Kqeds The California Report

Some 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health care professionals are a month into a strike. This week, negotiations between labor and management have broken down.  Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED  Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have significantly lowered what California families pay for state subsidized childcare. The legislation would have capped the amount low income families pay at 1% of their monthly income. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED  An energetic new rhino calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park represents another step in the effort to save a related rhino species that’s nearly extinct. Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS Because of a new state law, San Francisco’s Superior Court has eliminated about $50 million in debt due to late fees for things like traffic tickets. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  With a nationwide rail strike averted, the Port of Los Angeles is shifting its attention to the movement of cargo ahead of the fall and winter holiday shopping season.  Reporter: Megan

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing Amazon, alleging the online retail giant engages in anticompetitive contracting, in violation of state laws. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Across the country, many families and dyslexia advocates are pushing for something called “structured literacy,” a type of early reading instruction that’s attuned to how the brain learns to read, with an emphasis on phonics. Experts say this type of reading instruction can benefit all students, especially those with dyslexia. But it’s not the norm in most California classrooms, or in teacher prep programs.   Reporter: Julia Barajas, KPCC/LAist  Governor Gavin Newsom celebrated a major legislative accomplishment on Wednesday. He signed his CARE Court bill into law, which seeks to improve mental health care in California, especially for people who are homeless with severe mental illnesses. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED In November, California voters will vote on Proposition 30. It’s a “clean air initiative” that would tax

A shift in wind led to increased activity on Tuesday, as firefighters continue to battle the Mosquito Fire in Placer and El Dorado counties. The fire jumped the Middle Fork of the American River, threatening the community of Foresthill.  State health officials are advising Californians to get a flu shot, in addition to the COVID-19 vaccination or booster. Reporter: Nimah Gobir, KQED  If you lost your job during the pandemic and you still aren't making as much as you used to, there's a new state grant that could help boost your professional skills. And -- hopefully -- your earning potential. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters Like other big California ports, L.A., Oakland, San Diego, the Port of Long Beach is filled with fleets of big, loud diesel trucks. They’re vehicles that carry cargo containers from the docks to warehouses and logistical centers inland. But there's a new type of vehicle that's supposed to become much more common at California ports in the coming years: battery-powered big rig truc

Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought.. But in big areas of the state, where people rely on groundwater, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find more water that’s underground. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Federal and Los Angeles County health officials have confirmed the first death of a person with monkeypox in California. The L.A. County resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized with the virus. Unlike the rest of the country, gas prices in California have been on the rise. That's after they dropped from record highs earlier this summer. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED 

In Placer and El Dorado counties, fire crews are making progress fighting the Mosquito Fire, which has burned more than 46,000 acres. Meanwhile, in Southern California, firefighters took advantage of wet conditions to help in the fight against the Fairview Fire. One of the bills that’s passed through the legislature on Governor Newsom’s desk would offer cash benefits to unemployed undocumented workers, currently excluded from the state’s unemployment insurance program. It’s an idea that not so many years ago would have been considered out of the question. Today? It’s a different story. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED San Francisco's representatives in the State Assembly say they’ll be keeping an eye on Pacific Gas & Electric’s possible role in the Mosquito Fire, burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills in El Dorado and Placer counties. PG&E filed notice with state regulators last week, saying that electrical activity occurred on one of its lines close to the time the Mosquito Fire was reported. Reporte

Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Riverside County due to the Fairview Fire and for El Dorado and Placer counties due to the Mosquito Fire. Firefighters have been struggling to control both fires, which have grown explosively and forced extensive evacuations. Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KVCR  LA County health officials are investigating the death of a person with monkeypox. Few details are being released about the case. What we do know is that this person died in LA and had monkeypox but it’s unclear if the virus caused the death.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC The Biden Administration has rolled back a Trump-era rule that penalized immigrants who used a wide range of government benefits – and led to fear in many California immigrant communities.  Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

California's extended heat wave will continue on Thursday, with temperatures topping out over 100 in many inland areas. The state's power agency is also issuing another call for power conservation, for the ninth straight day. As the heat wave drags on, broken cooling systems are disrupting the school day in many parts of California. That’s forced many school districts to bring in fans and portable AC units to lower classroom temperatures.  Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED A new report out from the Prison Policy Initiative reveals unexpected data about incarceration rates among rural Californians. Per capita, the highest rate of incarcerated people comes from small, rural counties in the state. Guest: Nigel Duara, Reporter CalMatters Opponents of a first-of-its-kind state law that could raise wages for fast food workers have officially started an effort to delay and potentially block it. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Parents fighting against school closures in Oakland and several California school dis

The statewide heat wave continued on Tuesday as records were broken across California, with much of the state once again facing triple digit temperatures. But the state did not have to order rolling blackouts, despite a deeply stressed power grid. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED While cities across the state continue to break heat records this week, there are a few places that are still comfortable, if not downright cool. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED  The hot weather across the state has brought added concerns about wildfires sparking. And a pair of fires that are burning in the Inland Empire in Southern California are now forcing residents to flee their homes. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW President Joe Biden has come out in favor of a California bill that Governor Gavin Newsom has said he’s not ready to sign. The bill aims to make it easier for farmworkers to choose whether to unionize, including by mail-in ballots -- without fear of reprisal. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Starting this week, mil

The brutal heat wave taking over the state is expected to last longer and reach higher temperatures than forecasters had anticipated. And that's putting a lot of stress on California's power grid, with state officials asking Californians to conserve as much as possible. Guest: Jan Null, Meteorologist, Golden Gate Weather Services and Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University  Two people have died and hundreds of residents around Weed remain under evacuation orders because of the Mill Fire burning in Siskiyou County.  Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio Last week, state lawmakers approved a plan to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon. Many are applauding the legislature’s decision to keep its carbon-free energy on the grid — but it’s had mixed reactions in San Luis Obispo County, where the plant sits. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX  On Friday, Frank Drake, the radio astronomer who dreamed of finding life on other planets, passed away at his home near Santa

As California’s housing crisis becomes more dire and cities feel mounting pressure to build more housing, many are eyeing church-owned real estate as a potential solution. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED

California's State of Emergency Continues Amid Massive Heat Wave For the third day in a row officials, have issued a so-called Flex Alert, which is a call to reduce energy consumption between the hours of 4-9pm when the power grid is most stressed and solar declines. Voters to Weigh in on a Constitutional Amendment That Could End Barrier to Building Public Housing Since 1950, Article 34 of the state constitution has required local officials to get voters’ approval to build public housing. The rule was rooted in racist fears about integrating neighborhoods and it’s hindered low-income home construction for decades. Now, California voters will get a chance to repeal it. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Blistering Heat Has the Central Valley's Only Children's Hospital Busy Young kids have more trouble regulating their body temperature than adults do, and they’re more susceptible to dehydration because a larger percentage of their weight is water. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Californians Could Receive First U

California Awaits Excessive Heat and Potential Blackouts Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for California as a heat wave takes hold of the state. Elliot Mainzer, president of the state’s power grid operator, says Californians need to reduce electricity use throughout the holiday weekend, especially during late afternoon and early evening. New Test Project in a Central Valley Town Could Bring Partially Solution to Shortages The idea behind solar canals is to build canopies over miles of aqueducts and place solar panels on top of those canopies. The shade from the canopies limits water evaporation and the solar panels produce renewable energy. Research out of U.C. Merced found that canopies lower evaporation in aqueducts by as much as 82%. Amanda Stupi, The California Report Kaiser Nurses Join Mental Health Workers Nearing 3rd Week of Strike 22,000 Kaiser nurses are protesting, calling for improved safety conditions and increased staffing. Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent On Ove

A controversial bill to overhaul California’s mental healthcare system cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night. The governor’s CARE Court proposal would allow judges to oversee treatment for people diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who are not receiving care.  Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by crime and gun violence -- but historically say they’ve been left out of many conversations and programs meant to help victims of crime in California. But that's starting to change. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED  Millions of residents in Los Angeles County will need to suspend outdoor watering in September. That’s the message from the Metropolitan Water District, which is set to repair a leak in a critical pipeline. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill designed to protect more homes from wildfire by bolstering the State’s defensible space inspections.  Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED A bill that would restrict

The California legislature has passed what supporters call a first-of-its kind bill that could benefit half a million fast food workers. AB 257 would bring fast food worker and employer representatives together on a council that could boost wages to up to $22 an hour next year at large chains. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  The Biden administration will pause its program to send Americans free at-home COVID-19 tests this week, blaming Congress for failing to fund another round of shipments. People who have yet to request all of their free rapid tests through the Department of Health and Human Services federal portal have until Friday to place their orders. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Small theaters with less than 100 seats were hit particularly hard during the pandemic. In Los Angeles, the highest concentration of these venues was in North Hollywood, but half of its 22 theaters have now closed permanently. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW  The state senate passed a bill Monday that will make it e

Over the past two decades California has completely reimagined its approach to dealing with young people who commit crimes. That remaking of juvenile justice will culminate next summer in the closure of California’s troubled state youth prisons, known as the Department of Juvenile Justice or DJJ. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Two years after Governor Gavin Newsom mandated it, the California Air Resources Board has approved a plan requiring 100% of new vehicle sales in California beginning in 2035 be zero emission. Automakers say they support California, but have encouraged the state to build out car charging infrastructure and incentives. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED According to the United Nations, solitary confinement beyond 15 days can amount to torture and should be banned. But it's still happening right here in California. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED\ In what’s believed to be a first in this country, Anaheim has formally recognized part of the city as an Arab American district. In a nearly unanimous vote this week, the Anaheim City Council has designated an area of Brookhurst Street as Little Arabia – a name that many locals have already used for years. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Think college athletics and likely football, basketball and volleyball come to mind. But Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

The California Air Resources Board is set to approve a plan on Thursday to phase out the sale of new gasoline cars by the year 2035. Reporter: Daphne Young, KQED   Last week, we brought you an investigation into the U.S. Forest Service that found a stalled project could have helped protect the town of Grizzly Flats in Northern California from the Caldor Fire. Now, we head to Big Bear, a Southern California mountain vacation destination, where officials are hoping to avoid that same fate. But are they moving fast enough? Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW

There’s a new poll out that shows Californians overwhelmingly support abortion access and that the issue will impact how they vote in the elections this fall.   Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED   A little over a week ago, normal life in the border city of Tijuana came to a halt as a drug cartel launched a campaign of terror in the city. Vehicles were set ablaze and gunmen blocked major thoroughfares. That’s raised new questions about the power of Mexico’s criminal underworld. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS  In recent years, the Sacramento region has debated plans for creating thousands of new affordable housing units and shelter spaces for the homeless. But opposition from neighborhood groups has made carrying out those plans a difficult challenge. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio With a week left in this year’s legislative session in Sacramento, California immigrant advocates are pushing hard for a bill to end the transfer of non-citizens to immigration custody after they’re released from jail or prison.  Rep

Proponents are calling Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of a bill that would have allowed supervised drug injection sites in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles a tragic, “missed opportunity” to prevent overdose deaths.  Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED A new report finds that most early childcare workers in California make far less than a living wage and that many earn less than they did before the pandemic. The report from UC Berkeley found that providers running small, daycare centers out of their homes make between $16- 30 thousand a year. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED  Once a reliable stronghold for Republicans, Orange County has become a contested battleground for congressional races in recent election cycles -- and this year is no different.  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED California voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction -- according to a new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. 52% of voters say California is on the wrong track, but Governor Gavin Newsom's approval rat

The California Department of Public Health is issuing new home isolation guidance for people with confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox. State public health director Dr. Tomás Aragón says the state’s guidelines are more detailed than the CDC’s national recommendations. California is adding Georgia to its already lengthy list of states where publicly-funded travel is banned because of anti-LGBTQ legislation. The travel restrictions come in response to a bill passed by Georgia lawmakers earlier this year that allows the state's athletic association to ban transgender girls from competing in girls' sports. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED  Both the Biden Administration and California have big goals when it comes to getting more people to drive electric vehicles as a way to fight climate change. There is one big challenge that may not be getting as much attention -- it’s the kind of housing millions of people live in and whether they can find or install electric vehicle charging stations there. Reporter: Sau