Advertise on podcast: KQED's The California Report

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