Kqeds The California Report

Poll Reveals Ethnic and Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Death Rates The coronavirus has killed more than 13,000 people in our state since the pandemic began. According to a new poll 20% of Californians know someone who’s died of COVID-19, but that number is much higher in some communities.   Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED California Sees Declines in COVID-19 Positivity Rates and Hospitalizations California is seeing positive numbers in the fight against coronavirus. Governor Gavin Newsom says there's been a 23% decline in both COVID-19 related hospitalizations and patients admitted into ICUs in the past two weeks. Latino Task Force Tackles COVID-19 in Central Valley And as COVID-19 continues to take a disproportionate toll on Latinos, the Kern County Health Department is creating a first of its kind task force to address the issue. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio Utilities Urge Conservation During Upcoming Labor Day Heat Wave Much of California is expected to face record breaking high temperatures t

Drop in COVID Cases in the Bay Area Allows More Businesses to Reopen Top state health officials say new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to drop. in Northern California, risk in San Francisco and Napa counties is only considered “substantial” which means schools and some businesses can open sooner.  Central Valley Schools Use Day Camp Loophole to Reopen Most counties in the Central Valley have been on the state’s COVID-19 watch list for months. For counties where the virus is deemed widespread, schools are not allowed to reopen for in-person lessons, but some schools in Tulare county are partially reopening as day camps.  Reporter: Laura Tsutsui, Valley Public Radio To Reopen, Schools Need Better Ventilation Infrastructure A growing number of schools across the state are moving to reopen in-person classes. One piece of the safety equation is improving ventilation systems inside older school buildings. A bill that would help that happen is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Reporter: Laura Klivan

Newborn Baby Appears on Assembly Floor As Time Runs Out on Final Legislative Session Lawmakers voted to approve statewide eviction protections in the final hours of this year’s legislative session -- and just as California’s eviction ban was set to expire. In a dramatic legislative session lawmakers ran out of time to several pass bills before the midnight deadline. Guests: Katie Orr, KQED, and CA Assemblywoman Monique Limón, District 27 AB 3216 Prioritizes Laid-Off Workers For Rehire As the legislative session comes to an end scores of bills are headed to the governor’s desk. One new bill, AB 3216, puts pressure on companies to rehire hospitality and transportation workers laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Poultry Plant Closed for Cleaning Following Eight COVID-19 Deaths In the Central Valley a facility belonging to poultry processor Foster Farms is planning to shut down for about a week. The plant has seen 400 confirmed cases of COVID-19. At least eight workers have died.

Deadline Nears for Lawmakers to Pass Eviction Moratorium A new state law would ban evictions for tenants who miss paying their rent due to pandemic-related hardships, like company layoffs or wage reductions. Those protections would largely be in place until the end of January. Reporter: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, KQED  Hot, Dry Weather Expected to Return to California Fire crews have been able to take advantage of cooler temperatures and higher humidity, but that’s about to change. The National Weather Service says a high pressure system will keep the air hot and dry for the next week or so. Reporter: Angela Corral, KQED Imagining a Greenbelt to Protect and Surround Paradise from Future Wildfires It’s been nearly two years since the Camp fire raced through the Butte County town of Paradise. 85 people were killed and nearly all buildings in town were destroyed. Now the rebuilding is underway. Community leaders are looking at new ideas to make sure how they rebuild will protect Paradise when the next wildfire fi

Foster Farms Poultry Processing Plant Ordered to Shut DownAmidst a massive COVID 19 outbreak among workers, Merced County health officials in the Central Valley have ordered a Foster Farms poultry processing plant to shut down. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED  Newsom Boosts Funding to Aid Early Release Efforts Across State PrisonsCalifornia is releasing thousands of inmates in state prisons early. Governor Gavin Newsom says California will commit 15 million dollars to help formerly incarcerated people re-enter society. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED  Bonny Doon Mountain Community Bands Together to Battle the FlamesAs hundreds of wildfires burned across California, fire crews were stretched thin. Many Santa Cruz County residents came together to defend their mountain community. Reporter: Hannah Hagemann, KQED Disability Advocates Say Some Wildfire Evacuation Centers were Filled with Access BarriersIn Watsonville and in Santa Cruz this week, disability advocates found many accessibility problems for those who needed to

New State Emissions Standards Move Closer to Approval After a public hearing, California’s Air Resources Board is expected to approve tough new pollution emission standards for both commercial trucks and ships docked in California ports. The standards are the state’s most stringent in ten years New Lab Would Double Statewide Testing Capacity Governor Gavin Newsom says the state will build a new laboratory that will more than double California’s COVID-19 testing capacity. Newsom says the lab will allow the state to conduct 150-thousand additional coronavirus tests per day. State Senate Scrambles to Finish Session as Member Tests positive for COVID-19 A state senator says he’s tested positive for COVID 19. The Senate cancelled its session yesterday after learning of his diagnosis. The case comes as lawmakers are already scrambling to finish their legislative work. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED NBA and MLB Games Cancelled Following Players Boycott Over Racial Injustice Professional athletes continue to expand their

Firefighters Make Progress During Cooler Calm Weather Containment continues to steadily grow against the LNU, CZU and SCU fires because of cooperative weather conditions and the hard work of firefighters. But the scope of damage from these blazes and hundreds of others burning around th e state is staggering. Squaw Valley Resort To Change Racist Name That’s a piece a tape from the 1960 Winter Olympics held in a Lake Tahoe area ski resort. The resort will soon get a new name, one that’s not offensive to Native American women.  Reporter: Ezra David Romero, CapRadio State Finds Discrimination Against Black and Disabled Students In Three School Districts The state justice department has reached settlements with three California school districts over discriminatory treatment of Black students and students with disabilities.  Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED 'Black Thriving Initiative' Seeks to Confront Racism at UC Irvine UC Irvine here in Southern California has a tiny number of Black students compared to most oth

Over One Million Acres Scorched as Help Arrives From Out of State Firefighters are making some progress in containing the enormous wildfires burning in a ring around the Bay Area, but the toll has been immense. Governor Gavin Newsom reports 1.2 million acres have burned and at least 1,200 homes and other structures have been destroyed or damaged. Seven people have also died because of the blazes.  Lake County Bulldozer Cafe Feeds Evacuees and Firefighters Near the LNU Lightning Complex Fire, a cafe owner who also operates a firefighting bulldozer will cut you a fire break and then serve you breakfast. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Affirmative Action Ban Restricts Minority's Access to College In the coming election, voters will decide whether to undo Proposition 209, a landmark ban on affirmative action passed by California voters in 1996. A new report out is the most detailed analysis yet of how Proposition 209 affected people of color trying to get into the UC system. Guest: Zach Bleemer, U.C. Berkeley’s Cente

"This is an Absolute Marathon" Fire Crews Make Progress Fighting Wildfires Some of the biggest wildfires in state history continue to burn over a vast stretch of Northern California with blazes raging in counties surrounding the Bay Area and along the Central Coast.  Senior California Public Utility Regulator Claims Whistleblower Retaliation Alice Stebbins was appointed in early 2018 as the California Public Utility Commission’s executive director. She says she's being targeted because she's pushing to collect millions in fees the California Public Utility Commission is owed, but has never demanded from utilities. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED  How the Once Mighty GOP Faded from California Politics As the Golden State became bluer, the Republican Party lost clout and now trails Democrats and independent voters in membership. Mike Madrid, a veteran California Republican political strategist, says it will likely get worse for the party. Guest: Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans

Tens of Thousands Flee as Wildfires Rip Across Northern California The enormous wildfires burning around the Bay Area have claimed the lives of at least five people. Residents from Wine Country north of San Francisco to the edges of San Jose and Santa Cruz have been forced to evacuate.  Some Residents Stay Put to Save Their Homes from the Flames Official firefighting resources on the dozens of lightning-caused fires around the Bay Area are spread very thin. As the blazes spread, some residents have wound up having to try to defend their own property from the advancing flames. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED  Vacaville Farmer Describes 'Obliteration' After Wildfires Tom Walter, the caretaker of La Ferme Soleil, was forced to evacuate in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He says all that remains of his home is an unrecognizable heap of blackened, twisted metal. Reporter: Peter Arcuni, KQED Care Homes Carve Out Fire Escape Plans Amidst Coronavirus Threat The Department of Social Services and the Departme

Northern California Grapples With Heavy Smoke, High Temperatures, and Dozens of Wildfires Hundreds of wildfires are burning across the state. The largest are concentrated in Northern California around the Bay Area, where residents are also grappling with high temperatures, and the looming threat of power outages. Rural Evacuees Pull Together at Santa Cruz Fairgrounds Meanwhile, a group of fires has burned 25,000 of acres in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties and also triggered widespread evacuations of both people and livestock from far flung rural areas.  Reporter: Hannah Hagemann, KQED Texas, Arizona, Nevada Send Engines to California Wildfires The fires have placed enormous pressure on emergency responders, pushing CALFIRE and the state’s Office of Emergency Services to request 375 engines from other states and the federal government.  Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED Helicopter Pilot Killed During Firefighting Water Drop Mission A helicopter pilot was killed yesterday while fighting a fire in the Central Vall

Californians Take Center Stage at Joe Biden's Nomination 263 California delegates were awarded to Joe Biden -- as he was officially nominated for president at last night’s Democratic National Convention. Several Californians took center stage at last night’s virtual event. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED New Law Requires Ethnic Studies for All CSU Students Governor Newsom has signed a bill into law requiring California State University students to take an ethnic studies class in order to graduate. Many professors support the law, but CSU opposes the law, saying it gives the state too much power over curriculum. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Report Finds Prison Officials Mishandled Pandemic Public health officials and legal experts are reacting to the recent Office of Inspector General report that finds weaknesses in the way state prison officials initially handled the pandemic.  Reporter: Shannon Lin, KQED  State Releases Prisoners Early Without Adequate Reentry Support In response to the spread of the corona

Governor Newsom Orders Investigation Following Heat-Wave Power Outages Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into why the state’s electrical grid wasn’t ready for a heat wave-related surge in power demand over the weekend. ISO "Dropped the Ball" Says Board Governor The state didn’t end up calling for blackouts yesterday, thanks in part to Californians who conserved energy. The California Independent System Operator is the non-profit that makes the call on blackouts. A member of its Board of Governors says communication should have been better. Guest: Severin Borenstein, Member, CAISO Board of Governors & Professor, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business California Prepares Legal Action Against Trump Administration Over U.S. Postal Service California has already sued the Trump Administration more than 95 times, and Attorney General Xavier Becerra is looking to add one more suit to the list -- this time, over the U.S. Postal Service. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Rates of Depression and Anxiety Soar Among

Scorching Heat Sets off Power Outages Across California Hundreds of thousands of people across California lost power beginning Friday evening and again on Saturday as hot temperatures became unbearable. The California Independent Systems Operator, instructed utilities to power down parts of the system. 'Firenados' Spotted as Crews Battle Blazes Throughout State Observers of the Loyalton Fire in the Tahoe National Forest reported a fire-induced tornado on on Saturday. That blaze is one of several burning throughout the state.  Federal Court Strikes Down California's Ban on High-Capacity Magazines State Attorney General Xavier Becerra says his office is reviewing a decision by the 9th Circuit of the Court of Appeals that struck down California's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. A three-judge panel ruled on Friday that the blanket ban is an unconstitutional violation of the 2nd amendment. Democratic Party National Convention Kicks Off Tonight — from a Distance The Democratic Party begins its national c

State Lawmakers Scramble as Eviction Ban Set to EndIn the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting job losses, courts in California placed a stop on evictions and foreclosures. But evictions will soon resume again unless state lawmakers can figure out a solution. Reporter: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, KQED  New Data Shows Disparities in Nursing Home Workers Dying from COVID-19Los Angeles County has released new data this week on deaths tied to nursing homes, and it shows that nursing home workers who have died from COVID-19 are more likely to be people of color. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC San Diego County to Begin Free Testing for People Crossing BorderMany people continue to travel between San Diego and Tijuana daily. Now the people crossing the border can get a coronavirus test without an appointment. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Californians are Registering to Vote at Historic RatesMore than 83% of eligible voters in California are registered ahead of the November election. According to t

Hughes Lake Fire Forces Evacuations North of L.A. This morning in rural north L.A. County, west of Palmdale, hundreds of firefighters are battling the Lake Hughes Fire. It’s scorched approximately 10,000 acres and is zero percent contained. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for residents in the area. Uber Threatens Temporary Shutdown to Avoid Paying Overtime and Unemployment Uber and Lyft drivers in California could become employees of those companies instead of contract workers in 8 days because of a court injunction involving lawsuit brought by the state attorney general against the companies. Uber and Lyft are using their network of customers and drivers to fight the ruling Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED UC Reinstates Striking Graduate Students After Union Negotiation UC Santa Cruz has come to an agreement with the union representing graduate students who have been on strike since February. Dozens of the students who were fired from their teaching jobs after withholding grades, are now eligible to work

Kamala Harris Makes History as Joe Biden's Running Mate Joe Biden has picked California Senator Kamala Harris to be his vice-presidential running mate. It’s the first time ever that a woman of color will be on a major party presidential ticket and the first time that a California Democrat will also be at the top of such a ticket. Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED Californians Support of Black Lives Matter Movement Grows Harris’ nomination comes as Californians are increasingly concerned about race relations in the state — and supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement. That’s according to a new survey out this week from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.  Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Companies Seek More Diversity on Corporate Boards In the wake of calls to recognize and fight systemic racism in American institutions, there’s growing evidence companies want to do more to add people of color to corporate boards of directors. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Kaiser Is Investing $63 Million in Contact Tracing

CA Public Health Director Resigns Following Data Errors There’s much speculation about the resignation of California's top public health director last weekend, but Governor Gavin Newsom is staying tight-lipped. Her departure comes after a glitch in a disease tracking system that delayed the processing of data from hundreds of thousands of COVID 19 test results. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Should Uber and Lyft Drivers Be Employees of Freelancers? Should gig economy workers be employees or freelancers? That’s an issue that’s consumed California politics over the past couple of years. A court injunction issued yesterday means Uber and Lyft drivers could become employees of those companies within 10 days.  Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Youth Who Vape Are More Likely to Get COVID-19 Before the coronavirus pandemic, the danger of vaping was one of the big public health discussions in the U.S. A study released by Stanford University this morning says young adults who vape are more likely to get COVID19.  Reporter: Lesle

California Parents Anxious as Distant Learning Begins in Some Districts This morning the Oakland Unified School District and others across the state start their school year.It won’t be typical, and all instruction is being done remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Guest: Parent Stephanie Campos Southern California Women's Prison COVID-19 Cases Climb to 160 The number of infections at the California Institution for Women in Chino has soared to 160 women, and 13 employees at the prison have active COVID-19 cases. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED California's Top Public Health Official Abruptly Resigns Director of California's Public Health Department Sonia Angell stepped down from her position last night. Angell’s resignation comes just days after it was announced that the state had a backlog of as many as 300,000 coronavirus test results. Ventura County's Godspeak Calvary Chapel Remains Defiant Against Shutdown Order County authorities say the religious gatherings could turn into coronavirus super-spreader

COVID-19 Cases Top 200,000 in Los Angeles County Los Angeles County has the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases of any county in the U.S. Since January, the coronavirus has killed 4,869 people in L.A. County. That makes it the second leading cause of death after coronary heart disease and far deadlier than the flu. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Santa Cruz Farmworkers For the first time since the pandemic started, COVID-19 outbreaks have been documented at agricultural workplaces in Santa Cruz. Reporter: Hannah Hagemann, KQED Judge Orders Weekly COVID-19 Testing for Detainees at Mesa Verde A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to test for COVID all detainees at a facility in Bakersfield. That’s after at least nine people held there were diagnosed with the coronavirus. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Disability-Rights Group Sues to Move People out of San Bernadino Psychiatric Hospital About 115 patients and 150 staff have t