KQED's The California Report

A Supreme Court ruling out this week sharply limits the Biden administration’s ability to limit carbon pollution from power plants. But it will not affect California’s aggressive climate laws.  Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED California is adding four new states to the list of places to which state-funded travel is banned due to anti-LGBTQ laws. Attorney General Rob Bonta has added Arizona, Indiana, L...

This fall, California voters will decide on two different proposals to legalize and tax betting on sports. Four years after the U.S. Supreme Court made it possible, voters will decide whether to legalize the multi-billion dollar industry here. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  A controversial state bill that would make it easier to build housing in office spaces or strip malls has passed out of a Sen...

The last of California’s eviction protections expires on Friday. Lawmakers extended the deadline back in March, to give the state more time to pay out emergency rental assistance. But thousands of people who applied are still waiting, and could soon face eviction. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED  Reported hate crimes in California rose significantly last year, according to a report issued Tuesday...

In November, California voters will decide whether to enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution, after the state Assembly voted on Monday to place the question on the November ballot. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED While abortion in California will remain legal, and the state says it will champion reproductive freedoms, Arizona is looking to enact some of the most draconian abortion la...

California, which has positioned itself as a bastion of reproductive rights, plans to welcome people from states where abortion services are now restricted or banned altogether, following last week's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state may even help them cover the costs of traveling here. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED This is an election year with control of Congress at stake. And progres...

California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Next week state lawmakers are expected to pass a bill that will make carrying a concealed weapon her even harder. Reporter: Kris Hooks, CapRadio Nathan Hochman, a former prosecutor and defense lawyer, has won enough votes to face California's Democratic Attorney General, Rob Bonta, in the November general election in California. Hochman...

A Paradise homeowner is one of the first to get her home fire proofed. It's part of a program that helps residents who lost homes during the 2018 Camp Fire pay for safety improvements. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED The trustee for a more than $13-billion-dollar fund set up to compensate Pacific Gas and Electric wildfire victims is stepping down. Retired Judge John K. Trotter has overseen the "Fi...

Cal Fire is not only dealing with an increasing amount of wildfires across California, but many of its firefighters are facing their own mental health crisis. An investigation by CalMatters looked at the trauma these firefighters are facing and how it's affecting fire crews across the state. Guest: Julie Cart, Reporter, CalMatters Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to compel severely mentally ill Califo...

California has the highest gasoline prices in the country. Now, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers is investigating whether price gouging by energy companies is the biggest factor. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Cal Fire responds to thousands of fires every year, often at great risk to firefighters. That’s earned the agency a heroic image in the public’s eye. But Cal Fire is also responsible...

Thousands of people will line the streets of downtown San Francisco on Monday to celebrate the Golden State Warriors NBA Championship. This is the team's fourth title in the last eight years. At least one bill that would legalize sports betting in California will go before voters in November. And while California could join more than two dozen states with some form of legalized wagering on sports,...

The Golden State Warriors went on the road and defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 103-90, to clinch their fourth NBA title in the last eight seasons. Guard Stephen Curry was named Finals MVP, after leading the team with 34 points in the finale. A Bay Area state senator is introducing a bill that would require California gun owners to have liability insurance. The bill from Se...

For nearly a decade, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant has been the only active nuclear plant in California -- and the state’s single largest source of electricity. It's been set for decommissioning over the next three years, but recently Governor Gavin Newsom has discussed delaying its closure, to help offset possible energy shortages predicted in the next few years. Reporter: Benjamin Purper...

More California homeowners could get mortgage relief, as the state expands access to a program designed to help those who have struggled to make payments during the pandemic. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Southern California’s sizzling real estate market may finally be getting a little cooler. As mortgage rates and inflation rise, some sellers now find themselves slashing asking prices to make...

Legislators in Sacramento have passed a new state budget, just in time for Wednesday's constitutional deadline. The $300 billion package is the largest spending plan ever. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Since the beginning of the pandemic, the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Richmond have all adopted rules to stop landlords from harassing their tenants. Now, the city of Concord is the latest t...

The Supreme Court’s ruling on a Mississippi case that could alter the future of abortions in this country could come any day now. With the decision likely to overturn Roe v. Wade, states across the country are already looking to severely restrict or outright ban access to abortions. That includes California’s next door neighbor, Arizona. Guest: Darrah DiGiorgio Johnson, President and CEO of Planne...

Late last week, Paradise High School’s Class of 2022 graduated. For the seniors who lived in Paradise and the surrounding area for all of high school, the past four years have been chaotic – to say the least. A few months into their freshman year in 2018, the deadliest fire in California history – the Camp Fire – broke out nearby and spread to their town. And they've also had to deal with the COVI...

On Thursday, the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will start sharing its findings, in the first of six public hearings. Dozens of people, here in California, have been criminally charged for their alleged involvement in the insurrection. Guest: Brian Levin, Director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino A far right milit...

During Tuesday's primary election, incumbents had strong showings in statewide races, as they head to runoffs in November. And several closely contested congressional seats will also be up for grabs in the general election. Guests: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, KQED Congressman David Valadao, who represents the 22nd District in the Central Valley is locked in a tight battle for his seat, with Dem...

The primary election is being held Tuesday in California. While a number of statewide offices are up for grabs, there are also several key Congressional races across the state. Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED California tenants rights groups have sued the state, claiming its process for denying emergency rental assistance isn’t fair. The lawsuit comes as pandemic-related eviction protections are set to...

Recently a few dozen Black Californians gathered in Oakland to discuss their visions for reparations. It was the first "listening session" hosted by the State Task Force studying reparations for descendants of enslaved Americans. To vote in Tuesday’s primary election, Californians must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. But you don’t need to have a permanent address to cast a ballot. Rep...

Due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Alameda County is now requiring masks in most indoor public settings. With more California counties entering the CDC's highest community level for COVID-19 danger, it's unclear if more counties will do the same in the weeks ahead. The Summit of the Americas convenes in Los Angeles next week. It's a gathering of heads of state from across the Weste...

As California's drought conditions worsen, the state is looking for more answers beyond just asking residents to conserve.  There's now renewed debate about whether or not to build the Sites Reservoir, a massive reservoir project in the western Sacramento River Valley. Guest: Ann Willis, Senior Staff Researcher, Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis California’s Reparations Task Force released...

The Los Angeles City Council has voted in favor of drafting new municipal ordinances that will ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of all schools and daycare centers in the city. A new state audit has found major problems with the state's Child Abuse Central Index. The audit only reviewed six of California’s 58 counties, but found information gaps in tens of thousands of cases. Reporter: Sara...

There’s growing concern about the potential health and safety risks from more than a dozen leaking oil wells in Bakersfield. At least five of the wells were found to be emitting methane at high enough levels that could either be explosive or cause serious health risks. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report With the primary election coming up next month in California, many voters will be...

The Hollywood Bowl has been hosting musicians from far and wide for years. This year is something special as the Los Angeles venue celebrates 100 years with another summer of concerts and performances. Guest: Chad Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Philharmonic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices