KQED's The California Report

The kennels at the Riverside County Animal Shelter are packed with dogs and cats. So last week, Riverside County waived adoption fees and stayed open until midnight to help more furry friends find a forever home. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which is the largest affiliate in the country, is closing five of its clinics in California. Comic-Con is taking over San Dieg...

A recent ICE arrest in Southern California is raising more questions about how immigration enforcement is being carried out and who gets caught in the crossfire. The man taken into custody is a DACA recipient. He's deaf and primarily communicates through sign language. His ordeal, for the most part, left his friends and family in the dark, until he was finally able to return home. Guest: Brittny M...

For the past 30 years, Children's Hospital Los Angeles has provided gender affirming care to trans children and young adults. But for nearly 3,000 patients, that ended on Tuesday, under pressure from the Trump administration. Families are struggling to find new doctors, and a way forward. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Immigrants in Los Angeles have been losing income because of federal immigratio...

Could the Trump administration's aggressive – and some would argue illegal – immigration raids spark the beginnings of a new political movement that unites Latinos? Reporter: Aisha Wallace-Palomares A group of Democratic state senators are proposing a bill aimed at stabilizing gas prices, but environmental groups are pushing back. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices...

30 people died in January’s unprecedented fires in Los Angeles County– most of them older, and many with disabilities. LAist recently obtained 911 calls from two disabled Eaton Fire victims through a public records request. The calls shed light on why, and how emergency planning continues to leave people with disabilities behind. Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Departm...

Across the Central Valley, the agriculture industry is ramping up for harvest season. But for some farmworkers, this year’s job search is different. It comes with a shadow– the threat of immigration enforcement. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report Border Patrol agents descended on a Home Depot in South Sacramento Thursday morning, the latest immigration enforcement action in California....

Some homeless services providers in L.A. County are offering an innovative treatment option to help unhoused Angelenos quit using stimulants, like methamphetamine. It involves rewarding people with small gift cards when they pass a drug test. The simple approach has been around awhile, but is now making headway in LA’s homeless services sector. Reporter: Aaron Schrank, LAist In what it's calling a...

Pregnancy should be a time of hope and care. But for many farmworkers in California's Pajaro Valley, it's a time of dangerous exposure to toxic pesticides. A new investigation by Santa Cruz Local reveals how people working in the fields are being put at serious risk. Guest: Nik Altenberg, Santa Cruz Local Half of the 4,000 National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles last month are being released...

California has taken on a grand experiment when it comes to its CARE Courts--a judicial approach to getting people struggling with severe mental health issues into treatment programs. The law, which went into effect statewide last December, empowers judges to mandate that a person with mounting mental health problems undergo treatment, whether the person consents or not. Orange County is taking a...

The Trump administration’s decision to cancel a federal food assistance program is hitting California’s tribal communities hard. For the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the funds help them provide fresh, local food for their elders and creates reliable income for their farmers. With funding set to expire this year, the tribe is scrambling to fill the void. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED The Trump administration i...

It's been a week since President Donald Trump signed the budget reconciliation bill into law, and California officials are still reviewing how this legislation will impact Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program for low-income residents, which covers 15 million Californians. Governor Gavin Newsom's office estimates that Medi-Cal could lose billions of federal dollars over the next few years, and on...

California’s small farmers are used to tough seasons. But this year, they’re not just battling drought or the rising costs of maintaining their farms. Small farmers say President Trump’s reconciliation bill could make it even harder to stay in business. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report More dads in California are taking paid leave to care for a new child. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist Tran...

The Trump administration continues immigration enforcement efforts across California. There's growing concern among the state's immigrant population about possible deportation. Many are not showing up to work. Some are even fearful of leaving the house at all. But one Central Valley resident made the difficult decision to leave the country on her own. Guest: Patricia Vázquez Topete U.S. Senator Al...

When the Eaton Fire burned through Altadena, not only did it erase homes, but also family photos, heirlooms, and history. A group of volunteers is aiming to restore some of that history, through the voices of fire survivors. Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is denouncing the actions of the Trump administration, after federal immigration officers swept through MacArthur Park...

The Santa Barbara Channel is a busy gateway-- for tourists heading to island parks, fishermen chasing the day's catch, and massive cargo ships ferrying goods along the coast. It's also home to some of California's oldest marine protected areas and a critical migratory path for endangered whales. But with as many as 20 ships passing through daily, those whales are at constant risk. Scientists estim...

The Klamath River flows some 268 miles from inland Southern Oregon to coastal Northern California before emptying into the Pacific, crossing high deserts, mountain ranges, and forests. The Klamath watershed is also the ancestral homeland of the Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, Shasta and Klamath tribes. And it's an area prime for recreation, especially in the summer months. And the Klamath River is once again...

Sequoia National Park is known for its iconic trees - the giant sequoias. They tower hundreds of feet above the Sierra Nevada. But another draw to this park is hidden thousands of feet below. It’s called Crystal Cave, and it recently reopened to the public after a parade of natural disasters left it inaccessible for years. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Recent immigration raids in Southern Californ...

A soon to be reopened private prison in California City, about two hours north of Los Angeles, is expected to be the largest immigration and detention center in California. The facility is operated by the Tennessee-based correctional company CoreCivic. But residents of California City have mixed feelings on the plan. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report With the worst of wildfire season...

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions ramp up across California, fear is spreading through communities, even in small Central Valley towns like Dinuba. But one grocery store owner is doing more than just ringing up customers; he is delivering food right to their doors. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report State lawmakers passed two controversial bills that will overhaul the state...

Lake Oroville in Northern California’s Butte County is one of the state’s most important reservoirs. It’s part of a state-spanning system that delivers water to 27 million people and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. Now officials are working to keep an invader out of the reservoir -- a freshwater bivalve mollusk called the golden mussel. Reporter: Sarina Grossi, North State Public Radio...

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of the Grants Pass Supreme Court ruling. It gave cities in California and across the country more power to crack down on homeless encampments. Our California Newsroom partner CalMatters has been tracking the impact of that ruling. Guest: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters A federal judge is siding with California in the latest legal maneuvering over President Do...

A new California bill could force local governments in Imperial County to start translating their agendas into Spanish. The lack of translation has kept many county residents from fully participating in the democratic process. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS An immigrant worker who was arrested during a raid outside a hardware store in Pomona in April has been released from ICE custody. Now, immigrant...

Cities throughout California have taken different approaches on how to deal with homeless residents. That also includes those dwelling in RVs. While many plans have been slow on yielding results, Berkeley's approach may be the solution that city leaders have been looking for. California legislators have reached a tentative agreement on the state's budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, but it...

When the Trump administration moved in April to cancel about half a billion dollars in Department of Justice grants, it said the programs didn’t align with the administration's priorities. But many of the programs targeted for cuts seem to be doing exactly the things the administration says it’s focused on. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire after more than a w...

The Trump Administration’s immigration raids have cast a cloud of fear over communities across the state. They’ve also dealt a blow to small businesses and economic life, particularly in Los Angeles County. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report The deployment of National Guard troops sent to Los Angeles by President Trump has been at the center of a see-sawing legal battle between Califor...