KQED's The California Report

California National Guard personnel have arrived in the San Bernardino Mountains. They’re there to help rescue residents who have been trapped in their homes for days by the recent heavy snowfall. A hunger strike at two California immigration detention centers in Kern County is entering its third week. Advocacy groups say Immigration and Customs Enforcement is failing to properly consider the detainees’ requests to be released. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Have you ever heard someone calling your name, but then you look around and no one’s there? Or you feel your phone vibrate, but actually, it didn’t. Then you’ve technically experienced psychosis. For most of us, it will never go further. But for people who later develop schizophrenia, it often starts like this.Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency for 13 California counties in response to the winter storms. San Bernardino County is covered by the Governor’s declaration. There, residents in mountain communities are still trapped in their homes after more than seven feet of snow has fallen over the last few days.In the Central Valley, Madera Community Hospital closed at the end of last year – after struggling with low Medi-Cal insurance repayments and a shortage of nursing staff. But hospital leaders hope it’s not too late to restore services.Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government says people living in California counties hit hard by severe weather now have an extra six months to file their federal taxes. But a new deadline creates challenges for state budget writers.Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQEDPresident Joe Biden has nominated California's former Labor Secretary to head the U.S. Department of Labor. The White House lauded Julie Su as a “champion for workers,” but she has plenty of detractors.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A year after Russia invaded Ukraine, we’re checking back in with Silicon Valley people and companies affected by the war. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another monster frigid storm front is moving through California, creating dangerous conditions in the Sierra Nevada. A blizzard warning remains in effect through early Wednesday for the Greater Lake Tahoe area and Mono County. And San Bernardino County has declared a local state of emergency, due to the amount of snow that's collected on it's mountains. California spends more than $15 billion a year on its prison system and a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office says we’re continuing to pay for thousands of prison beds we’re not using. The state has closed two prisons under Governor Gavin Newsom and plans to close two more, but this new research says that’s not going far enough.Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMattersThe prison closures are a big change from a generation ago, when California was in the midst of a prison construction boom. But with the recent decline in the state’s prison population, advocates of criminal justice reform want to see more penal facilities shut down. Guest: Amber Rose-Howard, Executive Director, Californians United for a Responsible Budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because of the pandemic and the large number of people who now work from home, California has an abundance of vacant office space, but the state also has a shortage of housing. Now, a state lawmaker wants to tackle both problems by making it far easier to turn empty offices into homes.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED The Central Coast city of Paso Robles is becoming increasingly prominent in the world of wine. But as its stature grows, the Paso Robles area is facing familiar California challenges – like expensive housing and water worries. And that’s creating problems for the local wine industry.  Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although no officials numbers are in , there has been widespread snowfall across the state. That includes parts of California that normally see snow on only the rarest occasions. Cold temperatures and rain remain in the forecast as we head into the weekend.There’s widespread agreement that having books in jails and prisons benefits people behind bars. But in LA County jails, there’s no official library system, so a grassroots effort has started to get more books into the hands of the incarcerated. Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, LAIst   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a legislative hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration made its case for a controversial proposal aimed at reigning in high gas prices, by imposing a penalty on oil companies when gas prices, and profits, spike.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Huntington Beach in Orange County is the latest city vowing to fight Sacramento over state housing laws meant to encourage more housing. The city council voted 4-to-3 this week to allow its city attorney to pursue any legal actions, to challenge SB 9, SB 10 and any laws that allow for lot splits and the development of accessory dwelling units, or granny flats.During the winter months, researchers take to the American River in Northern California to survey steelhead salmon populations. The surveys play an important part in understanding the impacts of environmental changes, and how conservation efforts can help future generations of salmon thrive.Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A hearing on gasoline prices in the state is scheduled to take place Wednesday afternoon in Sacramento, more than two months after Governor Gavin Newsom called for oil companies to be penalized for price gouging. The hearing before the State Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee is the first during a special session on gas prices.  Last month, a lot of snow fell on California, which was good news for our drought-stricken state. But California’s snowpack is dwindling -- fast and that's creating uncertainty for the state’s water supply. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Officials are continuing to push for answers and solutions after the closure of Madera Community Hospital more than a month ago. The closure has already impacted neighboring communities.Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPRDuring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County tried to stop landlords from evicting renters who have pets that aren’t allowed under their leases. Those protections were set to go away this month, but LA County leaders extended them two more months. Even so, some renters, and their beloved pets, are facing the threat of eviction. Reporter: David Wagner, LAIst  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man suspected of murdering Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell in Los Angeles over the weekend has been arrested. Meanwhile, friends of the Bishop are remembering him for his kindness to others.Did you know the last secondary lead smelter west of the Mississippi is here in California? It’s called Quemetco, and it recycles the lead in old car batteries about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The company has been violating toxic substance regulations for years and has now reached a settlement with the state that allows it to stay open.Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lake Tahoe, nestled high in the mountains between California and Nevada, is one of America’s great natural wonders. But the lake faces a variety of threats -- some old, some new -- that scientists have spent years studying.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportA Bay Area Assemblymember wants to increase access to California's public parks and beaches, by overhauling the state's reservation system.Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices