KQED's The California Report

Three years ago, the Creek Fire was finally contained.  It remains California’s fifth largest blaze, after destroying nearly 400,000 acres and hundreds of homes in the Sierra Nevada east of Fresno. The three years since have been a time of healing and recovery – especially for those involved in a high-stakes rescue the first weekend of the blaze.Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR California has been closing prisons to save money. But the state’s spending 90% more per year on each prisoner kept locked up than it was a decade ago. That’s according to a new analysis from CalMatters. Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A corner store in Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood, that’s a crossroads of community life, is being sold. But instead of letting it get snatched up by the highest bidder, the Korean American family that runs the market has worked out a deal with a Black-led nonprofit. The move serves as a small step toward healing historic racial tensions in LA.Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW A big blow to journalism in Los Angeles, as the LA Times has cut about 20% of its newsroom. The paper's Washington bureau and sports and photography departments saw big cuts. And several journalists of color were also impacted.Reporter: Yusra Farzan, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cal State faculty have called off a strike, after a tentative labor agreement was reached Monday night. Faculty had been scheduled to be off the job this entire week.The three Democrats vying to represent California in the U.S. Senate went after the only Republican on stage at Monday’s debate -- and clashed over the war between Israel and Hamas. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Many in Half Moon Bay are gathering Tuesday to commemorate the first anniversary of the mass shooting that killed seven farmworkers in the community south of San Francisco.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala RomeroA controversial school board president in the Riverside County community of Temecula will face a recall election this spring. A group opposed to his conservative agenda collected enough signatures to force a vote.Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast discusses the easier process of obtaining concealed carry permits in California, including the required training. It also covers the faculty strike at California State University and the reasons behind the increasing interest in concealed carry permits. The ongoing court battle over carrying concealed weapons in California is explored, along with the societal impact and conflicting research. The podcast briefly mentions the commemoration of mass shootings in two communities.

As we age, our social networks tend to shrink, leaving us feeling disconnected from the world around us. And that can take a toll on someone’s mental health. But recent studies have shown this feeling of loneliness is also linked to an increased risk for heart disease, dementia and early death in older adults. That’s why a coalition here in California is working to change the way we address aging, by bridging the gap between health and social care.Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California ReportCalifornia lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban investor-owned utilities from passing lobbying costs on to customers. The bill follows a Sacramento Bee investigation that found SoCalGas spent millions lobbying against the state’s clean energy policies, and had ratepayers pick up the tab.Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office has pulled down a public service announcement from its website warning residents about the painkiller fentanyl. This comes after the California Newsroom inquired about the accuracy of the events depicted.Reporter: Brian Krans, The California NewsroomA new poll finds most California voters do not feel that U.S. borders are effective at keeping people from entering the country illegally. Registered Republicans overwhelmingly say the border’s not secure, unauthorized immigrants are a major burden and asylum laws are too lenient. But California Democrats are deeply divided on those questions.Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the COVID pandemic, ridership on California’s public transit systems plummeted.  Now, ridership levels for one agency – Los Angeles Metro – are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, but there are still big concerns about quality of service, safety and how to deal with drug abuse and homelessness on subways, buses and light rail. The transportation agency is trying to deal with those concerns by putting a friendly face on mass transit.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kern County in the rural San Joaquin Valley is facing what one leader calls an existential threat. The county is the largest oil producer in California, but the state wants to eliminate drilling by 2045. As a result, Kern is looking to a new industry – carbon capture and storage – to secure its future.  hopes the industry will provide jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue, while helping the state meet its climate goals.Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPREnvironmental groups have successfully pushed for a ‘green terminal’ strategy at the Port of Humboldt outside Eureka. The terminal is where giant offshore wind turbines will be built.Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of Mexicans living in the United States are eligible to vote in Mexico’s upcoming presidential elections. Some experts are calling it the most important election in Mexican history.Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBSCamp Fire survivors now have until April of 2025 to live in trailers full-time on their properties in the town of Paradise. That’s after the Town Council voted to allow RV living for another year.Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory, calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. So how did we get to this point? Guest: Dr. Carla Perissinotto, Geriatrician, UCSFThe Biden administration is awarding California $168 million for clean vehicle charging infrastructure. Grants will fund projects across the state, from truck charging stations along freight routes in the Inland Empire, to public vehicle charging facilities in low-income communities in Contra Costa County.Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices