California is facing a steep budget shortfall, and Governor Gavin Newsom says he may have to cut programs to make ends meet. But some workers for those programs are pushing back. Story by Nicole Nixon. (Photo: Steven Senne / AP / via CapRadio) California filed its 82nd lawsuit against the Trump administration Wednesday. This time it has to do with a decision to weaken Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. Story by Ezra David Romero. You can now file for unemployment with EDD and at the same time apply for one of the hundreds of jobs it now has open. Story by Drew Sandsor. Governor Newsom announces hair salons, barbershops in most counties can reopen. An attorney for the beauty industry says… read more

We put the call out for your questions related to the coronavirus pandemic, and you’ve asked about the reopening of additional business, youth sports, testing and more. Here are a few answers to some of those recent question submissions. We answer more each Tuesday night during our virtual coronavirus Town Hall with Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase. If you have a question, please submit it using the form at the right. Note: Our last Town Hall is scheduled for June 2. We want to know: what's the best way to get you continuing coronavirus information after that date? Let us know by using the submission form to the right and mark "Future coronavirus coverage" for question… read more

Scientists at UC Davis say Californians shouldn't worry about so-called "murder hornets" - or Asian giant hornets - invading the state. Story by Steve Milne. (Photo: The Asian giant hornet can be up to two inches long - Yasunori Koide Via Wikimedia Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0) President Trump on Tuesday falsely claimed California Gov. Gavin Newsom is sending millions of ballots to “anyone living in the state, no matter who they are.” In reality, only registered voters will receive mail-in ballots. Story by Chris Nichols. Scientists say the hot weather could help stop the spread of COVID-19. Story by Steven Milne. read more

By Elizabeth Aguilera, CalMatters Even the littlest Californians have not been spared in the governor’s big proposal to cut a budget decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans to expand free preschool for low-income children and increase state support for child care now are on the chopping block. He also has proposed cuts to existing, early childhood funding that advocates worry could force child care providers to reduce the number of kids they serve, or even close their businesses. The child-friendly budget Newsom announced in January was amended last week, revealing cuts and takeaways totaling more than $1 billion for early childhood programs. The revisions,… read more

The California Republican Party along with the national GOP are suing Governor Gavin Newsom over his plans to send vote-by-mail ballots to all registered Californians ahead of the November election. Story by Chris Nichols. (Photo: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio) The triple-digit heat is back. But, COVID-19 is making floating on rivers more difficult and experts say the virus is adding risk to what can already be a dangerous activity. Story by Ezra David Romero. Sacramento’s social scene cautiously re-emerged over the weekend. Restaurants are now allowing sit-down service. What customers and staff are doing to stay safe? Story by Sammy Caiola. read more

Germany is one of the latest European countries to ban the harmful practice of conversion therapy for minors. The new ban had very strong legislative support and provides wide spread protections for young people. Two police officers in Kansas City Missouri are facing a criminal investigation for excessive force involving a transgender woman who just months after the assault was found shot to death. PBS announced it will air a new series about gay life the south called “Prideland” this June during pride month. But the hate group American Family Association is petitioning the network to halt the broadcasts calling “being gay unnatural and unhealthy.” (Photo: Courtesy of PBS) read more

Gov. Newsom said K-12 schools could reopen by July or August. But is that realistic? What do educators and health experts say is needed to make that a reality? And what might schools look like once they finally do reopen? Story by Chris Nichols. (Photo: Andrew Nixon / CapRadio) California Governor Gavin Newsom says he'll issue guidelines early this week for churches to reopen. Story by Scott Rodd. More than a quarter of Nevadans are out of work according to a state report out Friday. Story by Bert Johnson. New figures from California's Employment Development Department show the widespread economic pain caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the forced business shutdowns. Story by Chris Nichols. read more

Commentary by Ana Lugo, founder, Equity First Consulting Cultural responsiveness is the ability to learn from, relate respectfully to, effectively adapt to, and serve all peoples and cultures.[1] Let us be clear. The systems and institutions designed to serve the public are not culturally responsive. That failure causes additional, unnecessary harm and illness to people and cultures not fully represented in the leadership of these systems and institutions. Even when individuals who identify with underserved communities serve in a single leadership position, their relative isolation within leadership structures creates an unsustainable imbalance, but not a paradigm shift. The need for this… read more

More than two months into the coronavirus pandemic, Californians are still having issues filing for unemployment benefits. And state lawmakers expressed their frustration during a legislative hearing on Thursday. Story by Nicole Nixon. (Photo: via CapRadio) Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced today that about 10,000 low-income households in the city may soon be getting free internet service. Story by Steve Milne. California expects to collect more individual mandate fines from people not carrying insurance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. But some experts and advocates say the state should reconsider penalizing Californians who are already struggling. Story by Sammy Caiola. read more

Lawmakers look to expand workers' comp for frontline workers who get COVID-19. About a half-dozen bills would expand workers’ comp for employees who test positive for the virus while on the job. But they differ on who would be covered. Story by Nicole Nixon. (Photo: State Capitol building in Sacramento, CA - via CapRadio) Sixteen California cities made it onto the top 100 list in terms of how easy it is to access a park within 10 minutes. It’s called a ParkScore and cities are ranked yearly by the Trust for Public Land. Story by Ezra David Romero. Newsom’s latest budget gives him wide latitude to spend nearly 3 billion on coronavirus response with little oversight from lawmakers. The LAO… read more

We put the call out for your questions related to the coronavirus pandemic, and you’ve had plenty. We've received questions about how many people are currently hospitalized, what moving into Stage Two of reopening means for seniors, going to the dentist, and more. Here are a few answers to some of those recent submissions. We answer more each Tuesday night during our virtual coronavirus Town Hall with Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase. If you have a question, please submit it using the form at the right. How many people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19? — Vicki, Michael and Bob You can find updated data on COVID-19 hospitalizations by county on this California Department… read more

By Jacqueline García, La Opinión Families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at their schools — regardless of immigration status — may notice something in the mail to help them buy groceries. California is issuing one-time food stamps with credits of up to $365 per child to help qualifying families get through the coronavirus outbreak. The Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer card, or P-EBT, from the Department of Social Services is an emergency disaster benefit that can be used to buy food and groceries, including online at Walmart and Amazon. The first cards arrived last week for families receiving CalFresh, Medi-Cal or foster care benefits as a supplement to their… read more

Por Judy Lin, CalMatters Hello! We’re publishing more of our work in Spanish to better serve our diverse state. Make sure to click here to read the article in English. Los encargados de las finanzas de California acaban de revelar un déficit de 54.3 mil millones de dólares en la primera evaluación económica del devastador golpe que ha asestado la pandemia del coronavirus a la quinta economía más grande del mundo. Esa cifra es más alta que el déficit vivido durante la Gran Recesión y arrasa con las antes saludables reservas del Estado. Sin ocultar cuán gravemente afectará al Estado el cierre prolongado de empresas y la pérdida de puestos de trabajo, el régimen del gobernador Gavin Newsom… read more

Questions continue about navigating, qualifying, and filing for unemployment benefits amidst the coronavirus pandemic. But now, Californians will have one less hurdle to jump. Story by Steve Milne. (Photo via CapRadio) Antonio Becerra is urging Congress to allow cannabis businesses access to the federal banking system. Story by Scott Rodd. Blood banks are calling for plasma from COVID-19 survivors who can document they’ve been symptom-free for at least two weeks. Story by Sammy Caiola read more

Another teacher at a Catholic school was fired by the church under the guise of religious freedom after requesting leave to seek treatment for breast cancer. She died after filing a federal lawsuit and church officials continued to defend their actions. In San Antonio, Texas, the 11th transgender person to be murdered this year was stabbed to death in a barbershop by a crazed patron. GLBT Historical Society leaders in San Francisco announced that plans to build a permanent GLBT museum facility have been scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: Jason Meredith from Louisville, KY, US / CC BY 2.0) Outbeat News is a service of NorCal Public Media and can be heard Sunday nights at 8 pm… read more

California's aid for undocumented immigrants opened today. Call lines and websites to apply for aid were immediately flooded with requests, advocates say the money is too little, too late. Story by Sarah Mizes-Tan (Photo: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio) Newsom's revised budget proposes a new strategy to address homelessness: Use federal funds tied to coronavirus to purchase hotels, which could be transitioned into permanent housing options. Story by Scott Rodd. Hospitals continue to call for financial help after losing revenue due to COVID-19. The federal government did give hospitals and clinics $5.3 billion dollars, but the California Hospital Association says it’s not enough. Story… read more

By Matt Levin, CalMatters With a forecasted deficit of near-record proportions and an economy in freefall, homelessness and low-income housing advocates were braced for painful cuts in the revised budget proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Thursday. But unlike some of the more severe pandemic-induced rollbacks Newsom outlined in areas like education and climate change, affordable housing and homelessness dollars were mostly spared from the administration’s fiscal cleaver. Given an assist from the federal government’s March stimulus package, Newsom is proposing $750 million to buy hotels and motels currently used for emergency homeless housing, hoping to turn the properties into more… read more

By Jacqueline García, La Opinión California’s undocumented immigrants can begin applying Monday for disaster relief payments of up to $1,000 per household under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus emergency assistance plan. In April, Newsom announced a one-time, $75-million fund for undocumented adults who are not eligible for other forms of government assistance, such an unemployment benefits and federal stimulus checks. A qualifying undocumented adult can receive $500, with a maximum of $1,000 per household. Since the announcement was made, many undocumented immigrants have been waiting for information to apply as soon as the application period opened. California has more than two million… read more

Nearly half of all California businesses are minority-owned, and many of them own businesses in the personal care industry which is now suffering. Story by Sarah Mizes-Tan (Photo: An employee at Exquisite U hair salon in Sacramento, Calif. braids the hair of a customer - Kathleen Ronayne / AP file Photo, 2019) read more