KQED's The California Report

It’s been more than a year and a half since a levee breach flooded the community of Pajaro. The state of California gave Monterey County $20 million for recovery, with $10 million earmarked for direct aid to residents and businesses. But Pajaro residents are still waiting on most of that money. Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU A powerful atmospheric river continues to slam Northern California. We...

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the country's Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has promised that the Trump administration will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water on day one in office. But what will that mean for water, and our teeth? Guest: Dr. Howard Pollick, Professor of Dentistry, UCSF The state Legislature’s...

Several California tribes are renewing their push for the federal government to protect their ancestral lands. They’re urging the Biden administration to create three new national monuments across the state before the end of the year. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS On Wednesday, unions representing tens of thousands of healthcare, professional, service and technical employees at the University of Cal...

If you’re one of the unlucky people who get bitten by a venomous snake, you’re going to need antivenom. And it’s costly. Millions of Californians live in rattlesnake territory, and are unaware that the medical bill could be enormous. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KFF Health News It's been two weeks since Lake County’s Measure U asked voters if the town of Kelseyville should change its name to Konocti....

President-elect Donald Trump has yet to announce his pick to lead the Labor Department. His choice will reveal the direction the administration plans for the agency. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED The first case of a more severe strain of mpox has been found in California. State health officials confirmed the first known U.S. case of the strain – known as clade I – in San Mateo County over...

The LA County city of Inglewood has been on a roll the last few years. SoFi Stadium, home to two NFL teams, the L.A. Rams and L.A. Chargers opened in 2020 at a cost of over $5 billion. And just this year, the Intuit Dome became the home of the LA Clippers. While the sport venues were supposed to be a boon for the area, some Black-owned small business owners say they're actually doing more damage t...

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House, California housing advocates are bracing for how a second term could impact the state’s challenges in building housing, notoriously high home prices, rents, rates of homelessness. Guest: Dan Dunmoyer, President and CEO, California Building Industry Association The Palm Springs City Council will vote Thursday on whether to approve...

Supporters of criminal justice reform in California suffered some big losses in last week’s election. But people on both sides of the debate over crime and punishment say the election shouldn’t be seen as a renunciation of progressive reforms entirely. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED In the Central Valley, Republican Congressman David Valadao has won re-election, moving the GOP closer to control of t...

President-elect Donald Trump made plenty of promises during his campaign that could affect the state of California. But California is already taking action to defend itself against potential Trump administration policies. Will it work? Guest: Melanie Mason, Politico Federal health officials are making a new push to test more workers who might be infected with bird flu.  Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR...

On this Veterans Day, a reminder that thousands of veterans, young and old, are homeless in our state. But in Sacramento and surrounding communities, the numbers of homeless vets has noticeably dropped over the past couple of years.   Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio  The California Air Resources Board is moving ahead with changes to toughen the state’s low carbon fuel standard. Regulators voted...

This week marks the 70th anniversary of the release of the original Godzilla film across Japan. But the movie that American audiences first saw was actually an altered version with added scenes shot at a small Los Angeles studio. Reporter: Josie Huang, LAist The Mountain Fire burning in Ventura County has destroyed 132 structures, most of which were homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

Details are still coming in about how voting demographics broke down in the presidential election. But so far, it seems Republicans made big gains with Latino voters, particularly men. Guest: Christian Paz, Senior Politics Reporter, Vox Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate in Ventura County because of a wind-whipped wildfire that continues to burn out of control. The Mountain Fire is b...

Donald Trump has been elected the 47th President of the United States. Although a handful of states have not been called, the former president clinched the victory with his win in Wisconsin.  Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Democratic representative Adam Schiff won the US Senate seat long held by the late Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday night. A number of statewide ballot measures were decided on Election N...

Millions of Californians are expected to head to the polls Tuesday in the 2024 general election. They'll be voting on local measures, state propositions and our next president. If you're one of those people and you've got some last minute questions you're too afraid to ask, we've got you covered. Guest: Kim Alexander, President of the California Voter Foundation  PG&E says as many as 15,000 in 17...

In recent years, you’ve likely heard news stories about fiery school board meetings. But most often, they’re pretty routine. In the November election, there are several school board races on the ballot. But many are not, because the races have not attracted more than one candidate. Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU  Shasta County in far Northern California has been the epicenter of election denial...

Tens of thousands of University of California workers have authorized their unions to call a strike in coming weeks. They say many departments are understaffed and accuse UC administrators of bargaining in bad faith. Although California's more than 180,000 unhoused residents could be impacted by the results of next week's election, many may not vote due to various challenges. Data from Sacramento...

Young voter turnout across the U.S. has historically been low. But this year, youth voter registration has surged. And that could make a difference in the Congressional District 13 race in northern San Joaquin Valley. Two years ago, Republican John Duarte beat Democrat Adam Gray by less than 600 votes.  Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Another demographic that could sway the vote in California’s 13t...

California election officials are bracing for Election Day amidst concerns about distrust. Officials have been investing in outreach and education. One county that's dealt with a lot of distrust is Shasta County in far northern California. The county's longtime registrar of voters, Cathy Darling Allen, retired in May this summer. The board appointed a new registrar to replace her. Guest: Alex Hall...

Over the last few months, voting rights advocates have been hitting the ground across the Imperial Valley as part of a new effort to get more people ready to cast their ballots in November. They’re fighting an ongoing battle: decades of low voter turnout. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS More than 37,000 University of California service and patient care workers are voting this week on whether to author...

Should a California town change its name because of its association with a murderous settler? That’s the question at the heart of a ballot measure this election season, in Lake County. It’s a rural area about two hours drive north of Sacramento. Voters are being asked if the small town of Kelseyville should be renamed Konocti.  Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Southern California’s largest Asian...

The U.S. Forest Service this week directed its employees in California to stop prescribed burning "for the foreseeable future," a directive that officials said is meant to preserve staff and equipment to fight wildfires if needed. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED  Californians will vote on ten statewide ballot propositions this fall. Among them is Proposition 3, which would enshrine the right to sa...

In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, migration at the U.S.-Mexico border remains a heated topic. Former President Donald Trump calls it an “invasion.” And Vice President Kamala Harris is vowing tougher enforcement. So what is actually happening at the border? Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times has resigned after the newspaper’s owner, billion...

Orange County is once again poised to help decide control of Congress this November. The 47th district is one of the swing seats up for grabs. And college education levels are dividing voters in the district’s two largest cities.  Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED America, Mexico and Los Angeles have all lost an athletic and cultural icon with the death of former L.A. Dodgers player Fernando Valenzuel...

Earlier this year, state energy officials approved a strategic master plan to start developing enormous offshore wind farms in the waters off the coast, with hundreds of wind turbines each the size of the Eiffel Tower sitting atop floating platforms. But what's on tap for the growing industry? Guest: Adam Stern, Executive Director of Offshore Wind California It's day 2 of a strike by thousands of...

Weeks Ago, We Heard From an Opponent of Prop 36, Now, We Speak With a Supporter We hear from the owner of a 7-Eleven franchise in Los Angeles, whose store has been targeted by thieves at least twice. He tells us how his experience shaped how he feels about Prop 36. The bill would undo criminal justice reforms that voters approved more than a decade ago; that means tougher sentencing on non-violent...