KQED's The California Report

Governor Requires Face Masks in Public Statewide In a directive issued yesterday by Governor Gavin Newsom, most Californians everywhere in the state must wear masks when in public places. It’s a response to a worrying spikes in coronavirus cases in many parts of California. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Labor Unions Shut Down West Coast Ports for Juneteenth Cargo ports up and down the West Coast are going to be pretty quiet today. That’s because workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have voted to spend the day protesting police violence and racism instead of loading and unloading ships. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED Young Black Actvists Claim Juneteenth as 'Our Independence Day' In West Oakland some teenagers are claiming Juneteenth for themselves. A group calling themselves Black Youth for the People’s Liberation will hold a rally today in Oakland. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED DACA Recipients Mobilize for Path to Citizenship Across California recipients of DACA are celebrating yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that preserves protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. But despite the high court’s decision, that protection is temporary. The so-called Dreamers are mobilizing for a permanent path to American citizenship. Congressman Says Tech Companies Not Fully Prepared To Prevent Election Meddling There are worries that as Election Day looms, social media is again becoming a place where misinformation and half-baked conspiracy theories spread, like what happened when Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Yesterday, the House Intelligence Committee held a hearing on what big tech companies are doing to fight off disinformation campaigns. Guest: Congressman Adam Schiff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Win for Dreamers in the Supreme Court Earlier this morning, the Trump Administration was dealt defeat by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5 to 4 decision, the justices rejected the administration’s attempt to get rid of DACA. That’s the program protecting so-called Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The decision affects about 200,000 people here in California. Guest: Kevin Johnson, Dean, UC Davis School Of Law Poway Synagogue Sues Shooter and Gun Manufacturer Victims of last year’s shooting at a synagogue in the San Diego County community of Poway are now suing the alleged shooter and the gun manufacturer that made the semi-automatic weapons used in the attack. Investigators say the attack was motivated by anti-Semitism. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS Judge Rules in Favor of Emergency Relief for Undocumented Students A federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that the Trump Administration cannot withhold pandemic-related emergency grants from undocumented college students in California. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Election Officials in Conservative Counties Weigh in On Mail-In Ballots This November election every voter in the state will have the option of voting by mail. It’s generally a pretty popular idea in Blue State California, but some Republicans aren’t happy with it. They argue voting by mail could create opportunities for election fraud. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PG&E CEO Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Camp Fire It’s pretty extraordinary to hear the CEO of a big company plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, but it happened in a Butte County courtroom Tuesday. Pacific Gas and Electric CEO Bill Johnson entered guilty pleas again and again for the deaths of 84 people, all of them victims of the 2018 Camp Fire which was sparked by PG&E equipment near the town of Paradise. As Coronavirus Spreads in Prisons, Non-Violent Inmates Can Get Early Release The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says it will allow for the early release of inmates who have 6 months or less left on their sentences. The non-violent offenders will have to prove they have a place to live once they’re free. Cases of COVID-19 inside California prisons continue to balloon. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED Developments in Case of Black Man Found Hanging in Palmdale The family of Robert Fuller, the 24-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale, says they will seek an independent autopsy to determine Fuller’s cause of death. City officials initially called his death a suicide, until that conclusion was challenged by protests. Reporter: Darrell Salzman, KCRW Statues Coming Down in Sacramento You might’ve heard about statues being pulled down around the country, and around the world. The artworks commemorate historical figures, once hailed as heroes, but who now are seen by many as oppressors and exploiters. In Sacramento, a statue of John Sutter was removed from a hospital and the state legislature promised to remove statues of Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain. Fort Bragg Considers a Name Change There’s a push to rename U.S. military bases that are named for Civil War-era generals who fought for the Confederacy. The small Northern California coastal town of Fort Bragg now confronts the issue. Like the Army Base in North Carolina, the town is named for Braxton Bragg, a slave-owning Confederate general. Guest: Mayor Will Lee, Fort Bragg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UC Endorses Return to Affirmative Action in Admissions, Hiring UC Regents have voted to endorse reversing their past position and repealing Prop 209. That would once again allow the UC system to use affirmative action again in admissions and hiring. Legislature Passes a Budget, But Much Is Still Up-in-the-Air The State Legislature passed a budget yesterday, but that does not mean the spending discussion is over... especially in a year when California is grappling with a pandemic and the economic toll it’s taken on state finances. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Newsom: California Is Ready for Spike in Coronavirus Cases As California continues to reopen, the number of COVID-19 cases in California is steadily increasing. But Governor Gavin Newsom says the state is well-prepared for a possible future spike. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics LA's City Council Discusses De-Funding the LAPD In the wake of police abuse cases, cities and counties across California are facing mounting public pressure to rethink police practices and funding. In Los Angeles, a push to de-fund the LAPD got its first official hearing at LA City Hall Monday. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW California's AG Wants to Make Sure Bad Cops Don't Get Rehired Americans are engaging in a debate about how to reform police departments so officers don’t engage in discriminatory practices, and don’t kill people like George Floyd. Some analysts say one problem isn’t just a few rotten apples, it’s that when officers get fired for misconduct, they easily get hired elsewhere. California’s Attorney General wants to pass new laws that ensure that bad cops don’t get to stay on the job anywhere. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Study: Prosecutors Strike Black and Latino People from Juries A new study from UC Berkeley finds that California prosecutors disproportionately strike people of color, especially African-Americans, from serving on juries. We asked the person who spearheaded the study to break down the report’s findings and their implications for the justice system. Guest: Law Professor Elisabeth Semel, UC Berkeley Death Penalty Clinic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court Won't Take Up California's Sanctuary Law Case This morning the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Trump Administration’s challenge to California’s so called “sanctuary state” law. That leaves in place state rules that prohibit local California law enforcement from helping federal immigration authorities apprehend and deport people in the country illegally. Guest: Prof. Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School Protests Erupt in Palmdale and Victorville Over Two Black Men Found Hanging Amid the ongoing protests for racial justice, two Black men have been found dead, hanging from trees in desert cities outside of Los Angeles. Reporter: Cerise Castle, KCRW Should I Get Tested? And When? Mass protests and the loosening of shelter-at-home orders are bringing more people together. Public health officials recommend getting tested for COVID-19 if you think you’ve been exposed. But doctors say it’s important to know when to get a test and to understand what the results mean. Reporter: Peter Arcuni, KQED Science Imperial Co. Has Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in Calif. So far, more than 4-thousand people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Imperial County and 43 people have died from the virus there. Reporter: Julie Small, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles County Reopens Gyms, Museums, Pools, And More Today is a big day for LA county. It's set to start letting a lot of places reopen for the first time since coronavirus closure orders were issued in March. Museums, Gyms, zoos and and public pools are now allowed to do business again, and the county is allowing film and television production to restart. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Sacramento School Officials Seek Out Hard-To-Reach Students This summer, educators are taking stock of just how dramatically COVID-19 has changed how kids learn. More than 1600 students in Sacramento lost touch with their public schools when the city district closed classrooms in March. Officials have had to find ways to reconnect with kids who are the hardest to reach. Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio What Will Schools Look Like When They Reopen This Fall? Superintendents around the state are grappling with how to reopen schools safely. They’re figuring out how to keep kids learning, while getting a crash course in logistics. Guest: Robert Nelson, Superintendent, Fresno Unified School District Reflecting on UC President Napolitano's Tenure: 'I Want to be Remembered as Being Lively' Janet Napolitano is nearing the end of the tenure as the President of the University of California. She sat down with us this week and spoke about the decision to suspend standardized tests in admissions, the ongoing pay dispute with UC grad students, and the future of Dreamers whose immigration status is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. Guest: UC President Janet Napolitano UCLA Grad Reflects On Graduation And Uncertainty seniors at UCLA are graduating today. The university’s 100th graduating class will don their caps and gowns virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon-to-be-graduate Noor Bouzidi recorded some reflections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New State Bill Would Bring Back Affirmative Action California’s Assembly has advanced a possible constitutional amendment that would once again allow affirmative action in the state. The measure, ACA 5, would repeal a current section of the California Constitution written in the 1990’s. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Janet Napolitano Fights To Protect DACA The Supreme Court will soon make a decision on whether so-called "Dreamers" can stay in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Janet Napolitano created DACA as Homeland Security Secretary under President Obama. And in her current role as President of the University of California, has taken the lead in the fight over whether DACA is legal. Guest: Janet Napolitano, University Of California President 28,000 Californians Face Deportation If Temporary Protected Status Ends. An estimated 28,000 essential workers in California could be at risk of deportation if the courts allow President Donald Trump to end humanitarian protections called Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. We bring you the story of one Bay Area man who’s afraid his future in the U.S. could come to an abrupt end at any moment. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Visiting Black-Owned Restaurants Doesn't Address Police Brutality You might have seen lists of Black-owned restaurants on social media or your favorite food blog, along with the suggestion that patronizing these establishments is a way to support the Black community and protest police brutality. We spoke to someone who picked that apart. Guest: Ruth Gebreyesus, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coronavirus Cases Spike in Some Parts of State As California moves to reopen bars, gyms and other businesses on Friday, some areas are seeing their coronavirus numbers spike. Hospitalizations in Sacramento have quadrupled in the past two weeks. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Orange County's Public Health Direct Resigns Scientists say masks protect those around you and help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But in Orange County, the debate has grown so intense that the county’s public health director has resigned. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report co-Host Former Cop Turned State Politician Wants to Ban Certain Police Chokeholds Democratic state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would outlaw police from using certain holds to restrain people. Assembly Bill 1196 bans chokeholds that halt blood from flowing to someone’s brain, including the carotid restraint that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis. Assemblyman Mike Gipson, a former police officer from Carson, authored the bill. Guest: Assemblyman Mike Gipson, Carson Calls for Feds to End High-Tech Drone Surveillance More than half a dozen California members of Congress are calling on the Trump administration to stop using high-tech surveillance gear to monitor peaceful protests. They sent a letter to four federal agencies yesterday. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED Legislature Considers Expanding Medi-Cal to Undocumented Senior Citizens The Legislature is seeking to help undocumented immigrants on the healthcare front as well. Lawmakers are supporting a plan to expand Medi-Cal to undocumented adults 65 and older. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Earned Income Tax Credit Not Helping Many Immigrants Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, income and wealth inequality were rampant throughout the state, especially in communities of color. One program aimed at addressing that was supposed to put cash into the pockets of the working poor. But it’s not available to many immigrant families, at least not yet. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Reacts to Calls to "Defund the Police" There’s a growing movement calling on governments to “defund the police,” as nationwide protests continue over the killing of George Floyd. It’s a provocative idea. But what exactly these kind of long overdue police reforms might look like in real life? Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Mayors: Some Promise to Reallocate Police Funding, Others Balk Some mayors are resisting calls to reallocate police funding, saying it’s not realistic. The city of San Jose released its budget just yesterday. And the mayor there says defunding urban police departments is "the wrong idea at the worst possible time." Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED "Defund the Police": Just a Slogan Or An Opportunity? Police unions will stand in opposition to many of the reforms that are being proposed in this moment. But what about the officials who run those departments? We wanted to know if there's appetite for change at the top. Guest: Prof. David Kennedy, director of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice State Releases Guidelines for Reopening Schools Facial coverings, temperature checks, and spacing of students per public health guidelines are among several of the recommendations. Courts Balance Safety Against Rights As They Reopen The state’s court system has been paralyzed over the last few months, first by the pandemic, and then by protests, which forced courts to close just as trials were restarting. California courts are trying to balance public safety with constitutional rights. Reporter: Sheraz Sadiq, KQED Oakland Protests Birth Murals on Plywood Protection Downtown Oakland has been the site of massive protests in the past week and a half -- and now it's the site of an outdoor art gallery of sorts. Bonafide artists and amateurs alike painted giant murals on the plywood covering windows of businesses there. Guest: Jonathan Long, artist and organizer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black and Tired in an American Newsroom We have a saying in the news business: report the story, don't become it. And yet, during this difficult year, it's hard to find anyone whose life hasn’t been affected in some way by the news, including the unrest that we've seen in recent weeks. Austin Cross is a producer and reporter at our partner station KPCC in Los Angeles. As he explained in an article on the website LAist, it can be challenging to separate yourself from some stories when the ones getting hurt look like you. Reporter: Austin Cross, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices