KQED's The California Report KQED

Proposition 47, California's landmark critical justice reform measure, has received plenty of recent criticism. Many blame Prop 47 for shoplifting, drug use and homelessness in the state -- and are trying to roll it back with a new initiative this fall. But Prop 47 has also resulted in $800 million in state savings, because fewer people are being sent to prison and jail for drug and low-level property crimes under the law. 
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Sonoma State University President Mike Lee has been placed on indefinite leave by Cal State University's Chancellor. It comes a day after Lee reached a divestment agreement with pro-Palestinian student protesters on campus.
Reporter: Noah Abrams, KRCB
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Hospitals across the state were hit hard during the pandemic, which disrupted their operations and chipped away at their finances. Maybe the most glaring example is Madera Community Hospital, which shuttered its doors over financial challenges and filed for bankruptcy in 2022. But one nearby hospital saw record profits, financial investments and executive compensation.
Reporter: Omar Sheikh Rashad, Reporter Fresnoland

Good news for visitors and residents of Big Sur. Caltrans has completed temporary repairs on Highway 1 over a week ahead of schedule. Storms in late March caused one lane of the highway to fall into the ocean.
Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU 
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California has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, but a Democratic state lawmaker says there’s a big loophole for some people deemed mentally ill by a state court - and he wants to fix it. The loophole - while California law prohibits someone from possessing a gun if a court finds them mentally incompetent to face a felony charge, it doesn’t apply to people being prosecuted for a misdemeanor.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office says the state could save up to a billion dollars a year by closing more prisons. This as California faces a budget deficit in the tens of billions. But Governor Gavin Newsom is taking a more cautious approach to trimming prison beds. 
Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters 

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A multi-billion dollar budget deficit in California is putting organizations across the state at risk. One program facing an uncertain future is Market Match. It works with EBT, or food stamps, to give recipients vouchers they can use at local farmers markets.
Reporter: Ava Norgrove, North State Public Radio

Governor Gavin Newsom says he has a plan to deal with a staggering $27 billion state deficit next year --without cutting core services or raising taxes. Newsom says California is facing a $56 billion shortfall over the next two years. He wants lawmakers to approve a spending plan that spans those two years.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

An encampment to protest the war in Gaza was set up at the University of California Merced on Sunday. It came after the school held its commencement ceremony over the weekend.
Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR
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State regulators have approved a controversial proposal that will add a monthly charge of $24 to many Californian's electricity bills. But in exchange, utility customers should see reductions in charges per kilowatt hour of electricity used. 

As college campus protests continue over Israel's War in Gaza, students at UC Merced are asking the university to refrain from what they say is over-policing. 
Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR

It’s finally warming up in California. As more bugs come out in the heat, so do bats to feed on them. And one bat species is emerging from hibernation with a new distinction -- the pallid bat is now the official state bat of California.
Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED
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As the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on, American protesters are accusing Silicon Valley companies like Intel and Google of complicity in the violence, and urging them to divest. But US tech has been deeply involved with Israeli tech for half a century.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

The California Public Utilities Commission votes Thursday on a controversial flat electricity rate. Regulators say the change would lower bills for many, but critics argue it could do the opposite.
Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED
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