KQED's The California Report

The availability of intensive care beds at many Southern California hospitals has reached zero percent because of an explosion of new COVID patients. Forecasts predict if infection rates continue, there could be thousands of people in need of ICU beds in the region by early next month. The COVID-19 Pandemic has been tough for California’s child care providers. Many have struggled to keep their doo...

293 people died from the coronavirus in California yesterday and more than 50,000 new cases were reported, setting new daily records as the virus surges. This is putting the statewide healthcare system under great strain.  Next year, there are big changes coming to how California deals with young people convicted of crimes. Starting July 1st, the Department of Juvenile Justice will stop accepting...

the first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine are going out to frontline healthcare workers across the state. We’ve tracked that story all this week and this morning we look at vaccinations in San Diego. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS The arrival of the Pfizer vaccine and the anticipated approval of Moderna's vaccine could mean people who are involved in clinical trials for other vaccines might drop...

ICU bed capacity hit zero percent in the Central Valley over the weekend. Health officials are activating a COVID surge facility in the Tulare County town of Porterville to treat patients they don’t have room for at the local hospitals. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED As coronavirus vaccinations begin in California many public health experts worry that people may start letting their guard down when it c...

California Doctors Ready for Reluctant Patients as Vaccines ArriveAs people start getting vaccinated, California doctors are preparing to talk to patients about it, and the physicians are expecting some resistance. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, KQED That number of restaurants likely to close could be significantly higher in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County where immigrants make up a larger share of r...

The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states, including California, have accused Facebook of illegally squashing competition by operating as a social media monopoly.  Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Latinos are almost 40% of California’s population but they make up nearly 60% of the state’s cases of COVID-19, and half of the deaths. A new survey shows Latinos are more concerned than any othe...

San Diego County Hospitals Grapple with Staffing Shortages Almost 900 COVID positive or suspected positive patients are hospitalized in San Diego County, more than double a month ago. Hospitals are struggling with shortages of staff, personal protective equipment, and testing supplies. Reporter: Tarryn Mento, KPBS Back in 2016, voters in Los Angeles approved Proposition HHH, a $1 billion measure t...

An L.A. County judge overturned a ban on outdoor dining Tuesday. In a tentative ruling, the judge called the ban an arbitrary way to control the coronavirus, adding that L.A. County public health officials failed to balance health risks with potential harm to the economy. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED To find out more about the controversy over outdoor dining, and the people on both sides of that de...

State lawmakers are introducing a bill that would give public schools a deadline for reopening campuses. The effort comes amid rising concern about the effects of distance learning on children. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED California is launching a new smartphone app to let people know when they’ve been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Governor Gavin Newsom says th...

California Legislature to Introduce Pair of Eviction Protection Bills The proposals would get relief into the hands of renters and landlords facing mounting debt and extend eviction protections adopted during the pandemic. Tenants who have been struggling to keep up with rent say the measures can’t come soon enough. Molly Solomon, KQED San Bernardino County now has the second highest number of con...

As a new wave of coronavirus cases engulf California, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a new regional stay at home order. Areas of the state where ICU capacity dips below 15 percent will have to shut down bars, hair salons, and in person dining both indoor and outdoor. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED The survey from Blue Shield of California was conducted in early October and found that when it...

California reported more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday. In Los Angeles County, public health director Barbara Ferrer pleaded with people to wear masks when out of the house. Los Angeles County will begin mailing COVID-19 test kits to some people’s homes. This new effort is aimed at those with mobility issues. Reporter: Jackie Fortier KPCC Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones has tes...

The California Department of Public Health is recommending weekly COVID testing for all health care workers at hospitals. Nurses have been calling for this for months.  Reporter: Polly Stryker, KQED As COVID-19 cases soar, communities of color are bearing much of the burden, including Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. These communities around Sacramento are utilizing several strategies to br...

Governor Gavin Newsom says the state could see another stay-at-home order for regions where COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admission rates are surging. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Nearly a month after Election Day, the last of California’s close congressional races has been decided, and it brings good news for Republicans.  Reporter Guy Marzorati, KQED The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments y...

Record Number of Californians Hospitalized for COVID-19 There are now more than 7,400 people hospitalized in California because of the coronavirus. That’s more than triple the number who were hospitalized just a month ago. As coronavirus cases surge, a new stay at home order takes effect for Los Angeles County residents. Which Healthcare Workers Will Receive COVID-19 Vaccine First? Health care wor...

Young Queer Candidates of Color are Changing the Bay Area Political Scene KQED podcast 'The Bay' is kicking off a series about expanding concepts of democracy and increasing representation in government. In the first episode, The Bay’s host Devin Katayama talks to KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi about LGBTQ candidates of color who've recently been elected in the Bay Area.  Learn more about your ad...

Food Banks Face Enormous Need This Thanksgiving Many Californians confront incredible hardships this Thanksgiving because of the pandemic. Food banks all over the state are stepping in to fill in the gaps, including distributing Thanksgiving meals. They expect the need this year to be enormous. Guest: Amanda Green, Director, Union Station Homeless Services Rare Rose Flourishes on Alcatraz After De...

Incarcerated People Got Hundreds of Millions in California Unemployment Scam A group of California prosecutors says thousands of state prison inmates have scammed California's Employment Development Department out of hundreds of millions of dollars of unemployment benefits. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Trump Gives Uber and Lyft Five Year Government Contract California-based ride hail compa...

Health Officials Urge Californians to Scale Back Holiday Plans as COVID-19 Cases Surge New COVID-19 cases in the state continue to increase rapidly, with well over a million cases so far. In Los Angeles County, supervisors are contemplating a strict stay-at-home order, similar to the one implemented in the early days of the pandemic. Judge Denies Reopen Request from San Diego Businesses A San Dieg...

L.A County Suspends Outdoor Dining As the state and counties put in place new coronavirus restrictions, California businesses try to survive. Guelaguetza is a well known restaurant here in L.A. known for its Oaxacan dishes from Mexico. Guest: Bricia Lopez, the co-owner of Guelaguetza, a restaurant in L.A Hospitals Brace for COVID-19 Surge California hospitals are seeing an increase in COVID-19 pat...

How Police and the Public Are Likely to Respond to Newsom's Curfew Order Governor Gavin Newsom is imposing an overnight curfew as California tries to head off a surge in coronavirus cases. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly says the limited stay-at-home order is being implemented in 41 counties. Guest: Scott Rodd, CapRadio New Report Shows State Employment Agency Left Pe...

Stockton's Mayor Lost Reelection. Will His Initiatives Continue? Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has lost reelection to his challenger, Republican pastor and veteran Kevin Lincoln. Tubbs conceded the race on Tuesday. Tubbs launched initiatives that generated national attention. When he leaves office, the resilience of those programs will be tested.  Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED California's Economic Out...

Largest River Restoration in U.S. History to Proceed with Removal of Klamath Dams The largest river restoration in U.S. history will proceed along the Klamath in 2023, under a new agreement announced Tuesday. This summer the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission threw a wrench in the gears of an agreement decades in the making, to remove the dams. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED L.A. County Could B...

Why State is 'Putting the Brakes' on Reopening According to Governor Gavin Newsom, 41 counties in the state are now in the "purple" tier, indicating the most widespread risk. This comes as the holidays loom near. Will these new restrictions make a difference? Guest: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, UC San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Chair Most Californians Back To Tightest COVID...

How Biden's Pledge to End Travel Ban Could Impact Immigrant Communities President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to end the Trump administration’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority nations, including Iran. The impact could be big in California, which is home to the largest Iranian community in the country. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  Why The LA Times Handed Over Letters Page to Trump...