Kqeds The California Report

Largest River Restoration in U.S. History to Proceed with Removal of Klamath Dams The largest river restoration in U.S. history will proceed along the Klamath in 2023, under a new agreement announced Tuesday. This summer the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission threw a wrench in the gears of an agreement decades in the making, to remove the dams. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED L.A. County Could Be Headed for Lockdown as COVID Cases Surge California’s most populated county could be headed for a three-week lockdown. Yesterday officials in Los Angeles County imposed new restrictions on businesses after daily confirmed coronavirus cases more than doubled in the last two weeks. Hospitalizations there are up 30%. Childcare Industry on the Verge of Collapse Due to COVID-19 Requirements Child care providers who care for some of the state’s neediest families are warning the system is about to collapse if they don’t get help. Their union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the state. Reporter: Katie O

Why State is 'Putting the Brakes' on Reopening According to Governor Gavin Newsom, 41 counties in the state are now in the "purple" tier, indicating the most widespread risk. This comes as the holidays loom near. Will these new restrictions make a difference? Guest: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, UC San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Chair Most Californians Back To Tightest COVID-19 Restrictions Governor Gavin Newsom and his top health advisors are concerned about a sharp jump in California’s COVID cases. They’re rising at a level that, if unchecked, Newsom says could overwhelm the state’s healthcare system. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics State Lawmakers Head to Honolulu for Policy Conference As our state’s COVID cases rise at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, a group of state lawmakers is in Honolulu, Hawaii for a policy conference. Guest: Hannah Wiley, Sacramento Bee Federal Judge Considers Extending COVID-19 Rules at Detention Center A federal judge in San Francisco is consid

How Biden's Pledge to End Travel Ban Could Impact Immigrant Communities President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to end the Trump administration’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority nations, including Iran. The impact could be big in California, which is home to the largest Iranian community in the country. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  Why The LA Times Handed Over Letters Page to Trump Supporters The Los Angeles Times provided a page full of letters from Trump supporters this weekend. The move led to a lot of pushback online. Guest: Sewell Chan, Los Angeles Times Editorial Page Editor What's Next for California's Bail Industry? California voters have shot down Proposition 25, a referendum on whether to ban cash bail. That means people working in the bail industry will stay in business, and lawmakers who supported the measure are weighing their next steps. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over One Million Coronavirus Infections Confirmed in California California has now reached one million confirmed coronavirus infections. This comes nearly 10 months after the first cases were confirmed here. San Francisco Lawyers Say ICE Misled Federal Judge About Coronavirus Outbreak San Francisco lawyers representing immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say the agency ignored CDC protocols, and misled a federal judge about the causes of a coronavirus outbreak at an ICE jail in Bakersfield. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A Smooth Election in California Despite Manufactured Suspicions Well over 150 million Americans cast ballots this year. And in California, a majority of the more than 15 million votes cast were sent by mail after Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order to ensure all registered voters in the state would get a mail-in ballot. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Secretary of State Alex Padilla Frontrunner to Fill Kamala Harris Senate Seat  Speculation is rising over who Gov

California Has Recorded Nearly One Million COVID-19 Cases California is on the brink of recording it’s one millionth COVID-19 infection. That’s more than any other state except Texas. This grim milestone has been accelerated by the virus’ recent uptick, with more than 6,000 new daily cases recorded in the state over the past week. False Claims of Voter Fraud in Nevada Persist Republicans and conservative groups continue to make unproven claims about voter fraud in Nevada’s presidential election. Some have even suggested that Californians unlawfully helped President-elect Joe Biden win that state. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio’s PolitiFact California Orange County Swings Purple in 2020 Election In 2018, Democrats were elated when they flipped four Orange County congressional seats held by Republicans. This year, the GOP managed to claim at least one back and appears to be on track to flip another.  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Election Spotlight on Jones Day Expands to Other Clients As President Trump ref

Trump's Immigration Policies Could be Difficult to Reverse The Trump administration has focused much of its energy on the border over the past 4 years. Joe Biden has promised to undo many of these policies, but that might be difficult, according to a report out this week from the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS COVID-19 Increases Restrictions in 11 Counties, Cases Continue to Rise Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the state. 11 California counties have moved into to more restrictive tiers. If COVID-19 rates continue on their current trajectory more than half of the state’s 58 counties could be back in restrictive tiers by next week. COVID-19 Spreads Among Fresno County Officials Fresno’s incoming mayor announced yesterday he’s tested positive for the coronavirus. This comes as Fresno county’s top health official says COVID cases there are increasing, and that he expects the region will soon move into a more restrictive category. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED L.A.

Governor Warns Against Complacency as COVID-19 Cases Swell The U.S. has surpassed more than 10 million coronavirus cases and looks on track to hit record hospitalizations. Here in California, COVID-19 cases are increasing as well. In a press conference yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom warned against complacency. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Who Should Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First? A panel of experts with the state’s Department of Public Health is getting to work this week on how to decide who’s first in line to get a coronavirus vaccine. This comes after Pfizer’s announcement yesterday that the company’s vaccine is more than 90% effective.  Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Newly Conservative SCOTUS Reconsiders Obamacare Today, with it's new six-to-three majority, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments over whether the Affordable Care Act should be struck down. If that happens, California will lose several billion dollars a year in federal health insurance subsidies. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Liberal Ca

Biden-Harris Supporters Celebrate Across California People celebrated in downtown L.A. on Saturday morning after it was announced that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the 2020 election and Donald Trump had been defeated. The same kind of scenes played out in many cities and town across California as people gathered spontaneously to express their joy. The Extraordinary Rise of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris With Joe Biden now poised to become the nation’s 46th president, Vice President-elect Harris will break a glass ceiling other women, like Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin, before her tried and failed to break. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED  A Historic Mayoral Win for Todd Gloria in San Diego Todd Gloria is a Democrat and member of the State Assembly. Gloria ran a mayoral campaign emphasizing how it was time for San Diego to recognize its increasingly urban character and start tackling big problems facing the city, like housing and homelessness, transportation and combating climate change. Hopes for

California's College Students Come to Grips with Prop 16's Defeat Students who lobbied hard this year to overturn the state’s ban on affirmative action are coming to terms with the rejection of Proposition 16. Reporter: KQED’s Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Celebrate Wins at the Ballot Box California voters gave people on parole the right to vote, and half dozen Bay Area cities passed police accountability measures. In Los Angeles, the progressive District Attorney candidate George Gascon appears to have prevailed over his rival who was backed by law enforcement. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Public Advocate at California Public Utilities Commission Recommends Fine Against SoCalGas The public advocate at the California Public Utilities Commission is recommending $255 million dollars in fines against SoCalGas. They claim the utility wrongly used ratepayer funds to sabotage California’s clean energy goals. SoCalGas calls the claims “demonstrably wrong” and says the proposed fine has no

Latino Support For President Trump is Growing Latino voters overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden for the presidency, but a growing share of Latinos voted for President Donald Trump both in California and nationwide. That’s according to a poll of more than 5,000 Latinos across the U.S., taken the day before election day.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  Prop 21's Defeat is a Big Win for the Real Estate Industry Rent control lost big on election night in California. Prop 21 was defeated by a huge margin. It was a repeat of results from a similar ballot measure two years ago, and a major victory for the real estate industry. Reporter Erin Baldassari, KQED Prop 22's Passage Could Set a Precedent For the Future of Low Wage Work On Tuesday, California voters passed Prop 22 by a large margin. Backed by 200 million dollars from Silicon Valley companies like Uber and Doordash, the measure makes it legal for gig companies to classify workers as contractors.  Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED California's COVID-19 Cases Ar

Biden's Lead in Nevada Dwindles to 8,000 Votes Here in California, Joe Biden won a decisive victory against President Donald Trump capturing 64% of the vote. But the presidential race is tight next door in Nevada, where Biden's lead has dwindled to less than 8,000 votes. Reporter: Paul Boger, KUNR  Prop 22 Passed, Allowing Tech Companies to Deny Employee's Benefits Silicon valley’s gig companies like Uber and Doordash spent more than $200 million on Proposition 22, and it has passed, making it legal for those companies to classify workers as contractors and deny them basic employee benefits.  Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Hotly Contested House Races Too Close to Call There are several important Congressional races happening in California this year. From record-breaking spending in East San Diego's District 50, to the tight Central Valley race that might flip District 21 from blue to red.  Guest: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judge Upholds 'Abuse of Power' Lawsuit Against Governor Newsom A judge in Sutter County has handed a victory to two Republican state lawmakers who filed an “abuse of power” lawsuit against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The judge struck down an executive order the governor issued in June which set up new requirements for the 2020 election. Guest: Assemblymember James Gallagher, Dictrict 3, Yuba City California Businesses Brace for Potentially Violent Protests Californians have already voted in record numbers. There is excitement, but there’s also tension in cities and towns around the state. Many businesses are boarding up their windows and bracing for potentially violent protests. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Oakland Law Enforcement on Standby for Election Night Unrest Law enforcement agencies across the state are also preparing for potentially violent protests as a result of today’s election. In Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf says the city’s emergency operations center will be up and running. Last-Minute R

Record Turnout as Californians Vote Early More than 22 million people are now registered to vote in California. That's nearly 88% of those eligible, and according to the Secretary of State's office, it's the highest percentage heading into a general election in the past 80 years. Head of California's Employment Development Department Steps Down Governor Gavin Newsom's office is set to launch a search for a new head of the state's Employment Development Department after the current director announced late last week that she'll be retiring at the end of this year. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Eager California Democrats Hope to Help Flip Arizona Blue Arizona has been a reliably red state in all but one presidential race since 1948 , but this year Democrats are convinced they have a shot at carrying it. That’s prompted eager California Democrats to flood the zone in the final days before this election. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Newsom Unveils New High-Speed COVID-19 Testing Lab The new 25 million doll

As Election Day Nears, Cities Prepare for Unrest Governor Gavin Newsom says that the state is taking precautions to make sure Californians remain safe, although he wouldn’t go into details. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti says the city’s received no intelligence about possible acts of violence or voter intimidation, but that quote “We prepare for the worst.” Mexican Consulate Speaks Out After Fatal Shootings by U.S Police and Border Patrol 39-year-old Jose Alfredo Castro Gutierrez, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was shot by San Diego police outside his home last month. 30-year-old David Villalobos, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents near the San Ysidro Port-of-Entry. Their families of both men say they were suffering from mental illness. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS reporter Prop 20 Could Roll Back Some Criminal Justice Reforms and Stiffen Penalties Law enforcement groups have put Prop. 20 on the ballot. It would increase penalties on some theft and fraud crimes, and exclud

Inside the Race for California's 50th Congressional District One of the most closely watched political races in California is happening in the 50th Congressional district covering much of eastern San Diego County and part of Riverside County.  The race pits a veteran Republican politician, and a young Democrat who ran for the same seat two year ago and lost. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS How Affirmative Action Shapes Community on Campus This week, we’ve brought you stories about how the ban on affirmative action passed by California voters in 1996 through Prop 209 has affected college students, and what they think about the current measure on the ballot, Prop. 16, to bring affirmative action back. Reporter: Kayleen Carter, Sacramento State junior L.A City Council Weighs Proposal to Ban Camping Near Freeway Overpasses L.A.’s city council was supposed to vote on whether to ban camping near freeway overpasses and some homeless shelters on Wednesday, but members kicked the can down the road as they tried to find c

Western States Join California's COVID Vaccine Advisory Group Governor Gavin Newsom says Oregon, Washington, and Nevada are joining California's vaccine advisory working group, which will evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines once they become available. L.A. Studying Reliability of At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests The city and county of Los Angeles are conducting a pilot study to test the reliability of rapid antigen tests, designed to tell in a few minutes if someone is infectious with the coronavirus. Besides being faster, the small at-home nasal swab tests are much cheaper than the tests L.A. has been using. Reporter: Jackie Fortier KPCC UCSF Doctors Call Treatment of Migrant Children "Torture" A group of UC San Francisco doctors is calling the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border, "torture" under international law. Pediatricians say the children suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.  Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED Polling is Close on Prop 22

Two Firefighters Critically Injured in Silverado Fire In Southern California, The Silverado and Blue Ridge Fires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, and left two firefighters in critical condition with second and third degree burns. Like other recent blazes, the Silverado fire might be connected to a utility company. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Governor Newsom Strikes Another Blow Against the Death Penalty Three months after he was sworn into office, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on executions in California. Now he’s trying to strike another blow against the death penalty, this time in the courtroom.  Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio L.A. to Test Unarmed Mental Health Crisis Response Program In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others by police, Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco are all exploring alternatives to cops responding to some emergencies. The City of Los Angeles has also announced a partnership with L.A. County that will test a model of unarme

How Prop 16 Could Reshape Higher Ed Campuses Across California Student journalists are taking over The California Report to kick off a special collaboration with CalMatters' College Journalism Network. They're looking into Prop 16, is a statewide ballot measure that would restore affirmative action in public institutions and government contracts. Reporters: Kayleen Carter, Marisa Martinez, Janelle Salanga Early Voters Cast Ballots in Voting Centers Across L.A County Over the weekend, Los Angles County voters could start casting their ballots in-person as the county opened up over 100 vote centers. Hundreds more centers will open on October 30th. Ballot Measure to Raise Commercial Property Taxes Falling Short, IGS Poll Shows A ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes and generate billions of dollars for schools and local services is falling short of 50 percent, according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California State University System Students G

Uber Drivers Sue Over Pop Up Messages Soliciting Support for Prop 22 The lawsuit identifies three messages in the Uber app that began popping up in August. One asked drivers to vote for Prop 22, which would legalize contractor status for gig workers. Reporter: Sam Harnet, KQED  Creative Economy Slammed by Coronavirus Pandemic, New Study Shows A study out this week from Otis College of Art and Design found the creative economy has been slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The downturn is particularly affecting Southern California. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW  How California Latinos Are Mobilizing to Get Out the Vote Nearly a million California Latinos have already voted. Sounds like a lot, but the raw numbers are not the whole story, because Latinos are nearly a third of the state’s eligible voters. And a lot of folks are working to ensure they can flex that political muscle.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED U.S Government Told to Do More to Reunite Children Seperated from Parents In court in San Di

More than 4.8 Million Californians Have Voted So Far Californians are exceptionally motivated to vote in this election, with more than 4.8 million vote-by-mail ballots already returned. A new statewide poll also finds deep-seated skepticism about a potential coronavirus vaccine.  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Competitive Central Valley House Race is a Toss-Up Following Debate The two candidates in one of the most competitive House races in California, the 21st district, which includes parts of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern Counties, squared off this week in Bakersfield. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED How Do Fire Victims Vote-By-Mail? Registrars Are Helping There are only 12 days until election day, and because of the pandemic, all registered voters in the state have been sent mail-in ballots. But what about people who have lost their homes to wildfires, how do they vote? Reporter: Isabella Bloom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices