KQED's The California Report

Latino Support For President Trump is GrowingLatino voters overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden for the presidency, but a growing share of Latinos voted for President Donald Trump both in California and nationwide. That’s according to a poll of more than 5,000 Latinos across the U.S., taken the day before election day. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Prop 21's Defeat is a Big Win for the Real Estate IndustryRent control lost big on election night in California. Prop 21 was defeated by a huge margin. It was a repeat of results from a similar ballot measure two years ago, and a major victory for the real estate industry.Reporter Erin Baldassari, KQEDProp 22's Passage Could Set a Precedent For the Future of Low Wage WorkOn Tuesday, California voters passed Prop 22 by a large margin. Backed by 200 million dollars from Silicon Valley companies like Uber and Doordash, the measure makes it legal for gig companies to classify workers as contractors. Guest: Sam Harnett, KQEDCalifornia's COVID-19 Cases Are Rising Slowly and SteadilyCalifornia continues to see an uptick in new coronavirus cases. The state added more than 5 thousand new cases on Tuesday.Since October, California’s test positivity rate has ticked up to 3.3%.Misinformation on Social Media Expected to Surge in Coming WeeksSilicon Valley’s social media giants are working to quash misinformation in these tense days after the election. Twitter and Facebook have flagged a number of President Trumps' posts, including one on Tuesday night where Trump falsely said the election was being “stolen” from him.Guest: Shirin Ghaffary, Recode  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden's Lead in Nevada Dwindles to 8,000 VotesHere in California, Joe Biden won a decisive victory against President Donald Trump capturing 64% of the vote. But the presidential race is tight next door in Nevada, where Biden's lead has dwindled to less than 8,000 votes.Reporter: Paul Boger, KUNR Prop 22 Passed, Allowing Tech Companies to Deny Employee's BenefitsSilicon valley’s gig companies like Uber and Doordash spent more than $200 million on Proposition 22, and it has passed, making it legal for those companies to classify workers as contractors and deny them basic employee benefits. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQEDHotly Contested House Races Too Close to CallThere are several important Congressional races happening in California this year. From record-breaking spending in East San Diego's District 50, to the tight Central Valley race that might flip District 21 from blue to red. Guest: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judge Upholds 'Abuse of Power' Lawsuit Against Governor NewsomA judge in Sutter County has handed a victory to two Republican state lawmakers who filed an “abuse of power” lawsuit against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The judge struck down an executive order the governor issued in June which set up new requirements for the 2020 election.Guest: Assemblymember James Gallagher, Dictrict 3, Yuba CityCalifornia Businesses Brace for Potentially Violent ProtestsCalifornians have already voted in record numbers. There is excitement, but there’s also tension in cities and towns around the state. Many businesses are boarding up their windows and bracing for potentially violent protests.Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRWOakland Law Enforcement on Standby for Election Night UnrestLaw enforcement agencies across the state are also preparing for potentially violent protests as a result of today’s election. In Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf says the city’s emergency operations center will be up and running.Last-Minute Registration and Voting Tips For This Unprecedented ElectionIt’s finally Election Day and the California Voter Foundation has some last-minute voting advice. Even if you haven’t registered, you can still vote today, and more than 10 million Californians already have.Guest: Kim Alexander, President, California Voter FoundationPG&E Could Begin Paying Wildfire Victims This MonthVictims of wildfires caused by PG&E could soon start getting money from a multi-billion dollar trust fund set up in the utility’s recent exit from bankruptcy protection. The fund’s trustee plans to disburse partial payments of up to $25,000 to those who need it most. Director of California's Embattled Unemployment Agency Announces RetirementThe state’s Employment Development Department is set to have a new leader come January. Current director Sharon Hilliard announced late last week that she would retire at the end of this year. Lawmakers are thinking about what comes next for the state agency.Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQEDDistance Learning Struggles Mean More L.A. Teens Are Failing ClassesStruggles with distance learning are leading to more D and F grades among L.A. Unified middle and high school students. Superintendent Austin Beutner says it'll be a while before campuses are able to reopen. Reporter: Carla Javier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Record Turnout as Californians Vote EarlyMore than 22 million people are now registered to vote in California. That's nearly 88% of those eligible, and according to the Secretary of State's office, it's the highest percentage heading into a general election in the past 80 years.Head of California's Employment Development Department Steps DownGovernor Gavin Newsom's office is set to launch a search for a new head of the state's Employment Development Department after the current director announced late last week that she'll be retiring at the end of this year.Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Eager California Democrats Hope to Help Flip Arizona BlueArizona has been a reliably red state in all but one presidential race since 1948 , but this year Democrats are convinced they have a shot at carrying it. That’s prompted eager California Democrats to flood the zone in the final days before this election.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQEDNewsom Unveils New High-Speed COVID-19 Testing LabThe new 25 million dollar lab in Valencia will be able to process up to 150,000 COVID-19 test kits daily with results sent to patients in less than two days. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Why Newsom Campaigned Next Door in NevadaIn the final stretch of this election season, Governor Gavin Newsom is campaigning in Nevada. It's a rare campaign outing this year for the governor. The presidential race has big implications for Newsom's agenda at home. Guest: Sophia Ballag, Sacramento Bee Californians Weigh Prop 23 Dialysis RegulationsCalifornians are voting on Proposition 23, a measure that would put doctors in dialysis centers. Two major dialysis providers have poured nearly $100 million into making sure that doesn’t happen. Reporter Brett Simpson . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Election Day Nears, Cities Prepare for UnrestGovernor Gavin Newsom says that the state is taking precautions to make sure Californians remain safe, although he wouldn’t go into details. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti says the city’s received no intelligence about possible acts of violence or voter intimidation, but that quote “We prepare for the worst.”Mexican Consulate Speaks Out After Fatal Shootings by U.S Police and Border Patrol39-year-old Jose Alfredo Castro Gutierrez, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was shot by San Diego police outside his home last month. 30-year-old David Villalobos, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents near the San Ysidro Port-of-Entry. Their families of both men say they were suffering from mental illness.Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS reporterProp 20 Could Roll Back Some Criminal Justice Reforms and Stiffen PenaltiesLaw enforcement groups have put Prop. 20 on the ballot. It would increase penalties on some theft and fraud crimes, and exclude thousands of people from early parole.Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQEDDeath Toll Grows in California's Historic Fire SeasonThe Butte County Sheriff's Office announced the death of Win Naing this week. He is the 32nd person to die in California wildfires this year.Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Firefighters Who Came to from Mexico to Battle CA Wildfires Positive for COVID-19About a month ago, a group of Mexican firefighters came here to help contain a wildfire burning in Central California. On Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed that two have contracted COVID-19. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Report from House Committee Says White House Family Separation Policy Marked By 'Intentional Cruelty'The Trump administration’s family separation policy was marked by "reckless incompetence and intentional cruelty," according to a report released Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee.Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQEDTrade Groups Sues Over Declaring Western Joshua Tree a Threatened SpeciesSeveral trade groups have filed a lawsuit against the California Fish and Game Commission’s decision to consider the Western Joshua Tree a threatened species. The iconic desert yucca’s habitat spans more than five million acres of the Mojave Desert. It was granted provisional protection in September.Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQEDOlder and Overlooked: What Went Wrong After Hundreds of Seniors Fled Glass FireIn our sister show, the California Report’s weekly magazine, guest hosts April Dembosky and Molly Peterson investigate what went wrong with evacuation protocols when hundreds of seniors were forced to flee a wildfire in Santa Rosa last month. Reporters: April Dembosky and Molly Peterson, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside the Race for California's 50th Congressional DistrictOne of the most closely watched political races in California is happening in the 50th Congressional district covering much of eastern San Diego County and part of Riverside County.  The race pits a veteran Republican politician, and a young Democrat who ran for the same seat two year ago and lost.Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBSHow Affirmative Action Shapes Community on CampusThis week, we’ve brought you stories about how the ban on affirmative action passed by California voters in 1996 through Prop 209 has affected college students, and what they think about the current measure on the ballot, Prop. 16, to bring affirmative action back.Reporter: Kayleen Carter, Sacramento State juniorL.A City Council Weighs Proposal to Ban Camping Near Freeway OverpassesL.A.’s city council was supposed to vote on whether to ban camping near freeway overpasses and some homeless shelters on Wednesday, but members kicked the can down the road as they tried to find consensus.Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW New Report Highlights Gaps in Calculating Costs of WildfiresAmid a record-breaking fire year in the state, a new report says California doesn’t have a grasp on the true cost of wildfires.Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQEDBattling Misinformation Around Incarceration and Voting RightsThis election year, there’s a lot of attention paid to the voting rights of people who have a criminal history. After all, we send so many people to prison and jail in this country, and in our state, that the formerly incarcerated could be a pretty big voting block of millions of people.Guest:  Tim Cornegay, an organizer with the L.A. Free the Vote campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western States Join California's COVID Vaccine Advisory GroupGovernor Gavin Newsom says Oregon, Washington, and Nevada are joining California's vaccine advisory working group, which will evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines once they become available.L.A. Studying Reliability of At-Home COVID-19 Antigen TestsThe city and county of Los Angeles are conducting a pilot study to test the reliability of rapid antigen tests, designed to tell in a few minutes if someone is infectious with the coronavirus. Besides being faster, the small at-home nasal swab tests are much cheaper than the tests L.A. has been using.Reporter: Jackie Fortier KPCCUCSF Doctors Call Treatment of Migrant Children "Torture"A group of UC San Francisco doctors is calling the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border, "torture" under international law. Pediatricians say the children suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQEDPolling is Close on Prop 22 Days Before Election DayElection Day is less than a week away, and polling is close on Proposition 22, which would allow ride hailing and delivery companies to keep classifying their workers as contractors. Each side is trying to sway undecided voters in the final stretch.Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQEDState Cleanup of Toxic Battery Plant Behind Schedule and Short of FundsFor decades, a now shuttered battery recycling plant polluted working class neighborhoods in East and South Los Angeles. Now California’s State Auditor reports that state clean-up work is behind schedule, short more than 390 million dollars to finish the job, and leaves quote “Californians at continued risk of lead poisoning.”Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRWBreaking Down Asian American Perspectives on Prop 16From our collaboration with CalMatters’ College Journalism Network we look into the conflicting feelings Prop 16 brings out across the Asian American community. It underscores that the common narrative we hear about Asian Americans and affirmative action is often oversimplified.Reporter: Janelle Salanga, UC Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Firefighters Critically Injured in Silverado FireIn Southern California, The Silverado and Blue Ridge Fires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, and left two firefighters in critical condition with second and third degree burns. Like other recent blazes, the Silverado fire might be connected to a utility company.Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQEDGovernor Newsom Strikes Another Blow Against the Death PenaltyThree months after he was sworn into office, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on executions in California. Now he’s trying to strike another blow against the death penalty, this time in the courtroom. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadioL.A. to Test Unarmed Mental Health Crisis Response ProgramIn the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others by police, Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco are all exploring alternatives to cops responding to some emergencies. The City of Los Angeles has also announced a partnership with L.A. County that will test a model of unarmed mental health crisis response. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCCGOP House Candidates Hope to Hold Onto Northern L.A. CountyIn northern L.A. county, the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys have become one of California’s fiercest electoral battlegrounds. Two Republicans running in the area have taken different paths to hold off challengers this fall.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQEDFaculty Diversity Gaps Persist at California's Community CollegesThis week, in collaboration with CalMatters’ College Journalism Network, we’re providing a student-centered perspective on Proposition 16. Today we hear from Marisa Martinez, a senior at Cal State L.A. about the representation gaps between faculty and students across California Community College campuses. Reporter: Marisa Martinez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Prop 16 Could Reshape Higher Ed Campuses Across CaliforniaStudent journalists are taking over The California Report to kick off a special collaboration with CalMatters' College Journalism Network. They're looking into Prop 16, is a statewide ballot measure that would restore affirmative action in public institutions and government contracts.Reporters: Kayleen Carter, Marisa Martinez, Janelle SalangaEarly Voters Cast Ballots in Voting Centers Across L.A CountyOver the weekend, Los Angles County voters could start casting their ballots in-person as the county opened up over 100 vote centers. Hundreds more centers will open on October 30th.Ballot Measure to Raise Commercial Property Taxes Falling Short, IGS Poll ShowsA ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes and generate billions of dollars for schools and local services is falling short of 50 percent, according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll.Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQEDCalifornia State University System Students Graduating at Highest Rates EverThe good news is that students are graduating from the California State University system at the highest rates ever. The bad news? Just 31 percent of first time students get a diploma in four years.Reproter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uber Drivers Sue Over Pop Up Messages Soliciting Support for Prop 22 The lawsuit identifies three messages in the Uber app that began popping up in August. One asked drivers to vote for Prop 22, which would legalize contractor status for gig workers.Reporter: Sam Harnet, KQED Creative Economy Slammed by Coronavirus Pandemic, New Study ShowsA study out this week from Otis College of Art and Design found the creative economy has been slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The downturn is particularly affecting Southern California.Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW How California Latinos Are Mobilizing to Get Out the VoteNearly a million California Latinos have already voted. Sounds like a lot, but the raw numbers are not the whole story, because Latinos are nearly a third of the state’s eligible voters. And a lot of folks are working to ensure they can flex that political muscle. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED U.S Government Told to Do More to Reunite Children Seperated from ParentsIn court in San Diego on Thursday, federal Judge Dana Sabraw said he wants to see more coordination from the government in finding the parents of 545 families that were separated at the border. This comes as part of a status conference meant to enforce the settlement that was supposed to stop the government’s “family separation” policy along the border.Reporter: Max Rivlin Nadler, KQED Federal Court Blocks Federal Effort to Exclude Unauthorized Immigrants from CensusA federal court in San Jose has blocked the Trump administration’s effort to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the census population count used to distribute Congressional seats among the states.Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED West Hollywood Could Name Official “Drag Laureate”The West Hollywood City Council is eyeing the creation of an official “drag laureate” who would serve as an ambassador to local businesses.Reporter: Danielle Chiriguayo, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices