KQED's The California Report

Santa Barbara Senator Monique Limón is set to become the leader of the California Senate this November, and a recent housing bill she authored is raising some eyebrows because it would keep CEQA requirements in place on one tiny plot of land in her district. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters As California experiences a record number of cases of Valley Fever cases, the Salinas Valley is seeing one of the largest spikes. Clouds of dust rise up behind trucks and tractors in the fields and sweep across Highway 101 in the wind, creating the perfect conditions to spread spores of the fungus that causes Valley Fever. People who work outside, like farm and construction workers, are especially at risk. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting in Paso Robles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of George Floyd's death and the protests that followed, California passed a law limiting the use of force against people exercising their First Amendment rights. An LAist investigation found that even when police departments appear to be breaking that law, the state doesn't have a mechanism to actually enforce it. Reporter: Yusra Farzan, LAist Two companies with thousands of permits to drill oil wells in California merged on Monday, just two days after state lawmakers loosened environmental reviews for permits in Kern County. Reporter: Julie Small, KQED UC Merced students are speaking out after several campus leaders in charge of diversity, equity and inclusion programs were laid off. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world lost an icon when Latin jazz pioneer Eddie Palmieri died last month. His music lives on through recordings, but also through sheet music, thanks in part to a publisher in rural California. This pioneer has helped make the work of Palmieri and other Latin jazz artists available to the world, from his home office in Madera. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR A handful of controversial bills on climate and energy are heading to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. That's after state lawmakers passed the bills in the final hours of the legislative session on Saturday. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED While discourse during this year's end of session at the Capitol was dominated by that package of energy measures, some other big bills were sent to the governor's desk. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shasta County's voter-approved plan to become a charter county has been delayed by over a year because local officials failed to file necessary paperwork with the state. Local officials say the paperwork was finally filed last month. Justin Higginbottom, Jefferson Public Radio A push to build an immigration detention facility at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield is now on hold, according to the Department of Defense. Tyche Hendricks, KQED Dozens of carwash employees and their family members rallied alongside immigrant rights activists in Los Angeles on Thursday to denounce federal immigration raids at their worksites. Now, they're organizing patrols for possible future sweeps. Benjamin Gottlieb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across Latino communities, the fear of arrest has become a part of daily life under stepped up immigration enforcement. Advocates say that constant stress is wearing on people's mental health.. And many are carrying the burden quietly. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Gov. Gavin Newsom's attempt to fast-track his administration's proposal for a 45-mile-long tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta failed to pass the Legislature. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For two decades, the nation's solution to homelessness has been pretty straightforward: get people into housing. This approach is known as Housing First, and in California it's even written into state law. But this summer, President Trump signed an executive order reversing this policy, turning a California mandate into a liability. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED The Garnet Fire east of Fresno has burned more than 56,000 acres, and has reached the McKinley Grove of Giant Sequoias. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR A San Diego law firm filed a class action lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement – arguing that federal agents are breaking the law when they arrest asylum seekers at immigration court. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigrant communities across Southern California are once again on edge after the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration's roving immigration sweeps can continue. There could be broad implications from Monday's ruling. Reporter: Wendy Fry, CalMatters Business owners in the Bay Area, and across the state, have been following the dramatic workplace immigration raids in Southern California. That's left many wondering what to do if ICE shows up at their place of business. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's farm labor force is aging  and younger generations aren't stepping in to fill those jobs. At the same time, agriculture itself is changing with new technology and immigration enforcement, leaving big questions about the future of the industry. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report John Burton, a towering figure in California politics, has died at the age of 92. A family member confirmed his death to KQED. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate change and tariffs may be shaking up the coffee industry. But young people are still abuzz these days about specialty drinks like lattes and macchiatos. And a Merced coffee shop is even giving this industry a boost, by training more people to serve up the delicious drinks. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed suit against Southern California Edison, over its alleged role in starting a pair of deadly wildfires. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED A bill that would have created career pathways for incarcerated firefighters was shelved by a Senate committee on Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the state capitol, negotiations are heating up over California's signature program to fight climate change. It's called cap and trade, and the state uses it to cap greenhouse gas emissions. But the program expires in 2030, and lawmakers are debating how to extend the program amid rising energy costs and concerns about the closure of oil refineries. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED California, Oregon, and Washington are forming a health alliance to issue their own vaccine recommendations. The move comes in response to the Trump administration's changing vaccine guidance. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED A major new immigration detention facility has quietly opened in California's Mojave Desert. But advocates say the private prison company that owns it has not obtained permits to operate.  Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal budget allocated a record-setting $170 billion for immigration enforcement. The money is set to go toward expanding detention facilities and hiring new agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After pledging in June to protect the agriculture industry from crackdowns, President Trump reversed course a few days later. Now, as California's annual grape harvest begins, the state's wine community is on edge. Reporter: Tina Caputo The only emergency room in a rural North State county is closing its doors on October 21. Glenn Medical Center serves some 30,000 people in Glenn County but federal regulators have pulled its funding. Reporter: Sarina Grossi, North State Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of volunteers in California are getting up early in the morning to stand at corners where day laborers wait for jobs. The goal? To watch out for ICE.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a new taskforce to clear homeless encampments in California. Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Labor Day, we're taking a closer look at the labor force here in California. With increased immigration enforcement from the Trump administration, the state of the immigrant workforce has perhaps never been more in flux. Guest: Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder of United Farm Workers, President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Minor league baseball has a rich history in California, going back more than a century.  But minor league baseball is changing. Like other professional sports, it has become a big-money game, attracting owners looking to cash in on rising team values. One Central Valley city is witnessing what that big-money game looks like firsthand, as its longtime team plays its last few home games, before moving to Southern California.  Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Governor Gavin Newsom is making national waves as he takes on President Donald Trump -- on social media and, soon, at the ballot box, with an initiative that would redraw congressional districts to give Democrats more seats in the House of Representatives. What does all this mean for the famously ambitious politician? Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED In a hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday, state lawmakers grilled officials tasked with protecting the health and safety of workers. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In rural Northern California, voters represented by Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa are bracing for big changes. A proposed congressional map on the November ballot would shift them into a more Democratic-leaning territory. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED Some foreign dissidents in California say they need law enforcement help when the governments they fled threaten them here on U.S. soil. A bill moving through the legislature would train police on how to respond. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tubbs Fire that struck the North Bay in 2017 shed light on an unseen threat that wildfires pose to clean water supplies; and a civil engineering professor out of Indiana has devised the playbook that utilities rely on to address the contamination. As the redistricting battle heats up between California and Texas, Republican legislators in the Golden State are suing to block the plan spearheaded by Governor Newsom to gerrymander California in favor of House Democrats. The move aims to offset congressional gains that Texas would get with their own redistricting plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Lawmakers have paved the way for Governor Newsom's redistricting plan to go before voters on a November ballot, but not all voters are sold on the idea of taking a partisan approach to draw up California's district map--even if Texas plans to do the same in an attempt to tip the mid-term elections in the GOP's favor. Some worry the move would take California into murky political waters down the line.  Wildfire victims in Los Angeles County are starting to rebuild their lives. A bill is making its way through Sacramento to make sure that renters are not excluded from help that is extended to home owners--however, it's facing mounting criticism from both landlords and tenants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A stunning national monument just opened to the public in Santa Cruz County. It's called Cotoni-Coast Dairies. It's opening was delayed due to the pandemic, neighbors' fears over traffic, and figuring out how to keep a herd of nearly 100 cows that graze there away from hikers and bikers. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting California voters will decide this November whether to redraw the state's congressional lines to help Democrats pick up seats in the House of Representatives. Reporter: Guy Marzorati , KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Diego County's jail system is facing new scrutiny in a class action lawsuit that challenges nearly every aspect of daily operations. The case centers on years of reported neglect inside the jails, where at least 250 people have died since 2006. A hearing had been set for Thursday, on whether evidence from two recent jailhouse deaths can be used in the case,   but the judge canceled it, saying he already has enough information to make a ruling. Guest: Kelly Davis, Reporter, San Diego Union Tribune The California Supreme Court has ruled against state Republicans, who were attempting to slow down Governor Newsom's redistricting efforts. The state legislature is expected to approve the proposal on Thursday, after which Newsom will call for a special election on November 4. That gives local election offices less than three months to prepare. Reporter: Maya Miller, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's heating up here in California! From the deserts of Southern California to the foothills of the Sierra and parts of the Bay Area, we're looking at triple-digit temperatures and dangerous fire weather through the weekend. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report It's the first few weeks of school and for some families, the usual back-to-school stress, like packing lunches and making the morning bus is now mixed with more serious concern: immigration enforcement near campuses. A group of volunteers in San Diego are trying to ease some of the stress. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS In the Inland Empire, two nurses accused of trying to stop immigration agents from arresting a man at a surgery center have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR A new report is highlighting how often fast food workers are subjected to dangerously high temperatures in the workplace. Reporter: Brian Krans, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Sonoma County, leaders in the wine industry are floating the idea of a Wine Improvement District. Under the proposed plan, consumers would pay 1 to 2 percent more for tasting room visits, wine club memberships within California, and every bottle purchased at a local winery. Supporters say the plan would provide much-needed collective marketing dollars to boost the industry, but many Sonoma County winery owners are not thrilled with the idea. Reporter: Tina Caputo In Sacramento, Democrats are moving quickly on a sweeping redistricting plan. And Republicans are pushing back. California Democrats formally introduced legislation on Monday to establish a new congressional map and bypass the state's independent redistricting rules. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Imperial Valley has been growing sugar beets for more than a century. But this summer's harvest could be the region's last. The valley's only sugar beet factory is shutting down, threatening hundreds of jobs and one of its staple crops. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS San Diego Unified School District officials are condemning the recent arrest of a parent near an elementary school by immigration agents. Valley Fever is on the rise in California. State health officials say there were more than 5,500 provisional cases from January through June, continuing an upward trend after last year's record high. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Congress passed a budget bill that clawed back more than a billion dollars in federal funding for public media, radio stations across the country were put on notice. With the lack of funding, many have already laid off staff, and many smaller stations in rural areas are at risk of closing for good. That includes stations in the western United States that serve indigenous communities. Guest: Peggy Berryhill, General Manager, KGUA School is back in session for thousands of students across the state. In Los Angeles County, the start of the school year looks a bit different after a summer colored by aggressive, federal immigration enforcement. Teachers and staff are on high alert, patrolling neighborhoods around their campuses looking for ICE agents and preparing for what to do if there's a raid. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month marks 20 years since California implemented rules meant to protect workers from the heat amid a series of farm worker deaths. But two decades later, many employers still don't provide workers with the protections they're owed, enforcement is generally lax, climate change has brought more severe heat waves, and workers continue to die. Guest: Jessica Garrison, LA Times A federal judge in San Francisco heard final arguments Wednesday on whether President Donald Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles this summer violated the law. Reporter: Julie Small, KQED Ventura County supervisors are considering a package of proposals aimed at helping undocumented residents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When California lawmakers return from summer recess on Monday, the legislature is expected to debate the future of the state's program to fight climate change. And some residents in heavily polluted communities want state leaders to focus on local air quality too. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED One of the candidates running to be California's next governor faces potential conflicts of interest related to her spouse's business dealings. Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters If you call the Redding Fire Department for help with anything but a life-threatening medical emergency, you may now get a bill. Reporter: Justin Higginbottom, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time in eight years, Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa held an in-person town hall for his constituents in Chico on Monday. Reporter: Erik Adams, North State Public Radio The second day of testimony begins Tuesday morning in California's challenge to President Donald Trump's deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles earlier this summer.  Reporter: Brian Krans, KQED A former Orange County supervisor has been ordered to pay the county back, for his role in illegally redirecting millions of dollars in contracts for bribes. Reporter: Nick Gerda, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local healthcare providers are bracing for Medicaid cuts under a new federal spending law. They say the cuts will impact their ability to care for low-income patients. Reporter: Ngozi Cole, KAZU The Trump administration is holding children in facilities along the U.S. -Mexico border– for longer than ever before.  That's according to a federal judge in LA, who suggested that could threaten the government's push to end a decades-long agreement protecting children in immigration custody.  Reporter: Julie Small, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration is asking the US Supreme Court to lift a temporary restraining order that restricts indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests across much of Southern California. The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego has launched a new interfaith ministry, to accompany refugees and asylum seekers at immigration court. Reporter: Alexander Nguyen, KPBS San Luis Obispo County Supervisors voted this week to accept more than $300,000 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. That's despite criticism of the agency's immigration enforcement policies. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX At Google's San Francisco offices Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new joint effort with four top tech giants to better prepare California's students for the future of work. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED The 29th annual Tahoe Summit brought together lawmakers, tribal leaders, and environmentalist to discuss the future of the basin. Reporter: Maria Palma, KUNR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yosemite National Park welcomes millions of visitors per year, according to the National Parks Service. The massive figure means that seasonal workers are integral for all of the park's services to function smoothly. But an NPR investigation revealed that dozens of seasonal workers at Yosemite were on the job for weeks, without getting paid for it. More than 2,000 DACA recipients in California are on track to lose their health insurance at the end of August, after the Trump Administration axed a rule that allowed them to obtain health coverage through Covered California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal housing cuts could leave thousands of California families without a place to live. And in Fresno County, where more than half of residents rent, the impact could be devastating. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report The Marine Corps has changed its longstanding agreement with an Oceanside-based credit union, following a KPBS investigation last year. Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Geneva, world leaders are back at the table for the latest round of UN negotiations aimed at drafting a first-of-its-kind treaty to tackle plastic pollution. The goal? A legally binding agreement that addresses the entire plastic life cycle, from how it's produced to how it's disposed of. But one California group is calling on negotiators not to leave front line communities behind. Guest: Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder & Executive Director, Azul State lawmakers have proposed a bill that would require police officers to disclose when they use generative AI for report writing. Departments across California have started testing or using these tools. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED California Democrats are considering new political maps that could help them pick up as many as five additional House seats in the 2026 mid-term elections. It's their answer to redistricting moves in Texas that are expected to favor Republicans. But a California Republican congressman wants to put a stop to it all, by banning states from redrawing their maps mid-decade entirely. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday is a milestone for police accountability in California. Anyone can now look up incidents of serious use of force and police misconduct in the state in a new free database. It makes once confidential records from about 12,000 cases gathered from the state's nearly 700 law enforcement and oversight agencies publicly available. It was seven years in the making and brought together teams of journalists, data scientists, and advocates from across California. Guests: Sukey Lewis, KQED and Lisa Pickoff-White, the project's Director of Research out of Berkeley's Investigative Reporting Program A federal appeals court has rejected efforts by the Trump administration to halt a temporary restraining order limiting some immigration-related stops and arrests in Southern California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, San Francisco will once again become the center of the deadhead universe. That's because it's the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. Dead & Co., the band's latest iteration, will be playing three shows in Golden Gate Park, starting Friday. Kamala Harris' decision not to run for California governor has opened up the field ahead of next year's election. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Duplexes will no longer be an option for homeowners starting to rebuild in L.A.'s Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist California lawmakers are poised to ban the sale of new Glock handguns. Reporter: Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's tenant protection laws are among some of the strongest in the nation. But the recent increase in immigration enforcement is impacting the dynamic between landlords and undocumented tenants. That's according to a story from our California newsroom partner, Cal Matters. Guest: Ben Christopher, CalMatters California politicos are reacting to a decision by former Vice President Kamala Harris not to run for governor of California. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More older adults in Los Angeles are falling into homelessness. That's according to recently released data from the region's annual point in time count. Meanwhile, organizations that serve vulnerable seniors are being forced to cut back in the face of funding cuts. Reporter: Makenna Sievertson, LAist California's coastal areas are on alert after a massive earthquake Tuesday off the eastern coast of Russia. Much of the coast remains under a tsunami advisory and there's a portion of northern California under a tsunami warning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a recent night in the town of Kerman in Fresno County, hundreds of people gathered at the local football field. They were there for an event that has happened in Kerman only twice before. And it left the community star-struck. Reporter: Samantha Rangel, KVPR California will deploy almost $2 million to prevent thousands of people from losing their health insurance, as White House cuts hit the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Reporter: Carly Severn, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine growing up in the U.S., going to high school, starting a career, having a family - only to learn that you're not an American citizen. That's exactly what happened to thousands of children born in other countries and adopted by American parents in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. And now, with the increased immigration crackdown from the Trump administration, many fear possible deportation. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS The battle over immigration raids across much of Southern California will have another day in court Monday afternoon. The Trump administration is looking to end a temporary restraining order that's in place, barring indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi , The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The kennels at the Riverside County Animal Shelter are packed with dogs and cats. So last week, Riverside County waived adoption fees and stayed open until midnight to help more furry friends find a forever home. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which is the largest affiliate in the country, is closing five of its clinics in California. Comic-Con is taking over San Diego this week. And yeah, it's got all the usual stuff: celebrities, superheroes, and lots of cosplay. But there's more to it than just fanfare. Reporter Katie Anastas, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent ICE arrest in Southern California is raising more questions about how immigration enforcement is being carried out and who gets caught in the crossfire. The man taken into custody is a DACA recipient. He's deaf and primarily communicates through sign language. His ordeal, for the most part, left his friends and family in the dark, until he was finally able to return home. Guest: Brittny Mejia, LA Times California Attorney General Rob Bonta is asking a judge to bring LA County's juvenile halls under state control. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist The new federal budget signed into law by President Donald Trump is expected to negatively impact many people enrolled in Covered California, the state's marketplace for subsidized health plans.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past 30 years, Children's Hospital Los Angeles has provided gender affirming care to trans children and young adults. But for nearly 3,000 patients, that ended on Tuesday, under pressure from the Trump administration. Families are struggling to find new doctors, and a way forward. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Immigrants in Los Angeles have been losing income because of federal immigration raids. Cities want to help, but they've been dealing with budget cuts. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist California Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in the state, lost its federal funding this week under a court order that allows that money to be withheld while a larger legal dispute plays out. Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could the Trump administration's aggressive – and some would argue illegal – immigration raids spark the beginnings of a new political movement that unites Latinos? Reporter: Aisha Wallace-Palomares A group of Democratic state senators are proposing a bill aimed at stabilizing gas prices, but environmental groups are pushing back. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices