Christopher Alam is a radio newscast intern working on local news and general assignment reporting. Before joining KQED he was active in college radio and journalism at UC Davis, where he received a bachelor's degree in English and professional writing in 2021. He is also a creative writer and does freelance work. Born in Fresno, he is now based in San Francisco and Oakland.
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, October 10, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Former Democratic Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Republican commentator Steve Hilton clashed over \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-general-election-gubernatorial-debate-cnn/\">taxes, immigration and Trump on Wednesday night\u003c/a> in a CNN debate.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>AI researchers and safety advocates warned a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/dmdcc/hearings/rogue-ai-securing-the-homeland-against-ai-agent-attacks/\">U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday\u003c/a> that AI developers are racing to build systems they don’t fully understand or control.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Today we’re going to bring you the third and final segment in \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">my investigation into the Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Yesterday, we brought you the story of Aug. 2, 2024, when correctional officers used pepper spray and chemical grenades against women locked in a dining hall at the prison. \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">Mass Use of Force Incident Part of Retaliation Against Women Reporting Sexual Assault, Investigation Finds\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two months after that mass use-of-force incident had nearly blinded her former cellmate, a woman named Aliksandria Prout walked into a Madera County courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The events on August 2nd were on my mind when I went to testify, because I was not only fighting for me, I was fighting for other women who are still facing injustice,” Prout said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout was the first witness called in the trial of Gregory Rodriguez, the former correctional officer accused of sexually assaulting her and many other women incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I had to be strong, and I was factual. I had to point him out in the courtroom. So when I had to point him out, I did make eye contact with him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, the jury found Rodriguez guilty on 64 counts, and he was sentenced to 224 years in prison. Prout’s former cellmate, Cameron, wondered if the officers involved in August 2nd would also face consequences.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They assaulted us,” said Cameron. “So now that’s why we’re like, we’re waiting. Like Rodriguez had to pay for his crimes. Why do they not have to pay for theirs?”\u003cbr> \u003cbr>This is Angela Kent… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In my opinion… anyone involved should be fired.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s retired from CDCR now, but when the August 2 incident happened, she was working in administration, appointed by the Governor as the associate director of the whole women’s division of the agency. She had watched the video of the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad,” said Kent. “ And there’s nothing in what those women were doing that even warranted the kind of force that was delivered.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late 2024, the prison agency launched an internal affairs investigation. KQED obtained leaked audio of some of the interviews including one with an Officer named Jordan Chavira.\u003cbr>Investigators asked him about something that had been caught on his body-worn camera in the moments after the second round of chemical weapons outside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>INVESTIGATOR: You stated something to the effect of, “Fun, fun, baby.” Did you hear yourself say that?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CHAVIRA: Yes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>INVESTIGATOR: And what was the point of saying that?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CHAVIRA: Just sarcasm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chavira was among three officers who were fired over the incident. Thirty-one additional officers received discipline ranging from reprimands to temporary pay cuts. Some are still appealing their discipline. No one was criminally charged.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From what we can see, the state’s investigation didn’t look into whether the operation was an effort to stop sexual assault complaints. Here’s Kent again:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance.\u003cbr>After speaking to a dozen women who were there that day, reading over hundreds of documents, and analyzing sexual assault complaint data, our investigation found this incident was at least, in part, retaliation for women reporting sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice reached a similar conclusion. A recent report found an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons. CDCR says it will work with the DOJ.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just in the past two weeks CCWF’s warden has been demoted and transferred, and, once again, several officers are under investigation for sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department gave CDCR 49 days to take meaningful steps to address abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons… or the DOJ could sue. That deadline is today …\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madi Bolaños produced this series in collaboration with Snap Judgment. You can find the extended story on \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">snapjudgment.org\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Becerra and Hilton Grapple Over Taxes, Trump, In Their Only Scheduled Debate \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former Democratic Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Republican commentator Steve Hilton clashed over taxes, immigration and Trump on Wednesday night in a CNN debate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The candidates sparred over a central promise of Hilton’s campaign — the Republican’s proposal to cut state income taxes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been in every one of our 58 counties — the struggle people face with the highest cost of living in the country and the highest taxes. You want them to continue to pay taxes at the same rate?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becerra argues the tax cut will blow a hole in the state budget:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Which means of course he’ll take it out of our schools, he’ll take it out of health care, he’ll take it out of housing and make condidtions even worse.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The candidates found agreement on one issue — both said they will be voting against Proposition 40, the billionaire wealth tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/dmdcc/hearings/rogue-ai-securing-the-homeland-against-ai-agent-attacks/\">OpenAI CEO Altman Declines to Testify at Senate Subcommittee on AI Risks\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AI researchers and safety advocates warned a U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday that AI developers are racing to build systems they don’t fully understand or control. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The hearing focused on events that demonstrated a shocking-for-humans level of agency, like the Hugging Face incident over the summer, when hundreds of AI agents in an isolated OpenAI testing environment broke out of their “sandbox” and hacked into another company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chris Painter heads a Berkeley nonprofit that investigated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We train agents in ways that we do not understand well, ways that can teach unintended goals. 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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From what we can see, the state’s investigation didn’t look into whether the operation was an effort to stop sexual assault complaints. Here’s Kent again:\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance.\u003cbr>After speaking to a dozen women who were there that day, reading over hundreds of documents, and analyzing sexual assault complaint data, our investigation found this incident was at least, in part, retaliation for women reporting sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice reached a similar conclusion. A recent report found an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons. CDCR says it will work with the DOJ.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just in the past two weeks CCWF’s warden has been demoted and transferred, and, once again, several officers are under investigation for sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Justice Department gave CDCR 49 days to take meaningful steps to address abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons… or the DOJ could sue. That deadline is today …\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Madi Bolaños produced this series in collaboration with Snap Judgment. You can find the extended story on \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">snapjudgment.org\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve been in every one of our 58 counties — the struggle people face with the highest cost of living in the country and the highest taxes. You want them to continue to pay taxes at the same rate?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Which means of course he’ll take it out of our schools, he’ll take it out of health care, he’ll take it out of housing and make condidtions even worse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, October 10, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Former Democratic Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Republican commentator Steve Hilton clashed over \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-general-election-gubernatorial-debate-cnn/\">taxes, immigration and Trump on Wednesday night\u003c/a> in a CNN debate.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>AI researchers and safety advocates warned a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/dmdcc/hearings/rogue-ai-securing-the-homeland-against-ai-agent-attacks/\">U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday\u003c/a> that AI developers are racing to build systems they don’t fully understand or control.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Today we’re going to bring you the third and final segment in \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">my investigation into the Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Yesterday, we brought you the story of Aug. 2, 2024, when correctional officers used pepper spray and chemical grenades against women locked in a dining hall at the prison. \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">Mass Use of Force Incident Part of Retaliation Against Women Reporting Sexual Assault, Investigation Finds\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two months after that mass use-of-force incident had nearly blinded her former cellmate, a woman named Aliksandria Prout walked into a Madera County courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The events on August 2nd were on my mind when I went to testify, because I was not only fighting for me, I was fighting for other women who are still facing injustice,” Prout said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout was the first witness called in the trial of Gregory Rodriguez, the former correctional officer accused of sexually assaulting her and many other women incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I had to be strong, and I was factual. I had to point him out in the courtroom. So when I had to point him out, I did make eye contact with him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, the jury found Rodriguez guilty on 64 counts, and he was sentenced to 224 years in prison. Prout’s former cellmate, Cameron, wondered if the officers involved in August 2nd would also face consequences.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They assaulted us,” said Cameron. “So now that’s why we’re like, we’re waiting. Like Rodriguez had to pay for his crimes. Why do they not have to pay for theirs?”\u003cbr> \u003cbr>This is Angela Kent… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In my opinion… anyone involved should be fired.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s retired from CDCR now, but when the August 2 incident happened, she was working in administration, appointed by the Governor as the associate director of the whole women’s division of the agency. She had watched the video of the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad,” said Kent. “ And there’s nothing in what those women were doing that even warranted the kind of force that was delivered.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late 2024, the prison agency launched an internal affairs investigation. KQED obtained leaked audio of some of the interviews including one with an Officer named Jordan Chavira.\u003cbr>Investigators asked him about something that had been caught on his body-worn camera in the moments after the second round of chemical weapons outside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>INVESTIGATOR: You stated something to the effect of, “Fun, fun, baby.” Did you hear yourself say that?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CHAVIRA: Yes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>INVESTIGATOR: And what was the point of saying that?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CHAVIRA: Just sarcasm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chavira was among three officers who were fired over the incident. Thirty-one additional officers received discipline ranging from reprimands to temporary pay cuts. Some are still appealing their discipline. No one was criminally charged.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From what we can see, the state’s investigation didn’t look into whether the operation was an effort to stop sexual assault complaints. Here’s Kent again:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance.\u003cbr>After speaking to a dozen women who were there that day, reading over hundreds of documents, and analyzing sexual assault complaint data, our investigation found this incident was at least, in part, retaliation for women reporting sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice reached a similar conclusion. A recent report found an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons. CDCR says it will work with the DOJ.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just in the past two weeks CCWF’s warden has been demoted and transferred, and, once again, several officers are under investigation for sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department gave CDCR 49 days to take meaningful steps to address abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons… or the DOJ could sue. That deadline is today …\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madi Bolaños produced this series in collaboration with Snap Judgment. You can find the extended story on \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/\">snapjudgment.org\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Becerra and Hilton Grapple Over Taxes, Trump, In Their Only Scheduled Debate \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former Democratic Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Republican commentator Steve Hilton clashed over taxes, immigration and Trump on Wednesday night in a CNN debate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The candidates sparred over a central promise of Hilton’s campaign — the Republican’s proposal to cut state income taxes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been in every one of our 58 counties — the struggle people face with the highest cost of living in the country and the highest taxes. You want them to continue to pay taxes at the same rate?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becerra argues the tax cut will blow a hole in the state budget:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Which means of course he’ll take it out of our schools, he’ll take it out of health care, he’ll take it out of housing and make condidtions even worse.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The candidates found agreement on one issue — both said they will be voting against Proposition 40, the billionaire wealth tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/dmdcc/hearings/rogue-ai-securing-the-homeland-against-ai-agent-attacks/\">OpenAI CEO Altman Declines to Testify at Senate Subcommittee on AI Risks\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AI researchers and safety advocates warned a U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday that AI developers are racing to build systems they don’t fully understand or control. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The hearing focused on events that demonstrated a shocking-for-humans level of agency, like the Hugging Face incident over the summer, when hundreds of AI agents in an isolated OpenAI testing environment broke out of their “sandbox” and hacked into another company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chris Painter heads a Berkeley nonprofit that investigated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We train agents in ways that we do not understand well, ways that can teach unintended goals. And when we make those agents more intelligent, unintended goals can have dramatic real-world consequences.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The subcommittee chair said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was invited to testify, but declined.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 18, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Padilla says it also aims to set health and safety standards and increase compensation for time spent showering and cleaning gear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then there are the moments that may show viewers a side of the ER they rarely see.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she says the show isn’t just capturing the dramatic moments. It also shows the constant juggling that happens behind the scenes, and things most patients don’t see when they’re waiting for care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it turns out, the show may be teaching people more than she realizes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s an area where palliative care doctor Nicki Rao says the show is helping start important conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it is sadly very common that people have not ironed out their wishes for end of life. So I probably see this scenario on a weekly basis, if not more often,” said Rao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, when she talks with patients about those difficult decisions…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And she says The Pitt is showing a version of medicine that looks different from the medical dramas many viewers grew up with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Before you’d watch medical TV shows for the drama, the affairs, the crazy scenarios that you couldn’t figure out. And now they’re showing real medicine. So things like heart failure or bad COPD or cancer, those are very realistic things that come into our E.R,” said Rao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rao says the show is also bringing attention to fields many people don’t know about.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So like palliative care, like death doulas, like chaplains, the people that are really supporting our patients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dinh says maybe pulling back the curtain on the people who run emergency rooms is the real impact of The Pitt.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 18, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been demoted and reassigned from her position this week.",
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"The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER. We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n"
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"text": "Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Padilla says it also aims to set health and safety standards and increase compensation for time spent showering and cleaning gear.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then there are the moments that may show viewers a side of the ER they rarely see.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s an area where palliative care doctor Nicki Rao says the show is helping start important conversations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dinh says maybe pulling back the curtain on the people who run emergency rooms is the real impact of The Pitt.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The move comes one month after the DOJ found an \"unbroken pattern\" of sexual assault at the facility.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 18, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Padilla says it also aims to set health and safety standards and increase compensation for time spent showering and cleaning gear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then there are the moments that may show viewers a side of the ER they rarely see.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she says the show isn’t just capturing the dramatic moments. It also shows the constant juggling that happens behind the scenes, and things most patients don’t see when they’re waiting for care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it turns out, the show may be teaching people more than she realizes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s an area where palliative care doctor Nicki Rao says the show is helping start important conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it is sadly very common that people have not ironed out their wishes for end of life. So I probably see this scenario on a weekly basis, if not more often,” said Rao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, when she talks with patients about those difficult decisions…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And she says The Pitt is showing a version of medicine that looks different from the medical dramas many viewers grew up with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Before you’d watch medical TV shows for the drama, the affairs, the crazy scenarios that you couldn’t figure out. And now they’re showing real medicine. So things like heart failure or bad COPD or cancer, those are very realistic things that come into our E.R,” said Rao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rao says the show is also bringing attention to fields many people don’t know about.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So like palliative care, like death doulas, like chaplains, the people that are really supporting our patients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dinh says maybe pulling back the curtain on the people who run emergency rooms is the real impact of The Pitt.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Governor Newsom Signs 'Leno's Law' Exempting Classic Cars From Smog Checks",
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"headTitle": "Governor Newsom Signs ‘Leno’s Law’ Exempting Classic Cars From Smog Checks | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 17, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signed \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">legislation to exempt certain collector cars from smog checks.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Written public comment closes at the end of this week for governor \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">Newsom’s plan\u003c/a> to ensure water for cities and farms and a healthy habitat for wildlife in the Delta.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Two bills sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk aim to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">protect incarcerated people \u003c/a>from sexual abuse and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">strengthen legal protections \u003c/a>for survivors. This comes after a report from the Department of Justice found an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">unbroken pattern” of sexual assault\u003c/a> at state women’s prisons.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Residents in a Fresno County foothill community are \u003ca href=\"https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/shaver-springs-murky-water-meeting/\">raising concerns with county leaders about the water\u003c/a> coming from their taps.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">Expanded Smog Check Exemptions Meant to Protect California Car Culture \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Inside the garage of former Tonight Show host and Classic Car enthusiast Jay Leno, Governor Newsom signed two bills into law. The bills aim to preserve California’s Classic Car and Lowrider heritage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom says the state has come a long way from cruising bans and criminalization.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Here we are no longer tolerating lowrider community, but we’re celebrating it. And I think what a remarkable transition. What a remarkable journey we’ve been on in such a short amount of time,” Newsom said at the signing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Senate Bill 1392, dubbed ‘Jay Leno’s Law,’ jointly authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) and Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), phases in a narrow smog-check exemption for qualifying collectors cars from the 1976 through 1985 model years that are insured as collector vehicles or driven less than 1,000 miles per year. Assembly Bill 2541 by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), creates a specialty license plate honoring California’s lowrider heritage, with the funds from the program going toward supporting lowrider arts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leno says these cars are not everyday commuter vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These cars get driven not even a thousand miles,” said Leno. “Most people go to a car event and they park it and then they drive it home. And that’s sort of the idea. It’s just to help the collectors and the lowrider community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom says that by limiting Jay Leno’s Law to specific collector cars that don’t often go on the road, California can sustain it’s environmental goals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">State’s Water Plan Still Under Deliberation as Newsom Nears Term Out \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/wq_control_plans/1995wqcp/1995_plan.shtml\">last big update in 1995\u003c/a>. It’s not working well and is long overdue for an update. Governor Newsom and his administration have made getting that update done a \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2026/Feb-2026/Governor-Newsom-launches-most-ambitious-water-plan-in-California-history\">signature goal.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state revealed its \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">latest proposal in August.\u003c/a> The plan is built on getting buy-in from water users and federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation. The agency operates one of the state’s two main water projects: a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals. The Bureau has threatened to walk away unless the plan is changed to be more pro-water user.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the threat, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. Wade Crowfoot is California’s Secretary of Natural Resources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re confident that we can move forward with healthy rivers and landscapes, even if there are entities that choose not to participate, including the Bureau of Reclamation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Environmental, fishing and tribal groups are generally opposing the state’s approach which rely on what are called “voluntary agreements”. They believe the agreements inadequately protect fish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barry Nelson, is a fish advocate and member of the Golden State Salmon Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements. As bad as they are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump Administration,” said Nelson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s water board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed, and adopt the water plan by the end of October. If it can’t, the job may get kicked to the next governor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bills That Protect Incarcerated People From Sexual Abuse Await Final Signature\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">AB 464 \u003c/a>would make it easier for people who were sexually assaulted in prison to sue and strengthen protections against staff retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">SB 337\u003c/a> would require the department to establish rules for when officers can turn off body-worn cameras, as well as protocols for non-routine searches and body scans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Senator Caroline Menjivar authored SB 337.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“None of this is a magic pill,” she said. “I wish it was a magic pill, I can imagine there’s going to be some instances still moving forward, but we will limit the amount of gaps, excuses that some CO’s utilize to perpetrate this kind of violence against incarcerated women.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both bills received bipartisan support. Governor Newsom has until September 30th to sign or veto the bills.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-community-report-orange-tap-water-fresno-county-says-water-is-safe\">Shaver Springs Dealing With Months of Discolored Water, Officials Say It’s Drinkable \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For months now, residents in Shaver Springs have dealt with water that is discolored, but officials say is still safe to drink.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents like Jennifer Taber say the evidence is clear the water is not safe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Residents have immediately raised documented concerns involving water quality violations, contamination, aging infrastructure, sampling practices, storage tanks, and the condition of this system. ” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She spoke at the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-neighbors-press-fresno-county-supervisor-over-tap-water-safety-concerns\">Fresno county Board of Supervisors meeting \u003c/a>and proposed solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Breeze the current rate increase. Authorize an independent engineering, operational, and financial investigation. Provide residents with a reliable source of safe drinking water.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nathan Magsig represents the community on the board of supervisors. He told residents he’s been in touch with agencies that can help.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 17, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 17, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signed legislation to exempt certain collector cars from smog checks.",
"Written public comment closes at the end of this week for governor Newsom’s plan to ensure water for cities and farms and a healthy habitat for wildlife in the Delta.",
"Two bills sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk aim to protect incarcerated people from sexual abuse and strengthen legal protections for survivors. This comes after a report from the Department of Justice found an “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault at state women’s prisons.",
"Residents in a Fresno County foothill community are raising concerns with county leaders about the water coming from their taps."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signed \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">legislation to exempt certain collector cars from smog checks.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signed \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">legislation to exempt certain collector cars from smog checks.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Written public comment closes at the end of this week for governor \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">Newsom’s plan\u003c/a> to ensure water for cities and farms and a healthy habitat for wildlife in the Delta.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Written public comment closes at the end of this week for governor \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">Newsom’s plan\u003c/a> to ensure water for cities and farms and a healthy habitat for wildlife in the Delta.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Two bills sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk aim to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">protect incarcerated people \u003c/a>from sexual abuse and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">strengthen legal protections \u003c/a>for survivors. This comes after a report from the Department of Justice found an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">unbroken pattern” of sexual assault\u003c/a> at state women’s prisons.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Two bills sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk aim to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">protect incarcerated people \u003c/a>from sexual abuse and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">strengthen legal protections \u003c/a>for survivors. This comes after a report from the Department of Justice found an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">unbroken pattern” of sexual assault\u003c/a> at state women’s prisons.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Residents in a Fresno County foothill community are \u003ca href=\"https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/shaver-springs-murky-water-meeting/\">raising concerns with county leaders about the water\u003c/a> coming from their taps.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Residents in a Fresno County foothill community are \u003ca href=\"https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/shaver-springs-murky-water-meeting/\">raising concerns with county leaders about the water\u003c/a> coming from their taps.\u003c/li>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Expanded Smog Check Exemptions Meant to Protect California Car Culture",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">Expanded Smog Check Exemptions Meant to Protect California Car Culture \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">Expanded Smog Check Exemptions Meant to Protect California Car Culture \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Inside the garage of former Tonight Show host and Classic Car enthusiast Jay Leno, Governor Newsom signed two bills into law. The bills aim to preserve California’s Classic Car and Lowrider heritage.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Inside the garage of former Tonight Show host and Classic Car enthusiast Jay Leno, Governor Newsom signed two bills into law. The bills aim to preserve California’s Classic Car and Lowrider heritage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom says the state has come a long way from cruising bans and criminalization.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Newsom says the state has come a long way from cruising bans and criminalization.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Here we are no longer tolerating lowrider community, but we’re celebrating it. And I think what a remarkable transition. What a remarkable journey we’ve been on in such a short amount of time,” Newsom said at the signing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Here we are no longer tolerating lowrider community, but we’re celebrating it. And I think what a remarkable transition. What a remarkable journey we’ve been on in such a short amount of time,” Newsom said at the signing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Senate Bill 1392, dubbed ‘Jay Leno’s Law,’ jointly authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) and Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), phases in a narrow smog-check exemption for qualifying collectors cars from the 1976 through 1985 model years that are insured as collector vehicles or driven less than 1,000 miles per year. Assembly Bill 2541 by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), creates a specialty license plate honoring California’s lowrider heritage, with the funds from the program going toward supporting lowrider arts.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Senate Bill 1392, dubbed ‘Jay Leno’s Law,’ jointly authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) and Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), phases in a narrow smog-check exemption for qualifying collectors cars from the 1976 through 1985 model years that are insured as collector vehicles or driven less than 1,000 miles per year. Assembly Bill 2541 by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), creates a specialty license plate honoring California’s lowrider heritage, with the funds from the program going toward supporting lowrider arts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Leno says these cars are not everyday commuter vehicles.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Leno says these cars are not everyday commuter vehicles.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These cars get driven not even a thousand miles,” said Leno. “Most people go to a car event and they park it and then they drive it home. And that’s sort of the idea. It’s just to help the collectors and the lowrider community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These cars get driven not even a thousand miles,” said Leno. “Most people go to a car event and they park it and then they drive it home. And that’s sort of the idea. It’s just to help the collectors and the lowrider community.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom says that by limiting Jay Leno’s Law to specific collector cars that don’t often go on the road, California can sustain it’s environmental goals.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Newsom says that by limiting Jay Leno’s Law to specific collector cars that don’t often go on the road, California can sustain it’s environmental goals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "State’s Water Plan Still Under Deliberation as Newsom Nears Term Out",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">State’s Water Plan Still Under Deliberation as Newsom Nears Term Out \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">State’s Water Plan Still Under Deliberation as Newsom Nears Term Out \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The plan had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/wq_control_plans/1995wqcp/1995_plan.shtml\">last big update in 1995\u003c/a>. It’s not working well and is long overdue for an update. Governor Newsom and his administration have made getting that update done a \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2026/Feb-2026/Governor-Newsom-launches-most-ambitious-water-plan-in-California-history\">signature goal.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The plan had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/wq_control_plans/1995wqcp/1995_plan.shtml\">last big update in 1995\u003c/a>. It’s not working well and is long overdue for an update. Governor Newsom and his administration have made getting that update done a \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2026/Feb-2026/Governor-Newsom-launches-most-ambitious-water-plan-in-California-history\">signature goal.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state revealed its \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">latest proposal in August.\u003c/a> The plan is built on getting buy-in from water users and federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation. The agency operates one of the state’s two main water projects: a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals. The Bureau has threatened to walk away unless the plan is changed to be more pro-water user.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The state revealed its \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">latest proposal in August.\u003c/a> The plan is built on getting buy-in from water users and federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation. The agency operates one of the state’s two main water projects: a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals. The Bureau has threatened to walk away unless the plan is changed to be more pro-water user.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the threat, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. Wade Crowfoot is California’s Secretary of Natural Resources.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Despite the threat, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. Wade Crowfoot is California’s Secretary of Natural Resources.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re confident that we can move forward with healthy rivers and landscapes, even if there are entities that choose not to participate, including the Bureau of Reclamation.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We’re confident that we can move forward with healthy rivers and landscapes, even if there are entities that choose not to participate, including the Bureau of Reclamation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Environmental, fishing and tribal groups are generally opposing the state’s approach which rely on what are called “voluntary agreements”. They believe the agreements inadequately protect fish.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Environmental, fishing and tribal groups are generally opposing the state’s approach which rely on what are called “voluntary agreements”. They believe the agreements inadequately protect fish.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barry Nelson, is a fish advocate and member of the Golden State Salmon Association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barry Nelson, is a fish advocate and member of the Golden State Salmon Association.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements. As bad as they are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump Administration,” said Nelson.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements. As bad as they are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump Administration,” said Nelson.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s water board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed, and adopt the water plan by the end of October. If it can’t, the job may get kicked to the next governor.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The state’s water board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed, and adopt the water plan by the end of October. If it can’t, the job may get kicked to the next governor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Bills That Protect Incarcerated People From Sexual Abuse Await Final Signature",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bills That Protect Incarcerated People From Sexual Abuse Await Final Signature\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bills That Protect Incarcerated People From Sexual Abuse Await Final Signature\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">AB 464 \u003c/a>would make it easier for people who were sexually assaulted in prison to sue and strengthen protections against staff retaliation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">AB 464 \u003c/a>would make it easier for people who were sexually assaulted in prison to sue and strengthen protections against staff retaliation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">SB 337\u003c/a> would require the department to establish rules for when officers can turn off body-worn cameras, as well as protocols for non-routine searches and body scans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">SB 337\u003c/a> would require the department to establish rules for when officers can turn off body-worn cameras, as well as protocols for non-routine searches and body scans.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Senator Caroline Menjivar authored SB 337.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Senator Caroline Menjivar authored SB 337.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“None of this is a magic pill,” she said. “I wish it was a magic pill, I can imagine there’s going to be some instances still moving forward, but we will limit the amount of gaps, excuses that some CO’s utilize to perpetrate this kind of violence against incarcerated women.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“None of this is a magic pill,” she said. “I wish it was a magic pill, I can imagine there’s going to be some instances still moving forward, but we will limit the amount of gaps, excuses that some CO’s utilize to perpetrate this kind of violence against incarcerated women.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both bills received bipartisan support. Governor Newsom has until September 30th to sign or veto the bills.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Both bills received bipartisan support. Governor Newsom has until September 30th to sign or veto the bills.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Shaver Springs Dealing With Months of Discolored Water, Officials Say It’s Drinkable",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-community-report-orange-tap-water-fresno-county-says-water-is-safe\">Shaver Springs Dealing With Months of Discolored Water, Officials Say It’s Drinkable \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-community-report-orange-tap-water-fresno-county-says-water-is-safe\">Shaver Springs Dealing With Months of Discolored Water, Officials Say It’s Drinkable \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Residents have immediately raised documented concerns involving water quality violations, contamination, aging infrastructure, sampling practices, storage tanks, and the condition of this system. ” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She spoke at the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-neighbors-press-fresno-county-supervisor-over-tap-water-safety-concerns\">Fresno county Board of Supervisors meeting \u003c/a>and proposed solutions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Qualifying collector vehicles made before 1981 will be exempt from smog checks beginning Jan 1, 2028.",
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"title": "Governor Newsom Signs 'Leno's Law' Exempting Classic Cars From Smog Checks | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 17, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signed \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">legislation to exempt certain collector cars from smog checks.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Written public comment closes at the end of this week for governor \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">Newsom’s plan\u003c/a> to ensure water for cities and farms and a healthy habitat for wildlife in the Delta.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Two bills sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk aim to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">protect incarcerated people \u003c/a>from sexual abuse and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">strengthen legal protections \u003c/a>for survivors. This comes after a report from the Department of Justice found an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">unbroken pattern” of sexual assault\u003c/a> at state women’s prisons.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Residents in a Fresno County foothill community are \u003ca href=\"https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/shaver-springs-murky-water-meeting/\">raising concerns with county leaders about the water\u003c/a> coming from their taps.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/16/governor-newsom-visits-jay-lenos-garage-to-sign-legislation-celebrating-and-preserving-californias-classic-car-and-lowrider-heritage/\">Expanded Smog Check Exemptions Meant to Protect California Car Culture \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Inside the garage of former Tonight Show host and Classic Car enthusiast Jay Leno, Governor Newsom signed two bills into law. The bills aim to preserve California’s Classic Car and Lowrider heritage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom says the state has come a long way from cruising bans and criminalization.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Here we are no longer tolerating lowrider community, but we’re celebrating it. And I think what a remarkable transition. What a remarkable journey we’ve been on in such a short amount of time,” Newsom said at the signing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Senate Bill 1392, dubbed ‘Jay Leno’s Law,’ jointly authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) and Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), phases in a narrow smog-check exemption for qualifying collectors cars from the 1976 through 1985 model years that are insured as collector vehicles or driven less than 1,000 miles per year. Assembly Bill 2541 by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), creates a specialty license plate honoring California’s lowrider heritage, with the funds from the program going toward supporting lowrider arts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leno says these cars are not everyday commuter vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These cars get driven not even a thousand miles,” said Leno. “Most people go to a car event and they park it and then they drive it home. And that’s sort of the idea. It’s just to help the collectors and the lowrider community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom says that by limiting Jay Leno’s Law to specific collector cars that don’t often go on the road, California can sustain it’s environmental goals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">State’s Water Plan Still Under Deliberation as Newsom Nears Term Out \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/wq_control_plans/1995wqcp/1995_plan.shtml\">last big update in 1995\u003c/a>. It’s not working well and is long overdue for an update. Governor Newsom and his administration have made getting that update done a \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2026/Feb-2026/Governor-Newsom-launches-most-ambitious-water-plan-in-California-history\">signature goal.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state revealed its \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/06/newsom-administration-launches-delta-conveyance-project-accountability-plan-includes-200-million-in-funding-and-support-for-delta-communities/\">latest proposal in August.\u003c/a> The plan is built on getting buy-in from water users and federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation. The agency operates one of the state’s two main water projects: a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals. The Bureau has threatened to walk away unless the plan is changed to be more pro-water user.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the threat, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. Wade Crowfoot is California’s Secretary of Natural Resources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re confident that we can move forward with healthy rivers and landscapes, even if there are entities that choose not to participate, including the Bureau of Reclamation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Environmental, fishing and tribal groups are generally opposing the state’s approach which rely on what are called “voluntary agreements”. They believe the agreements inadequately protect fish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barry Nelson, is a fish advocate and member of the Golden State Salmon Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements. As bad as they are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump Administration,” said Nelson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s water board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed, and adopt the water plan by the end of October. If it can’t, the job may get kicked to the next governor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bills That Protect Incarcerated People From Sexual Abuse Await Final Signature\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab464\">AB 464 \u003c/a>would make it easier for people who were sexually assaulted in prison to sue and strengthen protections against staff retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb337\">SB 337\u003c/a> would require the department to establish rules for when officers can turn off body-worn cameras, as well as protocols for non-routine searches and body scans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Senator Caroline Menjivar authored SB 337.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“None of this is a magic pill,” she said. “I wish it was a magic pill, I can imagine there’s going to be some instances still moving forward, but we will limit the amount of gaps, excuses that some CO’s utilize to perpetrate this kind of violence against incarcerated women.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both bills received bipartisan support. Governor Newsom has until September 30th to sign or veto the bills.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-community-report-orange-tap-water-fresno-county-says-water-is-safe\">Shaver Springs Dealing With Months of Discolored Water, Officials Say It’s Drinkable \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For months now, residents in Shaver Springs have dealt with water that is discolored, but officials say is still safe to drink.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents like Jennifer Taber say the evidence is clear the water is not safe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Residents have immediately raised documented concerns involving water quality violations, contamination, aging infrastructure, sampling practices, storage tanks, and the condition of this system. ” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She spoke at the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://kmph.com/news/local/shaver-springs-neighbors-press-fresno-county-supervisor-over-tap-water-safety-concerns\">Fresno county Board of Supervisors meeting \u003c/a>and proposed solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Breeze the current rate increase. Authorize an independent engineering, operational, and financial investigation. Provide residents with a reliable source of safe drinking water.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nathan Magsig represents the community on the board of supervisors. He told residents he’s been in touch with agencies that can help.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "scientists-warn-this-years-el-nino-can-trigger-unprecedented-flooding",
"title": "Scientists Warn This Year's El Niño Can Trigger Unprecedented Flooding",
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"headTitle": "Scientists Warn This Year’s El Niño Can Trigger Unprecedented Flooding | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 16, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">Federal scientists now say\u003c/a> it’s very likely that a strong El Niño will continue through the end of the year. The natural phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California, and climate scientists worry that t\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">his process could trigger monumental flooding\u003c/a> later this year.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California just became the first state in the nation to pass\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\"> rules that require insurance companies to address smoke damage\u003c/a> after major fires.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Backers of a November ballot measure that would levy a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">tax on billionaires are facing an uphill battle\u003c/a>, according to a new poll released today.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">Bay Area Cities Preparing Infrastructure for Rising Tides\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Derek Bentley is practicing karate on new blue mats in his San Rafael studio. His business is just yards from a marina connected to San Francisco Bay. The building flooded through seams in the foundation during a January storm, stacked on top of a king tide. Some of the old dirty mats are still stacked in a corner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood and then we opened but we had like air dryers and some of the mats were still wet,” said Bentley. “Took a little bit of a credit card to it, but we got some new mats finally. We’re slowly rebuilding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He fears that a very strong El Niño will raise water levels and steer storms toward the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for his worst fear, Bentley says, “That this place goes completely under water.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">scientists warn\u003c/a> the effects of El Niño could result in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">unprecedented flooding around the region. \u003c/a>Warm water expanding could contribute several inches of temporary sea-level rise. Plus, a slow-moving pulse of water, known as Kelvin waves, could cause a rise of up to 9 inches or more over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Daniel Swain is a UC system climate scientist Daniel Swain says we could see potential for record-breaking water levels in some areas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add changes in pressure, a storm surge, and natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, and Swain says some places could experience as much as 5 – 6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels at times.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Anything that’s tidally influenced will be affected. You’re also generally going to see that all the way inland into the Delta to Stockton.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The high water has already begun and is about 6 inches above normal at the tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge. Sean Vitousek is a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that’s partially because of El Niño,” he said. “And they will probably get larger in the winter as you get more of the storm surge effects.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To find out how cities are preparing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">KQED checked in with officials across the region\u003c/a>. Up north, San Rafael is coordinating with critical agencies to enable quick road closures. Kate Hagemann is the city’s climate adaptation resilience planner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Travel south to the island city of Alameda, and officials are beginning to service pumps, clear out storm drains and prepare barricades. Erin Smith is the city’s public works director.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may be preventing the storm water from flowing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Head west to San Francisco and officials are planning similar steps along a stretch of seven and half miles of shoreline. Crews will prepare sandbags, stage pumps and plan traffic detours. Brad Benson is with the Port of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The king tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future. Some of these areas, we have very important assets,” said Benson, referring to Muni and public spaces like the Ferry Building. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you drive west until you reach the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find the Pacific Ocean forcing waves into San Francisco Bay. Kristina Hill and I chatted near Fort Point, with a view of San Francisco’s seawall, beaches and skyscrapers. Hill studies sea-level rise at UC Berkeley and thinks the temporary high-water line could expose weaknesses in the Bay Area’s human-made barriers meant to keep water out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” said Hill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She says flooding this winter could show decisionmakers that it’s time to think about long-range solutions differently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And the things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hill added that higher water levels are predicted to become an everyday reality in just a couple of decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\">California Becomes First State to Pass Requirements for Insurers to Clean Smoke Damage After Fires\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795, which will require insurers to test for smoke damage, cover the cost of cleaning contaminants like lead and asbestos, and keep paying for a homeowner’s alternative living expenses until the home is found safe to reoccupy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Toxic Substances Control will have until the end of 2028 to develop testing and cleaning standards for lead and asbestos, and until the end of 2029 to set rules for heavy metals and other pollutants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The change comes after the L.A. County fires last year, which left thousands of homes standing, but covered in toxic fire residue. Homeowners have been fighting their insurers to cover the cost of dealing with smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the state Department of Insurance, property owners filed 13,000 smoke damage claims for standing homes after the January 2025 fires. While insurers have covered testing and cleaning in many cases, other homeowners are still unable to return home as they battle with insurance companies over addressing smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance industry groups fought the new rules, saying they opposed shifting regulation away from the state Department of Insurance and to the Department of Toxic Substances Control.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But proponents say they’ll help families displaced by future fires get home faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">California Billionaires Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 52% of likely voters saying they will vote yes on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">the billionaire tax\u003c/a>, known as Proposition 40, with 46% opposed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s a slim margin to begin with — but the survey also found voters narrowly lining up behind two ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%. Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mark Baldassare is the Public Policy Institute’s statewide survey director.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on 14 ballot measures this fall, and PPIC found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they’re frustrated with the size of the ballot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 16, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"Federal scientists now say it’s very likely that a strong El Niño will continue through the end of the year. The natural phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California, and climate scientists worry that this process could trigger monumental flooding later this year.",
"California just became the first state in the nation to pass rules that require insurance companies to address smoke damage after major fires.",
"Backers of a November ballot measure that would levy a tax on billionaires are facing an uphill battle, according to a new poll released today."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">Federal scientists now say\u003c/a> it’s very likely that a strong El Niño will continue through the end of the year. The natural phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California, and climate scientists worry that t\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">his process could trigger monumental flooding\u003c/a> later this year.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">Federal scientists now say\u003c/a> it’s very likely that a strong El Niño will continue through the end of the year. The natural phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California, and climate scientists worry that t\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">his process could trigger monumental flooding\u003c/a> later this year.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>California just became the first state in the nation to pass\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\"> rules that require insurance companies to address smoke damage\u003c/a> after major fires.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>California just became the first state in the nation to pass\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\"> rules that require insurance companies to address smoke damage\u003c/a> after major fires.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Backers of a November ballot measure that would levy a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">tax on billionaires are facing an uphill battle\u003c/a>, according to a new poll released today.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Backers of a November ballot measure that would levy a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">tax on billionaires are facing an uphill battle\u003c/a>, according to a new poll released today.\u003c/li>\n"
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"text": "Bay Area Cities Preparing Infrastructure for Rising Tides",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">Bay Area Cities Preparing Infrastructure for Rising Tides\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">Bay Area Cities Preparing Infrastructure for Rising Tides\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Derek Bentley is practicing karate on new blue mats in his San Rafael studio. His business is just yards from a marina connected to San Francisco Bay. The building flooded through seams in the foundation during a January storm, stacked on top of a king tide. Some of the old dirty mats are still stacked in a corner.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Derek Bentley is practicing karate on new blue mats in his San Rafael studio. His business is just yards from a marina connected to San Francisco Bay. The building flooded through seams in the foundation during a January storm, stacked on top of a king tide. Some of the old dirty mats are still stacked in a corner.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood and then we opened but we had like air dryers and some of the mats were still wet,” said Bentley. “Took a little bit of a credit card to it, but we got some new mats finally. We’re slowly rebuilding.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood and then we opened but we had like air dryers and some of the mats were still wet,” said Bentley. “Took a little bit of a credit card to it, but we got some new mats finally. We’re slowly rebuilding.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He fears that a very strong El Niño will raise water levels and steer storms toward the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He fears that a very strong El Niño will raise water levels and steer storms toward the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for his worst fear, Bentley says, “That this place goes completely under water.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for his worst fear, Bentley says, “That this place goes completely under water.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Climate \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">scientists warn\u003c/a> the effects of El Niño could result in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">unprecedented flooding around the region. \u003c/a>Warm water expanding could contribute several inches of temporary sea-level rise. Plus, a slow-moving pulse of water, known as Kelvin waves, could cause a rise of up to 9 inches or more over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Climate \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">scientists warn\u003c/a> the effects of El Niño could result in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">unprecedented flooding around the region. \u003c/a>Warm water expanding could contribute several inches of temporary sea-level rise. Plus, a slow-moving pulse of water, known as Kelvin waves, could cause a rise of up to 9 inches or more over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Daniel Swain is a UC system climate scientist Daniel Swain says we could see potential for record-breaking water levels in some areas.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Daniel Swain is a UC system climate scientist Daniel Swain says we could see potential for record-breaking water levels in some areas.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Add changes in pressure, a storm surge, and natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, and Swain says some places could experience as much as 5 – 6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels at times.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Add changes in pressure, a storm surge, and natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, and Swain says some places could experience as much as 5 – 6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels at times.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Anything that’s tidally influenced will be affected. You’re also generally going to see that all the way inland into the Delta to Stockton.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Anything that’s tidally influenced will be affected. You’re also generally going to see that all the way inland into the Delta to Stockton.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The high water has already begun and is about 6 inches above normal at the tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge. Sean Vitousek is a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The high water has already begun and is about 6 inches above normal at the tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge. Sean Vitousek is a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that’s partially because of El Niño,” he said. “And they will probably get larger in the winter as you get more of the storm surge effects.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“And that’s partially because of El Niño,” he said. “And they will probably get larger in the winter as you get more of the storm surge effects.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To find out how cities are preparing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">KQED checked in with officials across the region\u003c/a>. Up north, San Rafael is coordinating with critical agencies to enable quick road closures. Kate Hagemann is the city’s climate adaptation resilience planner.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To find out how cities are preparing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">KQED checked in with officials across the region\u003c/a>. Up north, San Rafael is coordinating with critical agencies to enable quick road closures. Kate Hagemann is the city’s climate adaptation resilience planner.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Travel south to the island city of Alameda, and officials are beginning to service pumps, clear out storm drains and prepare barricades. Erin Smith is the city’s public works director.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Travel south to the island city of Alameda, and officials are beginning to service pumps, clear out storm drains and prepare barricades. Erin Smith is the city’s public works director.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may be preventing the storm water from flowing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may be preventing the storm water from flowing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Head west to San Francisco and officials are planning similar steps along a stretch of seven and half miles of shoreline. Crews will prepare sandbags, stage pumps and plan traffic detours. Brad Benson is with the Port of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Head west to San Francisco and officials are planning similar steps along a stretch of seven and half miles of shoreline. Crews will prepare sandbags, stage pumps and plan traffic detours. Brad Benson is with the Port of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The king tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future. Some of these areas, we have very important assets,” said Benson, referring to Muni and public spaces like the Ferry Building. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The king tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future. Some of these areas, we have very important assets,” said Benson, referring to Muni and public spaces like the Ferry Building. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you drive west until you reach the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find the Pacific Ocean forcing waves into San Francisco Bay. Kristina Hill and I chatted near Fort Point, with a view of San Francisco’s seawall, beaches and skyscrapers. Hill studies sea-level rise at UC Berkeley and thinks the temporary high-water line could expose weaknesses in the Bay Area’s human-made barriers meant to keep water out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you drive west until you reach the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find the Pacific Ocean forcing waves into San Francisco Bay. Kristina Hill and I chatted near Fort Point, with a view of San Francisco’s seawall, beaches and skyscrapers. Hill studies sea-level rise at UC Berkeley and thinks the temporary high-water line could expose weaknesses in the Bay Area’s human-made barriers meant to keep water out.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” said Hill.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” said Hill.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She says flooding this winter could show decisionmakers that it’s time to think about long-range solutions differently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She says flooding this winter could show decisionmakers that it’s time to think about long-range solutions differently. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And the things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“And the things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hill added that higher water levels are predicted to become an everyday reality in just a couple of decades.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hill added that higher water levels are predicted to become an everyday reality in just a couple of decades.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "California Becomes First State to Pass Requirements for Insurers to Clean Smoke Damage After Fires",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\">California Becomes First State to Pass Requirements for Insurers to Clean Smoke Damage After Fires\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\">California Becomes First State to Pass Requirements for Insurers to Clean Smoke Damage After Fires\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795, which will require insurers to test for smoke damage, cover the cost of cleaning contaminants like lead and asbestos, and keep paying for a homeowner’s alternative living expenses until the home is found safe to reoccupy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795, which will require insurers to test for smoke damage, cover the cost of cleaning contaminants like lead and asbestos, and keep paying for a homeowner’s alternative living expenses until the home is found safe to reoccupy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Department of Toxic Substances Control will have until the end of 2028 to develop testing and cleaning standards for lead and asbestos, and until the end of 2029 to set rules for heavy metals and other pollutants.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The California Department of Toxic Substances Control will have until the end of 2028 to develop testing and cleaning standards for lead and asbestos, and until the end of 2029 to set rules for heavy metals and other pollutants.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The change comes after the L.A. County fires last year, which left thousands of homes standing, but covered in toxic fire residue. Homeowners have been fighting their insurers to cover the cost of dealing with smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The change comes after the L.A. County fires last year, which left thousands of homes standing, but covered in toxic fire residue. Homeowners have been fighting their insurers to cover the cost of dealing with smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the state Department of Insurance, property owners filed 13,000 smoke damage claims for standing homes after the January 2025 fires. While insurers have covered testing and cleaning in many cases, other homeowners are still unable to return home as they battle with insurance companies over addressing smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to the state Department of Insurance, property owners filed 13,000 smoke damage claims for standing homes after the January 2025 fires. While insurers have covered testing and cleaning in many cases, other homeowners are still unable to return home as they battle with insurance companies over addressing smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insurance industry groups fought the new rules, saying they opposed shifting regulation away from the state Department of Insurance and to the Department of Toxic Substances Control.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Insurance industry groups fought the new rules, saying they opposed shifting regulation away from the state Department of Insurance and to the Department of Toxic Substances Control.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But proponents say they’ll help families displaced by future fires get home faster.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But proponents say they’ll help families displaced by future fires get home faster.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "California Billionaires Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">California Billionaires Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">California Billionaires Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 52% of likely voters saying they will vote yes on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">the billionaire tax\u003c/a>, known as Proposition 40, with 46% opposed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 52% of likely voters saying they will vote yes on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">the billionaire tax\u003c/a>, known as Proposition 40, with 46% opposed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s a slim margin to begin with — but the survey also found voters narrowly lining up behind two ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%. Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%. Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mark Baldassare is the Public Policy Institute’s statewide survey director.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on 14 ballot measures this fall, and PPIC found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they’re frustrated with the size of the ballot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on 14 ballot measures this fall, and PPIC found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they’re frustrated with the size of the ballot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The natural weather phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California. ",
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"title": "Scientists Warn This Year's El Niño Can Trigger Unprecedented Flooding | KQED",
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"headline": "Scientists Warn This Year's El Niño Can Trigger Unprecedented Flooding",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 16, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">Federal scientists now say\u003c/a> it’s very likely that a strong El Niño will continue through the end of the year. The natural phenomenon is pushing a massive stretch of warm water toward California, and climate scientists worry that t\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">his process could trigger monumental flooding\u003c/a> later this year.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California just became the first state in the nation to pass\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\"> rules that require insurance companies to address smoke damage\u003c/a> after major fires.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Backers of a November ballot measure that would levy a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">tax on billionaires are facing an uphill battle\u003c/a>, according to a new poll released today.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">Bay Area Cities Preparing Infrastructure for Rising Tides\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Derek Bentley is practicing karate on new blue mats in his San Rafael studio. His business is just yards from a marina connected to San Francisco Bay. The building flooded through seams in the foundation during a January storm, stacked on top of a king tide. Some of the old dirty mats are still stacked in a corner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood and then we opened but we had like air dryers and some of the mats were still wet,” said Bentley. “Took a little bit of a credit card to it, but we got some new mats finally. We’re slowly rebuilding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He fears that a very strong El Niño will raise water levels and steer storms toward the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for his worst fear, Bentley says, “That this place goes completely under water.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf\">scientists warn\u003c/a> the effects of El Niño could result in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">unprecedented flooding around the region. \u003c/a>Warm water expanding could contribute several inches of temporary sea-level rise. Plus, a slow-moving pulse of water, known as Kelvin waves, could cause a rise of up to 9 inches or more over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Daniel Swain is a UC system climate scientist Daniel Swain says we could see potential for record-breaking water levels in some areas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add changes in pressure, a storm surge, and natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, and Swain says some places could experience as much as 5 – 6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels at times.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Anything that’s tidally influenced will be affected. You’re also generally going to see that all the way inland into the Delta to Stockton.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The high water has already begun and is about 6 inches above normal at the tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge. Sean Vitousek is a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that’s partially because of El Niño,” he said. “And they will probably get larger in the winter as you get more of the storm surge effects.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To find out how cities are preparing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097946/a-super-el-nino-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know\">KQED checked in with officials across the region\u003c/a>. Up north, San Rafael is coordinating with critical agencies to enable quick road closures. Kate Hagemann is the city’s climate adaptation resilience planner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Travel south to the island city of Alameda, and officials are beginning to service pumps, clear out storm drains and prepare barricades. Erin Smith is the city’s public works director.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may be preventing the storm water from flowing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Head west to San Francisco and officials are planning similar steps along a stretch of seven and half miles of shoreline. Crews will prepare sandbags, stage pumps and plan traffic detours. Brad Benson is with the Port of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The king tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future. Some of these areas, we have very important assets,” said Benson, referring to Muni and public spaces like the Ferry Building. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you drive west until you reach the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find the Pacific Ocean forcing waves into San Francisco Bay. Kristina Hill and I chatted near Fort Point, with a view of San Francisco’s seawall, beaches and skyscrapers. Hill studies sea-level rise at UC Berkeley and thinks the temporary high-water line could expose weaknesses in the Bay Area’s human-made barriers meant to keep water out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” said Hill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She says flooding this winter could show decisionmakers that it’s time to think about long-range solutions differently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And the things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hill added that higher water levels are predicted to become an everyday reality in just a couple of decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/california-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-fires-smoke-damage-bills-signed-wildfire-insurance\">California Becomes First State to Pass Requirements for Insurers to Clean Smoke Damage After Fires\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795, which will require insurers to test for smoke damage, cover the cost of cleaning contaminants like lead and asbestos, and keep paying for a homeowner’s alternative living expenses until the home is found safe to reoccupy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Toxic Substances Control will have until the end of 2028 to develop testing and cleaning standards for lead and asbestos, and until the end of 2029 to set rules for heavy metals and other pollutants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The change comes after the L.A. County fires last year, which left thousands of homes standing, but covered in toxic fire residue. Homeowners have been fighting their insurers to cover the cost of dealing with smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the state Department of Insurance, property owners filed 13,000 smoke damage claims for standing homes after the January 2025 fires. While insurers have covered testing and cleaning in many cases, other homeowners are still unable to return home as they battle with insurance companies over addressing smoke damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance industry groups fought the new rules, saying they opposed shifting regulation away from the state Department of Insurance and to the Department of Toxic Substances Control.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But proponents say they’ll help families displaced by future fires get home faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">California Billionaires Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 52% of likely voters saying they will vote yes on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">the billionaire tax\u003c/a>, known as Proposition 40, with 46% opposed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s a slim margin to begin with — but the survey also found voters narrowly lining up behind two ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%. Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mark Baldassare is the Public Policy Institute’s statewide survey director.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on 14 ballot measures this fall, and PPIC found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they’re frustrated with the size of the ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-race-for-californias-48th-congressional-district",
"title": "The Race for California's 48th Congressional District",
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"headTitle": "The Race for California’s 48th Congressional District | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 15, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Voting in November’s midterm election will begin in less than three weeks, and a handful of California districts are at the center of the fight for control of Congress. That includes \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">the 48th House District\u003c/a> in Riverside and San Diego counties. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati has been reporting \u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\">in the district\u003c/a>, and he joins us this morning from San Diego.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>President Donald \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority\u003c/a> over energy projects under the Defense Production Act. The executive order could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099590/santa-clara-county-officials-outline-next-steps-in-fight-over-gilroy-ice-facility\">officials are urging ICE\u003c/a> to give up on constructing its new facility in Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Election Outlook in “One of the Last Purple Districts” in California \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: So why are Democrats and Republicans focusing so much on this district?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Well, really, because this is one of the last purple congressional districts we have in California. It’s one of only three districts in the state that was rated competitive by the nonpartisan political report. So it will go a long way into deciding the balance of power in Congress. And this 48th district,\u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\"> specifically this map, \u003c/a>which was created by voters under Prop 50 last year to help Democrats, this thing is just a piece of gerrymandering art. I mean, it makes no sense on paper. It runs from here in North County San Diego up to Riverside. It goes out to Palm Springs, back down to the desert. But the goal was really just to make the district more favorable to Democrats, and that happened. We saw the \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">incumbent Republican Darrell Issa\u003c/a> decide he just didn’t wanna run here.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: And who are the candidates running in the district?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: So with Issa out, we have on the Democratic side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.marnivonwilpert.com/\">Marni von Wilpert\u003c/a>. She’s the San Diego City Council member. On the Republican side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.desmondforcongress.com/\">Jim Desmond\u003c/a>. He’s a San Diego County supervisor, and about half the voters in this congressional district are already represented by Desmond on the board of supervisors. So I think that’s clearly an advantage for him in this election, just that familiarity. And I saw it at this \u003ca href=\"https://www.vistachamber.org/fiestas-patrias/\">Fiestas Patrias\u003c/a> Mexican Independence Day celebration over the weekend at Vista. Desmond’s office I’ll put on the events, andsome of his supporters were there as well. I talked with the mayor of Vista, John Franklin, who’s supporting Desmond for Congress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We think of him as a common sense leader. He’s been very responsive. He’s focused on affordability issues,” said Mayor Franklin\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: And there were other Vista residents I talked to at the event. They mentioned Desmond’s office giving out free baby formula, free car seats. So you can see this in Desmond ads too. He’s kind of leaning into this message of non-partisan service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: Going back to Von Wilpert, what’s the case that she’s making to voters?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think Von Wilpert is hoping the election is going to hinge more on national issues, more on President Trump. Trump has endorsed Desmond and Desmond will be running as a Republican in this race. This is not a supervisor election, which is nonpartisan. Immigration enforcement, ICE, I think are definitely issues to watch here as a motivator for Democrats. It’s interesting, that same Fiestas Patrias event I mentioned that Desmond’s office helped sponsor, organizers told me they almost canceled the event last year because of fears over ICE raids. And there have been debates over ICE training facilities at the county level in San Diego, locally in Escondido. So it’s on the mind of voters, including Supreshma Riya. She’s a freshman at Cal State San Marcos, who just registered to vote for the first time yesterday. And I caught up with her. And honestly, like many Democrats I talked to this week, she singled out immigration and Trump’s enforcement as her top issue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” said Riya. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think it’s no surprise Von Wilpert has really made standing up to ice one of her top priorities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: I know that this district is pretty sprawling. How are the candidates getting their messages out?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Yeah, that’s a great question. In Riverside, San Diego, Palm Springs, you have three different TV markets in the same district. So if a campaign is running a broadcast TV ad, it’s not even going to reach all of the voters in the district. So how they get the message out will be interesting. We saw last week some outside spending reported on mailers against Von Wilpert. What was interesting about that is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/us/politics/wilpert-desmond-california-house-district-48.html\">New York Times reported\u003c/a> that it was part of this bankrolling effort by Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. So maybe there’s involvement there. Democratic groups will surely get involved. I think the question is, voters in this district have a history recently of ticket splitting, by which I mean they’ve supported Republicans at the local level and at the state level and Democrats for president. We’ll see which way they go for Congress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: Guy, thanks for your reporting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Thanks, Alex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump expands federal power over energy production as Sable pipeline fight continues\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority over energy projects under the Defense Production Act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/adjusting-certain-delegations-under-the-defense-production-act-e2de/\">executive order\u003c/a> could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast; \u003ca href=\"https://sablecaliforniaenergy.com/\">Sable Offshore’s \u003c/a>Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-delegates-defense-production-act-authority-with-respect-to-recoverable-critical-minerals-and-materials-that-are-essential-to-our-national-defense/\"> Defense Production Act\u003c/a> allows the federal government to prioritize contracts and resources considered necessary for national defense. The new order gives that authority to both the Interior and Energy secretaries when it involves energy production and distribution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Linda Krop is with the Environmental Defense Center, or the EDC. She says the amended order could give other federal agencies another way to intervene in disputes involving Sable Offshore’s Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sable doesn’t have any military defense contracts or requests for services. At the time the order was issued, it wasn’t even producing anything. So there was nothing to prioritize,” said Krop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that’s why the EDC is supporting California’s legal challenge against the administration’s use of the federal law earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the order does not mention Sable or authorize a specific project. It also does not directly approve permits or override state law. Instead, it expands the federal authority to include secretaries with the Department of Interior and Commerce, who oversee other aspects of offshore oil and gas developments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 15, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"Voting in November’s midterm election will begin in less than three weeks, and a handful of California districts are at the center of the fight for control of Congress. That includes the 48th House District in Riverside and San Diego counties. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati has been reporting in the district, and he joins us this morning from San Diego.",
"President Donald Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority over energy projects under the Defense Production Act. The executive order could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast.",
"Santa Clara County officials are urging ICE to give up on constructing its new facility in Gilroy."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Voting in November’s midterm election will begin in less than three weeks, and a handful of California districts are at the center of the fight for control of Congress. That includes \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">the 48th House District\u003c/a> in Riverside and San Diego counties. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati has been reporting \u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\">in the district\u003c/a>, and he joins us this morning from San Diego.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Voting in November’s midterm election will begin in less than three weeks, and a handful of California districts are at the center of the fight for control of Congress. That includes \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">the 48th House District\u003c/a> in Riverside and San Diego counties. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati has been reporting \u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\">in the district\u003c/a>, and he joins us this morning from San Diego.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>President Donald \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority\u003c/a> over energy projects under the Defense Production Act. The executive order could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>President Donald \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority\u003c/a> over energy projects under the Defense Production Act. The executive order could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099590/santa-clara-county-officials-outline-next-steps-in-fight-over-gilroy-ice-facility\">officials are urging ICE\u003c/a> to give up on constructing its new facility in Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099590/santa-clara-county-officials-outline-next-steps-in-fight-over-gilroy-ice-facility\">officials are urging ICE\u003c/a> to give up on constructing its new facility in Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n"
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"text": "Election Outlook in “One of the Last Purple Districts” in California",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Election Outlook in “One of the Last Purple Districts” in California \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>HALL: So why are Democrats and Republicans focusing so much on this district?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>HALL: So why are Democrats and Republicans focusing so much on this district?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Well, really, because this is one of the last purple congressional districts we have in California. It’s one of only three districts in the state that was rated competitive by the nonpartisan political report. So it will go a long way into deciding the balance of power in Congress. And this 48th district,\u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\"> specifically this map, \u003c/a>which was created by voters under Prop 50 last year to help Democrats, this thing is just a piece of gerrymandering art. I mean, it makes no sense on paper. It runs from here in North County San Diego up to Riverside. It goes out to Palm Springs, back down to the desert. But the goal was really just to make the district more favorable to Democrats, and that happened. We saw the \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">incumbent Republican Darrell Issa\u003c/a> decide he just didn’t wanna run here.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Well, really, because this is one of the last purple congressional districts we have in California. It’s one of only three districts in the state that was rated competitive by the nonpartisan political report. So it will go a long way into deciding the balance of power in Congress. And this 48th district,\u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\"> specifically this map, \u003c/a>which was created by voters under Prop 50 last year to help Democrats, this thing is just a piece of gerrymandering art. I mean, it makes no sense on paper. It runs from here in North County San Diego up to Riverside. It goes out to Palm Springs, back down to the desert. But the goal was really just to make the district more favorable to Democrats, and that happened. We saw the \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">incumbent Republican Darrell Issa\u003c/a> decide he just didn’t wanna run here.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>HALL: And who are the candidates running in the district?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: So with Issa out, we have on the Democratic side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.marnivonwilpert.com/\">Marni von Wilpert\u003c/a>. She’s the San Diego City Council member. On the Republican side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.desmondforcongress.com/\">Jim Desmond\u003c/a>. He’s a San Diego County supervisor, and about half the voters in this congressional district are already represented by Desmond on the board of supervisors. So I think that’s clearly an advantage for him in this election, just that familiarity. And I saw it at this \u003ca href=\"https://www.vistachamber.org/fiestas-patrias/\">Fiestas Patrias\u003c/a> Mexican Independence Day celebration over the weekend at Vista. Desmond’s office I’ll put on the events, andsome of his supporters were there as well. I talked with the mayor of Vista, John Franklin, who’s supporting Desmond for Congress.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: So with Issa out, we have on the Democratic side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.marnivonwilpert.com/\">Marni von Wilpert\u003c/a>. She’s the San Diego City Council member. On the Republican side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.desmondforcongress.com/\">Jim Desmond\u003c/a>. He’s a San Diego County supervisor, and about half the voters in this congressional district are already represented by Desmond on the board of supervisors. So I think that’s clearly an advantage for him in this election, just that familiarity. And I saw it at this \u003ca href=\"https://www.vistachamber.org/fiestas-patrias/\">Fiestas Patrias\u003c/a> Mexican Independence Day celebration over the weekend at Vista. Desmond’s office I’ll put on the events, andsome of his supporters were there as well. I talked with the mayor of Vista, John Franklin, who’s supporting Desmond for Congress.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We think of him as a common sense leader. He’s been very responsive. He’s focused on affordability issues,” said Mayor Franklin\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We think of him as a common sense leader. He’s been very responsive. He’s focused on affordability issues,” said Mayor Franklin\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: And there were other Vista residents I talked to at the event. They mentioned Desmond’s office giving out free baby formula, free car seats. So you can see this in Desmond ads too. He’s kind of leaning into this message of non-partisan service.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: And there were other Vista residents I talked to at the event. They mentioned Desmond’s office giving out free baby formula, free car seats. So you can see this in Desmond ads too. He’s kind of leaning into this message of non-partisan service.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>HALL: Going back to Von Wilpert, what’s the case that she’s making to voters?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think Von Wilpert is hoping the election is going to hinge more on national issues, more on President Trump. Trump has endorsed Desmond and Desmond will be running as a Republican in this race. This is not a supervisor election, which is nonpartisan. Immigration enforcement, ICE, I think are definitely issues to watch here as a motivator for Democrats. It’s interesting, that same Fiestas Patrias event I mentioned that Desmond’s office helped sponsor, organizers told me they almost canceled the event last year because of fears over ICE raids. And there have been debates over ICE training facilities at the county level in San Diego, locally in Escondido. So it’s on the mind of voters, including Supreshma Riya. She’s a freshman at Cal State San Marcos, who just registered to vote for the first time yesterday. And I caught up with her. And honestly, like many Democrats I talked to this week, she singled out immigration and Trump’s enforcement as her top issue.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think Von Wilpert is hoping the election is going to hinge more on national issues, more on President Trump. Trump has endorsed Desmond and Desmond will be running as a Republican in this race. This is not a supervisor election, which is nonpartisan. Immigration enforcement, ICE, I think are definitely issues to watch here as a motivator for Democrats. It’s interesting, that same Fiestas Patrias event I mentioned that Desmond’s office helped sponsor, organizers told me they almost canceled the event last year because of fears over ICE raids. And there have been debates over ICE training facilities at the county level in San Diego, locally in Escondido. So it’s on the mind of voters, including Supreshma Riya. She’s a freshman at Cal State San Marcos, who just registered to vote for the first time yesterday. And I caught up with her. And honestly, like many Democrats I talked to this week, she singled out immigration and Trump’s enforcement as her top issue.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” said Riya. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” said Riya. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think it’s no surprise Von Wilpert has really made standing up to ice one of her top priorities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think it’s no surprise Von Wilpert has really made standing up to ice one of her top priorities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>HALL: I know that this district is pretty sprawling. How are the candidates getting their messages out?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>HALL: I know that this district is pretty sprawling. How are the candidates getting their messages out?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Yeah, that’s a great question. In Riverside, San Diego, Palm Springs, you have three different TV markets in the same district. So if a campaign is running a broadcast TV ad, it’s not even going to reach all of the voters in the district. So how they get the message out will be interesting. We saw last week some outside spending reported on mailers against Von Wilpert. What was interesting about that is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/us/politics/wilpert-desmond-california-house-district-48.html\">New York Times reported\u003c/a> that it was part of this bankrolling effort by Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. So maybe there’s involvement there. Democratic groups will surely get involved. I think the question is, voters in this district have a history recently of ticket splitting, by which I mean they’ve supported Republicans at the local level and at the state level and Democrats for president. We’ll see which way they go for Congress.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Yeah, that’s a great question. In Riverside, San Diego, Palm Springs, you have three different TV markets in the same district. So if a campaign is running a broadcast TV ad, it’s not even going to reach all of the voters in the district. So how they get the message out will be interesting. We saw last week some outside spending reported on mailers against Von Wilpert. What was interesting about that is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/us/politics/wilpert-desmond-california-house-district-48.html\">New York Times reported\u003c/a> that it was part of this bankrolling effort by Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. So maybe there’s involvement there. Democratic groups will surely get involved. I think the question is, voters in this district have a history recently of ticket splitting, by which I mean they’ve supported Republicans at the local level and at the state level and Democrats for president. We’ll see which way they go for Congress.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>HALL: Guy, thanks for your reporting.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>HALL: Guy, thanks for your reporting.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Thanks, Alex.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Thanks, Alex.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Trump expands federal power over energy production as Sable pipeline fight continues",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump expands federal power over energy production as Sable pipeline fight continues\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority over energy projects under the Defense Production Act.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority over energy projects under the Defense Production Act.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/adjusting-certain-delegations-under-the-defense-production-act-e2de/\">executive order\u003c/a> could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast; \u003ca href=\"https://sablecaliforniaenergy.com/\">Sable Offshore’s \u003c/a>Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/adjusting-certain-delegations-under-the-defense-production-act-e2de/\">executive order\u003c/a> could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast; \u003ca href=\"https://sablecaliforniaenergy.com/\">Sable Offshore’s \u003c/a>Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-delegates-defense-production-act-authority-with-respect-to-recoverable-critical-minerals-and-materials-that-are-essential-to-our-national-defense/\"> Defense Production Act\u003c/a> allows the federal government to prioritize contracts and resources considered necessary for national defense. The new order gives that authority to both the Interior and Energy secretaries when it involves energy production and distribution.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-delegates-defense-production-act-authority-with-respect-to-recoverable-critical-minerals-and-materials-that-are-essential-to-our-national-defense/\"> Defense Production Act\u003c/a> allows the federal government to prioritize contracts and resources considered necessary for national defense. The new order gives that authority to both the Interior and Energy secretaries when it involves energy production and distribution.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Linda Krop is with the Environmental Defense Center, or the EDC. She says the amended order could give other federal agencies another way to intervene in disputes involving Sable Offshore’s Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Linda Krop is with the Environmental Defense Center, or the EDC. She says the amended order could give other federal agencies another way to intervene in disputes involving Sable Offshore’s Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sable doesn’t have any military defense contracts or requests for services. At the time the order was issued, it wasn’t even producing anything. So there was nothing to prioritize,” said Krop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sable doesn’t have any military defense contracts or requests for services. At the time the order was issued, it wasn’t even producing anything. So there was nothing to prioritize,” said Krop.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said that’s why the EDC is supporting California’s legal challenge against the administration’s use of the federal law earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said that’s why the EDC is supporting California’s legal challenge against the administration’s use of the federal law earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the order does not mention Sable or authorize a specific project. It also does not directly approve permits or override state law. Instead, it expands the federal authority to include secretaries with the Department of Interior and Commerce, who oversee other aspects of offshore oil and gas developments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The 48th is one of the last purple districts in California after the passage of Proposition 50",
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"title": "The Race for California's 48th Congressional District | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 15, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Voting in November’s midterm election will begin in less than three weeks, and a handful of California districts are at the center of the fight for control of Congress. That includes \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">the 48th House District\u003c/a> in Riverside and San Diego counties. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati has been reporting \u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\">in the district\u003c/a>, and he joins us this morning from San Diego.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>President Donald \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority\u003c/a> over energy projects under the Defense Production Act. The executive order could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099590/santa-clara-county-officials-outline-next-steps-in-fight-over-gilroy-ice-facility\">officials are urging ICE\u003c/a> to give up on constructing its new facility in Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Election Outlook in “One of the Last Purple Districts” in California \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: So why are Democrats and Republicans focusing so much on this district?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Well, really, because this is one of the last purple congressional districts we have in California. It’s one of only three districts in the state that was rated competitive by the nonpartisan political report. So it will go a long way into deciding the balance of power in Congress. And this 48th district,\u003ca href=\"https://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/committeehome/2025-congressional-districts/congressional-district-48-2025\"> specifically this map, \u003c/a>which was created by voters under Prop 50 last year to help Democrats, this thing is just a piece of gerrymandering art. I mean, it makes no sense on paper. It runs from here in North County San Diego up to Riverside. It goes out to Palm Springs, back down to the desert. But the goal was really just to make the district more favorable to Democrats, and that happened. We saw the \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_48th_Congressional_District\">incumbent Republican Darrell Issa\u003c/a> decide he just didn’t wanna run here.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: And who are the candidates running in the district?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: So with Issa out, we have on the Democratic side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.marnivonwilpert.com/\">Marni von Wilpert\u003c/a>. She’s the San Diego City Council member. On the Republican side, \u003ca href=\"https://www.desmondforcongress.com/\">Jim Desmond\u003c/a>. He’s a San Diego County supervisor, and about half the voters in this congressional district are already represented by Desmond on the board of supervisors. So I think that’s clearly an advantage for him in this election, just that familiarity. And I saw it at this \u003ca href=\"https://www.vistachamber.org/fiestas-patrias/\">Fiestas Patrias\u003c/a> Mexican Independence Day celebration over the weekend at Vista. Desmond’s office I’ll put on the events, andsome of his supporters were there as well. I talked with the mayor of Vista, John Franklin, who’s supporting Desmond for Congress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We think of him as a common sense leader. He’s been very responsive. He’s focused on affordability issues,” said Mayor Franklin\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: And there were other Vista residents I talked to at the event. They mentioned Desmond’s office giving out free baby formula, free car seats. So you can see this in Desmond ads too. He’s kind of leaning into this message of non-partisan service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: Going back to Von Wilpert, what’s the case that she’s making to voters?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think Von Wilpert is hoping the election is going to hinge more on national issues, more on President Trump. Trump has endorsed Desmond and Desmond will be running as a Republican in this race. This is not a supervisor election, which is nonpartisan. Immigration enforcement, ICE, I think are definitely issues to watch here as a motivator for Democrats. It’s interesting, that same Fiestas Patrias event I mentioned that Desmond’s office helped sponsor, organizers told me they almost canceled the event last year because of fears over ICE raids. And there have been debates over ICE training facilities at the county level in San Diego, locally in Escondido. So it’s on the mind of voters, including Supreshma Riya. She’s a freshman at Cal State San Marcos, who just registered to vote for the first time yesterday. And I caught up with her. And honestly, like many Democrats I talked to this week, she singled out immigration and Trump’s enforcement as her top issue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” said Riya. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: I think it’s no surprise Von Wilpert has really made standing up to ice one of her top priorities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: I know that this district is pretty sprawling. How are the candidates getting their messages out?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Yeah, that’s a great question. In Riverside, San Diego, Palm Springs, you have three different TV markets in the same district. So if a campaign is running a broadcast TV ad, it’s not even going to reach all of the voters in the district. So how they get the message out will be interesting. We saw last week some outside spending reported on mailers against Von Wilpert. What was interesting about that is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/us/politics/wilpert-desmond-california-house-district-48.html\">New York Times reported\u003c/a> that it was part of this bankrolling effort by Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. So maybe there’s involvement there. Democratic groups will surely get involved. I think the question is, voters in this district have a history recently of ticket splitting, by which I mean they’ve supported Republicans at the local level and at the state level and Democrats for president. We’ll see which way they go for Congress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>HALL: Guy, thanks for your reporting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MARZORATI: Thanks, Alex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-14/trump-expands-federal-power-over-energy-production-as-sable-pipeline-fight-continues\">Trump expands federal power over energy production as Sable pipeline fight continues\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump is expanding the Interior Department’s authority over energy projects under the Defense Production Act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/adjusting-certain-delegations-under-the-defense-production-act-e2de/\">executive order\u003c/a> could affect the Central Coast, where the administration has already invoked the federal law to support a pipeline restart off the Santa Barbara coast; \u003ca href=\"https://sablecaliforniaenergy.com/\">Sable Offshore’s \u003c/a>Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-delegates-defense-production-act-authority-with-respect-to-recoverable-critical-minerals-and-materials-that-are-essential-to-our-national-defense/\"> Defense Production Act\u003c/a> allows the federal government to prioritize contracts and resources considered necessary for national defense. The new order gives that authority to both the Interior and Energy secretaries when it involves energy production and distribution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Linda Krop is with the Environmental Defense Center, or the EDC. She says the amended order could give other federal agencies another way to intervene in disputes involving Sable Offshore’s Santa Ynez pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sable doesn’t have any military defense contracts or requests for services. At the time the order was issued, it wasn’t even producing anything. So there was nothing to prioritize,” said Krop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that’s why the EDC is supporting California’s legal challenge against the administration’s use of the federal law earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the order does not mention Sable or authorize a specific project. It also does not directly approve permits or override state law. Instead, it expands the federal authority to include secretaries with the Department of Interior and Commerce, who oversee other aspects of offshore oil and gas developments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "trauma-informed-daycare-center-in-la-serves-families-affected-by-gangs",
"title": "Trauma-Informed Daycare Center in LA Serves Families Affected by Gangs",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, September 14 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/trauma-informed-daycare-center-looks-beyond-kids-at-play?srsltid=AfmBOoquqVwvdMaHzgKw1BNi5MzjhdFaVrHFbQWy0a8_9wc1q2m2H2xf\">nonprofit that has helped disempowered children around the world\u003c/a> is now working in Downtown LA. They’ve opened at Homeboy Industries, the noted gang rehabilitation program. It’s an experimental new daycare for families who have been involved with gangs. The program aims to gain the trust of parents, and help heal any family trauma. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>An Oakland City Council committee is\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-center-temporary-moratorium-oakland-carroll-fife/\"> expected to consider a temporary ban on data centers\u003c/a> in the city after a proposed data center \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-centers-ai-oakland-protest-opposition/\">drew backlash \u003c/a>last month. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/data-center-ban-22426013.php\">San Francisco \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://contracosta.news/2026/09/14/richmond-city-council-to-consider-moratorium-on-data-centers/\">Richmond\u003c/a> are also voting on similar moratoriums this week. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\"> sounding the alarm on wildfire preparedness.\u003c/a> They’re concerned that federal agencies won’t have enough money for the rest of the 2026 wildfire season.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/trauma-informed-daycare-center-looks-beyond-kids-at-play?srsltid=AfmBOoquqVwvdMaHzgKw1BNi5MzjhdFaVrHFbQWy0a8_9wc1q2m2H2xf\">“This Approach Emphasizes Giving Power to Children.”\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five kids are playing happily in a bright, cozy space. There are wooden toys and puzzles. Then they run into a problem that all toddlers have: sharing. One little boy is playing with a toy cake – when another kid grabs it out of his hands.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lead teacher Jessica Navarro quickly comes over and encourages the boys to figure out a solution. One of the boys brings over a pizza box, to divide up the slices. This is a small interaction, but here it’s a very intentional one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The daycare, which runs on Fridays, is a collaboration between \u003ca href=\"https://homeboyindustries.org/\">Homeboy\u003c/a>, UCLA and a nonprofit called \u003ca href=\"https://nestglobal.org/\">Nest Global\u003c/a>. Nest Global runs other temporary childcares around the world, at refugee camps and migrant shelters – for families experiencing instability.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dr. Xinshu She, Nest Global’s director of research and a pediatrician who teaches at Stanford, says treating kids as capable, curious learners, and asking them open-ended questions is *effective for children who have been through trauma.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I saw how this approach in particular really invited them to become participants in the classroom rather than telling them what to do,” said She. “Because that’s the ability that you lose in trauma. You lose the ability to believe in yourself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s been a game-changer for Andrea Rios, who’s been bringing her kids here since April. She was nervous the first time she dropped them off, but she could see how quickly her five-year-old son and one-year-old daughter settled in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They love it here. They’re safe here. It’s a relief off my shoulders.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rios’s kids have never been in daycare before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I didn’t trust anybody besides my mother with my kid.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s been through a lot. As a child, Rios experienced sexual abuse. Then her second son tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I didn’t get out of bed. I didn’t… I didn’t brush my hair. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t. It was for a long period of time,” said Rios. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leaving her kids with a stranger felt impossible after going through so much.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, and I never got into a gang, but I was always affiliated with it. Before I had kids, I came from a bad drug addiction and abusive relationship.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, Rios started the Homeboy training program, which offers counselling, classes and paid work experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It took me losing everything, until I put my foot down and said, you know what? This is not me. We need to get it together.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She earned her high school diploma, got her own apartment and started working in the Homeboy Cafe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was like an eye opener. I wasn’t the only one going through what I was going through. I wasn’t the only one who lost a kid.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The daycare offers a parent-and-me class so Andrea doesn’t have to drop off her kids and run. Plus, parents watch the teachers and learn from their approach.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m learning patience, communication with my kids,” said Rios. “It’s a big praise for him, and for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jessica Navarro – who teaches here at Nest Homeboy alongside UCLA psychology interns – is especially attuned to what the kids need. She was in the foster system as a child.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed that I share a lot of similarities with these children,” said Navarro. “You know, having parents who’ve experienced incarceration, family separation, poverty, violence, and so I think that helps me connect a little better with the children.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nest is hoping to open a full-time childcare center at Homeboy in the future. Meanwhile, they’re on a break until January.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">CA Senators Express “Serious Concerns” About Federal Agencies’ Wildfire Preparedness\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire season isn’t over yet, but Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with senators from Oregon and Colorado, \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">are raising concerns \u003c/a>about staffing and funding at the US Forest Service and US Wildland Fire Service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a letter to the Department of Interior and Agriculture, the senators said the fire agencies have already spent more than 70% of their roughly $6 billion dollar fire suppression budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California has faced severe wildfires this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics\">with more than 310,000 acres burned\u003c/a>…” they said in the letter. “The West is expected to remain in peak fire season with hot, dry, and windy conditions for at least the next two months, raising concerns that federal wildfire resources and suppression funds could run out entirely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter warns that the agencies don’t have enough staff to sustain operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jesse Torres is a spokesperson for CAL FIRE. He says the state agency hasn’t noticed any delays in receiving federal support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a great mutual aid system throughout the state of California, so we have other sources that we use. We don’t rely solely on the federal resources throughout California,” said Torres. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although, he says, there’s been some lag from federal incident management teams.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The senators are asking the federal government how it plans to address staffing shortages, and avoid running out of money.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>An Oakland City Council committee is\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-center-temporary-moratorium-oakland-carroll-fife/\"> expected to consider a temporary ban on data centers\u003c/a> in the city after a proposed data center \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-centers-ai-oakland-protest-opposition/\">drew backlash \u003c/a>last month. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/data-center-ban-22426013.php\">San Francisco \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://contracosta.news/2026/09/14/richmond-city-council-to-consider-moratorium-on-data-centers/\">Richmond\u003c/a> are also voting on similar moratoriums this week. \u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>An Oakland City Council committee is\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-center-temporary-moratorium-oakland-carroll-fife/\"> expected to consider a temporary ban on data centers\u003c/a> in the city after a proposed data center \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-centers-ai-oakland-protest-opposition/\">drew backlash \u003c/a>last month. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/data-center-ban-22426013.php\">San Francisco \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://contracosta.news/2026/09/14/richmond-city-council-to-consider-moratorium-on-data-centers/\">Richmond\u003c/a> are also voting on similar moratoriums this week. \u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\"> sounding the alarm on wildfire preparedness.\u003c/a> They’re concerned that federal agencies won’t have enough money for the rest of the 2026 wildfire season.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\"> sounding the alarm on wildfire preparedness.\u003c/a> They’re concerned that federal agencies won’t have enough money for the rest of the 2026 wildfire season.\u003c/li>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "“This Approach Emphasizes Giving Power to Children.”",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/trauma-informed-daycare-center-looks-beyond-kids-at-play?srsltid=AfmBOoquqVwvdMaHzgKw1BNi5MzjhdFaVrHFbQWy0a8_9wc1q2m2H2xf\">“This Approach Emphasizes Giving Power to Children.”\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/trauma-informed-daycare-center-looks-beyond-kids-at-play?srsltid=AfmBOoquqVwvdMaHzgKw1BNi5MzjhdFaVrHFbQWy0a8_9wc1q2m2H2xf\">“This Approach Emphasizes Giving Power to Children.”\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Five kids are playing happily in a bright, cozy space. There are wooden toys and puzzles. Then they run into a problem that all toddlers have: sharing. One little boy is playing with a toy cake – when another kid grabs it out of his hands.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Five kids are playing happily in a bright, cozy space. There are wooden toys and puzzles. Then they run into a problem that all toddlers have: sharing. One little boy is playing with a toy cake – when another kid grabs it out of his hands.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lead teacher Jessica Navarro quickly comes over and encourages the boys to figure out a solution. One of the boys brings over a pizza box, to divide up the slices. This is a small interaction, but here it’s a very intentional one.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Lead teacher Jessica Navarro quickly comes over and encourages the boys to figure out a solution. One of the boys brings over a pizza box, to divide up the slices. This is a small interaction, but here it’s a very intentional one.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The daycare, which runs on Fridays, is a collaboration between \u003ca href=\"https://homeboyindustries.org/\">Homeboy\u003c/a>, UCLA and a nonprofit called \u003ca href=\"https://nestglobal.org/\">Nest Global\u003c/a>. Nest Global runs other temporary childcares around the world, at refugee camps and migrant shelters – for families experiencing instability.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The daycare, which runs on Fridays, is a collaboration between \u003ca href=\"https://homeboyindustries.org/\">Homeboy\u003c/a>, UCLA and a nonprofit called \u003ca href=\"https://nestglobal.org/\">Nest Global\u003c/a>. Nest Global runs other temporary childcares around the world, at refugee camps and migrant shelters – for families experiencing instability.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dr. Xinshu She, Nest Global’s director of research and a pediatrician who teaches at Stanford, says treating kids as capable, curious learners, and asking them open-ended questions is *effective for children who have been through trauma.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dr. Xinshu She, Nest Global’s director of research and a pediatrician who teaches at Stanford, says treating kids as capable, curious learners, and asking them open-ended questions is *effective for children who have been through trauma.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I saw how this approach in particular really invited them to become participants in the classroom rather than telling them what to do,” said She. “Because that’s the ability that you lose in trauma. You lose the ability to believe in yourself.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I saw how this approach in particular really invited them to become participants in the classroom rather than telling them what to do,” said She. “Because that’s the ability that you lose in trauma. You lose the ability to believe in yourself.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s been a game-changer for Andrea Rios, who’s been bringing her kids here since April. She was nervous the first time she dropped them off, but she could see how quickly her five-year-old son and one-year-old daughter settled in.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s been a game-changer for Andrea Rios, who’s been bringing her kids here since April. She was nervous the first time she dropped them off, but she could see how quickly her five-year-old son and one-year-old daughter settled in.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They love it here. They’re safe here. It’s a relief off my shoulders.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They love it here. They’re safe here. It’s a relief off my shoulders.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rios’s kids have never been in daycare before.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rios’s kids have never been in daycare before.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I didn’t trust anybody besides my mother with my kid.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I didn’t trust anybody besides my mother with my kid.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’s been through a lot. As a child, Rios experienced sexual abuse. Then her second son tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She’s been through a lot. As a child, Rios experienced sexual abuse. Then her second son tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I didn’t get out of bed. I didn’t… I didn’t brush my hair. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t. It was for a long period of time,” said Rios. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I didn’t get out of bed. I didn’t… I didn’t brush my hair. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t. It was for a long period of time,” said Rios. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Leaving her kids with a stranger felt impossible after going through so much.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Leaving her kids with a stranger felt impossible after going through so much.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, and I never got into a gang, but I was always affiliated with it. Before I had kids, I came from a bad drug addiction and abusive relationship.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, and I never got into a gang, but I was always affiliated with it. Before I had kids, I came from a bad drug addiction and abusive relationship.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2023, Rios started the Homeboy training program, which offers counselling, classes and paid work experience.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2023, Rios started the Homeboy training program, which offers counselling, classes and paid work experience.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It took me losing everything, until I put my foot down and said, you know what? This is not me. We need to get it together.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It took me losing everything, until I put my foot down and said, you know what? This is not me. We need to get it together.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She earned her high school diploma, got her own apartment and started working in the Homeboy Cafe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She earned her high school diploma, got her own apartment and started working in the Homeboy Cafe.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was like an eye opener. I wasn’t the only one going through what I was going through. I wasn’t the only one who lost a kid.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It was like an eye opener. I wasn’t the only one going through what I was going through. I wasn’t the only one who lost a kid.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
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{
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The daycare offers a parent-and-me class so Andrea doesn’t have to drop off her kids and run. Plus, parents watch the teachers and learn from their approach.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The daycare offers a parent-and-me class so Andrea doesn’t have to drop off her kids and run. Plus, parents watch the teachers and learn from their approach.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m learning patience, communication with my kids,” said Rios. “It’s a big praise for him, and for me.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I’m learning patience, communication with my kids,” said Rios. “It’s a big praise for him, and for me.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jessica Navarro – who teaches here at Nest Homeboy alongside UCLA psychology interns – is especially attuned to what the kids need. She was in the foster system as a child.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Jessica Navarro – who teaches here at Nest Homeboy alongside UCLA psychology interns – is especially attuned to what the kids need. She was in the foster system as a child.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed that I share a lot of similarities with these children,” said Navarro. “You know, having parents who’ve experienced incarceration, family separation, poverty, violence, and so I think that helps me connect a little better with the children.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed that I share a lot of similarities with these children,” said Navarro. “You know, having parents who’ve experienced incarceration, family separation, poverty, violence, and so I think that helps me connect a little better with the children.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nest is hoping to open a full-time childcare center at Homeboy in the future. Meanwhile, they’re on a break until January.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Nest is hoping to open a full-time childcare center at Homeboy in the future. Meanwhile, they’re on a break until January.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "CA Senators Express “Serious Concerns” About Federal Agencies’ Wildfire Preparedness",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">CA Senators Express “Serious Concerns” About Federal Agencies’ Wildfire Preparedness\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">CA Senators Express “Serious Concerns” About Federal Agencies’ Wildfire Preparedness\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wildfire season isn’t over yet, but Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with senators from Oregon and Colorado, \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">are raising concerns \u003c/a>about staffing and funding at the US Forest Service and US Wildland Fire Service.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Wildfire season isn’t over yet, but Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with senators from Oregon and Colorado, \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">are raising concerns \u003c/a>about staffing and funding at the US Forest Service and US Wildland Fire Service.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a letter to the Department of Interior and Agriculture, the senators said the fire agencies have already spent more than 70% of their roughly $6 billion dollar fire suppression budget. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In a letter to the Department of Interior and Agriculture, the senators said the fire agencies have already spent more than 70% of their roughly $6 billion dollar fire suppression budget. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California has faced severe wildfires this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics\">with more than 310,000 acres burned\u003c/a>…” they said in the letter. “The West is expected to remain in peak fire season with hot, dry, and windy conditions for at least the next two months, raising concerns that federal wildfire resources and suppression funds could run out entirely.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“California has faced severe wildfires this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics\">with more than 310,000 acres burned\u003c/a>…” they said in the letter. “The West is expected to remain in peak fire season with hot, dry, and windy conditions for at least the next two months, raising concerns that federal wildfire resources and suppression funds could run out entirely.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The letter warns that the agencies don’t have enough staff to sustain operations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jesse Torres is a spokesperson for CAL FIRE. He says the state agency hasn’t noticed any delays in receiving federal support.\u003c/p>\n",
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],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have a great mutual aid system throughout the state of California, so we have other sources that we use. We don’t rely solely on the federal resources throughout California,” said Torres. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have a great mutual aid system throughout the state of California, so we have other sources that we use. We don’t rely solely on the federal resources throughout California,” said Torres. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although, he says, there’s been some lag from federal incident management teams.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The senators are asking the federal government how it plans to address staffing shortages, and avoid running out of money.\u003c/p>\n",
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],
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, September 14 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/trauma-informed-daycare-center-looks-beyond-kids-at-play?srsltid=AfmBOoquqVwvdMaHzgKw1BNi5MzjhdFaVrHFbQWy0a8_9wc1q2m2H2xf\">nonprofit that has helped disempowered children around the world\u003c/a> is now working in Downtown LA. They’ve opened at Homeboy Industries, the noted gang rehabilitation program. It’s an experimental new daycare for families who have been involved with gangs. The program aims to gain the trust of parents, and help heal any family trauma. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>An Oakland City Council committee is\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-center-temporary-moratorium-oakland-carroll-fife/\"> expected to consider a temporary ban on data centers\u003c/a> in the city after a proposed data center \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/09/11/data-centers-ai-oakland-protest-opposition/\">drew backlash \u003c/a>last month. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/data-center-ban-22426013.php\">San Francisco \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://contracosta.news/2026/09/14/richmond-city-council-to-consider-moratorium-on-data-centers/\">Richmond\u003c/a> are also voting on similar moratoriums this week. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\"> sounding the alarm on wildfire preparedness.\u003c/a> They’re concerned that federal agencies won’t have enough money for the rest of the 2026 wildfire season.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/trauma-informed-daycare-center-looks-beyond-kids-at-play?srsltid=AfmBOoquqVwvdMaHzgKw1BNi5MzjhdFaVrHFbQWy0a8_9wc1q2m2H2xf\">“This Approach Emphasizes Giving Power to Children.”\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five kids are playing happily in a bright, cozy space. There are wooden toys and puzzles. Then they run into a problem that all toddlers have: sharing. One little boy is playing with a toy cake – when another kid grabs it out of his hands.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lead teacher Jessica Navarro quickly comes over and encourages the boys to figure out a solution. One of the boys brings over a pizza box, to divide up the slices. This is a small interaction, but here it’s a very intentional one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The daycare, which runs on Fridays, is a collaboration between \u003ca href=\"https://homeboyindustries.org/\">Homeboy\u003c/a>, UCLA and a nonprofit called \u003ca href=\"https://nestglobal.org/\">Nest Global\u003c/a>. Nest Global runs other temporary childcares around the world, at refugee camps and migrant shelters – for families experiencing instability.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dr. Xinshu She, Nest Global’s director of research and a pediatrician who teaches at Stanford, says treating kids as capable, curious learners, and asking them open-ended questions is *effective for children who have been through trauma.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I saw how this approach in particular really invited them to become participants in the classroom rather than telling them what to do,” said She. “Because that’s the ability that you lose in trauma. You lose the ability to believe in yourself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s been a game-changer for Andrea Rios, who’s been bringing her kids here since April. She was nervous the first time she dropped them off, but she could see how quickly her five-year-old son and one-year-old daughter settled in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They love it here. They’re safe here. It’s a relief off my shoulders.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rios’s kids have never been in daycare before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I didn’t trust anybody besides my mother with my kid.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s been through a lot. As a child, Rios experienced sexual abuse. Then her second son tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I didn’t get out of bed. I didn’t… I didn’t brush my hair. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t. It was for a long period of time,” said Rios. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leaving her kids with a stranger felt impossible after going through so much.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, and I never got into a gang, but I was always affiliated with it. Before I had kids, I came from a bad drug addiction and abusive relationship.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, Rios started the Homeboy training program, which offers counselling, classes and paid work experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It took me losing everything, until I put my foot down and said, you know what? This is not me. We need to get it together.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She earned her high school diploma, got her own apartment and started working in the Homeboy Cafe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was like an eye opener. I wasn’t the only one going through what I was going through. I wasn’t the only one who lost a kid.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The daycare offers a parent-and-me class so Andrea doesn’t have to drop off her kids and run. Plus, parents watch the teachers and learn from their approach.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m learning patience, communication with my kids,” said Rios. “It’s a big praise for him, and for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jessica Navarro – who teaches here at Nest Homeboy alongside UCLA psychology interns – is especially attuned to what the kids need. She was in the foster system as a child.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed that I share a lot of similarities with these children,” said Navarro. “You know, having parents who’ve experienced incarceration, family separation, poverty, violence, and so I think that helps me connect a little better with the children.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nest is hoping to open a full-time childcare center at Homeboy in the future. Meanwhile, they’re on a break until January.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">CA Senators Express “Serious Concerns” About Federal Agencies’ Wildfire Preparedness\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire season isn’t over yet, but Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with senators from Oregon and Colorado, \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-bennet-schiff-sound-alarm-on-lack-of-firefighting-resources-during-the-2026-wildfire-season/\">are raising concerns \u003c/a>about staffing and funding at the US Forest Service and US Wildland Fire Service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a letter to the Department of Interior and Agriculture, the senators said the fire agencies have already spent more than 70% of their roughly $6 billion dollar fire suppression budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California has faced severe wildfires this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics\">with more than 310,000 acres burned\u003c/a>…” they said in the letter. “The West is expected to remain in peak fire season with hot, dry, and windy conditions for at least the next two months, raising concerns that federal wildfire resources and suppression funds could run out entirely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter warns that the agencies don’t have enough staff to sustain operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jesse Torres is a spokesperson for CAL FIRE. He says the state agency hasn’t noticed any delays in receiving federal support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a great mutual aid system throughout the state of California, so we have other sources that we use. We don’t rely solely on the federal resources throughout California,” said Torres. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although, he says, there’s been some lag from federal incident management teams.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The senators are asking the federal government how it plans to address staffing shortages, and avoid running out of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 10, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>In the San Joaquin Valley, Agriculture is big. So it’s no surprise ag programs are offered at many local colleges and universities. But now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/education/2026-08-26/agave-is-taking-root-on-california-farms-valley-schools-are-now-studying-it\">a new plant is taking root in ag classrooms\u003c/a>: agave. At a test plot in Merced County, agave is becoming the primary subject of coursework.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A new lawsuit filed in Kern County details \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317180754.html\">sexual abuse allegations \u003c/a>by an unnamed plaintiff against the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. It accuses nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The US Department of Justice is alleging that UC Berkeley law school’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098895/trump-admin-accuses-uc-berkeley-law-school-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions\">admissions policy discriminates\u003c/a> against white and Asian applicants. \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/education/2026-08-26/agave-is-taking-root-on-california-farms-valley-schools-are-now-studying-it\">Valley Schools Like UC Merced Trying To Answer Farmers’ Questions About the Crop.\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a torrid summer morning on a Merced County agave farm, and UC Merced PhD student Calysta Ownby is boring into the dirt with a drill. She’s collecting a core of dry and hard-packed soil in between the rows of agave. Ownby, her professor, and a research specialist have spent hours collecting these so-called “bulk density” samples. It’s back-breaking work, thrusting a metal cylinder tool into the ground and clawing at the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The team is trying to figure out if agave’s roots can loosen up the soil and keep it fertile for crops in the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s one of the big issues that society needs an answer to. There isn’t one simple answer,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Agave is a large spiky succulent that can come in blue, green and yellow depending on the variety. For centuries, Mexico has distilled its core to make tequila and mezcal, but more recently, agave became more popular on California farms. That’s because it’s known to be drought and heat resistant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valley schools like UC Merced are \u003ca href=\"https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/growing-agave-good-fit-california-uc-merced-aims-find-out\">trying to answer farmers’ and policymakers’ questions\u003c/a> around it. Faculty member \u003ca href=\"https://les.ucmerced.edu/content/srabani-das\">Srabani Das\u003c/a>, who leads \u003ca href=\"https://srabanidaslab.wordpress.com/\">the lab Ownby works in\u003c/a>, is part of that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We must make agriculture regenerative and also very economically viable for the farmers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s with both UC Merced and the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/employees/cooperative-extension\">University of California’s cooperative extension\u003c/a>. Farmers are dealing with increasing water restrictions from a state water law, Das says, so many are either going to try a new crop like agave, or not use their land at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Agave could also help the community make money, and UC Merced is not the only college focusing on agave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Angel Reyna is the president at \u003ca href=\"https://www.maderacollege.edu/index.html\">Madera Community College.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This would be a temporary site until we build our own hotel, bar, restaurant, and distillery that our students run and operate, so they can get that hands-on experience,” he said as he stands in a leased-out winery that he wants to turn into an agave distillery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says the college wants to build careers out of agave. The college provides four-week community courses all about growing this crop, with a plan to offer credited courses and degrees in the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We get state resources that are funded by the public, and so ultimately it’s their money for us to invest and educate the future workforce, but also to be an economic driver,” Reyna said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s also a plan to help K-12 students learn about agave farming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Camille Fagundes is at the Merced County Office of Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are at the heart of of the country’s produce source, so it’s very important for our students to learn about where all that food is coming from,” Fagundes said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Calysta Ownby sees herself someday working at an agency like the US Department of Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everyone that I’ve interacted with in those jobs has always been doing their best for their community, and that’s what I want is to give back to the community somehow.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’ll be taking these soil samples to the lab and measuring their moisture. She thinks the results might help a Valley farmer or a government leader.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re not just testing things because it’s an interesting question. It’s an interesting question because it needs an answer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An answer that could unlock a new future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317180754.html\">New Lawsuit Accuses Nonprofits Tied to Cesar Chavez of Negligence\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The woman in the lawsuit is only referred to as Jane Doe, and she filed a total of six claims related to alleged abuse she suffered in the 1970s. She is requesting a jury trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was a resident of La Paz, the compound in the Tehachapi mountains where Chavez and the UFW ran operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jWHAfZMO_lMSYEsroLFKLK_Fk0a9iWc3/view\">lawsuit filed Sept 1 in Kern County Superior Court\u003c/a> against the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the UFW Foundation, alleges leadership at the foundations “allowed the labor union and civil rights icon to freely target women for sexual abuse,” according to a press release.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 1973, the plaintiff says Chavez forced alcohol on her and danced with her. She hid in a bathroom, but says Chavez then pulled her onto a bed and raped her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plaintiff accuses the Chavez family and nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence. The lawsuit alleges the flagship farmworker union and the Cesar Chavez Foundation “made concerted efforts to hide evidence relating to sexual harassment and sexual assaults of girls and women by UFW members and leaders, including Cesar Chavez, in an effort to incentivize survivors to remain silent or prevent information relating to such wrongdoing from becoming public.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the first known lawsuit stemming from an explosive New York Times story this spring that Chavez sexually abused girls and women during his rise as a union leader.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098895/trump-admin-accuses-uc-berkeley-law-school-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions\">Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A letter from the DOJ says that it found evidence of discrimination during a compliance review of the school’s admissions process with the federal Department of Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The departments’ investigative findings are the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration targeting the state’s public university system — and other top universities nationwide — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056908/uc-faculty-escalate-court-battle-against-trump-efforts-to-reshape-higher-education\">threats to cut funding\u003c/a> over antisemitism and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031468/trumps-anti-dei-crackdown-targets-over-50-universities-nationwide\">diversity, equity and inclusion\u003c/a> policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023 the US supreme court ruled that schools cannot consider race in admissions and hiring decisions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DOJ is requesting that Berkeley’s law school enter a “voluntary resolution agreement” to ensure that its admissions process is brought into legal compliance. The university says it complies with state and federal law and does not give admissions preference based on race.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Agave is a large spiky succulent that can come in blue, green and yellow depending on the variety. For centuries, Mexico has distilled its core to make tequila and mezcal, but more recently, agave became more popular on California farms. That’s because it’s known to be drought and heat resistant.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Valley schools like UC Merced are \u003ca href=\"https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/growing-agave-good-fit-california-uc-merced-aims-find-out\">trying to answer farmers’ and policymakers’ questions\u003c/a> around it. Faculty member \u003ca href=\"https://les.ucmerced.edu/content/srabani-das\">Srabani Das\u003c/a>, who leads \u003ca href=\"https://srabanidaslab.wordpress.com/\">the lab Ownby works in\u003c/a>, is part of that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Valley schools like UC Merced are \u003ca href=\"https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/growing-agave-good-fit-california-uc-merced-aims-find-out\">trying to answer farmers’ and policymakers’ questions\u003c/a> around it. Faculty member \u003ca href=\"https://les.ucmerced.edu/content/srabani-das\">Srabani Das\u003c/a>, who leads \u003ca href=\"https://srabanidaslab.wordpress.com/\">the lab Ownby works in\u003c/a>, is part of that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We must make agriculture regenerative and also very economically viable for the farmers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’s with both UC Merced and the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/employees/cooperative-extension\">University of California’s cooperative extension\u003c/a>. Farmers are dealing with increasing water restrictions from a state water law, Das says, so many are either going to try a new crop like agave, or not use their land at all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Agave could also help the community make money, and UC Merced is not the only college focusing on agave.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Angel Reyna is the president at \u003ca href=\"https://www.maderacollege.edu/index.html\">Madera Community College.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This would be a temporary site until we build our own hotel, bar, restaurant, and distillery that our students run and operate, so they can get that hands-on experience,” he said as he stands in a leased-out winery that he wants to turn into an agave distillery.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He says the college wants to build careers out of agave. The college provides four-week community courses all about growing this crop, with a plan to offer credited courses and degrees in the future.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We get state resources that are funded by the public, and so ultimately it’s their money for us to invest and educate the future workforce, but also to be an economic driver,” Reyna said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s also a plan to help K-12 students learn about agave farming.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Camille Fagundes is at the Merced County Office of Education.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are at the heart of of the country’s produce source, so it’s very important for our students to learn about where all that food is coming from,” Fagundes said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Calysta Ownby sees herself someday working at an agency like the US Department of Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Everyone that I’ve interacted with in those jobs has always been doing their best for their community, and that’s what I want is to give back to the community somehow.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’ll be taking these soil samples to the lab and measuring their moisture. She thinks the results might help a Valley farmer or a government leader.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re not just testing things because it’s an interesting question. It’s an interesting question because it needs an answer.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An answer that could unlock a new future.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "New Lawsuit Accuses Nonprofits Tied to Cesar Chavez of Negligence",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317180754.html\">New Lawsuit Accuses Nonprofits Tied to Cesar Chavez of Negligence\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The woman in the lawsuit is only referred to as Jane Doe, and she filed a total of six claims related to alleged abuse she suffered in the 1970s. She is requesting a jury trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She was a resident of La Paz, the compound in the Tehachapi mountains where Chavez and the UFW ran operations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jWHAfZMO_lMSYEsroLFKLK_Fk0a9iWc3/view\">lawsuit filed Sept 1 in Kern County Superior Court\u003c/a> against the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the UFW Foundation, alleges leadership at the foundations “allowed the labor union and civil rights icon to freely target women for sexual abuse,” according to a press release.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jWHAfZMO_lMSYEsroLFKLK_Fk0a9iWc3/view\">lawsuit filed Sept 1 in Kern County Superior Court\u003c/a> against the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the UFW Foundation, alleges leadership at the foundations “allowed the labor union and civil rights icon to freely target women for sexual abuse,” according to a press release.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 1973, the plaintiff says Chavez forced alcohol on her and danced with her. She hid in a bathroom, but says Chavez then pulled her onto a bed and raped her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The plaintiff accuses the Chavez family and nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence. The lawsuit alleges the flagship farmworker union and the Cesar Chavez Foundation “made concerted efforts to hide evidence relating to sexual harassment and sexual assaults of girls and women by UFW members and leaders, including Cesar Chavez, in an effort to incentivize survivors to remain silent or prevent information relating to such wrongdoing from becoming public.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The plaintiff accuses the Chavez family and nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence. The lawsuit alleges the flagship farmworker union and the Cesar Chavez Foundation “made concerted efforts to hide evidence relating to sexual harassment and sexual assaults of girls and women by UFW members and leaders, including Cesar Chavez, in an effort to incentivize survivors to remain silent or prevent information relating to such wrongdoing from becoming public.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is the first known lawsuit stemming from an explosive New York Times story this spring that Chavez sexually abused girls and women during his rise as a union leader.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098895/trump-admin-accuses-uc-berkeley-law-school-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions\">Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The departments’ investigative findings are the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration targeting the state’s public university system — and other top universities nationwide — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056908/uc-faculty-escalate-court-battle-against-trump-efforts-to-reshape-higher-education\">threats to cut funding\u003c/a> over antisemitism and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031468/trumps-anti-dei-crackdown-targets-over-50-universities-nationwide\">diversity, equity and inclusion\u003c/a> policies.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2023 the US supreme court ruled that schools cannot consider race in admissions and hiring decisions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The DOJ is requesting that Berkeley’s law school enter a “voluntary resolution agreement” to ensure that its admissions process is brought into legal compliance. The university says it complies with state and federal law and does not give admissions preference based on race.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 10, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>In the San Joaquin Valley, Agriculture is big. So it’s no surprise ag programs are offered at many local colleges and universities. But now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/education/2026-08-26/agave-is-taking-root-on-california-farms-valley-schools-are-now-studying-it\">a new plant is taking root in ag classrooms\u003c/a>: agave. At a test plot in Merced County, agave is becoming the primary subject of coursework.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A new lawsuit filed in Kern County details \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317180754.html\">sexual abuse allegations \u003c/a>by an unnamed plaintiff against the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. It accuses nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The US Department of Justice is alleging that UC Berkeley law school’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098895/trump-admin-accuses-uc-berkeley-law-school-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions\">admissions policy discriminates\u003c/a> against white and Asian applicants. \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/education/2026-08-26/agave-is-taking-root-on-california-farms-valley-schools-are-now-studying-it\">Valley Schools Like UC Merced Trying To Answer Farmers’ Questions About the Crop.\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a torrid summer morning on a Merced County agave farm, and UC Merced PhD student Calysta Ownby is boring into the dirt with a drill. She’s collecting a core of dry and hard-packed soil in between the rows of agave. Ownby, her professor, and a research specialist have spent hours collecting these so-called “bulk density” samples. It’s back-breaking work, thrusting a metal cylinder tool into the ground and clawing at the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The team is trying to figure out if agave’s roots can loosen up the soil and keep it fertile for crops in the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s one of the big issues that society needs an answer to. There isn’t one simple answer,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Agave is a large spiky succulent that can come in blue, green and yellow depending on the variety. For centuries, Mexico has distilled its core to make tequila and mezcal, but more recently, agave became more popular on California farms. That’s because it’s known to be drought and heat resistant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valley schools like UC Merced are \u003ca href=\"https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/growing-agave-good-fit-california-uc-merced-aims-find-out\">trying to answer farmers’ and policymakers’ questions\u003c/a> around it. Faculty member \u003ca href=\"https://les.ucmerced.edu/content/srabani-das\">Srabani Das\u003c/a>, who leads \u003ca href=\"https://srabanidaslab.wordpress.com/\">the lab Ownby works in\u003c/a>, is part of that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We must make agriculture regenerative and also very economically viable for the farmers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s with both UC Merced and the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/employees/cooperative-extension\">University of California’s cooperative extension\u003c/a>. Farmers are dealing with increasing water restrictions from a state water law, Das says, so many are either going to try a new crop like agave, or not use their land at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Agave could also help the community make money, and UC Merced is not the only college focusing on agave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Angel Reyna is the president at \u003ca href=\"https://www.maderacollege.edu/index.html\">Madera Community College.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This would be a temporary site until we build our own hotel, bar, restaurant, and distillery that our students run and operate, so they can get that hands-on experience,” he said as he stands in a leased-out winery that he wants to turn into an agave distillery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says the college wants to build careers out of agave. The college provides four-week community courses all about growing this crop, with a plan to offer credited courses and degrees in the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We get state resources that are funded by the public, and so ultimately it’s their money for us to invest and educate the future workforce, but also to be an economic driver,” Reyna said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s also a plan to help K-12 students learn about agave farming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Camille Fagundes is at the Merced County Office of Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are at the heart of of the country’s produce source, so it’s very important for our students to learn about where all that food is coming from,” Fagundes said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Calysta Ownby sees herself someday working at an agency like the US Department of Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everyone that I’ve interacted with in those jobs has always been doing their best for their community, and that’s what I want is to give back to the community somehow.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’ll be taking these soil samples to the lab and measuring their moisture. She thinks the results might help a Valley farmer or a government leader.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re not just testing things because it’s an interesting question. It’s an interesting question because it needs an answer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An answer that could unlock a new future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317180754.html\">New Lawsuit Accuses Nonprofits Tied to Cesar Chavez of Negligence\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The woman in the lawsuit is only referred to as Jane Doe, and she filed a total of six claims related to alleged abuse she suffered in the 1970s. She is requesting a jury trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was a resident of La Paz, the compound in the Tehachapi mountains where Chavez and the UFW ran operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jWHAfZMO_lMSYEsroLFKLK_Fk0a9iWc3/view\">lawsuit filed Sept 1 in Kern County Superior Court\u003c/a> against the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the UFW Foundation, alleges leadership at the foundations “allowed the labor union and civil rights icon to freely target women for sexual abuse,” according to a press release.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 1973, the plaintiff says Chavez forced alcohol on her and danced with her. She hid in a bathroom, but says Chavez then pulled her onto a bed and raped her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plaintiff accuses the Chavez family and nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence. The lawsuit alleges the flagship farmworker union and the Cesar Chavez Foundation “made concerted efforts to hide evidence relating to sexual harassment and sexual assaults of girls and women by UFW members and leaders, including Cesar Chavez, in an effort to incentivize survivors to remain silent or prevent information relating to such wrongdoing from becoming public.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the first known lawsuit stemming from an explosive New York Times story this spring that Chavez sexually abused girls and women during his rise as a union leader.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098895/trump-admin-accuses-uc-berkeley-law-school-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions\">Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A letter from the DOJ says that it found evidence of discrimination during a compliance review of the school’s admissions process with the federal Department of Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The departments’ investigative findings are the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration targeting the state’s public university system — and other top universities nationwide — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056908/uc-faculty-escalate-court-battle-against-trump-efforts-to-reshape-higher-education\">threats to cut funding\u003c/a> over antisemitism and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031468/trumps-anti-dei-crackdown-targets-over-50-universities-nationwide\">diversity, equity and inclusion\u003c/a> policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023 the US supreme court ruled that schools cannot consider race in admissions and hiring decisions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DOJ is requesting that Berkeley’s law school enter a “voluntary resolution agreement” to ensure that its admissions process is brought into legal compliance. The university says it complies with state and federal law and does not give admissions preference based on race.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sonoma-county-agency-agrees-to-reel-in-drone-program-after-privacy-violations",
"title": "Sonoma County Agency Agrees to Reel in Drone Program After Privacy Violations",
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"headTitle": "Sonoma County Agency Agrees to Reel in Drone Program After Privacy Violations | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 9, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Changes are coming to a controversial drone code enforcement program in Northern California’s Sonoma County. The county’s land use planning and development permitting agency, Permit Sonoma, agreed last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">to settle after being sued for allegedly spying\u003c/a> on much more than what the program initially intended.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra has kept a relatively low profile\u003c/a> since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Attorneys for Santa Clara County say they’re optimistic after a federal judge in San Jose extended a halt on the construction of a new ICE holding facility near Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The clean-up effort following last year’s battery fire at Texas-based energy company’s Vistra facility in Moss Landing\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\"> is moving into its final phase.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://norcalpublicmedia.org/20260904101903/news-feed/permit-sonoma-settles-over-drone-code-enforcement-complaints\">ACLU Argues Permit Sonoma Violated California Constitution With Drone Program\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma agreed to a settlement \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">brokered by the ACLU of Northern California\u003c/a>, after 3 local residents sued the agency and a number of county officials last year over the use of invasive drone surveillance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma’s drone program was started in 2019 to allegedly target illicit cannabis operations. However, ACLU attorney Nick Hidalgo says it quickly spread to more mundane issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So not only were these drones being used to violate people’s right to privacy, but they were doing so without any clear idea of what they were looking for,” said Hidalgo. “And in a lot of cases they of course found code violations because no one’s perfect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ACLU had argued that code enforcement inspectors violated the California Constitution by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/09/02/sonoma-county-drone-surveillance-settlement/\">spying on residents’ homes and the areas surrounding them \u003c/a>without first getting a warrant. Hidalgo argues the privacy violations are clear cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Forty years ago, the California Supreme Court said that aerial surveillance of a person’s home violated our Constitutional rights, and that was with an airplane flying at 1600 feet using a magnification lens that had a maximum zoom of 4 times.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hidalgo says the surveillance landscape now is very different.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Drones today, including the ones in Sonoma and purchased by many other agencies around the state, can fly lower than 100 feet, can fly quietly, sneak up on people, peer through windows, have zoom capabilities between 56x and 200x, can be equipped with thermal imagery.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three plaintiffs in the case were cited for civil code violations spotted during drone flights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Permit Sonoma says the agency disagrees with the ACLU’s characterization of the case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The spokesperson notes the settlement is not an admission of fact and says Sonoma County has successfully defended the use of drones on previous occasions, but is settling to avoid an expensive legal process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the settlement, the three residents will each receive $50,000 and Hidalgo says Permit Sonoma will change how the agency uses drones, including obtaining a warrant or a resident’s consent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They are agreeing to not only publish their drone policy, which they had not done prior, but they are going to revise it through a public process, which will involve a meeting with the board of supervisors, a meeting that Sonoma County residents are welcome to attend and voice their concerns if they have any.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma has also agreed not to hold images of people’s properties indefinitely and will produce drone flight logs to the ACLU for 2 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra Not Showing His Hand, Holds Comfortable Lead in Governor’s Race\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Xavier Becerra says California needs to build more housing by reducing permitting times and making affordable housing funding easier to access, but he doesn’t want to say how many new homes he would deliver as governor. To address inequality, he’s considering whether the public should own shares of artificial intelligence companies, but he won’t commit to pursuing that policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Democratic candidate’s promises remain vague to Californians who, polls show, widely favor him for governor this November.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sacramento State political science professor \u003ca href=\"https://scholars.csus.edu/esploro/profile/wesley_hussey/overview\">Wesley Hussey\u003c/a> says there’s little political incentive for Becerra to take risks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If Becerra starts talking about issues in detail and laying out what he wants to do, all that would do is just anger either parts of his coalition or make people more uncomfortable if they don’t like what he says.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that strategy also means voters have fewer details about what Becerra would actually do in office. Hussey says that’s because of the large political advantage Democrats have in California and points to Governor Gavin Newsom’s housing agenda as an example.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And I think Newsom overselling how much we’re going to shift on building housing is an example of why Becerra doesn’t want to lay out all the things he promises to do because I don’t think he wants to then be on the hook for those things as governor.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom made adding more housing a major priority with a promise of building 3 and a half million new homes by 2025. Less than half a million were actually completed. The latest Berkeley IGS poll has Becerra ahead of Hilton by 18 points. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becerra declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/09/gilroy-ice-facility-ruling/\">“This Should Have Never Been Proposed Here,” Gilroy ICE Facility Pause Extended\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judge Eumi K. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that for the next week, the federal government may not continue its plans to build an immigration center near Gilroy, in unincorporated Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Immigrations and Customs Enforcement was quietly developing the facility on a 25-acre agricultural parcel that was formally used for research. In June, the San Jose Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom, discovered and published \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/blueprints-confirm-ice-involvement-in-south-county-facility/\">blueprints of the plans\u003c/a>. Santa Clara county and the state of California filed suit, arguing the site is unfit and likely contaminated with hazardous waste. The federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090807/ice-will-pause-construction-on-controversial-south-bay-detention-facility\">agreed to pause construction\u003c/a> through September 9th. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>County Counsel Tony LoPresti said, “This is the wrong place for this facility. This should have never been proposed here, and it should certainly not proceed here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys for ICE argued the project is exempt from further environmental review, because plans for the project would not differ greatly from its prior use by agricultural research companies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the judge was skeptical and extended a stay on the development until at least next week, while she considers a potentially longer pause.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\">Moss Landing Battery Fire Clean-Up Enters Final Phase\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crews are tearing down the burned Vistra building to reach the remaining batteries. The work comes \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022725/massive-fire-monterey-county-battery-plant-spews-toxic-smoke-forces-evacuations\">more than a year and a half after \u003c/a>a fire damaged tens of thousands of lithium-ion batteries. \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-begins-final-phase-post-fire-battery-cleanup-moss-landing\">The EPA says \u003c/a>damaged batteries will be treated and tested on site, then they’ll be sent to off-site disposal facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999445/scientists-trace-heavy-metals-spread-by-januarys-huge-battery-fire-near-monterey\">will continue to monitor air quality\u003c/a>, water and battery temperatures. Dust control measures will also remain in place to protect workers and the surrounding community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church says the slow clean-up is understandable because of the safety risks, but he still wants answers about what started the fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The California Public Utilities Commission is still doing its investigation into this and has not determined a cause,” said Supervisor Church. “I wish that was moving along a little faster, because it’s an important consideration in all of this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Church says the county is being informed, but the clean-up itself is being managed by Vistra and the EPA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vistra did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The work is expected to wrap up by mid-2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But Becerra has kept a relatively low profile since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Changes are coming to a controversial drone code enforcement program in Northern California’s Sonoma County. The county’s land use planning and development permitting agency, Permit Sonoma, agreed last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">to settle after being sued for allegedly spying\u003c/a> on much more than what the program initially intended.\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra has kept a relatively low profile\u003c/a> since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra has kept a relatively low profile\u003c/a> since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Attorneys for Santa Clara County say they’re optimistic after a federal judge in San Jose extended a halt on the construction of a new ICE holding facility near Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The clean-up effort following last year’s battery fire at Texas-based energy company’s Vistra facility in Moss Landing\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\"> is moving into its final phase.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"text": "ACLU Argues Permit Sonoma Violated California Constitution With Drone Program",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma agreed to a settlement \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">brokered by the ACLU of Northern California\u003c/a>, after 3 local residents sued the agency and a number of county officials last year over the use of invasive drone surveillance.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma agreed to a settlement \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">brokered by the ACLU of Northern California\u003c/a>, after 3 local residents sued the agency and a number of county officials last year over the use of invasive drone surveillance.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma’s drone program was started in 2019 to allegedly target illicit cannabis operations. However, ACLU attorney Nick Hidalgo says it quickly spread to more mundane issues.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So not only were these drones being used to violate people’s right to privacy, but they were doing so without any clear idea of what they were looking for,” said Hidalgo. “And in a lot of cases they of course found code violations because no one’s perfect.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So not only were these drones being used to violate people’s right to privacy, but they were doing so without any clear idea of what they were looking for,” said Hidalgo. “And in a lot of cases they of course found code violations because no one’s perfect.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ACLU had argued that code enforcement inspectors violated the California Constitution by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/09/02/sonoma-county-drone-surveillance-settlement/\">spying on residents’ homes and the areas surrounding them \u003c/a>without first getting a warrant. Hidalgo argues the privacy violations are clear cut.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ACLU had argued that code enforcement inspectors violated the California Constitution by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/09/02/sonoma-county-drone-surveillance-settlement/\">spying on residents’ homes and the areas surrounding them \u003c/a>without first getting a warrant. Hidalgo argues the privacy violations are clear cut.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Forty years ago, the California Supreme Court said that aerial surveillance of a person’s home violated our Constitutional rights, and that was with an airplane flying at 1600 feet using a magnification lens that had a maximum zoom of 4 times.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hidalgo says the surveillance landscape now is very different.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Drones today, including the ones in Sonoma and purchased by many other agencies around the state, can fly lower than 100 feet, can fly quietly, sneak up on people, peer through windows, have zoom capabilities between 56x and 200x, can be equipped with thermal imagery.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Drones today, including the ones in Sonoma and purchased by many other agencies around the state, can fly lower than 100 feet, can fly quietly, sneak up on people, peer through windows, have zoom capabilities between 56x and 200x, can be equipped with thermal imagery.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The three plaintiffs in the case were cited for civil code violations spotted during drone flights.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The three plaintiffs in the case were cited for civil code violations spotted during drone flights.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Permit Sonoma says the agency disagrees with the ACLU’s characterization of the case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The spokesperson notes the settlement is not an admission of fact and says Sonoma County has successfully defended the use of drones on previous occasions, but is settling to avoid an expensive legal process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As part of the settlement, the three residents will each receive $50,000 and Hidalgo says Permit Sonoma will change how the agency uses drones, including obtaining a warrant or a resident’s consent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As part of the settlement, the three residents will each receive $50,000 and Hidalgo says Permit Sonoma will change how the agency uses drones, including obtaining a warrant or a resident’s consent.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They are agreeing to not only publish their drone policy, which they had not done prior, but they are going to revise it through a public process, which will involve a meeting with the board of supervisors, a meeting that Sonoma County residents are welcome to attend and voice their concerns if they have any.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They are agreeing to not only publish their drone policy, which they had not done prior, but they are going to revise it through a public process, which will involve a meeting with the board of supervisors, a meeting that Sonoma County residents are welcome to attend and voice their concerns if they have any.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma has also agreed not to hold images of people’s properties indefinitely and will produce drone flight logs to the ACLU for 2 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma has also agreed not to hold images of people’s properties indefinitely and will produce drone flight logs to the ACLU for 2 years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Becerra Not Showing His Hand, Holds Comfortable Lead in Governor’s Race",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra Not Showing His Hand, Holds Comfortable Lead in Governor’s Race\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Xavier Becerra says California needs to build more housing by reducing permitting times and making affordable housing funding easier to access, but he doesn’t want to say how many new homes he would deliver as governor. To address inequality, he’s considering whether the public should own shares of artificial intelligence companies, but he won’t commit to pursuing that policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Xavier Becerra says California needs to build more housing by reducing permitting times and making affordable housing funding easier to access, but he doesn’t want to say how many new homes he would deliver as governor. To address inequality, he’s considering whether the public should own shares of artificial intelligence companies, but he won’t commit to pursuing that policy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Democratic candidate’s promises remain vague to Californians who, polls show, widely favor him for governor this November.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sacramento State political science professor \u003ca href=\"https://scholars.csus.edu/esploro/profile/wesley_hussey/overview\">Wesley Hussey\u003c/a> says there’s little political incentive for Becerra to take risks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sacramento State political science professor \u003ca href=\"https://scholars.csus.edu/esploro/profile/wesley_hussey/overview\">Wesley Hussey\u003c/a> says there’s little political incentive for Becerra to take risks.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If Becerra starts talking about issues in detail and laying out what he wants to do, all that would do is just anger either parts of his coalition or make people more uncomfortable if they don’t like what he says.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If Becerra starts talking about issues in detail and laying out what he wants to do, all that would do is just anger either parts of his coalition or make people more uncomfortable if they don’t like what he says.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But that strategy also means voters have fewer details about what Becerra would actually do in office. Hussey says that’s because of the large political advantage Democrats have in California and points to Governor Gavin Newsom’s housing agenda as an example.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But that strategy also means voters have fewer details about what Becerra would actually do in office. Hussey says that’s because of the large political advantage Democrats have in California and points to Governor Gavin Newsom’s housing agenda as an example.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And I think Newsom overselling how much we’re going to shift on building housing is an example of why Becerra doesn’t want to lay out all the things he promises to do because I don’t think he wants to then be on the hook for those things as governor.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And I think Newsom overselling how much we’re going to shift on building housing is an example of why Becerra doesn’t want to lay out all the things he promises to do because I don’t think he wants to then be on the hook for those things as governor.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom made adding more housing a major priority with a promise of building 3 and a half million new homes by 2025. Less than half a million were actually completed. The latest Berkeley IGS poll has Becerra ahead of Hilton by 18 points. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom made adding more housing a major priority with a promise of building 3 and a half million new homes by 2025. Less than half a million were actually completed. The latest Berkeley IGS poll has Becerra ahead of Hilton by 18 points. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Becerra declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"attrs": {
"text": "“This Should Have Never Been Proposed Here,” Gilroy ICE Facility Pause Extended",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/09/gilroy-ice-facility-ruling/\">“This Should Have Never Been Proposed Here,” Gilroy ICE Facility Pause Extended\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/09/gilroy-ice-facility-ruling/\">“This Should Have Never Been Proposed Here,” Gilroy ICE Facility Pause Extended\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Judge Eumi K. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that for the next week, the federal government may not continue its plans to build an immigration center near Gilroy, in unincorporated Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Judge Eumi K. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that for the next week, the federal government may not continue its plans to build an immigration center near Gilroy, in unincorporated Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Immigrations and Customs Enforcement was quietly developing the facility on a 25-acre agricultural parcel that was formally used for research. In June, the San Jose Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom, discovered and published \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/blueprints-confirm-ice-involvement-in-south-county-facility/\">blueprints of the plans\u003c/a>. Santa Clara county and the state of California filed suit, arguing the site is unfit and likely contaminated with hazardous waste. The federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090807/ice-will-pause-construction-on-controversial-south-bay-detention-facility\">agreed to pause construction\u003c/a> through September 9th. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Immigrations and Customs Enforcement was quietly developing the facility on a 25-acre agricultural parcel that was formally used for research. In June, the San Jose Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom, discovered and published \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/blueprints-confirm-ice-involvement-in-south-county-facility/\">blueprints of the plans\u003c/a>. Santa Clara county and the state of California filed suit, arguing the site is unfit and likely contaminated with hazardous waste. The federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090807/ice-will-pause-construction-on-controversial-south-bay-detention-facility\">agreed to pause construction\u003c/a> through September 9th. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>County Counsel Tony LoPresti said, “This is the wrong place for this facility. This should have never been proposed here, and it should certainly not proceed here.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>County Counsel Tony LoPresti said, “This is the wrong place for this facility. This should have never been proposed here, and it should certainly not proceed here.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Attorneys for ICE argued the project is exempt from further environmental review, because plans for the project would not differ greatly from its prior use by agricultural research companies.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Attorneys for ICE argued the project is exempt from further environmental review, because plans for the project would not differ greatly from its prior use by agricultural research companies.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the judge was skeptical and extended a stay on the development until at least next week, while she considers a potentially longer pause.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the judge was skeptical and extended a stay on the development until at least next week, while she considers a potentially longer pause.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Moss Landing Battery Fire Clean-Up Enters Final Phase",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\">Moss Landing Battery Fire Clean-Up Enters Final Phase\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\">Moss Landing Battery Fire Clean-Up Enters Final Phase\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crews are tearing down the burned Vistra building to reach the remaining batteries. The work comes \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022725/massive-fire-monterey-county-battery-plant-spews-toxic-smoke-forces-evacuations\">more than a year and a half after \u003c/a>a fire damaged tens of thousands of lithium-ion batteries. \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-begins-final-phase-post-fire-battery-cleanup-moss-landing\">The EPA says \u003c/a>damaged batteries will be treated and tested on site, then they’ll be sent to off-site disposal facilities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Crews are tearing down the burned Vistra building to reach the remaining batteries. The work comes \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022725/massive-fire-monterey-county-battery-plant-spews-toxic-smoke-forces-evacuations\">more than a year and a half after \u003c/a>a fire damaged tens of thousands of lithium-ion batteries. \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-begins-final-phase-post-fire-battery-cleanup-moss-landing\">The EPA says \u003c/a>damaged batteries will be treated and tested on site, then they’ll be sent to off-site disposal facilities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999445/scientists-trace-heavy-metals-spread-by-januarys-huge-battery-fire-near-monterey\">will continue to monitor air quality\u003c/a>, water and battery temperatures. Dust control measures will also remain in place to protect workers and the surrounding community.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999445/scientists-trace-heavy-metals-spread-by-januarys-huge-battery-fire-near-monterey\">will continue to monitor air quality\u003c/a>, water and battery temperatures. Dust control measures will also remain in place to protect workers and the surrounding community.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church says the slow clean-up is understandable because of the safety risks, but he still wants answers about what started the fire.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church says the slow clean-up is understandable because of the safety risks, but he still wants answers about what started the fire.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The California Public Utilities Commission is still doing its investigation into this and has not determined a cause,” said Supervisor Church. “I wish that was moving along a little faster, because it’s an important consideration in all of this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The California Public Utilities Commission is still doing its investigation into this and has not determined a cause,” said Supervisor Church. “I wish that was moving along a little faster, because it’s an important consideration in all of this.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Church says the county is being informed, but the clean-up itself is being managed by Vistra and the EPA.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vistra did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 9, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Changes are coming to a controversial drone code enforcement program in Northern California’s Sonoma County. The county’s land use planning and development permitting agency, Permit Sonoma, agreed last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">to settle after being sued for allegedly spying\u003c/a> on much more than what the program initially intended.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra has kept a relatively low profile\u003c/a> since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Attorneys for Santa Clara County say they’re optimistic after a federal judge in San Jose extended a halt on the construction of a new ICE holding facility near Gilroy.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The clean-up effort following last year’s battery fire at Texas-based energy company’s Vistra facility in Moss Landing\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\"> is moving into its final phase.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://norcalpublicmedia.org/20260904101903/news-feed/permit-sonoma-settles-over-drone-code-enforcement-complaints\">ACLU Argues Permit Sonoma Violated California Constitution With Drone Program\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma agreed to a settlement \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclunorcal.org/press-releases/aclu-settles-lawsuit-with-sonoma-county-curbing-invasive-runaway-drone-surveillance-program-that-trampled-peoples-privacy/\">brokered by the ACLU of Northern California\u003c/a>, after 3 local residents sued the agency and a number of county officials last year over the use of invasive drone surveillance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma’s drone program was started in 2019 to allegedly target illicit cannabis operations. However, ACLU attorney Nick Hidalgo says it quickly spread to more mundane issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So not only were these drones being used to violate people’s right to privacy, but they were doing so without any clear idea of what they were looking for,” said Hidalgo. “And in a lot of cases they of course found code violations because no one’s perfect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ACLU had argued that code enforcement inspectors violated the California Constitution by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/09/02/sonoma-county-drone-surveillance-settlement/\">spying on residents’ homes and the areas surrounding them \u003c/a>without first getting a warrant. Hidalgo argues the privacy violations are clear cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Forty years ago, the California Supreme Court said that aerial surveillance of a person’s home violated our Constitutional rights, and that was with an airplane flying at 1600 feet using a magnification lens that had a maximum zoom of 4 times.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hidalgo says the surveillance landscape now is very different.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Drones today, including the ones in Sonoma and purchased by many other agencies around the state, can fly lower than 100 feet, can fly quietly, sneak up on people, peer through windows, have zoom capabilities between 56x and 200x, can be equipped with thermal imagery.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three plaintiffs in the case were cited for civil code violations spotted during drone flights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Permit Sonoma says the agency disagrees with the ACLU’s characterization of the case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The spokesperson notes the settlement is not an admission of fact and says Sonoma County has successfully defended the use of drones on previous occasions, but is settling to avoid an expensive legal process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the settlement, the three residents will each receive $50,000 and Hidalgo says Permit Sonoma will change how the agency uses drones, including obtaining a warrant or a resident’s consent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They are agreeing to not only publish their drone policy, which they had not done prior, but they are going to revise it through a public process, which will involve a meeting with the board of supervisors, a meeting that Sonoma County residents are welcome to attend and voice their concerns if they have any.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Permit Sonoma has also agreed not to hold images of people’s properties indefinitely and will produce drone flight logs to the ACLU for 2 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-governor-becerra-profile-promises/\">Becerra Not Showing His Hand, Holds Comfortable Lead in Governor’s Race\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Xavier Becerra says California needs to build more housing by reducing permitting times and making affordable housing funding easier to access, but he doesn’t want to say how many new homes he would deliver as governor. To address inequality, he’s considering whether the public should own shares of artificial intelligence companies, but he won’t commit to pursuing that policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Democratic candidate’s promises remain vague to Californians who, polls show, widely favor him for governor this November.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sacramento State political science professor \u003ca href=\"https://scholars.csus.edu/esploro/profile/wesley_hussey/overview\">Wesley Hussey\u003c/a> says there’s little political incentive for Becerra to take risks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If Becerra starts talking about issues in detail and laying out what he wants to do, all that would do is just anger either parts of his coalition or make people more uncomfortable if they don’t like what he says.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that strategy also means voters have fewer details about what Becerra would actually do in office. Hussey says that’s because of the large political advantage Democrats have in California and points to Governor Gavin Newsom’s housing agenda as an example.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And I think Newsom overselling how much we’re going to shift on building housing is an example of why Becerra doesn’t want to lay out all the things he promises to do because I don’t think he wants to then be on the hook for those things as governor.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom made adding more housing a major priority with a promise of building 3 and a half million new homes by 2025. Less than half a million were actually completed. The latest Berkeley IGS poll has Becerra ahead of Hilton by 18 points. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becerra declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/09/gilroy-ice-facility-ruling/\">“This Should Have Never Been Proposed Here,” Gilroy ICE Facility Pause Extended\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judge Eumi K. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that for the next week, the federal government may not continue its plans to build an immigration center near Gilroy, in unincorporated Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Immigrations and Customs Enforcement was quietly developing the facility on a 25-acre agricultural parcel that was formally used for research. In June, the San Jose Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom, discovered and published \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/blueprints-confirm-ice-involvement-in-south-county-facility/\">blueprints of the plans\u003c/a>. Santa Clara county and the state of California filed suit, arguing the site is unfit and likely contaminated with hazardous waste. The federal government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090807/ice-will-pause-construction-on-controversial-south-bay-detention-facility\">agreed to pause construction\u003c/a> through September 9th. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>County Counsel Tony LoPresti said, “This is the wrong place for this facility. This should have never been proposed here, and it should certainly not proceed here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys for ICE argued the project is exempt from further environmental review, because plans for the project would not differ greatly from its prior use by agricultural research companies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the judge was skeptical and extended a stay on the development until at least next week, while she considers a potentially longer pause.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcbx.org/environment-and-energy/2026-09-08/moss-landing-battery-fire-clean-up-enters-final-phase\">Moss Landing Battery Fire Clean-Up Enters Final Phase\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crews are tearing down the burned Vistra building to reach the remaining batteries. The work comes \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022725/massive-fire-monterey-county-battery-plant-spews-toxic-smoke-forces-evacuations\">more than a year and a half after \u003c/a>a fire damaged tens of thousands of lithium-ion batteries. \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-begins-final-phase-post-fire-battery-cleanup-moss-landing\">The EPA says \u003c/a>damaged batteries will be treated and tested on site, then they’ll be sent to off-site disposal facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999445/scientists-trace-heavy-metals-spread-by-januarys-huge-battery-fire-near-monterey\">will continue to monitor air quality\u003c/a>, water and battery temperatures. Dust control measures will also remain in place to protect workers and the surrounding community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church says the slow clean-up is understandable because of the safety risks, but he still wants answers about what started the fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The California Public Utilities Commission is still doing its investigation into this and has not determined a cause,” said Supervisor Church. “I wish that was moving along a little faster, because it’s an important consideration in all of this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Church says the county is being informed, but the clean-up itself is being managed by Vistra and the EPA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vistra did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The work is expected to wrap up by mid-2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "immigration-related-threats-by-employers-spiking-in-california-worker-advocates-say",
"title": "Immigration Related Threats by Employers Spiking in California, Worker Advocates Say",
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"headTitle": "Immigration Related Threats by Employers Spiking in California, Worker Advocates Say | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 8, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The City of Fresno will soon ban A-I data centers within city limits. That’s after the Fresno City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution opposing their construction. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Earlier this summer, California signed off on an agreement to share state driver’s license data with a national database. Our partner\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/driver-license-database-subpoena/\"> CalMatters has reported \u003c/a>the Department of Homeland Security was actively pursuing driver data from the group that manages the database, at the same time California was weighing concerns that information of non-citizens would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests to levels not seen in years, worker advocates and state officials say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">some employers are taking advantage\u003c/a> of the political climate to exploit immigrant workers in lower-wage jobs. \u003cbr>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/driver-license-database-subpoena/\">Gov. Newsom Office Calls Complaints Over License-Data Sharing Overblown\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/driver-license-sharing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrestled with a difficult question earlier this summer\u003c/a>: Could the state safely share driver’s license data with a national group, as the federal government demanded, without \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/04/california-dmv-shares-immigrant-driver-data/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exposing more than a million people to immigration\u003c/a> and law enforcement agencies? Ultimately, amid fears that state IDs wouldn’t be accepted at airports and federal buildings, they voted to let the DMV share driver data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Non-citizens are legally allowed to obtain driver’s licenses in California, and immigration and privacy advocates worried that information would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal agencies \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338.1.2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first requested, then subpoenaed\u003c/a>, bulk commercial driver data from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA, a nonprofit that acts as a clearinghouse for information from state motor vehicle departments nationwide. That’s the same organization California plans to entrust with all its driver records by next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s license-data demands appear to be part of a broader and escalating \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/immigrant-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crackdown on non-citizen truck drivers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began in May 2025 strictly enforcing English proficiency standards. The agency also in February 2026 finalized \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02965/restoring-integrity-to-the-issuance-of-non-domiciled-commercial-drivers-licenses-cdl\">a new rule\u003c/a> that would block immigrants with work permits, like asylum seekers, Temporary Protected Status holders or DACA recipients, who are in the United States legally, from qualifying for commercial driver’s licenses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Basically, the fears of some of the advocates came to fruition here,” says reporter Wendy Fry with CalMatters, who has been following this story. “So the Trump administration was already seeking access to information about 17 million commercial drivers. The Department of Homeland Security said in their subpoena they specifically want these records because they want to do immigration enforcement.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CalMatters reports that subpoena from DHS came to light because of a recent lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the national driver database that got the subpoena declined to comment. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, which backed the data sharing, has said the concerns from advocates are overblown — much as it did this summer after critics warned that any California data shared with AAMVA was at risk of federal subpoena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">‘Bad Faith’ Employers Taking Advantage of Workers’ Deportation Fears\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Francisco has made and installed windows in the Bay Area for more than 16 years, and he’s a proud father of three. But earlier this year, he couldn’t sleep. He’d burst out crying during family meals. One day, when he saw a black suburban parked near his apartment, he rushed to lock all the doors and hide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says his boss threatened to report him to ICE if Francisco spoke with state regulators investigating claims the company underpaid workers. KQED is withholding his full name because he does not have a legal immigration status and fears retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tenía miedo. Pues es traumático todo eso. Es traumatico.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Francisco says he was afraid and traumatized. He was so stressed out, his wife took him to see a psychiatrist. Francisco ended up finding a new job. But he’s still angry about the emotional toll on him and his family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sí, me da coraje por todo eso, por todas las amenazas que estuve recibiendo ahí, que me iban a echar a Migración.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors threatening to call ICE? That’s nothing new. But with federal agents dramatically detaining so many people under the Trump Administration, workers are taking the threat seriously. And many decide it’s not worth the risk to complain about wage-theft, harassment or other workplace issues. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t have to be real, it can just be said and the people are fearful,” said Jaime Arteaga with the North Coast States Carpenters’ Union. “It can be a rumor. Somebody might say we might get deported and that shuts everything down. The workers are not going to come forward.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State figures show complaints of retaliation involving immigration threats have spiked under the first and current Trump administration. Relatively few workers will go to the authorities, but the California Labor Commissioner’s Office reports about 200 complaints involving immigration threats since 2025. That’s nearly as many as during the entire four years of President Joe Biden’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Employment attorney Ruth Silver Taube supervises a legal advice line in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. She’s also supervising attorney of the workers’ rights practice at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do believe that this is the tip of the iceberg, and that there’s many, many more of these immigration-related threats,” said Silver Taube. “These threats are designed to deter workers from coming forward. And I think they’re successful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under federal and state laws, employees have the right to minimum wage and other workplace protections regardless of their immigration status. Threatening a worker for trying to exercise those rights is illegal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some managers don’t know that, says Paul DeCamp, an attorney in Washington D.C. who represents employers. He’s a former administrator at the U.S. Department of Labor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If a manager or supervisor gets annoyed, perhaps because the workers are talking about unionizing, or they’re complaining about working conditions, or otherwise asserting their rights, the manager or a supervisor, in an attempt to try to take control of the situation may make a threat like this, which of course is illegal,” said DeCamp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do not collaborate with the federal government,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia Brower. She says her agency collaborates closely with advocates and community leaders to educate employers and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do not ask about immigration status. We don’t ask for social security numbers. And it is safe for them to proceed in cooperating with us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That said, every worker is making an individual calculation as to how safe they actually are.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2495\">A bill that just landed\u003c/a> on the Governor’s desk would clarify the law to say that ALL threats to call immigration – even if preemptive – are illegal, and punishable with up to $10,000 dollars in penalties per violation. The governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the measure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003c/h2>\n",
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"As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests to levels not seen in years, worker advocates and state officials say some employers are taking advantage of the political climate to exploit immigrant workers in lower-wage jobs. "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The City of Fresno will soon ban A-I data centers within city limits. That’s after the Fresno City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution opposing their construction. \u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Earlier this summer, California signed off on an agreement to share state driver’s license data with a national database. Our partner\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/driver-license-database-subpoena/\"> CalMatters has reported \u003c/a>the Department of Homeland Security was actively pursuing driver data from the group that manages the database, at the same time California was weighing concerns that information of non-citizens would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Earlier this summer, California signed off on an agreement to share state driver’s license data with a national database. Our partner\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/driver-license-database-subpoena/\"> CalMatters has reported \u003c/a>the Department of Homeland Security was actively pursuing driver data from the group that manages the database, at the same time California was weighing concerns that information of non-citizens would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests to levels not seen in years, worker advocates and state officials say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">some employers are taking advantage\u003c/a> of the political climate to exploit immigrant workers in lower-wage jobs. \u003cbr>\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/driver-license-sharing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrestled with a difficult question earlier this summer\u003c/a>: Could the state safely share driver’s license data with a national group, as the federal government demanded, without \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/04/california-dmv-shares-immigrant-driver-data/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exposing more than a million people to immigration\u003c/a> and law enforcement agencies? Ultimately, amid fears that state IDs wouldn’t be accepted at airports and federal buildings, they voted to let the DMV share driver data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/driver-license-sharing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrestled with a difficult question earlier this summer\u003c/a>: Could the state safely share driver’s license data with a national group, as the federal government demanded, without \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/04/california-dmv-shares-immigrant-driver-data/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exposing more than a million people to immigration\u003c/a> and law enforcement agencies? Ultimately, amid fears that state IDs wouldn’t be accepted at airports and federal buildings, they voted to let the DMV share driver data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Non-citizens are legally allowed to obtain driver’s licenses in California, and immigration and privacy advocates worried that information would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal agencies \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338.1.2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first requested, then subpoenaed\u003c/a>, bulk commercial driver data from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA, a nonprofit that acts as a clearinghouse for information from state motor vehicle departments nationwide. That’s the same organization California plans to entrust with all its driver records by next year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal agencies \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338.1.2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first requested, then subpoenaed\u003c/a>, bulk commercial driver data from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA, a nonprofit that acts as a clearinghouse for information from state motor vehicle departments nationwide. That’s the same organization California plans to entrust with all its driver records by next year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s license-data demands appear to be part of a broader and escalating \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/immigrant-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crackdown on non-citizen truck drivers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s license-data demands appear to be part of a broader and escalating \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/immigrant-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crackdown on non-citizen truck drivers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began in May 2025 strictly enforcing English proficiency standards. The agency also in February 2026 finalized \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02965/restoring-integrity-to-the-issuance-of-non-domiciled-commercial-drivers-licenses-cdl\">a new rule\u003c/a> that would block immigrants with work permits, like asylum seekers, Temporary Protected Status holders or DACA recipients, who are in the United States legally, from qualifying for commercial driver’s licenses.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began in May 2025 strictly enforcing English proficiency standards. The agency also in February 2026 finalized \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02965/restoring-integrity-to-the-issuance-of-non-domiciled-commercial-drivers-licenses-cdl\">a new rule\u003c/a> that would block immigrants with work permits, like asylum seekers, Temporary Protected Status holders or DACA recipients, who are in the United States legally, from qualifying for commercial driver’s licenses.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Basically, the fears of some of the advocates came to fruition here,” says reporter Wendy Fry with CalMatters, who has been following this story. “So the Trump administration was already seeking access to information about 17 million commercial drivers. The Department of Homeland Security said in their subpoena they specifically want these records because they want to do immigration enforcement.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Basically, the fears of some of the advocates came to fruition here,” says reporter Wendy Fry with CalMatters, who has been following this story. “So the Trump administration was already seeking access to information about 17 million commercial drivers. The Department of Homeland Security said in their subpoena they specifically want these records because they want to do immigration enforcement.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CalMatters reports that subpoena from DHS came to light because of a recent lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>CalMatters reports that subpoena from DHS came to light because of a recent lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the national driver database that got the subpoena declined to comment. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, which backed the data sharing, has said the concerns from advocates are overblown — much as it did this summer after critics warned that any California data shared with AAMVA was at risk of federal subpoena.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the national driver database that got the subpoena declined to comment. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, which backed the data sharing, has said the concerns from advocates are overblown — much as it did this summer after critics warned that any California data shared with AAMVA was at risk of federal subpoena.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘Bad Faith’ Employers Taking Advantage of Workers’ Deportation Fears",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">‘Bad Faith’ Employers Taking Advantage of Workers’ Deportation Fears\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">‘Bad Faith’ Employers Taking Advantage of Workers’ Deportation Fears\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Francisco has made and installed windows in the Bay Area for more than 16 years, and he’s a proud father of three. But earlier this year, he couldn’t sleep. He’d burst out crying during family meals. One day, when he saw a black suburban parked near his apartment, he rushed to lock all the doors and hide.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Francisco has made and installed windows in the Bay Area for more than 16 years, and he’s a proud father of three. But earlier this year, he couldn’t sleep. He’d burst out crying during family meals. One day, when he saw a black suburban parked near his apartment, he rushed to lock all the doors and hide.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He says his boss threatened to report him to ICE if Francisco spoke with state regulators investigating claims the company underpaid workers. KQED is withholding his full name because he does not have a legal immigration status and fears retaliation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He says his boss threatened to report him to ICE if Francisco spoke with state regulators investigating claims the company underpaid workers. KQED is withholding his full name because he does not have a legal immigration status and fears retaliation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tenía miedo. Pues es traumático todo eso. Es traumatico.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Francisco says he was afraid and traumatized. He was so stressed out, his wife took him to see a psychiatrist. Francisco ended up finding a new job. But he’s still angry about the emotional toll on him and his family.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Francisco says he was afraid and traumatized. He was so stressed out, his wife took him to see a psychiatrist. Francisco ended up finding a new job. But he’s still angry about the emotional toll on him and his family.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sí, me da coraje por todo eso, por todas las amenazas que estuve recibiendo ahí, que me iban a echar a Migración.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Sí, me da coraje por todo eso, por todas las amenazas que estuve recibiendo ahí, que me iban a echar a Migración.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisors threatening to call ICE? That’s nothing new. But with federal agents dramatically detaining so many people under the Trump Administration, workers are taking the threat seriously. And many decide it’s not worth the risk to complain about wage-theft, harassment or other workplace issues. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Supervisors threatening to call ICE? That’s nothing new. But with federal agents dramatically detaining so many people under the Trump Administration, workers are taking the threat seriously. And many decide it’s not worth the risk to complain about wage-theft, harassment or other workplace issues. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t have to be real, it can just be said and the people are fearful,” said Jaime Arteaga with the North Coast States Carpenters’ Union. “It can be a rumor. Somebody might say we might get deported and that shuts everything down. The workers are not going to come forward.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t have to be real, it can just be said and the people are fearful,” said Jaime Arteaga with the North Coast States Carpenters’ Union. “It can be a rumor. Somebody might say we might get deported and that shuts everything down. The workers are not going to come forward.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State figures show complaints of retaliation involving immigration threats have spiked under the first and current Trump administration. Relatively few workers will go to the authorities, but the California Labor Commissioner’s Office reports about 200 complaints involving immigration threats since 2025. That’s nearly as many as during the entire four years of President Joe Biden’s administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State figures show complaints of retaliation involving immigration threats have spiked under the first and current Trump administration. Relatively few workers will go to the authorities, but the California Labor Commissioner’s Office reports about 200 complaints involving immigration threats since 2025. That’s nearly as many as during the entire four years of President Joe Biden’s administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Employment attorney Ruth Silver Taube supervises a legal advice line in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. She’s also supervising attorney of the workers’ rights practice at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Employment attorney Ruth Silver Taube supervises a legal advice line in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. She’s also supervising attorney of the workers’ rights practice at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I do believe that this is the tip of the iceberg, and that there’s many, many more of these immigration-related threats,” said Silver Taube. “These threats are designed to deter workers from coming forward. And I think they’re successful.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I do believe that this is the tip of the iceberg, and that there’s many, many more of these immigration-related threats,” said Silver Taube. “These threats are designed to deter workers from coming forward. And I think they’re successful.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under federal and state laws, employees have the right to minimum wage and other workplace protections regardless of their immigration status. Threatening a worker for trying to exercise those rights is illegal.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Under federal and state laws, employees have the right to minimum wage and other workplace protections regardless of their immigration status. Threatening a worker for trying to exercise those rights is illegal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some managers don’t know that, says Paul DeCamp, an attorney in Washington D.C. who represents employers. He’s a former administrator at the U.S. Department of Labor.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Some managers don’t know that, says Paul DeCamp, an attorney in Washington D.C. who represents employers. He’s a former administrator at the U.S. Department of Labor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If a manager or supervisor gets annoyed, perhaps because the workers are talking about unionizing, or they’re complaining about working conditions, or otherwise asserting their rights, the manager or a supervisor, in an attempt to try to take control of the situation may make a threat like this, which of course is illegal,” said DeCamp.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If a manager or supervisor gets annoyed, perhaps because the workers are talking about unionizing, or they’re complaining about working conditions, or otherwise asserting their rights, the manager or a supervisor, in an attempt to try to take control of the situation may make a threat like this, which of course is illegal,” said DeCamp.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We do not collaborate with the federal government,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia Brower. She says her agency collaborates closely with advocates and community leaders to educate employers and workers. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We do not collaborate with the federal government,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia Brower. She says her agency collaborates closely with advocates and community leaders to educate employers and workers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We do not ask about immigration status. We don’t ask for social security numbers. And it is safe for them to proceed in cooperating with us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We do not ask about immigration status. We don’t ask for social security numbers. And it is safe for them to proceed in cooperating with us.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That said, every worker is making an individual calculation as to how safe they actually are.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That said, every worker is making an individual calculation as to how safe they actually are.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2495\">A bill that just landed\u003c/a> on the Governor’s desk would clarify the law to say that ALL threats to call immigration – even if preemptive – are illegal, and punishable with up to $10,000 dollars in penalties per violation. The governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the measure.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2495\">A bill that just landed\u003c/a> on the Governor’s desk would clarify the law to say that ALL threats to call immigration – even if preemptive – are illegal, and punishable with up to $10,000 dollars in penalties per violation. The governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the measure.\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, September 8, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The City of Fresno will soon ban A-I data centers within city limits. That’s after the Fresno City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution opposing their construction. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Earlier this summer, California signed off on an agreement to share state driver’s license data with a national database. Our partner\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/driver-license-database-subpoena/\"> CalMatters has reported \u003c/a>the Department of Homeland Security was actively pursuing driver data from the group that manages the database, at the same time California was weighing concerns that information of non-citizens would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests to levels not seen in years, worker advocates and state officials say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">some employers are taking advantage\u003c/a> of the political climate to exploit immigrant workers in lower-wage jobs. \u003cbr>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/driver-license-database-subpoena/\">Gov. Newsom Office Calls Complaints Over License-Data Sharing Overblown\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/driver-license-sharing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrestled with a difficult question earlier this summer\u003c/a>: Could the state safely share driver’s license data with a national group, as the federal government demanded, without \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/04/california-dmv-shares-immigrant-driver-data/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exposing more than a million people to immigration\u003c/a> and law enforcement agencies? Ultimately, amid fears that state IDs wouldn’t be accepted at airports and federal buildings, they voted to let the DMV share driver data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Non-citizens are legally allowed to obtain driver’s licenses in California, and immigration and privacy advocates worried that information would be vulnerable in a national database.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal agencies \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338/gov.uscourts.vaed.603338.1.2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first requested, then subpoenaed\u003c/a>, bulk commercial driver data from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA, a nonprofit that acts as a clearinghouse for information from state motor vehicle departments nationwide. That’s the same organization California plans to entrust with all its driver records by next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s license-data demands appear to be part of a broader and escalating \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/immigrant-drivers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crackdown on non-citizen truck drivers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began in May 2025 strictly enforcing English proficiency standards. The agency also in February 2026 finalized \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02965/restoring-integrity-to-the-issuance-of-non-domiciled-commercial-drivers-licenses-cdl\">a new rule\u003c/a> that would block immigrants with work permits, like asylum seekers, Temporary Protected Status holders or DACA recipients, who are in the United States legally, from qualifying for commercial driver’s licenses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Basically, the fears of some of the advocates came to fruition here,” says reporter Wendy Fry with CalMatters, who has been following this story. “So the Trump administration was already seeking access to information about 17 million commercial drivers. The Department of Homeland Security said in their subpoena they specifically want these records because they want to do immigration enforcement.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CalMatters reports that subpoena from DHS came to light because of a recent lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the national driver database that got the subpoena declined to comment. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, which backed the data sharing, has said the concerns from advocates are overblown — much as it did this summer after critics warned that any California data shared with AAMVA was at risk of federal subpoena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097644/complaints-of-employer-ice-threats-on-the-rise-in-california\">‘Bad Faith’ Employers Taking Advantage of Workers’ Deportation Fears\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Francisco has made and installed windows in the Bay Area for more than 16 years, and he’s a proud father of three. But earlier this year, he couldn’t sleep. He’d burst out crying during family meals. One day, when he saw a black suburban parked near his apartment, he rushed to lock all the doors and hide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says his boss threatened to report him to ICE if Francisco spoke with state regulators investigating claims the company underpaid workers. KQED is withholding his full name because he does not have a legal immigration status and fears retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tenía miedo. Pues es traumático todo eso. Es traumatico.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Francisco says he was afraid and traumatized. He was so stressed out, his wife took him to see a psychiatrist. Francisco ended up finding a new job. But he’s still angry about the emotional toll on him and his family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sí, me da coraje por todo eso, por todas las amenazas que estuve recibiendo ahí, que me iban a echar a Migración.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors threatening to call ICE? That’s nothing new. But with federal agents dramatically detaining so many people under the Trump Administration, workers are taking the threat seriously. And many decide it’s not worth the risk to complain about wage-theft, harassment or other workplace issues. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t have to be real, it can just be said and the people are fearful,” said Jaime Arteaga with the North Coast States Carpenters’ Union. “It can be a rumor. Somebody might say we might get deported and that shuts everything down. The workers are not going to come forward.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State figures show complaints of retaliation involving immigration threats have spiked under the first and current Trump administration. Relatively few workers will go to the authorities, but the California Labor Commissioner’s Office reports about 200 complaints involving immigration threats since 2025. That’s nearly as many as during the entire four years of President Joe Biden’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Employment attorney Ruth Silver Taube supervises a legal advice line in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. She’s also supervising attorney of the workers’ rights practice at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do believe that this is the tip of the iceberg, and that there’s many, many more of these immigration-related threats,” said Silver Taube. “These threats are designed to deter workers from coming forward. And I think they’re successful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under federal and state laws, employees have the right to minimum wage and other workplace protections regardless of their immigration status. Threatening a worker for trying to exercise those rights is illegal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some managers don’t know that, says Paul DeCamp, an attorney in Washington D.C. who represents employers. He’s a former administrator at the U.S. Department of Labor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If a manager or supervisor gets annoyed, perhaps because the workers are talking about unionizing, or they’re complaining about working conditions, or otherwise asserting their rights, the manager or a supervisor, in an attempt to try to take control of the situation may make a threat like this, which of course is illegal,” said DeCamp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do not collaborate with the federal government,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia Brower. She says her agency collaborates closely with advocates and community leaders to educate employers and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do not ask about immigration status. We don’t ask for social security numbers. And it is safe for them to proceed in cooperating with us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That said, every worker is making an individual calculation as to how safe they actually are.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2495\">A bill that just landed\u003c/a> on the Governor’s desk would clarify the law to say that ALL threats to call immigration – even if preemptive – are illegal, and punishable with up to $10,000 dollars in penalties per violation. The governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the measure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003c/h2>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Native Americans in Central California Ring in Powwow Season",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, September 7, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Powwows are common in many parts of the country where Native Americans call home. But did you know some regions have powwow seasons? \u003ca href=\"https://calendar.powwows.com/events/categories/pow-wows-in-california/\">California’s powwow season \u003c/a>recently kicked off in Central California. And it brought tribes from as far as New York and Canada to Table Mountain Rancheria casino just outside of Fresno, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-08-27/outside-fresno-tribal-members-dance-to-their-own-beat\">where the sound of a long tradition rang out.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097964/why-sick-sea-lions-are-washing-up-on-california-beaches-right-now\">sea lion poisonings are surging\u003c/a> along the coast, and warm waters brought by El Niño could make things worse.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Researchers estimate \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/unsheltered-people-within-mile-la-olympic-venues\">that close to 6,000 unsheltered people live within a mile of venues\u003c/a> for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-08-27/outside-fresno-tribal-members-dance-to-their-own-beat\">“\u003cstrong>You Dance For Your Loved Ones. You Dance For Someone Who Can’t Dance.\u003c/strong>“\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a Saturday evening, and a steady drum is beating as dozens of people representing many Native American tribes circle a large patch of grass. Small kids dance alongside adults, each in their own tribal colors and with their own rhythm. Dozens more watch intently from the sidelines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The grassy area is known as an “arena,” and it’s tucked into a golden hillside in eastern Fresno County. This is a social gathering known as a “powwow.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although Native tribes have held ceremonial gatherings for centuries, powwows are a 19th century tradition,\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/pow-wows-california/\"> and late summer is California’s busy season.\u003c/a> These gatherings are formal ways of exchanging culture, but what tribes really come here to do is dance – what they consider as “spreading medicine.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Waylon Burrough organized this celebration. He’s a member of the Chukchansi Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Dancing is healing,” he says. “You dance for your loved ones. You dance for someone who can’t dance.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says at powwows, everyone brings something special. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Each different regalia has a different meaning. And each dance has a different story behind it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal members come from all over. There’s Choctaw, Mono Indians, Seminole, Lakota, and Navajo, but Burrough says where they come from isn’t the story – it’s what happens when they get here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We dance in a circular motion. And clockwise motion. And to the beat of the drum. So it’s like dancing with time.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Everyone moves to the same beat, like a heartbeat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Twirling in the arena is Murphy Bear-McCloud. He’s 17 years old, and belongs to the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians as well as a tribe in Oklahoma. He’s wearing yellow and orange – with two fans of feathers called bustles that look like fireworks on his back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bustles used to be flat, not big. And they used to be a lot smaller but now they just got bigger because everyone wanted a flare,” says Bear-McCloud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He shares more with me after his dance… once he catches his breath. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do this powwow for a living. I’ve been dancing since I was real young, when I could walk. It’s just been sticking with me my whole life.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This time of the year is his busiest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Usually I do it like weekend after weekend after weekend. Like usually I’m never home for weeks. So I’m not going to be home until November.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of his fans interrupts our interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This guy’s going to be a superstar in life right here. You know why? Because he’s guided by the best and he’s got the best. And this is his uncle Craig Hackett speaking. And if anybody’s got anything to say to this boy, you can find me. Just say ‘whats up.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s what you call a proud uncle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By nightfall, it’s time to compete for prize money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lilliane Shakespeare Largo is waiting for her turn. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m from the Diné Nation, which is Navajo, and I’m also part of Northern Arapahoe and Mescalero Apache,” says Shakespeare Largo. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s 25 and came in from New Mexico. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We drove all night, it was about a 10 hour drive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s performing the “Women’s Northern Buckskin” dance. A large feather points up from her head and curtains of white buckskin fringe hang from her brightly colored shawl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My favorite color is blue. So I made my whole bead work blue. And then they’re family designs,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the arena, Largo and the other women take one step. And then another. Their buckskin sways in the wind – almost in slow motion. Then, time is up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The winner? Largo – she’s taking home 1,000 dollars. This is a special win for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m five months postpartum. So it’s a lot harder for me. But I feel happy when I do perform well.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her dad is holding her five month old baby as they celebrate. Here, three generations point to the spirit of these powwows. Tribal members don’t just come to dance for themselves. But also for their ancestors, and the next generation, who will one day learn to dance to their own beat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097964/why-sick-sea-lions-are-washing-up-on-california-beaches-right-now\">Sea Lions in Crisis As Toxic Algae Blooms Off California Coast \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/\">The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito\u003c/a> is fielding up to 600 calls a day about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1914632/algae-poisoned-sea-lions-inundate-marine-mammal-center\">sea lions\u003c/a> that appear confused, lethargic, and, in some cases, dead. The center has treated more than 100 sea lions — above the yearly average of 75 to 90 — with the majority of these cases occurring since the start of July.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An algal bloom is poisoning mammals with a toxin called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1931779/scientists-uncover-genetic-basis-for-toxic-algal-blooms\">domoic acid\u003c/a>, which can cause seizures and heart failure. The animals ingest the naturally occurring neurotoxin by eating fish or shellfish. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Giancarlo Rulli is a spokesperson for the center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen a major flare-up in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties,” Rulli said. “This is highly emotional, and it can be very disturbing to see an animal that’s not in control of itself out on the beach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Additional rescues have taken place in San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties. The center has also treated a handful of northern fur seals. Treating a single mammal can require up to six trained responders and may involve repeated doses of anti-seizure medication.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s brutal on the animals,” Rulli said. “We are seeing animals die out on the beaches. There are a fair amount of carcasses out there. We’re seeing animals pass away in transport being brought back to the hospital.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rulli said the cases are a sign that the toxin has worked its way through the food chain in “a short-term burst,” but said the center is also seeing chronic cases where sea lions have “brain lesions and permanent heart damage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along the northern California coast, marine algal blooms are primarily caused by natural factors such as ocean upwelling of nutrient-rich water and warm ocean temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Polluted runoff from agriculture and other human activities also feed blooms, a factor projected to become more frequent and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms/about/harmful-algal-blooms-contributing-factors-and-impacts.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">severe\u003c/a> due to human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rulli says that already warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures, and further warming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001688/strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area\">the climate pattern El Niño\u003c/a>, could exponentially increase the number of affected mammals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/unsheltered-people-within-mile-la-olympic-venues\">Initial Count of Unsheltered People by L.A. County “Obviously Low,” UCLA Researcher Says\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Local officials expect that security plans for the 2028 Olympics will require unhoused people to vacate areas around competition venues, but exactly how many people is unclear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://home2028.la/\">new report from academics\u003c/a> at USC and UCLA indicates that potentially close to 6,000 people could be displaced. That figure is more than three times higher than an estimate the L.A. County Department of Housing and Homelessness gave LAist earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That just seemed obviously low,” said Randall Kuhn, a UCLA professor and demographer who co-runs \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://www.paths.la/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a monthly survey of unhoused people in L.A.\u003c/a> In total, there are around 49,000 unsheltered people countywide, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/la-homelessness-rose-in-2026-official-count-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 point-in-time homeless count\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kuhn and his colleagues came up with their higher estimate using numbers from that count, which estimates the number of unhoused people by census tract. They then adjusted those figures based on how much each tract overlapped with a potential Olympic security perimeter and the length of walkable and major streets where unhoused people were likely to be located.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> ”The numbers just give us a good starting point, right? What really matters is the people in those buffers.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Powwows are common in many parts of the country where Native Americans call home. But did you know some regions have powwow seasons? \u003ca href=\"https://calendar.powwows.com/events/categories/pow-wows-in-california/\">California’s powwow season \u003c/a>recently kicked off in Central California. And it brought tribes from as far as New York and Canada to Table Mountain Rancheria casino just outside of Fresno, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-08-27/outside-fresno-tribal-members-dance-to-their-own-beat\">where the sound of a long tradition rang out.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a Saturday evening, and a steady drum is beating as dozens of people representing many Native American tribes circle a large patch of grass. Small kids dance alongside adults, each in their own tribal colors and with their own rhythm. Dozens more watch intently from the sidelines.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s a Saturday evening, and a steady drum is beating as dozens of people representing many Native American tribes circle a large patch of grass. Small kids dance alongside adults, each in their own tribal colors and with their own rhythm. Dozens more watch intently from the sidelines.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The grassy area is known as an “arena,” and it’s tucked into a golden hillside in eastern Fresno County. This is a social gathering known as a “powwow.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although Native tribes have held ceremonial gatherings for centuries, powwows are a 19th century tradition,\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/pow-wows-california/\"> and late summer is California’s busy season.\u003c/a> These gatherings are formal ways of exchanging culture, but what tribes really come here to do is dance – what they consider as “spreading medicine.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Although Native tribes have held ceremonial gatherings for centuries, powwows are a 19th century tradition,\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/pow-wows-california/\"> and late summer is California’s busy season.\u003c/a> These gatherings are formal ways of exchanging culture, but what tribes really come here to do is dance – what they consider as “spreading medicine.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Waylon Burrough organized this celebration. He’s a member of the Chukchansi Indians. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Dancing is healing,” he says. “You dance for your loved ones. You dance for someone who can’t dance.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He says at powwows, everyone brings something special. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Each different regalia has a different meaning. And each dance has a different story behind it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tribal members come from all over. There’s Choctaw, Mono Indians, Seminole, Lakota, and Navajo, but Burrough says where they come from isn’t the story – it’s what happens when they get here. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We dance in a circular motion. And clockwise motion. And to the beat of the drum. So it’s like dancing with time.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Everyone moves to the same beat, like a heartbeat. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Twirling in the arena is Murphy Bear-McCloud. He’s 17 years old, and belongs to the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians as well as a tribe in Oklahoma. He’s wearing yellow and orange – with two fans of feathers called bustles that look like fireworks on his back. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Twirling in the arena is Murphy Bear-McCloud. He’s 17 years old, and belongs to the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians as well as a tribe in Oklahoma. He’s wearing yellow and orange – with two fans of feathers called bustles that look like fireworks on his back. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The bustles used to be flat, not big. And they used to be a lot smaller but now they just got bigger because everyone wanted a flare,” says Bear-McCloud. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He shares more with me after his dance… once he catches his breath. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I do this powwow for a living. I’ve been dancing since I was real young, when I could walk. It’s just been sticking with me my whole life.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This time of the year is his busiest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Usually I do it like weekend after weekend after weekend. Like usually I’m never home for weeks. So I’m not going to be home until November.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of his fans interrupts our interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This guy’s going to be a superstar in life right here. You know why? Because he’s guided by the best and he’s got the best. And this is his uncle Craig Hackett speaking. And if anybody’s got anything to say to this boy, you can find me. Just say ‘whats up.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By nightfall, it’s time to compete for prize money.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lilliane Shakespeare Largo is waiting for her turn. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m from the Diné Nation, which is Navajo, and I’m also part of Northern Arapahoe and Mescalero Apache,” says Shakespeare Largo. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’s 25 and came in from New Mexico. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We drove all night, it was about a 10 hour drive.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’s performing the “Women’s Northern Buckskin” dance. A large feather points up from her head and curtains of white buckskin fringe hang from her brightly colored shawl.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My favorite color is blue. So I made my whole bead work blue. And then they’re family designs,” she says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the arena, Largo and the other women take one step. And then another. Their buckskin sways in the wind – almost in slow motion. Then, time is up.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In the arena, Largo and the other women take one step. And then another. Their buckskin sways in the wind – almost in slow motion. Then, time is up.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The winner? Largo – she’s taking home 1,000 dollars. This is a special win for her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The winner? Largo – she’s taking home 1,000 dollars. This is a special win for her. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m five months postpartum. So it’s a lot harder for me. But I feel happy when I do perform well.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her dad is holding her five month old baby as they celebrate. Here, three generations point to the spirit of these powwows. Tribal members don’t just come to dance for themselves. But also for their ancestors, and the next generation, who will one day learn to dance to their own beat. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her dad is holding her five month old baby as they celebrate. Here, three generations point to the spirit of these powwows. Tribal members don’t just come to dance for themselves. But also for their ancestors, and the next generation, who will one day learn to dance to their own beat. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Sea Lions in Crisis As Toxic Algae Blooms Off California Coast",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097964/why-sick-sea-lions-are-washing-up-on-california-beaches-right-now\">Sea Lions in Crisis As Toxic Algae Blooms Off California Coast \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/\">The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito\u003c/a> is fielding up to 600 calls a day about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1914632/algae-poisoned-sea-lions-inundate-marine-mammal-center\">sea lions\u003c/a> that appear confused, lethargic, and, in some cases, dead. The center has treated more than 100 sea lions — above the yearly average of 75 to 90 — with the majority of these cases occurring since the start of July.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/\">The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito\u003c/a> is fielding up to 600 calls a day about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1914632/algae-poisoned-sea-lions-inundate-marine-mammal-center\">sea lions\u003c/a> that appear confused, lethargic, and, in some cases, dead. The center has treated more than 100 sea lions — above the yearly average of 75 to 90 — with the majority of these cases occurring since the start of July.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An algal bloom is poisoning mammals with a toxin called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1931779/scientists-uncover-genetic-basis-for-toxic-algal-blooms\">domoic acid\u003c/a>, which can cause seizures and heart failure. The animals ingest the naturally occurring neurotoxin by eating fish or shellfish. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An algal bloom is poisoning mammals with a toxin called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1931779/scientists-uncover-genetic-basis-for-toxic-algal-blooms\">domoic acid\u003c/a>, which can cause seizures and heart failure. The animals ingest the naturally occurring neurotoxin by eating fish or shellfish. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Giancarlo Rulli is a spokesperson for the center.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen a major flare-up in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties,” Rulli said. “This is highly emotional, and it can be very disturbing to see an animal that’s not in control of itself out on the beach.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen a major flare-up in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties,” Rulli said. “This is highly emotional, and it can be very disturbing to see an animal that’s not in control of itself out on the beach.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Additional rescues have taken place in San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties. The center has also treated a handful of northern fur seals. Treating a single mammal can require up to six trained responders and may involve repeated doses of anti-seizure medication.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Additional rescues have taken place in San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties. The center has also treated a handful of northern fur seals. Treating a single mammal can require up to six trained responders and may involve repeated doses of anti-seizure medication.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s brutal on the animals,” Rulli said. “We are seeing animals die out on the beaches. There are a fair amount of carcasses out there. We’re seeing animals pass away in transport being brought back to the hospital.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s brutal on the animals,” Rulli said. “We are seeing animals die out on the beaches. There are a fair amount of carcasses out there. We’re seeing animals pass away in transport being brought back to the hospital.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rulli said the cases are a sign that the toxin has worked its way through the food chain in “a short-term burst,” but said the center is also seeing chronic cases where sea lions have “brain lesions and permanent heart damage.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Rulli said the cases are a sign that the toxin has worked its way through the food chain in “a short-term burst,” but said the center is also seeing chronic cases where sea lions have “brain lesions and permanent heart damage.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Along the northern California coast, marine algal blooms are primarily caused by natural factors such as ocean upwelling of nutrient-rich water and warm ocean temperatures.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Along the northern California coast, marine algal blooms are primarily caused by natural factors such as ocean upwelling of nutrient-rich water and warm ocean temperatures.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Polluted runoff from agriculture and other human activities also feed blooms, a factor projected to become more frequent and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms/about/harmful-algal-blooms-contributing-factors-and-impacts.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">severe\u003c/a> due to human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Polluted runoff from agriculture and other human activities also feed blooms, a factor projected to become more frequent and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms/about/harmful-algal-blooms-contributing-factors-and-impacts.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">severe\u003c/a> due to human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rulli says that already warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures, and further warming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001688/strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area\">the climate pattern El Niño\u003c/a>, could exponentially increase the number of affected mammals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rulli says that already warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures, and further warming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001688/strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area\">the climate pattern El Niño\u003c/a>, could exponentially increase the number of affected mammals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Initial Count of Unsheltered People by L.A. County “Obviously Low,” UCLA Researcher Says",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/unsheltered-people-within-mile-la-olympic-venues\">Initial Count of Unsheltered People by L.A. County “Obviously Low,” UCLA Researcher Says\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/unsheltered-people-within-mile-la-olympic-venues\">Initial Count of Unsheltered People by L.A. County “Obviously Low,” UCLA Researcher Says\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Local officials expect that security plans for the 2028 Olympics will require unhoused people to vacate areas around competition venues, but exactly how many people is unclear.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://home2028.la/\">new report from academics\u003c/a> at USC and UCLA indicates that potentially close to 6,000 people could be displaced. That figure is more than three times higher than an estimate the L.A. County Department of Housing and Homelessness gave LAist earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://home2028.la/\">new report from academics\u003c/a> at USC and UCLA indicates that potentially close to 6,000 people could be displaced. That figure is more than three times higher than an estimate the L.A. County Department of Housing and Homelessness gave LAist earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That just seemed obviously low,” said Randall Kuhn, a UCLA professor and demographer who co-runs \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://www.paths.la/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a monthly survey of unhoused people in L.A.\u003c/a> In total, there are around 49,000 unsheltered people countywide, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/la-homelessness-rose-in-2026-official-count-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 point-in-time homeless count\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That just seemed obviously low,” said Randall Kuhn, a UCLA professor and demographer who co-runs \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://www.paths.la/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a monthly survey of unhoused people in L.A.\u003c/a> In total, there are around 49,000 unsheltered people countywide, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/la-homelessness-rose-in-2026-official-count-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 point-in-time homeless count\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kuhn and his colleagues came up with their higher estimate using numbers from that count, which estimates the number of unhoused people by census tract. They then adjusted those figures based on how much each tract overlapped with a potential Olympic security perimeter and the length of walkable and major streets where unhoused people were likely to be located.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kuhn and his colleagues came up with their higher estimate using numbers from that count, which estimates the number of unhoused people by census tract. They then adjusted those figures based on how much each tract overlapped with a potential Olympic security perimeter and the length of walkable and major streets where unhoused people were likely to be located.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp> ”The numbers just give us a good starting point, right? What really matters is the people in those buffers.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Late summer is the busy season here for the traditional Native ceremonial gathering full of dancing. \n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, September 7, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Powwows are common in many parts of the country where Native Americans call home. But did you know some regions have powwow seasons? \u003ca href=\"https://calendar.powwows.com/events/categories/pow-wows-in-california/\">California’s powwow season \u003c/a>recently kicked off in Central California. And it brought tribes from as far as New York and Canada to Table Mountain Rancheria casino just outside of Fresno, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-08-27/outside-fresno-tribal-members-dance-to-their-own-beat\">where the sound of a long tradition rang out.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097964/why-sick-sea-lions-are-washing-up-on-california-beaches-right-now\">sea lion poisonings are surging\u003c/a> along the coast, and warm waters brought by El Niño could make things worse.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Researchers estimate \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/unsheltered-people-within-mile-la-olympic-venues\">that close to 6,000 unsheltered people live within a mile of venues\u003c/a> for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-08-27/outside-fresno-tribal-members-dance-to-their-own-beat\">“\u003cstrong>You Dance For Your Loved Ones. You Dance For Someone Who Can’t Dance.\u003c/strong>“\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a Saturday evening, and a steady drum is beating as dozens of people representing many Native American tribes circle a large patch of grass. Small kids dance alongside adults, each in their own tribal colors and with their own rhythm. Dozens more watch intently from the sidelines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The grassy area is known as an “arena,” and it’s tucked into a golden hillside in eastern Fresno County. This is a social gathering known as a “powwow.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although Native tribes have held ceremonial gatherings for centuries, powwows are a 19th century tradition,\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/pow-wows-california/\"> and late summer is California’s busy season.\u003c/a> These gatherings are formal ways of exchanging culture, but what tribes really come here to do is dance – what they consider as “spreading medicine.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Waylon Burrough organized this celebration. He’s a member of the Chukchansi Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Dancing is healing,” he says. “You dance for your loved ones. You dance for someone who can’t dance.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says at powwows, everyone brings something special. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Each different regalia has a different meaning. And each dance has a different story behind it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal members come from all over. There’s Choctaw, Mono Indians, Seminole, Lakota, and Navajo, but Burrough says where they come from isn’t the story – it’s what happens when they get here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We dance in a circular motion. And clockwise motion. And to the beat of the drum. So it’s like dancing with time.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Everyone moves to the same beat, like a heartbeat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Twirling in the arena is Murphy Bear-McCloud. He’s 17 years old, and belongs to the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians as well as a tribe in Oklahoma. He’s wearing yellow and orange – with two fans of feathers called bustles that look like fireworks on his back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bustles used to be flat, not big. And they used to be a lot smaller but now they just got bigger because everyone wanted a flare,” says Bear-McCloud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He shares more with me after his dance… once he catches his breath. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do this powwow for a living. I’ve been dancing since I was real young, when I could walk. It’s just been sticking with me my whole life.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This time of the year is his busiest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Usually I do it like weekend after weekend after weekend. Like usually I’m never home for weeks. So I’m not going to be home until November.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of his fans interrupts our interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This guy’s going to be a superstar in life right here. You know why? Because he’s guided by the best and he’s got the best. And this is his uncle Craig Hackett speaking. And if anybody’s got anything to say to this boy, you can find me. Just say ‘whats up.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s what you call a proud uncle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By nightfall, it’s time to compete for prize money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lilliane Shakespeare Largo is waiting for her turn. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m from the Diné Nation, which is Navajo, and I’m also part of Northern Arapahoe and Mescalero Apache,” says Shakespeare Largo. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s 25 and came in from New Mexico. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We drove all night, it was about a 10 hour drive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s performing the “Women’s Northern Buckskin” dance. A large feather points up from her head and curtains of white buckskin fringe hang from her brightly colored shawl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My favorite color is blue. So I made my whole bead work blue. And then they’re family designs,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the arena, Largo and the other women take one step. And then another. Their buckskin sways in the wind – almost in slow motion. Then, time is up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The winner? Largo – she’s taking home 1,000 dollars. This is a special win for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m five months postpartum. So it’s a lot harder for me. But I feel happy when I do perform well.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her dad is holding her five month old baby as they celebrate. Here, three generations point to the spirit of these powwows. Tribal members don’t just come to dance for themselves. But also for their ancestors, and the next generation, who will one day learn to dance to their own beat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097964/why-sick-sea-lions-are-washing-up-on-california-beaches-right-now\">Sea Lions in Crisis As Toxic Algae Blooms Off California Coast \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/\">The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito\u003c/a> is fielding up to 600 calls a day about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1914632/algae-poisoned-sea-lions-inundate-marine-mammal-center\">sea lions\u003c/a> that appear confused, lethargic, and, in some cases, dead. The center has treated more than 100 sea lions — above the yearly average of 75 to 90 — with the majority of these cases occurring since the start of July.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An algal bloom is poisoning mammals with a toxin called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1931779/scientists-uncover-genetic-basis-for-toxic-algal-blooms\">domoic acid\u003c/a>, which can cause seizures and heart failure. The animals ingest the naturally occurring neurotoxin by eating fish or shellfish. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Giancarlo Rulli is a spokesperson for the center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen a major flare-up in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties,” Rulli said. “This is highly emotional, and it can be very disturbing to see an animal that’s not in control of itself out on the beach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Additional rescues have taken place in San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties. The center has also treated a handful of northern fur seals. Treating a single mammal can require up to six trained responders and may involve repeated doses of anti-seizure medication.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s brutal on the animals,” Rulli said. “We are seeing animals die out on the beaches. There are a fair amount of carcasses out there. We’re seeing animals pass away in transport being brought back to the hospital.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rulli said the cases are a sign that the toxin has worked its way through the food chain in “a short-term burst,” but said the center is also seeing chronic cases where sea lions have “brain lesions and permanent heart damage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along the northern California coast, marine algal blooms are primarily caused by natural factors such as ocean upwelling of nutrient-rich water and warm ocean temperatures.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Polluted runoff from agriculture and other human activities also feed blooms, a factor projected to become more frequent and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms/about/harmful-algal-blooms-contributing-factors-and-impacts.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">severe\u003c/a> due to human-caused climate change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rulli says that already warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures, and further warming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001688/strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area\">the climate pattern El Niño\u003c/a>, could exponentially increase the number of affected mammals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/unsheltered-people-within-mile-la-olympic-venues\">Initial Count of Unsheltered People by L.A. County “Obviously Low,” UCLA Researcher Says\u003c/a> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Local officials expect that security plans for the 2028 Olympics will require unhoused people to vacate areas around competition venues, but exactly how many people is unclear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://home2028.la/\">new report from academics\u003c/a> at USC and UCLA indicates that potentially close to 6,000 people could be displaced. That figure is more than three times higher than an estimate the L.A. County Department of Housing and Homelessness gave LAist earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That just seemed obviously low,” said Randall Kuhn, a UCLA professor and demographer who co-runs \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://www.paths.la/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a monthly survey of unhoused people in L.A.\u003c/a> In total, there are around 49,000 unsheltered people countywide, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.is/o/0tb4r/https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/la-homelessness-rose-in-2026-official-count-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 point-in-time homeless count\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kuhn and his colleagues came up with their higher estimate using numbers from that count, which estimates the number of unhoused people by census tract. They then adjusted those figures based on how much each tract overlapped with a potential Olympic security perimeter and the length of walkable and major streets where unhoused people were likely to be located.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> ”The numbers just give us a good starting point, right? What really matters is the people in those buffers.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Heading Outdoors for Labor Day Weekend? Here's Some Wildfire Safety Tips",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 4, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Two wildfires are raging in Big Sur – the Timber Fire to the north started in the first week of August, and several weeks later, the Plaskett Fire broke out to its south. As of Friday morning, they’ve together burned through more than 55,000 acres. Progress in slowing the fires has prompted the reopening of portions of Big Sur along Highway 1 in northern Monterey County. Earlier this week, KAZU reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2026-09-03/plaskett-fire-continues-growing-roadless-rule-under-threat\">Katie Brown spoke with folks keeping the now-opened strip of the Big Sur Valley alive.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Labor Day weekend is here, and we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California’s wilderness, so KQED Outdoors reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096539/going-camping-during-fire-season-heres-what-to-know\">Sarah Wright is joining us\u003c/a> to walk us through some ways to stay safe.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2026-09-03/plaskett-fire-continues-growing-roadless-rule-under-threat\">Thousands of Firefighters Join Fight Against Big Sur Blazes\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This famous stretch of coast attracts millions of visitors each year. But it’s been mostly closed to the public, and thousands of firefighters from almost every state are pitching in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Madsen is a public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service. He says most of the rigs are from California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s all kinds of LA County people here. Seen them from San Diego, Tulare…” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just outside Pfeiffer State Park, firefighters are fueling up trucks and hooking their hoses up to hydrants sucking in thousands of gallons of water. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madsen says the terrain is dry and extremely steep. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I mean ..it looks like an EKG readout,” he says about the topography. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to safely put firefighters in to go direct. So instead, firefighters are relying on aircrafts to drop water, and people and drones in those remote areas to identify the hot spots. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madsen says the big help would be “ if we can get some rain on this thing, that’s typically what puts out Big Sur fires in the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rusty Sexton is a Battalion Chief from San Diego and relies on maps to strategize the best way to fight the blaze. Big Sur residents who’ve lived through wildfires have been sharing their own maps to point out wells and streams.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’ve been through it,” says Sexton. “They’ve seen it, and so they’ve got more on-the-ground information.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Carol Shadwell is one of the folks Sexton is talking about. She owns Ripplewood Resort on Highway 1, in the heart of Big Sur. She’s talking to a firefighter and looking at a hand drawn map her sister created. Shadwell’s resort was in an evacuation zone but she never left. Firefighters were relying on the resort’s general store for basics.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s my home,” says Shadwell. “I couldn’t imagine having to say, ‘Oh no, oh no, you can’t come in here. No, I can’t sell you what you need or want.'”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the fourth fire Shadwell has lived through. During the evacuation she extended store hours to accommodate firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked what she will do once the wildfire is fully extinguished, she says “Oh, I’m going on vacation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But firefighters say that’ll only happen once it rains.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096539/going-camping-during-fire-season-heres-what-to-know\">How to Camp Safely During California Fire Season\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Labor Day weekend is here, and as you’ve heard we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California’s wilderness so KQED Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is joining us today to walk us through some ways to stay safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: So what should campers know before they head out if they’re worried about a fire nearby or scared that one might start while they’re out? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think the first thing to do is to just check in with where you’re going. So let’s say you’re going to a state park or a national park, you can check the website or usually social media as well, and they’ll have fire information posted. If you’re really worried about it, you could call up the ranger station and local rangers will usually have all of the information about any fires that are burning nearby. And then also any evacuation information you may need to know. One thing I like to do is take note of paved roads nearby or escape routes nearby. So I think if you’re extra worried, those are great precautions. If you want to be double, double secure, I would check air quality, if that’s something that tends to bother you. Bring in a mask just in case, and you can even bring a go-bag or an emergency beacon if you are really worried that you’re going to have to leave quickly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Okay, let’s say I didn’t have time to do any of that and I’m out on the campground and it’s just too late. I didn’t know until I got there. What do I do in that case? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: Well, this has actually happened to me twice, so I’m an expert in this situation. One time was in Big Sur, I was driving down to my camp spot and I literally saw a fire on a mountain while I was down there, so I turned around, I got the heck out of there. I think that’s like my number one piece of advice – just go, don’t hesitate. The second time I rolled up to a campsite, it was beautiful, everything was great, and then a couple hours later, the ash started falling from the sky. And once again, I just left. It’s not worth it to be out there in danger. Just go. You may have to leave your stuff, so be okay with that. Don’t pack up your tent, it’s not worth it. And find that road that you took note of. There’s probably going to be emergency vehicles going up and down it, so if you happen to be stranded without a car or you need help, a paved road is a great place to be to get that help. And then if you do have cell service, maybe you’re the first to spot the fire, you can be the person that calls in 9-1-1. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: So what else should campers know during fire season? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think that here in California, we have a lot of messaging about how dangerous wildfires are. That includes you as a camper. A lot of people love having a campfire camp. Totally understandable. But there are many parks and zones of the California mountains where that is not a good idea and even banned for most of the summer. So pay lots of attention to what the local fire regulations are. If you’re out there, even if it’s not banned but it’s a really windy day, just don’t start that fire. Don’t use your stove. You can bring food that doesn’t require being cooked while you’re there. And if do make a campfire in a legal, safe way, make sure you put it out before you go to bed or before you leave your campsite. What that means, and I say this literally, it should be cool to the touch. You should be able to put your hand into the fire pit safely. And so that’s gonna take a little time, but that’s really the attention that we need to pay here in California because fires can escape so, so quickly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Sarah, thank you so much for those useful tips. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: No problem, thank you.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Thousands of Firefighters Join Fight Against Big Sur Blazes",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2026-09-03/plaskett-fire-continues-growing-roadless-rule-under-threat\">Thousands of Firefighters Join Fight Against Big Sur Blazes\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This famous stretch of coast attracts millions of visitors each year. But it’s been mostly closed to the public, and thousands of firefighters from almost every state are pitching in. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Madsen is a public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service. He says most of the rigs are from California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s all kinds of LA County people here. Seen them from San Diego, Tulare…” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just outside Pfeiffer State Park, firefighters are fueling up trucks and hooking their hoses up to hydrants sucking in thousands of gallons of water. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Madsen says the terrain is dry and extremely steep. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ I mean ..it looks like an EKG readout,” he says about the topography. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to safely put firefighters in to go direct. So instead, firefighters are relying on aircrafts to drop water, and people and drones in those remote areas to identify the hot spots. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Madsen says the big help would be “ if we can get some rain on this thing, that’s typically what puts out Big Sur fires in the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rusty Sexton is a Battalion Chief from San Diego and relies on maps to strategize the best way to fight the blaze. Big Sur residents who’ve lived through wildfires have been sharing their own maps to point out wells and streams.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’ve been through it,” says Sexton. “They’ve seen it, and so they’ve got more on-the-ground information.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Carol Shadwell is one of the folks Sexton is talking about. She owns Ripplewood Resort on Highway 1, in the heart of Big Sur. She’s talking to a firefighter and looking at a hand drawn map her sister created. Shadwell’s resort was in an evacuation zone but she never left. Firefighters were relying on the resort’s general store for basics.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Carol Shadwell is one of the folks Sexton is talking about. She owns Ripplewood Resort on Highway 1, in the heart of Big Sur. She’s talking to a firefighter and looking at a hand drawn map her sister created. Shadwell’s resort was in an evacuation zone but she never left. Firefighters were relying on the resort’s general store for basics.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s my home,” says Shadwell. “I couldn’t imagine having to say, ‘Oh no, oh no, you can’t come in here. No, I can’t sell you what you need or want.'”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s my home,” says Shadwell. “I couldn’t imagine having to say, ‘Oh no, oh no, you can’t come in here. No, I can’t sell you what you need or want.'”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is the fourth fire Shadwell has lived through. During the evacuation she extended store hours to accommodate firefighters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked what she will do once the wildfire is fully extinguished, she says “Oh, I’m going on vacation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But firefighters say that’ll only happen once it rains.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "How to Camp Safely During California Fire Season",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096539/going-camping-during-fire-season-heres-what-to-know\">How to Camp Safely During California Fire Season\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Labor Day weekend is here, and as you’ve heard we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California’s wilderness so KQED Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is joining us today to walk us through some ways to stay safe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Labor Day weekend is here, and as you’ve heard we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California’s wilderness so KQED Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is joining us today to walk us through some ways to stay safe. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: So what should campers know before they head out if they’re worried about a fire nearby or scared that one might start while they’re out? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think the first thing to do is to just check in with where you’re going. So let’s say you’re going to a state park or a national park, you can check the website or usually social media as well, and they’ll have fire information posted. If you’re really worried about it, you could call up the ranger station and local rangers will usually have all of the information about any fires that are burning nearby. And then also any evacuation information you may need to know. One thing I like to do is take note of paved roads nearby or escape routes nearby. So I think if you’re extra worried, those are great precautions. If you want to be double, double secure, I would check air quality, if that’s something that tends to bother you. Bring in a mask just in case, and you can even bring a go-bag or an emergency beacon if you are really worried that you’re going to have to leave quickly. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think the first thing to do is to just check in with where you’re going. So let’s say you’re going to a state park or a national park, you can check the website or usually social media as well, and they’ll have fire information posted. If you’re really worried about it, you could call up the ranger station and local rangers will usually have all of the information about any fires that are burning nearby. And then also any evacuation information you may need to know. One thing I like to do is take note of paved roads nearby or escape routes nearby. So I think if you’re extra worried, those are great precautions. If you want to be double, double secure, I would check air quality, if that’s something that tends to bother you. Bring in a mask just in case, and you can even bring a go-bag or an emergency beacon if you are really worried that you’re going to have to leave quickly. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Okay, let’s say I didn’t have time to do any of that and I’m out on the campground and it’s just too late. I didn’t know until I got there. What do I do in that case? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Okay, let’s say I didn’t have time to do any of that and I’m out on the campground and it’s just too late. I didn’t know until I got there. What do I do in that case? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: Well, this has actually happened to me twice, so I’m an expert in this situation. One time was in Big Sur, I was driving down to my camp spot and I literally saw a fire on a mountain while I was down there, so I turned around, I got the heck out of there. I think that’s like my number one piece of advice – just go, don’t hesitate. The second time I rolled up to a campsite, it was beautiful, everything was great, and then a couple hours later, the ash started falling from the sky. And once again, I just left. It’s not worth it to be out there in danger. Just go. You may have to leave your stuff, so be okay with that. Don’t pack up your tent, it’s not worth it. And find that road that you took note of. There’s probably going to be emergency vehicles going up and down it, so if you happen to be stranded without a car or you need help, a paved road is a great place to be to get that help. And then if you do have cell service, maybe you’re the first to spot the fire, you can be the person that calls in 9-1-1. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: Well, this has actually happened to me twice, so I’m an expert in this situation. One time was in Big Sur, I was driving down to my camp spot and I literally saw a fire on a mountain while I was down there, so I turned around, I got the heck out of there. I think that’s like my number one piece of advice – just go, don’t hesitate. The second time I rolled up to a campsite, it was beautiful, everything was great, and then a couple hours later, the ash started falling from the sky. And once again, I just left. It’s not worth it to be out there in danger. Just go. You may have to leave your stuff, so be okay with that. Don’t pack up your tent, it’s not worth it. And find that road that you took note of. There’s probably going to be emergency vehicles going up and down it, so if you happen to be stranded without a car or you need help, a paved road is a great place to be to get that help. And then if you do have cell service, maybe you’re the first to spot the fire, you can be the person that calls in 9-1-1. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think that here in California, we have a lot of messaging about how dangerous wildfires are. That includes you as a camper. A lot of people love having a campfire camp. Totally understandable. But there are many parks and zones of the California mountains where that is not a good idea and even banned for most of the summer. So pay lots of attention to what the local fire regulations are. If you’re out there, even if it’s not banned but it’s a really windy day, just don’t start that fire. Don’t use your stove. You can bring food that doesn’t require being cooked while you’re there. And if do make a campfire in a legal, safe way, make sure you put it out before you go to bed or before you leave your campsite. What that means, and I say this literally, it should be cool to the touch. You should be able to put your hand into the fire pit safely. And so that’s gonna take a little time, but that’s really the attention that we need to pay here in California because fires can escape so, so quickly. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think that here in California, we have a lot of messaging about how dangerous wildfires are. That includes you as a camper. A lot of people love having a campfire camp. Totally understandable. But there are many parks and zones of the California mountains where that is not a good idea and even banned for most of the summer. So pay lots of attention to what the local fire regulations are. If you’re out there, even if it’s not banned but it’s a really windy day, just don’t start that fire. Don’t use your stove. You can bring food that doesn’t require being cooked while you’re there. And if do make a campfire in a legal, safe way, make sure you put it out before you go to bed or before you leave your campsite. What that means, and I say this literally, it should be cool to the touch. You should be able to put your hand into the fire pit safely. And so that’s gonna take a little time, but that’s really the attention that we need to pay here in California because fires can escape so, so quickly. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Sarah, thank you so much for those useful tips. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 4, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Two wildfires are raging in Big Sur – the Timber Fire to the north started in the first week of August, and several weeks later, the Plaskett Fire broke out to its south. As of Friday morning, they’ve together burned through more than 55,000 acres. Progress in slowing the fires has prompted the reopening of portions of Big Sur along Highway 1 in northern Monterey County. Earlier this week, KAZU reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2026-09-03/plaskett-fire-continues-growing-roadless-rule-under-threat\">Katie Brown spoke with folks keeping the now-opened strip of the Big Sur Valley alive.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Labor Day weekend is here, and we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California’s wilderness, so KQED Outdoors reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096539/going-camping-during-fire-season-heres-what-to-know\">Sarah Wright is joining us\u003c/a> to walk us through some ways to stay safe.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2026-09-03/plaskett-fire-continues-growing-roadless-rule-under-threat\">Thousands of Firefighters Join Fight Against Big Sur Blazes\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This famous stretch of coast attracts millions of visitors each year. But it’s been mostly closed to the public, and thousands of firefighters from almost every state are pitching in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Madsen is a public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service. He says most of the rigs are from California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s all kinds of LA County people here. Seen them from San Diego, Tulare…” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just outside Pfeiffer State Park, firefighters are fueling up trucks and hooking their hoses up to hydrants sucking in thousands of gallons of water. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madsen says the terrain is dry and extremely steep. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I mean ..it looks like an EKG readout,” he says about the topography. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to safely put firefighters in to go direct. So instead, firefighters are relying on aircrafts to drop water, and people and drones in those remote areas to identify the hot spots. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madsen says the big help would be “ if we can get some rain on this thing, that’s typically what puts out Big Sur fires in the backcountry.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rusty Sexton is a Battalion Chief from San Diego and relies on maps to strategize the best way to fight the blaze. Big Sur residents who’ve lived through wildfires have been sharing their own maps to point out wells and streams.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’ve been through it,” says Sexton. “They’ve seen it, and so they’ve got more on-the-ground information.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Carol Shadwell is one of the folks Sexton is talking about. She owns Ripplewood Resort on Highway 1, in the heart of Big Sur. She’s talking to a firefighter and looking at a hand drawn map her sister created. Shadwell’s resort was in an evacuation zone but she never left. Firefighters were relying on the resort’s general store for basics.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s my home,” says Shadwell. “I couldn’t imagine having to say, ‘Oh no, oh no, you can’t come in here. No, I can’t sell you what you need or want.'”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the fourth fire Shadwell has lived through. During the evacuation she extended store hours to accommodate firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked what she will do once the wildfire is fully extinguished, she says “Oh, I’m going on vacation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But firefighters say that’ll only happen once it rains.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096539/going-camping-during-fire-season-heres-what-to-know\">How to Camp Safely During California Fire Season\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Labor Day weekend is here, and as you’ve heard we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California’s wilderness so KQED Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is joining us today to walk us through some ways to stay safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: So what should campers know before they head out if they’re worried about a fire nearby or scared that one might start while they’re out? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think the first thing to do is to just check in with where you’re going. So let’s say you’re going to a state park or a national park, you can check the website or usually social media as well, and they’ll have fire information posted. If you’re really worried about it, you could call up the ranger station and local rangers will usually have all of the information about any fires that are burning nearby. And then also any evacuation information you may need to know. One thing I like to do is take note of paved roads nearby or escape routes nearby. So I think if you’re extra worried, those are great precautions. If you want to be double, double secure, I would check air quality, if that’s something that tends to bother you. Bring in a mask just in case, and you can even bring a go-bag or an emergency beacon if you are really worried that you’re going to have to leave quickly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Okay, let’s say I didn’t have time to do any of that and I’m out on the campground and it’s just too late. I didn’t know until I got there. What do I do in that case? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: Well, this has actually happened to me twice, so I’m an expert in this situation. One time was in Big Sur, I was driving down to my camp spot and I literally saw a fire on a mountain while I was down there, so I turned around, I got the heck out of there. I think that’s like my number one piece of advice – just go, don’t hesitate. The second time I rolled up to a campsite, it was beautiful, everything was great, and then a couple hours later, the ash started falling from the sky. And once again, I just left. It’s not worth it to be out there in danger. Just go. You may have to leave your stuff, so be okay with that. Don’t pack up your tent, it’s not worth it. And find that road that you took note of. There’s probably going to be emergency vehicles going up and down it, so if you happen to be stranded without a car or you need help, a paved road is a great place to be to get that help. And then if you do have cell service, maybe you’re the first to spot the fire, you can be the person that calls in 9-1-1. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: So what else should campers know during fire season? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: I think that here in California, we have a lot of messaging about how dangerous wildfires are. That includes you as a camper. A lot of people love having a campfire camp. Totally understandable. But there are many parks and zones of the California mountains where that is not a good idea and even banned for most of the summer. So pay lots of attention to what the local fire regulations are. If you’re out there, even if it’s not banned but it’s a really windy day, just don’t start that fire. Don’t use your stove. You can bring food that doesn’t require being cooked while you’re there. And if do make a campfire in a legal, safe way, make sure you put it out before you go to bed or before you leave your campsite. What that means, and I say this literally, it should be cool to the touch. You should be able to put your hand into the fire pit safely. And so that’s gonna take a little time, but that’s really the attention that we need to pay here in California because fires can escape so, so quickly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLANOS: Sarah, thank you so much for those useful tips. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: No problem, thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 3, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>There are major faults in how the state tracks, investigates and prevents sexual abuse and assault in California’s men’s prison. That’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AMEND_PREA_Report_Final.pdf\">according to a recent report\u003c/a> from UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley’s Criminal Law & Justice Center. California prison officials and advocates \u003ca href=\"https://davisvanguard.org/2026/09/california-prison-misconduct-report/\">met this week in Sacramento\u003c/a> to discuss the ongoing crisis and work toward solutions. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California lawmakers have sent a slew of bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk aiming to increase state oversight of federal immigration detention.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AMEND_PREA_Report_Final.pdf\">Lack of Reporting, Lack of Trust in Prison Staff, and Fear of Retaliation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Host Madi Bolaños spoke with formerly incarcerated community activist Darnel Washington about why sexual violence persists behind bars, and what needs to change to better protect incarcerated people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She started by asking him why sexual violence remains such a persistent problem in men’s prison despite the implementation of the \u003ca href=\"https://bja.ojp.gov/program/prea/overview\">Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA\u003c/a>, over two decades ago. That’s the federal law that sets national standards for correctional facilities to eliminate sexual assault in prisons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think one is lack of reporting, lack of trust in staff when they’re reporting, and whether it be retaliation or what I say be confidential, and will I get the support I need or will I be punished for bringing this to staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: You were a PREA instructor at San Quentin. Can you tell me a little bit about what that entailed?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, we would bring guys into the room and basically we’d tell them about PREA, the Prison Rape Elimination Act, how to report it, who to report to, let them know it’s supposed to be confidentiality, whoever the officer is, it’s between you, him, and then they bring it to the watch commander and everything is confidential and if the officer was to bring it out, he can be held accountable as well. So that helped a lot of people and knowing that I’m a peer. For them and they felt comfortable talking to me about any questions they had.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: This report found that once somebody did make a report that the investigation itself had flaws. What was your take on why that could be?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, I think number one, are they taking the allegations seriously? And then, if they’re not taking the allegation seriously, of course, the paperwork is not going to be done properly. The right investigation is not going to done properly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: Something that’s come up a lot in this conference is retaliation, not just from staff but from other prisoners. What is retaliations like and can you just describe for people who don’t have an understanding like how that can affect people’s ability to report or to want to report?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think one of them could be like people ostracizing them, like you’re a snitch and you’re this and this and that, and not looking at them as someone who’s a victim.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: Yeah, it’s interesting, the report also mentions that there’s the social element of reporting rape and, you know, there are stigmas around that in men’s prisons. What do people risk socially when they report rape?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, some people think, like, oh, I’m weak now. You know, how are people going to look at me? My man had just been tooken. Or rather, I just wanted it because why didn’t I fight? Or, you know, all of these different things of why you didn’t protect yourself from this, not understanding the person was in fear. This is one of the problems we have with young men. When we talk to our daughters, we’re like, if someone ever touch you, you better come tell me. But how many of us have that same conversations with our sons?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: And we talked about this earlier, but there’s a backlog of PREA reports. There’s too many PREA report for the system to handle, and some of the answers to that question are people are creating false reports. Why would someone create a false PREA Report?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well A lot of times in prison you have relationships that’s going bad. You know, there is a lot of drugs in prison and people with drug debts. People just don’t want to be in a certain prison anymore. They just want to get moved and like that’s one way to get moved out. And there is no consequence for making these false reports as well. So maybe if it was mentioned that there could be consequences for making false reports, maybe people wouldn’t make them as well, because you have to have some. Some type of deterrence, because if not, you’re wasting valuable resources for those who have really been victims of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: If California wants to go from responding to sexual assault to preventing it, what needs to happen?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think, number one, most importantly, single man cell, getting the population down because the officers cannot watch everything that’s going on. And if they’re overworked, how are they going to pay attention to exactly what’s going on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096334/as-ice-custody-deaths-rise-state-bill-would-force-release-of-911-call-data\">Bills Aim to Improve Detention Conditions as I.C.E. Arrests Record Number of Californians. \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bills come as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097313/northern-california-ice-arrests-surged-this-summer\">has arrested a record number of Californians\u003c/a>, and six people have died at ICE facilities in the state since the start of last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sd26.senate.ca.gov/news/sb-1399-passes-legislature-heads-governors-desk\">One measure would extend\u003c/a> the state attorney general’s power to inspect ICE facilities. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb942\">Another would create\u003c/a> an enforceable bill of rights ensuring humane conditions in civil detention.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>ICE says conditions are already humane, and says in a statement: “All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta said his inspections have actually found dangerous conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s wrong. It’s just not true,” Bonta said. “That’s why these bills are important because we know what the reality is. We know what immigrants who are in detention centers are experiencing because we went in there and talked to them, and we know that they need a bill of rights to keep them safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state has a right to apply its laws to federal facilities the same way they apply to state and local ones, as long as they don’t place an undue burden on the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s according to UC Berkeley Law School Dean, \u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-profiles/erwin-chemerinsky/#tab_profile\">Erwin Chemerinsky.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he expects if these bills become law, they’ll be challenged in court by the Trump administration and the private prison companies. He sees it as a calculated risk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What California is trying to do is to step in so as to protect the rights of people in the state where the federal government is infringing them,” said Chemerinsky. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the bills on his desk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think one is lack of reporting, lack of trust in staff when they’re reporting, and whether it be retaliation or what I say be confidential, and will I get the support I need or will I be punished for bringing this to staff.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: You were a PREA instructor at San Quentin. Can you tell me a little bit about what that entailed?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, we would bring guys into the room and basically we’d tell them about PREA, the Prison Rape Elimination Act, how to report it, who to report to, let them know it’s supposed to be confidentiality, whoever the officer is, it’s between you, him, and then they bring it to the watch commander and everything is confidential and if the officer was to bring it out, he can be held accountable as well. So that helped a lot of people and knowing that I’m a peer. For them and they felt comfortable talking to me about any questions they had.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: This report found that once somebody did make a report that the investigation itself had flaws. What was your take on why that could be?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: Something that’s come up a lot in this conference is retaliation, not just from staff but from other prisoners. What is retaliations like and can you just describe for people who don’t have an understanding like how that can affect people’s ability to report or to want to report?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: Yeah, it’s interesting, the report also mentions that there’s the social element of reporting rape and, you know, there are stigmas around that in men’s prisons. What do people risk socially when they report rape?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, some people think, like, oh, I’m weak now. You know, how are people going to look at me? My man had just been tooken. Or rather, I just wanted it because why didn’t I fight? Or, you know, all of these different things of why you didn’t protect yourself from this, not understanding the person was in fear. This is one of the problems we have with young men. When we talk to our daughters, we’re like, if someone ever touch you, you better come tell me. But how many of us have that same conversations with our sons?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, some people think, like, oh, I’m weak now. You know, how are people going to look at me? My man had just been tooken. Or rather, I just wanted it because why didn’t I fight? Or, you know, all of these different things of why you didn’t protect yourself from this, not understanding the person was in fear. This is one of the problems we have with young men. When we talk to our daughters, we’re like, if someone ever touch you, you better come tell me. But how many of us have that same conversations with our sons?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: And we talked about this earlier, but there’s a backlog of PREA reports. There’s too many PREA report for the system to handle, and some of the answers to that question are people are creating false reports. Why would someone create a false PREA Report?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well A lot of times in prison you have relationships that’s going bad. You know, there is a lot of drugs in prison and people with drug debts. People just don’t want to be in a certain prison anymore. They just want to get moved and like that’s one way to get moved out. And there is no consequence for making these false reports as well. So maybe if it was mentioned that there could be consequences for making false reports, maybe people wouldn’t make them as well, because you have to have some. Some type of deterrence, because if not, you’re wasting valuable resources for those who have really been victims of it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think, number one, most importantly, single man cell, getting the population down because the officers cannot watch everything that’s going on. And if they’re overworked, how are they going to pay attention to exactly what’s going on.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sd26.senate.ca.gov/news/sb-1399-passes-legislature-heads-governors-desk\">One measure would extend\u003c/a> the state attorney general’s power to inspect ICE facilities. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb942\">Another would create\u003c/a> an enforceable bill of rights ensuring humane conditions in civil detention.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sd26.senate.ca.gov/news/sb-1399-passes-legislature-heads-governors-desk\">One measure would extend\u003c/a> the state attorney general’s power to inspect ICE facilities. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb942\">Another would create\u003c/a> an enforceable bill of rights ensuring humane conditions in civil detention.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s wrong. It’s just not true,” Bonta said. “That’s why these bills are important because we know what the reality is. We know what immigrants who are in detention centers are experiencing because we went in there and talked to them, and we know that they need a bill of rights to keep them safe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But he expects if these bills become law, they’ll be challenged in court by the Trump administration and the private prison companies. He sees it as a calculated risk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What California is trying to do is to step in so as to protect the rights of people in the state where the federal government is infringing them,” said Chemerinsky. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Despite the Prison Rape Elimination Act's implementation over two decades ago, sexual violence continues.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 3, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>There are major faults in how the state tracks, investigates and prevents sexual abuse and assault in California’s men’s prison. That’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AMEND_PREA_Report_Final.pdf\">according to a recent report\u003c/a> from UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley’s Criminal Law & Justice Center. California prison officials and advocates \u003ca href=\"https://davisvanguard.org/2026/09/california-prison-misconduct-report/\">met this week in Sacramento\u003c/a> to discuss the ongoing crisis and work toward solutions. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California lawmakers have sent a slew of bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk aiming to increase state oversight of federal immigration detention.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AMEND_PREA_Report_Final.pdf\">Lack of Reporting, Lack of Trust in Prison Staff, and Fear of Retaliation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Host Madi Bolaños spoke with formerly incarcerated community activist Darnel Washington about why sexual violence persists behind bars, and what needs to change to better protect incarcerated people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She started by asking him why sexual violence remains such a persistent problem in men’s prison despite the implementation of the \u003ca href=\"https://bja.ojp.gov/program/prea/overview\">Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA\u003c/a>, over two decades ago. That’s the federal law that sets national standards for correctional facilities to eliminate sexual assault in prisons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think one is lack of reporting, lack of trust in staff when they’re reporting, and whether it be retaliation or what I say be confidential, and will I get the support I need or will I be punished for bringing this to staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: You were a PREA instructor at San Quentin. Can you tell me a little bit about what that entailed?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, we would bring guys into the room and basically we’d tell them about PREA, the Prison Rape Elimination Act, how to report it, who to report to, let them know it’s supposed to be confidentiality, whoever the officer is, it’s between you, him, and then they bring it to the watch commander and everything is confidential and if the officer was to bring it out, he can be held accountable as well. So that helped a lot of people and knowing that I’m a peer. For them and they felt comfortable talking to me about any questions they had.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: This report found that once somebody did make a report that the investigation itself had flaws. What was your take on why that could be?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, I think number one, are they taking the allegations seriously? And then, if they’re not taking the allegation seriously, of course, the paperwork is not going to be done properly. The right investigation is not going to done properly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: Something that’s come up a lot in this conference is retaliation, not just from staff but from other prisoners. What is retaliations like and can you just describe for people who don’t have an understanding like how that can affect people’s ability to report or to want to report?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think one of them could be like people ostracizing them, like you’re a snitch and you’re this and this and that, and not looking at them as someone who’s a victim.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: Yeah, it’s interesting, the report also mentions that there’s the social element of reporting rape and, you know, there are stigmas around that in men’s prisons. What do people risk socially when they report rape?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well, some people think, like, oh, I’m weak now. You know, how are people going to look at me? My man had just been tooken. Or rather, I just wanted it because why didn’t I fight? Or, you know, all of these different things of why you didn’t protect yourself from this, not understanding the person was in fear. This is one of the problems we have with young men. When we talk to our daughters, we’re like, if someone ever touch you, you better come tell me. But how many of us have that same conversations with our sons?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: And we talked about this earlier, but there’s a backlog of PREA reports. There’s too many PREA report for the system to handle, and some of the answers to that question are people are creating false reports. Why would someone create a false PREA Report?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: Well A lot of times in prison you have relationships that’s going bad. You know, there is a lot of drugs in prison and people with drug debts. People just don’t want to be in a certain prison anymore. They just want to get moved and like that’s one way to get moved out. And there is no consequence for making these false reports as well. So maybe if it was mentioned that there could be consequences for making false reports, maybe people wouldn’t make them as well, because you have to have some. Some type of deterrence, because if not, you’re wasting valuable resources for those who have really been victims of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>BOLAÑOS: If California wants to go from responding to sexual assault to preventing it, what needs to happen?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WASHINGTON: I think, number one, most importantly, single man cell, getting the population down because the officers cannot watch everything that’s going on. And if they’re overworked, how are they going to pay attention to exactly what’s going on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096334/as-ice-custody-deaths-rise-state-bill-would-force-release-of-911-call-data\">Bills Aim to Improve Detention Conditions as I.C.E. Arrests Record Number of Californians. \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bills come as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097313/northern-california-ice-arrests-surged-this-summer\">has arrested a record number of Californians\u003c/a>, and six people have died at ICE facilities in the state since the start of last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sd26.senate.ca.gov/news/sb-1399-passes-legislature-heads-governors-desk\">One measure would extend\u003c/a> the state attorney general’s power to inspect ICE facilities. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb942\">Another would create\u003c/a> an enforceable bill of rights ensuring humane conditions in civil detention.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>ICE says conditions are already humane, and says in a statement: “All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta said his inspections have actually found dangerous conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s wrong. It’s just not true,” Bonta said. “That’s why these bills are important because we know what the reality is. We know what immigrants who are in detention centers are experiencing because we went in there and talked to them, and we know that they need a bill of rights to keep them safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state has a right to apply its laws to federal facilities the same way they apply to state and local ones, as long as they don’t place an undue burden on the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s according to UC Berkeley Law School Dean, \u003ca href=\"https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-profiles/erwin-chemerinsky/#tab_profile\">Erwin Chemerinsky.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he expects if these bills become law, they’ll be challenged in court by the Trump administration and the private prison companies. He sees it as a calculated risk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What California is trying to do is to step in so as to protect the rights of people in the state where the federal government is infringing them,” said Chemerinsky. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the bills on his desk.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
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"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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}
},
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"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"here-and-now": {
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"order": 15
},
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"order": 18
},
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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