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President Trump is trying to shut down the U.S. Department of Education—or at least gut it as much as possible—cut off funding and shift some required programs to other departments. There are already multiple lawsuits filed to block the move, which critics say would have a devastating and disproportionate impact on lower-income families and the students who need the most support in school. For more on this, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with Natalie Wheatfall-lum, Director of TK-12 Policy at EdTrust West, an Oakland-based organization that advocates for racial equity in education in California.
San Francisco city officials appear to once again be considering a congestion charge to drive through parts of the City. Three supervisors and along with staff members visited New York City in January to see how the plan was working there. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Today is Red Cross Giving Day, when thousands of people come together to help those affected by disasters. The agency has been hard at work this spring across California, including assisting with recovery from the wildfires in Southern California. For more on Giving Day and how the Red Cross helps with disaster response and recovery, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Natalie Manier, Regional Mass Care Manager with the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region.
Two state senators from the Bay Area are once again pitching a plan to help public transit from falling off of the fiscal cliff. It would authorize as many as five counties to put a sales tax on the November ballot. For more, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Brett Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Governor Newsom has been tacking to the middle, hosting rightwing conservatives on his new podcast, and rather than challenging them, as he said he would, he is instead often agreeing with them, to the point of rewriting his own ideological history. That's got many Democrats angry and many pundits scratching their heads, wondering if what he's trying to do is moderate his own image so that he can shed his California liberal label and make himself more palatable to middle America, if he does indeed run for president. Meanwhile, Ro Khanna just went on a tour of 3 California Congressional districts represented by Republicans, places that Donald Trump won handily, to hold large, well-attended town halls in districts where the GOP incumbents are afraid to face their constituents and in fact have been told not to by their party leaders, to go into the lion's den and position himself as a standard-bearer for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, a position that just a few months ago, Gavin Newsom seemed eager to occupy. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling together more than two dozen corporate executives with some of the City's biggest companies to help revive the economy. The group is called Partnership for San Francisco. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Early voting is already underway in the Oakland mayor's race. And while nine candidates are officially on the ballot, two appear to have pulled away from the pack. One is former Representative Barbara Lee and the other is former councilmember Loren Taylor, who lost a close race to now-impeached Mayor Sheng Thao. Does anyone else have a chance catching up to these two? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Governor Gavin Newsom is taking an unusual step to stay in touch with some of the state's business leaders by sending them burner phones. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
President Trump continues to call for the impeachment of a federal judge who says his deportation of immigrants to El Salvador was illegal. The Trump administration is clashing on a daily basis with federal courts, who continue to rule against many of his early moves, declaring them either unconstitutional or illegal and outside either his or Elon Musk's authority. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Rory Little, longtime professor of constitutional law at UC Law San Francisco, and a former clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has unveiled a new plan to help fight the city's homeless crisis and help those with mental health or substance abuse issues. Lurie is calling the initiative 'Breaking the Cycle.' How is this different from what past mayors have proposed? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Top California Democrats gathered in the Bay Area today to denounce President Trump's budget plan and what it could mean for Medi-Cal. They are warning of dire consequences to the millions of Californians, including many seniors, who are on that government-subsidized medical insurance. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke to Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).
State regulators are considering relaxing restriction on where hazardous waste can be dumped. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast is rubbing some of his fellow Democrats the wrong way. In his first two episodes, the governor has spoken out against transgender athletes and had a friendly chat with President Trump's ally Steve Bannon, who once again stated that Trump really won the 2020 election. For more on what Newsom may be up to, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
A new report says San Francisco is struggling to meet the needs of the homeless even though it's providing more shelter beds and housing per capita than other cities. But why is that? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Senate Democrats say they will not support a Republican spending bill, which could mean a shutdown of the federal government Friday night. The Democrats have been struggling to find their footing on how to best oppose President Trump's agenda, with some in the party opting for loud resistance, others relying on legal action to stop him, and others trying to work out compromises and slow Trump while minimizing their own political risks. But more and more Democratic voters are fed up and urging their representatives in Washington to fight back, as Trump dismantles more of the federal government every day, laying off thousands of workers and slashing programs he opposes. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Paco Fabian, political director of the progressive grass roots organization Our Revolution, which evolved from Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and is now the country's largest independent political organizing group.
Governor Gavin Newsom is delaying the implementation of a law aimed to cut back on plastic waste. What's behind the delay? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Popular former Congresswoman Katie Porter tossed her hat into the ring for governor of California, instantly becoming the frontrunner. But there's another even bigger name out there that could knock her from that spot within a few months. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.
The fallout continues from President Trump's economic policies, with the stock market plunging today in reaction to the trade war he started. Meanwhile, unemployment is rising and there are many disgruntled Trump supporters among the tens of thousands of federal workers he has fired. Is this mass reduction in the federal workforce really going to make government work better and save money in the long run? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with William Resh, associate professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy and an expert on the presidency and policy implementation.
Governor Gavin Newsom took many of his fellow democrats by surprise, saying that allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports was deeply unfair. The comments came on the governor's first episode of a new podcast he just launched this morning. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Doug Sovern is away today. All this week on KCBS, we've been sharing the special reports of our very own Holly Quan and Matt Bigler, who covered the firestorms earlier this year in Los Angeles. The five-part series called "Race Against the Flames," looks at how a tragedy like the Palisades and Eaton fires would impact the Bay Area, and also finds out how homeowners are preparing. To talk more about it, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with reporters Holly and Matt.
State Democrats have rejected a proposal by Governor Gavin Newsom to provide 20 million dollars in funding for a private arts college in San Francisco. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
President Donald Trump has postponed 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a broader trade war. The threat of tariff's caused the stock market to crash, with the Nasdaq entering correction territory, closing 10 percent lower than its high in December. This comes as economists warned that the tariffs and trade war could plunge our economy into recession. Across California, consumers and small business owners are bracing for higher prices to cover the cost of those tariffs. For more on the potential impact of all this on the California economy, KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart, spoke with Caroline CHen, associate professor of Accounting and Finance at San Jose State's Lucas College and the Graduate School of Business.
In his first few weeks in office, the President has already set his sights on the state's high-speed rail program, the Presidio Trust, and even the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building as ways to save the government money. He's also threatened to put conditions on the state to receive federal disaster relief following the Southern California wildfires. For more on this, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Brett Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Governor Gavin Newsom is ordering state workers back to the office. The governor says starting July 1st, employees should plan on reporting for work at least four days a week. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress tonight, after igniting a trade war with Canada, Mexico and China and cutting off military aid to Ukraine. Some Democrats in Congress say they will boycott the speech, to protest what they call President Trump's "destruction of the state of the union.” One local progressive Democrat, Oakland Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, has been tabbed to deliver the Working Families Party response to the presidential address, though the official Democratic response is coming from Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin. President Trump is expected to defend, or probably more accurately considering this is Trump, trumpet his tariff policy, his split with Ukraine, and Elon Musk's systematic dismantling of the federal bureaucracy. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with David McCuan, political science professor at Sonoma State University.
House Republicans are being met by angry protesters opposed to Trump's budget plan, which envisions deep cuts to Medicaid to help pay for tax cuts. Democrats are warning that the president's plan, if approved by Congress, will gut key social programs, including health care and food assistance. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget and Policy Center.
President Trump is reportedly setting his sights on the California Coastal Commission. That comes according to an ally of the president who says the administration is planning to set conditions on federal disaster relief for Southern California following this year's massive fires. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling City workers back to the office at least 4 days a week. For more, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
In five years, California high school students will have to pass an ethnic studies class in order to graduate. But what will those classes teach? There's been fierce debate over that, and now Jewish lawmakers want to make sure that the curriculum is not anti-Semitic. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke to KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.
Another recall election may be on the cards for Bay Area voters. This time, San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio is being targeted, mostly by voters in his district, for his backing of a plan to close the Great Highway to traffic. For more, KCBS News anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
The Trump administration says it will hire more seasonal workers than usual to staff the national parks, after laying off hundreds of park employees. But park rangers and other workers at Yosemite, and across the country, are up in arms over their sudden firings, which in many cases will leave them homeless too. This is all part of the Trump-Elon Musk DOGE “government efficiency plan” which has seen tens of thousands of federal employees summarily dismissed over the last few weeks. At Yosemite, angry workers hung an upside down American flag on El Capitan over the weekend, a sign of distress. Yosemite has lost dozens of employees, from naturalists to technical support staff such as its electrician and its locksmith. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area here in the Bay Area is another popular national park hit hard by the cost-cutting move. For more, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising, spoke with Neal Desai, Pacific Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association.
President Trump's federal budget ax is swinging in San Francisco's direction. Last night, the president signed an executive order that would cut all funding that isn't necessary. Officials are also reportedly looking into selling two federal office building's in the city's Mid-Market area. The agency in charge of federal properties has reportedly been ordered to sell off roughly one-third of its properties. What happens to these employees who work in the mid-Market area now, and what will it mean for the neighborhood? For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Even though the Bay Area just got out of a wet weather spell, compared to the last couple of winters, the one we're experiencing now has been relatively dry across the state. A light winter here means a dismal snow-pack up in the mountains, and an agency in the Tahoe Basin is working to create a more resilient community in the face of climate change. To talk more about it, KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising spoke with Kim Careinger, Deputy Director and Chief Partnerships Officer with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
A celebrity chef whose opening of two cafes in San Francisco's Union Square was hailed by city officials less than a year and a half ago abruptly closed both spaces. Tyler Florence had secured a $440,000 grant from the city as part of efforts to revitalize downtown. But did all that money the city invested go to waste? For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
The future of the high-speed rail project that hopes to send bullet trains from Los Angeles to San Francisco looks murky as the Trump administration announced an audit of the project. This comes after the president said he would personally investigate the high-speed rail earlier this month to ensure the project is still worth the investment. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with David McCuan, chair and professor of the political science department at Sonoma State University.
Officials are hoping a little alcohol will help bring San Francisco back to life. State Senator Scott Wiener says he's introduced legislation allowing the city to issue 20 additional low-cost alcohol licenses in a special entertainment zone. Mayor Lurie was at the press conference announcing this legislation today where he said the city should be making it easier, not harder, for businesses to open. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Transit officials in San Francisco are backtracking on plans to ticket drivers parked too close to an intersection even if the curb isn't painted red. A new daylighting law went into effect at the start of the year which prohibits parking 20 feet before an intersection. Officials initially said they didn't have the budget to paint the curbs red, but planned to start handing out tickets anyway. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
President Trump is expanding his tariffs, slapping a 25 percent surcharge on all imports of steel and aluminum. Meanwhile, while polls show many of the president's moves are supported by a majority of Americans, there is growing outrage about the illegality of some of them. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Doug Sovern is away today. A ambitious redesign is coming to San Quentin State Prison, inspired by rehabilitation centers in Scandinavian countries. The model prioritizes "rehabilitation through education" and architects envision a campus-like environment complete with a library and media center. BRET live: For more on these plans, KCBS Radio news anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising spoke with Lori Coppenrath, Justice and Civic Planning Leader and Principal at DLR Group, who designed the new plans to transform San Quentin prison into a rehabilitation center.
President Trump says he plans to investigate the California high speed rail project. For more on that, KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Governor Gavin Newsom is in the nation's capital, where he plans to meet with President Trump to discuss federal aid for the Southern California fire victims. The trip comes a day after the legislature wrapped up a special session where it approved 50 million dollars in funding to Trump-proof the state. And yet, the president seemed friendly with the governor when they appeared together in Southern California on January 24. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Governor Newsom is on his way to Washington D.C. to seek more federal disaster assistance for California. The governor wants the federal government to do more to help survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires rebuild their homes and their lives. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.
Thousands of protesters have been demonstrating in Washington DC and cross the country the last two days, up in arms over many of President Trump's actions. Their focus has been the extra-governmental role of Elon Musk, the president shutting down the US Agency for International Development, and more. Among the members of Congress helping to lead those protests is one newly elected Democrat from California, freshman Representative Dave Min, from the 47th Congressional District in Orange County. He was part of the “Nobody Elected Elon” protest in Washington. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising, Bret Burkhart, and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, spoke with Dave Min.
Today, Senator Scott Wiener and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie spoke in the Mission District about the new SAFE Streets Act, which aims to combat illegal fencing, or the sale of stolen goods. The neighborhood has long seen legitimate vendors disrupted by illegal sales. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
President Trump agreed today to postpone new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, but is going ahead with his trade surcharges on China. Many American businesses fear their costs will spike, which they may have to pass on to consumers. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Zach Davis, co-owner of the Penny Ice Creamery in Santa Cruz.
If the rising demand for therapists is any indication, people are taking their mental health more seriously these days. This episode of In Depth is hosted by KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart, who hosted a panel on the state of mental health in the Bay Area at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Reising and Burkhart spoke with four panelists: Juan Acosta is a youth mental health advocate, LGBTQ+ activist, content creator, and public speaker. Amanda Lai is a high-school student, a competitive fencer, and a student representative for Mind Out Loud, a youth-led mental health movement. Nicole Stelter is the director of behavioral health at Blue Shield California and the clinician specializing in occupational behavioral therapy. Lesley Garcia is the director of programs at the Contra Costa Crisis Center, a Walnut-Creek-based nonprofit providing free mental health services to community members in need.
Transit officials say the fake red curbs being painted at different locations around the City are stretching the agency's resources as it has to respond and re-paint the curbs the proper length. The red zones are appearing just before intersections, where parking is now prohibited following a new daylighting law which just went into effect. But, the agency initially said it didn't have the budget to paint all the curbs. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.
Alameda County finally has a new district attorney. The Board of Supervisors selected Judge Ursula Jones Dickson to fill the position three months after voters ousted former DA Pamela Price. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
Billboards are going up warning drivers in San Francisco that speed cameras will be installed at 33 locations across the city. They'll be the first speed cameras in the state after Governor Newsom signed a law allowing San Francisco and five other cities to test the cameras out for five years. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier.
The seven candidates trying to become Alameda County's next District Attorney appeared before the Board of Supervisors last night, laying out their plans if they're picked. For a closer look, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.