KQED's The California Report

America's growing culture wars can be seen in local politics across the state. That includes in the Orange County city of Huntington Beach, where a conservative majority on the city council has rolled back several progressive initiatives. And in March, a highly contentious measure is on the ballot. It’s a city charter amendment titled Measure 1 that if passed, would require Huntington Beach residents to show official identification when voting in-person.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportA Fresno judge has approved a plan to reopen bankrupt Madera Community Hospital, which has been closed for more than a year. That’s despite a reopening bid from UC San Francisco announced last week.Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prop 47 is a 2014 ballot measure that lowered the penalties for drug possession and shoplifting from felonies to misdemeanors. Retailers and prosecutors are collecting signatures for a November ballot measure that would roll back some portions of the law. And lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills to tweak it in some way or another. But what have the impacts of the measure been?Guest: Maris Lagos, KQEDCalifornia Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has promised sweeping changes to try to fix the state’s insurance market and convince companies to offer more coverage. Now, he’s released proposed rule updates. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new immigration court opens in the Bay Area Monday. It’s part of an effort by the Biden Administration to cope with a record number of asylum seekers – and a historic backlog of 3 million cases nationwide.Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQEDCal State faculty members start voting Monday on a deal that could raise wages and add more paid parental leave. But some CSU employees say it falls short of what their union is demanding.Reporter: Mariana Dale, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fast food workers are officially launching a new statewide union on Friday. This comes weeks before a new law will raise the industry’s minimum wage to $20 an hour and create a statewide Fast Food Council.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQEDPrograms dedicated to the well-being of California’s youngest residents are facing major cutbacks. That’s because a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products sharply lowered revenue that’s supposed to fund First 5 California and the early childhood services it supports. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQEDThe San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl this weekend in Las Vegas That means thousands of Niners fans are flocking to Sin City to celebrate, and one dedicated fan is hoping to welcome them all. She started a 49ers booster club in Las Vegas. Guest: Susan Larson, North Vegas Faithfuls  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decades ago, the homes in a Palm Springs neighborhood known as Section 14 were deemed eyesores and officials wanted to promote tourism. So they forced out the mostly black and brown families who lived there. Crews tore down everyone’s homes, and then burned them, sometimes with people’s personal possessions still inside. The city made a public apology in 2021, but survivors are still waiting for additional support.Guests: Pearl Devers, Section 14 Survivor and Areva Martin, Civil Rights AttorneyA Popeyes Chicken franchisee is paying more than $200,000 for child labor and other violations at restaurants in East Oakland, Newark and Tracy.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID eviction protections have lapsed for renters in the city of Los Angeles. Now, city outreach workers are going door-to-door,  hoping to catch renters before they’re evicted. And they’re using new data to find those most in need of help.Reporter: David Wagner, LAist Fresno is the latest city in California to find itself on the receiving end of a bus full of asylum seekers. They were sent from Texas, victims of Governor Greg Abbott’s immigration battle with the Biden administration.Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rain continues to fall in Southern California, which has been drenched in this latest atmospheric river. Downtown Los Angeles has seen more than seven inches of rain the last 48 hours, one of the highest two day rain totals on record.  A California law that went into effect last January said public universities have to provide medication abortions. An LAist investigation has found a patchwork of approaches to communicating that abortion pills are now available. Advocates say that’s hurting access. Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California continues to be hammered by a storm, causing heavy rain and threats of flash flooding. The podcast also delves into the lack of information on abortion pill availability at public universities, which caused distress for one student. The need for better communication and awareness about medication abortions on college campuses is discussed.

There are more than 1.2 million people incarcerated in the U.S. And there are also a lot of mothers out there, living with the guilt, shame and loneliness that comes with having a child in prison. In Sacramento, one mom is turning that pain into support.Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California ReportA job fair was held this week for workers laid off by a Fresno-based agricultural company. Prima Wawona, which grows and packages peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots, filed for bankruptcy in October. A few weeks ago, it warned its employees they’d all be laid off in March. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPROne of the mushroom farms where a mass shooting took place in Half Moon Bay a year ago has paid more than $126,000 to federal regulators. The U.S. Department of Labor says that California Terra Garden paid $84,000 in back wages for dozens of workers, and more than $42,000 in penalties.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, the Biden administration introduced a mobile app called CBP One. The idea was that it would help streamline the asylum process for the government agencies and the asylum seekers. But the initial version of the app was riddled with errors. While things have improved, asylum seekers are still facing challenges with the app.Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBSCalifornia’s new oil industry watchdog is recommending reforms to prevent spikes in gas prices at the pump.  Tai Milder heads the watchdog agency. He says the state should publish a market price report and require refineries to store a minimum amount of reserve gas.Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices