KQED's The California Report

In July, as a response to the worsening drought, Governor Gavin Newsom asked the people of California to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15%. But so far, Californians have only reduced water consumption by less than 2 %.Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Los Angeles County has two juvenile halls, but state officials say they’re both failing in their duties. The facilities are accused of treating the young people housed there so poorly, that within the next two months, they’ll have to either fix the way they operate, or remove juveniles from the detention centers all together. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRWWith extremely high COVID-19 hospitalization rates in the Central Valley, pediatricians are warning local doctors to be on the lookout for a related condition found in children who have been exposed to the virus. Cases of Multi Inflammatory Syndrome , or MIS-C tend to increase following a rise in COVID-19 cases.Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio Next year in Los Angeles, residents will elect a new mayor, and people are starting to announce their intentions to run. The latest is L.A. City Councilman Kevin de Leon, who announced his candidacy Tuesday.Reporter: Libby Denkmann, KPCC With every natural disaster and humanitarian crisis, Californians apply thumbs to phones to send money to people and organizations raising funds for those in need. Which explains the presence of a bill, on Governor Newsom's desk now, that promises to boost state oversight of charitable fundraising online. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to California's ongoing wildfires, State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued an order requiring insurance companies with policy holders living in fire zones to keep people's policies in place and to honor insurance renewals.Guest: Ricardo Lara, California Insurance CommissionerThe KNP Complex Fire burning in Sequoia National Park continues to threaten a grove of giant sequoias. That includes the General Sherman, considered one of the oldest and largest trees on earth. Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio Wildland firefighters accept risk when they head out to battle a blaze. But Cal Fire firefighters are getting sick, and some have even died, during training.Reporters: Jacob Margolis, KPCC and Brian Edwards, Columbia Journalism SchoolThe chair of the National Transportation Safety Board has told the Wall Street Journal that Tesla should address “basic safety issues” before offering its “full self-driving” package to more drivers. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQEDBay Area Assemblyman Marc Levine is launching a run for state Insurance Commissioner and he’ll be challenging a fellow Democrat. The election is next year.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles County health officials have added in-home care workers to the list of high-risk health jobs that must get COVID-19 vaccines by the end of September. The move has emboldened advocacy groups, who are pushing to make it statewide.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC A statewide bill that aims to diversify California’s arts and culture workforce, and jobs that pay a living wage, has landed on the governor’s desk after winning near-unanimous support in the Assembly and Senate. The California Creative Workforce Act is the first of its kind in the country.Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQEDPacific Gas & Electric says it’s possible that electricity continued to flow through a set of power lines for several hours after a tree fell into them and ignited the Dixie Fire. That’s according to court filings from the company.Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQEDLabor unions made a massive effort to help Governor Gavin Newsom beat the recall and stay in office. Now, unions are expecting Newsom to show up for them.Reporter: Katie Orr, KQEDFrom a Southern California warehouse for reclaimed produce to a food distribution event for poor families, the state's efforts to boost food recycling as a way to fight climate change are on full display. Beyond current industrial-scale effort, starting next year, Californians will be required to recycle food at home.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills aimed at boosting housing supplies across the state. One of them, SB 9, would increase density and affordable housing options in neighborhoods dominated by single family homes. Reporter: Erika Kelly, KQEDCalifornia health officials are now requiring that people who work in high risk medical settings be fully immunized against COVID-19. That includes employees of hospitals, nursing homes and doctors’ offices, but it doesn’t include care workers in private homes.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC An FDA committee is meeting Friday to decide whether to recommend booster shots for seniors and the general public. As of mid-August, 119,000 Californians have gotten booster shots, according to records that KQED News requested from California’s Public Health Department. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQEDGovernor Newsom will soon get a chance to make his second appointment to the California Supreme Court. That's because Associate Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar has decided to leave the court to head up a prestigious international think tank. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQEDIt’s been 3.5 years since the ACLU first filed a lawsuit in San Diego against the Trump administration, over its policy of separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Now the federal government is intensifying its push to reunite those parents and children, with a new program launched this week. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Democrats are looking into reforming the recall process less than 24 hours after Governor Gavin Newsom survived an effort to remove him from office. Both the Senate and the Assembly will hold hearings in the coming months to explore possible reforms.Reporter: Katie Orr, KQEDGovernor Newsom has until October 10 to decide whether to sign a bill that softens production quotas for warehouse workers. AB 701 is widely seen as targeted at Amazon, which runs more than 60 warehouses across the state. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED A new health order in Los Angeles County would require proof of vaccination for COVID-19 at indoor bars, wineries, breweries, nightclubs and lounges. It would also encompass large outdoor events and theme parks.Fire crews are ramping up the battle against the so-called KNP Complex Fire threatening Sequoia National Park. The fire is moving closer to an iconic grove of giant sequoias, some of which are more than 2,000 years old. Reporter: Alex Hall, The California ReportAs vaccine mandates take hold around the state, some Californians are seeking exemptions on religious grounds. But verifying claims related to these exemptions involves somewhat murky legal territory.Guest: Dorit Reiss, Law Professor, UC Hastings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has soundly defeated a recall effort to remove him from office. Although votes still need to be counted, more than 60% of those that have been tallied thus far voted no on the question of whether he should be recalled.Reporters: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, KQEDWith Governor Newsom's decisive win in the recall election, he can now focus on several pressing needs, from the pandemic to homelessness and wildfires. But he'll also be back on the campaign trail soon enough, as he's up for re-election next year.Guest: David McCuan, Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at Sonoma State UniversityThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says California’s coronavirus transmission rates are now tilting in the right direction. The state’s coronavirus transmission level has fallen from “high” to “substantial,” the second-highest tier as defined by the CDC.Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden campaigned with Governor Gavin Newsom in Long Beach Monday night, a day before the recall election. Meanwhile, the candidates looking to replacing Governor Newsom made a final pitch to voters on why they should be selected to replace him.In California, the number of people dying from methamphetamine and cocaine overdoses now outnumbers deaths from fentanyl. Health officials are desperate for more treatment options for stimulant addiction and there is a controversial drug treatment plan in the works. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED A federal judge wants Pacific Gas & Electric to explain why it took several hours to shut off electricity to a power line with blown fuses at the Dixie Fire ignition site. That delay may have caused the now nearly million-acre blaze.Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED Garment workers in California are one step closer to securing hourly wages and pay theft protections, thanks to a bill that’s waiting to be signed by the governor.Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRWA design blogger and e-commerce entrepreneur with 5 million followers on Pinterest, who says she helped launch the social media site, is suing the company’s co-founders. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday is the last day to vote in the recall election, and the campaigns are trying to sway Latinos, who represent almost 30% of all registered voters in the state. Opinions seem to be fairly mixed on the job Governor Gavin Newsom has done since entering office. Reporters: Maria Peña and Scott Shafer, KQEDPresident Joe Biden will make a couple of stops in California on Monday. He'll tour some of the biggest wildfires in the state and also join Governor Gavin Newsom, one day before the gubernatorial recall. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQEDCalifornia lawmakers want to make it easier for property owners and conservancies to mitigate wildfires, by setting fires themselves.Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadioAs wildfires continue to burn across Northern California, the emerging wildfire litigation industry has become big business for attorneys in recent years. But some survivors of past fires have a message for the most recent group of fire victims: buyer beware.Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Los Angeles Unified School District board has unanimously approved a vaccine requirement for all eligible students 12 and older if they want to attend classes in-person. Latinos make up about a third of registered voters in California. And the campaigns for and against the recall are running TV and radio ads in Spanish hoping to win them over. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED With California’s recall election wrapping up next Tuesday, a new poll has good news for Governor Gavin Newsom. The poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies finds 60% of likely voters oppose the recall effort.Reporter: Katie Orr, KQEDGovernor Newsom and Republican frontrunner Larry Elder were both in Fresno on Thursday making their respective recall campaign pitches to voters. Reporter: Alex Hall, The California ReportManaging California’s water supply requires an enormous amount of energy. Now, new research suggests making the state’s water system more efficient is also a climate solution. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supporters of Governor Gavin Newsom are working furiously to turn out the “No” vote and keep him in office. They've been canvassing the state in the lead-up to election day.Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED With the final day to vote in the gubernatorial recall election just five days away, tensions are flaring on the campaign trail. Republican frontrunner Larry Elder was greeted by angry protesters in Venice on Wednesday.Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRWThe city of San Francisco and irrigation districts in the Central Valley are suing the state over drought restrictions, restrictions that prevent them from drawing water out of creeks and rivers. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices