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The California Report KQED's statewide radio news program, providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions affecting California and its diverse population.
The California Report

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The California Report

The California Report

From KQED

KQED's statewide radio news program, providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions affecting California and its diverse population.

Most Recent Episodes

Wall Street Investors Battle Over Plan to Help PG&E Out of Bankruptcy

Wall Street Investors Battle in Sacramento Over Plan to Help PG&E Out of Bankruptcy Investigators say Pacific Gas and Electric, California's biggest utility, has caused some of the state's most destructive wildfires, like 2018's Camp Fire that killed 86 people. PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January after it said it couldn't afford to pay 30 billion dollars in wildfire-related liabilities. So how will the utility meet its obligations to to fire victims without socking it to ratepayers? Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Correspondent L.A. Musical Honors Korean Comfort Women During World War II, tens of thousands of Korean women were forced by the Japanese military to work in brothels as sex slaves. They were euphemistically called "comfort women" and in recent years the suffering and exploitation they endured have gotten more attention, including a new musical that's opened in Los Angeles. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC

Governor Newsom Visits Paradise for the First Day of School

California Reacts to New Rules for Detained Migrant Children California elected officials and immigration activists react with shock and outrage to the Trump Administration's plan to not follow a court decision that prevented migrant children from being held in detention centers for long periods of time. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks Feds Eye Inland Empire for Major New Site to House Unaccompanied Migrant Children A Trump Administration's plan to lease the largest facility in the state to house migrant children sparks a backlash from local leaders and immigration rights advocates. Reporter: Michelle Wiley Governor Newsom Visits Paradise for the First Day of School As the school year begins in the fire-devastated community of Paradise, Michelle visits the local elementary school with Governor Gavin Newsom. Reporter: Katie Orr

Lyft Drivers Upset About New Bonus System

Climate Change and Other Factors Speed Up Coastal Erosion in San Diego Earlier this month in San Diego County, three people were killed when part of a coastal bluff collapsed. The collapse renewed attention on the safety of California's coastline. Scientists say the erosion of seaside bluffs and cliffs is accelerating because of sea level rise caused by climate change. But there are other factors as well. Guest: Adam Young, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Lyft Drivers Upset About New Bonus System If you use Lyft to get around, you might've heard your driver complain about the company new surge pricing formula. It's called Personal Power Zones, and some drivers say it's eating into their profits. Reporter: Sonja Hutson

California's Child Support: Where is the Money Really Going?

"America's Finest City" Facing a Major Housing Crisis Host Saul Gonzalez sat down with San Diego's Mayor Kevin Faulconer to discuss his plans for tackling the lack of housing in his city. Mayor Faulconer says he wants to confront the problem head on by changing rules and regulations to promote as much new housing construction as possible. But he is blaming too many regulations that are standing in the way of building more housing. New California Law Tightens Rules for When Police Can Use Deadly Force Families of people shot and killed by police officers are applauding the signing of Assembly Bill 392 Monday by Governor Gavin Newsom. It aims to further restrict when officers can use deadly force. Supporters say California's new use of force law will be one of the toughest in the country. It states law enforcement can only use deadly force when "necessary," rather than just "reasonable." Reporter: Katie Orr Immigrant Detainees Suing ICE Over Lack of Medical Support Immigrant detainees in California and other states are suing to force U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to improve its medical care and accommodations for people with disabilities. The class action lawsuit comes as ICE is holding a record number of people. The plaintiffs claim detention conditions are brutal and unlawful, and have contributed to the 12 deaths in ICE custody since the beginning of last year. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero California's Child Support: Where is the Money Really Going? It turns out that a majority of the money California parents pay in child support doesn't actually go to the children, it goes to the government. Studies show that 70 percent of child support debt in California is owed to the government and the majority of parents paying child support make less than 10,000 dollars a year. Reporter: Marisa Lagos

Jockeys Weigh Concussion Protocol For Horse Racing

Is an Economic Recession in California's Near Future? California's strong economy has some unique circumstances, a tight housing market and a labor shortage on the coast. As well as a heavy reliance on tech and agriculture industries. Reports of markets taking a deep dive over the weekend have us wondering, what would an economic recession mean for our state? Reporter: Rachel Myrow Lawmakers Propose Deal to Make Electric Cars Too Sweet to Pass Up California wants five million electric cars on the road by 2030. That's ten times the number out there today. These days, drivers get $2500 dollars for buying an all-electric car. That could ramp up to $7500 dollars under a proposed bill, which would be on top of the same amount in federal tax credits Reporter: Lauren Sommer Increase of Vaccinations Yet Measles Cases Still on the Rise There were up to 65 measles cases in California this year. There has been a lot of attention in Sacramento to improving childhood vaccinations rates. But it turns out the vast majority of people who've come down with measles here in California are adults. And 51 percent of people who've gotten sick were already vaccinated. Reporter: April Dembosky Is Your Trash Really Getting Recycled? The recycling industry is in upheaval. Lately recycling companies can't find a market for everything we throw away. There's even a new word for pitching a piece of plastic packaging in the blue bin: wish-cycling. Host: Raquel Maria Dillon, Guest: Rachel Becker Horse Racing Doesn't Have a Standard Concussion Protocol For Jockeys, California Wants To Create One Professional horse racing comes with risk. Dozens of horses have died in California this year. But what about the people who ride them? Jockeys get injured too and many suffer concussions. California could become one of the first states with a concussion protocol for jockeys. Reporter: Scott Rodd, Capital Public Radio

Court: Migrant Kids Should Get Basics Like Toothbrushes

Appeals Court: Migrant Kids Should Get Basics Like Toothbrushes, Blankets Yesterday, we started the show with immigration news out of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Today, we're doing it again. The court is where many of the cases challenging the Trump Administration's immigration policies are ending up. The latest ruling is that Border Patrol agents must provide the basics — like hygiene items and a place to sleep — to immigrant children they detain at the border. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero Central Valley Sheriff Encourages Concealed Carry After the recent mass shootings, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreax is encouraging people to get permits to carry concealed weapons. Reporter: Laura Tsutsui, Valley Public Radio Bakersfield Immigration Activist Who Read anti-ICE Poem is Free on Bail An undocumented immigrant activist who was detained after reading a poem critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement... is free today. Two NFL players and immigration advocates paid 50 thousand dollars bail for the Bakersfield College student and farmworker. He was arrested at his home two days after he read his poem at a public meeting. Reporter: Monica Velez, Valley Public Radio Californians Remember Woodstock Woodstock, the grandaddy of all music festivals was 50 years ago this week. It was the summer after the summer of love in San Francisco, and plenty of Californians made the cross-country trip to keep the party going and hear some of the musical giants of the era.

Will California's Redistricting Commission Reflect the State?

Trump's End to Humanitarian Protections for Some Immigrants Before Appeals Court Protesters rallied outside the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena yesterday. They were there because inside justices were reviewing a lower court's order that protects about 75,000 immigrants in California from deportation. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero Will California's Redistricting Commission Reflect the State? Are you thoughtful and fair minded? Do you want elections to be influenced by "the people" instead of political insiders? Then California wants you! More specifically, it wants you to consider applying for a spot on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. This is this group of fourteen ordinary Californians charged with drawing political district lines in the state free of partisan gerrymandering. Guest: Jeanne Raya, outgoing commissioner Legislative Softball Game Mixes Up Politicians from Opposite Sides of the Aisle Once a year Sacramento lawmakers play their legislative softball game. This year the game was different because there aren't enough Republicans in the Capitol. Reporter: Scott Rodd, Capital Public Radio

San Jose Bans Discrimination Against Section 8 Renters

Jewish Groups Critique State's Ethnic Studies Curriculum The state wants to establish a mandatory ethnic studies curriculum for all students in California public schools, as to way to learn about marginalized minority and immigrant communities. But the draft curriculum has ignited a firestorm of criticism. Some say it's way too politically correct, with hardly a word about conservative points of view. Jewish groups, meanwhile, argue the curriculum barely mentions Antisemitism or the legacy of the Holocaust. Guest: State Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, vice chair of the legislative Jewish Caucus. State Sues Trump over Changes to Clean Power Plan Another day, another California lawsuit against the Trump Administration. Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the state was suing to challenge the Administration's efforts to repeal the federal Clean Power Act. If you're keeping score, it's the state's 55th lawsuit against the Administration. Reporter: Katie Orr Carbon Emissions Down Ahead of Schedule Here's a good news/bad news kind of a story. The good news is that California has announced it's ahead of schedule when it comes to cutting carbon emissions. The bad news is it might not be able to keep up the pace. Reporter: Lauren Sommer San Jose Bans Discrimination Against Section 8 Renters Tens of thousands of low income renters in California keep roofs over their heads through something called Section 8. It gives government issued vouchers to people to help them pay for their rent. But a lot of landlords refuse to take Section 8. So following the lead of L.A. and San Diego, the San Jose City Council just passed a law making it illegal to discriminate against renters who use the vouchers. We'll meet one homeless woman who hopes the change will help her find housing. Reporter: Sonja Hutson Controversial Mural at SF High School To Be Covered, Not Destroyed A divisive mural at a high school in liberal San Francisco will not be painted over. After a heated meeting last night, the school board voted to reverse its earlier vote to destroy the 1930's artwork and cover it instead.

Rep. Maxine Waters: Feds Should Spend More on Homeless, Housing

Food Banks: Trump's Changes to Green Card Rules Will Mean People Go Hungry Immigrant advocates and emergency food providers say a new Trump administration rule, to be finalized this week, will penalize immigrant families in California who are struggling to make ends meet. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero California Attorney General Promises Suit Over Endangered Species Rollback California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says he'll sue the Trump Administration over its plans to roll back the federal Endangered Species Act. The roll back would allow regulators to consider economic impacts when deciding whether a species should be listed. It would also be tougher to consider how climate change affects a species. Tulare Co. to Report Dairy Methane Emissions A new state law requires California's dairy industry to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the next five years. A recent legal settlement will help Tulare County, the nation's leading dairy producer, meet the goal. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR Insurance Is a Barrier to Rebuilding in Paradise Residents of Paradise and the surrounding areas burned by last year's fire... gathered to talk about rebuilding Monday. Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa. The congressman says one of the biggest challenges facing fire survivors is getting insurance for existing and rebuilt homes. Reporter: Mark Albert, KCHO Rep. Maxine Waters Says Feds Should Spend More on Homeless On Wednesday, veteran Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters of Los Angeles will convene a summit in L.A. to explore what California's is doing to solve homelessness. Waters doesn't think it's nearly enough, even with lots of new spending on homelessness programs by the state of California and cities like L.A. and San Francisco. In response, Waters has introduced legislation that would commit billions of federal dollars to get America's homeless population housed. But is that realistic in this current political climate? Guest: Rep. Maxine Waters

Utilities 'Harden' Transmission Equipment to Prevent Fires

Legislative Session Gets Underway in Sacramento State lawmakers return to Sacramento today after a month long summer break. And they better be well-rested. because they have a long to-do list. There are pending bills involving big issues like housing, charter schools, and police use of force. The state Assembly will also take up legislation that would make it tougher for parents to receive a medical exemption for getting their children vaccinated. That legislation has prompted passionate opposition ⁠— a campaign that some Sacramento lawmakers say has become too extreme. Reporter: Katie Orr Hayid Hamat Freed After 14 Years in Federal Prison A Lodi man whose terrorism conviction was thrown out by a Federal Judge late last month is back home. Hamid Hayat was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison after he was convicted of charges connected to allegations he attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan. But after serving 14 years, Hayat was released because of multiple problems in his prosecution. Yesterday, Hayatt made his first public appearance, coinciding with the Muslim holiday of Eid. His case was one of the most controversial post-9/11 terrorism prosecutions. Reporter: Sandya Dirks Utilities "Harden" Transmission Equipment to Prevent Fires Investigators say some of the state's deadliest wildfires in recent years were sparked by power lines and electrical equipment owned by California's biggest utility companies. Now those utilities say they've started big and costly programs to reduce the risk of their infrastructure causing future blazes. We went out to see what one power company is doing and who's going to pay for all of this work. Solar Industry Sees Opportunity in Planned Fire-Prevention Blackouts Utility companies in California have been shutting off power during heatwaves to limit the risk of wildfires and they plan to expand the areas where they do that. Solar and fuel-cell companies are seeing a business opening. Reporter: Avishay Artsy, KCRW

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