KQED's The California Report

Governor Newsom delivered his annual state of the state address at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. He focused on the pandemic's toll on California and how the state will recover.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQEDGovernor Newsom also talked about the problem of rising numbers of homeless people in California in his State of the State address. He says they're working on the crisis, and knows more needs to be done.Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQEDWhen the pandemic hit, many home-based childcare providers in California saw their businesses fall apart overnight. But in San Diego, a coalition of local organizations has helped many childcare providers stay in business, and, in some cases, thrive. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBSState legislation has been introduced that would require health companies to pay frontline health care workers a bonus. The compensation would help those who have become burned out by working during the pandemic.Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQEDThe L.A. County Board of Supervisors wants to expand the hours of county-run COVID-19 vaccine sites. Many essential workers work night or early morning shifts, making it harder for them to schedule time to get vaccinated. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCCDisneyland hopes to open sometime next month. The Anaheim theme park has been shuttered for nearly a year due to the pandemic.Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom will deliver the State of the State address from Dodger Stadium on Tuesday evening. It comes as the deadline to gather signatures supporting a recall approaches.Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED The school reopening bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week sends money to districts to help them re-start classroom learning, but it doesn’t force schools to reopen. Some critics said the state needs to abandon its hands-off approach when it comes to local control and education.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQEDGovernor Gavin Newsom was in the Central Valley Monday talking about vaccine distribution. He said plans for a mass vaccination site in the region have stalled, in part because other states don't even have a single site up and running.Reporter: Alex Hall, KQEDThe Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a controversial ordinance Monday night, allowing the addition of 40,000 oil and gas wells over the next 15 years. But before the vote, supervisors heard eight hours of public comments   Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden said last week the U.S. is on track to have enough COVID-19 vaccine to cover all American adults by the end of May. But California officials are tempering expectations of an abundant supply of doses in the state, at least for the short term.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A new study looked at the program's first year and found that it measurably improved participants' job prospects, financial stability and overall well-being. Independent researchers determined that full-time employment rose among those who received the guaranteed income of $500 per month.Guest: Michael Tubbs, Former Mayor of StocktonCalifornia will begin allowing attendance at outdoor sporting events, concerts and amusement parks starting April 1. There will be limited capacity and the openings will occur gradually.Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadioGoogle is under scrutiny after a new report from NBC News. It alleges that Google advised mental health care as a solution, when workers complained about racism and sexism there.Guest: April Glaser, Reporter, NBC News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California school districts could soon get billions of dollars, if they restart classes in-person . But it does not require that schools have to reopen.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Attorneys representing student athletes said the state has agreed to relax restrictions, part of a settlement that would allow kids to play both outdoors and indoors. There will be safety protocols in place, including regular testing. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBSDespite suggestions that Californians have been leaving in droves during the pandemic, that may not be the case. A new report from the California Policy Lab finds that most people are moving are staying in California.Guest: Natalie Harris, PhD Student, UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public PolicyCalifornia plans to almost double vaccine allocations to vulnerable populations, with state officials vowing to send 40% of doses to communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Officials said this will also help the state reopen more quickly. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQEDA state lawmaker wants to make it easier for people who have been convicted of a crime and completed their sentence to erase that conviction from their record. An estimated 8 million Californians have criminal or arrest records that prevent them from doing fundamental things like getting a job, or securing housing.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED The city of Pacific Grove near Monterey has long been known as “Butterfly Town USA”. But conservationists there suffered a double blow last year - when both state and federal governments refused to grant monarch butterflies protections as an endangered species.Reporter: Erika Mahoney, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom is working with Major League Baseball and county health officials on a plan to allow fans at California's five ballparks. This comes as his administration is dedicating more vaccine doses to vulnerable communities, in an effort to reopen businesses sooner.California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is one step closer to becoming the nation's next Secretary of Health and Human Services. This follows an important vote Wednesday in the Senate Finance Committee. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Anti-Asian hate crimes have been on the rise since the pandemic began last year. In Sacramento, an incident at a Chinese-owned butcher shop is under investigation as a hate crime and several businesses are struggling in the Little Saigon neighborhood.Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadioNew research from UCLA looks at what businesses received loan money and how much they received. It shows ZIP code and race played significant roles in determining how much loan money small business owners in California secured from the federal Paycheck Protection Program last year.     Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRWNew PG&E CEO Patti Poppe said it took some convincing to take the job. But she said watching media reports and investigations about the deadly fires caused by utility equipment played a big role in accepting the position.Guest, Brandon Rittiman, Reporter, ABC 10 in Sacramento Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An investigation is underway after an SUV carrying more than two dozen people, some of whom were citizens of Mexico, collided with a big rig Tuesday in a rural area about ten miles from the US-Mexico border. 13 people died in the crash.Guest: Faith Pinho, Reporter, LA TimesThe volunteers in Southern California are helping seniors and other eligible people find coveted COVID-19 vaccine appointments. One started out by helping her parents and is now helping others navigate the system.Reporter: Carla Javier, KPCC Seven California counties, including San Francisco, have moved to a less restrictive coronavirus tier. While that means restaurants and movie theaters can reopen for indoor service, not every owner is jumping to do so.Guest: Yuka Ioroi, Owner of Cassava restaurant in San FranciscoCalifornia was the first state in the nation to require gender diversity in corporate boardrooms. And according to a new report from the Secretary of State, compliance with the law is on the rise.Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW The section of roadway was washed out by a powerful rain storm. The scenic highway is a lifeline to local residents and critical to tourism in the area.Reporter: Erika Mahoney, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have reached an agreement that could restart in-person learning for the state's youngest students. The hope is to reopen by April 1.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED District Attorney George Gascon won last year promising to upend the tough on crime policies of his predecessor. But prosecutors both in and outside his office are fighting to stop those same reforms he campaigned on. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQEDMany older Californians looking to get the COVID-19 vaccine are feeling frustrated and left-out by the appointment process. That's because they don't have broadband at home, and access in their community is limited.Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadioA new study from the California Policy Lab looks at unemployment benefits Californians are receiving at a county level. It shows that regions with populations who need the most support, and who’ve already been harder-hit by COVID-19, are less likely to get help.Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawmakers Reach Deal on Reopening SchoolsUnder the deal, schools that reopen by the end of March stand to get a cut of money earmarked by the state legislature. The deal would not mandate students and staff to get vaccinated before returning to the classroom, nor does it require districts to get approval from teachers unions before returning.California Farmworkers Now Eligible for VaccinesGovernor Gavin Newsom recently announced an initiative to get more Central Valley farmworkers vaccinated for COVID-19 as part of his plan to make distribution more equitable. Farmworkers are showing interest in getting the vaccine, but it's not always clear how to do so. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public RadioThree Fresno Janitors Win Settlement Against Nation's Largest Cleaning CompanyOne of the plaintiffs in the case, Araceli Sanchez, says she endured 14 years of harassment, including sexual assault and attempted rape, from her supervisor while working the night shift.Reporter: Sasha Khokha, The California ReportAdvocates Locate Parents of 112 Migrant Children Separated From Parents Under TrumpAttorneys searching for parents whose children were taken away from them at the border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy say they have made significant progress. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED New State Bill Could Severely Limit Corporate Role in Rental MarketIn the wake of the Great Recession, investors scooped up thousands of single-family homes across the country, including in California. A new state bill would impose limits on corporations that own 10 or more residential properties across the state. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQEDFresno Bee Investigation Shows Police Stop Black Drivers More OftenThe analysis shows Black drivers are stopped by police at twice the rate of white and Latino drivers, and were also searched and arrested more than other races.Guest: Manuela Tobias, Fresno Bee reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 AngelesGovernor Newsom said he hopes to inoculate 75,000 teachers a week.  Priority would go to educators currently working at schools or those who are about to head back to their classrooms. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQEDPsychiatric experts are warning Bay Area obstetricians to be on the lookout for higher rates of postpartum psychosis. They believe the condition, characterized by paranoia and confusion, is being exacerbated by the pandemic.Reporter: April Dembosky, KQEDHorse racing on tracks in California has continued throughout the pandemic. While live spectators have not been allowed, that hasn't stopped people from placing their wagers.Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 CalMattersThe L.A. City Council voted 14 to 1 to approve a hazard pay ordinance requiring workers at supermarkets and drug stores to be paid an extra $5 an hour. Several other cities and counties have passed similar legislation.Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRWOfficials with the San Diego Unified School District have unveiled a plan to reopen schools for classroom instruction starting in April. But not all parents are impressed.Reporter: Joe Hong, KPBSKaiser Permanente is using the mountains of health data it has on millions of Californians to help figure out who’s at higher risk of getting COVID-19. It's also helping the health provider pinpoint who should get vaccinated first.Reporter: Polly Stryker, KQEDMany have been targets of people who don't agree with health orders or think the pandemic is a hoax. While the problems were elevated during the height of the pandemic, some are still taking added precautions to this day.Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQEDThe new lawsuit has been filed by a trust for survivors of wildfires started by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment. They claim these officials were negligent when it comes to ensuring the public's safety.Guest: Lily Jamali, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices