KQED's The California Report

What does it take to get new housing approved in California? Way too much, say some lawmakers. To change that, a bipartisan group is proposing a package of nearly two dozen bills to cut through barriers they say is putting the brakes on housing production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holy month of Ramadan is a special time when Muslim families often gather together. But when the Eaton Fire destroyed the only mosque in the Altadena area, it nearly upended the community’s ability to uphold tradition. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW A bill in the state Legislature asking for more accountability from California’s homeless shelters has passed out of its first committee hearing. The proposed legislation comes after a CalMatters investigation found evidence of violence and mismanagement at shelters across the state. Reporter: Lauren Hepler, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonoma County, is of course, famous for its vineyards but a lot more is produced there by small farmers. From eggs to milk and all kinds of specialty greens, Sonoma County is the Bay Area’s bread basket. But making it as a small farmer in Sonoma – like the rest of the state -- has gotten a lot harder in recent years. In part, because land has gotten so expensive. Reporter: Noah Abrams, KRCB Drivers for ride hailing apps are rallying Wednesday in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, ahead of mediation talks linked to charges that Uber and Lyft stole wages from drivers. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED The elections clerk in Shasta County, where several debates over voting and election integrity have occurred, is resigning at the end of April. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate the Department of Education. He also appears poised to make big changes to student loan programs. What could all this mean to people paying off their loans? Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR A California non-profit is suing the Trump Administration over its decision to end humanitarian parole programs. This comes after the Trump administration announced Friday that it will end a program for some Latin American and Caribbean countries. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a series of town halls on Sunday, Bay Area congressman Ro Khanna urged residents of Republican-held congressional districts in California to organize against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to programs like Medicaid and the wider social safety net. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Congressman Khanna's next stop was an amphitheater in the Inland Empire community of Norco, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR A federal rent assistance program that tens of thousands of Californians rely on is running out of money. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The historic language of Jews in Europe – Yiddish – was once spoken by tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants in Los Angeles. That language was almost destroyed by assimilation and the Holocaust. But now, Yiddish is making a comeback. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Dozens of postal workers gathered in protest outside a Bakersfield courthouse on Thursday. They were fighting against the potential privatization of one of the nation’s oldest institutions. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've been in your local market recently, you may have noticed empty shelves in the aisle where you normally find eggs. With the spread of bird flu, which is infecting chickens throughout the country, eggs have gotten expensive. Really expensive. The average price of a dozen eggs in California is now around $9. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio The University of California has announced it's putting a pause on all new hires, in the face of uncertainty over its budget. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding a place to live in the Tahoe Basin is a difficult task for many local workers. A recent partnership between Placemate and Washoe County aims to remedy this problem. Reporter: Kat Fulwider, KUNR Under California law, if a person makes a threat to a place - like a school or house of worship - but they don't threaten specific individuals, it can be really hard to prosecute them. A bill moving through the state legislature could close this loophole. Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chicago, Boston and Aurora, Colorado have all seen high profile raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of President Trump’s promise of mass deportations. Immigrants rights activists in Los Angeles say it's only a matter of time before we see the same there. One group has taken the unusual step of patrolling the streets looking for ICE. Reporter: Frank Stoltze, LAist Officials in the Tulare county city of Porterville are challenging a state law on pronouns. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has been looking to punish sanctuary cities since his first presidency -- but last time around, his administration repeatedly ended up on the losing side in court. That hasn’t stopped him from trying again. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED State Farm policyholders could soon see their bills go up. That's after California's Department of Insurance announced tentative approval of an emergency rate hike. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since January, Los Angeles residents have been volunteering to support wildfire recovery, sorting donations, or helping with cleanup. And there’s another cause that’s been bringing folks together: Fireproofing history — by preserving it online. Reporter: Andrea Domanick, KCRW California is joining 20 other states to sue the Trump administration over its deep cuts to the federal Department of Education. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many childcare providers lost their homes in the January fires in Los Angeles, and those homes often doubled as places of work. The state offered financial assistance for a month, but that money ran out in early February. For some, it's been a real challenge trying to get any type of relief. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist A Fresno County man who tested positive for measles is quarantining at home. He presented to a health center last Friday evening after traveling internationally. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a growing field of candidates looking to replace Gavin Newsom as governor. The latest high-profile entry is former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter, who officially entered the race on Tuesday. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED California law lets landlords evict tenants for nonpayment - even if tenants can prove they can pay off their overdue rent. A bill before the state Legislature could change that. Reporter: Felicia Mello, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A German tourist has spent more than a month in US Immigration custody here in California. Her friends say she’s experienced a terrifying ordeal. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says he opposes the resentencing of the Menendez brothers, who are serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents. Reporter: Frank Stoltze, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Sacramento and Washington, D .C. are at odds, California has some ability to insulate itself. It can partially set its own agenda through state laws, agencies, and funding. But that's not true in about half of the state because half of it is owned by the U .S. government in the form of public lands. In those parts of the state, federal policies apply. Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED Did you know, if your car gets towed in California and you don’t claim it, the DMV can pocket any profits after it’s sold? Even though owners are entitled to this money, the DMV doesn’t have to notify them, and the agency has brought in millions off of these kinds of sales. Reporter: Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a common belief that music soothes the soul. But some researchers and healthcare companies say it can be used to heal the mind, and maybe the body. Reporter: Robert Garrova, LAist Lawmakers should hit the brakes on one of Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature programs for cleaning up homeless encampments. That’s according to a report out this week from the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More and more tents are popping up along the sides of San Diego freeways, on state property managed by the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans. City leaders call it a growing problem. Reporter: Katie Anastas, KPBS The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the University of California for possible workplace discrimination. Leaders in Fremont have revised a controversial ban on homeless encampments in the city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Los Angeles neighborhoods of Altadena and the Palisades are still a mess from the January fires. And some of the people out there struggling to clean it up are immigrant day laborers. They are dealing with toxic ash that can have lead and chemicals in it. What’s the best way to do that safely? One organization is training them. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has lost her bid to get her job back, with the City Council voting 13-2 to deny her reinstatement. Reporter: Frank Stoltze, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An unhoused Bay Area woman and her advocates are claiming a big win after a judge stopped officials from clearing her elaborate shelter. It’s believed to be the first court victory of its kind since the U.S. Supreme Court last year made it harder to stop encampment sweeps. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED California is rolling back its more flexible work from home policies that began during the pandemic. Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order requiring state employees to work from the office at least four days a week. Reporter: Megan Myscofski, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday night, Hollywood had its biggest night of the year with the Academy Awards ceremony. But here’s a plot twist. None of the ten films that were up for the best picture Oscar were shot in Hollywood or the greater L.A. area. It’s just the latest example of how much film and television production now occurs outside of Los Angeles, costing local jobs and raising questions about the very future of Hollywood. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report On Saturday, people gathered at national parks across the country to protest the firing of 1,000 National Park employees. Some 90 miles east of Los Angeles at Joshua Tree National Park, hundreds joined the movement. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices