KQED's The California Report

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who died in an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort on Wednesday as 66-year-old Kenneth Kidd. One other person was buried and injured; two other skiers were caught up in the avalanche but rescued.California is facing a nearly $38 billion budget shortfall, but to hear Governor Gavin Newsom tell it, things aren’t too dire. As he rolled out his proposed spending plan on Wednesday, Newsom framed the shortfall as a return to normal of sorts: After several years of unusual spikes in capital gains, sales and corporate tax revenues, driven by low interest rates and historic federal pandemic aid,  things are leveling off. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED As Senate negotiators struggle to hammer out a deal in Washington, trading tougher asylum rules for more aid to Ukraine and Israel, California Senator Alex Padilla says more border restrictions are not the best way to manage the migration crisis. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If we're spending tens of billions of dollars fighting homelessness, why isn't the problem getting better? An investigation by KCRW and The California Newsroom looked at the massive failures of one major recipient of Governor Gavin Newsom's Homekey program. That's his administration's big effort to turn buildings like hotels and motels into low income housing, which has cost more than $3 billion since it launched in 2020.Guest: Anna Scott, Reporter KCRWGovernor Newsom is expected to release the state’s spending plan on Wednesday morning. This comes as the state is dealing with a $68 billion shortfall.Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom has officially ordered a special election on March 19 to fill the seat vacated by former Congressman Kevin McCarthy. The district will see up to four different ballots to determine who will serve the remainder of McCarthy’s term and who will succeed him in Congress. Meanwhile, California lawmakers want to clean up state election law after a judge ruled that a Republican candidate can run for both Congress and the Assembly this year. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio  A suite of options to allow psychedelic use in California could soon be on the table, including regulated therapies. As officials wrestle with what comes next, the state recently cleared advocates to collect signatures for a statewide decriminalization vote as a ballot measure in November.Reporter: Anna Marie Yanny, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People are still struggling to find a place to live years after devastating wildfires ripped through Butte County.  In the remote town of Berry Creek, many are living in RVs on the lots where houses once stood. But they face deadlines to rebuild their homes or move.Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio Doctors are bracing for more COVID patients as people return to school and work after the holiday break.Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 20th century, the last California gray wolf was observed in the 1920s, but that changed in 2011 with the sighting of a wolf who had crossed into California from Oregon.  Now, a small but growing population of wolves have reestablished themselves in the state.Reporter: Jordan Traverso, California Department of Fish and WildlifeA parents rights group says it plans to sue Attorney General Rob Bonta because of how his office titled and summarized an initiative the group hopes to get on the ballot. The proposal from the group Protect Kids California would prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, exclude trans girls from girls competitive sports, and require schools to disclose a students’ gender identity to their parents.Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Passions over war in the Middle East have spilled into where many of us work. So as an employee, what rights do you have to share your opinions or protest on the job?Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQEDIn Sacramento, state legislators ended their first session of the year early Wednesday, after hundreds of Israel-Hamas war protesters broke out into songs and chants in the Assembly chamber.Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal regulators are investigating Kaiser Permanente for how it treats women with postpartum depression. The health provider has twice revised its guidelines to make it easier for women to get a new drug that targets the condition. These developments are the result of a KQED investigation that first revealed Kaiser's restrictions on postpartum care.Guest: April Dembosky, KQEDState surveyors have measured the snowpack near Lake Tahoe, and found only a small amount of snow compared to this time last year. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of new laws have gone into effect with the beginning of the new year. They affect everything from workplaces, to crime and health care.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our state, we see the effects of climate change around us seemingly every day - storms, flooding, wildfires, extreme heat waves. Such events are changing the landscape and feeling of California and making a lot of us worried. So how do we handle the anxiety and even the grief that stem from climate change? Guest: Erica Hellerstein, Investigative Reporter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state of California has been experimenting with ways to make it easier for residents to enjoy our state parks and beaches. A pilot program that allows Californians to visit many state parks for free — after checking out a pass from their local library — is helping increase access for more people.Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices