KQED's The California Report

On the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris often talks about standing up for voters. One of her biggest tests of this promise came more than a decade ago, during the peak of the subprime mortgage crisis. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Riverside’s city council struck down a proposal by the city attorney and police department to prohibit items that could be used as weapons during protests. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the race for control of Congress, all eyes are on California. Election analysts see more competitive contests for the House of Representatives here than in any other state. One of those is the 47th District in Orange County, where Democrat Dave Min is taking on Republican Scott Baugh. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED State workplace regulators have fined a farm labor contractor near Sacramento more than $17,000 for serious heat safety violations. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent hot weather has brought attention to schools, and how many of them lack air conditioning and other infrastructure to keep kids safe. The issue is even more crucial at child care centers because young kids have a harder time adapting. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Smoggy air has plagued California cities during this recent heat wave. And new research shows that pollution may affect children’s brains. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Spending more time on screens increases the likelihood that 9-and 10-year-olds will develop symptoms of mental illness. That's according to a new study out this week from UC San Francisco. Reporter: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been one year since Hamas-led militant groups launched attacks on Israel, killing more than 1200 Israelis and taking more than 200 people hostage. Many of those hostages have still not been released. And more than 41,500 people in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli bombardment according to Palestinian health officials, with a ceasefire still nowhere in sight. The war in the Middle East has also led to growing tensions here in the US. An LA-based organization is working to ease the tensions between the two communities. Guests: Ben Ginsburg and Tasneem Noor, NewGround The state Department of Public Health is investigating a possible third human case of bird flu in the Central Valley. The first two confirmed human cases were in Tulare County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of foster children in the state are at risk of being moved from their homes. That’s after a major insurer for foster family agencies says it will no longer cover these organizations, starting this month. These agencies recruit and oversee foster parents, and without insurance, they can’t operate. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist California needs to do more to contain bird flu on dairy cattle ranches. That's what one infectious disease expert says, as state health officials investigate the first two confirmed human cases of bird flu in the state. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Draft One is software that uses basically the same AI as Chat GPT. In seconds it generates the narrative for a police officer's report by analyzing the transcript of their bodycam audio. East Palo Alto is among a handful of cities across the state including Fresno, San Mateo, Campbell and Bishop that have started testing or using the program. But some experts are questioning its accuracy. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED Flood officials are strengthening a levee system in Monterey County that burst during a storm last year, flooding nearly 300 homes in Pajaro. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED The largest dam removal project in U.S. history was completed Wednesday on the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CARE Court turns one this week. When it rolled out last year in eight California counties, the program took aim at one of the state’s most pressing challenges -- how to treat people whose illness often makes them believe they are not sick, particularly those who, left untreated, move between jail, hospitals and homelessness. So how's it going? Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED The Line Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains flared up over the weekend, forcing more evacuations in areas south of Big Bear Lake. On Tuesday, prosecutors gave details about how they believe the fire was started. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Tuesday is the second day of a strike by thousands of dockworkers on the East and Gulf coasts. And so far, there hasn't been a huge impact at two major ports on the West Coast, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Oakland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Borel Fire was the largest wildfire in Kern County’s history. It tore through 60,000 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada and consumed the historic town of Havilah earlier this summer. State crews have only just begun cleanup efforts as those displaced reckon with the devastation. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing a Eureka hospital for denying a patient a needed abortion. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the highest profile measures on California's November ballot is Proposition 36. If passed, it would roll back criminal justice reforms approved by voters ten years ago to reduce incarceration rates and increase punishments for certain drug and theft crimes like carjacking, burglary and shoplifting. Supporters say Prop 36 needs to pass because of increases in some property crimes and growing public anxiety over retail theft. But what does a person who once committed those kinds of offenses think about the measure? Guest: Robyn Williams, LA Resident New CDC data show how important COVID vaccines are during pregnancy. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KFF Health News A new poll finds a majority of California voters support two bond measures on the November ballot. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Haitian community group filed a criminal complaint this week in Ohio over former president Donald Trump’s false claims that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs. The same group helps Haitian immigrants along California’s border, and says Trump’s accusations are reverberating there too. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A bill designed to help Black families reclaim land taken by the government, or get compensation for it, has been vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 26, 2024… The FBI is investigating an explosion that took place the lobby of the superior court complex Wednesday morning in Santa Maria, California. Five people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries, and people living or working several blocks around the court complex were evacuated. A suspect has been taken into custody. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez / The California Report As outer space becomes more accessible and more commercial, more people are choosing to launch their cremated ashes into the cosmos. Reporter: Kerry Klein / KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 25, 2024… Mexican drug cartels are recruiting San Diegans to smuggle fentanyl into the United States. Prosecutors are worried about teenagers getting caught up in the cross-border drug trade. Gustavo Solis / KPBS Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will remove debt owed to a medical office or hospital from Californian's credit reports. Ana Ibarra / CalMatters Invitation Homes, a massive corporate landlord, has agreed to pay $48 million to settle a lawsuit with the Federal Trades commission. The FTC alleges Invitation Homes charged tenants junk fees, and withheld security deposits. Adhiti Bandlamudi / KQED Hotel workers in Hawaii's largest resort are joining thousands of others striking hotels in California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 23, 2024… In January of 2025 the Los Angeles Unified School District will ban cellphones on campus. More California school districts will follow suit, as Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Monday that will require districts to restrict phones on campus. It’s part of a growing movement to help students improve academically, socially and emotionally. But one school has a cell phone ban already in place... and the students seem to be thriving. At least 18 cities and counties across California have put in place new bans on homeless encampments since the Supreme Court in June gave them more power to do so. One of those cities is Fresno. California is suing ExxonMobil for an alleged "campaign of deception" around the true impact of plastic recycling. What One CA School Learned When They Banned Cell Phones Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill this week that will direct schools to create policies to restrict student cell phone use. But at Marina Del Rey Middle School in Los Angeles, cell phones have already been banned. There, Principal Sidra Dudley requires students to power off their phones each morning, then enclose them in neoprene pouches secured by a magnetic lock, created for that purpose by a company called Yondr. The pouches stay locked throughout the day.. Six months after the school implemented the ban, the Los Angeles Unified School District followed suit. With a 5-2 majority, the school board passed a resolution forbidding cellphones in all public schools. Students at Marina Del Rey Middle School say this ban has made them less distracted in class. And teachers say test scores are improving. Fresno Rolls out Plans for Homeless Ban Fresno city leaders on Monday laid out plans for enforcing one of the state’s harshest crackdowns on homeless encampments, which bans public camping anywhere, anytime. Since the Supreme Court in June empowered cities to crack down on homeless encampments, and Gov. Gavin Newsom seized on the opening to push for ramped-up sweeps, at least 18 jurisdictions around the state have put in place new camping bans — the most of any state, according to a tally maintained by the National Homelessness Law Center. CA Sues ExxonMobil California is suing ExxonMobil for an alleged "campaign of deception" around the true impact of plastic recycling. The lawsuit was filed by The California Department of Justice on Monday. The lawsuit alleges that Exxon knowingly misled Californians by promoting all plastic as recyclable. The company is the world’s largest producer of fossil fuel materials that are used to make single-use plastics. The lawsuit is seeking billions of dollars. This comes at a time when California Environmental groups, including Sierra Club and Baykeeper, have also announced a separate lawsuit against ExxonMobil over the same issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is home to most of the country’s fruits and nuts, like avocados and almonds. But climate change means hotter temperatures and increased drought for the state, making it harder to grow those crops. That’s pushing farmers to seek alternative crops that don’t need as much water, like agave. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio It was a busy weekend for Governor Newsom, who signed and vetoed dozens of bills on his desk. He approved several bills aimed at helping aging Californians, and also vetoed legislation that would have required public universities to hire undocumented students for campus jobs. Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Californians serving jail time are legally eligible to vote, but many don’t know it, according to advocates and inmates themselves. Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Protesters disrupted a University of California Board of Regents meeting Thursday, where university leaders approved requests from campus police departments to purchase military equipment and weapons. Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani blasted three home runs and stole two bases during the team's 20-4 win on Thursday. He became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More students in the San Joaquin Valley are graduating high school not just with a diploma, but also with an associate’s degree. Taking college classes while still in high school can help them finish college and accelerate their careers. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Women and people of color are still among the lowest-paid workers in California. That’s according to a new report released on International Equal Pay Day. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Five UC campuses are hoping to bolster their police forces with the purchase of more military and surveillance equipment. That includes drones, pepper powder and less-lethal firearms, also known as “anti-riot guns.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few years ago, two companies, one nonprofit, one for profit, received more than $100 million in taxpayer dollars to quickly house homeless people in California. It was part of Governor Gavin Newsom's Project Homekey, which turned hotels into shelters for unhoused people. But little has come from the partnership. Guest: Anna Scott, Reporter, The California Newsroom The man accused of starting the Line Fire in San Bernardino County pleaded not guilty to arson charges on Tuesday. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR California's Surgeon General introduced a new initiative Tuesday that aims to cut the state's maternal mortality rate by 50% in two years. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Babies and toddlers are removed from their homes and placed in the child welfare system far more than older kids. It’s a traumatic experience that takes place during a pivotal period of development. A judge in Compton is transforming the way she handles cases involving kids under three, by supporting their parents so they can better care for their babies. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED State energy officials warn Californians will soon see higher gas prices during another annual cost spike. It comes as the legislature prepares to hold hearings on gas prices this week. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Animation Guild, which represents thousands of animation artists, writers and technicians, is restarting negotiations with Hollywood studios on Monday. Hollywood’s been churning out animated hits since the 1930’s. And since this heyday certain jobs have been dominated by women. There's now growing evidence that a historical gender bias could be the reason for an existing pay gap. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than two dozen bills into law over the weekend, and vetoed six others. Reporter: Nik Altenberg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats and Republicans are using immigration as a political flashpoint, as we approach election day in November. Meanwhile, California has been on the front lines of the issue for decades, and it has taken some unique approaches to help those that have made the journey to make the Golden State their new home. Police have arrested a man they suspect started the Line Fire that's currently burning in the mountains of San Bernardino. Officials say that 34-year-old Justin Wayne Halstenberg of Norco ignited the fire on September 5th in Highland near Baseline Road. Prosecutors say he tried to set to other fires that same day. Meanwhile, crews in Southern California are continuing to battle the Airport Fire, which is now burning in both Orange and Riverside Counties. Since igniting on Monday, the wildfire has scorched more than 23,000 acres. It's only 8% contained as of this morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices