KQED's The California Report KQED

The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, which regulates car and truck pollution in the state, will soon fully open its new, very expensive state-of-the-art laboratory and testing center in Riverside. The hope is that it can be a key tool in the decades-long fight against air pollution and, more recently, climate change.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

This summer, the California Report will be taking you to places and talking to people from all walks of life about what they're doing in the months ahead. But first, we're looking at the dollars and cents of California’s tourism economy and how things are shaping up this summer travel season.
Guest: Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California

Many people enjoy spending the summer outdoors, and that can mean hiking in some of California's vast and diverse parks, trails and forests. But how can you enjoy it safely, and avoid the crowds?
Guest: Chris Hazzard, Author, Professional Hiking Guide

Homelessness is up 9 percent In LA County. Results of Los Angeles' Annual Homeless Count Are Out ...And It's Not Good.   Anna Scott from KCRW has the details.

The State Task Force Studying Reparations For African-Americans In California Has Submitted Its Final Report... And As KQED Politics Correspondent Guy Marzorati Tells Us -- State Legislators Now Face The Political Challenge Of Making Those Proposals A Reality.

This Week, Governor Gavin Newsom And State Lawmakers Agreed On A State Budget That Includes $10 million for LGBTQ Services To Be Divided Among The State's Community Colleges. That Money Is Critical In Rural Communities Where LGBTQ Plus Services Are Typically Scarce.

The Supreme Court's Decision To Do Away With Affirmative Action In College Admissions Will Likely Not Have As Deep An Impact In California Since Prop 209 Banned The Practice back In 1998.

The City Of Arcata Will Be The Site Of A New Emergency Mental Health Care Facility With The Help Of A Recent $12 Million Grant. As JPR’s Jane Vaughan reports, The New Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Center Will Hopefully Open In 2026.

Here's A Preview Of Our Sister Show, The California Report’s Weekly Magazine. During The Pandemic, Rhea Patel And Marcel Michel Decided To Do Something Bold.... Despite Having NO Background In Food, The Couple Started A Food Business, Bringing Flavors From Their Indian And Mexican Backgrounds To Rotisserie Chicken Dishes. They Call It - SAUCY CHICK....And, KQED’s Sasha Khoka Caught Up With Them At A Sunday Food Market in Downtown Los Angeles.

People who live around several reservoirs in Siskiyou County are facing an uncertain future. Four dams on the Klamath River will be torn down over the next two years. Now, their lakefront properties will change as reservoirs turn into a free-flowing river again.
Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio  

A new report shows California is performing almost 500 more abortions per month than in the period before Roe v. Wade was overturned. The “We Count” project has been collecting data from U.S. abortion providers, as more states implement bans and restrictions. The numbers include both medication abortion and in-clinic procedures.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio

The California task force studying reparations for Black residents is submitting its final recommendations to the State legislature on Thursday.
Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED

New numbers out from California's Attorney General's office show a more than 20% increase in hate crimes in the state between 2021 and 2022, with more than 2,100 recorded incidents last year. Reported hate crimes targeting Black people had the sharpest rise. There were also big increases in crimes against members of the LGBTQ and Jewish communities.

The majority of Californians live in places where the supply of licensed child care just does not meet the demand. And it could get worse. During the pandemic, additional federal funds helped many child care providers stay open, but that funding is coming to an end.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED

In recent weeks, hundreds of sea lions and more than 100 dolphins have washed up sick or dead on the beaches of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. A toxic algae bloom off the coast is thought to be the cause.
Reporter: Jacob Margolis, LAist

Have you been recycling your food scraps? A new report finds that California’s landmark compost law that went into effect last year isn’t close to reaching its organic recycling goals.
Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist

What happens when an elected official essentially becomes homeless because of the cost of California housing? In the small Ventura County town of Ojai, a councilmember has fought to keep her seat, because she can’t find permanent housing she can afford that’s in her district.
Guest: Alexei Koseff, Reporter, CalMatters