KQED's The California Report

David Smith grew up in Southern California and will be competing in his third Olympics for the U.S. Men's Indoor Volleyball team. He won a bronze medal with the team in 2016. Guest: David Smith, Member of the U.S. Men's Indoor Volleyball Team When it comes to average temperature increases due to climate change, the Bay Area and Los Angeles will not experience warming equal to the amount of greenho...

As thousands of firefighters confront a growing number of wildland blazes around the state, crews in Butte County rushed to a new incident near the site of the deadliest fire in California history. The Dixie Fire has burned at least 1,200 acres. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Crews are facing challenging conditions as they continue to work to extinguish the massive Beckwourth Complex Fire burning nort...

Los Angeles County has seen five straight days with more than a thousand new daily COVID-19 cases. And Sacramento County has the highest number of cases per capita in the state, in counties with at least 100,000 residents. California is in the grip of a drought, but officials have yet to require statewide water restrictions similar to those mandated during the last multi-year drought. Some experts...

Governor Gavin Newsom will not be allowed to identify himself as a Democrat on the recall election ballot. Newsom's attorneys did not include the governor's Democratic Party affiliation when the recall response papers were filed with the secretary of state in early 2020 Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Anyone in California who's been paying attention to unemployment issues has probably heard about the...

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has been nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Ambassador to India. If he's confirmed by the U.S. Senate, it will set off a chain of political activity in the city. Reporter: Libby Denkmann, KPCC Sanitation crews and polie have been clearing a large homeless encampment at Venice Beach. The move comes as the city of Los Angeles appears ready to move forward w...

Governor Gavin Newsom is asking all Californians to voluntarily cut back their water usage by 15%, as drought conditions get worse across the state. The governor has also extended a drought emergency to 50 of California's 58 counties. After California's grid operator CAISO called for rolling blackouts last August, regulators extended the expiration date of four aging power plants. But they didn't...

Throngs of passengers are once again spilling out of Los Angeles International Airport as more COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in California. But these passengers are finding there aren’t a whole lot of Uber or Lyft drivers to take them where they want to go.  Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW  Many Californians have moved since the start of the pandemic, but not as many are moving out of s...

A group of current and former fire experts is pushing back against proposed reforms to California’s fire safety regulations. They say the changes will put both first responders and residents at risk.  Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California school districts will most likely be required to offer an at-home study option for students who don't want to return to the classroom this fall. But there will...

Climate change has had a significant impact on California and now, researchers are concerned about the state's desert environments. That includes Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert, which are seeing a drastic change to their ecosystems. Guest: James Cornett, Desert Ecologist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, as the pandemic was bearing down on Southern California, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city needed to do more to help unhoused people with their hygiene needs, promissing that sanitation stations would be checked daily. But an investigation from the website L.A. Taco found that despite Mayor Garcetti’s commitment, not much changed, as many of these stations have not been fill...

The recall election has been set for Tuesday, September 14. Candidates looking to challenge Governor Gavin Newsom for his seat have about two weeks to officially file for the race. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED There are growing concerns about the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus in Los Angeles County. New COVID-19 cases have more than doubled since most of the state's coronavirus...

Hate crimes in California surged 31% in 2020, fueled mainly by a big jump in crimes targeting Black people. According to the state attorney general's office, crimes targeting members of the Asian community also surged during the pandemic. Los Angeles has had a 50% spike in shootings in the first six months of 2021 compared to last year. Several other cities have also seen a spike in shootings. One...

California legislators have passed a new state budget and it includes billions of dollars in new ongoing spending. Now there are questions about the budget’s details and what will happen when state revenues take a dip.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED For over a century, California has locked up juvenile offenders in prisons run by the state. But starting next month, California will begin closing its re...

Lawmakers approved a nearly $263 billion budget Monday night, sending it to Governor Newsom. It includes a record amount of funding for education. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED The budget deal would expand public health insurance for low-income undocumented older adults.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED The drought is already having a huge effect on some communities in California’s Centra...

He's the former mayor of San Diego and most political observers view him as the most formidable opponent in the recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom. Kevin Faulconer explains why he believes he's the right man for the job. Guest: Kevin Faulconer, California Gubernatorial Candidate A nearly $263 billion spending plan will go before state legislators in Sacramento on Monday. The proposal include...

Citing improving vaccination rates and lower COVID-19 numbers, leaders in San Diego are asking the federal government to reopen the US-Mexico border to non-essential travel. Britney Spears drew the world’s attention this week when she finally spoke out in a Southern California court against the conservatorship she’s been living under for more than a decade. A bill making its way through Sacramento...

Some lawmakers are calling for more accountability from Governor Gavin Newsom. This after an investigation from CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom found that Newsom has overstated the wildfire prevention work completed during his time in office.  Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has placed his longtime chief of staff on leave over disparaging remarks she made onli...

Governor Gavin Newsom has long touted year-round wildfire prevention efforts in the state since he took office. But an investigation by CapRadio and NPR's California Newsroom has found that the governor overstated, by an astounding 690%, the number of acres treated with fuel breaks and prescribed burns in forestry projects aimed at protecting the state’s most vulnerable communities. Guest: Scott R...

Between 2016 and 2019, Bakersfield police officers used force that broke at least 45 bones in 31 people, an analysis of public records shows. No officer has been disciplined for their actions. Guest: Lisa Pickoff-White, Data Journalist, KQED Police and fire personnel in Los Angeles are trailing when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination rates in the city. And that's a cause of concern for health offici...

An investigation from NPR’s California Newsroom has found that despite a new state law requiring school districts to keep detailed attendance and engagement records this year, to make sure students online didn’t fall behind, the numbers may not be telling the whole story. In one Central Valley school district, students were counted as present and engaged when they did little more than log-in. Repo...

The board that oversees California’s workplace safety agency, Cal/OSHA, has voted on new rules around wearing masks in the workplace. Fully vaccinated employees in most job settings will not have to wear face coverings.  Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report Starting next month, the state's Employment Development Department says unemployed Californians will need to show that they’re actively...

The operator of the state’s power grid is urging Californians to conserve energy on Thursday as the first major heat wave of the year continues. A Flex Alert calls for Californians to conserve power between 5 and 10 p.m. Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report  The month of May proved to be the busiest in the Port of Los Angeles' 114-year history, as crews processed more than a million contai...

California lifted most of its coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday, meaning businesses can go back to full capacity and masks will no longer be required in most situations for fully vaccinated people. While many are celebrating the move, state and local officials are cautioning people that the pandemic is far from over. More than 50,000 fans were at Dodger Stadum on Tuesday night, the first game si...

As the state reopens, restrictions on capacity and social distancing have been lifted, although businesses can implement their own rules. Mask requirements are no longer in place for people who are fully vaccinated, although there are some exceptions. Loosened COVID-19 restrictions may be a relief to most Californians, but others may be feeling something they didn't expect–- like social anxiety. S...

As California prepares to officially reopen Tuesday, the state board that oversees workplace safety has come up with new guidelines. The proposed rules from Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board would allow fully vaccinated workers to remove their face coverings while on the job, but unvaccinated workers would still have to wear masks. As drought conditions continue to get worse in California, a top water of...