Kqeds The California Report

California's Finances Will Take A major Hit From Coronavirus It’s too early to tell just how hard the COVID-19 pandemic will hit California’s finances. The state official in charge of signing the checks issued by California is keeping a close eye on the revenues coming into the state’s coffers. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Governor Newsom May Open Schools This Summer Concerned about California students’ falling behind academically, Governor Gavin Newsom says some schools could open in late July or early August. But they will need to adopt social distancing protocol. Reporter: Julia McEvoy Fresno City Officials Call For And End To Shelter-In-Place Even as the San Francisco Bay Area hunkers down for another month of sheltering in place, some Central Valley elected officials are saying it’s time non essential businesses there are allowed to reopen. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED New Study Finds Harmful Indoor Pollution From Gas Appliances UCLA is out with a new study about the emissions gas appliances rele

Emergency Room Doctors Have Coronavirus Homework Turns out it’s not just the risk of infection and the long hours that makes being an hospital Emergency Room staffer draining right now. Treating COVID-19 comes with homework. Once doctors finish their shifts, they still have to try and catch up on the latest coronavirus research. Following the latest medical literature about coronavirus is exhausting and, sometimes, discouraging. Guest: Clay Josephy, emergency medicine doctor in South Lake Tahoe NASA Scientists Build a Better Ventilator Months into this pandemic, there remains a national shortage of ventilators. Well, a team of engineers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena is figuring out how to build more -- and fast. Reporter: Jerome Campbell, KCRW Student Volunteers Help at Monterey's Public Health Lab Monterey County’s Public Health Laboratory has increased its COVID-19 testing capacity seven-fold over the last 5 weeks thanks to one graduate student who offered to help, after hearing a s

The Feds' Help for Small Businesses: Did California Get a Fair Share? We’ve been hearing growing calls from elected officials for a phased, responsible re-opening of California, just parts of it, for now. They’re coming from the conservative northern parts of the state, and in San Luis Obispo County along the Central Coast. These politicians are asking Governor Gavin Newsom to sign off on a gradual reopening. Guest: Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, San Luis Obispo Yurok Tribe Avoids Outbreak So Far In some places across the country, Native Americans have been hit incredibly hard by the coronavirus. But California tribes seem to have averted that catastrophe so far. We checked in on how the Yurok in Northern California are working to keep their community safe. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED The Feds' Help for Small Businesses: Did California Get a Fair Share? California got the more PPP dollars than any other state in Round 1 of the program. But when ranked by the proportion of small businesses who got help

Nursing Home Workers' Union Calls for Better PPE In the community of Yucaipa in San Bernardino County, 20 people have died from coronavirus — 18 of them from a single skilled nursing facility. At Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation, more than a hundred staff and residents have also tested positive for COVID-19. It’s just one startling example of how the coronavirus has ravaged such facilities, their residents and the people who work at them. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics Editor Call the Midwife: Birth Is Different During the Pandemic In this pandemic, we’ve been checking in with healthcare workers… and today we’ll hear from a midwife. Some pregnant mothers who want to avoid hospitals during the pandemic are turning to freestanding birth centers — these facilities offer midwife care in a homelike environment. Last month, Pacifica Family Maternity Center in Berkeley received three times as many inquiries as usual. Guest: Jessamyn Meyerhoff, Berkeley midwife Muslims Gather for Virtual Iftars Dur

Gov. Newsom Talks Coronavirus Testing Governor Gavin Newsom says California is making big strides in its push to ramp up COVID-19 testing, but he isn’t committing to a date for reopening the state just yet. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Worker Tests Positive at Foster Farms Plant Employees at a Foster Farms plant in the Central Valley are worried about their health… now that one of their coworkers has tested positive for COVID-19. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED DACA Students Lose Out on Aid Undocumented college students dealing with campus closures won’t be getting any emergency help from the federal government because of the coronavirus pandemic. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Health Clinics Struggle Without Patients Non-profit community clinics and health centers care for people regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. But during this pandemic, many clinics across California are struggling to keep their doors open. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Coffeehouse Owner Plans f

First Known Coronavirus Death Weeks Earlier Than Previously Thought The first confirmed deaths from the novel coronavirus in the United States look like they took place in Santa Clara County, more than a month earlier than initially thought and reported. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED PG&E's CEO Steps Down The CEO of embattled utility Pacific Gas and Electric is stepping down. The utility's plan for leaving bankruptcy has been approved and will allow it to tap a state insurance fund in case of future fires. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Governor Newsom Warns Against Re-opening State Golf courses, beaches and parks are opening again as some California cities and counties begin to ease stay-at-home orders put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But Governor Gavin says the number of positive tests, hospitalizations, and deaths have actually ticked up, not down. New Poll Illuminates Coronavirus Concerns With the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths still climbing, a new poll finds many Californi

Research Shows More People Had Coronavirus Than Previously Thought What if far more people are infected with coronavirus than previously thought? A preliminary study that tested more than 800 adults in L.A. County for COVID-19 antibodies suggests that’s the case. Those antibodies indicate someone’s been exposed to the virus. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Legislators Want More Oversight of Pandemic Spending In a legislative hearing yesterday, members of both parties said they wanted more oversight over how Governor Newsom is responding to the pandemic, especially when it comes to how money is being spent, like a recent deal to buy millions of masks from China. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics City Officials Watch Dwindling Tax Revenues As tax revenues dwindle because of the business shutdown, the state’s largest cities are getting financial help from the federal government through the CARES Act. But smaller cities, at least for now, are on their own. So what’s like to run a smaller city during the pan

Cities and Counties Brace for Budget Cuts Due to Coronavirus Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti gave a sobering warning in his State of teh City address Sunday. Because of cratering municipal revenue during the coronavirus shutdown, the city plans to enact furlough days for thousands of employees and make painful cuts to municipal services. L.A. is just the biggest example of how California’s 482 cities and towns are wrestling with the consequences of the pandemic on their budgets. Guest: Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director, League of California Cities California Prisons Try to Keep Inmates Coronavirus-Free The first California inmate has died from health complications related to COVID-19. He was incarcerated at the California Institution for Men in San Bernardino. That comes after a federal judge denied an emergency motion that would have forced state prison officials to reduce the state’s prison population by thousands to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The judge wants to see first if changing up prison

Newsom: Food Workers To Get Paid Sick Leave Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that food workers in California will get two weeks of paid sick leave to help them deal with the outbreak of COVID 19. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Safeway Reports COVID-19 Outbreak at Warehouse In San Joaquin County, a worker at a grocery distribution center belonging to Safeway has died of COVID-19. The grocery chain also confirms that several other workers at that same warehouse have also tested positive. Reporter: Haley Gray Megadrought Conditions Have Returned to the West, Scientists Say There’s new research that shows climate change is pushing California and much of the American West into a drought like we haven’t experienced in centuries. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Science Chief Worries About Pandemic's Effect on Firefighting Efforts After the record blazes Californians have lived through these last few years, firefighters now have to factor in the COVID-19 outbreak as they plan for the coming fire season. Gu

Newsom To Provide Disaster Relief for Undocumented Immigrants California will be the first state in the nation to offer COVID-19 disaster relief to undocumented immigrants. Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a fund of $125 million Wednesday, including $75 million in state money and the rest from philanthropic sources. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Uber and Lyft Aren’t Paying for Drivers’ Unemployment: You Are, Confirms Newsom Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Employment Development Department are giving Uber, Lyft and other gig companies what they hoped for: unemployment coverage for drivers paid by federal taxpayers through the CARES act, instead of state unemployment funds. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Federal Prison in Lompoc Struggling to Contain Outbreak The U-S Bureau of Prisons is scrambling to control the coronavirus at several of its institutions, with the largest outbreak now at a federal prison in Santa Barbara County. Officials are planning to establish a temporary hospital at the prison to treat

CA Won't Go Back To 'Normal' Anytime Soon Governor Gavin Newsom is laying out a road map for what the easing of California’s coronavirus lockdown might look like. At his daily briefing on the state’s approach towards managing the pandemic, he ruled out a return to the way things were just a month ago. Reporter: Guy Marzaroti, KQED Bailout For Airports As Passenger Numbers Plummet Airports around California have taken a huge hit as the coronavirus crisis has all but shut down air travel. They’re about to get some help thanks to the federal government’s recently passed two-trillion-dollar relief package. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED What Does The Coronavirus Mean For California Real Estate? There is no industry in California that hasn’t been touched by the coronavirus pandemic including residential real estate. Some of the hottest housing markets in the state are reeling from the shock, but this doesn't necessarily mean lower housing prices. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED L.A. Rolls Out Stricter Guidelines

Newsom To Work With Neighboring Governors to Reopen States At a time when President Donald Trump is claiming “total” authority over how states will reopen following the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to outline his own plan to get California moving again. Newsom says he’s coordinating with the governors of Oregon and Washington. He says they’ve agreed to a framework that lets science guide their decisions. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Census Bureau Wants More Time to Complete Count The Census Bureau is trying to cope with disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s asking Congress for four extra months to complete the 2020 count, but that raises concerns about accuracy. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Insurance Companies Must Provide Refunds California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered insurance companies to provide refunds to customers for March, April, and possibly May, if the shelter-in-place directive is extended. Reporter: Alice Woelfle,

Amid Pandemic, State Releases Thousands of Prisoners — But Will They Have Support at Home? Thousands of nonviolent inmates are being released from California’s prisons and jails as the state grapples with the pandemic. Advocates are worried about the fate of those men and women once they’re out. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Politics Families of Patients in State's Mental Health Hospitals Worry State mental hospitals face similar challenges. Families of patients worried that their loved ones aren't able to practice physical distancing inside. Reporter: Lee Romney, KALW Essential Fishing Industry Seeks Silver Lining to Coronavirus Commercial fishermen and women on the Central Coast are among the many who could use some clarity right now. Their salmon season is launching in just a few weeks, in early May. Even though California’s fishing industry is designated as essential, it’s biggest customers are not. Restaurants are all but shut down because of the pandemic. Some of the people who make their livings in

Hospital Chaplains Re-Imagine Their Jobs During Pandemic Most days since this pandemic started, we share the latest grim numbers: how many Californians have Covid-19, and how many have died from it. Because the coronavirus is so contagious and dangerous, many people have died in hospitals without loved ones by their sides. But there are people who provide comfort, like Sister Donna Maria Moses, a Catholic nun and the senior chaplain at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. She manages staff and volunteer chaplains of all faiths at the hospital. She described how her job has changed as we’ve learned more about the virus. Guest: Sister Donna Maria Moses, Dominican nun and Senior Chaplain, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Hotel Rooms for Healthcare Workers Treating COVID-19 Patients Health care workers battling the coronavirus could soon get free hotel stays under a program announced by Governor Newsom. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Oakland Teachers Donate Stimulus Checks to Their Students Undocumented work

Tele-Medicine Gets a Boost from Coronavirus The pandemic is changing how we interact with medical professionals. For instance, Medicare and Medicaid have expanded access to tele-health appointments for their members. This means more elderly and low-income people can now get healthcare from practitioners without visiting a clinic or hospital. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED State Cuts Deals to Provide Masks to Hospitals California has started to cut its own deals with manufacturers to dramatically increase the number of N-95 and surgical masks it can provide to hospitals and front line workers during the pandemic. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Riverside Skilled Nursing Facility Evacuated Staying in Riverside, a skilled nursing facility there that’s had an outbreak of the coronavirus has been evacuated. That after employees didn’t come to work two days in a row. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KVCR From Inside a Hospital Bracing for a Surge of COVID-19 Patients Medical centers across the state continue to

Governor Anticipates Tough Economic Times In California As California responds to the coronavirus pandemic, state and local governments are burning through enormous amounts of money. Governor Gavin Newsom says all that spending now means painful fiscal times later. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Los Angeles County Rolls Out Self-Administered COVID-19 Tests Los Angeles County has become the center of the coronavirus pandemic in California, If you live there and think you might have COVID-19 you can now get tested. Formerly, testing was largely reserved for at risk populations like the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Reporter: Kathryn Barnes, KCRW After 9-Month Pause, California Issuing Fracking Permits Again California officials are granting fracking permits again. The state had put a hold on applications for the controversial oil extraction technique last July because of growing safety and environmental concerns. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Zoom-Bombing gives rise to Zoom-Bouncers

New Rules for Courts in Coronavirus Times The California Judicial Council, which makes the rules for the state’s courts, has enacted a series of sweeping emergency rule changes to slow the spread of COVID-19 in jails and courtrooms, and ease the pressure on families who have to pay rent and mortgages. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Speaker Pelosi on the Next Coronavirus Relief Bill Congress has passed three enormous pieces of legislation to bring relief to Americans who are suffering during the pandemic. But many in and outside of Congress want to do even more, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. KQED politics editor Scott Shafter interviewed Pelosi. Guest: House Speaker and San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi Dogs Also Feel Cooped Up Under Stay-At-Home Orders Lots of Californians are feeling cooped up and stressed out due to physical distancing and being stuck at home. But there might be other members of the household whose mental state could be changing: our dogs. Some dogs are acting strangely durin

Healthcare Workers Could Lose Immigration Protections There are thousands of immigrants among the healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. But for years, the Trump Administration has tried to end the protections that allow many of these immigrants to live and work in the U.S. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Food Banks Cope With Surge in New Clients More and more Californians are losing their jobs because of the pandemic. Many are going to rely on the state’s food banks to keep their refrigerators and pantries stocked. But how ready is California’s food security safety net? The L.A. Regional Food Bank is already seeing a surge of people looking for food assistance. Reporter: Michael Flood, President, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Audio Diary: A Physician Recovers from COVID-19 We've heard a lot about health care workers who've tested positive for COVID-19. One of them is Matt Willis, a physician and the Public Health Officer of Marin County. Willis tested positive about two weeks ago

OC Hospital Using Plasma Treatment For COVID-19 In Orange County a hospital is experimenting with a way to help patients hit hard by COVID-19. They’ve successfully transferred plasma from the blood of someone who’s recovered from the illness into someone who still has it. Reporter: Alyssa Jeong Perry, KPCC Governor Announces Tax Relief For Small Businesses Nearly two million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits over the last three weeks. The state has taken in an average of 111,000 claims each day this past week. A lot of those workers are employed by small businesses which can now apply for tax relief for the year ahead. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Transit Agencies Report 90% Drops In Ridership Because of the pandemic and shelter in place orders, California's transit agencies, like L.A. Metro and BART have reported drops in upwards of 90%. In response, the agencies have reduced frequency of service, and cut operating hours for the few remaking passengers. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Califo

Street Protest in the Time of Coronavirus Shouting "No to Rent, Yes to Food!" and observing proper social distancing measures, demonstrators in Boyle Heights yesterday called on the City of L.A. to do more to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants rights activists want to see complete rent forgiveness until the coronavirus crisis is declared over. Guest: Elizabeth Blaney, Union de Vecinos Self-Employed? It's Frustrating to File for Unemployment New data put startling numbers to the insecurity so many people feel right now. In the U.S., 6 and a half million people have filed unemployment claims. As the biggest state, and the first to order residents to shelter-in-place, California had the most claims: nearly 900-thousand. But that might be just the beginning - as people struggle to navigate the process of filing. And the situation’s even more complicated for freelancers and gig workers. They were ineligible before the new coronavirus hit. But they were promised help in that $2 Trillion dollar