KQED's The California Report

The district attorney's office in Shasta County is facing high workloads and high vacancy rates. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public RadioDry 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

President Trump says he will not limit the scope of his deportation efforts, going so far as to say schools across the country will also be targeted in sweeps and raids by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. That looming threat has undocumented students attending UC Berkeley calling on the university to issue a strong statement of support for them.Santa Clara County's District Attorney is moving forward with pressing charges against a dozen students that took part in last year's on-campus pro-Palestinian protests, where demonstrators occupied the office of the campus resident. The Santa Clara DA alleges that the students are responsible  for thousands of dollars in damages, and are facing felony vandalism and trespassing related charges.The Trump Administration's trade war with China is heating up, and that may not bode well for California's agriculture businesses in the Central Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In early January, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents from El Centro near San Diego launched a deportation raid in Kern County, more than six hours from their usual area of operation. The man behind the effort is Gregory Bovino, head of CBP's El Centro sector. He claimed the operation targeted criminals that were illegally in the US, but arrest data show that, of the nearly 80 people that were swept up by the agents out of El Centro, Border Patrol had an arrest record for just one individual.Ultra low-budget airliner, Avelo, is shuttering its Bay Area hub at Sonoma County's Charles M. Schultz Airport, after it got tapped by the Trump Administration to conduct mass deportation flights. One Sonoma County Supervisor is condemning the move, saying it would hurt the local economy in the long-run.Prop 36, California's voter-approved "tough on crime" bill,  is still a  head-scratcher for lawmakers in Sacramento, who are still debating on how to actually fund its rollout statewide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is aiming to make the entirety of its electricity production zero-carbon by 2045. One of the key areas that state leaders are looking to help the state reach its clean energy goals is the Mojave Desert. Since 2014, the desert has been home to one of the largest solar power plants in North America. However, California's zero-carbon efforts in the Mojave are coming at the expense of a celebrated natural icon: the Joshua Tree.President Trump's tariff war may take a big chunk out of California's budget. Since the tariffs went into effect last week, the stock market has plummeted for days on end; that means a drop in revenue for some of the state's wealthiest residents, which could put a hole in California's budget down the line.A new bill circulating through the California state legislature may tip the balance in favor of rideshare drivers, when it comes to bargaining for better working conditions. AB-1340 would make it legal for those driving for rideshare giants like Lyft and Uber to form a union, in order to negotiate with their employers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Firefighter aircraft were cheered on back in January, when they were making headlines as they painted the areas being scorched by the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles County with fire retardant. However, scientists are starting to wonder whether the contents of these retardants could impact the health or the environment of the people who have to eventually rebuild these communities that were devastated by wildfires.Thousands in California are preparing to demonstrate against President Trump's efforts to cut funding to the National Institute of Health. He has already stalled about $1.5 billion dollars in medical research funds, which have had wide-ranging effects, impacting studies into long COVID and cancer, among others.Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has revoked visas from hundreds of international students that were studying in the United States, including dozens from the Bay Area. Two students in California have decided to push back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices