California Update

It’s an ‘unprecedented natural experiment.’ The stay-at-home order is reducing air pollution and offering clues in climate change fight.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

(Photo: A freeway sign in Sacramento, Calif. on March 19, 2020 - Andrew Nixon / CapRadio)

An orchard of young trees withstands drought in California’s Central Valley in 2014. The ability to predict heat waves in the Central Valley could help better prepare and protect crops and people from the impacts. Credit: UC DavisAs climate change creates more extremes in weather, it’s important to know when heat waves will hit California. UC Davis researchers have found a correlation: heat waves show up in California within 16 days after heavy rainfall over the Indian Ocean.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

Credit: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public RadioHousing and mental health advocates met at the Capitol Thursday to discuss rebuilding the statewide network ofboard and care facilities for adults who need support.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

Credit: Via CapRadioGas prices in California will continue to climb due to refinery problems and the switch to summer blend.

Story by Steve Milne.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Air quality has improved across California because of the pandemic. But a new report shows climate change played a major factor in pollution in past years.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

(Photo: A freeway sign in Sacramento, Calif. on March 19, 2020 - Andrew Nixon / CapRadio)

California and other states say child abuse hotlines are getting fewer calls and worry cases are going unreported.

Story by Steve Milne.

Newsom says local governments have some authority to begin lifting restrictions on events and businesses–but there are limits.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Some lawmakers say Governor Gavin Newsom's team has been slow to respond, or unresponsive when asked the state’s coronavirus response.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Julian Vasquez Heilig of the NAACP speaks at a press conference in support of the proposal to limit charter schools and increase oversight in California. Scott Rodd / Capital Public RadioLegislation that would limit charter schools and increase oversight in California has sparked a debate between the NAACP and the National Action Network.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin, left, and president Dave Kaval before a baseball game between the Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, Calif., Monday, July 31, 2017. Jeff Chiu / AP Photo / via CapRadio.For the second straight year, the Oakland A’s are asking for special treatment from California lawmakers to streamline construction of a new ballpark on the city’s downtown waterfront.

Story by Ben Adler.

Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) presents her police use of force bill to the California Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Ben Adler / Capital Public RadioA police use of force bill backed by law enforcement groups is moving forward at the California Capitol. But, a Senate committee amended the bill in a way that could shift the debate.

Story by Ben Adler.

As coronavirus hospitalizations stabilize in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined highly anticipated details for a phased reopening of businesses and schools.

Story by Chris Nichols.

(Photo: In this Monday, April 6, 2020 file photo, Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses the acquisition of the Sleep Train Arena for use as a field hospital, after touring the facility, in Sacramento, Calif. - Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo)

The pilot program will allow beneficiaries to shelter in place and still access groceries. It's currently only available through Walmart and Amazon but is expected to expand to other retailers.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Governor Gavin Newsom says California’s early efforts to shelter in place are showing signs of success. Nearly 16,000 Californians have tested positive for coronavirus, an 11% increase from Monday. However, hospitalizations increased by only 4%, and I-C-U patients by 2%.

Story by Scott Rodd.

(Photo: A freeway sign in Sacramento, Calif. on March 19, 2020 - Andrew Nixon / CapRadio)

After seeing social media posts showing groups of people on charter fishing boats, one county is pulling the plug on all charters. Elsewhere, cities and counties are waiting for the state to postpone fishing seasons to keep people at home.

Story by Bob Moffitt.

(Photo: Brian Clemens of Nor Cal Fly Guides says coronavirus worries had already caused a loss of about $10,000 since the first government orders for people to stay at home. Fishing was exempt from that list, but now that charters are also on it, he says the financial effect will likely be the loss of at least a third of his annual income - Bob Moffitt)

Trainers are reporting an uptick in calls from people whose dogs are stressed out by their owners working from home.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

Senator Kamala Harris' career as a district attorney and California's Attorney General is sure to get renewed attention now that Joe Biden has selected her as his running mate.

Story by Chris Nichols.

(Photo: Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., waves during a presidential forum at the California Democratic Party's convention Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Long Beach, Calif. - Chris Carlson / AP Photo)

Following a summer surge and data reporting issues, California plans to boost contact tracing efforts to control outbreaks in hotspot areas.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

The federal government allocated billions of dollars to California counties to help them weather the coronavirus pandemic. How was that money spent?

Story by Scott Rodd.

Credit: wildcalifornia.orgExperts from both environmental advocacy organizations and groups that favor activities like logging testified Tuesday in Sacramento with ideas on how to better manage wildfires before they ignite. The big issue: 129 million dead pine trees.

The California State Capitol on September 12, 2017. Credit: Andrew Nixon/Capital Public RadioEfforts to ban nondisclosure agreements, end forced arbitration and extend the statute of limitations to file a claim with the state face final votes in the California Legislature this month. These measures are facing opposition from business groups.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump said politics was at play in California’s decision to temporarily shut off power. Grid operators said they were motivated by ensuring the state’s electricity grid did not collapse.

Story by Chris Nichols.

Find full versions of all fact checks.

(Photo: Power lines in Sacramento - Andrew Nixon / CapRadio)

A court-ordered freeze on evictions expires September First, and California state lawmakers are scrambling to avoid a wave of new evictions.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

California is in the middle of a heatwave that may break in parts of the state by Thursday. But if it doesn't, places like Sacramento could break records for consecutive days over 100 degrees.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

In California, someone talking about harming themselves or others is considered a red flag, and family members can call law enforcement to ask for that person’s firearms to be removed. Researchers looked at 21 cases where someone threatened violence.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

(Photo: Cooper Neill for The Washington Post/Getty Images/via CapRadio)

The annual Lake Tahoe Summit was Tuesday. This year's take home message is to make Tahoe fire ready in light of climate change.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

(Photo: Karin Higgins / UC Davis / via Capital Public Radio)

In a move that’s been criticized by civil rights attorneys, the city of Sacramento has sued a group of homeless people and asked a court to ban them from a local neighborhood.

Story by Chris Nichols.

(Photo courtesy of Capital Public Radio)

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Credit: Paul Kitagaki Jr. / APSix county prosecutors chose Sacramento as the trial site for Joseph James DeAngelo and added 13 kidnapping to commit robbery felonies to the list of murder charges he faces.

Story by Bob Moffitt.

In this April 7, 2011 photo, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., center, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill. A federal grand jury in California on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, has indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife on corruption charges. Credit: Carolyn Kaster / AP fileA federal grand jury indicted the five-term Republican Congressman from San Diego and his wife, Margaret Hunter.

Story by Ben Bradford.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Some California health professionals want to be excluded from a labor-backed bill that would require some businesses to take on independent contractors as employees.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

(Photo: Psychologists and Optometrists want the same exemption to remain contractors - Ken Teegardin [CC BY-SA 2.0])

California public school teachers spend on average more than 650 dollars of their own money on school supplies every year, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Story by Scott Rodd.

(Image credit: Lindsey Balbierz/via NPR)

Monday, Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a new federal lawsuit challenging the administration’s plan to indefinitely detain migrant families and children.

Story by Nick Miller.

(Photo: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the lawsuit he is co-leading with Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey over the Trump administration's plan to detain immigrant children indefinitely - Rich Pedroncelli/AP/via NPR)

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 

Gov. Jerry Brown holds a copy of a bill to end bail he signed Tuesday, Aug. 28, in Sacramento, Calif. The bill, co-authored by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, third from right, and Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, right, makes California the first state to eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial. It goes into effect in October 2019. Credit: Rich Pedroncelli / APCalifornia's cash bail system will be replaced next year under a new law signed Tuesday in Sacramento.

Story by Bob Moffitt.

Remnants of an illegal pot grow site in Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California. Credit: US Forest ServiceAn effort to reduce the number of illegal pot grows in California is yielding big results. More than 640,000 marijuana plants have been collected so far across California since last October as part of Operation Forest Watch.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

While most students in California will have another semester of distance learning this fall, some younger kids could return to class in-person.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

(Photo: Michelle Hansen, principal at Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School, left, hands a laptop computer to the parent of a student that attends the school in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, April 10, 2020 - Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo)

White homeowners and neighborhood associations used these racially restrictive covenants in the first half of the 20th century. However, that language remains in the property records of many California homes, often unbeknownst to owners.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Pediatricians say the recent death of a California teenager from COVID-19 is a reminder that children are not immune from the illness, although they are at less risk than adults.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

California lawmakers are bringing back an effort to allow for shortened prison sentences for some drug offenders.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

(Photo: David Paul Morris - Bloomberg via Getty Images)

California's eviction-moratorium is set to expire next month. New legislation at the state capitol would extend it through the end of 2021 but landlord groups say nearly two-years of missed payments is too long.

Story by Steve Milne.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says he's going to court. The plan is to force online retail giant Amazon to comply with legal requests for information on how it's protecting workers from COVID-19.

Story by Ed Fletcher.

A new study from university researchers in Taiwan shows that exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cell phones and laptops increased breast cancer risk in women 50 and older.

Story by Suzanne Potter – California News Service.

California Governor Gavin Newsom dropped hints of another stay-at-home order if coronavirus cases don’t improve. But officials from a handful of counties are still in the dark about any plans.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

(Photo: via CapRadio)

Uber, Lyft, and other companies are looking to pass similar measures in other states, or at the federal level. Drivers opposed to Prop 22 will continue to fight in other states, and focus on smaller battles in California.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Two-thirds of California's beaches are at risk of disappearing within this century because of climate change. In response, NASA and scientists from around the world are launching a mission in 2020 to measure sea-level rise.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

(Photo: The Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 mission that will track sea-level rise, one of the clearest signs of global warming, for the next 10 years - IABG)

California started slashing Medi-Cal benefits such as eyeglasses and foot care as a cost-saver during the last recession. But new funding in the latest budget will bring those and other benefits back this January.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

(Photo: Jeff Chiu / AP Photo / via Cap Radio)

California caps rents and adds eviction protections. Not all properties are covered, like those built within the past 15 years and single family homes/condos owned by individuals. However, supporters agree the new protections are among the strongest in the nation.

Story by Randol White.

(Photo: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio)

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Akshay Prabhu cooks his go-to dish: a Moroccan Chicken Tagine. It’s a meal served with apricot couscous and salad that he’d sell for $12 a plate for a seating of 10 to supplement his day job. Credit: Ezra David Romero / Capital Public RadioCooking food in your home and selling it will soon be legal across California. That's a big win for the tens of thousands of home cooks across the state. But there's a hang-up. Counties have to opt in.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

Here are more new California laws taking effect in the new year. 

Credit: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public RadioOvertime rules for California farm workers will change in the new year, but it will be gradual.

Story by Julia Mitirc.

Here are more new California laws taking effect in the new year.

Credit: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public RadioDogs, catsand rabbits at pet stores will have to be sourced from shelters and rescue groups under a new California law.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Stay at home orders have been extended in the state’s San Joaquin Valley and in Southern California regions.

Story by Pauline Bartolone.

(Photo: In this Dec. 9, 2020, file photo, a woman wears a face mask as she walks past a mural of the area's agricultural heritage in Lodi, Calif. Lodi, a city of just under 68,000 people, is part of the San Joaquin Valley region - Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo).

Governor Gavin Newsom warned medical professionals against either cutting ahead of other people or using their positions to get friends or family vaccinated ahead of schedule

Story by Mike Haggerty.

Los Alamitos Race Course’s owner is threatening to shut down the Orange County race track after facing sanctions from the state over horse fatalities.

Story by Scott Rodd.

Dentists say protests, the election, and of course the pandemic have all led to a host of stress-related dental problems.

Story by Richard Ibarra.

In this June 15, 2017, photo, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, speaks at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Credit: Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo / Via CapradioCalifornia Assemblymember Kevin McCarty introduced three pieces of legislation on Tuesday aimed at providing 100-thousand more children from low and middle-income households with free preschool. Could it work in California?

Story by Nadine Sebai.

Credit: Justin Russell / FlickrChristmas trees are one of the most visually iconic parts of the holiday season. That's why some choose to cut down their own. It's a practice used on many of the state's national forests for a small fee.

Story by Ezra David Romero.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

The COVID-19 surge continues in California with hospitalizations up 70% in the last two weeks.

Story by Mike Haggerty.

(Photo by Jae C. Hong – AP/via CapRadio)

The Forest Service issues thousands of Christmas tree permits every year in at least half-a-dozen of the state’s national forests. That can help reduce overcrowding in forests prone to wildfires.

Story by Scott Rodd.

In this Feb. 26, 2015 file photo, a full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train is displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento. Credit: Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo / via Capital Public RadioThe Trump administration says it intends to cancel the funding agreement for California’s high-speed rail project. It wants to claw back $3.5 billion in federal funding — including $2.5 billion the state has already spent on construction.

Story by Ben Adler.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Credit: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public RadioThe governor admits he started this process off aggressively by suing Huntington Beach for not being compliant with the state's housing laws. But he took a softer tone Tuesday with leaders of the 47 other cities & counties in the same situation.

Story by Randol White.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

The town of Paradise and areas nearby were devastated by the Camp Fire that started on Nov. 8, 2018 in Butte County. Credit: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public RadioHundreds of Paradise residents displaced by the Camp Fire gathered recently for a community meeting on what a rebuilt Paradise should look like.

Story by Pauline Bartolone.

Wikimedia Commons / via Capital Public RadioCalifornia’s immigration detention facilities must improve health and safety standards, according to reports released Tuesday by the State Auditor and Attorney General.

Story by Chris Nichols.

California DMV headquarters. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / via Capital Public RadioA key state bank account that directs driver’s license and vehicle registration fee revenues to the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles is heading toward insolvency.

Story by Ben Adler.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

California wants to scrap vaccine categories in favor of an age-based system. After people 65 and older and certain frontline workers are vaccinated, the state says it will offer shots to people by age, not by occupation or health condition.

Story by Sammy Caiola.

(Photo: Jamie Yeini receives a shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from Melisa Alavarez, right, at the Sacramento County drive-thru vaccination center at the California Exposition & State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo)

California's top health care official announced that coronavirus vaccination rates are picking up and the number of COVID-19 cases has started to fall.

Story by Mike Haggerty.

As Governor Gavin Newsom faces the growing threat of a recall, potential opponents are starting to line up against him. That includes former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who officially launched his campaign Tuesday.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

If you've got an idea for developing technology that will end the digital divide in California, the state wants to hear from you. And, they're offering a $1 million prize.

Story by Steve Milne.

For employers of 26 people or more, California's minimum wage increased by a dollar to $12, as of January 1st. Employers with fewer than 25 people are supposed to pay $11 but may delay that by a year under state law.

Story by Bob Moffitt

Overtime rules for California farm workers have changed for the new year, but the roll-out will be gradual.

Story by Julia Mitric.

Clean Air Vehicles in California get stickers so they can access the state’s High OccupancyVehicle, or HOV lanes. For people with either green or white stickers, that perk has ended.

Story by Randol White.

 Here are more new California laws taking effect in the new year. 

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

California auditor says the state shortchanged small counties with covid-19 funds. Counties with more than 500,000 residents received nearly twice the state and federal relief funding per person, compared to the 42 counties with fewer than a half-million residents.

Story by Ed Fletcher.

(Photo: File/Cap Radio)

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s final day in the White House, California’s Attorney General filed nine lawsuits challenging Trump’s environmental policies.

Story by Nicole Nixon.

State Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly says the surge in cases and hospitalizations from Christmas and New Year’s travel and gatherings was not as bad as it could have been.

Story by Mike Haggerty.

Northern California Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee says lawmakers in Washington will need to find a way to work across party lines. But first Republicans who voted not to certify the electoral college will need to acknowledge they were wrong.

Story by Steve Milne.

Overall school attendance has dropped every year since 2013--and is expected to continue. Support staff for teachers has sharply increased, and the need is expected to persist in the coming years.

Story by Scott Rodd.

(Photo: Bhs_itrt - Public domain)

California may decide to label one of the country's most common drugs as a carcinogen.

Story by Steve Milne.

(Photo: Katy Warner [CC BY-SA 2.0])

The state of California is suing the BLM over its oil drilling plans, including fracking, on over 1 million acres of federal land.

(Photo: Oil well pump jack - Eric Kounce/Public domain)

California officials explained how the state came to the surprising decision of lifting stay-at-home orders in all 58 counties but also said don't get comfortable as counties exit shutdown.

Story by Kris Hooks.

(Photo: A beauty salon employee works on a customer's nails from under a plexiglass shield outside Pampered Hands nail salon on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Los Angeles - Ashley Landis / AP Images).

Advocates for immigrants’ rights renewed their call Tuesday for Medi-Cal - the state's healthcare program for low-income people - to be available for all Californians, regardless of immigration status.

Story by Steve Milne.

Soil experts warn that mudslides are possible this week in parts of Northern California scarred by recent wildfires.

Story by Steve Milne.