Accessibility links
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

Podcast Directory
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

California Teachers to Rally in Sacramento

California Teachers to Rally in Sacramento Governor Gavin Newsom's approach to charter schools has signaled a policy shift from his predecessor. The California Teachers Association, which plans to demonstrate at the Capitol today, wasted little time advancing an aggressive legislative agenda to increase regulation of charter schools. Reporter: Scott Rodd, Capital Public Radio California Sues Over $929 Million in Canceled High-Speed Rail Money California sued Tuesday to block federal officials from canceling $929 million for the state's high-speed rail project, escalating the state's feud with the Trump administration. Reporter: Katie Orr Central Valley Residents Speak Out Against Fracking Expansion The Bureau of Land Management held a public meeting in Bakersfield last night to discuss hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Tempers flared – and not just about the environment. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR ACLU Sues Immigration Authorities Over Detainment Conditions The ACLU of Northern California is suing a contractor who works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement over allegations of mistreatment.The suit seeks monetary damages for four former ICE detainees from the contractor, G4S Secure Solutions. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero RV Living: Going Home Earlier this week, we introduced you to Arturo Torres, a painter at Stanford University. During the week, he lives in his RV on a busy street near work, where his camper van is one of about 30 parked nose-to-nose. On Fridays, he heads to his family in Fresno. Reporter: Penny Nelson California Teachers Pour into State Capitol for Day of Action Thousands of teachers from around the state are headed to Sacramento for a day of action. Several teachers unions have gone on strike this year in Los Angeles, Oakland and Sacramento. Teachers at New Haven Unified in the Bay Area have been on strike all this week. Guest: Ingrid Gunnell, Los Angeles Educator

Environmental Justice Advocates Criticize Federal Fracking Plan in Central California

Environmental Justice Advocates Criticize Federal Fracking Plan in Central California The Bureau of Land Management is holding three public hearings around the state this week over controversial plans to expand oil drilling, including fracking, in Central California. The first hearing is tonight in Bakersfield. Guest: Gustavo Aguirre, Central California Environmental Justice Network San Diego Asks for Federal Aid as Border Patrol Flies in Hundreds of Migrants From Texas San Diego officials want additional resources from the federal government to help deal with hundreds of migrant families expected to be flown to San Diego from Texas in the coming weeks. Reporter: Andrew Bowen RV Living: The Rules House painter Arturo Torres lives in his RV on a busy Palo Alto street during the workweek and returns home to his family in Fresno on weekends. Like many others living in a home on wheels, he doesn't see himself as homeless but rather as a commuter. Living in his RV is perfectly legal, but there are rules. Reporter: Penny Nelson

Environmental Justice Advocates Criticize Federal Fracking Plan in Central California

Listen · 7:45

Report: Safety Failures Led to Largest Methane Leak in U.S. History

Report: Safety Failures Led to Largest Methane Leak in U.S. History An independent report looking into the root cause of the largest-known methane release in U.S. history has found fault with Southern California Gas Company. The report calls out the utility, which owns the Aliso Canyon storage field, for not doing more to prevent the blowout in late 2015. Reporter: Larry Buhl PG&E Changes Wildfire Mitigation Plan, Concerning Some Fire Survivors Today is the last day that Californians can weigh in in writing on PG&E's proposed plan to prevent and respond to wildfires. S.F. Court Rejects State Attorney General's Stalling, Rules for Release of Police Records State Attorney General Xavier Becerra is now releasing records under a new police transparency law on misconduct and shootings involving agents with the California Department of Justice. Reporter: Alex Emslie Several California Counties See Spike in Homeless Populations The results from homeless counts show a spike in homelessness in several counties around the state. Orange County saw a 43 percent rise. In San Francisco, the homeless population has grown by 17 percent in the last two years. Reporter: Hope McKenney RV Living Here in the Bay Area, there are pockets throughout the region where RVs and camper vans are lined up, day in and day out. For the people who call them home, living there is their way of tackling the high cost of living in the Bay Area. Reporter: Penny Nelson More Than 1,700 Children May Have Been Separated from Parents, Federal Government Says A federal judge in San Diego says he's very encouraged by the government's speed in identifying additional migrant children taken from their parents by border officials in the year before the judge ordered an end to family separations. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks Kamala Harris Focuses on Black Women Voters in LA Rally The Democratic presidential hopeful with arguably the deepest roots here in California made her first official appearance in Los Angeles Sunday. California's US Senator Kamala Harris addressed a friendly crowd in South LA. The event was an attempt to gain volunteers and support from an important voting bloc. Reporter: Jenny Hamel LA Comedian Sammy Shore Dies Sammy Shore — actor, stand-up comedian, and co-founder of LA's Comedy Store — died Saturday. He was 92. He co-founded the world-famous Comedy Store with his writing partner and his first wife in 1972. The Sunset Strip institution launched many comics' careers: Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Jim Carrey, to name a few. Reporter: Avishay Artsy

Silicon Valley Pushes Back on Trump's Merit-Based Immigration Plan

Silicon Valley Pushes Back on Trump's Merit-Based Immigration Plan The tech industry says President Trump's plan for a merit-based immigration system, which was unveiled Thursday, won't fix the shortage of skilled workers. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala-Romero U.C. Regents Vote to Increase Out-of-State Tuition The price tag on a University of California education is going up for out-of-state students. The move is drawing loud protest from those 'in-state'. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano Kaiser's Mental Health Workers Threaten to Strike Mental health clinicians at Kaiser Permanente are threatening to go on strike again. Their union says there's been no progress in contract negotiations since they hit the picket line in November. Reporter: April Dembosky San Francisco Federal Appeals Court Hears Transgender Prisoner's Case A transgender inmate in an Idaho prison is suing that state and a private prison healthcare contractor for cruel and unusual punishment. Idaho is appealing a lower court ruling ordering the prison to provide the inmate with gender confirmation surgery. Reporter: Amanda Peacher Controversial Housing Density Bill Blocked in State Legislature In Sacramento Thursday lawmakers in the Assembly Appropriations Committee sifted through its suspense file. This unglamorous process decides what bills live or die. One of them that didn't make it out was the controversial housing bill, SB50. Guest: Guy Marzorati

Cal Fire Report: PG&E Power Lines Started Camp Fire

Cal Fire Report: PG&E Power Lines Started Camp Fire Reckless arson and involuntary manslaughter are among the charges that the top prosecutor in Butte County may soon level against California's largest utility, PG&E. District Attorney Mike Ramsey received a report from Cal Fire investigators Wednesday confirming what PG&E has already all but acknowledged: that its equipment caused the deadliest and most destructive fire in state history, the Camp Fire. Guest: Dan Brekke Camp Fire Victims Attorney Says New Report is Helpful The news that state investigators have officially found PG&E responsible for sparking the Camp Fire won't change much legally for survivors of the blaze. But one victim's attorney says the announcement does provide some clarity for her clients and the public. Reporter: Marisa Lagos Tensions High at California's Community Colleges The California Community College Faculty Association took a unanimous vote of no confidence in the statewide chancellor and his administration. It's the first time they've taken the step in 20 years. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano Sacramento Legislators to Clear its 'Suspense Files' Today It's make-it-or-break-it day for hundreds of bills that would cost the state money. Both the Senate and Assembly appropriations committees will decide on legislation parked in what's called "the suspense file." Reporter: Katie Orr

Tesla and Staffing Agency Settle $13 Million Workplace Injury Lawsuit

Tesla and Staffing Agency Settle $13 Million Workplace Injury Lawsuit Tesla and staffing agency West Valley Staffing Group have agreed to pay out $13 million to a former janitor who was injured while working at the auto maker's Fremont factory. Reporter: Alyssa Jeong Perry Battle Over Shasta Dam Intensifies California's Attorney General and several fishing and conservation interests filed lawsuits this week to stop a controversial project to elevate the Shasta Dam and expand the state's largest reservoir near Redding. And, this court battle has a twist. Reporter: Craig Miller Six Catholic Dioceses Create Sex Abuse Compensation Fund Six Catholic dioceses, including LA, Orange, San Diego, Fresno and Sacramento, have formed a compensation fund for victims of sexual abuse by clergy. Reporter: Paulina Velasco Tool to Build Affordable Housing Stalls in State Legislature A state bill to direct millions of property tax dollars toward infrastructure and affordable housing development is being shelved for the year. Reporter: Guy Marzorati Criminal Justice Reforms Complicate Efforts to Empty Juvenile Justice Facilities Twenty five years ago, California's juvenile justice facilities were packed to the brim as youth crime rates soared and the state embraced tough on crime laws. Today, they're a sea of empty beds as a result of plummeting crime rates and a shift in how the state treats young offenders. But some recent criminal justice reforms could hamper efforts to continue emptying out juvenile institutions. Reporter: Marisa Lagos Fresno Assemblyman Testifies in Child Abuse Trial Democratic Fresno Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula testified on Tuesday during his trial. He's being charged with misdemeanor child abuse, but denies that. Reporter: Monica Velez San Diego Residents Battle Over Vehicle Homelessness Proposal As San Diego deals with an ongoing homelessness crisis, a fierce debate has broken out over a proposed law that would criminalize some people who sleep in their cars overnight. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler

San Francisco Journalist Threatens to Sue Over Police Raid of His Home

San Francisco Journalist Threatens to Sue Over Police Raid of His Home A freelance journalist whose home and office were raided by San Francisco police is threatening legal action against the department if his belongings are not returned. We now know judges who signed the warrants were aware of his job, according to a San Francisco Supervisor. Police were investigating what they call an illegally leaked police report connected to the death of San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi. Reporter: Sonja Hutson Jury Hits Monsanto With $2 Billion in Roundup Damages A third California court has found a connection between the weedkiller Roundup and cancer. In Alameda County, a jury has awarded more than $2 billion to an elderly couple who blames the agribusiness giant Monsanto for their disease. Reporter: Molly Peterson San Francisco Could Be First US City to Ban Facial Recognition by Police San Francisco could be the first city in America to ban the use of facial recognition technology by police and other city agencies. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the ordinance today. Reporter: Rachael Myrow Why Race Matters in Today's LAUSD School Board Election There's a runoff election today for the Los Angeles Unified School Board's District 5. Though 90 percent of District 5's students are Latino, both the candidates in the race are white women. Jackie Goldberg and Heather Repenning rose to the top of a pool that included seven Latino hopefuls. Whoever the winner is will tip the demographics of the board to majority white: four out of the seven members will be Caucasian. Guest: KPCC Education Reporter Kyle Stokes These Asian American Progressives Want To Build A New Church Tradition California is home to thousands of churches started by Asian American immigrants. For some younger members, these churches are too conservative. Progressive churches, typically with largely white congregations, aren't always the right fit either. So, some Asian American Christians are creating their own space. Reporter: Josie Hwang Governor Newsom Grants Pardons to Cambodian Immigrants Two Bay Area men who came as refugees from Cambodia in the 1980s were granted pardons Monday by Governor Gavin Newsom. The pardons should protect the men from deportation. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks

Measles Outbreaks Come With a Hefty Price Tag

Feds Could Start Fracking in Central California California could be on the verge of getting fracked. The agency that manages vast stretches of federal land there is planning to open that land up to oil and gas development. Voters in some counties that would be impacted have rejected fracking. But with this move by the Trump administration, it turns out, their votes might not matter. Reporter: Greta Mart Measles Outbreaks Come With a Hefty Price Tag We're getting our first look at the hefty cost of this year's measles outbreak. Health advocates say containing and investigating cases of the disease, fueled in part by the anti-vaxxing trend, comes with a big price tag. Reporter: Alyssa Jeong Perry Why It Can Be Harder to Get Insurance Payouts for Homes Spared in a Fire Six months after the Camp Fire many of the people who once called the town of Paradise home are trying to get the money they were promised by insurers. Claims total at least $8 billion — more than any wildfire in the state. Getting insurance money can be hardest for the people who didn't lose their homes in the fire. Reporter: Jeremy Siegel Venezuelan Turmoil Top of Mind for Refugees in California The economic and slow political collapse thousands of miles away in Venezuela is top-of-mind for many of the nation's citizens who've fled to California. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb Why Curbing Extremism Online Is So Hard The California man accused of killing a woman at a Poway synagogue last month is expected to appear in court this week to face more than 100 federal charges, including obstruction of the free exercise of religion and hate crimes. Preventing the next hate crime isn't an easy task. Reporter: Rachael Myrow The Helltown Hotshots A place called Helltown in Butte County was the site of the most destructive wildfire in California history six months ago. As the fire got closer, four friends did the unthinkable. Instead of running to safety, they turned around and went right back into it. Reporter: Matt Fidler

San Diego Synagogue Shooter Could Face Death Penalty on Hate Crime Charges

Sacramento Unified Approves Over 100 Layoffs Sacramento City Unified School District is expected to run out of money by this fall as it stares down a staggering $35 million budget deficit. We spoke with one of the teachers who's on the list of people awaiting a pink slip. Guest: Julie Law-Marin San Diego Synagogue Shooter Could Face Death Penalty on Hate Crime Charges At a press conference in San Diego yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced hate crime charges against the suspected gunman in last month's shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue. Reporter: Andrew Bowen Uber IPO Not as Hot as Expected Shares of the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company Uber started trading this morning on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading started at $42 a share, down from the company's estimated starting price of $45. Reporter: Mike Isaac Gov. Gavin Newsom Balances Saving, Spending in Revised Budget Gov. Gavin Newsom performed a bit of a juggling act when announcing his revised budget proposal Thursday. Newsom wants to spend more on education and addressing income inequality in the state. But he's also cautious about a recession. Reporter: Katie Orr U.S.-China Trade Tensions Hit California Small Businesses President Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods coming into the U.S. Trump called the move "a punishment" for China's attempt to renegotiate a trade deal. In a tweet this morning, Trump also said this will help rather than hurt the U.S. and bring in "far more wealth." But that has not been the case for many of California's small businesses that rely on imported products from China. Tahoe Communities Eye Co-Housing Project as Possible Housing Crisis Solution The North Tahoe and Truckee communities have been making a concerted effort to tackle the area's housing shortage. Reporter: Amy Westervelt Hate Groups Not Uncommon in California The shooting at the Poway synagogue has forced Californians to confront an uncomfortable history. Guest: Brooke Binkowski

San Diego Synagogue Shooter Could Face Death Penalty on Hate Crime Charges

Listen · 14:25

Lawmakers Disagree on How to Solve Chico's Housing Crisis

California Looks to Ban a Widely Used Pesticide For the first time ever, state environmental regulators are moving to ban a pesticide entirely. It's a neurotoxin called chlorpyrifos. Reporter: Molly Peterson Cal Poly Faculty Votes to Remove Chick-fil-A from its Campus Cal Poly faculty in San Luis Obispo voted this week to remove a Chick-fil-A fast-food outlet from campus. This follows the recent news that the restaurant's charity arm donated millions to anti-LGBTQ organizations across the country. But it looks like the fast food outlet may get to remain on campus, despite opposition. Reporter: Tyler Pratt Lawmakers Disagree on How to Solve Chico's Housing Crisis It's estimated around 19,000 more people are living in Chico than were there before last year's Camp Fire. There isn't nearly enough housing for them. State and local politicians are adamant that this is a crisis and they need to address it quickly. But so far, no significant solutions have been finalized. Reporter: Sonja Hutson Devin Nunes 2018 Challenger Now Eyeing a Mayoral Run for Fresno Democrat Andrew Janz says he won't run against Congressman Devin Nunes again, even though he came within six percentage points of beating Nunes in the 2018 election. Instead, Janz says he'll run for the non-partisan office of Fresno mayor. Reporter: Monica Velez As Facebook Pivots to Private Platforms, How Will We Monitor Fake News and Hate Speech? At a conference last week, Mark Zuckerberg promised to refocus Facebook on its private messaging products like Messenger, WhatsApp, and Stories. But in this brave new world of encrypted messaging, how are researchers, regulators and even Facebook itself supposed to keep track of things like fake news? Reporter: Rachael Myrow

Related Podcasts

The California Report

Podcast Directory
Back To Top