KQED's The California Report

Israel’s attacks on Gaza have lasted over 200 days and the devastation can be seen around the world. As the war continues, families in the U.S. with Palestinian roots are having to watch the destruction from afar. Many are leaning into their traditions. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR   A controversial California housing law is unconstitutional, according to a superior court judge who made the...

Battle lines are being drawn in what could be a huge fight over taxes in California this November. Those fights are playing out on the ballot and in court. The state could be headed for another “tax revolt” like the one that ushered in Proposition 13. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio California lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would make workers on strike for more than two weeks eligible fo...

For many Californians, the idea of High Speed Rail becoming a reality, is well just an idea. But in Fresno, where one of the first stations will be built, some residents see the rail system as a lifeline. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report Cal Poly Humboldt has shut down its campus, after students occupied a building on campus. And a protest encampment continues to grow at UC Berkeley,...

For many young parents in Los Angeles, buying a home with enough space for kids is out of reach, and so is renting a family-sized apartment. The makes life challenging for those young couples. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist On Monday, a case about homelessness from Grants Pass in Southern Oregon was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court is expected to rule before the term ends in June. Re...

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Monday in a case that could have major implications for how cities across the country approach homelessness. This case is called City of Grants Pass, Oregon versus Gloria Johnson. It hinges on whether a local government can issue fines and jail people for camping on public property when there isn't enough shelter available. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED A p...

LA Woodshop is a woodworking school and maker space in Los Angeles. It offers classes, bench space, custom furniture, and an events space, for both novice and experienced woodworkers. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Governor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to crack down on cities that don’t make progress towards reducing homelessness — this on the heels of a scathing audit that fou...

There's a new study out that takes a demographic and socioeconomic snapshot of African-Americans in the Golden State. It's called the state of Black California. Despite gains in the quality of life for Black Californians over a 20-year period, the study found that racial inequality continues to persist compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Guest: Michael Stoll, Professor of Public Policy, UC...

In most California counties, the sheriff also oversees the coroner’s office. But in Riverside County, families whose loved ones have died in local jails say that's a conflict of interest — and they want to change the system. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR This week, US Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler announced legislation to create a new national monument on the north edge of the Salton...

California requires student health centers at public universities to offer the abortion pill. But how much students pay for the medication differs dramatically campus by campus, from nothing to several hundred dollars. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist Democratic state lawmakers are pushing to put a $10 billion affordable housing bond on California’s November ballot. Supporters say it could lead to...

Suspending or expelling children from preschool for challenging behavior is surprisingly common. And it happens way more often to Black children, boys, and kids with learning differences than others. A California law restricts the practice at state-funded early education programs, but implementing the law has been hard because of long-lasting impacts of the pandemic – like staffing shortages and l...

We're nearing the deadline to file taxes. While the task may seem daunting, especially for people who can’t afford an accountant, a group of high school students in Central California want to help fix that problem. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Fewer than one in five people in California could afford to buy the median priced home last year. That’s according to a new report from the C...

Last year was one of the deadliest on record for migrants. Tougher enforcement is pushing some to try swimming around the wall along the southern border. And that's prompted lifeguards on both sides of the border to respond. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS The pollutants from venting and flaring at oil and gas facilities in California are leading to 13 deaths a year, and worsen asthma in 1,800 child...

The warnings go back nearly 30 years. As soon as a person is handcuffed, get them off their stomach. So says a Department of Justice bulletin from 1995. Yet, people in California continue to die after being held face down by law enforcement. Reporter: Emily Zentner, California Newsroom California doesn’t know if its efforts to address homelessness are working — despite billions of dollars spent to...

National parks have been called “America’s best idea.” But a recent study says these parks are increasingly threatened by human-caused air pollution. The parks with the biggest risk are all here in California. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Shuttered Madera Community Hospital has cleared yet another hurdle in the path to reopening. It’s been approved for a $57 million interest-free loan. Reporter:...

Proposition 47, a criminal justice reform passed by California voters in 2014, has been controversial from the beginning, and now critics of the law are pushing a ballot measure that would roll back some of its key provisions. Guest: Marisa Largos, KQED A state agency wants to spend millions of dollars to tell students abortion pills are available on campus, this after an LAist investigation found...

A federal judge has ruled that the U-S government is responsible for the safety and welfare of young people who’ve gathered in encampments on the California side of the US-Mexico border. Uprooted from Oakland, the Athletics are headed to Sacramento starting next season. The team will share a 10,000 seat minor-league ballpark with its primary tenant, the Sacramento River Cats, for at least three se...

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has a new specimen on display. A fossilized bone from a giant creature never before found along the Central Coast. The fossil is at least 11,000 years old and was discovered by some very early career scientists. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU  California is home to the western drywood termite. Fumigation is the most common method to kill this pest. That’s...

State water officials say the last snow survey of the season on Tuesday revealed good news for the millions of Californians and farms who rely on snowmelt. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED LA County authorities have a new strategy to help curb gun violence. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist A parcel of land along the Northern California coast is being restored by the Yurok tribe, who is returning t...

Ongoing construction of a new border wall threatened to destroy hundreds of murals that decorate the Tijuana side.  But now, a group of activists has found a way to save some of them.  Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS After promising to put 200 Black workers in government jobs by this June, the city of Los Angeles has found jobs for fewer than 50 workers. Participants of the program say the applicati...

It was hailed as the official end of single-family zoning in California and decried as a threat to suburban neighborhoods.  But two years later, Senate Bill 9 has done little to add new housing, despite a desperate need for it. But a growing number of developers have emerged with an offer: cash for your backyard. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Nearly 500,000 fast food workers in California start...

On Grand Avenue in Oakland, musicians are keeping an almost century-old institution alive and thriving. Longtime piano bar The Alley brings in customers old and new, who find comfort in their surroundings.  Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED State utility regulators have released a proposed plan to reduce the cost of residential electricity for lower income Californians.  Reporter: Laura Klivans, K...

A mass shooting at a pair of mushroom farms in a coastal town south of San Francisco last year exposed the deplorable conditions workers lived in. Now the city of Half Moon Bay is preparing to break ground on permanent farmworker housing.  Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED California legislators are out for their spring recess. But discussions about their bills are still happening outside of Sacrame...

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named a wealthy tech attorney as his running mate at a rally in Oakland Tuesday. 38-year old Nicole Shanahan is also an investor and philanthropist. She was previously married to the co-founder of Google. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED For years, San Diego County residents living near the US-Mexico border have had to deal with polluted ocea...

As more Californians have fallen into homelessness more have died on the streets — but just how many, nobody knows. That’s starting to change. Spurred in part by the efforts of a few counties, the state recently began taking steps to collect this data. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED A case that could limit access to the abortion pill will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Anti-aborti...

When you think about what causes air pollution in California, cars and factories probably come to mind. But what about ports? For instance, the Port of Los Angeles and the neighboring Port of Long Beach, when combined, are the single largest source of pollution in Southern California. But change is afoot. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Earlier this month, thousands of employees wer...