KQED's The California Report

Hundreds of California farmworkers and growers are rallying in Washington this week. They're supporting a bipartisan bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s undocumented farmworkers. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR The University of California academic workers' strike continues today and could stretch into the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond. Hear from one striking researche...

Bass, a community activist turned Congress member, defeated developer Rick Caruso in a race marked by his record spending. In a statement on her win, she pledged to solve homelessness and respond urgently to crime. California’s nonpartisan budget analyst is warning of rocky financial times ahead. California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office is projecting a $25 billion budget deficit for t...

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has lost his reelection bid to his opponent, Robert Luna, who continued to hold a commanding lead as the vote count continued. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED As votes continue to be tallied, it’s looking like Californians are on track to elect the most diverse legislature in state history. As many as 52 female candidates could take office once all the vote...

Thousands of Employees of the University of California Remain on Strike At U.C. Merced, the system’s newest campus, employees are calling on the UC Regents to raise wages so they can afford housing. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR A U.C. Berkeley Ph. D Candidate Studying Reptiles Decides to Strike Strikers, represented by the United Auto Workers are disrupting business on UC campuses at a pivot...

Nearly a week after the final day of voting, several key races in California could help determine which party will control the House of Representatives. Of the remaining House contests too close to call, more than half are in California. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED After several days of narrowly trailing in the mayoral vote count, Congressmember Karen Bass opened up a narrow lead against her oppo...

The California Public Utilities Commission has released a proposal that would gradually reduce the price utilities pay for power from rooftop solar systems. The proposal has been met with widespread criticism.  Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED This week, an episode from the new season of "Uncuffed," a podcast from KALW focused on intimate stories made by people incarcerated in California prisons. Edmond...

Republicans will likely be in the majority in the House of Representatives come January. Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy is expected to become Speaker, but his path forward is far from clear. One expert says the challenge for McCarthy, especially with a small majority, is that he lacks trust from the far right wing of his caucus. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED The largely Republican Shasta Cou...

There was a sweep by Democrats in statewide races for Governor, U.S. Senate, Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor and State Treasurer. The high-profile Los Angeles mayoral race is looking tight, with Rick Caruso at a slight lead over Karen Bass as of this morning. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is losing in his bid to stay in office against his rival, former Long Beach po...

CARE Courts, a county-based initiative, will combine teams of outreach workers and therapists with civil courts. Seven California counties have already volunteered to implement the CARE Court system first. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Thousands of low-income families could miss out on a child tax credit that became available during the pandemic. Californians have until November 17th to file for t...

Last year, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified’s two most conservative board members eventually supported adopting an ethnic studies class. But around the same time, the school board banned the teaching of critical race theory. This tug-of-war over values is coming to a head this election, as the long-time incumbents face political newbies who are promising to keep race and gender identity issues out of...

Less than a month before finals are meant to start, University of California student workers have voted to authorize a strike. The strike could arrive as early as November 14. Reporter: E. Okobi, KQED According to new numbers from the election tracking site Ballotpedia, nationally a little more than a billion dollars have been spent on state ballot measures this election cycle. And California acco...

In several of California's most competitive races, Latino voters could be decisive, which isn’t so surprising. But more than half of Latino voters who were recently polled say no campaign has asked for their vote. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The Central Valley has been synonymous with conservative, small-government politics for a long time. But there’s a new state Assembly district in the Cent...

Prosecutors say David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, claimed he was on a suicide mission, with plans to kidnap Speaker Pelosi. DePape entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday and is due back in court on Friday. "Voter integrity" groups claim they're looking to root out fraud. But the targeted door-knocking in Shasta County amounts to voter intimidation and...

Man Accused of Attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Will Be Arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court Today 42-year-old David De Pape is making his first appearance in court since his arrest on Friday at Pelosi’s house.  DePape faces both local and federal charges after the attack, which left Paul Pelosi with a fractured skull. Bay Area Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier Warns Her Co...

Prosecutors are expected to announce charges against the man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. The suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, is facing attempted murder charges as well as assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary. Just like in the 2020 election, there are claims of fraud this election cycle, particularly in northern California's Shasta Cou...

Paul Pelosi Assaulted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office says someone broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco this morning and violently assaulted the speaker's husband. The Congresswoman's spokesman says the person who assaulted Paul Pelosi is in custody. Paul Pelosi was taken to a hospital and is recovering. Oil Companies Just Sold Thousands of Old Wells, Concerning Environmentalists S...

In response to a massive housing shortage, new rules require California cities to locate affordable housing in single-family neighborhoods as a way to combat decades of racial segregation. Residents in some California cities are pushing back and hope to rely on a time-tested tradition: using the local ballot box to restrict growth.  Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Settlement talks have broken down...

One of the most competitive House races in California pits a Republican incumbent who opposed certifying the presidential election against a Democratic challenger who helped prosecute January 6th rioters.  Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED State utility regulators have recommended fining PG&E more than $150 million for alleged safety infractions they connected to a deadly fire two years ago in Shasta C...

Most of the California tribes who have weighed in on Proposition 27 are against it. They’re worried about language tucked away in the measure that could potentially undermine tribal sovereignty. But at least one tribal chair says it's a way to support financially disadvantaged tribes that don't own big casinos. Reporters: Guy Marzorati, KQED and Nicole Nixon, CapRadio California K-12 students’ aca...

Governor Gavin Newsom and State Senator Brian Dahle sparred over the economy, climate and more in a debate at KQED on Sunday. It was the first and only debate the two have had. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Voters will be deciding on Proposition 30 in November. It's the plan to tax the wealthy to pay for electric vehicle incentives, and the measure has split Governor Gavin Newsom from his fellow D...

New research is showing the potential dangers from indoor gas appliances in California homes. The study from PSE Healthy Energy, a nonprofit research institute, found that leaking gas stoves are emitting benzene, and other dangerous pollutants. Reporter Jessica Kariisa has spent years writing about and dancing to African music in cities up and down the East Coast. When she moved to the Bay Area, s...

In his first sit down interviews since a racist audio recording was released of Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon, and two other councilmembers , speaking with a local labor leader, de Leon was apologetic, but said he does not plan on resigning.   For the midterm election, California voters will once again be asked to decide on a ballot measure dealing with dialysis clinics. Similar measur...

Striking mental health care workers are voting on a new contract, after reaching a tentative deal with Kaiser Permanente on Tuesday. Over 2,000 therapists, psychologists, social workers and counselors took to the picket lines at Northern California Kaiser facilities in mid-August to demand increased staffing and more support for workers. Reporter: Nimah Gobir, KQED  Following a tumultuous last few...

This year California voters will take up two propositions that would legalize sports betting. One of them would expand gambling in tribal casinos. But opponents say if it passes, it could also put card rooms out of business, and hit cities that rely on them for their bottom line. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom has announced the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end this coming...

Next month, voters will decide whether or not to increase arts funding to public schools across the state. We look at what it could mean for one school in the Bay Area.  Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED  The racist conversation between three members of the Los Angeles City Council and a labor executive have struck a familiar chord with Black and Afro Latinos struggling to gain political representation...