Kqeds The California Report

Governor Gavin Newsom has soundly defeated a recall effort to remove him from office. Although votes still need to be counted, more than 60% of those that have been tallied thus far voted no on the question of whether he should be recalled. Reporters: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, KQED With Governor Newsom's decisive win in the recall election, he can now focus on several pressing needs, from the pandemic to homelessness and wildfires. But he'll also be back on the campaign trail soon enough, as he's up for re-election next year. Guest: David McCuan, Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at Sonoma State University The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says California’s coronavirus transmission rates are now tilting in the right direction. The state’s coronavirus transmission level has fallen from “high” to “substantial,” the second-highest tier as defined by the CDC. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW

President Joe Biden campaigned with Governor Gavin Newsom in Long Beach Monday night, a day before the recall election. Meanwhile, the candidates looking to replacing Governor Newsom made a final pitch to voters on why they should be selected to replace him. In California, the number of people dying from methamphetamine and cocaine overdoses now outnumbers deaths from fentanyl. Health officials are desperate for more treatment options for stimulant addiction and there is a controversial drug treatment plan in the works. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED  A federal judge wants Pacific Gas & Electric to explain why it took several hours to shut off electricity to a power line with blown fuses at the Dixie Fire ignition site. That delay may have caused the now nearly million-acre blaze. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED  Garment workers in California are one step closer to securing hourly wages and pay theft protections, thanks to a bill that’s waiting to be signed by the governor. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW

Tuesday is the last day to vote in the recall election, and the campaigns are trying to sway Latinos, who represent almost 30% of all registered voters in the state. Opinions seem to be fairly mixed on the job Governor Gavin Newsom has done since entering office.  Reporters: Maria Peña and Scott Shafer, KQED President Joe Biden will make a couple of stops in California on Monday. He'll tour some of the biggest wildfires in the state and also join Governor Gavin Newsom, one day before the gubernatorial recall.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED California lawmakers want to make it easier for property owners and conservancies to mitigate wildfires, by setting fires themselves. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio As wildfires continue to burn across Northern California, the emerging wildfire litigation industry has become big business for attorneys in recent years. But some survivors of past fires have a message for the most recent group of fire victims: buyer beware. Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report

The Los Angeles Unified School District board has unanimously approved a vaccine requirement for all eligible students 12 and older if they want to attend classes in-person.  Latinos make up about a third of registered voters in California. And the campaigns for and against the recall are running TV and radio ads in Spanish hoping to win them over.  Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED  With California’s recall election wrapping up next Tuesday, a new poll has good news for Governor Gavin Newsom. The poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies finds 60% of likely voters oppose the recall effort. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Governor Newsom and Republican frontrunner Larry Elder were both in Fresno on Thursday making their respective recall campaign pitches to voters.  Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report Managing California’s water supply requires an enormous amount of energy. Now, new research suggests making the state’s water system more efficient is also a climate solution.  Reporter: Ezra Davi

Supporters of Governor Gavin Newsom are working furiously to turn out the “No” vote and keep him in office. They've been canvassing the state in the lead-up to election day. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED  With the final day to vote in the gubernatorial recall election just five days away, tensions are flaring on the campaign trail. Republican frontrunner Larry Elder was greeted by angry protesters in Venice on Wednesday. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW The city of San Francisco and irrigation districts in the Central Valley are suing the state over drought restrictions, restrictions that prevent them from drawing water out of creeks and rivers.  Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED 

Governor Gavin Newsom continues his campaign across the state, as he looks to fight off the recall election. Meanwhile, top candidates to replace the governor are also spreading their message, a week before election day. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California lawmakers wrap up their legislative session at the end of this week. And there are still a flurry of bills that may be in the pipeline. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio  California is one of just a handful of states that has laws on the books meant to protect workers from excessive temperatures. But, people are still getting sick and dying from excessive heat and the state agency that's supposed to protect workers has been understaffed for years. Reporter: Jacob Margolis, KPCC

When it comes to COVID-19 testing, one increasingly popular option is at-home test kits. But do they really work? Guest: Katherine Wu, Staff Writer, The Atlantic Crews continue to build containment around the Caldor Fire in the Sierra foothills. But some communities are still in limbo as it's not safe enough for residents to return to their homes. Over Labor Day weekend, up to 2 million Californians lost emergency unemployment benefits created to help get them through the pandemic. As people who still haven’t found work try to move forward with less support, some fear they may never recover. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

With major wildfires burning across California, fire crews from across the state and other parts of the country are now on the front lines trying to contain them. That includes migrant workers, who are working under some of the most challenging conditions. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED  Democrats and Republicans are trying to gather support as the recall election nears. Candidates are trying to make their case to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who is fighting the recall effort.

Firefighters have taken advantage of lighter winds as they look to get a better handle on the Caldor Fire burning in the Sierra foothills. But thousands remain evacuated from their homes. Like in so many other fire-scarred areas, one year after wildfires devastated communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains, residents are still struggling. One problem? Strict county building codes that stop fire victims from rebuilding quickly.  Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU  On Saturday, some 2,000,000 Californians will lose emergency federal unemployment benefits that were created to help get them through the pandemic. And as of now, the state has no plan to provide any meaningful extensions for the people losing out, although the state has started to issue a new round of stimulus checks. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report 

With the recall election less than two weeks away, one of the big issues is Governor Gavin Newsom's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. And if a Republican replaces him, the state could be in for major changes when it comes to coronavirus rules and mandates. Reporters: Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer, KQED  The Caldor Fire continues to challenge firefighters battling the massive blaze. Some residents on the western flank of the fire are finally being allowed back home. This week marked the formal withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan after two decades -- bringing to an end American involvement in the war. In recent weeks, the world has seen images of Afghans desperately trying to leave the country, and many comparisons have been made to the fall of Saigon. Guest: Ngoc Nguyen, Ethnic Media Editor at Kaiser Health News and a journalist who has covered the Vietnamese American community

Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes in South Lake Tahoe this week because of dangerous conditions brought on by the Caldor Fire. If the fire does hit the city, many residents are wondering what they'll return to when the fire is under control. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED  Another political hot potato has been tossed into the recall election that’s just two weeks away now. State parole board commissioners recently recommended that Sirhan Sirhan, who shot and killed Senator Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles in 1968, be paroled from prison.  Reporters: Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer, KQED  Republicans in the California Legislature held an informal hearing on wildfire prevention Tuesday on the steps of the state Capitol. Democrats in the Legislature have indefinitely postponed a similar hearing, saying they don’t want to pull critical firefighter personnel away during a busy wildfire season.    Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

The Caldor Fire continues to spread quickly across the Sierra Foothills. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate South Lake Tahoe on Monday, as the fire continues to make its way towards the city. Guest:Ezra David Romero, KQED California public health experts consider heat-related illness and death to be fully preventable. And California is one of the few states in the country with laws on the books meant to protect workers. But Californians continue to get sick and die. Reporter: Jacob Margolis, KPCC

There was rapid growth for the Caldor Fire on Sunday as it moves closer to the Tahoe Basin. Even more concerning -- the area is under a red flag warning over the next two days, with low humidity and wind gusts expected across the fire zone. Guest:Tamara Wallace, Mayor of South Lake Tahoe More than 8 in 10 residents of Imperial County -- east of San Diego -- are Latino, the highest percentage in the state. The county along California’s southern border also saw the state’s largest voting swing between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections -- in favor of Republican Donald Trump.   Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  Over the weekend, the remains of U.S. military personnel killed by a suicide bomber outside of Kabul's international airport arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Four Marines from California were killed in the attack. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

Mustafa, who didn't want to reveal his last name because he still has family in Afghanistan, was able to get his wife and daughter out of the country, and they just made it to Modesto this week. He described the whole experience as chaotic, but is glad to have resettled in California. Guest: Mustafa, Afghan Translator Two San Diego County families, who were visiting relatives in Afghanistan, have been evacuated from the country amidst the chaos of the Taliban takeover. They are among several groups in the county, including two dozen students who attend the Cajon Valley Union School District, who found themselves stranded in Afghanistan.    Reporter: Alexandra Rangel, KPBS As the Caldor Fire continues to burn its way east, the first evacuation warning has been issued for the Tahoe basin, specifically Christmas Valley in the South Lake Tahoe area.  Efforts to loosen zoning rules in single family neighborhoods to create more housing have long been a contentious issue in California. But legislation that could

This week the U.S. Supreme Court said the Biden administration must restart a controversial policy from the Trump administration, requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are decided. And while that battle is not over, the Biden administration is moving forward with its own plan that would change how asyum cases are decided.  Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Spot fires continue to hamper crews battling the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County. But a shift in weather over the next few days could lead to calmer conditions over the fire zone. At a debate appearance Wednesday night in Sacramento, California voters got a chance to learn a bit more about the most prominent Democrat running for governor in the recall election, Kevin Paffrath.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED A new report has found that California’s more rural, Republican-voting counties have higher violent crime rates than more urban, Democratic areas.  Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED

President Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for areas of Northern California affected by the Dixie and River fires. The declaration means federal recovery funds will be available to individuals, businesses and tribal governments. Wih so many wildfires burning across Northern California, the smoke is causing unhealthy air across the region. In fact, areas in and around Lake Tahoe and Reno are posting the worst air quality readings in the country. California Republicans were ecstatic in 2003 when voters ousted Democratic Governor Gray Davis and replaced him with a Republican and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. With another recall election coming up, was the Schwarzenegger win a win for the GOP as well?  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED With the recall election just weeks away, the crowded field of candidates looking to replace Governor Gavin Newsom are trying to stand out to California voters. Guest: Kevin Faulconer, Republican Recall Candidate As climate change worsens, state regulators charged

The recall campaign now aimed at Governor Gavin Newsom was fueled in part by parents who were angry with how he handled public school closures during the pandemic.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED The California Department of Justice has reached an agreement with the Bakersfield Police Department to implement a wide-range of policing reforms. It’s the result of the state’s five-year long investigation into the department following complaints of excessive force.  Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio  The California Legislature has indefinitely postponed a planned oversight hearing to examine the Newsom administration’s track record on wildfire prevention. That as internal emails obtained by CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom raise new questions about whether Cal Fire is being honest with the public.  Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio 

The mission of California's new Privacy Protection Agency is to help Californians fight for their digital privacy. But what will it do if big companies violate people's privacy rights? Guest: Jennifer Urban, Chair of the California Privacy Protection Agency The Caldor Fire burning in El Dorado County crossed Highway 50 over the weekend, threatening the town of Kyburz. It's the fourth fire that has grown to more than 100,000 acres in Northern California. Many residents in Plumas County who have been impacted by the massive Dixie Fire are being allowed to return home. That includes people in the town of Greenville, which was devastated by the fire. The recently released census results show Latinos make up the second largest ethnic-racial group in San Diego County after white people. But more and more Latinos see themselves as multi-racial.  Reporter: Cristina Kim, KPBS   

In an effort to stave off rolling blackouts in California, the Newsom administration is moving forward with five new energy projects set to be fueled by both natural gas and diesel.  If you’re among the millions of Californians who have tried to move during the pandemic, chances are, it’s been rough. And there’s more than one reason for that -- low supply and high demand among them. Guest: Mary Daly, President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank Both the Caldor and Dixie Fires saw far less growth on Thursday, with calmer conditions. But fire officials say there are still concerns about the fires spreading as winds could pick up this weekend. As we continue to watch events unfold in Afghanistan, the Afghan diaspora is watching too. The pain from some of the horrifying images out of Afghanistan is resonating half a world away on the streets of Los Angeles, especially among Afghan American women. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW

Despite growing concerns about the delta variant and what it means for the pandemic, there are some positive signs when it comes to the U.S. economy. And one Bay Area economic leader is optimistic about the recovery, and hopes changes in the job market remain in place. Guest: Mary Daly, President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank Major wildfires across Northern California are threatening several communities. The conditions were not as bad on Wednesday as they had been earlier this week, but the Caldor and Dixie fires continue to burn large swaths of land. Guest: Scott Rodd, CapRadio In the city of Visalia in Tulare County, one hospital is reporting its highest number of COVID-19 patients since February.  As of earlier this week, Kaweah Health was reporting nearly 100 COVID-positive patients, which is a third of the entire hospital’s capacity. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio