KQED's The California Report

Hundreds of Californians who make countertops are getting sick with an often deadly, job-related lung disease. Those who can no longer work because of it are often left struggling to make ends meet, even after pursuing benefits that are supposed to help them long term. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED State health officials have identified another California resident who has been exposed to the deadly hantavirus strain. State lawmakers have a new report on how California can better avoid - or recover from - wildfires and other natural disasters. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the crowded field of mostly Democratic candidates vying to be California’s next governor, one MAGA Republican has had surprising staying power. That’s Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. He’s recently been in national headlines for seizing hundreds of thousands of ballots, among other controversies. Bianco has built his profile on bashing the state’s Democrats and Governor Gavin Newsom. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR The World Cup is officially one month away. And some LA advocates aren’t happy about how organizers plan to address human rights. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Driven by concerns that Democrats could be locked out of this year's governor's race, a new ballot initiative seeks to repeal California’s top-two primary system. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED State lawmakers are considering a bill that would require California’s DMV to notify vehicle owners when their towed cars are sold for profit. Reporter: Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters An investigation from KQED and ProPublica's Local Reporting Network found dozens of cases where California has not revoked educators’ teaching credentials, despite schools determining they committed sexual harassment or misconduct of a sexual nature. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several state bills pending in Sacramento this week seek more guardrails on Artificial Intelligence in the workplace. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A proposed state budget change could stall the program that sends behavioral health workers — instead of police — to respond to mental health emergencies. Reporter: Ana Ibarra, CalMatters California’s newest grade — transitional kindergarten — has been lauded as a success, with enrollment doubling over the past few years. But that growth has come at a cost, pulling 4-year-olds out of community-based preschools. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Eby spent 20 years in the Navy before he retired from his role as a commander. But after a while, he got bored - so he signed up for a new covert mission. Looking for otters. Not enemy warships, but threatened sea otters, as a volunteer with the Elkhorn Slough Reserve in Moss Landing. Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and Central Coast Congressman Salud Carbajal joined Chumash Coastal Band leaders and environmental groups on the Central Coast Thursday. They criticized the Trump administration’s support for restarting an oil pipeline linked to the 2015 Refugio spill. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX A number of California residents, who’ve since returned home, are confirmed to have been among the passengers on a cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As wildfires become more destructive in California, the need for forensic investigations is increasing. Specifically: the need for finding and identifying bodies after a wildfire. A recent intensive academy at Fresno City College addressed this need by training working professionals. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Advocates are criticizing the state's tracking of evictions, saying California has failed to accurately count them for decades, and drumming up support for a bill that would more closely monitor it. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Humboldt County Supervisors are looking at creating a civilian oversight committee for the sheriff’s office. They’re trying to get ahead of a possible citizen initiative. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigration enforcement is affecting recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Since 2012, the program has allowed people brought to the United States as children to stay in the US and work, go to school, and buy property. But one Sacramento woman's life unraveled within days of learning that her immigration case was being reopened. Reporter: Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how the Los Angeles Unified School District handles allegations of sexual misconduct involving teachers and students. Governor Gavin Newsom is asking California election officials to speed up their vote count in the June primary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A major change to a federal farmworker visa program known as H-2A is sparking a heated debate across California. The program allows farms to bring in temporary workers from other countries, but a change from the Trump administration has altered how they are paid, sparking a lawsuit from the United Farmworkers Union. Supporters say it’s a lifeline for farmers facing rising labor costs. Critics call it a wage cut that could push local workers out of the fields. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report A man who was shot multiple times by immigration agents last month in the Central California community of Patterson pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges. San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney is trying again to expand drug-free housing for people leaving homelessness, after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year. A bill moving through the California legislature would require independent evaluations of new education programs, like transitional kindergarten. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shasta County voters will consider a ballot measure that's faced legal challenges before the primary election. It could change the way elections are conducted in the county. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio The World Cup is about a month away. And FIFA luxury suites can cost over $200,000 for a single match in Los Angeles. Union workers at SoFi Stadium say they want their pay to reflect that wealth. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, has reached a tentative four-year deal with major studios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environmentalists say the Trump Administration is being short sighted in its decision to offer to buy out the leases of some offshore wind energy projects along California’s Central Coast. Reporter: Lance Orozco, KCLU Peach growers in the Yuba-Sutter region and Central Valley are being thrown a lifeline from Washington, D.C. The move follows the closure of a major cannery that’s left farmers without a buyer for their fruit. Reporter: Claudia Brancart, North State Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California lawmakers are considering new rules for electric bikes as safety concerns grow on roads and trails. But experts say much of the data behind those concerns is misleading. Reporter: Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio New research from UC Santa Cruz shows climate change is a bigger threat to California’s native trees than previously thought. Reporter: Erin Malsbury, KAZU To the north of the Imperial Valley, another battleground is emerging in the debate over AI data centers. Residents are pushing back against a large data center campus in the city of Coachella. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re less than a week away from the start of voting in California’s June primary and the race for governor remains up for grabs. On Tuesday night, the leading candidates made their pitch to voters in a CBS debate at Pomona College - east of Los Angeles, and things got messy. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED In a move immigration and privacy advocates call a “betrayal,” California is preparing to share detailed information about its driver’s license holders with a national database that connects DMVs. Opponents say the move could put more than a million undocumented people who have California driver’s licenses at risk. Reporter: Khari Johnson, CalMatters The city of Marina in Monterey County is reactivating a 30-year-old desalination plant to help boost water supply. Reporter: Ngozi Cole, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A health care labor union in California submitted more than 1.5 million signatures this week to place a billionaire tax on the November ballot. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED It’s been two months since the war in Iran began, and the resulting energy crisis has made the cost of driving a major concern here for millions of Californians. In a state where people rely heavily on cars, the rising costs are forcing some drivers to make financial sacrifices, with some giving up the car altogether. Reporter: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congressman Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for governor. This comes just days after a San Francisco Chronicle report where a former staffer said Swalwell sexually assaulted her. And CNN later reported on other instances of alleged sexual misconduct from three other women. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED Delegates at the California Republican Party's spring convention in San Diego failed to endorse either of the two main GOP candidates running for governor. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco received 49% support. Former Fox News Host Steve Hilton drew 44% of the vote. But neither crossed the 60% threshold needed to secure an endorsement. The prevailing GOP message at the convention was a focus on affordability and cost of living. Reporter: Jake Gotta, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pacific Grove or PG is no longer a dry town, although it upheld the Prohibition-era ban on booze into the 1960s—longer than any other city in California. Despite the sleepy reputation it earned, PG is now home to a growing nightlife scene. Reporter: Katie Brown, KAZU A California court has unsealed the warrants that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco used to seize hundreds of thousands of ballots in that county. The warrants raise questions as to whether the sheriff’s investigation was based on actual evidence of crimes. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR House Democrats are highlighting what they see as President Trump's attempts to undermine the November Election. They held a hearing in San Francisco on Thursday. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 in 3 Planned Parenthood patients in the United States receive care at clinics in California. But as the abortion-rights organization tries to manage after Congress cut its federal funding last year, one Planned Parenthood affiliate in California is diving into a new kind of service - cosmetics. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio California's Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco -- a Republican candidate for governor -- to halt his investigation into the 2025 election. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED An attorney for the man shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Stanislaus County this week is disputing ICE's characterization of his client. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new report is shedding light on the lives of California farmworkers. It argues low wages are not just an economic issue, but a public health crisis. The report is called Beyond the Cycle of Survival, and it looks at how pay impacts workers' health, families, and communities. Guest: Elana Muldavin, Health in Partnership An investigation is underway after federal authorities shot and wounded a person they were apparently trying to arrest. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security says it happened after officers pulled over the man in Patterson in Stanislaus County on Tuesday. A bill to restore state health care coverage for low-income undocumented Californians will face its first hearing at the state Capitol on Wednesday. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For countertop fabricators trying to follow California’s safety rules, “doing the right thing” can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A $10 billion bet on the future of Artificial Intelligence is facing a wall of local resistance in the Imperial Valley. County supervisors will decide the fate of a massive data center complex that has already sparked shouting matches, environmental protests, and a last minute scramble in the courts. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want a better life? Move out of California. Well, sorta. According to a new study from the California Policy Lab, the Golden State's high cost of living is still squeezing residents and pushing them out of the state. Guest: Evan White, Executive Director of California Policy Lab California is suing the Trump administration again, this time over the president's executive order to give the US Postal Service new powers to oversee voting by mail. An affordable housing project in Crescent City plans to restart construction soon after a series of setbacks. Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week indie musician Mitski is playing a series of sold out shows at an unexpected L.A. venue: Hollywood High School’s auditorium. The school's connection to the arts goes back decades. Reporter: Mariana Dale, LAist A federal judge in California says Border Patrol violated a federal court order barring them from making illegal stops and arrests. Reporter: Sergio Olmos, CalMatters The Nuclear Regulatory Commission just gave California’s only operating nuclear power plant approval to run for an extra 20 years. Reporter: Kendra Hanna, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of people became US citizens at a large ceremony in Orange County last month. Despite some concerns about democracy in the US, some new citizens still think it’s a good place to live. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR California officials are warning of an early fire season and strained water supply after warm weather in March melted most of the Sierra snowpack. Reporter: Alonso Daboub, KQED Oil production near the Santa Barbara coast is ramping back up. A Texas-based oil company announced it started selling oil through the same pipeline system tied to the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX A judge has ordered a physician to monitor the healthcare of the detainees being held at California’s largest immigrant detention center. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the struggles of California wineries. But the state’s craft brewers are also dealing with significant challenges. While it may seem like there’s a taproom on every corner, the Brewers Association reports that for the last two years, more California breweries have closed than opened. As craft brewers grapple with everything from rising costs to tariffs, brewers are finding creative ways to adapt.Reporter: Tina Caputo A Sacramento woman who was deported to Mexico in February – despite protection under DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – is speaking out about her treatment. A retired Bay Area carpenter is in Washington DC Wednesday morning for the Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship. He’s the descendent of the man whose case affirmed that right over a hundred years ago.Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sexual abuse accusations against the late Cesar Chavez have sparked condemnation and soul-searching on the West Coast, and also fears the scandal could undermine ongoing efforts to improve the lives of farmworkers. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Fallout continues from the last-minute cancellation of a gubernatorial debate that was scheduled Tuesday on the USC campus, after four candidates of color said the debate criteria unfairly excluded them. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED A judge in Shasta County heard arguments Wednesday over a proposed ballot measure that appears to violate state law. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday is Farm Workers' Day, formerly known as Cesar Chavez Day, which has been celebrated for almost 30 years. But last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to make the name change official after Cesar Chavez was accused of sexually abusing women and girls. The state is just one of many entities making these name changes, but for some cities that might not happen as quickly. Guest: Nadia Lathan, CalMatters Another man who was detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center died last week. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say they tried to save the man and later transported him to a hospital. But detainees say the man was denied medical treatment and died on site. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the spring of 2006, a historic number of Angelenos took to the streets to stop a harsh anti-immigration bill. It worked. But where's that momentum now? Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW No Kings rallies brought out tens of thousands of people across California over the weekend … to protest President Donald Trump, his administration’s policies, and the war in Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It will soon be a month since the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. In response to U. S. military action, the Iranian regime has restricted which trade ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway not only for oil moving from the Middle East to North America, but also for fertilizer, the fertilizer American farmers need to start growing crops. The agricultural industry has started to ring the alarm about the potential impacts the crisis at Hormuz could have on food prices. Guest: Daniel Sumner, UC Davis Professor The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is set to pay nearly $2 million to settle a lawsuit over a violent incident at a women’s prison in Chowchilla. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Shasta County voters will see a proposal to change their election system on the June primary ballot. Among other things, Measure B would require residents to present photo ID when voting in person, and limit who can cast an absentee ballot. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

911 dispatchers are often the first voice people hear in an emergency. But across the country, it’s getting harder to find people trained to answer those calls. Two programs in the U.S. are trying to change that, and one is right here in the San Joaquin Valley. Reporter: Samantha Rangel, KVPR An appeals court has denied the state attorney general’s request to stop Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s effort to recount ballots from last year’s special election. A new poll from the California Democratic Party shows two Republicans leading the state's crowded race for governor, and nearly a quarter of voters still undecided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As California Governor Gavin Newsom eyes a potential 2028 presidential run, he’s been wading into more foreign policy -- even on issues that are controversial. It’s a pivot that’s helping him build a national profile. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Since last summer, the Trump administration has been arresting undocumented immigrants as they try to claim their children from federal custody. This has left a lot of kids — including at least a dozen in Southern California —- stranded in government shelters and foster care. Immigration attorneys say they’ve suspected for months that the arrests are part of a formal policy. And court documents that were recently discovered suggest that it is. Reporter: Mark Betancourt, The California Newsroom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Condor used to range from California to Florida and from Canada all the way down to Mexico. But last century, their population crashed. Now, there are more than 600 alive, but they aren't doing as well as scientists expect it. New research explains the mystery of why, despite many protections, the birds are still struggling. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who’s also a Republican candidate for governor, says the state’s attorney general is interfering in his department’s investigation of alleged irregularities in the 2025 special election to redraw California’s congressional districts. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR California leaders want to increase investments in agriculture technology, but farmworker advocates say they’re worried about displacement. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As word of damning accusations against Cesar Chavez spread this week, farmworkers and advocates in California have struggled to reconcile the disturbing details with their image of a man they considered a hero. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A coalition of leaders in East San José say the sexual assault allegations against labor leader Cesar Chavez should be a turning point for the community and the country.  Reporter: Joseph Geha, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A major investigation by the New York Times is raising serious allegations about Cesar Chavez, one of the most admired figures in Latino civil rights history. The reporting includes accounts from multiple women, including co-organizer and civil rights leader, Dolores Huerta. They say Chavez sexually abused them, in some cases, when they were children. Guest: Gustavo Arellano, LA Times Following the harrowing accounts from these women, the United Farm Workers union is now distancing itself from Chavez, its co-founder. In Sacramento, Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to rename Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, in light of the allegations against the civil rights leader. There are also growing calls to rename streets and other property bearing his name at the local level. Reporter: Kendra Hanna, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The nationwide increase in gas prices since the beginning of the war in Iran is hitting especially hard in California, already home to the nation’s highest prices at the pump. It's also started a new round of political blame game between President Trump, Governor Newsom, and even some Democrats. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Veterans and native tribes are calling for the protection of public lands in the Mojave Desert. They say President Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management could open the area to fossil fuel extraction. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's housing crisis is spreading to other states. Congress is finalizing a package of bills some national housing experts say are among the most significant reforms to come out of the federal government in decades. Some of the bills are inspired by laws California has already passed. So what does this package do for us? Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED California regulators are pushing back after the Trump Administration ordered a Texas-based oil company to restart pipeline operations along the Central Coast. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This school year is the first in which transitional kindergarten is free and available for all 4-year-olds across California. The state has spent more than $15 billion since 2021 to offer this new grade. But in order for that investment to pay off, the skills kids gain in TK need to last throughout elementary school. One district is trying to set their students up for success by focusing on one particular subject. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Protesters put on a concert at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in the Mojave Desert on Saturday, to call attention to the plight of undocumented detainees. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims around the world dedicate 30 days to prayer and reflection by fasting from sunrise to sunset. That includes in the Monterey County community of Seaside. Reporter: Ngozi Cole, KAZU State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond says he’s imploring the Trump administration to return a 6-year-old deaf boy and his family who were deported to Colombia, so the boy can return to the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2024, California voters approved Proposition 1. That ballot measure set aside billions of dollars to add more mental health and addiction treatment beds across the state. But new reporting from our California newsroom partner, CalMatters, has found the initiative hasn't delivered a fraction of the support it promised. Guest: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters It’s not just gas prices rising. The attacks on Iran are also causing fertilizer prices to surge by about 30%, just as the spring planting season gets underway in California. But some farmers here have been adopting techniques that aren't just resilient to climate change, but also to the supply chain disruption of war. Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About one in ten K-12 students in the US attend a California public school. And those schools are seeing a lot of turmoil this year. San Francisco educators went on strike in February. Teachers in Oakland and San Diego narrowly avoided a strike themselves. And now, their colleagues in Dublin -- in the Bay Area -- have also been on strike this week. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED San Diego County has followed through on its ultimatum to the Department of Homeland Security, by suing the agency over access to the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Reporter: Alexander Nguyen, KPBS A Sacramento woman with DACA status is suing the federal government after she says she was unlawfully deported. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

School boards across California are giving their members raises, which might sound strange at a time when teachers here are striking for better pay. It's thanks to a new law that gives board members their first opportunity for a major pay increase in 40 years. Reporter: Katie Anastas, KPBS A man who was recently released from custody at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center has died. Immigrant rights advocates say this is the second death connected to the facility in two weeks. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past year, we’ve watched the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown unfold violently in places like Minneapolis and Chicago. But even in Northern California, immigration arrests have more than doubled. And one of them, early last year, left a Silicon Valley carpenter gravely disabled. His family – like thousands of others – is now coping with trauma, upheaval and financial strain. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED California's state superintendent of schools is joining calls for the return of a 6-year-old deaf student from the Bay Area, who was deported to Colombia last week without his hearing aids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proposition 50 is now in effect in California. The law redrew political boundaries for congressional districts. And one of the communities soon to have new congressional representation in Washington DC is Coalinga. This small, agricultural town on Fresno County’s west side is now going to be part of a district that stretches more than 100 miles to the north. Reporter: Samantha Rangel, KVPR Former state assemblymember Ian Calderon is dropping out of the governor’s race and throwing his support behind Democratic Congressmember Eric Swalwell. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a winning candidate for governor of California? Well, with the exceptions of movie stars Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, every governor for more than 80 years has had experience in statewide office. Gavin Newsom was lieutenant governor. Pete Wilson was a U.S. Senator. Pat Brown and Jerry Brown were both attorney general. This year, the leading candidates are taking a different path. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED In the City of Pomona, local officials are demanding the release of a man without legal documentation held at the Adelanto Processing Center. They’re concerned about his health and the lack of adequate medical care. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR San Diego County is suing the Department of Homeland Security for blocking access to the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Reporter: Alexander Nguyen, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, authorities have shut down an underground channel that detainees used to communicate with the outside world. Reporter: Aisha Wallace-Palomares, LA Taco At a contentious Senate hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the Trump administration’s immigration policies. In Southern California, ICE has released a Cambodian genocide survivor from immigration detention following a court order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across California, many Iranian-Americans are still in disbelief following the US-Israeli military strikes in Iran. Some are overjoyed with the death of the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but others are concerned about the safety of friends and loved ones in the region. The greater Los Angeles area has a huge concentration of Iranians. That includes LA city councilman Adrin Nazarian. He was born in Iran, but he and his family fled in 1981. Guest: Adrin Nazarian, LA City Councilman As a way to tackle California’s notoriously high rents and home prices, state lawmakers have set their sights on bringing down the cost of construction. One idea: building it in factories. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED The US Supreme Court has blocked a California law that banned school employees from outing transgender students. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration tried last fall to drastically reduce the amount of federal grant money counties could use for permanent supportive housing programs. The effort was struck down in court for the current funding cycle. But if next year's requirements are similar, there could be huge ramifications across California. Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU Rallies were held across the state this weekend following the US-Israeli airstrikes in Iran. The LAUSD board has voted unanimously to place Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on paid administrative leave. The decision comes days after FBI agents searched Carvalho’s home in San Pedro. Reporter: Mariana Dale, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sacramento County is home to California’s largest community of state workers, around 90,000 people. Governor Gavin Newsom says he wants them to come back into the office starting this summer — many still work remotely part time following the pandemic. But state worker unions hope a new bill will protect their ability to telework indefinitely. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio In Humboldt County, low wages are leading to high rates of poverty and greater enrollment in the state food program CalFresh. Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio Along the coast of San Mateo County, elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park could be experiencing a “small outbreak” of bird flu, according to scientists. Reporter: Sarah Mohamad, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of violent immigration enforcement in major cities like Chicago, LA and Minneapolis, immigrants around the country are wondering: could this happen in my community? In the Central Valley, waiting for an answer to that question has given way to fear and misinformation. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR The LA Unified School Board is meeting behind closed doors Thursday where they're expected to discuss the status of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. This comes a day after federal investigators raided his home and office at the district's headquarters. Time is running out to submit public comments on proposed federal oil and gas leases off the Central Coast. Reporter: Elena Neale Sacks, KAZU An agent who is reportedly with the Department of Homeland Security is set to appear in court in Riverside Friday. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon among other felonies. But holding him accountable might be difficult. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of thousands of California families rely on federal housing assistance programs to make rent- you might know it as Section 8 vouchers. Based on their income, they’ll pay a certain percentage of the rent and the government pays the rest. Recipients include seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and children. But the Trump administration is expected to introduce new rules to these programs in the coming months. Some lawmakers argue that could make assistance harder to access. Guest: Sharon Quirk-Silva, California State Assembly California’s investing billions of dollars into a new grade for 4-year-olds called transitional kindergarten. But the state hasn’t set aside any money to evaluate it. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist On Wednesday, the city of Escondido in San Diego County will discuss a controversial contract that its police department has with the Department of Homeland Security. The contract allows federal agents to use a local gun range for 20 days a year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since last summer, when the Trump administration ramped up deportation efforts, a group of volunteer observers has kept a constant presence at the Santa Ana Immigration Court. Reporter: Jill Replogle, LAist A four-week strike by thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers in California and Hawaii is ending Tuesday morning, even though no contract deal has been reached. Cities on the US-Mexico border remain on high alert following a weekend of violence, in response to the killing of a cartel leader. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The string of storms that have swept through California has brought much-needed water and snow throughout the state, but climate scientists say, levels may still fall short of what's needed in the coming warm weather months. The town of Truckee held a memorial for the victims of last week's avalanche in the Sierra. This comes after search and rescue crews finished recovering all nine of their bodies over the weekend. State Senator, Scott Wiener, is proposing legislation to force a split between San Francisco and Pacific Gas & Electric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks the 84th anniversary of the United States, under president Franklin D. Roosevelt, enacting Executive Order 9066, which led to U.S. residents of Japanese descent being dispossessed and interned, even if they were American citizens. Survivors of Japanese internment say they're seeing the Trump Administration embracing similar policies that led to one of the darkest chapters of the United States in the 20th century. The non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office is recommending that California lawmakers reject Governor Gavin Newsom's latest electric vehicle rebate proposal, citing cost concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices