L.A.'s Outdoor Dining Ban Survives Legal Challenges

An L.A. County judge overturned a ban on outdoor dining Tuesday. In a tentative ruling, the judge called the ban an arbitrary way to control the coronavirus, adding that L.A. County public health officials failed to balance health risks with potential harm to the economy. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED To find out more about the controversy over outdoor dining, and the people on both sides of that debate, The California Report's Mary Franklin Harvin spoke to a journalist who's been following the issue closely.  Guest: Farley Elliot, Senior Editor, Eater LA New research that estimates the comprehensive cost of wildfires, found that the 2018 California wildfires led to thousands of deaths, far more than the official count. That larger number factors in the harm of air pollution. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED  Four men who were set to be released from California prisons earlier this year, were instead handed over to federal immigration authorities. Now they are seeking thousands of dollars in damages from the state. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED This week the city of Fresno named its next police chief. When he’s sworn in next year, Paco Balderrama will make history as the first Latino to lead the department.  Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio California lawmakers have introduced a new bill calling on the state to declare racism a public health crisis. The bill is big on goals but short on details at the moment. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices