Kqeds The California Report

Sacramento County is home to California’s largest community of state workers, around 90,000 people. Governor Gavin Newsom says he wants them to come back into the office starting this summer — many still work remotely part time following the pandemic. But state worker unions hope a new bill will protect their ability to telework indefinitely. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio In Humboldt County, low wages are leading to high rates of poverty and greater enrollment in the state food program CalFresh. Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio Along the coast of San Mateo County, elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park could be experiencing a “small outbreak” of bird flu, according to scientists. Reporter: Sarah Mohamad, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of violent immigration enforcement in major cities like Chicago, LA and Minneapolis, immigrants around the country are wondering: could this happen in my community? In the Central Valley, waiting for an answer to that question has given way to fear and misinformation. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR The LA Unified School Board is meeting behind closed doors Thursday where they're expected to discuss the status of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. This comes a day after federal investigators raided his home and office at the district's headquarters. Time is running out to submit public comments on proposed federal oil and gas leases off the Central Coast. Reporter: Elena Neale Sacks, KAZU An agent who is reportedly with the Department of Homeland Security is set to appear in court in Riverside Friday. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon among other felonies. But holding him accountable might be difficult. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph

Hundreds of thousands of California families rely on federal housing assistance programs to make rent- you might know it as Section 8 vouchers. Based on their income, they’ll pay a certain percentage of the rent and the government pays the rest. Recipients include seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and children. But the Trump administration is expected to introduce new rules to these programs in the coming months. Some lawmakers argue that could make assistance harder to access. Guest: Sharon Quirk-Silva, California State Assembly California’s investing billions of dollars into a new grade for 4-year-olds called transitional kindergarten. But the state hasn’t set aside any money to evaluate it. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist On Wednesday, the city of Escondido in San Diego County will discuss a controversial contract that its police department has with the Department of Homeland Security. The contract allows federal agents to use a local gun range for 20 days a year. Learn more about your ad choi

Since last summer, when the Trump administration ramped up deportation efforts, a group of volunteer observers has kept a constant presence at the Santa Ana Immigration Court. Reporter: Jill Replogle, LAist A four-week strike by thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers in California and Hawaii is ending Tuesday morning, even though no contract deal has been reached. Cities on the US-Mexico border remain on high alert following a weekend of violence, in response to the killing of a cartel leader. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The string of storms that have swept through California has brought much-needed water and snow throughout the state, but climate scientists say, levels may still fall short of what's needed in the coming warm weather months. The town of Truckee held a memorial for the victims of last week's avalanche in the Sierra. This comes after search and rescue crews finished recovering all nine of their bodies over the weekend. State Senator, Scott Wiener, is proposing legislation to force a split between San Francisco and Pacific Gas & Electric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks the 84th anniversary of the United States, under president Franklin D. Roosevelt, enacting Executive Order 9066, which led to U.S. residents of Japanese descent being dispossessed and interned, even if they were American citizens. Survivors of Japanese internment say they're seeing the Trump Administration embracing similar policies that led to one of the darkest chapters of the United States in the 20th century. The non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office is recommending that California lawmakers reject Governor Gavin Newsom's latest electric vehicle rebate proposal, citing cost concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight people have been confirmed dead after an avalanche in Tahoe's Donner Summit region on Tuesday buried a group of 15 backcountry skiers. Six of the skiers, who were part of an overnight backcountry skiing group, were rescued Tuesday night. One person is still missing but is presumed dead. Guest: Sarah Wright, KQED A controversial proposal to tax the wealth of billionaires in California is getting a boost this week from one of the nation's leading progressives: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED More than 1400 registered nurses are set to strike at medical centers affiliated with the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the latest in a wave of labor unrest hitting the healthcare industry. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Search and rescue crews are looking for nine backcountry skiers after an avalanche near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada Tuesday morning. Six people were safely rescued. Two of them were transported to the hospital for treatment. The city of Los Angeles is looking to ban the construction and operation of some private detention centers. This comes amid reports that warehouses across the country are being eyed as potential detention centers, by President Trump and federal immigration officials. Reporter: Destiny Torres, LAist Work is slow in Hollywood right now. But at least one new type of production is hiring. They are bingeable shows made to be watched on your phone. And they’re called vertical micro dramas. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SAG-AFTRA is beginning its second week of contract negotiations with Hollywood studios. The union, representing actors and performers, is hoping to avoid a repeat of 2023, when talks broke down and a strike lasted more than a hundred days. AI is expected to be one of the main focuses of the talks. Guest: Gene Maddaus, Variety A new bill in the California legislature aims to improve the safety of e-bikes. It would require owners of certain types of e-bikes to register with the DMV and display a license plate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration is making changes to how it treats unaccompanied migrant children who are pregnant, and that's raising alarm bells inside the government. Since last July, the administration has been concentrating pregnant kids in one shelter in South Texas, even if they're apprehended in California or other states. This comes over objections from the government's own health and child welfare officials. They say neither the facility nor the region can provide the specialized care the girls need. Guest: Mark Betancourt, The California Newsroom Firefighters across the state are working with scientists at the University of California to minimize their risk to cancer. Reporter: Alonso Daboub, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s Department of Justice is opening a civil rights investigation in connection with last year’s deadly Eaton Fire. Attorney General Rob Bonta said they want to find out if race, age or disability discrimination were factors during the emergency response in the historically Black community of West Altadena. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and environmental groups are celebrating the purchase of Sargent Ranch by the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Reporter: Erin Malsbury, KAZU Valentine's Day for many means heart shaped candies and chocolates. But if romance is not your thing, visitors to San Francisco’s Exploratorium can interact with the actual organ. Reporter: Alonso Daboub, KQED An environmental advocate who helped build the community of fans around Big Bear’s bald eagles has died. Reporter: Makenna Sievertson, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amongst the ponderosa pines in California’s Butte County, Native Maidu people are lighting fires to encourage the re-growth of useful plants and reduce the risk from future wildfires. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED A new bill introduced in the state assembly this week could make it easier to secure long-term funding for a program that lets people check out state parks passes from their local library . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco teachers are in their third day of a high stakes labor fight with the district, leaving nearly 50,000 students out of school. And they're not alone. Across California, more local teachers unions are in active disputes right now, from bargaining breakdowns to strike authorizations and walkouts. Guest: Danielle Mahones, UC Berkeley Labor Center A new report commissioned by LA County lays out how ICE raids there have hurt some local businesses. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As federal immigration enforcement efforts continue across California, families of detainees are struggling with a new problem. Many can't find loved ones who've been hospitalized after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Guest: Claudia Boyd-Barrett, KFF Health News A federal judge blocked a California state law barring federal officers from wearing masks on Monday. But the ruling also handed the state a partial victory. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was another historic halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara as global superstar Bad Bunny took the stage.  Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report 2025 was a pivotal year for health insurance reform: more than two dozen states, including California, passed laws limiting insurers’ ability to delay or deny medical services after a doctor has ordered them. The practice is known as prior authorization. Criticism of it reached a fever pitch last year and California is leading the way with reform. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Super Bowl Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, Bad Bunny will make history, headlining the halftime show, and singing entirely in Spanish. It will also be the first time the show includes Puerto Rican sign language. Reporter: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED People who say their rights are being trampled at a remote immigration detention facility in the Mojave Desert get their first day in court on Friday. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Kern County's District Attorney is suing an oil and gas producer for alleged environmental violations. This comes as the county’s oil production is ramping up under a new state law. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super Bowl 60 will air on NBC on Sunday. And if you can’t watch the game in person at Levi’s Stadium, you’ll likely be one of millions glued to a TV screen. The game is being played in Santa Clara, but you might not know it from some of the images the broadcast is likely to show. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report California’s new congressional map will stay in place after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the new districts Wednesday. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Over a year ago, California voters passed a measure, Proposition 36, to crack down on theft and drug crimes. But counties have been left to figure out how to fund it. Reporter: Riley Palmer, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend's Super Bowl halftime show is expected to be one of the most-watched performances of the year, and this time it's headlined by Bad Bunny. The global superstar has never shied away from politics. Just days ago at the Grammys, he used his acceptance speech to denounce ICE at a moment when immigration enforcement has become more aggressive in parts of the country, including here in California. So what does it mean for an artist like Bad Bunny to take the Super Bowl stage right now? Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED Arts Editor A naturalization ceremony in Fresno to swear in new U.S. citizens was abruptly cancelled recently. Many waiting for citizenship were thrown into confusion. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR Up until now, police in California could cite drivers with an open container violation, if they found loose marijuana in a vehicle. But a new ruling by the California Supreme Court finds that police can’t issue a citation, or search the car, unless the pot they find is ready to be consumed

Every winter, skiers trek up to the Southern California mountain town of Big Bear to hit the slopes. But this winter, snow has been hard to come by. Rain and unusually warm temperatures have dominated and put a chill on ski resorts and businesses in the region. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Every time there’s a major disaster in California, the state is supposed to write a report on lessons learned. But they're years behind. Reporter: Jacob Margolis, LAist A bill to regulate unaccredited groups that help veterans access benefits is pending on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles more than a year ago, rebuilding has been slow. So some local architects have been thinking about how to move things along. A few took inspiration from a project in the 1940s to build homes quickly, which ended up revolutionizing architecture and forever associating LA with the mid-century modern home. Reporter: Brandon Reynolds, KCRW It seems like California just might be repeating last year’s snowpack story. Massive storms drenched the state in December. But California was virtually dry for most of January. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices