KQED's The California Report

The state Natural Resources and Water Committee held its first hearing Thursday on the massive oil spill off the coast of Orange County. The cause of the spill remains under investigation. Central Valley farmworkers and their families are calling on state and local officials to restrict the use of 13 pesticides that have been linked to childhood cancers. They also want to be warned ahead of time w...

The state has pre-ordered 1.4 million doses of Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, so medical providers can start putting shots in arms as soon as federal health officials sign off. Staffing levels for federal wildland firefighters have dipped dramatically in recent years, impacting efforts to contain massive wildfires across the country, particularly in California. At a hearing on Capitol Hill o...

With Tuesday’s FDA committee vote endorsing the use of Pfizer's Covid vaccine in kids over the age of 4, public health officials in California are getting ready to distribute the kid-size doses. It’s looking like children will be able to get their shots in the next couple weeks, as soon as the review process is completed. Guests: Jessica Nicholson and Maura Fallon McKnight, Parents in Richmond and...

California's embattled Employment Development Department says it's taking steps to fix some of what's broken there, from clogged phone lines to fraud. State lawmakers grilled agency officials at an oversight hearing in Sacramento on Monday.  Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Rising rents and limited affordable housing continue to put pressure on many Californians. And new resea...

Rain and wind wreaked havoc across Northern California and the Bay Area on Sunday, causing power outages, flooding and downed trees in several areas. Several cities saw rainfall records broken. This weekend's record-breaking rainfall is still not nearly enough to curb the state’s drought. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for all 58 counties in California last week. Farmers in Fre...

Governor Gavin Newsom wants to ban new oil drilling near schools, homes and many businesses, proposing a rule aimed at improving the health of millions of Californians. The rule would bar new drilling within 3,200 feet of houses, schools and businesses open to the public. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED   The Bay Conservation and Development Commission has adopted a Bay Area-wide plan for adapting to...

L.A City Employees Must Get Vaccinated by December City of L.A. workers who remain unvaccinated may be getting a reprieve from a vaccine mandate that took effect Wednesday. ..but it won’t last forever. Mayor Eric Garcetti says municipal employees who aren’t fully vaccinated by December 18th should be “prepared to lose their jobs.” Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW  Rainfall Arrives, And the Drought...

Thousands of unvaccinated Los Angeles City workers may have until December to get the mandated shots. But if they remain unvaccinated, they could feel the bite in their paychecks.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Los Angeles County is studying the effectiveness of a peer vaccination program. The homeless are being used as ambassadors to try to help convince other unhoused people get their shots. Gu...

Business leaders testified during a Congressional hearing on Monday about the impacts the recent Orange County oil spill has had on the region. At least one owner says he's unsure if and when things will get back to normal for his fishing company. October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and while many cities across California have ambitious goals to better protect those walking on the street,...

Last year, Governor Gavin Newsom sent nearly $850 million to cities and counties to buy empty motels and other properties to convert them into homeless housing. Now he wants to spend over $2.5 billion more on the same effort. The Homekey program has proven to be a success, but most of the sites being used aren't permanent places to stay for participants. Reporters: Saul Gonzalez, The California Re...

The bitter rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers came to a head in their National League Division Series playoff battle. It's the first time the teams have met in the postseason. And the Dodgers came out on top in Game Five in a nail-biter. The Coast Guard says it’s confident the number of gallons leaked from the oil spill in Orange County is around 25,000, far less than...

About 60,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are threatening to strike next Monday if they can’t reach an agreement with studios over such issues as working conditions and more reasonable hours. IATSE represents a wide range of Hollywood’s workforce from cinematographers and editors to make up artists and script coordinators. Guest: A.J. Catoline, Editor on Appl...

The Alisal Fire has burned more than 13,000 acres in Santa Barbara County. That’s prompted evacuation orders in rural areas and forced the shut down of parts of Highway 101. Reporter: Rachel Showalter, KCBX Los Angeles continues its push to dismantle large homeless encampments in the city and move people into temporary shelters. It's already happened in the city's Echo Park and Venice neighborhood...

California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla visited the site of the Orange County oil spill on Monday. Bonta has pledged to work with federal and local law enforcement to investigate the disaster. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED So far, more than two dozen birds have been rescued by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, which is leading recovery and rehabilitation efforts for wil...

City and state beaches are reopening in Huntington Beach after more than a thousand volunteers and workers continued with clean-up efforts over the weekend, following the recent oil spill. Investigators are looking into whether the pipeline in question may have been damaged far earlier than first thought. Homekey is the centerpiece of California’s multi-billion dollar plans to fight homelessness....

Nearly a week after oil was first reported off the coast of Orange County, investigators still have not been able to determine exactly how much crude has spilled into the Pacific. Tar balls have been spotted further south in San Diego County, but it's unclear if they're from the oil spill. During the pandemic, people have taken up lots of new hobbies and activities. That includes yoga. And some yo...

The investigation continues into this past weekend’s oil spill off the coast of Orange County, with attention now focused on a cargo container vessel named “The Rotterdam Express.” The German-owned ship was anchored near the site of the oil spill for more than a week, before the pipeline owned by Amplify Energy ruptured. The Los Angeles City Council has passed an ordinance requiring proof of COVID...

The Coast Guard says a section of the pipeline that ruptured off the coast of Orange County moved more than a hundred feet along the ocean floor. It’s still unclear what caused the rupture, as authorities have not been able to confirm reports that it may have been caused by a ship’s anchor. Southern California Congressman Mike Levin is renewing a call to pass his legislation, that would ban new of...

There are growing questions about why the emergency response wasn’t faster to a massive oil spill in Orange County over the weekend. And an investigation into the pipeline’s rupture is also underway. The oil spill is also threatening to destroy ecologically sensitive marsh areas in Southern California. Wetlands in Huntington Beach, which have been carefully restored and maintained since the 1990s,...

Crews are working to contain a massive oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach. The oil spill has closed many beaches in the area, and environmental groups are working frantically to save wildlife that has been impacted by the spill. In surveys, half of Californians say they have to wait too long to see a mental health provider when they need one. A new bill currently on the governor’s desk wo...

California should see big changes in police practices and an increase in transparency and accountability for officer misconduct because of a set of bills signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The laws include an expansion of police transparency, allowing public access to cases involving racial discrimination, unlawful arrests and excessive force by officers. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED This week, The C...

As part of our continuing investigation, “Dangerous Air,” NPR's California Newsroom found out how some Californians are coping with all the smoke created by wildfires in the state, and why the smoke hits some parts of California harder than others.  Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW With so much social media inundated with vaccine misinformation, YouTube has announced it’s cracking down on it, again. ...

In the second part of NPR's California Newsroom investigation, Dirty Air, we traveled to rural Northern California. There's been a shocking increase in wildfire smoke, and unhealthy air recently in California, and it can be particularly damaging for children. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED The KNP Complex Fire and Windy Fire continue to grow as they scorch parts of Sequoia National Park. T...

An analysis by NPR’s California Newsroom of more than ten years of data found a tremendous spike in the amount of smoke we are breathing, from San Diego to the Oregon border, with disturbing health outcomes. In some parts of rural Northern California, people are living with unhealthy air months at a time. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  From now on, California voters will get a ballot in t...

PG&E is facing manslaughter and other charges after its equipment started the 2020 Zogg Fire that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes. On Friday, Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced 31 charges against the utility, saying it failed to perform its legal duties. Californians with the most basic homeowners insurance policies have long complained that when disast...