KQED's The California Report

Five actors take the stage for a performance in Humboldt County. One of them is Black, the others are white. In this region, fewer than 25% of residents identify as people of color and they often find themselves victims of lifelong habits of the white majority. This production of The White Card aims to shake up those entrenched dynamics. Reporter: Kelby McIntosh California Governor Gavin Newsom he...

Multiple cities throughout California have seen temperatures way above 90 degrees this week. Workers, both indoors and outdoors, are feeling the heat, but for the first time ever, indoor workers finally have protections against excessive heat in the workplace. At the end of last month, state officials unveiled new rules of what’s required in indoor workplaces when temperatures surpass 82 degrees....

It's been just a few weeks since President Joe Biden decided to end his presidential campaign. And now with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the ticket, young Democratic voters in California are energized in the lead-up to the November election. Guests: Aashi Jhawer and Dzian Tran, Voters of Tomorrow For many young GOP voters in California, the selection of JD Vance speaks volumes to them. He's a...

Stories about homelessness in Los Angeles tend to focus on problems in big, urban cities. But homelessness has actually been growing faster in a remote desert region 90 minutes north of Downtown L.A.’s Skid Row. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist Sacramento State has released the findings of a highly anticipated forensic examination of Capital Public Radio’s finances. It found more than $700,000 in “un...

Despite some unsettled weather this weekend, crews continue to make progress on the massive Park Fire burning northeast of Chico. The fire, the fourth largest in state history, has burned more than 401,000 acres. Many evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted, meaning residents can return to their homes. Reporter: Alec Stutson, North State Public Radio A UC Davis report confirms a years-long...

If you're watching the Olympics, you may recognize world famous athletes like Lebron James or Coco Gauff. But residents of a California beach town might recognize the voice of an announcer from their local radio station. Brad Jay typically works for a Santa Barbara classic rock station, but right now he's with the Olympic Broadcasting Service doing TV commentary. Lately he's been calling kayak and...

California's strategy to fight climate change includes hydrogen. The universe's most abundant element that, under the right circumstances, can power everything from trucks to turbines without greenhouse gas emissions. Now there's a national effort to promote hydrogen energy. But there are concerns about health and safety. Guest: Molly Peterson, Public Health Watch In addition to destroying homes a...

The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is a contentious election issue this year. Polls show a large number of Americans want to restrict immigration, but they also support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who’ve long lived in this country. California immigrant advocates hope to capitalize on that support this week as they lobby in Washington DC for a bill that could make legaliz...

A persistent misconception about Los Angeles is that the city doesn't have a real mass transit system, especially when it comes to buses. But L.A. has one of the largest transit riderships in the country. Unfortunately, many of the bus shelters are shoddy, with no canopies, shelters or nighttime lighting. But the city is working to make improvements. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report...

Fire crews were able to take advantage of calmer and cooler weather conditions on Saturday, to make some progress on the Park Fire burning in Northern California. But the fire has grown to be the sixth largest on record in California, burning more than 368,000 acres. In Kern County, the Borel Fire has also erupted in size, burning more than 50,000 acres. That includes tearing through the town of H...

The Park Fire north of Chico is chewing huge amounts of land and has exploded to more than 164,000 acres in just over a day. The fast-moving grass and brush fire forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate the foothills of Lassen National Forest to find shelter on flatland. Evacuation warnings now include Paradise, which the Camp Fire all but destroyed in 2018. Guest: Ezra David Romero, KQED Homeles...

California has strong, clean air and clean energy goals that are currently aligned with federal policy. Arguably, the state has never had so much climate momentum. And now, with Kamala Harris poised as the Democratic standard bearer, the Golden State could see one of its own in the White House. Harris has spent much of her career working on environmental and climate issues. A Harris administration...

Kamala Harris is the first Black and Asian American woman to ever serve as vice president. And now, Harris will likely be the first person of South Asian descent to lead a major party's presidential ticket. This comes as there's a growing grassroots movement to empower these communities to take part in the democratic process. Guest: Taher Hasanali, Political Director with India America Impact A 15...

The phrase "representation matters" might sound trite, but it's true and meaningful. Bay Area resident Joti Singh says the possibility of a Kamala Harris presidency means something to her young daughters, who like Harris, are also of Black and South Asian descent. Reporters: Sasha Khokha & Marisa Lagos, KQED Kamala Harris' rise to the possible Democratic Party nominee is once again putting a spotl...

In a historic announcement, President Joe Biden announced Sunday he's ending his reelection campaign. The president endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his place as the Democratic presidential nominee. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Most California delegates were quick to voice their support for Kamala Harris as the next Democratic Party nominee. Guest: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters Learn more...

The Republican National Convention came to an end Thursday night with a speech from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. The Trump campaign is gaining momentum as we head to November. But will the national GOP agenda resonate in deeply blue California, particularly in a region that had long been a GOP stronghold, Orange County? Guest: Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Politics Editor, Orange County Register D...

The Republican National Convention wraps up Thursday night in Milwaukee with a speech from presidential nominee Donald Trump. The talk around the convention this week is the importance of congressional races in California, and how the state can be involved in the GOP's national agenda. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED A state ballot measure set to go before voters this November could trigger a wage hike...

For most migrants and asylum seekers, San Diego is not a final destination. It's a layover. But more migrants are choosing to stay in San Diego. And many are becoming homeless. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS California will have to build public charging stations at an unprecedented — and some experts say unrealistic — pace to meet the needs of the millions more electric cars expected on its roads i...

Last year, the city of Fontana hired a private contractor to help enforce its strict new street vending law. Officials say it’s working. But some vendors say the crackdown is affecting their livelihoods. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR California delegates to the Republican National Convention are cheering former president Donald Trump's pick of Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential nomi...

As a fast-moving fire broke out over the hills near the town of Mariposa earlier this month, residents rushed out of their homes. The French Fire started on the Fourth of July, and was the latest fire to hit so close to the town. And for residents, fire is becoming a part of life. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR California Republicans are in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Conventio...

Peso Pluma’s new album Éxodo just dropped and it hit the Billboard 200. The artist sings corridos, a type of Mexican traditional music that was once relegated to Spanish language radio. But today, a younger generation of artists like Peso Pluma and Xavi are bringing the music into the mainstream. And California's demographic change is helping to fuel this movement. Reporter: Aisha Natalia Wallace-...

The California State Fair kicks off this week in Sacramento. This year's State Fair will have something new that no state fair in the U.S. has ever had. For the first time, marijuana sales and on-site consumption will be allowed. Guest: James Leitz, Executive Producer of the State Fair’s cannabis competition and exhibit As calls continue from some elected officials for President Biden to drop out...

Uprooting Almond Trees in California Could Impact Bees’ Ability to Pollinate Fruit Trees Further North Yesterday we told you how over-production in California's almond industry was hurting local growers, with some resorting to uprooting almond trees to maintain their livelihoods. That’s been a buzzkill for some beekeepers in the Pacific Northwest. In Washington and Oregon, bee populations rely on...

In the last decade, almonds have turned up everywhere. Even at the Super Bowl, where a commercial showed actor Jeremy Renner supercharged by almond milk. Even so, California almond producers have been struggling. Growers have in some ways been the victims of their own success - although the outlook might be improving.  Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR A sweltering heat wave continues in much of our sta...

The state uses the billions raised from the gas tax every year to pay for the constant work of freeway and highway maintenance and new road construction. But the gas tax faces a reckoning. Newer vehicles are ever-more fuel efficient, meaning less revenue is raised from taxing the fuel that’s pumped into them. So the state could eventually move to a model where drivers pay a fee for every mile they...