KQED's The California Report

Millions of people marched to support the Black Lives Matter Movement following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. With that came a call to support Black-owned businesses, which saw an initial surge of new customers, but many are now struggling to stay afloat. Guest: Hank Jenkins, Owner of Plant Provocateur in Los Angeles Governor Newsom said he hopes to inoculate 75,000 teachers a week. ...

Southern California’s Inland Empire has been transformed in recent years by the growth of the warehouse and logistics industry. While many argue it's a job creator, those living in the region have major environmental concerns.  Guest: Orlando Mayorquin, Journalism Student, Report for CalMatters The L.A. City Council voted 14 to 1 to approve a hazard pay ordinance requiring workers at supermarkets...

Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris was sworn in as California's first Surgeon General back in 2019. She's been helping lead the response to the coronavirus pandemic and has been especially concerned about the toll it's taking on communities of color and children. Guest: Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, California Surgeon General The vaccine code system that was designed to help people in hard-hit communities across...

California Attorney General Xavier Becerrra begins the Congressional confirmation process to become the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on Tuesday. He's expected to face lots of questions from Senate Republicans, who have pushed to block his confirmation. Guest: Ryan Levi, Journalist and Producer of the Tradeoffs podcast State lawmakers have passed a $7.6 billion COVID relief plan. Amo...

Out of the more than seven million vaccine doses that have been administered thus far, more than 32 percent have gone to white Californians. Governor Newsom said the state is not doing enough to help the hardest-hit communities, when it comes to vaccinations. State legislators will begin a busy session in Sacramento on Monday. Among the agenda items -- a possible plan to reopen schools, that has a...

The proposal would get California school kids back in classrooms by mid-April. But Governor Newsom said it doesn't go far enough or fast enough. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED  The biography of the Marvel Comics icon sheds light not only on Stan Lee's immense success, but also his failures. While Lee had a lasting impact on the world of comics, his influence also extends to the global entertainme...

The $9.6 billion relief package includes nearly $3.7 billion for the state's lowest earners and another $2 billion for small business grants. Lawmakers are expected to vote on it next week. Reporter: Katie Orrr, KQED The Sacramento City Unified School District said almost a thousand of its students are connecting with school just two days a week or less. There's growing concern it will affect thei...

California voters will get a ballot in the mail for any election this year under a bill heading to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk.  Voters were mailed ballots last year over safety concerns due to the pandemic. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  Some contributors to Governor Gavin Newsom also happen to be corporations that have secured valuable no-bid contracts with the state. It's raising questions abo...

The tech industry is infamous for making prospective and departing employees sign agreements designed to prevent them from speaking out on just about everything. But social movements have exposed the way non-disclosure agreements have served as a cover for illegal behavior.  Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED For the first time since the pandemic, the average cost of gas in the state is going up.  Dema...

At the end of 2020, the state’s unemployment agency froze almost a million and a half accounts in an attempt to prevent fraud. Now, many of those account holders could have their claims disqualified, even if there applications are legitimate. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report The campaign to recall Governor Gavin Newsom has another month to collect the million and a half valid...

The City of Los Angeles has temporarily closed five of its COVID-19 vaccination super-centers, including the one at Dodger Stadium, because of a shortage of vaccine supplies. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti is urging state and federal officials to fix the problem. A professional vocalist is doing her part to help people during the pandemic. Nova Jimenez is serenading the elderly at a retirement home, jus...

Some of the last businesses that are expected to open during the pandemic are performing arts venues. But many argue they're a lifeline of the community and driver of local economies, and can reopen safely with help. Guest: Rachel S. Moore, President and CEO, L.A. Music Center A new poll shows that Senator Dianne Feinstein's approval rating has sunk to the lowest level of her career. Her approval...

Governor Gavin Newsom says he's close to a deal with state legislators on a reopening plan for elementary schools. He says he's committed to balancing safety with the importance of getting kids back in classrooms. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED A 28-year-old-man has been arrested in Oakland in connection with a series of attacks on the elderly in the city's Chinatown. The assaults have gained national...

California’s newest coronavirus testing lab remains far short of its goal for processing COVID tests. The Valencia facility was hailed as a game-changer when it opened in November, with the goal of turning around 150,000 tests per day by March.  Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio The Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District is floating a proposal to reopen elementary school campuses u...

U.S Supreme Court Rules Against Parts of California's Ban on Indoor WorshipOver the weekend, some parishioners gathered in houses of worship across the state after the U.S Supreme Court ruled against parts of California’s ban on indoor worship services put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. Collapse of Highway 1 Means Big Economic Consequences for Big Sur CommunitiesHighway 1 along the...

Bay Area Congressional Representatives Condemn Enduring Trauma from Family Separation PolicyCongressional representatives from the Bay Area condemned the enduring trauma caused by the Trump administration’s family separation policy. That policy has drawn shock and anger since coming to light in 2018. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED Scientists Still Unsure How to Treat COVID-19 Related Brain FogA ne...

California Grocery Association Sues Over 'Hero Pay' for Essential Workers The California Grocers Association sued Oakland on Wednesday, a day after the city council mandated an additional $5 an hour in pay for workers at supermarkets there. Disputes have escalated as more California cities consider ordinances aimed at compensating grocery workers during the pandemic. Workers protested in Long Beac...

President Joe Biden signed several executive orders on immigration Tuesday, including one that creates a task force to reunify migrant families separated by the Trump administration.  Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED President Biden recently signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to stop contracting with private prisons. What impact could this have on detention facilities here in...

As a campaign to recall Governor Gavin Newsom inches closer to the ballot, a new poll shows voters are unhappy with his handling of the pandemic, just 46% approve of the job he’s doing. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED As Newsom’s ratings fall, former San Diego Mayor and Republican Kevin Faulconer, announced last night he’s running for governor, whether in 2022 or a recall election, if there is one. O...

Oxygen Suppliers Struggle to Keep Up with Demand from COVID-19 patients COVID-19 patients who recover enough to go home from the hospital often need supplemental oxygen. But with so many COVID patients, oxygen companies are struggling to keep up with the demand. Reporter: Jackie Fortiér, KPCC At least four employees linked to the company’s plant in south Fresno have now died. A December outbreak t...

Shirley Weber Confirmed as California's Top Election Official San Diego Assemblywoman Shirley Weber will become California's first Black Secretary of State roughly half a century after her family fled Arkansas when her father was threatened by a lynch mob. No legislator in either house opposed the nomination, but all Senate Republicans abstained. Guy Marzorati, KQED There have been a lot of major...

Democratic State Lawmakers Renew Push for Bail Reform In November, state voters sided the bail industry, and killed legislation that would have ended cash bail in the state and replaced it with a system that gave judges more power to decide who should be released from jail before trial. Now Democratic state lawmakers are taking another swing at bail reform. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Governor Ga...

Labor Unions Lobby for Vaccine EligibilityFor weeks, labor unions like the powerful Service Employees International Union have been pressing state and local officials to provide vaccinations to their members as quickly as possible. As vaccine eligibility shifts, other groups are making pleas too. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW Supervisors got a report on Tuesday from the L.A. County counsel’s off...

As the state works to speed up delivery of the coronavirus vaccine, Governor Gavin Newsom says California will shift its priorities for who’s at the top of the list, and put people over 65 in line to get shots first. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED  California renters who faced the prospect of mass evictions at the end of this month might not have to worry in the short term. That after the state's...

California's Justice Department Launches Civil Rights Investigation Into L.A. County Sheriff Department Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the inquiry comes after credible reports of excessive force, retaliation and other misconduct at the Sheriff’s Department. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC  Throughout the pandemic private citizens have crowdsourced everything from COVID case tallies to behavio...