Governor Gavin Newsom. This despite the fact that there are more than 80,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in the Golden State and more than 3,200 Californians have died from COVID-19. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Legislators Ready to Reassert Power in Sacramento Since the pandemic started and the state shut down, Governor Newsom has wielded an enormous amount of power. But the legislature is now back in session and at a state Senate hearing Monday, lawmakers seemed ready to reassert themselves as budget negotiations get underway. These discussions are going to be tough because of the need to make up for a huge drop in tax revenue. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Barbershops and Nail Salons Worry They Can't Last Until Reopening Maybe you can’t wait to get back to your favorite barber or nail salon. But it may still be a while, as these places are supposed to open last, in the state’s final phase of re-opening. And many of these businesses are worried they won’t survive until then. Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio How One Slaughterhouse Avoided Outbreaks Across the country, slaughterhouses have been forced to shut down because of coronavirus outbreaks that endanger workers. This has disrupted the meat supply chain. But one employee-owned processor near Sacramento acted quickly to protect its workers and has managed to avoid closure. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, The California Report Is Mass Transit Ready for Reopening? Are People Ready to Ride Again? As stay at home restrictions are loosened, how many people will really feel safe returning to buses trains and subways? The experts really have no idea what's ahead. But for now trains and buses are mostly empty. Guest: Phillip A. Washington, CEO, L.A. County's Metropolitan Transportation Agency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Undocumented Californians Get Access to Financial Help Starting Monday, undocumented Californians affected by the pandemic can get financial assistance through a 125 million dollar fund set up by the state and philanthropic groups. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Hospitals Ask for State Funds for Fall COVID-19 Wave California hospitals are disappointed that Governor Gavin Newsom’s new state spending proposal doesn’t include any financial support for them. The hospitals say without more help, they won’t be ready for a possible second wave of COVID-19 this fall. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio Maternal Mental Health Program Cuts Coming Psychologists are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could soon be followed by a mental health crisis. But the governor is proposing making cuts to funding for mental health services for new moms. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Coping with COVID-19 on Atlantic Boulevard: From Hip Hop Clothing to Face Masks From time to time, we're checking in with people along Los Angeles County's Atlantic Boulevard. More than twenty miles long, it cuts through a variety of hardscrabble blue collar communities, like Cudahey, Maywood, South Gate, and North Long Beach. That's where we met Lena Durr, who owns a small hip hop clothing store. Guest: Lena Durr, small business owner Does Contact Tracing via App Provide Enough Privacy? Smartphones, if combined with the right app, could be a powerful tool in tracing the spread of the coronavirus and warning people about possible exposure. Many local governments, including San Diego county, are seriously considering using these apps to track potential COVID-19 cases, which—no surprise—raises privacy concerns. Reporter: Claire Trageser, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coronavirus Pandemic Decimates State Budget State lawmakers there are looking at painful cuts to the state budget. Governor Gavin Newsom has projected a somber picture in his revised budget proposal for the state post-coronavirus. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics California's Schools Face Deep Budget Cuts Just as schools across the state gear up to reopen, they’re facing deep budget cuts. Governor Newsom is asking legislators to approve some adjustments to soften the blow. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Less Money for Housing for Homeless in Revised Budget An ambitious plan to invest more than 1 billion dollars from the general fund to tackle homelessness. It’s been scrubbed from the Governor’s revised budget. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Governor's Budget Proposes Cuts to Medi-Cal In addition to the many other reductions, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced substantial cuts to Medi-Cal as part of his May revision to California’s budget. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Help for Nursing Homes in Latest Federal Relief Package In Washington, the House of Representatives will vote on a coronavirus relief package today. It’ll include a proposed $500 million specifically for nursing homes. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Science Growing Food and Veggies in South LA COVID19 times have uncovered a sad irony: As farmers report crops rotting in the fields, hunger is growing nationwide. Food banks are seeing demand skyrocket. One organization in South LA is dedicated to making its community more self sufficient when it comes to food. Reporter: Deepa Fernandes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California AG Sues Federal EPA Over Regulation Relaxation California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is once again suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency.... this time for saying they'll suspend enforcement of some environmental requirements during the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED COVID-19 Hits State Women's Prison The state Department of Corrections has announced a new COVID-19 outbreak at a women's prison in San Bernardino County. The California Institution for Women has tested at least 400 inmates since last Friday, and positive cases are increasing there. Pharmacies Get Green Light to Test for COVID-19 Soon it might be as easy as stopping at a local pharmacy to find out if you have the coronavirus. The new state guidance allows tests that tell you if you have the virus or you had it in the past. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science State Attempts to Test Workers and Residents of All Nursing Homes California officials say it will take more time to test all workers and patients for coronavirus at over 1200 nursing homes statewide. They’re looking at what three counties -- LA, San Francisco and Alameda -- already are doing to inform it. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Science State Task Force Weighs Costs of School Reopening A state task force is working on what it will take to reopen schools safely, but it will be up to individual districts to decide when to reopen. That’s according to State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED What's Next for California's Budget? The Governor’s revised budget proposal comes out today, and one thing is sure: California's coffers have seen better days. KQED Politics reporter Katie Orr joins Lily Jamali to explain where things stand and what can be expected. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics One Doctor's Experience Helping Members of the Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation in the southwestern U.S. currently has the second highest per-capita infection rate after New York state. The illness is taking a devastating toll on the community, where access to water and multi-generational housing are helping the virus spread. Guest: Aylin Ulku, UCSF volunteer physician Trump Administration Looks To Continue Pandemic-Policy of Sending Back Migrants Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf toured the San Diego/Tijuana border from a Coast Guard helicopter yesterday. That’s at the same time that the Trump administration is looking to extend indefinitely its restrictive border policies that were put in place during the pandemic. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Coronavirus Complicates A Ban on Cashless Restaurants Businesses in California are taking new precautions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Some are no longer accepting cash. However, a bill at the state Capitol, introduced in February, would ban this practice. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Republican Mike Garcia Projected to Win 25th District The AP now projects Republican Mike Garcia will defeat Democrat Christy Smith, flipping back a seat Democrats won during the 2018 midterms. Garcia and Smith will be on the ballot again in November, facing off for a full two-year term to represent the Simi, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys in Congress. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 Outbreak Hits Turlock Nursing Home Fourteen residents of a nursing facility have died of COVID-19 in Stanislaus County, at the Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. It's one of the deadliest outbreaks at a skilled nursing facilities in Northern California. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED LA Residents Set To Shelter-in-Place Through July Los Angeles has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Yesterday, the county's 10 million residents were told they'll be sheltering in place for longer than they expected. L.A. County's public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said the stay-at-home order need to be extended because coronavirus infection rates and death rates keep rising in the county. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, Co-host, The California Report Oceanside Official Rallies Local Support to Reopen Oceanside City Councilman Christopher Rodriguez is asking local business owners to join his push to get the economy back up and running right away. Rodriguez published a letter over the weekend telling business owners to reopen if they feel comfortable. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS New Poll Finds Bipartisan Concern About COVID-19 Response The online poll of 2,500 likely California voters found that a bipartisan majority are concerned about the government response to COVID-19, as well as the economic impacts of the pandemic. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Newsom Announces Easing of Restrictions The governor says he’s amending the statewide stay-at-home order to allow more offices to reopen, as well as stores in malls, but only for pickup. The governor says Butte and El Dorado counties can now reopen restaurants for dine-in. Another 27 counties are also asking to reopen on a faster timeline. Republican Mike Garcia Holds Lead for 25th District Republicans in the 25th district were motivated by the opportunity to flip a California honuse seat from blue to red for the first time this century. Both parties spent over a million dollars on the special election. Looks like Republican Mike Garcia will hold the seat. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Facebook Moderators Win Lawsuit Over PTSD Issues Facebook has agreed to pay a total of $52 million to content moderators to compensate them for mental health issues they develop on the job. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED What Does Universal Basic Income Look Like During the COVID-19 Pandemic? In our current reality of widespread illness and record unemployment, a concept like "universal basic income" may be more welcome than ever. Stockton is piloting a program that gives residents a lump sum every month, no strings attached, Guest: Michael Tubbs, Stockton Mayor How Arts and Culture Workers are Proving Essential When facing major disasters, California looks to first responders like firefighters and nurses to save lives. But what about rebuilding those lives after they’ve been saved? Some say that’s where arts and culture workers might prove essential. Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

900+ Inmates Test Positive for COVID-19 at Lompoc Prison The largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the entire federal prison system is centered at the prison complex in Lompoc along California’s Central Coast. More than 900 inmates there have now tested positive for COVID-19. That’s more than three-quarters of the prison's population of inmates. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Newsom Defends Mask Deals That Fell Through Governor Gavin’s Newsom’s administration is defending several unsuccessful deals it made to buy medical masks and face shields that help protect against COVID-19. In an Assembly oversight hearing at the state Capitol Monday afternoon, officials stressed no taxpayer money was actually lost in the deals. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Oil and Gas Industry Wants Help, and Less Regulation, Amid Crisis Several weeks ago, an oil and gas group representing hundreds of companies that drill in California asked the state for help to prevent a collapse of their industry and the loss of jobs. California regulators say they’re prepared to give a break to oil and gas producers dealing with severe drops in fuel demand because of the COVID-19 crisis. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Tallying Lost Income for CSU System The COVID-19 pandemic is costing universities across the state millions, as key sources of revenue have disappeared. In the Cal State system, officials say the final tally of lost income could end up topping $300 million. Reporter: Shannon Lin, KQED Work Sharing Provides Business with Flexibility, Workers with Benefits One out of every five workers in the state has filed for unemployment since the coronavirus hit California. And economists say for many companies, there’s a better way. It’s called Work Sharing, a lesser-known program that lets employers cut hours and use unemployment benefits to make up for lost wages. But employers say California’s Work Sharing application process is outdated. Long waits have been discouraging for their workers. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC Why All Eyes Are on California's 25th Congressional District Today, voters in one of Southern California’s most hotly contested congressional districts decide who will replace Democrat Katie Hill. Hill resigned six months ago after affair allegations. Some of her private photos were leaked. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tourism in Southern California Expects Big Hit The coronavirus has brought the travel and hospitality industries to a standstill. People aren’t flying, hotels are empty, and bars and restaurants are barely getting by with takeout service. A forecast commissioned by the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board expects the city to lose billions of dollars and millions of visitors. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Small and Medium Cities Looking at Vast Budget Deficits Just six cities in the state expect to get a cut of a $150 billion in federal help from the CARES Act, which only applies to cities with at least half a million people qualify. What about the rest? Guest: Ben Christopher, CalMatters Sheriffs in Far Northern Reaches of State Want More Flexible Shutdown Rules Sheriffs in Northern California are pushing back against some aspects of Governor Gavin Newsom’s shelter in place orders. They argue the rules should be different for their counties, because cases of COVID-19 there make up a small portion of the state’s total. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Tesla CEO Threatens to Move Away Bay Area Over Shutdown Order Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a busy weekend on Twitter. Upset at the Bay Area’s extension of stay-at-home orders that have kept Tesla’s facilities closed, Musk said he’d immediately move the electric car-maker’s Palo Alto headquarters out of the state. He said Tesla’s plant in Fremont could be next. Guest: Dana Hull, Bloomberg News How Mail-In Voting Will Work for Sutter County Governor Newsom signed an executive order last week to ensure that all registered voters in California receive a mail-in ballot for the November election. In Sutter County election officials say it’s a matter of voter safety, but also safety for poll workers. Reporter: Ashlea Brown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom: Some Retailers Can Re-Open Nearly two months after many California businesses shut their doors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some retailers and manufacturers are re-opening… just a little bit... starting today. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Mom-and-Pop Shops Prepare to Re-Open at LA's Flower Mart Small shops prepare for a partial reopening and hope they can make enough sales to stay open. Guest: Marta Hernandez, flower shop owner Why Some People Can't Get Unemployment Benefits Millions of newly jobless people have filed for unemployment benefits since March. In California, many who’ve applied aren't getting their payments, for several reasons. One of them is something known as "false claim penalty cases." These are people who either tried to defraud the state when they filed for unemployment in the past, or just made honest mistakes when filling out complicated paperwork. Guest: Kaila Hoppe, unemployed television costumer Working Actors Find Residuals Reduce Their Unemployment Turns out, there are a lot of ways to lose your unemployment check, or at least part of it. Consider the plight of working actors. Work they did years ago, can count against their current unemployment benefits, just when they need them most. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Revenues Down, California's Budget Outlook is Bleak Less than an hour ago, the state of California released a snapshot of what the coronavirus pandemic has done to the state’s finances. And the numbers are bad. Surging unemployment and business closures mean the state is projecting a drop of more than 25 percent in both personal income tax and sales tax revenues, and a more than 20 percent decline in corporate taxes. Mix this all together we’re looking at a $41 billion dollar drop in state revenue compared to projections in January. This comes as the state spends more on health care to deal with the pandemic. Guest: H.D. Palmer, California Department of Finance First ICE Detainee Dies of COVID-19 at Otay Mesa A sixth prisoner at the Terminal Island federal detention center in San Pedro has died from COVID-19. And more than half of the facility’s thousand inmates have tested positive for coronavirus, as well as fourteen staffers. This makes Terminal Island, which is in between the Ports of L.A and Long Beach, one of the most significant concentrations of coronavirus cases in the state. Meanwhile, a detainee in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody has died of COVID-19. He was being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County. This marks the first coronavirus death in ICE custody nationwide. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Beef Shortage in California? Not Likely There’s been much talk recently about whether America’s supply of beef and poultry is threatened, as workers in meat processing plants test positive for the coronavirus, forcing those facilities to temporarily close. Meat suppliers in California say there will be changes, but no shortages. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Librarians Make Good Contact Tracers UC-San Francisco is launching a statewide effort to train 20,000 new contact tracers. These are the disease detectives who connect the dots between people who have COVID-19 and the people they’ve come into contact with... and may have infected. Individuals who might have a particular knack for the job are librarians. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Details Emerge on California's Contract to Buy Masks from Chinese Company State officials are releasing details of a huge and secretive contract for California to purchase protective gear from China. This follows reporting from the L.A. Times. The document trail reveals the Newsom administration scrambling to acquire hospital masks in the absence of federal leadership. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics Editor New Website Features Map of Coronavirus Testing Sites Many people want to get tested to see if they’re infected with coronavirus. But where? Governor Newson has announced a new interactive map Californians can use to find COVID-19 testing locations nearby. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Silicon Valley Is Still Hiring, For Now... A lot of California industries are laying off employees. But companies in Silicon Valley are actually hiring people—a lot of people. It’s a good time to be in the market for a mid-level white collar job in web development and tech support. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, Silicon Valley Desk Editor, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California, City Attorneys Sue Uber and Lyft Over Worker Misclassification The state of California and some cities are suing Uber and Lyft for misclassifying their drivers as contractors and denying them access to employee benefits like unemployment insurance, which is especially needed during the pandemic. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Advocates Call For Prisoner Release As Inmate Cases Grow More than 200 prisoners at California Institution for Men in San Bernardino County have tested positive for COVID-19 along with 44 staff members. One inmate has died, while four have been released. Prison officials say another 287 inmates have tests pending. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Children With Undocumented Parents Are Being Denied Federal Aid A federal law providing coronavirus emergency aid discriminates against millions of U.S. citizen kids by denying them payments because their parents are undocumented. That’s according to a class-action lawsuit on behalf of these children -- including roughly 1 million in California. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Rural Counties Defy Governor's Stay-At-Home Orders Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that he’s given permission for more beaches in Orange County to reopen after reaching agreement with local officials. But the governor is unhappy with other counties that are defying state health orders. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Debt Collectors To Cash In On Coronavirus A new study from the Pew Research Center predicts that debt collections will grow dramatically in the pandemic’s aftermath, and debt collectors are likely to sue to get other assets. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom Says Business Can Reopen, A Little Bit Governor Gavin Newsom announcing that the Golden State can start to reopen, at least a little bit, beginning as soon as Friday. State Finances Take Hit from Coronavirus This crisis has taken a huge bite out of state tax revenue... just as the demand for California’s social safety programs is skyrocketing. All those people in need put extra pressure on state finances. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Immigrant Activists Want Stimulus Checks for Undocumented An L.A.-based immigrant advocacy group is pushing for all immigrants to be included in economic and health recovery efforts from the pandemic. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Working Hollywood Copes with Coronavirus Shutdown Like with other industries, the coronavirus pandemic has shut down Hollywood. And that's been disastrous for all the companies that supply goods and services to film and television productions. Guest: Mikel Elliot, CEO of Quixote Studios Mariposa County's Successful Contract Tracing Effort Mariposa County, which includes Yosemite National Park, confirmed its first coronavirus case last week. Within a few days that jumped to thirteen cases. County officials say they’re containing the spread. Reporter: Laura Tsutsui, Valley Public Radio In-Home Healthcare Workers Lack PPE In-home supportive services workers help older, disabled people in their homes—so they don’t have to seek care elsewhere. Many of these minimum wage workers say the state hasn’t provided them with enough personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, shipments of N-95 masks and gloves have finally arrived, but there’s a catch. Only those who have been exposed to COVID-19 have access. Reporter: Julie Chang, KQED Consumer Privacy Advocates Want Stricter Rules The California Consumer Privacy Act created new rights around how businesses collect and share our personal information. Now the group Californians for Consumer Privacy has announced it’s submitting voter signatures to qualify a new measure for the November ballot. It would create even stricter rules to protect users’ privacy. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Assembly Heads Back to Work After Emergency Recess State legislators are returning to Sacramento today after leaving for an emergency recess in March because of the coronavirus crisis. Guest: Anthony Rendon, California Assembly Speaker State's First Election During Pandemic Heats Up North of LA The first election during California's COVID-19 crisis is next Tuesday. Voters north of Los Angeles in the Simi, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys are casting ballots in a special election. They’ll decide who fills a Congressional seat left vacant by the resignation of freshmen Democrat Katie Hill last October. The pandemic has re-framed the candidates' messages—and reshaped how the election will take place. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics Drive-By Protests and Outreach to Help Day Laborers Even under stay at home orders, most counties have allowed construction projects to continue, including home remodeling and landscaping. So day laborers have kept looking for the little work that remains. In Los Angeles, activists are reaching out to workers to tell them about programs that can help. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW FaceBook Page Provides for Needs of Prisoners During Pandemic Jails and prisons are hot spots when it comes to the spread of COVID-19. They’re also places where personal hygiene products to keep clean are in short supply. There’s a new online effort to help, one prisoner at a time. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Economy Stalls, California Renters Organize for Relief It’s the first of the month. Which means rent is due. But with the COVID-19 pandemic gutting parts of the economy, a lot of California renters can’t pay it. KQED’s Molly Solomon reports advocates have organized a “rent strike” in hopes of winning support for rent relief on a massive scale. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Surf's Up, But Some SoCal Beaches are Closed With clear skies and some pretty good surf forecasted this weekend, health officials are once again warning people *not* to gather at local beaches. The coast along Orange County will be CLOSED altogether—per Governor Gavin Newsom’s orders—and the beaches in LA County remain shut down as well. Neighboring regions are taking a softer approach. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW Sacramento Adjusts to New Reality of Pandemic Before this pandemic, the politicians we send to Sacramento were expected to tackle issues like homelessness, housing and PG&E’s bankruptcy. But the coronavirus has forced new priorities in the state capitol. Lobbyists are adjusting to the new reality. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Remote Modoc County Reopens for Business Today, one of the state’s least populated counties, in the far northeast corner of the state, starts a “staged reopening” of its non-essential businesses. Isolated Together: CapRadio Documents Sheltering-in-Place Sheltering-in-place has been... real. Our partners at CapRadio are documenting it with help from listeners, in a new project they’ve launched called Isolated Together. Guest: Scott Rodd, Reporter, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PG&E 'Cheated on Maintenance,' Judge Writes — Then Orders New Probation Conditions We’ll start a San Francisco federal judge’s order to require Pacific Gas and Electric to take a series of steps to improve its safety practices and head off future disasters. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED Fire Victims Vote on PG&E Settlement, But What’s The Plan? As tens of thousands of PG&E fire victims vote on their settlement with the utility, recent court filings make it clear that key details of that plan are still being negotiated, including the timing and amount of compensation. Meanwhile, some fire survivors who are navigating this complex process without legal help say they have yet to receive ballots. Voting ends May 15. One-on-One with Erin Brockovich Activist Erin Brockovich gained fame fighting PG&E. These days, she’s a consultant for attorneys who helped negotiate PG&E’s compensation settlement with fire survivors. She fielded questions that survivors shared with The California Report about her current role. Guest: Erin Brockovich, Activist Retiring CalFire Spokesman Worried about Firefighters and Their Families Hot weather last weekend was a reminder that fire season isn’t just around the corner—it’s already here. Captain Scott McLean, whose voice you might recognize as the department's spokesman, is retiring this week and discussed the challenges CalFire faces in the near future. Guest: Capt. Scott McLean, CalFire Why It's Hard to File for Unemployment Right Now Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, it’s been clear from your emails and tweets to us that for so many of you, the process of filing for unemployment benefits has been confusing and sometimes infuriating. We went looking for answers and an explanation of the technical issues that people are coming up against when they try to file their claims. Guest: Jenna Gerry, senior attorney with Legal Aid At Work How Hospitals Prepared for the COVID-19 Surge Governor Gavin Newsom says it’s not safe to loosen shelter-at-home orders unless hospitals can handle a potential surge in COVID19 cases. Even though California seems to have flattened the curve so far, a future spike is possible, especially when current restrictions soften. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's Finances Will Take A major Hit From Coronavirus It’s too early to tell just how hard the COVID-19 pandemic will hit California’s finances. The state official in charge of signing the checks issued by California is keeping a close eye on the revenues coming into the state’s coffers. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Governor Newsom May Open Schools This Summer Concerned about California students’ falling behind academically, Governor Gavin Newsom says some schools could open in late July or early August. But they will need to adopt social distancing protocol. Reporter: Julia McEvoy Fresno City Officials Call For And End To Shelter-In-Place Even as the San Francisco Bay Area hunkers down for another month of sheltering in place, some Central Valley elected officials are saying it’s time non essential businesses there are allowed to reopen. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED New Study Finds Harmful Indoor Pollution From Gas Appliances UCLA is out with a new study about the emissions gas appliances release in our homes. This is at a time when many of us are spending more time at home than maybe ever. The study finds that gas appliances cause harmful indoor air pollution. Guest: Rachel Golden, Sierra Club Fewer Traffic Collisions Mean Longer Waits For Organ Donations As we shelter in place, an unintended consequence of the coronavirus pandemic has come to light. The number of traffic collisions and fatalities has gone down. Aas a result, people waiting for kidney, liver, and heart transplants are having to wait longer. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Students Teach Online Music Lessons And Support Coronavirus Relief It’s tough being cooped up at home right now, especially if you’re a teenager. But some California high school student and undergraduates are using their weeks in quarantine to teach music to kids, and donating the proceeds to support coronavirus relief efforts. Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emergency Room Doctors Have Coronavirus Homework Turns out it’s not just the risk of infection and the long hours that makes being an hospital Emergency Room staffer draining right now. Treating COVID-19 comes with homework. Once doctors finish their shifts, they still have to try and catch up on the latest coronavirus research. Following the latest medical literature about coronavirus is exhausting and, sometimes, discouraging. Guest: Clay Josephy, emergency medicine doctor in South Lake Tahoe NASA Scientists Build a Better Ventilator Months into this pandemic, there remains a national shortage of ventilators. Well, a team of engineers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena is figuring out how to build more -- and fast. Reporter: Jerome Campbell, KCRW Student Volunteers Help at Monterey's Public Health Lab Monterey County’s Public Health Laboratory has increased its COVID-19 testing capacity seven-fold over the last 5 weeks thanks to one graduate student who offered to help, after hearing a story on local public radio. Reporter: Michelle Loxton, KAZU The Battle of the Beaches in the War on Coronavirus Governor Gavin Newsom says those weekend crowds at some Southern California beaches don’t help contain the coronavirus. It's shaping up to be the Battle of the Beaches, one of many in the War on Coronavirus. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics The Case for Expanding Medi-Cal to Protect Undocumented Seniors from Coronavirus At the start of this year, before most of us had ever heard of COVID-19, Gov. Newsom proposed expanding the state’s health insurance, Medi-Cal, to low-income undocumented seniors. This pandemic may derail those plans, just when they need it most. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Feds' Help for Small Businesses: Did California Get a Fair Share? We’ve been hearing growing calls from elected officials for a phased, responsible re-opening of California, just parts of it, for now. They’re coming from the conservative northern parts of the state, and in San Luis Obispo County along the Central Coast. These politicians are asking Governor Gavin Newsom to sign off on a gradual reopening. Guest: Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, San Luis Obispo Yurok Tribe Avoids Outbreak So Far In some places across the country, Native Americans have been hit incredibly hard by the coronavirus. But California tribes seem to have averted that catastrophe so far. We checked in on how the Yurok in Northern California are working to keep their community safe. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED The Feds' Help for Small Businesses: Did California Get a Fair Share? California got the more PPP dollars than any other state in Round 1 of the program. But when ranked by the proportion of small businesses who got help, California ranks dead last. Guest: Aaron Glantz, Reporter at Reveal Ice Cream Isn't Recession-Proof To understand what this new round of funding mean for small business owners, we talk to an ice cream maker in Truckee near Lake Tahoe who is still waiting for a loan. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nursing Home Workers' Union Calls for Better PPE In the community of Yucaipa in San Bernardino County, 20 people have died from coronavirus — 18 of them from a single skilled nursing facility. At Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation, more than a hundred staff and residents have also tested positive for COVID-19. It’s just one startling example of how the coronavirus has ravaged such facilities, their residents and the people who work at them. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics Editor Call the Midwife: Birth Is Different During the Pandemic In this pandemic, we’ve been checking in with healthcare workers… and today we’ll hear from a midwife. Some pregnant mothers who want to avoid hospitals during the pandemic are turning to freestanding birth centers — these facilities offer midwife care in a homelike environment. Last month, Pacifica Family Maternity Center in Berkeley received three times as many inquiries as usual. Guest: Jessamyn Meyerhoff, Berkeley midwife Muslims Gather for Virtual Iftars During Ramadan This is the first day of Ramadan. Normally at this time of year, Observant Muslims fast and pray during the day, then feast and celebrate at night for a whole month. Normally, that is. Muslims are re-fashioning their family gatherings and how they observe Ramadan during the pandemic. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Scientific Research Continues During Pandemic Many of us haven't been able to get to work during the pandemic. That includes scientists who've been shut out of their laboratories and research facilities. But here and there, research is continuing. At Scripps Oceanographic Institution in La Jolla, some staff are still at work on a more than hundred-year-old project to sample the daily temperature and salinity of the ocean. Guest: Melissa Carter, Director, Shore Stations Program, Scripps Oceanographic Institution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Newsom Talks Coronavirus Testing Governor Gavin Newsom says California is making big strides in its push to ramp up COVID-19 testing, but he isn’t committing to a date for reopening the state just yet. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Worker Tests Positive at Foster Farms Plant Employees at a Foster Farms plant in the Central Valley are worried about their health… now that one of their coworkers has tested positive for COVID-19. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED DACA Students Lose Out on Aid Undocumented college students dealing with campus closures won’t be getting any emergency help from the federal government because of the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Health Clinics Struggle Without Patients Non-profit community clinics and health centers care for people regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. But during this pandemic, many clinics across California are struggling to keep their doors open. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Coffeehouse Owner Plans for Post-Pandemic Reopening Here in California, no word… yet… about when that will start happening here, but many small businesses are planning for it, including coffeehouses. Coffeeshops reopening would represent a step back to normalcy for me and many others. But how do you reopen a kind of business where spaces can be tight and people linger, sometimes for hours? Guest: Sara Peterson, owner Scout Coffee in San Luis Obispo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Known Coronavirus Death Weeks Earlier Than Previously Thought The first confirmed deaths from the novel coronavirus in the United States look like they took place in Santa Clara County, more than a month earlier than initially thought and reported. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED PG&E's CEO Steps Down The CEO of embattled utility Pacific Gas and Electric is stepping down. The utility's plan for leaving bankruptcy has been approved and will allow it to tap a state insurance fund in case of future fires. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Governor Newsom Warns Against Re-opening State Golf courses, beaches and parks are opening again as some California cities and counties begin to ease stay-at-home orders put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But Governor Gavin says the number of positive tests, hospitalizations, and deaths have actually ticked up, not down. New Poll Illuminates Coronavirus Concerns With the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths still climbing, a new poll finds many Californians are very worried about their health, and their finances. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California EPA Fights Federal Regulatory Relaxation This Earth Day, California’s Environmental Protection Agency is carrying an extra burden. In March, its federal counterpart said that it would stop enforcing most environmental regulations for an open-ended period of time. Reporter: Craig Miller, KQED Diary of a Bay Area Nurse When hospital workers show up for work now-a-days they have to take extraordinary precautions to make sure they don’t spread the coronavirus inside hospitals. And those precautions don’t stop once they leave work and go home. Bay Area ER nurse Douglas Frey offers a snapshot of what he does after a shift at the hospital. Producer: Leslie McClurg, KQED 'Trailers for Nurses' Helps Health Workers Isolate Health care workers are exposed to the coronavirus more than anyone else. After their shift is over, many worry about passing the sickness onto their families. So they’ve had to find ways to isolate after work with some even pitching tents in their garages and backyards. Now, in Ventura County north of L.A., they’ve got another option. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW Lewis MacAdams, advocate for LA River, Dies Lewis MacAdams has died. A poet and environmentalist, for more than thirty years, MacAdams championed the restoration of the Los Angeles River through his art and activism by founding the group the Friends of the L.A. River. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research Shows More People Had Coronavirus Than Previously Thought What if far more people are infected with coronavirus than previously thought? A preliminary study that tested more than 800 adults in L.A. County for COVID-19 antibodies suggests that’s the case. Those antibodies indicate someone’s been exposed to the virus. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Legislators Want More Oversight of Pandemic Spending In a legislative hearing yesterday, members of both parties said they wanted more oversight over how Governor Newsom is responding to the pandemic, especially when it comes to how money is being spent, like a recent deal to buy millions of masks from China. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics City Officials Watch Dwindling Tax Revenues As tax revenues dwindle because of the business shutdown, the state’s largest cities are getting financial help from the federal government through the CARES Act. But smaller cities, at least for now, are on their own. So what’s like to run a smaller city during the pandemic? Guest: Peter Weiss, Mayor of Oceanside Judge: ICE Should Release Detainees at High Risk of COVID-19 A federal judge in southern California has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement to consider releasing all detainees nationwide who are at high risk of contracting Covid-19. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cities and Counties Brace for Budget Cuts Due to Coronavirus Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti gave a sobering warning in his State of teh City address Sunday. Because of cratering municipal revenue during the coronavirus shutdown, the city plans to enact furlough days for thousands of employees and make painful cuts to municipal services. L.A. is just the biggest example of how California’s 482 cities and towns are wrestling with the consequences of the pandemic on their budgets. Guest: Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director, League of California Cities California Prisons Try to Keep Inmates Coronavirus-Free The first California inmate has died from health complications related to COVID-19. He was incarcerated at the California Institution for Men in San Bernardino. That comes after a federal judge denied an emergency motion that would have forced state prison officials to reduce the state’s prison population by thousands to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The judge wants to see first if changing up prison housing works. Reporter: Julie Small, KQED State Nursing Home Regulators Release COVID-19 Infection Counts The coronavirus has sickened thousands of workers and residents at long-term care facilities. More than 20 percent of the state’s nursing homes now report cases of COVID-19. That’s according to a list released by the Department of Public Health this weekend. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Science Delivering COVID-19 Information in All Languages Immigrant residents of California speak more than 200 different languages and many aren’t fluent in English. So, how do you get pandemic information to them, especially if their language isn’t widely spoken? Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report's Fresno reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom: Food Workers To Get Paid Sick Leave Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that food workers in California will get two weeks of paid sick leave to help them deal with the outbreak of COVID 19. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Safeway Reports COVID-19 Outbreak at Warehouse In San Joaquin County, a worker at a grocery distribution center belonging to Safeway has died of COVID-19. The grocery chain also confirms that several other workers at that same warehouse have also tested positive. Reporter: Haley Gray Megadrought Conditions Have Returned to the West, Scientists Say There’s new research that shows climate change is pushing California and much of the American West into a drought like we haven’t experienced in centuries. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Science Chief Worries About Pandemic's Effect on Firefighting Efforts After the record blazes Californians have lived through these last few years, firefighters now have to factor in the COVID-19 outbreak as they plan for the coming fire season. Guest: Fire Chief Dave Winnacker, Moraga-Orinda Fire District How Much Data Privacy Will You Sacrifice to Beat the Coronavirus? How do we all feel about saying goodbye to our data privacy during the covid-19 pandemic? We give away a lot of data already to all sorts of companies, but not typically sensitive health information to those tracking infections. That looks like it’s about to change. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Silicon Valley Editor Kids of Healthcare Workers Worry About Their Parents This week, our sister show, The California Report Magazine, takes an up-close look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has touched the lives of front-line workers and their children. The kids of those workers have to worry about the risks their parents face. That’s on top of the constraints of just living during the outbreak. Guest: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom To Provide Disaster Relief for Undocumented Immigrants California will be the first state in the nation to offer COVID-19 disaster relief to undocumented immigrants. Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a fund of $125 million Wednesday, including $75 million in state money and the rest from philanthropic sources. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Uber and Lyft Aren’t Paying for Drivers’ Unemployment: You Are, Confirms Newsom Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Employment Development Department are giving Uber, Lyft and other gig companies what they hoped for: unemployment coverage for drivers paid by federal taxpayers through the CARES act, instead of state unemployment funds. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Federal Prison in Lompoc Struggling to Contain Outbreak The U-S Bureau of Prisons is scrambling to control the coronavirus at several of its institutions, with the largest outbreak now at a federal prison in Santa Barbara County. Officials are planning to establish a temporary hospital at the prison to treat the growing number of sick inmates. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED State Legislators Consider Costs of COVID-19 Today, California senators will be meeting, some of them virtually, to talk about how expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic will hit the state’s budget. Guest: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Desk Immigration Detainees Call for COVID-19 Protection The worst coronavirus outbreak at a federal immigration detention center is unfolding in San Diego. California’s U.S. Senators are calling for an investigation into reports that guards mistreated detained women who were asking for protective masks. Panic is spreading among the more than 32,000 people in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, Immigration Editor, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CA Won't Go Back To 'Normal' Anytime Soon Governor Gavin Newsom is laying out a road map for what the easing of California’s coronavirus lockdown might look like. At his daily briefing on the state’s approach towards managing the pandemic, he ruled out a return to the way things were just a month ago. Reporter: Guy Marzaroti, KQED Bailout For Airports As Passenger Numbers Plummet Airports around California have taken a huge hit as the coronavirus crisis has all but shut down air travel. They’re about to get some help thanks to the federal government’s recently passed two-trillion-dollar relief package. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED What Does The Coronavirus Mean For California Real Estate? There is no industry in California that hasn’t been touched by the coronavirus pandemic including residential real estate. Some of the hottest housing markets in the state are reeling from the shock, but this doesn't necessarily mean lower housing prices. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED L.A. Rolls Out Stricter Guidelines For Masks And Sanitation All businesses in Los Angeles County that have remained open during the coronavirus outbreak must now provide face coverings for their employees. That’s according to a new order issued by the county’s health department. The directive is just one part of new, stricter guidelines set to go into effect by the end of today. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW California's Early Shelter-In-Place Order May Help Its Economic Future With the economy thrust into turmoil by the pandemic, we’re spending a lot of time wondering what the way out of this moment might look like. One thing is clear, the road to recovery will be a long one. Guest: Mary Daly, President, Federal Reserve Bank Of San Francisco Pet Adoption Is Through The Roof During Shelter-In-Place Since quarantine started in the US, people everywhere have rushed to take in new pets, and it’s not just adoptions. According to a site that tracks data from animal wellness agencies, the rates of fostering have exploded too. Reporter: Danielle Chiriguayo, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom To Work With Neighboring Governors to Reopen States At a time when President Donald Trump is claiming “total” authority over how states will reopen following the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to outline his own plan to get California moving again. Newsom says he’s coordinating with the governors of Oregon and Washington. He says they’ve agreed to a framework that lets science guide their decisions. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Census Bureau Wants More Time to Complete Count The Census Bureau is trying to cope with disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s asking Congress for four extra months to complete the 2020 count, but that raises concerns about accuracy. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Insurance Companies Must Provide Refunds California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered insurance companies to provide refunds to customers for March, April, and possibly May, if the shelter-in-place directive is extended. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED Law Enforcement Officers Cope with Coronavirus One of many jobs that are changing in the COVID-19 era is policing. Law enforcement officers have to enforce stay at home orders, while also keeping the peace at food banks and grocery stores. And when they do make arrests, there's a new level of danger -- the slightest touch brings with it the risk of possible transmission. Reporter: Claire Trageser, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid Pandemic, State Releases Thousands of Prisoners — But Will They Have Support at Home? Thousands of nonviolent inmates are being released from California’s prisons and jails as the state grapples with the pandemic. Advocates are worried about the fate of those men and women once they’re out. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Families of Patients in State's Mental Health Hospitals Worry State mental hospitals face similar challenges. Families of patients worried that their loved ones aren't able to practice physical distancing inside. Reporter: Lee Romney, KALW Essential Fishing Industry Seeks Silver Lining to Coronavirus Commercial fishermen and women on the Central Coast are among the many who could use some clarity right now. Their salmon season is launching in just a few weeks, in early May. Even though California’s fishing industry is designated as essential, it’s biggest customers are not. Restaurants are all but shut down because of the pandemic. Some of the people who make their livings in commercial fishing are looking for a silver lining right about now. Reporter: Erika Mahoney, KAZU How Carlee's Restaurant is Feeding Borrego Springs The town of Borrego Springs, population 3,000, is smack in the middle of Anza Borrego State Park. "Panic buying" during quarantine has been especially tough on residents in rural towns. There’s often just one or maybe two grocery stores in some communities. So a restaurant owner there took matters into his own hands. Carlee’s is helping feed Borrego Springs in a way its owner probably never expected. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED Remembering KCRW's Matt Holtzman This weekend, our friends at KCRW in Los Angeles lost a friend and colleague, producer Matt Holzman, to cancer. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report co-Host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hospital Chaplains Re-Imagine Their Jobs During Pandemic Most days since this pandemic started, we share the latest grim numbers: how many Californians have Covid-19, and how many have died from it. Because the coronavirus is so contagious and dangerous, many people have died in hospitals without loved ones by their sides. But there are people who provide comfort, like Sister Donna Maria Moses, a Catholic nun and the senior chaplain at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. She manages staff and volunteer chaplains of all faiths at the hospital. She described how her job has changed as we’ve learned more about the virus. Guest: Sister Donna Maria Moses, Dominican nun and Senior Chaplain, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hotel Rooms for Healthcare Workers Treating COVID-19 Patients Health care workers battling the coronavirus could soon get free hotel stays under a program announced by Governor Newsom. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Oakland Teachers Donate Stimulus Checks to Their Students Undocumented workers who’ve lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic are left out of unemployment benefits and the federal stimulus package... even if they pay taxes. Now, teachers and principals at Oakland Unified are pledging to donate their stimulus checks to struggling families. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Meditation Is Popular During Tough Times In times of high stress and anxiety, experts, including the California Surgeon General, say having a mindfulness practice, like meditation, can be helpful. So it’s no surprise that Google searches for the word “meditation” are at an all time high, now that we have a global pandemic on our hands. Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tele-Medicine Gets a Boost from Coronavirus The pandemic is changing how we interact with medical professionals. For instance, Medicare and Medicaid have expanded access to tele-health appointments for their members. This means more elderly and low-income people can now get healthcare from practitioners without visiting a clinic or hospital. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED State Cuts Deals to Provide Masks to Hospitals California has started to cut its own deals with manufacturers to dramatically increase the number of N-95 and surgical masks it can provide to hospitals and front line workers during the pandemic. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Riverside Skilled Nursing Facility Evacuated Staying in Riverside, a skilled nursing facility there that’s had an outbreak of the coronavirus has been evacuated. That after employees didn’t come to work two days in a row. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KVCR From Inside a Hospital Bracing for a Surge of COVID-19 Patients Medical centers across the state continue to brace for a surge of COVID19 patients. But predictions on when exactly that peak hits keep changing. Now statistical modeling experts say hospitalizations might not crest until mid-May. But the looming surge weighs heavily on the minds of healthcare workers, especially in large public hospitals who serve the neediest patients. An ER nurse at Highland Hospital in Oakland says hasn’t seen the sharp uptick in visits he expected... at least not yet. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Anticipates Tough Economic Times In California As California responds to the coronavirus pandemic, state and local governments are burning through enormous amounts of money. Governor Gavin Newsom says all that spending now means painful fiscal times later. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Los Angeles County Rolls Out Self-Administered COVID-19 Tests Los Angeles County has become the center of the coronavirus pandemic in California, If you live there and think you might have COVID-19 you can now get tested. Formerly, testing was largely reserved for at risk populations like the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW After 9-Month Pause, California Issuing Fracking Permits Again California officials are granting fracking permits again. The state had put a hold on applications for the controversial oil extraction technique last July because of growing safety and environmental concerns. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Zoom-Bombing gives rise to Zoom-Bouncers you’ve heard of “zoom-bombing,” where trolls hijack an online video conference and post awful things. But have you heard of zoom-bouncing? It’s a new word for the coronavirus pandemic lexicon: Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Rules for Courts in Coronavirus Times The California Judicial Council, which makes the rules for the state’s courts, has enacted a series of sweeping emergency rule changes to slow the spread of COVID-19 in jails and courtrooms, and ease the pressure on families who have to pay rent and mortgages. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Speaker Pelosi on the Next Coronavirus Relief Bill Congress has passed three enormous pieces of legislation to bring relief to Americans who are suffering during the pandemic. But many in and outside of Congress want to do even more, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. KQED politics editor Scott Shafter interviewed Pelosi. Guest: House Speaker and San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi Dogs Also Feel Cooped Up Under Stay-At-Home Orders Lots of Californians are feeling cooped up and stressed out due to physical distancing and being stuck at home. But there might be other members of the household whose mental state could be changing: our dogs. Some dogs are acting strangely during the stay-at-home order. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthcare Workers Could Lose Immigration Protections There are thousands of immigrants among the healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. But for years, the Trump Administration has tried to end the protections that allow many of these immigrants to live and work in the U.S. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Food Banks Cope With Surge in New Clients More and more Californians are losing their jobs because of the pandemic. Many are going to rely on the state’s food banks to keep their refrigerators and pantries stocked. But how ready is California’s food security safety net? The L.A. Regional Food Bank is already seeing a surge of people looking for food assistance. Reporter: Michael Flood, President, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Audio Diary: A Physician Recovers from COVID-19 We've heard a lot about health care workers who've tested positive for COVID-19. One of them is Matt Willis, a physician and the Public Health Officer of Marin County. Willis tested positive about two weeks ago and has been isolated at home ever since, alone in an upstairs bedroom, away from his wife and children. He says he’s been feeling short of breath and running a fever off and on. Reporter: Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer A Bucket Brigade Born of Natural Disasters Now Fights the Pandemic Residents in lots of California communities have gotten good in recent years at organizing themselves to respond to natural disasters, like wildfires and mudslides. Now near Santa Barbara, those same skills are being used to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OC Hospital Using Plasma Treatment For COVID-19 In Orange County a hospital is experimenting with a way to help patients hit hard by COVID-19. They’ve successfully transferred plasma from the blood of someone who’s recovered from the illness into someone who still has it. Reporter: Alyssa Jeong Perry, KPCC Governor Announces Tax Relief For Small Businesses Nearly two million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits over the last three weeks. The state has taken in an average of 111,000 claims each day this past week. A lot of those workers are employed by small businesses which can now apply for tax relief for the year ahead. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Transit Agencies Report 90% Drops In Ridership Because of the pandemic and shelter in place orders, California's transit agencies, like L.A. Metro and BART have reported drops in upwards of 90%. In response, the agencies have reduced frequency of service, and cut operating hours for the few remaking passengers. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED California's Air Has Become Cleaner And Energy Use Is Down The COVID-19 pandemic has left downtown Los Angeles virtually smog free! Is all this staying home and not commuting giving us a leg-up on climate change? We asked a former state energy regulator about energy use and demand. Guest: Steve Weissman, UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment Some Hospitals Eerily Quiet As Nurses Wait For 'Tidal Wave' The coronavirus pandemic is hitting hospitals in the Bay Area hyper locally. Medical centers in Santa Clara county are treating the brunt of serious cases. 36 people have died there. Other hospitals are eerily quiet. Douglas Frey, an emergency room nurse at Highland Hospital in Oakland, shared his audio diary with us. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Campus Life Is Suddenly Over For Graduating Seniors Today, a lot of college students around the state wrap up their first week of doing school online. UCLA senior Noor Bouzidi is one of those students. At this point it’s all but certain she’ll graduate before the campus re-opens. Guest: Noor Bouzidi, UCLA Senior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Street Protest in the Time of Coronavirus Shouting "No to Rent, Yes to Food!" and observing proper social distancing measures, demonstrators in Boyle Heights yesterday called on the City of L.A. to do more to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants rights activists want to see complete rent forgiveness until the coronavirus crisis is declared over. Guest: Elizabeth Blaney, Union de Vecinos Self-Employed? It's Frustrating to File for Unemployment New data put startling numbers to the insecurity so many people feel right now. In the U.S., 6 and a half million people have filed unemployment claims. As the biggest state, and the first to order residents to shelter-in-place, California had the most claims: nearly 900-thousand. But that might be just the beginning - as people struggle to navigate the process of filing. And the situation’s even more complicated for freelancers and gig workers. They were ineligible before the new coronavirus hit. But they were promised help in that $2 Trillion dollar relief bill Congress passed last week. Guest: Jim Siler, Freelance TV technician Home Healthcare Workers Want Masks and Hazard Pay A lot of workers who are still employed are trying to stay safe during COVID-19 pandemic. Take the half a million in-home supporter service providers here in California. They work for county-run programs. Most make around minimum wage, and get only one paid day off a year. Now, they’re asking for help, specifically masks and hazard pay. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Amazon's Warehouse Workers Worry About Infection Amazon warehouse employees who package everything from pasta to toilet paper say the e-commerce giant isn’t doing enough to protect them from COVID-19. Workers at a warehouse in Riverside County are staying home and have signed a petition demanding their health be taken seriously. Reporter: Mickey Capper UC and Other Colleges Relax Admissions Requirements The leaders of California’s biggest university systems are loosening undergrad admissions requirements during the pandemic. It just might ease the anxiety of high school juniors and seniors preparing for college. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CA Schools Likely Closed For The Rest Of The Year Across the state the debate about just how long school will be out because of the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying. California’s superintendent of schools is telling districts to prepare for learning outside the classroom for the rest of the school year. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Governor Warns Of Emotional Toll On Isolated Seniors Isolation might be a good way to stay physically healthy but it can take an emotional toll. Governor Gavin Newsom says a call, text, or knock on the door can help seniors get what they need right now, whether that’s food or just someone to talk to. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED CA Distillery Transitions From Liquor To Sanitizer A California distillery on the central coast has changed its production line from making booze to bottling hand sanitizer. It's made with ethanol and will help with the acute shortage. Reporter: Greta Mart, KCBX Masks: To Wear Or Not To Wear? Who should wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic? What kind of mask is most effective? Should we be wearing masks when outside ? Advice from two experts is don't buy one; but do consider making and wearing one. Guests: Amir Jamali, MD and George Rutherford, Head, Division of Infectious Disease, UCSF ICE Detainees Panic As Coronavirus Appears In Detention Centers As cases of Coronavirus begin to emerge in prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers across the country, the tens of thousands of people who are being held while awaiting immigration hearings are starting to panic. In California lawyers have filed suit demanding the release of thirteen immigrant detainees at high-medical risk. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED New Federal Standards Will Increase Fossil Fuel Emissions The Trump administration has gutted one of the U.S’s biggest efforts to fight climate change. Trump’s new standards for auto emissions revoke Obama-era clean car rules and will increase fossil fuel emissions for years to come. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices