KQED's The California Report

Proposition 33 once again puts rent control on the ballot. The previous initiatives failed, but the idea is gaining momentum in California, and nationally. Even President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have embraced it. Still, rent regulations remain controversial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this high stakes election year, many politically-engaged Californians are volunteering in their communities. But some feel they can make more of a difference traveling out of state, like to neighboring Nevada.   Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million dollars to victims of clergy sex abuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Most healthcare employers in California are required to increase their minimum wage starting Wednesday. This is the first raise of its kind in the U.S. specific to healthcare. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED This fall, school districts throughout the state are asking voters to approve billions of dollars in bonds to repair and renovate aging campuses. But what is a bond? Reporter: Mariana D...

As Californians gear up for the upcoming election, we've got some big races on the ballot, you know, President of the United States and U.S. Senate. But there's also a pivotal decision looming whether to back a $10 billion state climate bond. Guest: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom signed a controversial special session measure aimed at lowering gas prices. But it has plenty of critics. R...

Proposition 6 on the November ballot aims to get rid of “involuntary servitude” for people in prison. You might know that some of these folks fight wildfires, but people who are in prison also do jobs as varied as cooking and making furniture, and usually they’re paid pennies an hour. Reporter: Audy McAfee  The nonprofit California Fire Foundation has expanded its memorial wall, which honors falle...

Last month, a Fresno County ordinance went into effect that prohibits people from sleeping or camping on public property. So where will the city’s thousands of unhoused people go next? An untraditional program is attempting to reduce some barriers to housing.   Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, gives protection from deportati...

On the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris often talks about standing up for voters. One of her biggest tests of this promise came more than a decade ago, during the peak of the subprime mortgage crisis.  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Riverside’s city council struck down a proposal by the city attorney and police department to prohibit items that could be used as weapons during protests. R...

In the race for control of Congress, all eyes are on California. Election analysts see more competitive contests for the House of Representatives here than in any other state. One of those is the 47th District in Orange County, where Democrat Dave Min is taking on Republican Scott Baugh. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED State workplace regulators have fined a farm labor contractor near Sacramento more t...

The recent hot weather has brought attention to schools, and how many of them lack air conditioning and other infrastructure to keep kids safe. The issue is even more crucial at child care centers because young kids have a harder time adapting.  Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Smoggy air has plagued California cities during this recent heat wave. And new research shows that pollution may affect child...

It’s been one year since Hamas-led militant groups launched attacks on Israel, killing more than 1200 Israelis and taking more than 200 people hostage. Many of those hostages have still not been released. And more than 41,500 people in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli bombardment according to Palestinian health officials, with a ceasefire still nowhere in sight. The war in the Middle East has...

Thousands of foster children in the state are at risk of being moved from their homes. That’s after a major insurer for foster family agencies says it will no longer cover these organizations, starting this month. These agencies recruit and oversee foster parents, and without insurance, they can’t operate. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist   California needs to do more to contain bird flu on dairy cattle r...

Draft One is software that uses basically the same AI as Chat GPT. In seconds it generates the narrative for a police officer's report by analyzing the transcript of their bodycam audio. East Palo Alto is among a handful of cities across the state including Fresno, San Mateo, Campbell and Bishop that have started testing or using the program. But some experts are questioning its accuracy. Reporter...

CARE Court turns one this week. When it rolled out last year in eight California counties, the program took aim at one of the state’s most pressing challenges -- how to treat people whose illness often makes them believe they are not sick, particularly those who, left untreated, move between jail, hospitals and homelessness. So how's it going? Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED  The Line Fire in the...

The Borel Fire was the largest wildfire in Kern County’s history. It tore through 60,000 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada and consumed the historic town of Havilah earlier this summer. State crews have only just begun cleanup efforts as those displaced reckon with the devastation.  Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing a Eureka hospital for denying a patie...

One of the highest profile measures on California's November ballot is Proposition 36. If passed, it would roll back criminal justice reforms approved by voters ten years ago to reduce incarceration rates and increase punishments for certain drug and theft crimes like carjacking, burglary and shoplifting. Supporters say Prop 36 needs to pass because of increases in some property crimes and growing...

A Haitian community group filed a criminal complaint this week in Ohio over former president Donald Trump’s false claims that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs. The same group helps Haitian immigrants along California’s border, and says Trump’s accusations are reverberating there too.  Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A bill designed to help Black families reclaim land taken by the gover...

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 26, 2024… The FBI is investigating an explosion that took place the lobby of the superior court complex Wednesday morning in Santa Maria, California. Five people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries, and people living or working several blocks around the court complex were evacuated. A suspect has been taken into custody. Reporter:...

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 25, 2024… Mexican drug cartels are recruiting San Diegans to smuggle fentanyl into the United States. Prosecutors are worried about teenagers getting caught up in the cross-border drug trade. Gustavo Solis / KPBS Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will remove debt owed to a medical office or hospital from Californian's credit reports. Ana Iba...

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 23, 2024… In January of 2025 the Los Angeles Unified School District will ban cellphones on campus. More California school districts will follow suit, as Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Monday that will require districts to restrict phones on campus. It’s part of a growing movement to help students improve academically, socially and emoti...

California is home to most of the country’s fruits and nuts, like avocados and almonds. But climate change means hotter temperatures and increased drought for the state, making it harder to grow those crops. That’s pushing farmers to seek alternative crops that don’t need as much water, like agave.  Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio  It was a busy weekend for Governor Newsom, who signed and vetoe...

Thousands of Californians serving jail time are legally eligible to vote, but many don’t know it, according to advocates and inmates themselves. Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Protesters disrupted a University of California Board of Regents meeting Thursday, where university leaders approved requests from campus police departments to purchase military equipment and weapons.  Reporter: Juan Car...

More students in the San Joaquin Valley are graduating high school not just with a diploma, but also with an associate’s degree. Taking college classes while still in high school can help them finish college and accelerate their careers. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Women and people of color are still among the lowest-paid workers in California. That’s according to a new report released on Inter...

A few years ago, two companies, one nonprofit, one for profit, received more than $100 million in taxpayer dollars to quickly house homeless people in California. It was part of Governor Gavin Newsom's Project Homekey, which turned hotels into shelters for unhoused people. But little has come from the partnership. Guest: Anna Scott, Reporter, The California Newsroom  The man accused of starting th...

Babies and toddlers are removed from their homes and placed in the child welfare system far more than older kids. It’s a traumatic experience that takes place during a pivotal period of development. A judge in Compton is transforming the way she handles cases involving kids under three, by supporting their parents so they can better care for their babies. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED State energy...

The Animation Guild, which represents thousands of animation artists, writers and technicians, is restarting negotiations with Hollywood studios on Monday. Hollywood’s been churning out animated hits since the 1930’s. And since this heyday certain jobs have been dominated by women. There's now growing evidence that a historical gender bias could be the reason for an existing pay gap. Reporter: Meg...