Kqeds The California Report

Governor Newsom Says You Can Now Get A Haircut Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that California counties can now allow barbershops and hair salons to re-open with precautions. It’s the latest example of Newsom turning over the keys to reopening to local officials. Reporter: Guy Marzaroti, KQED Prison Officials Ask Governor For Help With Outbreak Avenal State prison in Kings County now has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state corrections system: 198. Kings County is reaching out to Governor Gavin Newsom for help. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KVPR Mental Health Workers Step Up To Support Frontline Colleagues Mental Health experts are worried about the psychological toll the pandemic is taking on doctors, nurses, paramedics and other first responders. Mental health workers are now participating in a new volunteer effort to support these frontline workers. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Private Spacecraft Leaves For International Space Station Wednesday NASA is scheduled to sen

A Look at Coronavirus Outbreaks at Prisons around California Protesters gathered over the weekend outside a federal prison facility in Lompoc, home to the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the entire federal prison system with 900 inmates testing positive and 2 deaths so far. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW Assembly to Discuss State Budget and Take Back Control from Newsom Today at the State Capitol, the Assembly is meeting as what’s known "a Committee of the Whole." That means the Assembly will talk about a topic without having to take a vote. That topic, no surprise, is the sad state of California’s budget during the state shutdown. And it comes against the backdrop of a restless legislature that’s ceded quite a bit of power to Governor Gavin Newsom during this emergency and is ready to take some control. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics California Could Lose a Seat in Congress Despite some COVID-19 related delays, the census is still underway. Next year that data will determine how many representatives in C

SF General Nurse Who Served in Afghanistan Reflect on Caring for COVID-19 Patients The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to find new tools to cope with this unprecedented crisis. Perhaps no group has been affected more than first responders working at hospitals throughout the state. We spoke with a registered nurse at San Francisco General Hospital who served in the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 who says he's using lessons from his military service more than ever right now. Guest: Adam Visher, RN and Army veteran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unemployment in California Climbs to 15% There are new unemployment figures out this morning from the U.S. Department of Labor showing unemployment in California in April climbed to 15.5 %. But for a lot of people who are newly jobless, filing for unemployment benefits has been difficult because of the crush of applications. State elected officials also expressed frustration at a legislative hearing yesterday. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio UC Admissions Won't Require Standardized Tests Anymore The University of California Regents voted unanimously to phase out SAT and ACT test scores as admissions requirements. The standardized tests have long been criticized for creating barriers to higher education for less privileged high school students. Guest: Education Professor Frances Contreras, UC San Diego More Questions Than Answers About Reopening Schools California’s superintendent of public instruction says most districts plan to open on time this fall. Tony Thurmond hosted a statewide meeting yesterda

Pastors Want To Resume In-Person Religious Services More than 1,200 California pastors are vowing to hold religious services on May 31st, Pentecost Sunday. That would be in defiance of a state moratorium on religious services put into place to help halt the spread of the coronavirus. One pastor explains what it's like to shut down his house of worship at a time when people's needs, both spiritual and practical, are so great. Guest: Pastor Robert Chavez of Victory Outreach Church Film and TV Production To Resume, But Probably Far from Hollywood Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s "drafting" guidelines and standards so television and film projects can resume production as California emerges from the pandemic shutdown. But Los Angeles County likely won’t meet those standards at first, so Hollywood still won’t be able to shoot in Hollywood. Reporter: Shannon Lin, KQED Watchdogs: Cuts to Senior Services Could Endanger Elderly, Disabled Nursing home watchdogs say proposed cuts to programs serving the elderly and t

U.S. Justice Department Warns State Not To Violate Religious Freedoms Are measures put into place to protect Californians from the coronavirus also stepping on religious freedoms? In a letter sent to Governor Gavin Newsom, the U.S. Justice Department warns that keeping houses of worship closed might violate constitutional rights. Over One Million Undocumented Californians Seek Financial Relief This is the first week undocumented Californians hit hard by the pandemic can apply for state financial relief. The response has been overwhelming. Just two of the dozen nonprofits the state selected to screen applicants say they got 1.3 million calls on the first day. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED UC Regents Consider Cuts The financial toll of the pandemic is coming into focus for the University of California system. As UC Regents meet to discuss the issues this week, advocates are making a case against cuts. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED California Lawmakers Consider Making Housing a 'Right' Califo

Newsom Changes Qualifications for Next Phase of Reopening The vast majority of counties in the Golden State can start easing pandemic restrictions and reopening their economies, says Governor Gavin Newsom. This despite the fact that there are more than 80,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in the Golden State and more than 3,200 Californians have died from COVID-19. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Legislators Ready to Reassert Power in Sacramento Since the pandemic started and the state shut down, Governor Newsom has wielded an enormous amount of power. But the legislature is now back in session and at a state Senate hearing Monday, lawmakers seemed ready to reassert themselves as budget negotiations get underway. These discussions are going to be tough because of the need to make up for a huge drop in tax revenue. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Barbershops and Nail Salons Worry They Can't Last Until Reopening Maybe you can’t wait to get back to your favorite barber or nail salon. But it may still be a while

Undocumented Californians Get Access to Financial Help Starting Monday, undocumented Californians affected by the pandemic can get financial assistance through a 125 million dollar fund set up by the state and philanthropic groups. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Hospitals Ask for State Funds for Fall COVID-19 Wave California hospitals are disappointed that Governor Gavin Newsom’s new state spending proposal doesn’t include any financial support for them. The hospitals say without more help, they won’t be ready for a possible second wave of COVID-19 this fall. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio Maternal Mental Health Program Cuts Coming Psychologists are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could soon be followed by a mental health crisis. But the governor is proposing making cuts to funding for mental health services for new moms. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Coping with COVID-19 on Atlantic Boulevard: From Hip Hop Clothing to Face Masks From time to time, we're checking in with people along L

Coronavirus Pandemic Decimates State Budget State lawmakers there are looking at painful cuts to the state budget. Governor Gavin Newsom has projected a somber picture in his revised budget proposal for the state post-coronavirus. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics California's Schools Face Deep Budget Cuts Just as schools across the state gear up to reopen, they’re facing deep budget cuts. Governor Newsom is asking legislators to approve some adjustments to soften the blow. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Less Money for Housing for Homeless in Revised Budget An ambitious plan to invest more than 1 billion dollars from the general fund to tackle homelessness. It’s been scrubbed from the Governor’s revised budget. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Governor's Budget Proposes Cuts to Medi-Cal In addition to the many other reductions, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced substantial cuts to Medi-Cal as part of his May revision to California’s budget. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Help for Nursing Homes in Latest

California AG Sues Federal EPA Over Regulation Relaxation California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is once again suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency.... this time for saying they'll suspend enforcement of some environmental requirements during the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED COVID-19 Hits State Women's Prison The state Department of Corrections has announced a new COVID-19 outbreak at a women's prison in San Bernardino County. The California Institution for Women has tested at least 400 inmates since last Friday, and positive cases are increasing there. Pharmacies Get Green Light to Test for COVID-19 Soon it might be as easy as stopping at a local pharmacy to find out if you have the coronavirus. The new state guidance allows tests that tell you if you have the virus or you had it in the past. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science State Attempts to Test Workers and Residents of All Nursing Homes California officials say it will take more time to test all workers

COVID-19 Outbreak Hits Turlock Nursing Home Fourteen residents of a nursing facility have died of COVID-19 in Stanislaus County, at the Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. It's one of the deadliest outbreaks at a skilled nursing facilities in Northern California. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED LA Residents Set To Shelter-in-Place Through July Los Angeles has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Yesterday, the county's 10 million residents were told they'll be sheltering in place for longer than they expected. L.A. County's public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said the stay-at-home order need to be extended because coronavirus infection rates and death rates keep rising in the county. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, Co-host, The California Report Oceanside Official Rallies Local Support to Reopen Oceanside City Councilman Christopher Rodriguez is asking local business owners to join his push to get the economy back up and running right away. Rodriguez published a letter over the

900+ Inmates Test Positive for COVID-19 at Lompoc Prison The largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the entire federal prison system is centered at the prison complex in Lompoc along California’s Central Coast. More than 900 inmates there have now tested positive for COVID-19. That’s more than three-quarters of the prison's population of inmates. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Newsom Defends Mask Deals That Fell Through Governor Gavin’s Newsom’s administration is defending several unsuccessful deals it made to buy medical masks and face shields that help protect against COVID-19. In an Assembly oversight hearing at the state Capitol Monday afternoon, officials stressed no taxpayer money was actually lost in the deals. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Oil and Gas Industry Wants Help, and Less Regulation, Amid Crisis Several weeks ago, an oil and gas group representing hundreds of companies that drill in California asked the state for help to prevent a collapse of their industry and the loss of jobs. Cali

Tourism in Southern California Expects Big Hit The coronavirus has brought the travel and hospitality industries to a standstill. People aren’t flying, hotels are empty, and bars and restaurants are barely getting by with takeout service. A forecast commissioned by the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board expects the city to lose billions of dollars and millions of visitors. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Small and Medium Cities Looking at Vast Budget Deficits Just six cities in the state expect to get a cut of a $150 billion in federal help from the CARES Act, which only applies to cities with at least half a million people qualify. What about the rest? Guest: Ben Christopher, CalMatters Sheriffs in Far Northern Reaches of State Want More Flexible Shutdown Rules Sheriffs in Northern California are pushing back against some aspects of Governor Gavin Newsom’s shelter in place orders. They argue the rules should be different for their counties, because cases of COVID-19 there make up a small portion of t

Newsom: Some Retailers Can Re-Open Nearly two months after many California businesses shut their doors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some retailers and manufacturers are re-opening… just a little bit... starting today. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Mom-and-Pop Shops Prepare to Re-Open at LA's Flower Mart Small shops prepare for a partial reopening and hope they can make enough sales to stay open. Guest: Marta Hernandez, flower shop owner Why Some People Can't Get Unemployment Benefits Millions of newly jobless people have filed for unemployment benefits since March. In California, many who’ve applied aren't getting their payments, for several reasons. One of them is something known as "false claim penalty cases." These are people who either tried to defraud the state when they filed for unemployment in the past, or just made honest mistakes when filling out complicated paperwork. Guest: Kaila Hoppe, unemployed television costumer Working Actors Find Residuals Reduce Their Unemployment Turns ou

With Revenues Down, California's Budget Outlook is Bleak Less than an hour ago, the state of California released a snapshot of what the coronavirus pandemic has done to the state’s finances. And the numbers are bad. Surging unemployment and business closures mean the state is projecting a drop of more than 25 percent in both personal income tax and sales tax revenues, and a more than 20 percent decline in corporate taxes. Mix this all together we’re looking at a $41 billion dollar drop in state revenue compared to projections in January. This comes as the state spends more on health care to deal with the pandemic. Guest: H.D. Palmer, California Department of Finance First ICE Detainee Dies of COVID-19 at Otay Mesa A sixth prisoner at the Terminal Island federal detention center in San Pedro has died from COVID-19. And more than half of the facility’s thousand inmates have tested positive for coronavirus, as well as fourteen staffers. This makes Terminal Island, which is in between the Ports of L.A and Lon

California, City Attorneys Sue Uber and Lyft Over Worker Misclassification The state of California and some cities are suing Uber and Lyft for misclassifying their drivers as contractors and denying them access to employee benefits like unemployment insurance, which is especially needed during the pandemic. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Advocates Call For Prisoner Release As Inmate Cases Grow More than 200 prisoners at California Institution for Men in San Bernardino County have tested positive for COVID-19 along with 44 staff members. One inmate has died, while four have been released. Prison officials say another 287 inmates have tests pending. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Children With Undocumented Parents Are Being Denied Federal Aid A federal law providing coronavirus emergency aid discriminates against millions of U.S. citizen kids by denying them payments because their parents are undocumented. That’s according to a class-action lawsuit on behalf of these children -- including roughly 1 million in C

Newsom Says Business Can Reopen, A Little Bit Governor Gavin Newsom announcing that the Golden State can start to reopen, at least a little bit, beginning as soon as Friday. State Finances Take Hit from Coronavirus This crisis has taken a huge bite out of state tax revenue... just as the demand for California’s social safety programs is skyrocketing. All those people in need put extra pressure on state finances. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Immigrant Activists Want Stimulus Checks for Undocumented An L.A.-based immigrant advocacy group is pushing for all immigrants to be included in economic and health recovery efforts from the pandemic. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Working Hollywood Copes with Coronavirus Shutdown Like with other industries, the coronavirus pandemic has shut down Hollywood. And that's been disastrous for all the companies that supply goods and services to film and television productions. Guest: Mikel Elliot, CEO of Quixote Studios Mariposa County's Successful Contract

State Assembly Heads Back to Work After Emergency Recess State legislators are returning to Sacramento today after leaving for an emergency recess in March because of the coronavirus crisis. Guest: Anthony Rendon, California Assembly Speaker State's First Election During Pandemic Heats Up North of LA The first election during California's COVID-19 crisis is next Tuesday. Voters north of Los Angeles in the Simi, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys are casting ballots in a special election. They’ll decide who fills a Congressional seat left vacant by the resignation of freshmen Democrat Katie Hill last October. The pandemic has re-framed the candidates' messages—and reshaped how the election will take place. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics Drive-By Protests and Outreach to Help Day Laborers Even under stay at home orders, most counties have allowed construction projects to continue, including home remodeling and landscaping. So day laborers have kept looking for the little work that remains. In Los

As Economy Stalls, California Renters Organize for Relief It’s the first of the month. Which means rent is due. But with the COVID-19 pandemic gutting parts of the economy, a lot of California renters can’t pay it. KQED’s Molly Solomon reports advocates have organized a “rent strike” in hopes of winning support for rent relief on a massive scale. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Surf's Up, But Some SoCal Beaches are Closed With clear skies and some pretty good surf forecasted this weekend, health officials are once again warning people *not* to gather at local beaches. The coast along Orange County will be CLOSED altogether—per Governor Gavin Newsom’s orders—and the beaches in LA County remain shut down as well. Neighboring regions are taking a softer approach. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW Sacramento Adjusts to New Reality of Pandemic Before this pandemic, the politicians we send to Sacramento were expected to tackle issues like homelessness, housing and PG&E’s bankruptcy. But the coronavirus has forced

PG&E 'Cheated on Maintenance,' Judge Writes — Then Orders New Probation Conditions We’ll start a San Francisco federal judge’s order to require Pacific Gas and Electric to take a series of steps to improve its safety practices and head off future disasters. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED Fire Victims Vote on PG&E Settlement, But What’s The Plan? As tens of thousands of PG&E fire victims vote on their settlement with the utility, recent court filings make it clear that key details of that plan are still being negotiated, including the timing and amount of compensation. Meanwhile, some fire survivors who are navigating this complex process without legal help say they have yet to receive ballots. Voting ends May 15. One-on-One with Erin Brockovich Activist Erin Brockovich gained fame fighting PG&E. These days, she’s a consultant for attorneys who helped negotiate PG&E’s compensation settlement with fire survivors. She fielded questions that survivors shared with The California Report about her current