Kqeds The California Report

The water contained in California’s mountain snow is now lower than the historical average, after a January without significant rain or snow. That could mean another difficult drought year for Californians. Guest: Ezra David Romero, Climate Reporter, KQED With the extremely dry January, preceded by a very wet December, state officials say it's part of the volatile shifts in weather brought about by climate change. But as we head into another year of drought, some cities are trying to get ahead on conservation efforts. Guest: Laura Bliss, Bloomberg CityLab Reporter  In rural Shasta County, an effort to recall a county supervisor who his critics said was too deferential to Sacramento’s COVID-19 restrictions is too close to call.  Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED   The fallout from California's failed attempt to pass single-payer healthcare legislation continues. Assemblyman Ash Kalra is defending his decision to not bring the bill up for a vote. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED California has been a national leade

After a big spike, COVID-19 cases are now falling in California. And hospitalizations are also declining. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Starting Tuesday, people who are vaccinated and boosted can take off their masks in certain indoor spaces in San Francisco. The new rule says anyone who’s fully vaccinated can go maskless in places like gyms, offices, college classes and religious services.  Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED   While San Francisco is relaxing its mask rules, LA County’s mask mandate remains in place. The mandate will only be lifted if cases, hospitalizations and transmission hit a low benchmark, under county criteria put in place last fall.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  California lawmakers’ most recent attempt to create a single-payer health system, that would have provided coverage to all Californians, is now dead. The proposal didn't even come up for a vote in the state legislature on Monday.   Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED New traffic fatality numbers are out for California cities and the

The Rams and 49ers renewed their rivalry on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. And after falling behind early, Los Angeles got a late field goal and interception to seal the win. They're now headed to the Super Bowl in two weeks, which will be played on their home field, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. SB9, a new law in California, allows some homeowners to divide and redevelop their properties, with the hope of producing more homes and apartments. But many are divided on the law and what it will mean for their community and the neighborhoods they live in. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report A bill that would create a government-run, single-payer health care system in California goes before the full state Assembly on Monday for a vote.  Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED  State investigators found a company with Burger King franchises in San Francisco owes nearly $2 million for wage theft. But that was a year and a half ago. And workers are still waiting for their money, as the state has not scheduled

The Los Angeles Rams will take on the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday in the NFC Championship at SoFi Stadium. Ticketing for the game has been controversial, as the Rams have tried to make it more difficult for Niners fans to grab seats. Guest: Tony Knopp, CEO of Ticketmanager  Even though Los Angeles County appears to be past the omicron peak, health officials say residents can’t get complacent. LA County Health Director Barbara Ferrer estimates that the peak was January 8th, but said the virus is still circulating. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  In rural Shasta County, about 3 hours north of Sacramento, a Republican county supervisor is the target of a recall. A recall initiated by a local militia leader. The election is next week and the outcome could determine how far to the right this local government will move, in an already deeply conservative county.  Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

Oil drilling in Los Angeles is on the way out. The city council has voted unanimously to ban new oil and gas wells and to phase out existing ones over the next 20 years. Gas stoves have greater health and climate impacts than scientists previously thought. That's according to a new study out of Stanford University. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Nearly half of Californians have postponed addressing a health issue in the past 12 months because of cost. That’s according to the latest annual poll by the California Health Care Foundation. Reporter: Tara Siler, KQED  California is the first state in the nation to examine how to compensate Black residents for centuries of racial injustice. The state's Reparations Task Force meets this week to further study how the impacts of slavery are felt today and to ask several daunting questions about how to remedy the harm. Guest: Christina Kim, Racial Justice and Social Equity Reporter, KPBS

A lot of people have had to call out sick from work this winter. Either they had COVID-19, or their kid had it. Now, under a new deal brokered with Governor Gavin Newsom, California workers may get retroactive sick leave for the time they had to take off.  Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  20 states started this year off with a new increase in their minimum wage, including California. A new study finds those wage hikes can help low-income renters avoid eviction.  Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC In downtown Sacramento the restored Sutter Fort is a hot spot for elementary school field trips. People in pioneer costumes. Exhibits of colonial era tools. The fort helped shape California as we know it - but at great cost to Indigenous people.  Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio  Along the rugged coast of Mendocino County, groves of towering old growth redwoods were once the hunting and fishing grounds of indigenous tribes. Until European settlers and loggers arrived. Now, one of those forests is being returned to it

In the next week, legislation that would help create a single-payer health plan in California will face a key test. The bill must pass out of the Assembly by January 31 or it’s dead. The effort is being led by the state’s nurses union, but opposed by the largest association of doctors. Guest: Dr. Micah Johnson, co-author of the book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide Legislation introduced by State Senator Richard Pan would eliminate a personal belief exemption in school-based COVID-19 vaccination requirements. The proposal is expected to face strong pushback from those who have fought vaccine mandates. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will renew their rivalry Sunday at SoFi Stadium, with a berth in the Super Bowl on the line. The Rams are hoping their fans show up more than they did in the regular season finale between the two teams.

California regulators are taking more time to consider changing the state’s solar marketplace. This comes after a proposal released in mid-December roiled the solar industry.  Reporter Erik Anderson, KPBS  Both the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams have advanced to the NFC Championship this weekend at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The winner will head to the Super Bowl, which is also being held at SoFi.

Kamala Harris Visits San Bernardino To Announce Wildfire Prevention Funds Harris will announce 1.3 Billion Dollars in disaster relief funding for the U.S. Forest Service. Nearly half of that will go to California. Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KVCR U.S Senator Alex Padilla on Voting Rights Setback California’s junior U.S. Senator, Democrat Alex Padilla, has just marked his first year in office. A progressive who’s an ardent supporter of much of the Biden Administration’ policy goals, Padilla has participated in some victories, like the passage of the big infrastructure bill. But he’s also seen a lot of what he went to Washington to do, like immigration reform and more social spending, blocked by both Republicans and his fellow Democrats.  Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report New Study Shows How Generations of Race Based Prescribing Guidelines Were Wrong For generations, doctors have been taught to prescribe certain medications to Black patients with high blood pressure. A new study out this week fr

There’s been a lot of debate lately in California over whether efforts to roll back tough on crime laws have gone too far. Often, those conversations pit law enforcement officials against those who support the reforms. But a a California program to lower prison sentences is being embraced by prosecutors in both red and blue counties. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED  The mad scramble for at-home COVID tests has been frustrating for Californians since omicron hit. And for people who have friends and loved ones in skilled nursing facilities, the search is becoming even more of an urgent issue. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report A new bill introduced in Sacramento would increase fines health insurers have to pay when they break the law. The goal is to make sure patients get the care they’re entitled to. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED The federal judge who has overseen Pacific Gas & Electric's probation for the last five years says the company continues to be a wildfire menace to Californians. Report

The new federal program that allows people to order free at-home COVID-19 tests through the mail launched Tuesday, one day early. The order form looks pretty simple, but wasn’t easy for everyone who tried to submit orders. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED Senior Engagement Editor The omicron surge has jammed hospital emergency rooms with patients. Many of them arrive by ambulance, creating long waits. But officials in Los Angeles County say ambulance response times are improving.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  With the omicron wave of COVID-19 spreading fast, immigration courts in San Francisco are postponing many hearings. But that pause could be a ray of hope for people in an expedited asylum process. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

The surge in the omicron variant has left hospitals across California struggling with staffing and in many cases, a rapid increase in COVID-positive patients. But can the state, and U.S. in general learn from some of the successes other countries are having in managing COVID right now? Guest: Eric Topol, Professor of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research  For the first time starting this year, agricultural employers in California –- like farmers and farm labor contractors with 26 or more employees -- have to pay their workers overtime after an eight-hour day or 40-hour week. While farmworker advocates are celebrating this change, it’s also created some unintended consequences.  Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio The San Gabriel Valley, east of Los Angeles has one of the highest concentrations of Asian residents in the country. But a new survey indicates a pandemic’s worth of racist incidents has many there feeling shaken. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC

Many in-person celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have been canceled Monday due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant in California. Despite that, his legacy lives on, particularly in the work being done by California's Legislative Black Caucus, led by State Senator Steven Bradford. Guest: Steven Bradford, State Senator, 35th District First it was new cases and hospitalizations. Now, COVID-19 deaths have jumped significantly in Los Angeles County.

On Thursday, nurses across the state held rallies to demand safe staffing levels and stronger workplace protections. It comes as more and more hospital staff across the state are testing positive for COVID-19. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Starting this week, some people with weakened immune systems are eligible for a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine. There are an estimated seven million people in the U.S. who are immunocompromised, many of whom don’t produce the necessary antibodies to respond to an infection. That leaves them more susceptible to a virus like COVID-19. Guest: Dr. Lindsay Ryan, an internist at UC San Francisco who is herself immunocompromised Governor Gavin Newsom will not allow Robert Kennedy’s killer to be freed from prison, announcing Thursday that he has reversed a decision made by the state’s parole board last summer Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED     As the Omicron variant continues to surge throughout the country, here’s one bit of welcome news. New data based on Southern Califo

Starting this weekend, the costs of at-home COVID-19 tests will be covered for people with private insurance or a group health plan. That means, if you have this kind of coverage and you go online or into a drugstore to purchase a test, the cost should be covered up front or via reimbursement. Guest: Krutika Amin, a Kaiser Family Foundation expert on the Affordable Care Act State prison officials are grappling with a surge in COVID-19 cases in their facilities as the omicron variant spreads. It's impacting both those who are incarcerated and prison staff. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED   A state bill that would limit so-called Ellis Act evictions will move forward in the legislature after it passed out of an assembly committee on Wednesday. It would require people who purchase a building to wait at least 5 years before invoking the Ellis Act. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED 

A single payer healthcare bill passed its first legislative hurdle in Sacramento Tuesday night. It’s one of two new proposals that would dramatically increase access to healthcare for Californians. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio  Hundreds of thousands of Californians might lack access to safe drinking water. That’s according to recent study from UCLA and UC Berkeley. And the drinking water problem disproportionately affects communities of color. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Agriculture is one of the industries hit hardest by supply chain snarls. New research shows that losses from so-called “containergeddon” have reached the billions here in California. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio COVID-19 has affected our mental health in ways we’re only just beginning to understand. For some, the stressors of the pandemic created an added layer of anxiety on top of an already deeply uncertain world.  Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC

Governor Gavin Newsom has released his proposed $286 billion state budget for the coming fiscal year. It includes an expansion of healthcare access to all California residents, regardless of immigration status. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Hospitals in the U.S. are seeing a record number of children hospitalized with COVID-19, and California is no exception. In San Diego, the numbers are especially high, but most of the children are testing positive after being admitted to the hospital. Reporter: Kitty Alvarado, KPBS  The unprecedented surge in new COVID-19 cases has led to a test shortage at retail stores. Over the weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that gives consumers price-gouging protections. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  Grocery stores have been some of the few retailers that have stayed consistently open during the pandemic. Now, a new report highlights how workers at one chain, Kroger’s, which owns Ralph’s and Food 4 Less, are faring and how the virus has impacted their wor

Statewide, some hospitals are buckling under the pressure of Omicron. As the highly contagious variant continues to sweep through the state, a growing number of hospital staffers are testing positive. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  When Governor Gavin Newsom releases his new state budget on Monday, it will include $2.7 billion to expand the state’s COVID-19 response. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED  Over the weekend, Los Angeles Unified teachers and students lined up at schools across L.A. to get a COVID test. They’re trying to beat a deadline to get a now required test before school starts on Tuesday. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW In an era of mounting student debt, a community college in Stockton is offering a little help. Administrators at San Joaquin Delta College have announced that COVID-19 relief dollars will be used to erase more than $3.5 million of student debt. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED For months, the state of California has been working to help renters hurt by the pandemic. Now it’s launchi

California has extended its indoor mask mandate through at least February 15. State health officials sid the move reflects increasing pressure on hospitals, as roughly 8,000 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED  Thursday marks the one year anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, when a mob of pro-Trump supporters violently stormed Congress to try to overturn the lawful 2020 presidential election results. There were many Californians who participated in the insurrection, and some of their cases are still in limbo. Guest: Tom Dreisbach, NPR Investigative Correspondent On the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, State Senator Scott Wiener is proposing to punish groups that support undermining elections in the future.  Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED 

An Overwhelmed Testing Site in Richmond The spread of omicron has people scrambling to get tested for COVID-19. But the lines are long, appointments get scooped up fast, and rapid antigen tests are really really hard to find. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED Surge of COVID-19 Cases Among City of Los Angeles Emergency Responders Amid the “unprecedented” wave of Covid infections, nearly 1,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the city of Los Angeles aren’t on the job. But Mayor Eric Garcetti says both the police and fire departments have enough staffing to keep the city safe. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW Federal Prosecutors Opt Not to Extend PG&E Criminal Probation Federal prosecutors have announced they will not try to extend Pacific Gas and Electric’s criminal probation beyond its scheduled end later this month. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED