Kqeds The California Report

As soon as next year, the Biden administration plans to sell leases for floating wind farms off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Humboldt counties. But the plan still faces some logistical challenges. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED  New polling shows support for the recall of Governor Gavin Newsom is stagnating. The Public Policy Institute of California poll finds 40% of likely voters think Newsom should be removed from office, a number that hasn't changed since March.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED In California, doctors, lawyers and even barbers can lose their license to practice if they do something wrong. There’s no similar recourse for some of the most powerful civil servants around -- police. But advocates are hopeful that new legislation will be passed in Sacramento to change that.  Reporter: MJ Johnson, KQED With more seniors vaccinated in L.A. County, young adults now make up the greatest share of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Over the past six weeks, there have been more 30- to 49-year-olds hosp

On this day one year ago, George Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd begged for his life. This sparked protests across California and calls for police reform. Guest: Tanya Faison, the founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento speaking with The California Report's Mary Franklin Harvin Many of the protests following the death of George Floyd were led by young people here in California. While they see some progress being made in the state, they know the fight is far from over. Guest: Jadyn Polk, Member of Black Youth for the People's Liberation in Oakland speaking with The California Report's Keith Mizuguchi

Los Angeles is mulling whether a whole new entity devoted to focusing on homelessness might be the way to address the problem. A group of civic leaders called the Committee for Greater LA think it’s worth a shot.  Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW California remains on track to reopen on June 15. It's a day many businesses have been waiting for, but some are finding it hard to hire back staff to a pre-pandemic level. Guest: Margherita Sagan, Co-Owner of Piccino Restaurant in San Francisco speaking with The California Report's Keith Mizuguchi In the town of Paradise, a hundred or so survivors of the deadly 2018 Camp Fire gathered this weekend for a march along the Skyway - the main road through town. They organized this rally after KQED’s recent investigation into the finances of Pacific Gas & Electric's Fire Victim Trust. Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report It’s not your imagination -- the Cost of Being Californian is going up.That’s the key finding of a recent study by that name -- released by the Oakla

The National Independent Venue Association of California, which has more than 600 members, is pushing for state legislators and the governor to support a $250 million stimulus grant program. This comes as they prepare for the state to reopen on June 15. Guest: Joe Rinaldi, Managing Partner at Music Box in San Diego The owners of Starline Social Club, a popular venue in Oakland, announced late last month that they would re-open later this year, as a worker-owned co-op. The news took former employees by surprise as they found out through media reports. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, Associate Editor, KQED Arts & Culture A recent survey from CapRadio in Sacramento and the nonprofit “Valley Vision” has found that Black millennials suffered great financial losses during the pandemic. But they're now looking at investing to build that wealth back. Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio  If you shopped for health insurance last year and decided you just couldn’t afford it, state officials are now saying: it’s time to ch

State lawmakers and county health officials are upset that the governor’s proposed budget does not include enough money to rebuild the state’s ailing public health system. The coalition says $200 million is needed to be ready for the next crisis. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED The latest state budget proposal has highlighted the fact that California is flush with cash. But exactly how much? That depends on who you ask. Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics Editor Despite many successes when it comes to vaccinating the public, in L.A. County, there are some concerns about outreach. Less than half of eligible people there are fully vaccinated. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC As so many school districts around the state have at least begun the process of reopening, one in the southeast L.A. County suburb of Pico Rivera is not. The population in the El Rancho Unified School District is 97% Latino and families there have been hit especially hard by the pandemic.  Guest: Melissa Gomez, Education Reporter, LA Times

The Citizen app brands itself as a tool to report on local crimes and emergencies in your area. But it can also lead to false reporting as was the case last week, when a man was falsely accused of starting a fire in Pacific Palisades, after his picture appeared on the app. Guest: Boone Ashworth, Contributing Writer, WIRED Santa Clara County is one of four across the state that moved into the least restrictive yellow tier for reopening this week. Now, officials are mandating that businesses keep track of the vaccination status of employees. Providing people a guaranteed income with no questions asked has moved from a fringe notion to the mainstream with pilot projects popping up across the state.  The possibility of a Guaranteed Basic Income program in Los Angeles County took a step forward Tuesday with a vote by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.  Reporter: Libby Denkmann, KPCC  Just months after Shirley Weber was confirmed as California's Secretary of State, she'll have to oversee her first statewide e

Despite new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allowing vaccinated people to go maskless in most settings, California won’t change its current mask mandates until the state’s scheduled reopening on June 15th.  Since the pandemic began, workers in the grocery delivery business have been trying to organize to get more protections and benefits. Workers at the venture capital-backed Bay Area company, Imperfect Foods just voted to form a union, but it's likely not a model for the rest of the industry.  Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED The University of California says it’s one step closer to requiring COVID-19 vaccination of students and employees who want to return to campus in the fall.  Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, KPCC Two out of three Californians believe businesses like concert venues and sports stadiums should be allowed to verify their customers’ vaccination status before allowing them to come in. That’s according to a new U.C. Berkeley poll.  Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED San F

The fire has forced about a thousand people to evacuate their homes. Fire investigators are still trying to determine the cause but said that it is suspicious in nature. The recall election for Governor Gavin Newsom has gotten most of the headlines, but there are several local recall efforts underway across the state, including in Shasta County. Three county supervisors are facing backlash for following the state's guidelines during the pandemic.  Guest : Doni Chamberlain, founder and editor of "A News Cafe" blog Fire victims and public officials are calling for increased oversight of the Fire Victim Trust set up to distribute billions of dollars in compensation to families displaced by fires sparked by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. equipment. That’s following a KQED investigation which found the Trust spent $51 million on overhead last year, while the vast majority of fire victims haven’t received a dime. Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report The job of Lieutenant Governor tends to be a low-profile

CDC Says Vaccinated People Don't Need to Wear MasksCalifornia’s mask rules are still in place, but Governor Newsom has indicated changes are coming to the state’s mask mandate by June 15th..the target date to reopen the state. Most of California is in Extreme or Severe Categories of DroughtDrought conditions have intensified in parts of California over the past week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday. These factors have prompted Governor Newsom to expand a drought emergency declaration to 41 of California's 58 counties. Guest: Cora Kammeyer, senior researcher at the Oakland-based Pacific Institute The Number of Unaccompanied Children Crossing the Border Decreased in AprilEmergency intake sites like the convention center have allowed the federal government to quickly move children out of ill-equipped Border Patrol facilities. Currently, only a few hundred children are in those facilities — and none for more than 72 hours. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS The California Report

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Faulconer said he wants to eliminate state income taxes for low and middle-income Californians. He said this would allow Californians to keep more of their hard-earned revenue and make the state more affordable. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Hospital care at home is nothing new for patients with low-level health needs. But since the pandemic, a growing number of health providers, including California-giant Kaiser Permanente, are offering people with more serious health conditions hospital-level treatment in the comfort of their homes.    Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill   Every 4-year-old in the state would get access to transitional kindergarten under a major education spending plan announced by Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday. It's all part of his revised budget which will be released on Friday.  Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Identity theft, fraud, ransomware. Cybercrime is a plague upon the digital landscape. It was bad before the pandemic, and it surged during .

California health officials said the Pfizer vaccine could be available for 12-15 year olds as early as Thursday. This comes after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the shots for adolescents earlier this week. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED State Senator Richard Pan of Sacramento is a pediatrician and led the effort to tighten California’s childhood immunization law. He says parents should ask questions and do research if they're concerned about getting their kids vaccinated. Guest: State Senator Richard Pan California’s new Attorney General has announced the formation of a Racial Justice Bureau to address racial injustice, in the wake of increased attacks in Asian communities across the state. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED

With more than 90% of California experiencing extreme drought conditions, Governor Gavin Newsom is expanding a state drought emergency from just two to 41 counties. The new drought proclamation represents 30% of the state’s population. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED State Attorney General Rob Bonta has championed criminal justice reform during his time in Sacramento as a legislator. But can he implement real change as attorney general? Guest: Rob Bonta, California Attorney General As he fights a recall campaign to oust him from office, there’s some good news for Governor Gavin Newsom in a new poll. The Berkeley IGS Poll finds just 36% of California voters support recalling Newsom and 49% say they’ll vote no on the recall. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED A map of power lines has been created that the California Public Utilities Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric think are at great risk of starting a fire.  Reporter: The California Report's Lily Jamali with KRCB Reporter Marc Albert

Project Homekey allows cities and counties to purchase buildings and then covert them into long-term housing for the homeless. Martha Fuentes of Los Angeles says it's been a lifesaver and sanctuary as she's had to live in her car. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Governor Gavin Newsom announced an economic stimulus plan on Monday, one that will see most Californians getting tax refunds. The governor is expected to unveil more pieces of the "California Comeback Plan" in the coming days. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED  Tackling COVID-19 misinformation in languages other than English has been complicated. In the South Bay, that's especially been the case for the Vietnamese community, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED 2020 proved to be a historic year in California and not just because of the pandemic. The state’s population dropped for the first time since it began tracking annual population estimates.  Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio   

Young kids are starting to get their first COVID vaccines in an early clinical trial at Stanford. If all goes well widespread distribution could begin by this fall.  Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Officials in charge of monitoring air quality in Southern California officials are voting on a rule Friday that aims to hold warehouses accountable for diesel truck pollution. The rise of e-commerce has led to a warehouse boom in the Inland Empire over the last decade. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KVCR  The State Senate has passed a bill that would clamp down on a common feature of employment in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and beyond: the non-disclosure agreement. It's an attempt to limit the scope of NDA's. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED  A lot of college students have been stuck at home during the pandemic but one way they’ve tried to find community is through online video games. This competitive gaming is gaining popularity on California college campuses, where professors say recreational play is leading to profess

After waiting months for an update on their unemployment claims, nearly a million out of work Californians will likely have to wade through even more red tape to access their benefits. That's because the Employment Development Department has disqualified their applications. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report A federal judge has struck down the CDC’s nationwide eviction moratorium, a decision the Justice Department is appealing. The ruling could have major ramifications for millions of tenants struggling to pay rent during the pandemic, but not here in California. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED  Reality TV celebrity Caitlyn Jenner caused a media frenzy when she jumped into the California governor’s race two weeks ago. On Wednesday night, she sat down for an interview on Fox News. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED A KQED investigation has found that the Fire Victim Trust, set up to distribute money to victims of wildfires caused by Pacific Gas and Electric, has spent the vast majority of its mo

California’s recall election is in full swing, with a campaign launch featuring a live bear. Meanwhile, embattled Governor Gavin Newsom is defending his record managing the state through a tumultuous year.  Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Public health experts are keeping a close eye on data that shows the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations slowing down. While the slowdown is concerning, some early skeptics of the vaccine have had a change of heart, and are now getting their shot. Guest: Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation  The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has voted to launch another investigation into complaints that sheriff’s deputies harass relatives of victims of law enforcement violence. This comes following a new report released by the National Lawyers Guild and American Civil Liberties Union.  Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC  A law passed in 2018 that requires California companies to have women on their boards of directors is having an effect. The

It's still unclear how many people in California have actually delayed getting the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. But there's concern about what that will mean for their immunity moving forward. Guest: Dr. Steven Parodi, Executive Director of the Permanente Group at Kaiser Permanente As COVID-19 numbers continue to improve across the state, more counties are expecting to move into the least restrictive yellow tier on Tuesday. That will mean businesses will be able to open with even fewer restrictions. Immigrant advocates in California applauded President Joe Biden’s decision to raise the limit on refugee admissions this year, from a historic low to more than 62,000. The president has also reaffirmed his goal of doubling that number by next year. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

The Fresno County Department of Public Health is diverting COVID-19 vaccines allocated to that county elsewhere because of low demand. Some people in the county are still waiting to get the vaccine, but for reasons that might not be often associated with hesitancy.  Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report Four people are dead after a 40-foot cabin cruiser, suspected of being part of a human smuggling operation, crashed and overturned Sunday in the waters off of Point Loma in San Diego.  The temporary shelter for unaccompanied migrant children is located at the Fairplex in Pomona. The goal is to reunite them with their family or sponsor within two weeks. The Biden administration's Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas spoke at UCLA on Friday. He called the decision to expel most migrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border "a source of pain." Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Some California students are suing the state and its top education leaders, claiming they’re denying underserv

Health officials said they're worried about the lack of demand for doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which has dropped significantly this week. Many California counties are experiencing similar issues as supply of the vaccines is outweighing demand. California’s underwater kelp forests are in trouble. A combination of climate change and hungry purple sea urchins have decimated these vital marine habitats. But the Monterey Peninsula has a kind of kelp forest guardian -- sea otters.  Reporter: Erika Mahoney, KAZU Disneyland and Disney California Adventure opened to guests Friday for the first time in more than 13 months. The parks have COVID-19 safety protocols in place and are limiting capacity to 25% for now. Guest: Gavin Doyle, Founder of the website MickeyVisit.com Everyone 16-and-up is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine -- and it’s now easier for older teenagers in L.A. County to get the shot. They can now bring a signed consent form with them, rather than have their parents there in person. Reporter: Jacki

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond toured several schools in the L.A. Unified School District on Wednesday. He said districts are progressing well when it comes to getting kids back in classrooms. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Despite heated debates over school reopenings across the state, a majority of Californians approve of how their elected officials have handled classroom closures. That's according to a new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California.  Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  California’s Supreme Court Chief Justice is praising a new policy issued this week by the Department of Homeland Security that will limit how federal officials operate in or near courthouses. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED The Los Angeles Police Department says it needs nearly $70 million to address problems that contributed to its mishandling of last year’s protests, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.   Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Numbers from the state health departm