Kqeds The California Report

Inside the Race for California's 50th Congressional District One of the most closely watched political races in California is happening in the 50th Congressional district covering much of eastern San Diego County and part of Riverside County.  The race pits a veteran Republican politician, and a young Democrat who ran for the same seat two year ago and lost. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS How Affirmative Action Shapes Community on Campus This week, we’ve brought you stories about how the ban on affirmative action passed by California voters in 1996 through Prop 209 has affected college students, and what they think about the current measure on the ballot, Prop. 16, to bring affirmative action back. Reporter: Kayleen Carter, Sacramento State junior L.A City Council Weighs Proposal to Ban Camping Near Freeway Overpasses L.A.’s city council was supposed to vote on whether to ban camping near freeway overpasses and some homeless shelters on Wednesday, but members kicked the can down the road as they tried to find c

Western States Join California's COVID Vaccine Advisory Group Governor Gavin Newsom says Oregon, Washington, and Nevada are joining California's vaccine advisory working group, which will evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines once they become available. L.A. Studying Reliability of At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests The city and county of Los Angeles are conducting a pilot study to test the reliability of rapid antigen tests, designed to tell in a few minutes if someone is infectious with the coronavirus. Besides being faster, the small at-home nasal swab tests are much cheaper than the tests L.A. has been using. Reporter: Jackie Fortier KPCC UCSF Doctors Call Treatment of Migrant Children "Torture" A group of UC San Francisco doctors is calling the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border, "torture" under international law. Pediatricians say the children suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.  Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED Polling is Close on Prop 22

Two Firefighters Critically Injured in Silverado Fire In Southern California, The Silverado and Blue Ridge Fires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, and left two firefighters in critical condition with second and third degree burns. Like other recent blazes, the Silverado fire might be connected to a utility company. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Governor Newsom Strikes Another Blow Against the Death Penalty Three months after he was sworn into office, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on executions in California. Now he’s trying to strike another blow against the death penalty, this time in the courtroom.  Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio L.A. to Test Unarmed Mental Health Crisis Response Program In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others by police, Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco are all exploring alternatives to cops responding to some emergencies. The City of Los Angeles has also announced a partnership with L.A. County that will test a model of unarme

How Prop 16 Could Reshape Higher Ed Campuses Across California Student journalists are taking over The California Report to kick off a special collaboration with CalMatters' College Journalism Network. They're looking into Prop 16, is a statewide ballot measure that would restore affirmative action in public institutions and government contracts. Reporters: Kayleen Carter, Marisa Martinez, Janelle Salanga Early Voters Cast Ballots in Voting Centers Across L.A County Over the weekend, Los Angles County voters could start casting their ballots in-person as the county opened up over 100 vote centers. Hundreds more centers will open on October 30th. Ballot Measure to Raise Commercial Property Taxes Falling Short, IGS Poll Shows A ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes and generate billions of dollars for schools and local services is falling short of 50 percent, according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California State University System Students G

Uber Drivers Sue Over Pop Up Messages Soliciting Support for Prop 22 The lawsuit identifies three messages in the Uber app that began popping up in August. One asked drivers to vote for Prop 22, which would legalize contractor status for gig workers. Reporter: Sam Harnet, KQED  Creative Economy Slammed by Coronavirus Pandemic, New Study Shows A study out this week from Otis College of Art and Design found the creative economy has been slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The downturn is particularly affecting Southern California. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW  How California Latinos Are Mobilizing to Get Out the Vote Nearly a million California Latinos have already voted. Sounds like a lot, but the raw numbers are not the whole story, because Latinos are nearly a third of the state’s eligible voters. And a lot of folks are working to ensure they can flex that political muscle.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED U.S Government Told to Do More to Reunite Children Seperated from Parents In court in San Di

More than 4.8 Million Californians Have Voted So Far Californians are exceptionally motivated to vote in this election, with more than 4.8 million vote-by-mail ballots already returned. A new statewide poll also finds deep-seated skepticism about a potential coronavirus vaccine.  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Competitive Central Valley House Race is a Toss-Up Following Debate The two candidates in one of the most competitive House races in California, the 21st district, which includes parts of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern Counties, squared off this week in Bakersfield. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED How Do Fire Victims Vote-By-Mail? Registrars Are Helping There are only 12 days until election day, and because of the pandemic, all registered voters in the state have been sent mail-in ballots. But what about people who have lost their homes to wildfires, how do they vote? Reporter: Isabella Bloom

State Coronavirus Numbers Up Slightly, But Positivity Rate Remains Low California counties find themselves on very different paths when it comes to reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday San Francisco learned it is moving into the yellow tier of the state’s framework on restrictions as Shasta and Riverside counties are being downgraded to purple after a spike in cases. $100 Million Scholarship Fund Supports Community College Students Students often quit California's community colleges before graduating. It's long been a pain point for the state. This week, college leaders are celebrating a $100 million dollar donation meant to help students finish their degrees. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Universities Sue Over Skilled-Worker Visa Restrictions Caltech and the University of Southern California are among the plaintiffs suing the federal government for placing new restrictions on hiring highly skilled foreign workers. Reporter: Caroline Champlin KPCC Investigation Finds Human Error Caused Tragic B

Fire Experts Use Satellites to Monitor and Understand Wildfires As this epic fire season drags on, the state is watching for new fires from space. Satellites allow scientists and fire officials see where wildfires are, and help them understand how quickly these fires grow and what controls their growth. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Residents Protest Bankrupt Battery Plant's Contamination of East L.A. In Los Angeles, more than 100 residents joined community activists last night to protest a troublesome battery recycling plant that polluted homes and businesses for decades. They're energized over a recent court ruling that leaves state taxpayers responsible for the rest of the cleanup bill. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Uber and Lyft Flood Drivers With Pro Prop 22 Ads During Shifts Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft are using in-app pop up ads to urge riders and drivers to vote for proposition 22. That ballot measure would allow companies that depend on gig workers to continue a key part of their busin

GOP Agrees to Modify Controversial Ballot Boxes California’s Republican Party says it plans to modify but expand its ballot collection program after legal threats by California’s Attorney General. The boxes appeared in counties with competitive congressional races, including Fresno where the boxes have been removed, for now. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Polls Show Suburban Women Turning Away From Trump In the final days of the 2020 campaign, President Donald Trump is openly courting suburban women, a crucial group of voters for both candidates. But polls show those women pulling away from the president. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Court Rules Bankrupt Battery Recycler Not Responsible for Cleanup of Toxic Waste A bankruptcy court in Delaware has approved a plan to abandon a battery recycling plant in L.A. County, siding with the Trump administration over the objections of Governor Gavin Newsom. The decision could leave a toxic mess in a poor community with no money to pay for cleanup.  Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQE

Trump Administration Rejects State's Petition for Wildfire Relief The Trump Administration has rejected California’s petition for a federal disaster declaration and relief funds in the aftermath of several recent wildfires, including the devastating August Complex Fire, the biggest wildfire in state history.  Oakland, Portland Sue Over Use of Federal Agents at Protests The City of Oakland is challenging the Trump administration's authority to send federal law enforcement to respond to protests.  Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED  Civilian Watchdog Group Demands L.A County Sheriff Resign The civilian watchdog group overseeing LA. County’s Sheriff’s Department has released an unanimous resolution demanding that the county’s sheriff, Alex Villanueva, resign immediately. Newsom Releases Recommendations for Police Response During Protests New recommendations that aim to make demonstrations more peaceful are out. Tensions between police, protestors and journalists have been especially high since demonstrations broke out

Dangerous Weather Conditions Mean More Power Shut-Offs in Northern California 53,000 Pacific Gas and Electric customers in Northern and Central California are without power this morning. The utility has shut it off because of dangerous weather conditions that could spark a wildfire.  Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED State Grid Operator Faces Tough Questions About Rolling Blackouts The agency that manages the state’s power grid is calling for Californians to conserve power today, two months after almost a million Californians were left in the dark by the state’s first planned rolling blackouts in 20 years. The agency is also under scrutiny over distribution of the state power supply.  Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Democrats Cry Foul Over GOP's Unofficial Ballot Drop-Boxes Democrats in California’s three most competitive Congressional races are crying foul over the Republican Party's unauthorized vote-by-mail drop boxes. The GOP is defending the use of the ballot boxes and the issue has gotten the attention of Presiden

SCOTUS Ruling Ends Census, Leaving Marginalized Communities Undercounted The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump Administration can end counting for the 2020 Census now instead of waiting until the end of the month. The court’s decision is a blow to local governments and advocacy groups, who say stopping the count now will lead to a big undercount of marginalized communities. Trick-Or-Treating and Parties Discouraged For Halloween and Dia de los Muertos The State of California is strongly discouraging trick-or-treating and large gatherings for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, health officials are suggesting alternatives to traditional holiday activities. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Prop 18 Would Allow Some Californians to Vote Before They Turn 18 When you turn 18 you’re allowed to do a lot of things you weren’t allowed to do before, like vote. But should California allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary if they'll be 18 on election day? That’s what Pro

State Eases Restrictions as COVID Hospitalizations Drop Hospitalizations for coronavirus patients in California are at their lowest level in six months. Just over 2,200 COVID patients were hospitalized as of this past Saturday compared to the peak of nearly 7,200 patients hospitalized in July. And coronavirus patients in intensive care units are now at their second-lowest level since the pandemic began. California Looks to Florida for Guidance on Reopening Amusement Parks One huge economic blow caused by the pandemic is the continued closure of California’s amusement parks. But across the country, Florida is reopening its parks. Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s sending California officials to Florida to see how things are going since Disney World and other parks reopened last month. GOP Says They Will Not Remove Unauthorized Ballot Drop Boxes California’s top election official and the state’s Attorney General are demanding that California’s Republican Party remove unauthorized ballot drop off boxes that have a

PG&E Under Investigation in Connection with Deadly Shasta County Wildfire Utility giant, Pacific Gas and Electric says state authorities are investigating whether the company’s equipment might have started a Northern California fire that killed four people late last month and destroyed over 200 structures. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Thousands March in Beverly Hills in Solidarity with Armenia Thousands of Armenian-American protestors marched in Los Angeles on Sunday, demanding an end to a decades-old, violent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that’s flared up in recent weeks. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW State Regulators Plan to Cut Cost of Jail and Prison Phone Calls The California Public Utilities Commission plans this fall to start discussing placing a cap on the price of the calls. This move is part of a national movement to reduce expensive phone rates for incarcerated people. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED  The History of Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated People This election year, Califo

Private Firefighters Accused of Allegedly Setting Illegal Backfires State fire officials are investigating several private firefighters for allegedly setting illegal backfires to protect some structures threatened by the Glass Fire in the wine country. Jackie Lacey and George Gascón Square Off in LA County District Attorney Race The candidates to lead the largest prosecutor’s office in the country squared off last night in a virtual debate. Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey is running for her third term against George Gascón, the former San Francisco D.A., who is campaigning as a progressive challenger. Some Call for a Less Partisan Election Chief in California California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is charged with overseeing the state's elections. But he's also a Democrat, who has to face his own election every four years. Some election experts think the job needs a fundamental overhaul. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Over 100,000 College Students Lack Tech for Online Classes More than 100,

Harris and Pence Spar Over Forest Management and Wildfires During Debate Issues important to California, like climate change and wildfires came up in Wednesday’s Vice Presidential debate. The candidates started off discussing the COVID pandemic and the administration’s handling of it, but the conversation soon turned to the environment.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Facebook Bans Political Ads Until After the Election Facebook has announced plans to prohibit all political ads until after the polls close on November 3rd. The tech giant says it will also place notifications at the top of the News Feed, reminding users that no winner is decided until “real news outlets” announce one. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Changes to White Collar Worker Visa Has Bi-Partisan Support The U.S. Department of Labor enacts big changes today, to the H1-B visa program for high-skilled guest workers. The changes are supported both by pro-labor Democrats and anti-immigration Republicans.  Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Governors New Exec

Before Reopening, Counties Must Increase COVID-19 Testing, Reduce Positive Cases Starting this week in order to qualify to reopen more industries and loosen restrictions, California will require its 35 largest counties to bring down coronavirus rates in hard-hit neighborhoods. That means hitting goals both for overall testing and in lowering the percentage of new positive cases. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Data Indicates In-Person Learning Hasn't Caused More COVID Transmission California’s Health and Human Services secretary Dr Mark Ghaly says in-person learning hasn’t caused an uptick in COVID-19 transmission rates in the counties where schools have re-opened. Vallejo Declares Public Safety Emergency to Implement Police Reforms The Vallejo City Council has declared a public safety emergency in an effort to reform a police department plagued by officer misconduct, controversial police shootings and low morale. Police departments across the state are facing similar criticism. Facebook Bans All QAnon Account

First Openly Gay Justice Nominated to State Supreme Court Governor Gavin Newsom has nominated veteran Judge Martin Jenkins as his first appointee to the California Supreme Court. If he's appointed Jenkins will be the first openly gay justice on the California Supreme court. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California Physicists Awarded Nobel Prize Two Californians have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics with a British scientist. They share the prize for discovering a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Tenants Protest Eviction as Moratoriums Expire As local rent moratoriums expire, landlords have begun filing evictions across the state, and tenants are now protesting a new state law that they say creates new problems for renters instead of protections. Reporter Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS LAUSD Conflicted About How To Cut Police Budget In June, a divided Los Angeles Unified School Board voted to reduce the school police budget by 25 million dollars and t

Record Four Million Acres Scorched in California, With Months of Fire Season Remaining State fire officials announced yesterday that wildfires have burned a record four million acres this year in California. That’s more than double the previous record year of 2018 when 1.8 million acres burned in the state. Elder Care Homes Keep Familiar Routines While Evacuated California’s wildfires have forced tens of thousands of Californians to evacuate from their homes. Such evacuations can be stressful even for those who are young, healthy, and mobile. For residential care homes, keeping elderly residents comfortable and safe while evacuating can be a challenge.  Reporter: Polly Stryker, KQED Following Complete Destruction, Beloved Santa Rosa Stables Will Be Rebuilt The Glass Fire has burned through Napa and Sonoma counties destroying or damaging many wineries and vineyards. The blaze also annihilated beloved community stables, the Pony Express Ranch.   Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Ballots for All Californians' Mailed T

After Positive COVID-19 Test, Trump's Swing Through Southern California Likely On Hold News that President Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 is expected to end a swing through Southern California that had been planned for next week. This diagnosis has been confirmed this morning by White House doctors. Guest: Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School professor Republicans Are No Longer a Third Party in California For the first time in over two years, more California voters are registered as Republican than no-party-preference, or independent voters. The GOP’s recent gains have done little to chip away at the huge registration advantage still held by California Democrats. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Newsom Plans to Increase Already Historic Spending for Battling Wildfires Governor Gavin Newsom says he plans to dedicate more state resources for wildfire prevention in next year’s budget. Newsom made the announcement Thursday while touring the damaged areas of Santa Rosa where the G