KQED's The California Report

Unemployment in California Climbs to 15% There are new unemployment figures out this morning from the U.S. Department of Labor showing unemployment in California in April climbed to 15.5 %. But for a lot of people who are newly jobless, filing for unemployment benefits has been difficult because of the crush of applications. State elected officials also expressed frustration at a legislative hearing yesterday. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio UC Admissions Won't Require Standardized Tests Anymore The University of California Regents voted unanimously to phase out SAT and ACT test scores as admissions requirements. The standardized tests have long been criticized for creating barriers to higher education for less privileged high school students. Guest: Education Professor Frances Contreras, UC San Diego More Questions Than Answers About Reopening Schools California’s superintendent of public instruction says most districts plan to open on time this fall. Tony Thurmond hosted a statewide meeting yesterday to get input on how to do that safely during the pandemic. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Facebook Says Half Its Staff Can Work From Home If you’re lucky enough to still have steady work, you might be doing your job from home these days. Now Facebook plans to let half of its 48-thousand employees work from home permanently. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED When Can I See My Friends in Person? Some Guidelines As stay at home orders lift across California, many people are beginning to wonder whether some degree of face-to-face socializing is safe. Seeing friends or family is more tempting every day we have to endure social distancing. But what's safe? Guest: Lesley McClurg , KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastors Want To Resume In-Person Religious Services More than 1,200 California pastors are vowing to hold religious services on May 31st, Pentecost Sunday. That would be in defiance of a state moratorium on religious services put into place to help halt the spread of the coronavirus. One pastor explains what it's like to shut down his house of worship at a time when people's needs, both spiritual and practical, are so great. Guest: Pastor Robert Chavez of Victory Outreach Church Film and TV Production To Resume, But Probably Far from Hollywood Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s "drafting" guidelines and standards so television and film projects can resume production as California emerges from the pandemic shutdown. But Los Angeles County likely won’t meet those standards at first, so Hollywood still won’t be able to shoot in Hollywood. Reporter: Shannon Lin, KQED Watchdogs: Cuts to Senior Services Could Endanger Elderly, Disabled Nursing home watchdogs say proposed cuts to programs serving the elderly and the disabled will put more people at risk for COVID-19. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Subcontractors Won't Get Part of Federal Bailout of Airlines Many people whose work is critical to the airline industry aren’t seeing a dime of that money. They’re subcontractors: janitors, maintenance workers and caterers, like one airline cook at San Francisco International Airport. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Joshua Tree Park Reopens with New Rules After a two month closure over coronavirus concerns, Joshua Tree National Park reopened this week with some limits in place. While the park is a welcome day trip for Southern Californians who’ve been cooped up and want to get out for Memorial Day weekend. But locals near the park are conflicted about the impending influx of visitors. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Justice Department Warns State Not To Violate Religious Freedoms Are measures put into place to protect Californians from the coronavirus also stepping on religious freedoms? In a letter sent to Governor Gavin Newsom, the U.S. Justice Department warns that keeping houses of worship closed might violate constitutional rights. Over One Million Undocumented Californians Seek Financial Relief This is the first week undocumented Californians hit hard by the pandemic can apply for state financial relief. The response has been overwhelming. Just two of the dozen nonprofits the state selected to screen applicants say they got 1.3 million calls on the first day. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED UC Regents Consider Cuts The financial toll of the pandemic is coming into focus for the University of California system. As UC Regents meet to discuss the issues this week, advocates are making a case against cuts. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED California Lawmakers Consider Making Housing a 'Right' California’s housing crisis has driven state lawmakers to think big: How can they guarantee housing as a right? Two different approaches to that problem have made their way to the the state capitol. Now the coronavirus pandemic is shaping the debate. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Housing Imperial County Is Turning Away COVID-19 Patients Two hospitals in Imperial County are turning away coronavirus patients because they say they can't handle any more. The hospitals attribute the recent spike to American citizens living in Mexico who've tested positive for COVID-19 there and are crossing the border to seek treatment. People Experiencing Heart Attacks Are Staying Away From Hospitals For weeks, doctors have been worried that patients having heart attacks were not coming in to emergency rooms because they were afraid of contracting the coronavirus. A new study confirms doctors’ suspicions. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Already Struggling, Recycling Industry Nosedives During Pandemic Californians are stuck at home and producing more trash than ever. However, the centers that process residential recycling say they can’t operate with workers standing six feet apart. Which means a lot of those materials aren’t getting recycled. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsom Changes Qualifications for Next Phase of Reopening The vast majority of counties in the Golden State can start easing pandemic restrictions and reopening their economies, says Governor Gavin Newsom. This despite the fact that there are more than 80,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in the Golden State and more than 3,200 Californians have died from COVID-19. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Legislators Ready to Reassert Power in Sacramento Since the pandemic started and the state shut down, Governor Newsom has wielded an enormous amount of power. But the legislature is now back in session and at a state Senate hearing Monday, lawmakers seemed ready to reassert themselves as budget negotiations get underway. These discussions are going to be tough because of the need to make up for a huge drop in tax revenue. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Barbershops and Nail Salons Worry They Can't Last Until Reopening Maybe you can’t wait to get back to your favorite barber or nail salon. But it may still be a while, as these places are supposed to open last, in the state’s final phase of re-opening. And many of these businesses are worried they won’t survive until then. Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio How One Slaughterhouse Avoided Outbreaks Across the country, slaughterhouses have been forced to shut down because of coronavirus outbreaks that endanger workers. This has disrupted the meat supply chain. But one employee-owned processor near Sacramento acted quickly to protect its workers and has managed to avoid closure. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, The California Report Is Mass Transit Ready for Reopening? Are People Ready to Ride Again? As stay at home restrictions are loosened, how many people will really feel safe returning to buses trains and subways? The experts really have no idea what's ahead. But for now trains and buses are mostly empty. Guest: Phillip A. Washington, CEO, L.A. County's Metropolitan Transportation Agency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Undocumented Californians Get Access to Financial Help Starting Monday, undocumented Californians affected by the pandemic can get financial assistance through a 125 million dollar fund set up by the state and philanthropic groups. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Hospitals Ask for State Funds for Fall COVID-19 Wave California hospitals are disappointed that Governor Gavin Newsom’s new state spending proposal doesn’t include any financial support for them. The hospitals say without more help, they won’t be ready for a possible second wave of COVID-19 this fall. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio Maternal Mental Health Program Cuts Coming Psychologists are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could soon be followed by a mental health crisis. But the governor is proposing making cuts to funding for mental health services for new moms. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Coping with COVID-19 on Atlantic Boulevard: From Hip Hop Clothing to Face Masks From time to time, we're checking in with people along Los Angeles County's Atlantic Boulevard. More than twenty miles long, it cuts through a variety of hardscrabble blue collar communities, like Cudahey, Maywood, South Gate, and North Long Beach. That's where we met Lena Durr, who owns a small hip hop clothing store. Guest: Lena Durr, small business owner Does Contact Tracing via App Provide Enough Privacy? Smartphones, if combined with the right app, could be a powerful tool in tracing the spread of the coronavirus and warning people about possible exposure. Many local governments, including San Diego county, are seriously considering using these apps to track potential COVID-19 cases, which—no surprise—raises privacy concerns. Reporter: Claire Trageser, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coronavirus Pandemic Decimates State Budget State lawmakers there are looking at painful cuts to the state budget. Governor Gavin Newsom has projected a somber picture in his revised budget proposal for the state post-coronavirus. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics California's Schools Face Deep Budget Cuts Just as schools across the state gear up to reopen, they’re facing deep budget cuts. Governor Newsom is asking legislators to approve some adjustments to soften the blow. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Less Money for Housing for Homeless in Revised Budget An ambitious plan to invest more than 1 billion dollars from the general fund to tackle homelessness. It’s been scrubbed from the Governor’s revised budget. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Governor's Budget Proposes Cuts to Medi-Cal In addition to the many other reductions, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced substantial cuts to Medi-Cal as part of his May revision to California’s budget. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Help for Nursing Homes in Latest Federal Relief Package In Washington, the House of Representatives will vote on a coronavirus relief package today. It’ll include a proposed $500 million specifically for nursing homes. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Science Growing Food and Veggies in South LA COVID19 times have uncovered a sad irony: As farmers report crops rotting in the fields, hunger is growing nationwide. Food banks are seeing demand skyrocket. One organization in South LA is dedicated to making its community more self sufficient when it comes to food. Reporter: Deepa Fernandes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California AG Sues Federal EPA Over Regulation Relaxation California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is once again suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency.... this time for saying they'll suspend enforcement of some environmental requirements during the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED COVID-19 Hits State Women's Prison The state Department of Corrections has announced a new COVID-19 outbreak at a women's prison in San Bernardino County. The California Institution for Women has tested at least 400 inmates since last Friday, and positive cases are increasing there. Pharmacies Get Green Light to Test for COVID-19 Soon it might be as easy as stopping at a local pharmacy to find out if you have the coronavirus. The new state guidance allows tests that tell you if you have the virus or you had it in the past. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science State Attempts to Test Workers and Residents of All Nursing Homes California officials say it will take more time to test all workers and patients for coronavirus at over 1200 nursing homes statewide. They’re looking at what three counties -- LA, San Francisco and Alameda -- already are doing to inform it. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Science State Task Force Weighs Costs of School Reopening A state task force is working on what it will take to reopen schools safely, but it will be up to individual districts to decide when to reopen. That’s according to State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED What's Next for California's Budget? The Governor’s revised budget proposal comes out today, and one thing is sure: California's coffers have seen better days. KQED Politics reporter Katie Orr joins Lily Jamali to explain where things stand and what can be expected. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics One Doctor's Experience Helping Members of the Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation in the southwestern U.S. currently has the second highest per-capita infection rate after New York state. The illness is taking a devastating toll on the community, where access to water and multi-generational housing are helping the virus spread. Guest: Aylin Ulku, UCSF volunteer physician Trump Administration Looks To Continue Pandemic-Policy of Sending Back Migrants Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf toured the San Diego/Tijuana border from a Coast Guard helicopter yesterday. That’s at the same time that the Trump administration is looking to extend indefinitely its restrictive border policies that were put in place during the pandemic. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Coronavirus Complicates A Ban on Cashless Restaurants Businesses in California are taking new precautions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Some are no longer accepting cash. However, a bill at the state Capitol, introduced in February, would ban this practice. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Republican Mike Garcia Projected to Win 25th District The AP now projects Republican Mike Garcia will defeat Democrat Christy Smith, flipping back a seat Democrats won during the 2018 midterms. Garcia and Smith will be on the ballot again in November, facing off for a full two-year term to represent the Simi, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys in Congress. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 Outbreak Hits Turlock Nursing Home Fourteen residents of a nursing facility have died of COVID-19 in Stanislaus County, at the Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. It's one of the deadliest outbreaks at a skilled nursing facilities in Northern California. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED LA Residents Set To Shelter-in-Place Through July Los Angeles has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Yesterday, the county's 10 million residents were told they'll be sheltering in place for longer than they expected. L.A. County's public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said the stay-at-home order need to be extended because coronavirus infection rates and death rates keep rising in the county. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, Co-host, The California Report Oceanside Official Rallies Local Support to Reopen Oceanside City Councilman Christopher Rodriguez is asking local business owners to join his push to get the economy back up and running right away. Rodriguez published a letter over the weekend telling business owners to reopen if they feel comfortable. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS New Poll Finds Bipartisan Concern About COVID-19 Response The online poll of 2,500 likely California voters found that a bipartisan majority are concerned about the government response to COVID-19, as well as the economic impacts of the pandemic. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Newsom Announces Easing of Restrictions The governor says he’s amending the statewide stay-at-home order to allow more offices to reopen, as well as stores in malls, but only for pickup. The governor says Butte and El Dorado counties can now reopen restaurants for dine-in. Another 27 counties are also asking to reopen on a faster timeline. Republican Mike Garcia Holds Lead for 25th District Republicans in the 25th district were motivated by the opportunity to flip a California honuse seat from blue to red for the first time this century. Both parties spent over a million dollars on the special election. Looks like Republican Mike Garcia will hold the seat. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Facebook Moderators Win Lawsuit Over PTSD Issues Facebook has agreed to pay a total of $52 million to content moderators to compensate them for mental health issues they develop on the job. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED What Does Universal Basic Income Look Like During the COVID-19 Pandemic? In our current reality of widespread illness and record unemployment, a concept like "universal basic income" may be more welcome than ever. Stockton is piloting a program that gives residents a lump sum every month, no strings attached, Guest: Michael Tubbs, Stockton Mayor How Arts and Culture Workers are Proving Essential When facing major disasters, California looks to first responders like firefighters and nurses to save lives. But what about rebuilding those lives after they’ve been saved? Some say that’s where arts and culture workers might prove essential. Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

900+ Inmates Test Positive for COVID-19 at Lompoc Prison The largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the entire federal prison system is centered at the prison complex in Lompoc along California’s Central Coast. More than 900 inmates there have now tested positive for COVID-19. That’s more than three-quarters of the prison's population of inmates. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Newsom Defends Mask Deals That Fell Through Governor Gavin’s Newsom’s administration is defending several unsuccessful deals it made to buy medical masks and face shields that help protect against COVID-19. In an Assembly oversight hearing at the state Capitol Monday afternoon, officials stressed no taxpayer money was actually lost in the deals. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Oil and Gas Industry Wants Help, and Less Regulation, Amid Crisis Several weeks ago, an oil and gas group representing hundreds of companies that drill in California asked the state for help to prevent a collapse of their industry and the loss of jobs. California regulators say they’re prepared to give a break to oil and gas producers dealing with severe drops in fuel demand because of the COVID-19 crisis. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Tallying Lost Income for CSU System The COVID-19 pandemic is costing universities across the state millions, as key sources of revenue have disappeared. In the Cal State system, officials say the final tally of lost income could end up topping $300 million. Reporter: Shannon Lin, KQED Work Sharing Provides Business with Flexibility, Workers with Benefits One out of every five workers in the state has filed for unemployment since the coronavirus hit California. And economists say for many companies, there’s a better way. It’s called Work Sharing, a lesser-known program that lets employers cut hours and use unemployment benefits to make up for lost wages. But employers say California’s Work Sharing application process is outdated. Long waits have been discouraging for their workers. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC Why All Eyes Are on California's 25th Congressional District Today, voters in one of Southern California’s most hotly contested congressional districts decide who will replace Democrat Katie Hill. Hill resigned six months ago after affair allegations. Some of her private photos were leaked. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tourism in Southern California Expects Big Hit The coronavirus has brought the travel and hospitality industries to a standstill. People aren’t flying, hotels are empty, and bars and restaurants are barely getting by with takeout service. A forecast commissioned by the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board expects the city to lose billions of dollars and millions of visitors. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Small and Medium Cities Looking at Vast Budget Deficits Just six cities in the state expect to get a cut of a $150 billion in federal help from the CARES Act, which only applies to cities with at least half a million people qualify. What about the rest? Guest: Ben Christopher, CalMatters Sheriffs in Far Northern Reaches of State Want More Flexible Shutdown Rules Sheriffs in Northern California are pushing back against some aspects of Governor Gavin Newsom’s shelter in place orders. They argue the rules should be different for their counties, because cases of COVID-19 there make up a small portion of the state’s total. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Tesla CEO Threatens to Move Away Bay Area Over Shutdown Order Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a busy weekend on Twitter. Upset at the Bay Area’s extension of stay-at-home orders that have kept Tesla’s facilities closed, Musk said he’d immediately move the electric car-maker’s Palo Alto headquarters out of the state. He said Tesla’s plant in Fremont could be next. Guest: Dana Hull, Bloomberg News How Mail-In Voting Will Work for Sutter County Governor Newsom signed an executive order last week to ensure that all registered voters in California receive a mail-in ballot for the November election. In Sutter County election officials say it’s a matter of voter safety, but also safety for poll workers. Reporter: Ashlea Brown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices