KQED's The California Report

Proponents are calling Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of a bill that would have allowed supervised drug injection sites in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles a tragic, “missed opportunity” to prevent overdose deaths. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQEDA new report finds that most early childcare workers in California make far less than a living wage and that many earn less than they did before the pandemic. The report from UC Berkeley found that providers running small, daycare centers out of their homes make between $16- 30 thousand a year.Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED Once a reliable stronghold for Republicans, Orange County has become a contested battleground for congressional races in recent election cycles -- and this year is no different. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQEDCalifornia voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction -- according to a new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. 52% of voters say California is on the wrong track, but Governor Gavin Newsom's approval ratings are on the rise. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQEDA judge has sentenced a Bay Area man to more than a decade in prison for obstructing a probe into the 2020 murder of a federal officer in Oakland, and child pornography charges.Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Department of Public Health is issuing new home isolation guidance for people with confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox. State public health director Dr. Tomás Aragón says the state’s guidelines are more detailed than the CDC’s national recommendations.California is adding Georgia to its already lengthy list of states where publicly-funded travel is banned because of anti-LGBTQ legislation. The travel restrictions come in response to a bill passed by Georgia lawmakers earlier this year that allows the state's athletic association to ban transgender girls from competing in girls' sports.Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED Both the Biden Administration and California have big goals when it comes to getting more people to drive electric vehicles as a way to fight climate change. There is one big challenge that may not be getting as much attention -- it’s the kind of housing millions of people live in and whether they can find or install electric vehicle charging stations there.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportA Bay Area man involved with a violent anti-government militia is set to be sentenced Monday for exchanging sexual photos with a minor and destroying records in a federal investigation.Reporter: Alex Hall, KQEDEstimates say as many as one out of every five students have dyslexia — the learning disorder that affects reading and writing. But if diagnosed, does your child’s school know what to do about it?  In California, answers to that question are all over the map.Reporter, Kyle Stokes, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Residents of a Siskiyou County community, ravaged by wildfire last month, are suing the Oregon-based electrical utility they say is to blame. The McKinney Fire started the afternoon of July 29th just outside the hamlet of Klamath River, near power lines owned by Portland's Pacificorp. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQEDStarting next year, Californians will be able to sue people who distribute ghost guns and assault weapons illegally. The law is modeled on Texas abortion legislation and both of the laws offer private citizens a chance at financial rewards for reporting other peoples’ activities.Guest: Nigel Duara, Justice Reporter with CalMattersDemocrats in California are split on whether President Joe Biden should run again in 2024 and if he doesn’t, Governor Gavin Newsom has a strong base of support for a presidential run.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQEDMonkeypox cases in L.A. County continue to climb. New cases have jumped 33% since last week, and more than a thousand people have tested positive.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monkeypox cases have tripled in California over the past month. Most vaccine doses have been sent to larger cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. But other communities across the state say they're feeling left out.Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMattersLA County will get far fewer monkeypox vaccine doses than it expected. The county's monkeypox vaccine shipment is being slashed to just 40% of the doses public health officials requested from the federal government.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCCIt’s been one year since a family from Afghanistan escaped their war torn country and landed in the United States. They fled last August, leaving behind their belongings, their careers and their hopes and dreams. The kindness of strangers on California’s Central Coast helped make their journey to the U.S. possible.Reporter: Doug McKnight, KAZU The Port of Oakland says a protest by truck drivers that shut it down for several days in July had a significant impact on its business. There was a 28% decline in total loaded container volume in July compared to a year ago.Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED  A group of dancers at a North Hollywood topless bar have taken the first step towards forming a union. If their bid is successful, they would become the only unionized strippers in the U.S. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRWSome state lawmakers are backing the demands of striking mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente. More than 2000 clinicians are picketing this week in the Bay Area and Fresno.Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQEDMore California students are returning to their schools this week as the new academic year begins. But many students won't need to be in class until later in the morning. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state’s power grid operator is calling on Californians to conserve energy on Wednesday. The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state's electrical grid, says it expects above average temperatures to increase demand for electricity.Reporter: Angela Corral, The California ReportFormer Central Valley Congressman TJ Cox pleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than two dozen federal counts including wire fraud, money laundering and campaign contribution fraud.Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR California has begun a big push to get more 4-year-olds enrolled in transitional kindergarten, or “TK.” But not every parent of an eligible child is ready to sign up.Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQEDThe oil industry has dropped its opposition to a bill that would increase fines on California refineries that violate air quality rules. That's after lawmakers watered down the legislation behind closed doors.Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Sidewalks in front of Kaiser facilities in Northern California and the Central Valley are packed with striking mental health care providers again on Wednesday. State regulators are monitoring the situation closely to ensure patient care is not impacted. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon will not face a recall election, county officials announced on Monday. Critics of Gascon, led by prosecutors in his own office, have once again failed to get the more than 560,000 signatures necessary to place a recall before voters.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED New research suggests climate change is increasing the likelihood of California-wide megafloods. Warming temperatures have already doubled the risk of this type of inundation brought on by a succession of storms, lasting for as long as a month.Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED A year ago, the Caldor Fire burned through the small town of Grizzly Flats in Northern California. The fire destroyed more than 400 homes. A new investigation from CapRadio and The California Newsroom found that the U.S. Forest Service predicted — for decades — a wildfire could devastate Grizzly Flats. But its plan to protect the town didn’t get done. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadioThere's no end in sight for a strike which saw almost 2,000 Kaiser mental health care workers walk off the job on Monday in Northern California and the Central Valley.Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED The number of people hospitalized after falling from the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border is on pace to surpass last year’s record. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has a plan to extend the operation of California’s last nuclear power plant. Diablo Canyon on the Central Coast is scheduled for closure by 2025.Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX For several years now, undocumented immigrants in California have been able to get a driver’s license, which doubles as a critical piece of ID. But what about immigrants who don’t drive?Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC A year ago today, the Taliban entered Kabul and the U.S. military began a frenzied airlift to evacuate tens of thousands of people out of Afghanistan. Now, many of those Afghans are trying to build new lives in California.Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQEDCalifornia is one of ten states that doesn’t screen all students for the most common learning disability. Advocates have pushed for mandatory dyslexia assessments for years.Reporter: Mariana Dale, KPCC Mexican cities, just across the border from California, were rocked by a wave of violent incidents over the weekend. This string of attacks appears to be in response to Mexican officials' attempt to capture gang members. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most closely watched housing bills has cleared a key legislative hurdle and is now headed to the state senate for a vote. Supporters say it could help developers build millions of housing units across the state.Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQEDRoses are red, violets are blue. Most flowers smell nice, but not all of them do. And that’s especially true for a rare tropical flower at the UC Santa Cruz arboretum. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZUPepper spray was supposed to be phased out of L.A. County’s juvenile halls nearly two years ago. But probation department staff are still using the spray.Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC A former Los Angeles County assistant sheriff is suing Sheriff Alex Villanueva for alleged retaliation, and is seeking at least $3 million in damages. She was among the whistleblowers who accused Villanueva of trying to cover up an incident where a deputy knelt on an inmate's head. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has won a landmark lawsuit against Walgreens pharmacy over its role in fueling the opioid epidemic in the city. A federal judge found that Walgreens filled hundreds of thousands of suspicious prescriptions for powerful painkillers over 15 years, without taking steps to prevent their misuse.California’s Supreme Court may soon get its first Latina Chief Justice. Patricia Guerrero currently sits on the state’s supreme court as an associate justice and she’s held that role since March.Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQEDThis year, potentially tens of thousands of Californians who couldn’t work because of health reasons, including pregnancy, have been forced to wait weeks -- or even months -- to get their “State Disability Insurance” payments.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  Supporters of a bill to create safe injection sites are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 57. The idea behind SB 57 is to address the growing toll on city streets, where people are dying in record numbers from overdoses of drugs like fentanyl.Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQEDThe backers of dueling ballot campaigns to legalize sports betting in California sparred during a hearing at the Capitol Wednesday. Proposition 27 is backed by gambling companies like DraftKings and unlike Prop 26, would allow bets to be made on phones and computers.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  California has adopted the nation’s most ambitious offshore wind targets. The new goals put the state on course to meet a quarter of its electricity needs — enough to power about 25 million homes — from offshore wind by midcentury. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQEDOn Thursday, California lawmakers will advance – or quietly kill – hundreds of bills in rapid-fire succession. The bills have been stuck in a legislative limbo known as “the suspense file.”  Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMattersIn recent years, lots of California mountain lions have been struck and killed by California drivers. But collisions have also killed many other kinds of animals, from deer to bobcats to desert tortoises. Legislation aimed at making roads safer for wildlife is being heard in Sacramento on Thursday.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An L.A. City Council meeting turned chaotic Tuesday when members of the public started shouting at council members and one person made an attempt to lunge at the dais. The council was preparing to vote on an ordinance that would ban homeless encampments near schools and daycare centers.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report More than 4,250 COVID-19 deaths in California could have been prevented in one year if the entire state met National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter. That’s according to a new study by the Public Health Institute.Guest: Dr. Paul English, Director of the Public Health Institute’s Tracking California programThe Inflation Reduction Act could bring billions of dollars in drought relief to California. At $4 billion, the largest pot of drought funds would help watersheds like the Colorado River, which Southern California relies on.Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQEDWith lackluster resources and rising costs, supportive homes for people living with a serious mental illness are continuing to dwindle in Los Angeles and across the state. At one home that’s been around for 40 years though, residents keep their spirits high and celebrate.Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices