KQED's The California Report

Tens of thousands of state government workers are expected to walk off the job Wednesday for a one-day strike. The issues: wages and benefits. Union-represented employees at libraries, hospitals and agencies such as Caltrans, CalFire and the Department of Motor Vehicles have never walked out of their jobs before, but leaders with the SEIU Local 1000 say they're fighting bad-faith bargaining practices from the Newsom administration. Reporter: Lynn La, Calmatters Californians will vote on Proposition 45 in November. That measure would make significant changes to the state’s landmark environmental review process. Reporter: Jake Gotta, KPBS Bakersfield is not usually a destination for big political names – except when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was still in Congress. But this year’s midterm election has changed that. California's 22nd congressional district, which covers parts of five San Joaquin Valley counties, has become one of the most hotly contested congressional seats in the country. Reporter:…

For many Californians, a mobile home is the only home they can afford. But owning comes with a catch: They still rent the land underneath and the state’s rent cap doesn’t cover them. That leaves mobile homeowners vulnerable to big rent spikes. Cities and counties can set their own limits. But across the state, only about 1 in 5 do. In the East Bay city of San Pablo, Linda Jackson is hoping her neighbors will come out to support a measure her city has on the ballot. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report California leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s actions. The Trump administration is ramping up its fight against California elections. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that 28 state residents, who it says are green-card holders not citizens, illegally registered to vote in U.S. elections. The charges are part of an escalating campaign to highlight illegal voting by immigrants, which the president says is "rampant." Attorney General Rob Bonta says true voter fraud should be…

Gas prices in California continue to be the highest in the nation. So it's no surprise that prices at the pump are a hot topic in the state’s closest elections for Congress. But the war in Iran has given California Democrats a rare opportunity to turn the tables on the issue. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED A surge in immigration arrests is underway in the Central Valley. Advocates say detained immigrants are being denied access to legal counsel, and dozens are disappearing into the detention system. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, Silicon Valley has poured money into California’s legislative races at levels far above past elections. One district where that money looms large is Assembly District 12 in Marin and Sonoma counties, where two Democrats are facing off. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against California on Thursday, aiming to block the state from counting the ballots of around 20, 000 voters. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed his 100th lawsuit against the Trump administration. It's challenging the Immigration and Customs Enforcement practice of making immigration arrests inside state courthouses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration this week is threatening to take legal action against California unless election officials verify the citizenship of some people on the state’s voter rolls. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED Report after report says a Super El Niño could slam the west coast with rain and snow. So what can skiers expect on the slopes? To help answer that question, we're joined by KQED outdoor reporter Sarah Wright, who's been talking with experts and joins us now. Reporters: Madi Bolanos, Sarah Wright Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters will soon decide who should be the next insurance commissioner. Two Democrats are in the race, former San Francisco supervisor, Jane Kim, and state Senator Ben Allen. Kim is offering the boldest out-of-the-box policy idea, a publicly run nonprofit guaranteed disaster insurance for all program. Guest, Danielle Venton, KQED California lawmakers say a surge in immigration raids in the Golden State could suppress the vote come November. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVPR An ICE officer was charged this week with felony assault in Fresno, after he attacked two residents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a small town on the fringes of the Bay Area, a former software engineer wants to create a new kind of neighborhood — one that’s built around an event center where Silicon Valley thinkers could gather and share ideas. There’d be a hotel and an amphitheater and maybe even a K-6 school. But as the project nears final approval, it’s facing a new wave of backlash from some residents who have concerns about its impact on the environment. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi A state lawmaker is calling for oversight hearings into lockdowns that were imposed at a San Diego County correctional facility during last month's intense heat wave. Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Nick Schultz says he was "gravely concerned" about the well-being of incarcerated people at the Donovan Correctional Facility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the height of the summer heat wave last month, Donovan State Prison in San Diego County went into lockdown. Several incarcerated people say officials at the prison confined them to their cells even as temperatures soared indoors. It highlights a statewide crisis and advocates and lawmakers have been sounding the alarm for years. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS More than a dozen homes in Long Beach have been red-tagged after Tropical Storm Rachel battered the Southern California Coast over the weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California now has a statewide guide for teaching about Native American history and culture. In the community of Bonsall in San Diego County, a high school teacher is weaving the curriculum into his history class. Reporter: Katie Anastas, KPBS Central Valley leaders are trying to assuage the anxieties of their constituents, who are worried about a reported ICE crackdown in the area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The USS Abraham Lincoln returns to San Diego today after an intense, months-long deployment to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier spent more than 260 days at sea without a port call, and there have been multiple reports of low morale for the crew. Guest: Andrew Dyer, KPBS reporter Chico State students rallied yesterday against sexual assault on college campuses. It's part of a nationwide outcry following rape allegations at Cornell University in New York. In the San Joaquin Valley, leaders of a faith-based nonprofit in the San Joaquin Valley announced a new initiative yesterday that trains residents to become “poll chaplains.” Rachel Livinal with The Merced FOCUS reports the “poll chaplains” aim to de-escalate tensions at polling places. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, The Merced FOCUS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Los Angeles, a new crop of cafes is taking the artisanal coffee experience to the next level. People are turning their homes into coffee speakeasies, serving specialty brews out of their kitchens and backyards. Despite - and perhaps because of their low-profile, these DIY businesses are all the buzz. Reporter: Betsy Shepherd, KCRW Researchers are calling on OpenAI to keep kids under 18 off of ChatGPT — at least for now. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED A state agency has found that Los Angeles Unified School District risks running out of money by the end of next school year. Reporter: Mariana Dale, LAist Californians will vote on Proposition 43 this November. That measure would make it harder to impose or increase local taxes. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fallen servicemember recently received a funeral with full military honors in the Tulare County community of Exeter. It was a bittersweet homecoming that many, including his family, never believed would happen. Reporter: Amaray Alvarez, KVPR The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security is continuing to buy up ICE detention facilities in California and, as of this week, now has full ownership over the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Huntington Beach is famous far beyond Southern California - as Surf City. And for its MAGA policies. All seven city council members are strong supporters of President Trump. But this year, with his poll numbers down, Democrats sense an opportunity. Reporter: Kerstin Zilm Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for governor, made a rare public appearance in Riverside on Friday. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom signed three laws this week aimed at addressing some of the most pressing safety concerns surrounding electric bicycles, as the devices’ popularity continues to rise in California. It was not long ago that the headlines about e-bikes seemed full of promise, as a replacement for gas-guzzling cars, and an affordable, flexible new mode of transportation. Now, a lot of the news is about crashes and serious injuries, often involving kids. Reporter: Jill Replogle, LAist Lyft has agreed to pay more than $272 million to settle a state lawsuit alleging it misclassified California drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees, from 2016 to 2020. A new study has found that when applying for building permits, mosques face more pushback over parking requirements than churches. Reporter: Kendra Hanna, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Democratic Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Republican commentator Steve Hilton clashed over taxes, immigration and Trump on Wednesday night in a CNN debate. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED AI researchers and safety advocates warned a U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday that AI developers are racing to build systems they don't fully understand or control. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Today we’re going to bring you the third and final segment in my investigation into the Central California Women's Facility. Yesterday, we brought you the story of Aug. 2, 2024, when correctional officers used pepper spray and chemical grenades against women locked in a dining hall at the prison. Two months after that mass use-of-force incident had nearly blinded her former cellmate… a woman named Aliksandria Prout walked into a Madera County courtroom. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August of 2024, at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, a mass use-of-force incident took place. Four women were carried away on stretchers. 13 women sued, saying the operation was retaliation for complaints of sexual abuse. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Orange County officials have declared coastal erosion along the county’s coastline an emergency. Reporter: Destiny Torres, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in August 2024, a mass use-of-force incident left dozens of women injured and traumatized at the women’s prison in Chowchilla. The incident led to an investigation into abuse at one of the largest women’s prisons. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill aimed at strengthening the pipeline of new immigration lawyers, to serve rural parts of California – where there are many immigrants, but few attorneys. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED New research on Valley fever shows that the fungal disease, endemic to parts of Central and Southern California, is not just coming from dust particles in rural areas. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters will soon start getting their ballots in the mail. County election offices have until next Monday, October 5th, to begin sending them out. Voters will have lots to decide on, including who will be the next governor, Democrat Xavier Becerra or Republican Steve Hilton. A recent poll puts Becerra in the lead by more than 25 points, and that lead is growing. But is the Democrat taking that lead for granted? Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two new safety laws after a fire at a cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood just east of downtown Los Angeles. He also signed a handful of bills this weekend meant to increase protections for reproductive care and LGBTQ+ communities, and several related to gun violence. Reporter: Samantha Kennedy, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A person was hospitalized with measles earlier this month after traveling extensively through California on Amtrak trains and buses. Now public health officials across the state are trying to find other passengers who were exposed. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED California’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Republican sheriff in Riverside County illegally seized hundreds of thousands of ballots earlier this year, and must return them. The ballots were from a vote on Proposition 50 which asked whether to redraw California's congressional map to favor Democrats. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Incarcerated people in Humboldt County will soon be unable to receive physical mail as authorities crack down on contraband. Critics say the policy could have unintended consequences. Reporter: Justin Higginbottom, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Shasta County's registrar of voters to report to Sacramento on Thursday. They've asked him to bring ballots he seized from the June election. The subpoenas came after Clint Curtis, the registrar, locked up stacks of those ballots, saying they looked and smelled suspicious. Curtis counters that he doesn't have to bring ballots to Sacramento because the FBI is already on the case. Guest: Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters The group behind a ballot measure to reform California’s landmark environmental protection law is rejecting claims it will make it easier to build data centers. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials say the proposal is still in its early stages. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7UP is one of the most recognizable drinks in the world. But what’s less known is a connection in the San Joaquin Valley that began almost a century ago. Billboards and signs of the once flourishing Valley industry have enticed historians for years. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR The governor has signed legislation that strengthens protections for abused children. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a potentially historic El Niño brewing, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Monday ahead of winter storms and high tides that could wreak havoc across the state. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Governor Newsom is signing a package of bills placing new regulations on data center development. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED It’s less than a month away from when ballots will hit Merced County residents’ mailboxes, and officials are urging voters to drop off their ballot in–person. The county is providing more ballot drop boxes to avoid using mail delivery. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR The Trump administration’s current mass deportation push has echoes of a long-ago immigration campaign, when roughly a million people were sent to Mexico. That’s according to a historian who spoke at UC Berkeley recently. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in the most dangerous months for wildfires across the state. And in Chico, the city is taking steps to clear out vegetation in Bidwell Park. But like a lot of cities, staff is being stretched thin and funding is limited. Reporter: Claudia Brancart, North State Public Radio Shasta College, based in Redding, is seeking approval on the November ballot for a $129 million bond. The money would be used to expand and remodel the college’s facilities. Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been demoted and reassigned from her position this week. Reporter: Madi Bolanos The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy's this week... but it's also getting another kind of recognition. Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER. KPBS health reporter Heidi de Marco takes us inside suburban San Diego's Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right…and how it may be shaping patient expectations. Reporter: Heidi de Marco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signed legislation to exempt certain collector cars from smog checks. Reporter: Billy Cruz, KQED Written public comment closes at the end of this week for governor Newsom’s plan to ensure water for cities and farms and a healthy habitat for wildlife in the Delta. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Two bills sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom's desk aim to protect incarcerated people from sexual abuse and strengthen legal protections for survivors. This comes after a report from the Department of Justice found an “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault at state women’s prisons. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, KQED Residents in a Fresno County foothill community are raising concerns with county leaders about the water coming from their taps. Reporter: Samantha Rangel, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal scientists now say it’s very likely that a strong El Niño will continue through the end of the year. The natural phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California, and climate scientists worry that this process could trigger monumental flooding later this year. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED California just became the first state in the nation to pass rules that require insurance companies to address smoke damage after major fires. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist Backers of a November ballot measure that would levy a tax on billionaires are facing an uphill battle, according to a new poll released today. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voting in November's midterm election will begin in less than three weeks, and a handful of California districts are at the center of the fight for control of Congress. That includes the 48th House District in Riverside and San Diego counties. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati has been reporting in the district, and he joins us this morning from San Diego. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED President Donald Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority over energy projects under the Defense Production Act. The executive order could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A nonprofit that has helped disempowered children around the world is now working in Downtown LA. They’ve opened at Homeboy Industries, the noted gang rehabilitation program. It’s an experimental new daycare… for families who have been involved with gangs. Reporter: Clare Wiley, KCRW California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are sounding the alarm on wildfire preparedness … They’re concerned that federal agencies won’t have enough money for the rest of the 2026 wildfire season. Reporter: Kendra Hanna, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This summer, KPBS and KQED teamed up to look at different ways that Major League Baseball fans save money when going to a game, so that maybe you can too during some of these last games, or keep this in mind for next season. Reporters - Jake Gotta, KPBS and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom says he is signing a packageof bills that institute some of the strongest protections for children in the country. Reporter: Chris Alam, KQED The San Joaquin Valley air basin has long been out of compliance with federal air quality standards. That includes ozone and fine particulate matter that can be inhaled and lodged into the lungs. One often overlooked element in this regions air pollution: fast-food drive-through lanes. Reporter: Tim Sheehan, The Central Valley Journalism Collaborative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new plant is taking root in ag classrooms: agave. At a test plot in Merced County, agave is becoming the primary subject of coursework. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR A new lawsuit filed in Kern County details sexual abuse allegations by an unnamed plaintiff against the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. It accuses nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado The US Department of Justice is alleging that UC Berkeley law school’s admissions policy discriminates against white and Asian applicants. Reporter: Katie DeBenedetti Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Changes are coming to a controversial drone code enforcement program in Northern California’s Sonoma County. The county's land use planning and development permitting agency, Permit Sonoma, recently [[last week]] agreed to settle after being sued for allegedly spying on much more than what the program initially intended. Reporter: Noah Abrams, KRCB Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But Becerra has kept a relatively low profile since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor. Reporter: Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio Attorneys for Santa Clara County say they’re optimistic after a federal judge in San Jose extended a halt on the construction of a new ICE holding facility near Gilroy. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero The clean-up effort following last year’s battery fire at Texas-based energy company's Vistra facility in Moss Landing is moving into its final phase. Reporter: Gabriela…

California signed off earlier this summer on an agreement to share state driver’s license data with a national database. Reporter: Wendy Fry, CalMatters As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests… worker advocates and state officials say some employers are taking advantage of the political climate to exploit immigrant workers in lower-wage jobs. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Powwows are common in many parts of the country where Native Americans call home. But did you know some regions have powwow seasons? California’s powwow season recently kicked off in Central California. And it brought tribes from as far as New York and Canada to Table Mountain Rancheria casino just outside of Fresno, where the sound of a long tradition rang out. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado, KVPR California sea lion poisonings are surging along the coast, and warm waters brought by El Niño could make things worse. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Researchers estimate that close to 6,000 unsheltered people live within a mile of venues for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Sur is being consumed by two wildfires …the Timber Fire to the north started in the first week of August. And at the end of the month, the Plaskett Fire broke out to its south. Earlier this week, KAZU spoke with folks keeping the now-opened strip of the Big Sur Valley alive. Reporter: Katie Brown, KAZU Labor Day weekend is here, and as you’ve heard we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California's wilderness so KQED Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is joining us today to walk us through some ways to stay safe. Reporter: Madi Bolanos and Sarah Wright, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California prison officials and advocates met this week in Sacramento to discuss the ongoing crisis of sexual abuse and assault in men's prisons and work toward solutions. We spoke with formerly incarcerated community activist Darnel Washington about why sexual violence persists behind bars, and what needs to change to better protect incarcerated people. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, KQED California lawmakers have sent a slew of bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk aiming to increase state oversight of federal immigration detention. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During his second term, president Donald Trump has done very little that can be considered even remotely bi-partisan. But one thing stands out - The Laken Riley Act. We explore the impacts of this immigration legislation a year after Trump signed it into law. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS A bill that could give the public more access to information about emergencies inside private immigrant detention centers is on its way to becoming a law. It just needs Governor Newsom’s signature. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Students without legal status aren’t allowed to work for California’s public colleges or universities. A bill that could change that is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, one of the top issues for voters across the country is healthcare, following major cuts last year to Medicaid. California’s 22nd congressional district has high Medicaid enrollment…and it’s one of the most competitive seats in the country…now that Democrats recently gained a voter advantage there due to redistricting. In a partnership with KFF Health News, KVPR spoke to residents in this district about how healthcare could influence their vote. Reporter: Samantha Rangel, KVPR California lawmakers are set to vote today on changes to what happens AFTER a damaging wildfire is sparked by utility equipment. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED An Imperial County judge appears poised to strike down the county's moratorium on data center development. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration wants to overhaul Head Start .. an early education and antipoverty program .. that serves about 75 THOUSAND children in California. The proposed rules would strip away regulations on class sizes, disciplinary policies and other standards. But buried in that proposal is a requirement to teach only in English. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Immigration agents arrested more people in Northern California in July… than at any previous time in President Donald Trump’s second term. That’s according to new data from UC Berkeley's Deportation Data Project. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California... is linking a voter-backed proposition to a rise in homelessness. Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been six years since the CZU fire burned nearly 700 homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Less than 1/3 of those have been rebuilt. Reporter: Erin Malsbury, KAZU Palm Springs is the latest city to approve a temporary ban on large-scale data centers… as more communities across Southern California consider their impacts on infrastructure and the environment. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR California Attorney General Rob Bonta is responding to concerns that the $17 billion dollar settlement deal he and other attorneys general just reached with Meta is too weak. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Water shortages, climate change and rising production costs are a few of the many challenges California agriculture has been facing in recent years. But researchers at UC Davis are looking at whether combining farming and solar energy could help farmers adapt. It’s a relatively new approach called agrivoltaics. Reporter: Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration's deportation policies are separating families across the country. And for some children left behind, that separation can take a serious toll on their mental health and wellbeing. Today, we're diving deeper into how immigration arrests are affecting children and their communities in Los Angeles with Cora Cervantes, a reporter with MindSight News. Reporter: Cora Cervantes, MindSite News, Madi Bolanos Nearly 300,000 K through 12 students experienced homelessness last school year, a 10 percent increase since the last recorded peak in 2019. Reporter: Billy Cruz, KQED A bill that would make it easier for people to sue federal agents for civil rights violations has advanced in the legislature Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For centuries, Mexico has capitalized on growing and harvesting a plant often distilled into Tequila or Mezcal. It’s called agave and it thrives on little water and a lot of heat. Now, with a California law restricting water use on farms, Valley farmers are looking to agave as a new revenue stream on their land. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR California’s highest court is weighing whether a sheriff broke the law when he seized hundreds of thousands of ballots earlier this year. The court heard oral arguments yesterday. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR The Trump administration ended a long standing agreement that kept ICE out of workplaces that the U.S. Department of LABOR is investigating. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across the US, communities are mobilizing in the fight against data centers. And they’re turning to Monterey Park in LA County, which this year became the first city in the US to ban them. That was entirely due to the efforts of a group of residents called, appropriately, No Data Center Monterey Park. So, what advice do they have? Reporter: Brandon Reynolds, KCRW The California Supreme Court will hear arguments today in two separate lawsuits over the Riverside County sheriff’s seizure of hundreds of thousands of ballots earlier this year. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Counties up and down the state are reporting decreases in their homeless populations. Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Senators are expressing grave concern over a plan by Shasta County’s top elections official to hire former Colorado clerk Tina Peters who was convicted in an election interference case in 2024. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Hayward State Senator Aisha Wahab is the Bay Area's newest member of Congress after winning a special election for the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Health Net, one of the largest Medi-Cal insurers, is planning to cancel assisted living benefits for members by the end of this year. Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Ukrainians across the Bay Area are waiting anxiously for a decision today from the Trump administration on whether they’ll be able to stay – or told to go back to a war zone. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED California is experiencing hotter days more frequently each year… while many families are struggling to get access to AC. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom says California will fight the Trump administration’s push to open national forests up to commercial use. Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED Before any of the cities, cars and highways that came to dominate California’s landscape, the vast open land was home to many animals, plants and natural ecosystems. Today, much of the geography has been engineered for human development – and with it… a host of non-native species and insects. But just outside Fresno, there’s an effort to bring the native ecosystem into balance with the new. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

A federal judge in Oakland heard opening statements in a lawsuit brought by four states against Meta. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED A national survey by a California advocacy group found that 70 percent of teenagers are using Artificial Intelligence to complete their schoolwork. Reporter: Jose Velazquez, KQED It’s been five years since the Caldor Fire nearly burned down the entire community of Grizzly Flats, a remote canyon town nestled in El Dorado County. Since then, residents say they’ve received little to no help from the federal government and the community is working to become whole again. Reporter: Riley Palmer, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A California lifeguard and the boy he rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz last month were reunited at the White House yesterday as the president honored both as heroes. Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report Governor Gavin Newsom has set a goal to add 2.5 million new units to California’s housing stock by 2030. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters A state bill heading for a final vote as early as this week would permanently extend a fund to help oil industry workers affected by California’s transition away from fossil fuels. Reporter: Julie Small, KQED A federal judge in Oakland is weighing whether a Trump administration plan to replace a network of seasoned legal aid organizations with new groups is an adequate way to represent unaccompanied children in immigration court. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A significant El Niño will continue warming California coastal waters into fall and winter, and likely bring new marine visitors to Monterey Bay. Reporter: Katie Brown, KAZU Republican lawmakers are pushing new measures with the goal of making California’s top elections office nonpartisan. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dinosaur bones and taxidermied animals get most of the attention at the Natural History Museum in LA County. But researchers are excited about a new collection that could have big implications for monitoring climate change. Reporter: Lucas Brady Woods, LAist The U.S. Department of Justice says California is failing to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by prison staff. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Central Coast leaders are saying the threat of offshore drilling could extend beyond the environment to the region’s economy. Reporter: Jillian Smith/KAZU Since the pandemic, Californians have been able to get craft liquor delivered to their doorstep. But it could be last call for deliveries from small distilleries, unless lawmakers intervene soon. Reporter: Ryan Sabalow/CalMatters For many young people the default blueprint for life after high school is clear: go to college, and then get a job. But with soaring tuition, and an uncertain job market, that calculus isn’t adding up like it used to. Today, more young people are considering the skilled trades. Reporter: Megan Jamerson/KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices