KQED's The California Report

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 say regional restrictions allow for a more targeted approach to reduce water waste.Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQEDThe 2018 Camp Fire was the deadliest wildfire in state history. But a new report from the California Air Resources Board shows it may have been more dangerous to people downwind than previously known. Reporter: Ed Fletcher, CapRadioIt's been described as one of the biggest botched deals in business history. Author and journalist Lauren Etter investigates the downfall of Juul's e-cigarette business.Guest: Lauren Etter, Author of the book "The Devil's Playbook: Big Tobacco, Juul, and the Addiction of a New Generation" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 2020Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQEDAnyone in California who's been paying attention to unemployment issues has probably heard about the huge backlog of unpaid unemployment claims at the state’s Employment Development Department. Now, there are some anomalies in the numbers being released by the state.Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California ReportCalifornia health officials have backtracked on how to enforce masking rules at schools in the fall. On Monday, the state issued a mandate, saying that K-12 students who aren’t wearing a mask would be barred from the classroom. Now the state is leaving it up to local school districts to enforce the new rule.Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQEDLong before the existence of Twitter, Facebook, and Google, and revelations about the government harvesting Americans' personal data, the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF, was fighting for people's civil rights and privacy online. The non-profit is celebrating its 30th anniversary.Guest: Cindy Cohn, Electronic Frontier Foundation Executive Director  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, KPCCSanitation 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 with an ordinance that would ban tents in many public spaces, including on sidewalks.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportGovernor Gavin Newsom has approved an extra $500 million for wildfire prevention. The change comes after CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom revealed Newsom’s administration had nixed a similar amount. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadioA massive rock barrier through part of the Delta in Contra Costa County has recently been completed. The barrier is expected to help preserve water supplies for millions of Californians as drought conditions worsen in the state.Guest: Jacob McQuirk, a principal engineer with the state Department of Water Resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 hold up during last month's extended heat wave.Guest: Colby Bermel, Reporter with PoliticoThe state Employment Development Department is renewing a contract for Bank of America debit cards, which are used to get people their unemployment benefits. Bank of America told legislators earlier this year it had lost "hundreds of millions" of dollars because of card hacks and other dysfunction related to the cards. Some Californians are now suing the bank.Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 state as some might assume. They're instead moving to places in California where it's far less expensive to live.Guest: Sarah Parvini, LA Times Reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, KQEDCalifornia 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 likely be changes to what has been offered during the pandemic.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQEDPresident Joe Biden has pledged to end for-profit detention. But his administration is fighting a California law that would do just that. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 filled with running water, paper towels or soap during the pandemic.Guest: Lexis-Olivier Ray, Reporter, L.A. Taco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, KQEDThere 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 restrictions were lifted on June 15.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  In the wake of California's record-breaking wildfire season last fall, NPR and California affiliate stations have found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency only approved 5% of the applications it received from people for assistance. Thats the lowest approval rate for FEMA aid for any California wildfire disaster on record.Guest: Sean McMinn, Data Editor, NPRThe Los Angeles City Council has approved a measure that would restrict homeless encampments near homeless shelters, daycare centers and a number of other public facilities. It would also prohibit tents from blocking sidewalks.Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg has announced a plan to combat the city’s growing homeless population. The city would adopt a right to housing law, but also calls for an obligation from those who are unsheltered to accept housing and shelter when it’s offered to them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 group that’s trying to stop the violence from getting worse is the Urban Peace Institute, which trains people in the community to de-escalate tensions.Guest: Fernando Rejon, Director of the Urban Peace Institute in Los AngelesThe Lava Fire burning in far northern California has grown to nearly 20,000 acres. Fire crews are facing challenging conditions with extremely hot weather continuing for at least a few more days.Guest: Scott Rodd, CapRadioCalifornia’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has inched up in recent weeks. The number is still very low compared to what the state saw during the height of the pandemic, but there is some concern about unvaccinated people being infected with the Delta variant. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQEDStarting Thursday, Californians with outstanding student loans have new rights and protections. A law signed last year creates an ombudsman to oversee the student loan industry and help borrowers navigate the new regulations aimed at holding loan companies accountable. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices