KQED's The California Report

Los Angeles County's Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a 90-million-dollar bridge now under construction. It's designed to connect green spaces between a freeway so animals can cross safely. But animals don’t need these kinds of crossings to be so expensive and fancy. There are smaller and cheaper ways to cross the road. Guest: Seth Riley, Biologist, National Park Service Some of the country’s cities, including parts of San Francisco, are slowly sinking, according to a new study. But in San Francisco, tectonic activity and areas built on reclaimed land are causing the subsidence. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill introduced in the state legislature by Sacramento Democratic Assembly member Maggy Krell aims to increase penalties for loitering to solicit minors for sex. But a provision specifically aimed at soliciting 16- and 17-year olds has divided state Democrats, and given Republicans a political opportunity to criticize their opponents. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio California's tiny home industry is experiencing a boom in production, which signals hope for a new era of homeownership. The boom also could face road blocks, such as soaring construction prices and local zoning challenges. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a long time, California's Central Valley has been a bastion of conservative political support; the red spot in a state that's awash in blue. However, there are signs that support for the right could be wavering, as President Trump's policies on trade and immigration are impacting livelihoods in the Central Valley; and some of the biggest progressives in the country are eyeing the region as a place that is ready for change. Since Covered California went into effect more than ten years ago, millions of state residents have relied on the program to obtain healthcare, year after year. However, the trust that Californians have put into the program may start to fray, after a CalMatters investigation revealed that Covered California is sending people's personal information to private companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the Trump administration announced its goal of cutting $6 billion from NASA or nearly a quarter of the space agency's budget. Science programs would be hit especially hard, like the work done by NASA facilities in California. Guest: Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy, Planetary Society Three people are dead, four have received medical attention and at least seven remain missing after a small boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized near San Diego on Monday morning. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, wolves were thought to have been hunted and poisoned into extinction in California with the last sighting of the animal in the 1920s. But that changed in late 2011 when a wolf wearing a radio collar crossed into the state from Oregon. In the years since, California’s gray wolf population has grown into the dozens, threatening the livelihood of cattle ranchers in places as far north as Modoc County. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weddings are pricey affairs in California — and they’re about to get even more expensive. According to the National Bridal Retailers Association, about 90 percent of all wedding gowns sold in the U.S. are made in China. With 145% tariffs now being imposed on all Chinese goods coming into the U.S., that could mean big price increases for California bridal shop owners and brides-to-be. Reporter: Tina Caputo Congress is moving ahead with a plan to block California’s electric vehicle mandate. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED When Tulare Lake refilled two years ago in the middle of Kings County, two prisons narrowly avoided dangerous flooding. A new state audit now argues those prisons were not prepared for flooding or evacuation. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 40% of Californians voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Now, 100 days into his second term, how do they feel? Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED In San Francisco Wednesday night, former Vice President Kamala Harris laid into President Donald Trump at the 100 day mark of his presidency. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago when American troops pulled out of Saigon. And for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who fled and resettled in California, April 30 is a significant day. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED A bill that would have lowered the state rent cap won't be moving forward this year, after its sponsors pulled it this week. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of dollars meant to help California's community college students have been stolen by scammers, and now both Republican and Democratic leaders are calling for investigations. But there's debate over who's responsible and what solutions will actually help students most. Guest: Adam Eckelman, CalMatters An air force base in the Bay Area could be the site of a new immigration detention facility, KQED has learned. That comes as the Trump administration is moving aggressively to use military bases to expand its ability to detain and deport immigrants. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED President Donald Trump continued his assault on cities and states with sanctuary immigration policies in a new executive order signed on Monday. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

College staff in Southern California are busy organizing upcoming graduation ceremonies based on racial and ethnic identity. But two months ago, the Trump administration said these graduation ceremonies are illegal. And staff are not taking that declaration lightly. Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, LAist Labor advocates in Los Angeles are pushing back against proposed cuts to a small city agency tasked with helping workers, who weren’t paid the wages they were owed. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skiers cruising down Tahoe’s white slopes this winter had a unique chance to learn about the surrounding ecosystem. UC Davis scientists clicked on their skis and led public tours down the mountain. Reporter: Anna Guth, KQED The American Civil Liberties Union has asked a federal court to stop the government from cutting off legal services to families who were forcibly separated at the U.S.-Mexico border during the first Trump administration. Reporter: Mark Betancourt, The California Newsroom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the state grapples with the homeless population of over 187,000 people, a new program at Santa Monica Community College is training students for jobs to help people get off the streets and into housing. But it also faces an uncertain future. Guest: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters Farmworkers in the U.S. have historically been excluded from overtime pay. That’s no longer the case in California. But on Wednesday, state lawmakers tabled proposal to help ag employers afford that overtime. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill aimed at bringing healthcare services directly to farmworker communities will be considered at the state legislature Wednesday. Immigrant rights groups say more than a dozen people were arrested by immigration officials on Tuesday at a hardware store in Pomona. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR The Trump Administration eliminated deportation protections for asylum seekers who entered the country through the CBP one mobile app. KPBS spoke to an immigration lawyer representing multiple migrants impacted by the decision. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Supporters of reparations for Black Californians are pursuing a new strategy to advance their priorities at the state capitol. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The death of Pope Francis is being felt around the world. And right here in California, millions of Latino Catholics are mourning not just the loss of a spiritual leader, but someone who, for many, felt like one of their own. Pope Francis was the first from Latin America. He spoke often about immigration, inequality, and the dignity of the poor. Guest: Jeff Guhin, Sociology Professor, UCLA Starting this week, Californians can buy naloxone at a discount on a state-run website. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses. Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters A California state labor board says Governor Gavin Newsom may have violated the law when he issued an executive order calling state employees back into the office four days per week. Reporter: Megan Myscofski, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The district attorney's office in Shasta County is facing high workloads and high vacancy rates. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Dry summer conditions have long been known to cause issues for vulnerable fish populations. A recent UC Berkeley study found dry winters can cause issues, too. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine that severe storms sent ice balls containing chemical slush raining down onto the ground. While that sounds like science fiction here on earth, researchers at UC Berkeley have discovered, that is science-fact on our solar system's biggest planet--Jupiter. The U.S. Justice Department has ruled that tech giant Google has been holding an unlawful monopoly over online ads, enabling them to manipulate the market and keep competition out. A new report shows that Black and Latina women in California continue to face disproportionate challenges when it comes to accessing maternal healthcare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It might sound farfetched, but the California Department of Motor Vehicles has a track-record of renewing the licenses of drivers whose dangerous maneuvers behind the wheel have caused deaths on the road. In Southern California, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has decided to move forward with plans to stabilize the coastal highway corridor that links Los Angeles, Orang and San Diego counties. However, the plan is not being met with much fanfare by local environmentalists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US wine industry let out a sigh of relief last week when President Trump decided to pause placing 20 percent tariffs on goods from the European Union, which would have included wine. However, the White House's global trade war is creating sour grapes with another major US trading partner--Canada; and that is jeopardizing California's wineries, which usually bank big with our neighbors to the North. In other tariff news, Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, saying that the president does not have the authority to impose unilateral tariffs. A non-profit watchdog group has released a report that sheds light on the world of black market rideshare and food delivery accounts, where people who wouldn't normally pass a background or criminal records check to register as a legitimate gig worker, can instead rent a vetted account on social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2023, the entertainment world in the US went on strike over production studios' embrace of artificial intelligence, and its potential to replace humans in the every role from actors to directors. While TV and movie studios eventually came to terms with striking workers in Hollywood, a year later, performers in the videogame industry represented by SAG-AFTRA went on strike over a number of reasons, including better working conditions and how the use of AI in game production would impact their careers. In the face of mounting lawsuits over a controversial immigration raid back in Kern County that happened at the beginning of the year, the Department of Homeland Security says it will retrain all of its 900 agents at the California-Mexico border about respecting the 4th Amendment when conduction an operation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States is seeing a boom in professional soccer, especially in California. The state is already host to four Major League Soccer teams and three teams in the National Women's Soccer League. There is also a crop of minor league teams sprouting up throughout the state, in both big cities and small towns. We'll take to you to the Southern California city of Lancaster, which hopes to score big with its newest soccer team, AV Alta FC. The Trump Administration canceled the social security numbers of roughly 6,000 immigrants. Advocates say the move puts these people in economic limbo, since they wouldn't be able to obtain legal employment or access any bank services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices