Kqeds The California Report

State Coronavirus Numbers Up Slightly, But Positivity Rate Remains Low California counties find themselves on very different paths when it comes to reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday San Francisco learned it is moving into the yellow tier of the state’s framework on restrictions as Shasta and Riverside counties are being downgraded to purple after a spike in cases. $100 Million Scholarship Fund Supports Community College Students Students often quit California's community colleges before graduating. It's long been a pain point for the state. This week, college leaders are celebrating a $100 million dollar donation meant to help students finish their degrees. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Universities Sue Over Skilled-Worker Visa Restrictions Caltech and the University of Southern California are among the plaintiffs suing the federal government for placing new restrictions on hiring highly skilled foreign workers. Reporter: Caroline Champlin KPCC Investigation Finds Human Error Caused Tragic B

Fire Experts Use Satellites to Monitor and Understand Wildfires As this epic fire season drags on, the state is watching for new fires from space. Satellites allow scientists and fire officials see where wildfires are, and help them understand how quickly these fires grow and what controls their growth. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Residents Protest Bankrupt Battery Plant's Contamination of East L.A. In Los Angeles, more than 100 residents joined community activists last night to protest a troublesome battery recycling plant that polluted homes and businesses for decades. They're energized over a recent court ruling that leaves state taxpayers responsible for the rest of the cleanup bill. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Uber and Lyft Flood Drivers With Pro Prop 22 Ads During Shifts Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft are using in-app pop up ads to urge riders and drivers to vote for proposition 22. That ballot measure would allow companies that depend on gig workers to continue a key part of their busin

GOP Agrees to Modify Controversial Ballot Boxes California’s Republican Party says it plans to modify but expand its ballot collection program after legal threats by California’s Attorney General. The boxes appeared in counties with competitive congressional races, including Fresno where the boxes have been removed, for now. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Polls Show Suburban Women Turning Away From Trump In the final days of the 2020 campaign, President Donald Trump is openly courting suburban women, a crucial group of voters for both candidates. But polls show those women pulling away from the president. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Court Rules Bankrupt Battery Recycler Not Responsible for Cleanup of Toxic Waste A bankruptcy court in Delaware has approved a plan to abandon a battery recycling plant in L.A. County, siding with the Trump administration over the objections of Governor Gavin Newsom. The decision could leave a toxic mess in a poor community with no money to pay for cleanup.  Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQE

Trump Administration Rejects State's Petition for Wildfire Relief The Trump Administration has rejected California’s petition for a federal disaster declaration and relief funds in the aftermath of several recent wildfires, including the devastating August Complex Fire, the biggest wildfire in state history.  Oakland, Portland Sue Over Use of Federal Agents at Protests The City of Oakland is challenging the Trump administration's authority to send federal law enforcement to respond to protests.  Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED  Civilian Watchdog Group Demands L.A County Sheriff Resign The civilian watchdog group overseeing LA. County’s Sheriff’s Department has released an unanimous resolution demanding that the county’s sheriff, Alex Villanueva, resign immediately. Newsom Releases Recommendations for Police Response During Protests New recommendations that aim to make demonstrations more peaceful are out. Tensions between police, protestors and journalists have been especially high since demonstrations broke out

Dangerous Weather Conditions Mean More Power Shut-Offs in Northern California 53,000 Pacific Gas and Electric customers in Northern and Central California are without power this morning. The utility has shut it off because of dangerous weather conditions that could spark a wildfire.  Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED State Grid Operator Faces Tough Questions About Rolling Blackouts The agency that manages the state’s power grid is calling for Californians to conserve power today, two months after almost a million Californians were left in the dark by the state’s first planned rolling blackouts in 20 years. The agency is also under scrutiny over distribution of the state power supply.  Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Democrats Cry Foul Over GOP's Unofficial Ballot Drop-Boxes Democrats in California’s three most competitive Congressional races are crying foul over the Republican Party's unauthorized vote-by-mail drop boxes. The GOP is defending the use of the ballot boxes and the issue has gotten the attention of Presiden

SCOTUS Ruling Ends Census, Leaving Marginalized Communities Undercounted The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump Administration can end counting for the 2020 Census now instead of waiting until the end of the month. The court’s decision is a blow to local governments and advocacy groups, who say stopping the count now will lead to a big undercount of marginalized communities. Trick-Or-Treating and Parties Discouraged For Halloween and Dia de los Muertos The State of California is strongly discouraging trick-or-treating and large gatherings for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, health officials are suggesting alternatives to traditional holiday activities. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Prop 18 Would Allow Some Californians to Vote Before They Turn 18 When you turn 18 you’re allowed to do a lot of things you weren’t allowed to do before, like vote. But should California allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary if they'll be 18 on election day? That’s what Pro

State Eases Restrictions as COVID Hospitalizations Drop Hospitalizations for coronavirus patients in California are at their lowest level in six months. Just over 2,200 COVID patients were hospitalized as of this past Saturday compared to the peak of nearly 7,200 patients hospitalized in July. And coronavirus patients in intensive care units are now at their second-lowest level since the pandemic began. California Looks to Florida for Guidance on Reopening Amusement Parks One huge economic blow caused by the pandemic is the continued closure of California’s amusement parks. But across the country, Florida is reopening its parks. Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s sending California officials to Florida to see how things are going since Disney World and other parks reopened last month. GOP Says They Will Not Remove Unauthorized Ballot Drop Boxes California’s top election official and the state’s Attorney General are demanding that California’s Republican Party remove unauthorized ballot drop off boxes that have a

PG&E Under Investigation in Connection with Deadly Shasta County Wildfire Utility giant, Pacific Gas and Electric says state authorities are investigating whether the company’s equipment might have started a Northern California fire that killed four people late last month and destroyed over 200 structures. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Thousands March in Beverly Hills in Solidarity with Armenia Thousands of Armenian-American protestors marched in Los Angeles on Sunday, demanding an end to a decades-old, violent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that’s flared up in recent weeks. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW State Regulators Plan to Cut Cost of Jail and Prison Phone Calls The California Public Utilities Commission plans this fall to start discussing placing a cap on the price of the calls. This move is part of a national movement to reduce expensive phone rates for incarcerated people. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED  The History of Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated People This election year, Califo

Private Firefighters Accused of Allegedly Setting Illegal Backfires State fire officials are investigating several private firefighters for allegedly setting illegal backfires to protect some structures threatened by the Glass Fire in the wine country. Jackie Lacey and George Gascón Square Off in LA County District Attorney Race The candidates to lead the largest prosecutor’s office in the country squared off last night in a virtual debate. Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey is running for her third term against George Gascón, the former San Francisco D.A., who is campaigning as a progressive challenger. Some Call for a Less Partisan Election Chief in California California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is charged with overseeing the state's elections. But he's also a Democrat, who has to face his own election every four years. Some election experts think the job needs a fundamental overhaul. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Over 100,000 College Students Lack Tech for Online Classes More than 100,

Harris and Pence Spar Over Forest Management and Wildfires During Debate Issues important to California, like climate change and wildfires came up in Wednesday’s Vice Presidential debate. The candidates started off discussing the COVID pandemic and the administration’s handling of it, but the conversation soon turned to the environment.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Facebook Bans Political Ads Until After the Election Facebook has announced plans to prohibit all political ads until after the polls close on November 3rd. The tech giant says it will also place notifications at the top of the News Feed, reminding users that no winner is decided until “real news outlets” announce one. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Changes to White Collar Worker Visa Has Bi-Partisan Support The U.S. Department of Labor enacts big changes today, to the H1-B visa program for high-skilled guest workers. The changes are supported both by pro-labor Democrats and anti-immigration Republicans.  Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Governors New Exec

Before Reopening, Counties Must Increase COVID-19 Testing, Reduce Positive Cases Starting this week in order to qualify to reopen more industries and loosen restrictions, California will require its 35 largest counties to bring down coronavirus rates in hard-hit neighborhoods. That means hitting goals both for overall testing and in lowering the percentage of new positive cases. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Data Indicates In-Person Learning Hasn't Caused More COVID Transmission California’s Health and Human Services secretary Dr Mark Ghaly says in-person learning hasn’t caused an uptick in COVID-19 transmission rates in the counties where schools have re-opened. Vallejo Declares Public Safety Emergency to Implement Police Reforms The Vallejo City Council has declared a public safety emergency in an effort to reform a police department plagued by officer misconduct, controversial police shootings and low morale. Police departments across the state are facing similar criticism. Facebook Bans All QAnon Account

First Openly Gay Justice Nominated to State Supreme Court Governor Gavin Newsom has nominated veteran Judge Martin Jenkins as his first appointee to the California Supreme Court. If he's appointed Jenkins will be the first openly gay justice on the California Supreme court. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California Physicists Awarded Nobel Prize Two Californians have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics with a British scientist. They share the prize for discovering a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Tenants Protest Eviction as Moratoriums Expire As local rent moratoriums expire, landlords have begun filing evictions across the state, and tenants are now protesting a new state law that they say creates new problems for renters instead of protections. Reporter Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS LAUSD Conflicted About How To Cut Police Budget In June, a divided Los Angeles Unified School Board voted to reduce the school police budget by 25 million dollars and t

Record Four Million Acres Scorched in California, With Months of Fire Season Remaining State fire officials announced yesterday that wildfires have burned a record four million acres this year in California. That’s more than double the previous record year of 2018 when 1.8 million acres burned in the state. Elder Care Homes Keep Familiar Routines While Evacuated California’s wildfires have forced tens of thousands of Californians to evacuate from their homes. Such evacuations can be stressful even for those who are young, healthy, and mobile. For residential care homes, keeping elderly residents comfortable and safe while evacuating can be a challenge.  Reporter: Polly Stryker, KQED Following Complete Destruction, Beloved Santa Rosa Stables Will Be Rebuilt The Glass Fire has burned through Napa and Sonoma counties destroying or damaging many wineries and vineyards. The blaze also annihilated beloved community stables, the Pony Express Ranch.   Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Ballots for All Californians' Mailed T

After Positive COVID-19 Test, Trump's Swing Through Southern California Likely On Hold News that President Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 is expected to end a swing through Southern California that had been planned for next week. This diagnosis has been confirmed this morning by White House doctors. Guest: Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School professor Republicans Are No Longer a Third Party in California For the first time in over two years, more California voters are registered as Republican than no-party-preference, or independent voters. The GOP’s recent gains have done little to chip away at the huge registration advantage still held by California Democrats. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Newsom Plans to Increase Already Historic Spending for Battling Wildfires Governor Gavin Newsom says he plans to dedicate more state resources for wildfire prevention in next year’s budget. Newsom made the announcement Thursday while touring the damaged areas of Santa Rosa where the G

Firefighters Deploy Emergency Shelters Amid Intense Conditions Cal Fire is reporting a close call for two crew members who were forced to deploy emergency shelters while fighting the Glass Fire. The incident occurred Sunday night as gusty northeasterly winds created chaotic conditions on the fire. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED New State Law Considers Slavery Reparations Governor Gavin Newsom made the final call on a slew of bills that passed in the Legislative session that just ended. Among the legislation signed Wednesday are bills tied to racial justice and police reform. Reporter: Katie Orr KQED Court Blocks Trump 'Wealth Test' on Immigrants A federal court has blocked a plan from the Trump administration to charge immigrants a lot more money to apply for U.S. citizenship, green cards and other benefits. Critics of the plan call it a wealth test.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED How Prop 13 Hurt Schools and Helped Corporations California voters have a shot at overturning one of the most notorious propo

Immigrant Workers Hit Hard by WildfiresThe Glass Fire is just the latest blow to low-wage immigrant workers in Sonoma and Napa counties, who were already struggling during the pandemic. Many of them don't have the option to stay home from work.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Local Businesses Step Up Support to Firefighters Fighting the Glass FireSmall businesses in Napa and Sonoma counties have stepped up their efforts to support those on the frontlines of the Glass fire tearing through the community. Food trucks and restaurant owners and feeding and providing supplies to firefighters and other first responders.  Reporter: Julie Chang, KQED California Still Unprepared For Wildfires After $2.5 Billion InvestmentA Bay Area state Senator says California was not prepared for this current fire season, even though the state recently purchased a dozen black hawk helicopters, seven c-130 air tankers and invested $2.5 billion in emergency preparedness. California Wildfire Policy Flares Up in Presidential Deba

Heartbreaking Toll of Wildfires Continues to Grow Three people have died in the Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County outside of Redding. The Glass Fire has burned at least 36,000 acres, tripling in size in just 24 hours in Napa and Sonoma counties, and destroying homes. It’s also forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. California's Emergency Alert System is in Shambles Making sure people get advance word about advancing flames is a matter of life and death.  But are California’s emergency alert systems up the task at a time when many people have lost power because of Pacific Gas and Electric utility shut offs? Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Wine Industry Faces Big Fire Losses The fires have dealt a big blow to California’s wine industry. Some wineries have burned to the ground and over a hundred others are within wildfire evacuation zones. The future of some are in question.  Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED Firefighting Resources Streched Thin Across the State Firefighting resources are stretched thin, with

Wildfires Burning in Napa and Sonoma Counties Hit Santa Rosa Wildfires burning in Napa and Sonoma counties north of San Francisco have reached the city of Santa Rosa where homes in a residential neighborhood on the city’s eastern edge have been destroyed. Newsom Signs Law to Expand Access to Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Friday that gives California some of the most expansive standards in the country for providing access to mental health care. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED  Californians Worried about Integrity of Presidential Votes A lot of Californians are worried about the integrity of their presidential votes, according to a new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  The Rematch Heating up in California's 21st District  One of the most vulnerable House Democrats in California this year is Representative TJ Cox, who narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Congressman David Valadao two years ago in California’

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Ending Census Early A federal judge in San Jose has barred the Trump Administration from putting a halt to counting for the 2020 U.S. Census a month early. Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction preventing the administration from doing so. Biden's Massive Lead Against Trump Continues in California Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to hold a huge lead with state voters over President Trump in California. That's according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Some Progressive Democrats Say Feinstein Not Equipped to Lead Supreme Court Fight As the nation waits to see who President Trump will name to the US Supreme Court seat left empty by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, some are wondering whether Senator Dianne Feinstein is the right person to lead the fight against the confirmation. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governors Executive Order Bans Gas-Burning Car Sales by 2035 California is the largest automobile market in the country, but those cars we love so much are big contributors to climate change. That’s why Governor Newsom signed a historic executive order yesterday banning the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by the year 2035, replacing them with zero emission vehicles.  Reporter Kevin Stark, KQED Car Dealers Push Back Against Electric Car Mandate The governors' vow to end the sale of gas-fueled cars in California has critics. They include the California New Car Dealers Association, which represents about 1,200 dealers in the state. The associations president says one problem with implementing the order is infrastructure. Guest: Brian Maas, President, California New Car Dealers Association New CSU Chancellor Faces Big Challenges The California State University System is the country’s largest four year public university system, with 23 campuses and about 480,000 students. This mammoth system now has a ne