Kqeds The California Report

People Who Knew Kamala Harris Best Reflect on Watching Her Ascend to the White HouseKamala Harris represents a lot of firsts, from the first female vice president to the first Black vice-president to the first vice president of South Asian descent. But what do the people who knew Harris as a San Francisco D.A., California Attorney General, and U.S Senator think about her ascent? Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED After the new vice president was sworn in yesterday, Kamala Harris turned her attention to her first official duty: swearing in her replacement to represent California in the U.S. Senate. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Amanda Gorman is the 22-year-old poet from Los Angeles who recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration. Gorman got her start writing poetry through an LA-based non-profit called WriteGirl. Caroline Champlin, KPCC The Biden White House has unveiled an ambitious immigration agenda, including a reform bill that would set a path to legalization for the estimated 11 million undoc

Biden Inauguration Marks End of Political and Legal Warfare Between California and the Trump Administration The presidency of Donald Trump ends Wednesday morning, and when it does, it will mark the end of four years of feuding with the Trump Administration over issues like health care, the environment, and immigration. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED The New Year’s surge is not as bad as health officials feared. The number of people requiring medical care has stabilized and declined slightly. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Under the new Trump administration rule, immigration court fees would jump by hundreds of dollars. U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta says the fee hikes would have caused plaintiffs irreparable harm, and were likely unlawful. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED 

Health care workers are treating more COVID19 patients than ever in this pandemic, and hospitalizations from the virus are mounting more pressure on an already strained health care system. Reporter: Marco Siler Gonzales, KQED State health officials are recommending a pause in using one batch of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine because of unexpected adverse reactions. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Weeks after Proposition 22 became law, we are already seeing the effects ripple out into industries beyond the “gig economy.” The country’s second-largest grocery store chain, Albertsons, is now laying off its grocery delivery employees and replacing them with contractors at DoorDash. Critics of the measure say they warned this would happen. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED As the sun sets on the Trump Administration, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has proposed removing the protected status of millions of acres of desert lands across California. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, CapRadio

Alex Padilla Calls for Legalization of Undocumented Immigrants in Essential Services Kamala Harris will officially resign her California U.S. Senate seat as she prepares to be sworn in as vice president on Wednesday. Harris's appointed successor, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, says undocumented immigrants working in essential services deserve not just labor protections, but the security of a path to citizenship. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks Todd Gloria is San Diego's new mayor. He's a Democrat, and the first openly gay person and person of color to lead San Diego, a city of nearly 1.5 million people. Guest: Todd Gloria, San Diego mayor Fraudsters have stolen as much as $8 billion dollars and counting in unemployment benefits from the state. Now Bank of America is facing a federal lawsuit in connection with that fraud, and the impact it’s had on innocent customers. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris resigned her California U.S. Senate seat to

Los Angeles County Approaches Nearly a Million COVID-19 Cases With around 10 million residents, L.A. is the most populous county in the U.S. As the county approaches a million cases, that also means roughly 1 in 10 Angelenos has had a confirmed case of the virus at some point throughout the pandemic. Matt Guilhem, KCRW Los Angeles County Latino Residents Now Dying from COVID-19 at Eight Times the Rate in November The region has been the epicenter of the pandemic for months, but the speed of transmission continues to alarm officials. COVID-19 has devastated communities of color more than any other, and the data is alarming. Guest: Ron Lin, Reporter, Los Angeles Times Pistachio Plant Workers Take to the Streets to Demand Safety Farmworkers and those in food production have been left vulnerable by the pandemic. In the Central Valley, employees of the pistachio producer Primex recently made the rare, risky decision to take to the streets. Guest: Julia Lurie, Mother Jones California Fall Short on Ambitious Vac

State Officials Announce New Approach to Getting Vaccines to People 65 or Older The idea is to ramp up vaccine distribution to those at greatest risk of becoming hospitalized. This comes after deaths in the state continue to climb, with nearly 600 deaths on Tuesday, according to state data. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Members of California's GOP Congressional Delegation Speak Out Against Impeachment Out of California’s 10 Republican members of congress, only the Central Valley’s David Valadao voted for impeachment. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED  Trump Ally Kevin McCarthy Stays Loyal to Trump When House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) spoke on the House floor yesterday, he said President Trump was partly to blame for inciting the insurrection. But, he added that impeaching the president would only divide the country further. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED With Accounts Frozen, 1.4 Million Californians Wait for Unemployment Benefits The Employment Development Department locked the accounts in

California Lawmakers Consider Domestic Terrorism Units State Senator Tom Umberg is proposing a unit to investigate and thwart acts of domestic terrorism and criminal activities by white nationalists, anti-government militia and groups like the Proud Boys. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED The FBI warned this week of the potential for armed protests at all 50 state Capitols. In California, local law enforcement say they are on alert to protect city and county buildings as well. Marisa Lagos, KQED Legal aid groups in California sued to block the fee hikes, and a federal court is hearing the case Thursday. Plaintiffs say low-income immigrants facing deportation will be priced out of a fair day in court. Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED 

L.A. Moves from Pushing COVID-19 Testing to VaccinationCOVID-19 testing at Dodger Stadium ended Monday as L.A. transitions to more of an emphasis on the distribution of coronavirus vaccines. A vaccination center will soon be set up at the stadium parking lot, where officials hope 12,000 people a day will be able to get a shot when the facility is fully operational. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report San Luis Obispo Prison Suffers Largest COVID-19 Outbreak YetState data show about a third of the population incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony has tested positive for COVID-19 over the past two weeks.. Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report New Biography "Kamala's Way" Looks at Kamala Harris's Path to PowerKamala Harris will soon make history as the first woman to become vice president. Journalist Dan Morain has a biography out called" Kamala's Way". Guest: Dan Morain, Sacramento Press Club president and author of "Kamala's Way"  California Lawmaker Moves to Repeal Law Requiring Public

Most Commonly Used COVID-19 Test in Los Angeles Prone to Inaccuracy, FDA Says The test is made by the company Curative, which was hired to provide tens of thousands of tests at city and county sites throughout Los Angeles. The Food and Drug Administration says the test poses a “risk of false results, particularly false negative results." Jackie Fortier, KPCC People who test positive for COVID-19 typically have symptoms like coughing or headaches that can last for a few days or a few weeks. But for a small number of people, the symptoms linger for months, and can cause debilitating illness even after they test negative. Sammy Caiola, CapRadio It’s notoriously difficult to get housing built in California, and that’s why lawmakers have passed a number of bills in recent years to override local opposition and clear the way for new projects. Now Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing to direct millions of dollars to ensure those laws are actually working so the state can chip away at its chronic housing shortage. Eri

California Educators Help Students Make Sense of U.S Capitol Insurrection Teachers Help Students Process Violence at U.S Capitol The storming of the U.S Capital by pro-Trump mob was an awful episode in American history. It also provides a teaching moment for California educators, who are leading difficult discussions about what happened, and why. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Some Supporters Defend Trump after Capitol Hill Insurrection California is a progressive-leaning Blue state, but it also has big patches of red. Some Republicans in the Central Valley say the insurrection on Capitol Hill does not represent Trump supporters. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Doctors and Nurses Exhausted and Angry as Some Patients Ignore COVID-19 Warnings In California, the virus is claiming about 360 lives a day and infecting thousands more. In overburdened hospitals, doctors and nurses are frustrated by people who are blasé about COVID's dangers or pandemic deniers. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED California Orders Hospitals

After Donald Trump’s words rallied them to action, rioters bent on overturning results of the lawful election stormed the U.S. Capitol building as congress tallied the electoral college vote. Lawmakers were forced to flee the chambers, and hunker down in offices. Some were evacuated to undisclosed safe locations.  In response to yesterdays attack on the U.S. Capitol, elected officials were removed to secure locations and told to shelter in place. One California lawmaker said the experience of hiding in her office as rioters roamed the halls, reminded her of school shootings.  Guest: Los Angeles Congresswoman, Nanette Diaz Barragan Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the rioters in Washington D.C. and San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted that it was quote “an attempted coup encouraged by the president of the United States.” As chaos enveloped the U.S. Capitol. there were also protests in California. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Yesterday’s insurrection has many Americans asking themselves how the country

The state’s pandemic numbers continue to worsen, with mushrooming infection rates and more than 27,000 COVID fatalities. California is averaging more than 35,000 cases per day, according to the state. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Frontline health care workers are supposed to be some of the first people to get the coronavirus vaccines. But many of those workers are hesitant to get the shots. In response, the Los Angeles Fire Department has turned to prizes to encourage its personnel to get vaccinated. Reporter: Angel Carreras, KCRW  many California grocery workers could soon get a temporary pay raise under proposals cities and counties are considering. That includes parts of Los Angeles, where COVID cases are higher than ever. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC Cash bail has long been controversial because of equity and class. If you have access to funds, you can get out of jail. If you don’t, you stay behind bars. Yesterday, California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a landmark cash bail case that tackles t

Californians who are unhappy with the way Governor Gavin Newsom has handled the coronavirus pandemic are gathering signatures in an attempt to qualify a recall measure in a special election. 1.5 million verified signatures need to be collected by March 17th. Guest: Randy Economy, Gavin Newsom Recall Campaign California's former top elections watchdog is calling for the state to investigate the largest donor to the campaign to recall Governor Newsom. An Orange County Company is suspected of failing to follow rules regarding campaign contributions. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED The California corrections department has reported 19 COVID-related deaths of incarcerated people this week, more than any other week since the pandemic began. 45 people have died over the course of the month.  Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED In many parts of California that were ravaged by wildfire last year, the rainy season brings a new risk: debris flows. Officials on the Monterey Peninsula are urging the public to follow debris flow

1,200 Medical Workers Deployed to Respond to Pandemic The extra staff includes more than 800 contract workers, but those workers are from the same pool that a lot of hospitals around the state already pull from to get extra help. Reporter: Marco Siler-Gonzales, KQED Last week, stay at home orders were extended for another 3 weeks for the Greater Sacramento region, due to low ICU capacity and rising coronavirus numbers. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Companies are now requirement to notify employees within 24 hours if there's been a COVID-19 exposure in the workplace. In labor news, the minimum wage is now $14 dollars an hour for larger companies. Guy Marzorati, KQED 

Bark Beetles Pose New Threat to Giant Sequoias Giant Sequoias are found along a 260 mile range on the slopes of the Sierras. Many of the trees are ancient, and face threats like climate change, droughts and wildfires. Bark beetles are now posing yet another challenge. Reporter:Ezra David Romero, CapRadio Test Can Now Detect Deadly Mushroom Poison in Minutes A team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Northern California has developed a simple, portable test that can rapidly detect a deadly mushroom poison. The test is now available for sale online just in time for mushroom season. Chloe Veltman, KQED

This year California saw some of the most destructive wildfires in state history, blazes that when combined scorched more than three million acres, an area larger than the state of Delaware. Fires also destroyed or damaged thousands of structures and killed dozens of people. Guest: Yana Valachovic, UCANR Forest Advisor A new study on the comprehensive cost of wildfires, estimates that the 2018 California wildfires led to thousands of deaths, far more than the official count. It also cost the state around $150 Billion Dollars. That larger number factors in the harm of air pollution, and the broader economic impacts of these disasters. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

This week we’re looking back on 2020 and how some of the year’s biggest news stories changed our lives. The coronavirus has had a huge impact on transportation and how Californians get from point A to point B. Public transportation systems have been hit hard. When many people began working from home, buses, trains, and subways saw dramatic decreases in ridership Guest: Ethan Elkind, UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment Five years ago, Volkswagen was in the news for all the wrong reasons. VW's cheating was partly discovered by California air quality regulators, but not before the company had sold or leased 85,000 of its dirty diesel cars to unsuspecting drivers. Now the automaker is hoping it's new all-electric SUV will help repair its image.  

As we look back on this difficult and confusing year we reflect on the events, movements, and people who helped shape it. Racial justice issues and civil unrest took center stage, and Black Lives Matter was at the forefront of the ongoing fight to end injustice against people of color. Guest: Melina Abdullah, Professor, Cal State Los Angeles Long before the Black Lives Matter movement, at the beginning of the 20th century, a newspaper called The Liberator served L.A.’s Black community, during a time when only a few thousand Black people lived in LA, and were barely represented in other media. Guest: Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, L.A. Bureau Chief, Cronkite News

A Look Back at Lessons Learned from the Pandemic There was no bigger or more tragic story than the pandemic this year. KQED's Saul Gonzalez spoke with epidemiologist and public health expert Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo to talk about the coronavirus and how California officials responded to it. Guest: Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo with UC San Francisco

Richmond Museum Saves Lost Historic Mural A mural called "Richmond: Industrial City" hung in a post office from 1941 to 1976. After it was taken off the wall while the building was renovated, it was put in a crate and put in a basement. It took four years to raise $45,000 dollars to restore the canvas. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED  In 1933, Congress passed a series of reforms aimed at pulling America out of the Depression. The New Deal gave rise to the Works Progress Administration, which established the Federal Music Project to help keep musicians at work. Reporter: Austin Cross, KPCC