KQED's The California Report

Nearly two years into the pandemic, California is still under a state of emergency. And Republican state lawmakers are trying to change that. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Super Bowl 56 takes place this weekend at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. And while the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals do battle on the field, another battle is taking place in the community -- over rising homes prices, r...

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is facing a recall election in June and another effort is underway to push Los Angeles DA George Gascon out of office. Both are seen as progressive when it comes to crime, and have butted heads with law enforcement agencies. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Political Correspondent Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Wednesday that would extend supplem...

Fresno State University is creating a new task force to assess its policies and procedures on harassment and discrimination. This comes after a recent investigation by USA Today revealed that the school’s former president and current Cal State University Chancellor Joseph Castro badly mishandled claims of sexual harassment against a top administrator. Traditionally, it’s been easy to become an aut...

California is easing some of the pandemic restrictions put in place during the omicron surge, including the statewide indoor mask requirement. That mandate will expire on February 15. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED  A new California law will require schools to expand their mental health instruction. Educators say it would have been a welcome mandate before the pandemic, and it’s even more so now. Re...

When the omicron surge first swept through California, nursing homes implemented more stringent testing requirements for visitors. It was right about the same time that California started allowing COVID positive nurses who aren’t showing symptoms to keep showing up to work. That has many visitors feeling confused, and frustrated. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Fewer and fewer students in California...

Los Angeles’ lowest paid workers will get a pay bump this summer. Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced that the city's minimum wage will rise to more than $16 an hour on July 1. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW The 2022 Winter Olympic Games open in Beijing Friday. And that sporting spectacle has some people remembering the one and only time the Winter Games were held here in California. It was 1960 at...

Safety is one of the major concerns for Southern California officials, with the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium a little more than a week away. But there’s also the pandemic. Even though infection rates in Los Angeles County have steadily declined, the county is still averaging thousands of new cases a day over the past week. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC In recent weeks, Governor Gavin Newsom has sug...

The water contained in California’s mountain snow is now lower than the historical average, after a January without significant rain or snow. That could mean another difficult drought year for Californians. Guest: Ezra David Romero, Climate Reporter, KQED With the extremely dry January, preceded by a very wet December, state officials say it's part of the volatile shifts in weather brought about b...

After a big spike, COVID-19 cases are now falling in California. And hospitalizations are also declining. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Starting Tuesday, people who are vaccinated and boosted can take off their masks in certain indoor spaces in San Francisco. The new rule says anyone who’s fully vaccinated can go maskless in places like gyms, offices, college classes and religious services.  Repo...

The Rams and 49ers renewed their rivalry on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. And after falling behind early, Los Angeles got a late field goal and interception to seal the win. They're now headed to the Super Bowl in two weeks, which will be played on their home field, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. SB9, a new law in California, allows some homeowners to divide and redevelop their properties, with...

The Los Angeles Rams will take on the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday in the NFC Championship at SoFi Stadium. Ticketing for the game has been controversial, as the Rams have tried to make it more difficult for Niners fans to grab seats. Guest: Tony Knopp, CEO of Ticketmanager  Even though Los Angeles County appears to be past the omicron peak, health officials say residents can’t get complacent....

Oil drilling in Los Angeles is on the way out. The city council has voted unanimously to ban new oil and gas wells and to phase out existing ones over the next 20 years. Gas stoves have greater health and climate impacts than scientists previously thought. That's according to a new study out of Stanford University. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Nearly half of Californians have postponed addressing...

A lot of people have had to call out sick from work this winter. Either they had COVID-19, or their kid had it. Now, under a new deal brokered with Governor Gavin Newsom, California workers may get retroactive sick leave for the time they had to take off.  Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  20 states started this year off with a new increase in their minimum wage, including California. A new study fin...

In the next week, legislation that would help create a single-payer health plan in California will face a key test. The bill must pass out of the Assembly by January 31 or it’s dead. The effort is being led by the state’s nurses union, but opposed by the largest association of doctors. Guest: Dr. Micah Johnson, co-author of the book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide Legislation introduced by Sta...

California regulators are taking more time to consider changing the state’s solar marketplace. This comes after a proposal released in mid-December roiled the solar industry.  Reporter Erik Anderson, KPBS  Both the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams have advanced to the NFC Championship this weekend at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The winner will head to the Super Bowl, which is also being hel...

Kamala Harris Visits San Bernardino To Announce Wildfire Prevention Funds Harris will announce 1.3 Billion Dollars in disaster relief funding for the U.S. Forest Service. Nearly half of that will go to California. Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KVCR U.S Senator Alex Padilla on Voting Rights Setback California’s junior U.S. Senator, Democrat Alex Padilla, has just marked his first year in office. A pro...

There’s been a lot of debate lately in California over whether efforts to roll back tough on crime laws have gone too far. Often, those conversations pit law enforcement officials against those who support the reforms. But a a California program to lower prison sentences is being embraced by prosecutors in both red and blue counties. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED  The mad scramble for at-home COVID...

The new federal program that allows people to order free at-home COVID-19 tests through the mail launched Tuesday, one day early. The order form looks pretty simple, but wasn’t easy for everyone who tried to submit orders. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED Senior Engagement Editor The omicron surge has jammed hospital emergency rooms with patients. Many of them arrive by ambulance, creating long waits. Bu...

The surge in the omicron variant has left hospitals across California struggling with staffing and in many cases, a rapid increase in COVID-positive patients. But can the state, and U.S. in general learn from some of the successes other countries are having in managing COVID right now? Guest: Eric Topol, Professor of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research  For the first time starting this year, agri...

Many in-person celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have been canceled Monday due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant in California. Despite that, his legacy lives on, particularly in the work being done by California's Legislative Black Caucus, led by State Senator Steven Bradford. Guest: Steven Bradford, State Senator, 35th District First it was new cases and hospitalizations. Now,...

On Thursday, nurses across the state held rallies to demand safe staffing levels and stronger workplace protections. It comes as more and more hospital staff across the state are testing positive for COVID-19. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Starting this week, some people with weakened immune systems are eligible for a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine. There are an estimated seven million pe...

Starting this weekend, the costs of at-home COVID-19 tests will be covered for people with private insurance or a group health plan. That means, if you have this kind of coverage and you go online or into a drugstore to purchase a test, the cost should be covered up front or via reimbursement. Guest: Krutika Amin, a Kaiser Family Foundation expert on the Affordable Care Act State prison officials...

A single payer healthcare bill passed its first legislative hurdle in Sacramento Tuesday night. It’s one of two new proposals that would dramatically increase access to healthcare for Californians. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio  Hundreds of thousands of Californians might lack access to safe drinking water. That’s according to recent study from UCLA and UC Berkeley. And the drinking water probl...

Governor Gavin Newsom has released his proposed $286 billion state budget for the coming fiscal year. It includes an expansion of healthcare access to all California residents, regardless of immigration status. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Hospitals in the U.S. are seeing a record number of children hospitalized with COVID-19, and California is no exception. In San Diego, the numbers are especial...

Statewide, some hospitals are buckling under the pressure of Omicron. As the highly contagious variant continues to sweep through the state, a growing number of hospital staffers are testing positive. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  When Governor Gavin Newsom releases his new state budget on Monday, it will include $2.7 billion to expand the state’s COVID-19 response. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED ...