KQED's The California Report

Proposition 6 on the November ballot aims to get rid of “involuntary servitude” for people in prison. You might know that some of these folks fight wildfires, but people who are in prison also do jobs as varied as cooking and making furniture, and usually they’re paid pennies an hour.Reporter: Audy McAfee The nonprofit California Fire Foundation has expanded its memorial wall, which honors fallen firefighters at the State Capitol.Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, a Fresno County ordinance went into effect that prohibits people from sleeping or camping on public property. So where will the city’s thousands of unhoused people go next? An untraditional program is attempting to reduce some barriers to housing.  Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, gives protection from deportation to more than half a million undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as kids, including tens of thousands in California. The latest in a series of legal battles over the program came Thursday in a federal appeals court.Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris often talks about standing up for voters. One of her biggest tests of this promise came more than a decade ago, during the peak of the subprime mortgage crisis. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQEDRiverside’s city council struck down a proposal by the city attorney and police department to prohibit items that could be used as weapons during protests.Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the race for control of Congress, all eyes are on California. Election analysts see more competitive contests for the House of Representatives here than in any other state. One of those is the 47th District in Orange County, where Democrat Dave Min is taking on Republican Scott Baugh.Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQEDState workplace regulators have fined a farm labor contractor near Sacramento more than $17,000 for serious heat safety violations.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent hot weather has brought attention to schools, and how many of them lack air conditioning and other infrastructure to keep kids safe. The issue is even more crucial at child care centers because young kids have a harder time adapting. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQEDSmoggy air has plagued California cities during this recent heat wave. And new research shows that pollution may affect children’s brains.Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQEDSpending more time on screens increases the likelihood that 9-and 10-year-olds will develop symptoms of mental illness. That's according to a new study out this week from UC San Francisco.Reporter: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been one year since Hamas-led militant groups launched attacks on Israel, killing more than 1200 Israelis and taking more than 200 people hostage. Many of those hostages have still not been released. And more than 41,500 people in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli bombardment according to Palestinian health officials, with a ceasefire still nowhere in sight. The war in the Middle East has also led to growing tensions here in the US. An LA-based organization is working to ease the tensions between the two communities.Guests: Ben Ginsburg and Tasneem Noor, NewGround The state Department of Public Health is investigating a possible third human case of bird flu in the Central Valley. The first two confirmed human cases were in Tulare County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of foster children in the state are at risk of being moved from their homes. That’s after a major insurer for foster family agencies says it will no longer cover these organizations, starting this month. These agencies recruit and oversee foster parents, and without insurance, they can’t operate.Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist  California needs to do more to contain bird flu on dairy cattle ranches. That's what one infectious disease expert says, as state health officials investigate the first two confirmed human cases of bird flu in the state.Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sukey Lewis, a KQED reporter, dives into the transformative world of AI in policing, specifically focusing on how software called Draft One helps officers swiftly generate reports from bodycam audio. She raises critical questions about the accuracy of these AI-generated narratives versus human observations. The discussion touches on accountability and the essential nature of officer verification in the criminal justice system, revealing both the promise and pitfalls of relying on technology in law enforcement.

Erin Baldassari, a reporter specializing in healthcare and public policy, discusses the one-year anniversary of California's CARE Court program. She shares insights into the program's impact on reducing homelessness and jail time for individuals with severe mental illnesses. Erin highlights the challenges encountered, including trust issues among participants and the program's narrow eligibility criteria. The conversation delves into the operational framework of CARE Court and examines how effectively it addresses the needs of those affected by conditions like schizophrenia.

Joshua Yeager, a reporter delving into significant Californian events, discusses the devastating Borel Fire that ravaged Havilah, consuming 60,000 acres and upending lives. Kate Wolffe, another insightful reporter focusing on healthcare issues, uncovers legal battles surrounding abortion rights. Together, they share resilient stories of displaced residents and their path to recovery, spotlighting hope embodied by Curly the bull. The conversation highlights both community strength and the intensifying frequency of wildfires in California.