Kqeds The California Report

LA City Councilman Arrested in Bribery Scandal The FBI says longtime Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar shook down real estate developers looking to get projects approved for $1.5 million in bribes and campaign donations. Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW New Coronavirus Cases on the Rise in California There is a spike in reported cases of COVID-19 around the state. And it’s not entirely clear why. Health experts say there’s no real evidence that recent protests led to it. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Science State Budget Deal Includes Help for Undocumented Immigrants The new state budget brokered by the governor and Democratic legislative leaders this week.. includes two important victories for Undocumented immigrants in California. But advocates say the accommodations leave much to be desired. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics COVID-19 Spreads at San Quentin, Other State Prisons The coronavirus is spreading inside 19 correctional facilities in California. San Quentin has 407 inmates with active i

CA Sees Dramatic Rise In COVID-19 Cases California has seen 47 thousand new cases of COVID-19 in the past two weeks. That's a dramatic uptick, making up about a quarter of all known cases in California. This is just one troubling fact revealed in Governor Gavin Newsom’s press briefing Monday. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED New State Budget Proposal Relies On Federal Aid At the state capitol, the pandemic has forced lawmakers to rethink a budget that’s being pared back because of the pandemic. The governor and Legislative leaders have struck a deal to close a 54 billion dollar budget deficit caused by the pandemic. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Guards Use Pepper Spray During Protest Inside ICE Detention Center Immigrants held at Adelanto Detention Center near Riverside report that they were pepper sprayed by guards for protesting a lockdown at the facility. ICE Says the crackdown was necessary. Reporter: Elly Yu, KPCC Health Officials Resign Under Increasing Stress and Public Scrutiny The public heal

Calls for Police Reform Echo Across California This weekend, demonstrations against police brutality continued all around the state. In Los Angeles yesterday afternoon, protests had particular urgency after the recent killing of 18-year old Andres Guardado. Last week, in the city of Gardena, an LA County Sheriff’s deputy shot Guardado in the back seven times. Protesters are calling for an independent investigation. His death has added fuel to weeks of protests demanding police reform. We get an update on reform efforts from reporters from our partner stations in Sacramento and San Diego. Guests: Claire Trageser, KPBS and Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Requires Face Masks in Public Statewide In a directive issued yesterday by Governor Gavin Newsom, most Californians everywhere in the state must wear masks when in public places. It’s a response to a worrying spikes in coronavirus cases in many parts of California. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Labor Unions Shut Down West Coast Ports for Juneteenth Cargo ports up and down the West Coast are going to be pretty quiet today. That’s because workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have voted to spend the day protesting police violence and racism instead of loading and unloading ships. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED Young Black Actvists Claim Juneteenth as 'Our Independence Day' In West Oakland some teenagers are claiming Juneteenth for themselves. A group calling themselves Black Youth for the People’s Liberation will hold a rally today in Oakland. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED DACA Recipients Mobilize for Path to Citizenship Across California recipients of DACA are celebratin

Big Win for Dreamers in the Supreme Court Earlier this morning, the Trump Administration was dealt defeat by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5 to 4 decision, the justices rejected the administration’s attempt to get rid of DACA. That’s the program protecting so-called Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The decision affects about 200,000 people here in California. Guest: Kevin Johnson, Dean, UC Davis School Of Law Poway Synagogue Sues Shooter and Gun Manufacturer Victims of last year’s shooting at a synagogue in the San Diego County community of Poway are now suing the alleged shooter and the gun manufacturer that made the semi-automatic weapons used in the attack. Investigators say the attack was motivated by anti-Semitism. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS Judge Rules in Favor of Emergency Relief for Undocumented Students A federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that the Trump Administration cannot withhold pandemic-related emergency grants from undocumented college s

PG&E CEO Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Camp Fire It’s pretty extraordinary to hear the CEO of a big company plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, but it happened in a Butte County courtroom Tuesday. Pacific Gas and Electric CEO Bill Johnson entered guilty pleas again and again for the deaths of 84 people, all of them victims of the 2018 Camp Fire which was sparked by PG&E equipment near the town of Paradise. As Coronavirus Spreads in Prisons, Non-Violent Inmates Can Get Early Release The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says it will allow for the early release of inmates who have 6 months or less left on their sentences. The non-violent offenders will have to prove they have a place to live once they’re free. Cases of COVID-19 inside California prisons continue to balloon. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED Developments in Case of Black Man Found Hanging in Palmdale The family of Robert Fuller, the 24-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale, says they

UC Endorses Return to Affirmative Action in Admissions, Hiring UC Regents have voted to endorse reversing their past position and repealing Prop 209. That would once again allow the UC system to use affirmative action again in admissions and hiring. Legislature Passes a Budget, But Much Is Still Up-in-the-Air The State Legislature passed a budget yesterday, but that does not mean the spending discussion is over... especially in a year when California is grappling with a pandemic and the economic toll it’s taken on state finances. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Newsom: California Is Ready for Spike in Coronavirus Cases As California continues to reopen, the number of COVID-19 cases in California is steadily increasing. But Governor Gavin Newsom says the state is well-prepared for a possible future spike. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics LA's City Council Discusses De-Funding the LAPD In the wake of police abuse cases, cities and counties across California are facing mounting public pressure to

Supreme Court Won't Take Up California's Sanctuary Law Case This morning the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Trump Administration’s challenge to California’s so called “sanctuary state” law. That leaves in place state rules that prohibit local California law enforcement from helping federal immigration authorities apprehend and deport people in the country illegally. Guest: Prof. Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School Protests Erupt in Palmdale and Victorville Over Two Black Men Found Hanging Amid the ongoing protests for racial justice, two Black men have been found dead, hanging from trees in desert cities outside of Los Angeles. Reporter: Cerise Castle, KCRW Should I Get Tested? And When? Mass protests and the loosening of shelter-at-home orders are bringing more people together. Public health officials recommend getting tested for COVID-19 if you think you’ve been exposed. But doctors say it’s important to know when to get a test and to understand what the results mean. Reporter: Peter Arcuni, K

Los Angeles County Reopens Gyms, Museums, Pools, And More Today is a big day for LA county. It's set to start letting a lot of places reopen for the first time since coronavirus closure orders were issued in March. Museums, Gyms, zoos and and public pools are now allowed to do business again, and the county is allowing film and television production to restart. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Sacramento School Officials Seek Out Hard-To-Reach Students This summer, educators are taking stock of just how dramatically COVID-19 has changed how kids learn. More than 1600 students in Sacramento lost touch with their public schools when the city district closed classrooms in March. Officials have had to find ways to reconnect with kids who are the hardest to reach. Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio What Will Schools Look Like When They Reopen This Fall? Superintendents around the state are grappling with how to reopen schools safely. They’re figuring out how to keep kids learning, while getting a crash course

New State Bill Would Bring Back Affirmative Action California’s Assembly has advanced a possible constitutional amendment that would once again allow affirmative action in the state. The measure, ACA 5, would repeal a current section of the California Constitution written in the 1990’s. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Janet Napolitano Fights To Protect DACA The Supreme Court will soon make a decision on whether so-called "Dreamers" can stay in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Janet Napolitano created DACA as Homeland Security Secretary under President Obama. And in her current role as President of the University of California, has taken the lead in the fight over whether DACA is legal. Guest: Janet Napolitano, University Of California President 28,000 Californians Face Deportation If Temporary Protected Status Ends. An estimated 28,000 essential workers in California could be at risk of deportation if the courts allow President Donald Trump to end humanitarian protections call

Coronavirus Cases Spike in Some Parts of State As California moves to reopen bars, gyms and other businesses on Friday, some areas are seeing their coronavirus numbers spike. Hospitalizations in Sacramento have quadrupled in the past two weeks. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Orange County's Public Health Direct Resigns Scientists say masks protect those around you and help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But in Orange County, the debate has grown so intense that the county’s public health director has resigned. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report co-Host Former Cop Turned State Politician Wants to Ban Certain Police Chokeholds Democratic state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would outlaw police from using certain holds to restrain people. Assembly Bill 1196 bans chokeholds that halt blood from flowing to someone’s brain, including the carotid restraint that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis. Assemblyman Mike Gipson, a former police officer from Carson, authored the bill. Gues

California Reacts to Calls to "Defund the Police" There’s a growing movement calling on governments to “defund the police,” as nationwide protests continue over the killing of George Floyd. It’s a provocative idea. But what exactly these kind of long overdue police reforms might look like in real life? Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Mayors: Some Promise to Reallocate Police Funding, Others Balk Some mayors are resisting calls to reallocate police funding, saying it’s not realistic. The city of San Jose released its budget just yesterday. And the mayor there says defunding urban police departments is "the wrong idea at the worst possible time." Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED "Defund the Police": Just a Slogan Or An Opportunity? Police unions will stand in opposition to many of the reforms that are being proposed in this moment. But what about the officials who run those departments? We wanted to know if there's appetite for change at the top. Guest: Prof. David Kennedy, director of the National Network

Black and Tired in an American Newsroom We have a saying in the news business: report the story, don't become it. And yet, during this difficult year, it's hard to find anyone whose life hasn’t been affected in some way by the news, including the unrest that we've seen in recent weeks. Austin Cross is a producer and reporter at our partner station KPCC in Los Angeles. As he explained in an article on the website LAist, it can be challenging to separate yourself from some stories when the ones getting hurt look like you. Reporter: Austin Cross, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curfews Are Lifted As Protests Continue Across California cities and counties, that had curfews in place, started lifting them. Authorities felt that was safe to do because of a noticeable cooling of anger on the streets. Protesters marching against police violence and racism increasingly emphasized a message of non-violence and dialogue over confrontation. Governor Proposes Help For Businesses Damaged During Protests This week’s protests across California against police brutality have been overwhelmingly peaceful. But for businesses that did suffer vandalism, break-ins and ransacking…. Governor Gavin Newsom wants to offer financial help. At a press conference in Stockton yesterday, he said that aid should come in a variety of ways. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED SCOTUS To Decide The Fate Of DACA This Month The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on whether the Trump administration can end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals --or DACA. The program protects nearly 200,000 Californians from de

Governor Issues Pandemic Voting Guidelines California counties must hold three days of in-person early voting before the November election. It’s one of several guidelines set out in an executive order issued Wednesday by Governor Gavin Newsom to address concerns of holding an election during a pandemic. Reporter: Tara Siler, KQED New State Budget Leaves Many Questions Unanswered As California wrestles with the costs of the coronavirus pandemic, leaders in the state legislature have struck a deal on a framework for a new state budget. But this new budget leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Wildfire Survivors Question PG&E Settlement Vote PG&E is close to getting out of bankruptcy. A few weeks back, survivors of several fires caused by PG&E equipment voted on a settlement. But a KQED investigation has revealed that many ballots arrived several weeks after PG&E claims they were mailed out. Now, there are calls for an audit of the vote. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Protestors

No Show of Force from Police During Oakland Protests, Despite Curfew Last night was different in Oakland. For the first time since protests started there last week, there were no flash-bang grenades, no teargas and no arrests. And protests throughout the Bay Area over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police were calmer, too. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Anti-Police Violence Protests Stay Mostly Peaceful in L.A. Really big, multi-racial protests against police violence and racism stayed mostly peaceful across the state Tuesday. Though there were confrontations here and there.Here in L.A. protesters marched in Hollywood and downtown..and things stayed civil. Guest: Pastor Winfred Bell, Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church Protesters Grateful When Police 'Take a Knee' Protesters are challenging police officers to "take a knee" to show respect for the march’s message: an end to police violence and institutional racism. Is it meaningful or purely symbolic? Guest: John Bernard, protester Do Curf

LA Mostly Peaceful Protests Move Into San Fernando Valley Last night, there were more protests against racial injustice and police abuse across the state. Many cities and counties imposed curfews on residents. The footprint of the protests also continued to expand. For the first time since the demonstrations began, large protests were held in LA’s San Fernando Valley, home to roughly 2 million people. Reporter: Ben Gottlieb, KCRW Organizers Worried About Risk of Catching Coronavirus While Protesting Health professionals who are worried about the hazards of demonstrating during a pandemic. Organizers, like Cat Brooks with Oakland's Anti-Police Terror Project, are taking precautions. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Progressive Prosecutors Want to Limit Political Donations from Police Unions In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, a coalition of California prosecutors is pushing for a new ethics rule to limit law enforcement’s political influence. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED San Diego Bans Controve

Outrage Over Police Violence Erupts Across California Over the weekend, thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across the state to express anger and pain. The immediate spark was George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police, as well as other acts of violence against people of color by law enforcement. But in many cities—Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and even suburban Huntington Beach and Walnut Creek—violence clouded that message of justice. Guest: Charlotte Smith, Oakland hair salon owner Mayors Ask for Calm, Impose Curfews Mayor Eric Garcetti made an appeal to not let violent individuals hijack the protests’ message about racial injustice. Audio Postcard from Fresno Voices from the Fresno protest, as organizers struggled to keep out interlopers and maintain a peaceful demonstration. Producer: Alex Hall, KQED Michael Tubbs: On Leading Stockton and His Hopes for a Better World for His Son Mayor Michael Tubbs says the protests are an "expression of nihilism

Long Beach Restaurants Hope Closing Streets to Cars Will Help Business Few industries have been hit harder by the COVID-19 outbreak than the hospitality business. A recent state tally shows that 900,000 jobs have been lost in California alone. As the state continues to reopen, cities and counties are exploring ways that restaurants can serve customers again in person, including shutting down streets to cars. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW California's Cap-and-Trade Auction Didn't Raise Much Money Every three months, our state auctions off what are known as "cap and trade" credits. It’s a way of raising money that the state can then turn around and spend on environmental programs. But the action held this month? It didn’t make much money. It’s more coronavirus fallout. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Science Dentists Reopen With Many Changes To Protect Workers and Patients Are you overdue for a dental cleaning? Dentistry looks a lot different in the age of COVID-19. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Science Le

OC Sheriff Won't Enforce Mask Order As much of California reopens, elected officials in Orange County are doing so while disregarding the orders of their own public health department to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Sheriff there says he will NOT enforce a new countywide order requiring people to wear face coverings in public. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Key Testing Milestone: CVS Pharmacies to Offer Tests to Uninsured More than a hundred CVS pharmacies in California now offer coronavirus testing even to the uninsured. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science OC Assemblyman Loses Committee Seats After Harassment Investigation In Sacramento, an embattled Orange County Assemblyman has been stripped of his committee memberships after a sexual harassment investigation. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Schools Consider Policies for Fall Several Bay Area school districts are considering temperature checks for students and staff, that’s “if” they reopen physical campuses at the start of the new s