KQED's The California Report

In a legislative hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration made its case for a controversial proposal aimed at reigning in high gas prices, by imposing a penalty on oil companies when gas prices, and profits, spike.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Huntington Beach in Orange County is the latest city vowing to fight Sacramento over state housing laws meant to encourage more housing. The city council voted 4-to-3 this week to allow its city attorney to pursue any legal actions, to challenge SB 9, SB 10 and any laws that allow for lot splits and the development of accessory dwelling units, or granny flats.During the winter months, researchers take to the American River in Northern California to survey steelhead salmon populations. The surveys play an important part in understanding the impacts of environmental changes, and how conservation efforts can help future generations of salmon thrive.Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A hearing on gasoline prices in the state is scheduled to take place Wednesday afternoon in Sacramento, more than two months after Governor Gavin Newsom called for oil companies to be penalized for price gouging. The hearing before the State Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee is the first during a special session on gas prices.  Last month, a lot of snow fell on California, which was good news for our drought-stricken state. But California’s snowpack is dwindling -- fast and that's creating uncertainty for the state’s water supply. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Officials are continuing to push for answers and solutions after the closure of Madera Community Hospital more than a month ago. The closure has already impacted neighboring communities.Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPRDuring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County tried to stop landlords from evicting renters who have pets that aren’t allowed under their leases. Those protections were set to go away this month, but LA County leaders extended them two more months. Even so, some renters, and their beloved pets, are facing the threat of eviction. Reporter: David Wagner, LAIst  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man suspected of murdering Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell in Los Angeles over the weekend has been arrested. Meanwhile, friends of the Bishop are remembering him for his kindness to others.Did you know the last secondary lead smelter west of the Mississippi is here in California? It’s called Quemetco, and it recycles the lead in old car batteries about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The company has been violating toxic substance regulations for years and has now reached a settlement with the state that allows it to stay open.Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lake Tahoe, nestled high in the mountains between California and Nevada, is one of America’s great natural wonders. But the lake faces a variety of threats -- some old, some new -- that scientists have spent years studying.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportA Bay Area Assemblymember wants to increase access to California's public parks and beaches, by overhauling the state's reservation system.Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new state-backed report gives the first-ever birds-eye view of California’s spending on homelessness programs. The state has shelled out more than $10 billion in the last few years to get people housed. But despite that spending, California still has a long way to go to get people into permanent housing.Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMattersDespite protests from many community members, construction has resumed to replace fences with two 30-foot walls at Friendship Park, which sits on the US-Mexico border in San Diego County. The historic park on the western-most end of the border has long been a place where families from both sides of the border can meet up.75 years ago a plane crashed near the Central Valley town of Coalinga, killing everyone on board. The plane carried Mexican migrants on their way to be deported. After the crash, the government sent the bodies of the white pilot, flight attendants and immigration officer home to their families, but interred the Mexican passengers in a mass grave. Officials didn’t even release the migrants’ names, calling them only “Deportees.”Reporter: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who's had this problem? Your laptop or smartphone isn’t working, but the idea of repairing it yourself seems impossible because you can't get replacement parts and repair instructions from manufacturers, like, say, Apple. Well, after past attempts to pass it have failed, a Right to Repair bill has been re-introduced in Sacramento. If passed, it’s supposed to make it easier, and cheaper to get electronics you own fixed.Guest: Sander Kushen, Public Health Advocate, CALPIRGSlavery and involuntary servitude are illegal in California. But our state constitution has an exception to that rule involving the state’s prison system. Some state lawmakers are now looking to change that.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dianne Feinstein has been a U.S. Senator from California for three decades. And before that she was already a powerful figure in San Francisco politics, including serving as mayor. So the announcement that Feinstein is retiring from office at the end of her current Senate term really does mark the end of an era in California politics and governance. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQEDA new study out of Stanford University finds that enrollment in California public schools fell by about 270,000 during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.Reporter: Amanda Stupi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anti-semitism and hate crimes are on the rise in the United States. In California, some far-right groups are becoming even more extreme. A far-right extremist group connected to San Diego, called the Goyim Defense League, is fueling acts of vandalism, harassment and assault. Reporter: Jill Castellano, inewsourceA group of California lawmakers wants to prohibit police from pulling motorists over for minor traffic infractions. The legislators say those stops too often lead to violence against people of color. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to stories about worker abuse in the fast food industry, last year the state legislature passed, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act. The FAST Act created a first of its kind 10 person independent council to improve labor conditions in the fast food industry. But it's already facing pushback from the industry, which has spent millions on a referendum for the 2024 ballot.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportIt’s been a week since devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria. As the reported death toll mounts well past 30,000, Californians are looking for ways to help survivors.Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s Attorney General has petitioned federal regulators to issue an emergency rule to protect workers from extreme heat. Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related workplace hazards, and the dangers for workers in jobs like agriculture are rising with climate change.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Frontline environmental advocates are gearing up for a new fight, now that a California law that would ban new oil drilling near homes, schools, and community sites is on hold. Industry groups have gathered enough signatures to qualify the issue for the 2024 ballot. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQEDA new housing project called Paul’s Place opened in Davis this week. Organizers say the unique 4-story design, which combines temporary shelter with permanent apartments, will help unhoused people achieve stability. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices