These California Trucking Schools Broke State Laws. Regulators Couldn’t Do Anything About It
California Has a Dangerous Driver Problem. A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Wants to Fix That
Some California High-Speed Rail Records Could Remain Secret Under Proposed Law
Child Care in California Was Already Hard to Find — the Immigration Crackdown Has Made It Worse
California Rep. David Valadao Voted for Medi-Cal Cuts. Will Voters Hold It Against Him?
California Chief Justice Steps Up Monitoring of Immigration Arrests at Courthouses
Cops Have to Treat Marijuana in Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling
California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content
California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump's Policy Changes
Sponsored
Player sponsored by
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_12072222": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12072222",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12072222",
"found": true
},
"title": "031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8",
"publishDate": 1770226199,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12072221,
"modified": 1770226227,
"caption": "An instructor teaches students about air brake releases at Dolphin Trucking School in the city of Vernon on March 11, 2024. ",
"credit": "Photo by Zaydee Sanchez/CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8-160x107.jpeg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8-1536x1024.jpeg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8-672x372.jpeg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8-1038x576.jpeg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8-1200x675.jpeg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-8.jpeg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12072135": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12072135",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12072135",
"found": true
},
"title": "020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05",
"publishDate": 1770161665,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12072132,
"modified": 1770161691,
"caption": "Flanked by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris addresses the media at the state Capitol in Sacramento about a series of bills that aim to reduce DUI fatalities and injuries in the state, on Feb. 2, 2026. ",
"credit": "Fred Greaves/CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226-DUI-Laws-FG-CM-05.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12072103": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12072103",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12072103",
"found": true
},
"title": "030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04",
"publishDate": 1770154021,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12072100,
"modified": 1770154052,
"caption": "Construction on the high-speed rail project above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 3, 2023.",
"credit": "Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_04.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12071896": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12071896",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071896",
"found": true
},
"title": "121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM",
"publishDate": 1770054179,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12071892,
"modified": 1770054215,
"caption": "An empty classroom for pre-K and kindergarten students in Burnt Ranch on Dec. 13, 2019.",
"credit": "Dave Woody/CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM-160x107.jpeg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM-1536x1026.jpeg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1026,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM-672x372.jpeg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM-1038x576.jpeg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM-1200x675.jpeg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/121319_BurntRanchElementary_DW_12-CM.jpeg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1336
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12071887": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12071887",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071887",
"found": true
},
"title": "092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM",
"publishDate": 1770052779,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12071886,
"modified": 1770053168,
"caption": "Rep. David Valadao of California speaks at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 2021. ",
"credit": "Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-160x107.jpeg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-1536x1024.jpeg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-672x372.jpeg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-1038x576.jpeg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-1200x675.jpeg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM.jpeg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12071739": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12071739",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071739",
"found": true
},
"title": "PlacerCM",
"publishDate": 1769801460,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12071732,
"modified": 1769801481,
"caption": "The Placer County Superior Court in Roseville on Jan. 23, 2026. ",
"credit": "Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/PlacerCM-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/PlacerCM-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/PlacerCM-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/PlacerCM-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/PlacerCM-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/PlacerCM.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_11955214": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11955214",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11955214",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11955206,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1322014635-1024x576.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1322014635-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1322014635-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1322014635.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 683
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1322014635-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1322014635-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 534
}
},
"publishDate": 1688767371,
"modified": 1688769462,
"caption": "Officer Louis Wong with the San Francisco Police Department with a jar of marijuana as he prepares to arrest a young man for drug possession in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco on Jan. 2, 2013.",
"description": null,
"title": "Officer Louis Wong with the San Francisco Police Department with a jar of marijuana as he prepares to arrest a young man for drug possession in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013.",
"credit": "Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12069810": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12069810",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12069810",
"found": true
},
"title": "Ingest_Xai",
"publishDate": 1768428297,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12069808,
"modified": 1768429021,
"caption": "orkers install lighting on an \"X\" sign atop the company headquarters in downtown San Francisco on July 28, 2023.",
"credit": "Noah Berger/AP",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Ingest_Xai-160x107.jpeg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Ingest_Xai-1536x1024.jpeg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Ingest_Xai-672x372.jpeg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Ingest_Xai-1038x576.jpeg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Ingest_Xai-1200x675.jpeg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Ingest_Xai.jpeg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"news_12066344": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12066344",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12066344",
"found": true
},
"title": "120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11",
"publishDate": 1765142405,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12066341,
"modified": 1765142472,
"caption": "Lena Deacy at her home in Culver City, on Dec. 1, 2025. ",
"credit": "Zaydee Sanchez/CalMatters",
"altTag": "A young woman with glasses and a pink shirt stands outside on a deck.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11-160x105.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 105,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11-1536x1005.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1005,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-11.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1309
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_news_12072221": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12072221",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12072221",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/adam-echelman/\">Adam Echelman\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/ericayee/\">Erica Yee\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12072132": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12072132",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12072132",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/robert-lewis/\">Robert Lewis\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/laurenhepler/\">Lauren Hepler\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12072100": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12072100",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12072100",
"name": "Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12071892": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12071892",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12071892",
"name": "Carolyn Jones, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12071886": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12071886",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12071886",
"name": "Maya C. Miller, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12071732": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12071732",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12071732",
"name": "Cayla Mihalovich, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12071647": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12071647",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12071647",
"name": "Nigel Duara, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12069808": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12069808",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12069808",
"name": "Khari Johnson, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12066341": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12066341",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12066341",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/carolyn-jones/\">Carolyn Jones, \u003c/a>CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
}
},
"breakingNewsReducer": {},
"pagesReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_12072221": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12072221",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12072221",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1770228047000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "these-california-trucking-schools-broke-state-laws-regulators-couldnt-do-anything-about-it",
"title": "These California Trucking Schools Broke State Laws. Regulators Couldn’t Do Anything About It",
"publishDate": 1770228047,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "These California Trucking Schools Broke State Laws. Regulators Couldn’t Do Anything About It | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When commercial truck drivers are speeding down \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California’s\u003c/a> highways and interstates with thousands of pounds of cargo in tow, a single mistake can be catastrophic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet California fails to regulate most of the schools that train truck drivers, allowing nearly 200 unlicensed schools to operate with effectively no oversight, according to a CalMatters analysis of state and federal records. And when the state has tried to use its limited authority to discipline schools for shortchanging students or flouting the law, its regulators are often powerless, according to the analysis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without regulatory oversight, industry experts say there is no way to know whether students coming out of those schools are prepared to operate a big rig safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All aspiring truckers are required to attend specialized driving schools, where they study a dense curriculum — learning what to do, for instance, in the event of a skid or when the trailer swings out uncontrollably from the cab. Only then can they take the necessary exams at the California Department of Motor Vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the federal government and the state of California have systems for regulating trucking schools, making sure that they adhere to the curriculum, that the tuition costs are fair and that students are ultimately prepared to get behind the wheel of a truck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view from inside Amarjit Singh’s truck in Livermore, on Dec. 16, 2025. Advocates are calling on California officials to halt the planned license revocations. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But in California there is a loophole: Private trucking schools that charge students $2,500 or less don’t need state licenses, effectively exempting them from oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the state has tried to discipline schools, some reduced their tuition to $2,500 or less, at which point they no longer needed to heed the state’s orders. Other schools just disregarded the state’s orders altogether, the analysis shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has “more limited” tools for pursuing disciplinary action against trucking schools once they claim an exemption, said Monica Vargas, a spokesperson for California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, which is in charge of monitoring most private trade schools. She said the bureau can fine schools for violations, but if they refuse to pay, the state has no additional leverage beyond sending the fine to a collections agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bureau told the Legislature in a report last year that it gave licenses to 42 trucking schools. The total number of trucking schools could be roughly three times that, the bureau said, and Vargas later clarified that “exact numbers could not be known.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To determine a more accurate estimate of schools, CalMatters used a \u003ca href=\"https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/\">federal database\u003c/a> that lists all trucking schools, regardless of their tuition rate. But it’s not clear how accurate or comprehensive that list is. The federal government asks schools to self-register, and it doesn’t “approve or certify” the information that schools provide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using the federal list, CalMatters found at least 184 California trucking schools that are not regulated by the state, including at least nine schools the bureau has tried — and failed — to regulate or shut down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/100124-Floor-Session-FG-63-CM-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up view of a lawmaker wearing a black suit and red tie as he smiles and looks towards another person off-frame.\">\u003cfigcaption>Lawmaker Mike Fong before the start of an Assembly floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Oct. 1, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/mike-fong-165455\">Assemblymember Mike Fong\u003c/a>, an Alhambra Democrat, proposed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab714\">a bill\u003c/a> to close the state’s tuition loophole for trucking schools. In his testimony for the bill, Fong said increased regulation of exempt trucking schools could make California’s highways safer for everyone. He cited federal data showing \u003ca href=\"https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813588.pdf\">more than 400 people died\u003c/a> on California’s roads in truck-related crashes in 2022 but in an interview, he acknowledged that there’s “no data to directly correlate” any of those crashes with the volume of unlicensed schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exemptions to licensing laws were intended for companies offering SAT or LSAT test prep courses, Fong said in an interview — those that “do not affect public safety,” he added. “This bill is really to close a loophole in current law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steve Gold, the founder and CEO of 160 Driving Academy, a chain of trucking schools, was a leader behind the development of the bill. “Because I’m (bureau) certified, my curriculum is on file. I have a surety bond in the state of California. I can’t rip you off as a student. I have insurance. The state of California has approved and walked my site,” he said in an interview with CalMatters, noting that approval took 18 months. Gold said his commercial trucking programs charge $6,000 and require about four weeks or 160 hours of training, a far cry from unlicensed programs that tell students they can finish in as little as 15 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unsuspecting everyday drivers have no idea the 80,000 pound truck on the highway is operated by an individual who’s not properly trained,” said Gold during his testimony for the bill last year. The California Association of Highway Patrolmen, a labor union representing CHP officers, also spoke in support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill failed, though no one publicly opposed it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Fly-by-night’ schools\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Most of the unlicensed trucking schools consist of just a parking lot, a few trucks that students can practice on and a room or two for self-study. Some trucking school owners call these unlicensed programs “fly-by-night” schools — because they are small and unlicensed they can open anywhere or suddenly close and change owners or names with little notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s what happened with the Truck Nation School in Modesto. On Aug. 19, Ricardo Chavez, who was enrolled at the school, was headed there to prepare for his DMV exam, scheduled just two days later. He showed up to find the gates to the parking lot locked and a sign that simply said the school had shut down.[aside postID=news_12069236 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/SoCalHwyAP.jpg']The sudden closure derailed his career plans. A trucking job was a path forward, he said, a way to earn a better living than his current rotation of gig jobs, such as putting up blinds and detailing cars. He had quit working, paid about $2,000 in tuition and fees to attend the trucking school and was hiring a babysitter to take care of his two kids so he could attend class for a few hours each day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the days after the school closed, he failed the DMV exam and failed it again on the second try. He finally passed on the third attempt, almost three weeks later and after paying about $300 to a different school, but he still doesn’t have a trucking job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has a special program designed to refund students who lose their money when a school abruptly closes, but to qualify the student must attend a school licensed by the bureau. Since it charged $2,500 or less, the Truck Nation School was exempt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been horrible,” said Chavez, who was planning to work as an agricultural truck driver. Because it took him so long to get the license, he said he missed the window to work during the peak of harvest season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Repeated attempts to reach representatives of Truck Nation for comment were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vargas, the state spokesperson, said the bureau investigates an exempt school if someone files a complaint about it or if there’s an “internal tip.” Citations are rare. In the 2024-25 academic year, Vargas said the bureau issued citations to 15 unlicensed trucking schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How trucking schools avoid discipline\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even when schools are licensed, state enforcement is limited. A 2024 CalMatters investigation found that state employees and contractors were referring students to Dolphin Trucking School, which received tuition subsidies through a federal job training program. While the Los Angeles school was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/08/job-training-california-for-profit-schools/\">pocketing thousands of dollars in subsidies \u003c/a>for many of its students, it was in the midst of a state investigation that included accusations of unqualified teachers and hazardous learning conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bureau stripped the school of its license in August 2024 following inquiries from CalMatters, but now the family that owned it is operating a new school, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dtstechnicalcollege.com/\">“DTS Technical, Inc.,”\u003c/a> with the same office location. The logo even has a dolphin on it, a nod to its former name. On its website, DTS Technical, Inc. lists tuition at $2,500, plus a required $500 fee, for its comprehensive commercial driver’s license course and says that students can use public subsidies from the state’s Department of Rehabilitation to pay tuition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-30-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"From behind a driver and passenger seat, the driver's hand is on the vehicle's gear stick while another arm in a yellow safety jacket extends out to guide the gear stick.\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-4-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing black pants and a yellow sweater looks towards a yellow and black semi-trailer pulling a white cargo trailer.\">\u003c/figure>\u003cfigcaption>\u003cstrong>First:\u003c/strong> A Dolphin Trucking School instructor guides a student through a gear shift. \u003cstrong>Last: \u003c/strong>Orange cones divide the yard at Dolphin Trucking School in Vernon, where students practice driving trucks on March 11, 2024. Photos by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-11-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A person dressed in a green and orange safety vest stands next to the engine compartment of a semi-trailer while addressing students as they look-on.\">\u003cfigcaption>Students at Dolphin Trucking School listen attentively as their instructor reviews the truck’s engine parts in Vernon on March 11, 2024. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Carla Galvez, the owner of the now-closed Dolphin Trucking School, said she has no affiliation with DTS Technical, Inc. and refused to answer any questions on behalf of the family members who are listed as the owners of the new school. CalMatters called and emailed DTS, Technical Inc. but received no response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In another instance, the state issued a letter to El Monte Truck Driving School in the San Gabriel Valley in April 2021, telling it to cease operations for failing to document tuition costs and keep appropriate records, among other violations. The school kept operating anyway. More than three years later, the state issued another order to close and fined the school $100,000 for disregarding the previous order. The only way it can stay open and continue operating, the state wrote, is if it qualifies for an exemption, such as charging $2,500 or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school is still operating as of this month and charges students $4,000, according to the school’s secretary, who spoke to CalMatters on the phone. She refused to answer other questions, such as whether the school qualifies for another exemption. Certain religious schools, nonprofit organizations and apprenticeship programs are exempt from state oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vargas, the state spokesperson, said El Monte Truck Driving School is making payments on a payment plan for the $100,000 fine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases federal officials have gone after trucking schools for criminal activity. In a series of cases dating back to 2011, the U.S. Attorney General’s Office prosecuted 20 trucking school owners, California DMV employees, and intermediaries who conspired to give trucking licenses to unqualified drivers, many of whom never took a DMV exam. In an announcement in 2022, the attorney general stated the school owners bribed DMV employees to help “failing or unqualified students” get their licenses. “In total, hundreds of fraudulent commercial driver license permits and licenses were issued as a part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/eastern-district-california-completes-prosecution-20-defendants-dmv-corruption-cases\">these schemes\u003c/a>, jeopardizing public safety,” the office wrote in its statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are schools properly training tomorrow’s truck drivers?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state exemptions and the lack of federal vetting mean there are few records on whether schools are adequately preparing drivers. Along with DMV exams, California state law says that trucking students need to spend \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-veh/division-6/chapter-7/article-5/section-15250-1/\">at least 15 hours\u003c/a> behind the wheel of a truck before they can receive a license. Since 2022, federal law also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-380#se49.5.380_1703\">requires\u003c/a> trucking schools to teach a specific curriculum that involves learning the parts of a truck and ways to operate it safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students at some exempt schools interviewed by CalMatters said they struggled to get time behind the wheel and that they often had to teach themselves.[aside postID=news_12071380 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/GettyImages-450371215-1020x680.jpg']Aramis Andrews told CalMatters he paid more than $3,000 to attend Premier Trucking School in Red Bluff, which is unlicensed. Andrews said the instructor expected him to teach himself online before attending class, after which he was promised 20 hours of behind-the-wheel practice. But when he showed up to the school, the instructor was upset that Andrews wasn’t more prepared and kicked him out of the program on the second day. “He (the instructor) wanted me to go to the school and already know everything and just drive around some and make sure I was good at it,” Andrews said. “I feel like it was just a scam to be honest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joe German, the school’s owner, said he kicked Andrews out because he “didn’t take the course seriously.” German said he gave Andrews a refund for the remainder of the program, which Andrews disputes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, the bureau fined Premier Trucking School $12,500 for \u003ca href=\"https://www.bppe.ca.gov/enforcement/actions/settl_of_affir_cit_premier_trucking_school_20251229.pdf\">operating without a license\u003c/a> or a valid exemption. German said he paid the fine, though he denied any intentional wrongdoing. He said he was unaware of the bureau’s rules and that the full licensing process “would bankrupt us.” The bureau “is set up for universities or big, big schools,” he said, “not a school that’s one or two trucks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Gold, the CEO of 160 Driving Academy, the lack of regulation is the main reason for the poor training some students receive. “These schools do not have a comprehensive approved training curriculum and there’s no way they are compliant with the federal rules. Who knows the level of training they are conducting?” he said during his testimony for Fong’s bill last year. “The unsuspecting consumer has no idea.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fong said he would not comment on why his bill did not pass, but he noted the state had a “tough budget last year.” The bill died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where fiscal matters are addressed. One estimate by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education said it would cost more than $800,000 a year to hire five new staff members to regulate all trucking schools, though registration fees paid by the schools could recoup roughly half of those costs. The Legislature is considering the bill again this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The trucking school ‘mill’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, appointed by President Donald Trump, has made cracking down on trucking schools a central piece of his agenda. He argues — with \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/immigrant-drivers/\">only anecdotal evidence\u003c/a> — that many schools, especially those in California, are graduating immigrants who don’t speak English and who drive more dangerously than other truckers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, Duffy said the department \u003ca href=\"https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-cracks-down-illegal-providers-commercial\">had removed\u003c/a> nearly 3,000 trucking schools from its national registry for falsifying data, neglecting the federally required curriculum or refusing to provide certain records. The department also notified an additional 4,500 schools about “potential noncompliance,” though it did not respond to CalMatters questions about the specifics of those violations. Duffy has said repeatedly that some trucking schools are “mills,” helping students receive driver’s licenses even when they \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib2u4mDnH6E\">lack the qualifications\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/011526-Trucking-School-Modesto-LV-15-CM-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A semi-truck with a trailer reading “The Truck Master School” drives out the gated driveway of a parking lot to a trucking school with a giant banner on the gate.\">\u003cfigcaption>A truck drives out of the practice lot of The Truck Master School in Modesto on Jan. 15, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite Duffy’s efforts, institutions with repeated violations still appear on the national registry. The Fresno Truck Driving School Inc. was inspected six times in the last two years, with the U.S. Transportation Department repeatedly finding that the emergency brakes on its trucks weren’t properly operating. It also reported that the school had a driver who could not “read or speak the English language sufficiently to respond to official inquiries.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re getting an inspection (from the federal government), that means something has gone terribly wrong,” said Zach Cahalan, the executive director of the Truck Safety Coalition, which advocates for truck safety and the victims of truck-related crashes. Still, he said trucks often are cited for multiple violations before the federal government tries to shut down the carrier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transportation department proposed removing Premier Trucking School from its registry, and the school is now closed. DTS Technical, Inc. is still on the federal list. So is the Truck Nation School in Modesto, even though it’s been closed for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A different school, the Truck Master School, took over the lease of Truck Nation, where Chavez used to practice. Truck Master charges just under $2,500, and like its predecessor, it’s exempt from state oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>About the data\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To estimate the number of trucking schools that are not regulated by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, CalMatters cross-checked state and federal datasets. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration maintains the \u003ca href=\"https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Search\">Training Provider Registry\u003c/a>, which allows providers to self-certify they meet federal and state requirements. The registry also allows students to find commercial driver’s license training. But the department \u003ca href=\"https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Provider\">specifies\u003c/a> it does not “approve or certify” those providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to compile a comparable list of providers that may also be under the purview of the state bureau, CalMatters cleaned a list of 2,676 locations found in the federal database where providers conducted training in California as of Jan. 8, 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalMatters first filtered out providers registered as “private enrollment only” (such as employer-based training programs). We then manually filtered out providers whose names and online presence indicated they were likely one of the following and not primarily a commercial driver training school that charges tuition:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Public school district;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Community college;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Municipal, utility, state or federal agency;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Individual instructor;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chauffeur, logistics or similar company.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Because the federal database lists all locations separately, CalMatters consolidated branch locations of the same school based on name and contact information. We then matched schools to the state bureau’s list of approved private postsecondary educational institutions based on name, location and contact information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After compiling a comparable list, our analysis found at least 184 training providers listed on the federal registry that appear to be primarily operating as private trucking schools but were not approved by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to operate as of Jan. 8, 2026. To confirm whether a school is still operating, we used recent reviews and online listings, though some listings may be outdated, or we contacted the school directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://github.com/CalMatters/data-trucking-schools\">\u003cem>See the list of schools\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/child-care-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "In California, almost 40% of the workforce is foreign-born and more than a million parents — immigrant and otherwise — rely on child care providers so they can go to work.\r\n\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1770230409,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 52,
"wordCount": 3161
},
"headData": {
"title": "These California Trucking Schools Broke State Laws. Regulators Couldn’t Do Anything About It | KQED",
"description": "In California, almost 40% of the workforce is foreign-born and more than a million parents — immigrant and otherwise — rely on child care providers so they can go to work.\r\n\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "These California Trucking Schools Broke State Laws. Regulators Couldn’t Do Anything About It",
"datePublished": "2026-02-04T10:00:47-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-04T10:40:09-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1169,
"slug": "immigration",
"name": "Immigration"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/adam-echelman/\">Adam Echelman\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/ericayee/\">Erica Yee\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12072221",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12072221/these-california-trucking-schools-broke-state-laws-regulators-couldnt-do-anything-about-it",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When commercial truck drivers are speeding down \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California’s\u003c/a> highways and interstates with thousands of pounds of cargo in tow, a single mistake can be catastrophic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet California fails to regulate most of the schools that train truck drivers, allowing nearly 200 unlicensed schools to operate with effectively no oversight, according to a CalMatters analysis of state and federal records. And when the state has tried to use its limited authority to discipline schools for shortchanging students or flouting the law, its regulators are often powerless, according to the analysis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without regulatory oversight, industry experts say there is no way to know whether students coming out of those schools are prepared to operate a big rig safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All aspiring truckers are required to attend specialized driving schools, where they study a dense curriculum — learning what to do, for instance, in the event of a skid or when the trailer swings out uncontrollably from the cab. Only then can they take the necessary exams at the California Department of Motor Vehicles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the federal government and the state of California have systems for regulating trucking schools, making sure that they adhere to the curriculum, that the tuition costs are fair and that students are ultimately prepared to get behind the wheel of a truck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view from inside Amarjit Singh’s truck in Livermore, on Dec. 16, 2025. Advocates are calling on California officials to halt the planned license revocations. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But in California there is a loophole: Private trucking schools that charge students $2,500 or less don’t need state licenses, effectively exempting them from oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the state has tried to discipline schools, some reduced their tuition to $2,500 or less, at which point they no longer needed to heed the state’s orders. Other schools just disregarded the state’s orders altogether, the analysis shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has “more limited” tools for pursuing disciplinary action against trucking schools once they claim an exemption, said Monica Vargas, a spokesperson for California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, which is in charge of monitoring most private trade schools. She said the bureau can fine schools for violations, but if they refuse to pay, the state has no additional leverage beyond sending the fine to a collections agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bureau told the Legislature in a report last year that it gave licenses to 42 trucking schools. The total number of trucking schools could be roughly three times that, the bureau said, and Vargas later clarified that “exact numbers could not be known.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To determine a more accurate estimate of schools, CalMatters used a \u003ca href=\"https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/\">federal database\u003c/a> that lists all trucking schools, regardless of their tuition rate. But it’s not clear how accurate or comprehensive that list is. The federal government asks schools to self-register, and it doesn’t “approve or certify” the information that schools provide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using the federal list, CalMatters found at least 184 California trucking schools that are not regulated by the state, including at least nine schools the bureau has tried — and failed — to regulate or shut down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/100124-Floor-Session-FG-63-CM-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up view of a lawmaker wearing a black suit and red tie as he smiles and looks towards another person off-frame.\">\u003cfigcaption>Lawmaker Mike Fong before the start of an Assembly floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Oct. 1, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/mike-fong-165455\">Assemblymember Mike Fong\u003c/a>, an Alhambra Democrat, proposed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab714\">a bill\u003c/a> to close the state’s tuition loophole for trucking schools. In his testimony for the bill, Fong said increased regulation of exempt trucking schools could make California’s highways safer for everyone. He cited federal data showing \u003ca href=\"https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813588.pdf\">more than 400 people died\u003c/a> on California’s roads in truck-related crashes in 2022 but in an interview, he acknowledged that there’s “no data to directly correlate” any of those crashes with the volume of unlicensed schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exemptions to licensing laws were intended for companies offering SAT or LSAT test prep courses, Fong said in an interview — those that “do not affect public safety,” he added. “This bill is really to close a loophole in current law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steve Gold, the founder and CEO of 160 Driving Academy, a chain of trucking schools, was a leader behind the development of the bill. “Because I’m (bureau) certified, my curriculum is on file. I have a surety bond in the state of California. I can’t rip you off as a student. I have insurance. The state of California has approved and walked my site,” he said in an interview with CalMatters, noting that approval took 18 months. Gold said his commercial trucking programs charge $6,000 and require about four weeks or 160 hours of training, a far cry from unlicensed programs that tell students they can finish in as little as 15 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unsuspecting everyday drivers have no idea the 80,000 pound truck on the highway is operated by an individual who’s not properly trained,” said Gold during his testimony for the bill last year. The California Association of Highway Patrolmen, a labor union representing CHP officers, also spoke in support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill failed, though no one publicly opposed it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Fly-by-night’ schools\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Most of the unlicensed trucking schools consist of just a parking lot, a few trucks that students can practice on and a room or two for self-study. Some trucking school owners call these unlicensed programs “fly-by-night” schools — because they are small and unlicensed they can open anywhere or suddenly close and change owners or names with little notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s what happened with the Truck Nation School in Modesto. On Aug. 19, Ricardo Chavez, who was enrolled at the school, was headed there to prepare for his DMV exam, scheduled just two days later. He showed up to find the gates to the parking lot locked and a sign that simply said the school had shut down.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12069236",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/SoCalHwyAP.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The sudden closure derailed his career plans. A trucking job was a path forward, he said, a way to earn a better living than his current rotation of gig jobs, such as putting up blinds and detailing cars. He had quit working, paid about $2,000 in tuition and fees to attend the trucking school and was hiring a babysitter to take care of his two kids so he could attend class for a few hours each day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the days after the school closed, he failed the DMV exam and failed it again on the second try. He finally passed on the third attempt, almost three weeks later and after paying about $300 to a different school, but he still doesn’t have a trucking job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has a special program designed to refund students who lose their money when a school abruptly closes, but to qualify the student must attend a school licensed by the bureau. Since it charged $2,500 or less, the Truck Nation School was exempt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been horrible,” said Chavez, who was planning to work as an agricultural truck driver. Because it took him so long to get the license, he said he missed the window to work during the peak of harvest season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Repeated attempts to reach representatives of Truck Nation for comment were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vargas, the state spokesperson, said the bureau investigates an exempt school if someone files a complaint about it or if there’s an “internal tip.” Citations are rare. In the 2024-25 academic year, Vargas said the bureau issued citations to 15 unlicensed trucking schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How trucking schools avoid discipline\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even when schools are licensed, state enforcement is limited. A 2024 CalMatters investigation found that state employees and contractors were referring students to Dolphin Trucking School, which received tuition subsidies through a federal job training program. While the Los Angeles school was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/08/job-training-california-for-profit-schools/\">pocketing thousands of dollars in subsidies \u003c/a>for many of its students, it was in the midst of a state investigation that included accusations of unqualified teachers and hazardous learning conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bureau stripped the school of its license in August 2024 following inquiries from CalMatters, but now the family that owned it is operating a new school, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dtstechnicalcollege.com/\">“DTS Technical, Inc.,”\u003c/a> with the same office location. The logo even has a dolphin on it, a nod to its former name. On its website, DTS Technical, Inc. lists tuition at $2,500, plus a required $500 fee, for its comprehensive commercial driver’s license course and says that students can use public subsidies from the state’s Department of Rehabilitation to pay tuition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-30-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"From behind a driver and passenger seat, the driver's hand is on the vehicle's gear stick while another arm in a yellow safety jacket extends out to guide the gear stick.\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-4-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing black pants and a yellow sweater looks towards a yellow and black semi-trailer pulling a white cargo trailer.\">\u003c/figure>\u003cfigcaption>\u003cstrong>First:\u003c/strong> A Dolphin Trucking School instructor guides a student through a gear shift. \u003cstrong>Last: \u003c/strong>Orange cones divide the yard at Dolphin Trucking School in Vernon, where students practice driving trucks on March 11, 2024. Photos by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/031124-Dolphin-Trucking-School-ZS-CM-11-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A person dressed in a green and orange safety vest stands next to the engine compartment of a semi-trailer while addressing students as they look-on.\">\u003cfigcaption>Students at Dolphin Trucking School listen attentively as their instructor reviews the truck’s engine parts in Vernon on March 11, 2024. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Carla Galvez, the owner of the now-closed Dolphin Trucking School, said she has no affiliation with DTS Technical, Inc. and refused to answer any questions on behalf of the family members who are listed as the owners of the new school. CalMatters called and emailed DTS, Technical Inc. but received no response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In another instance, the state issued a letter to El Monte Truck Driving School in the San Gabriel Valley in April 2021, telling it to cease operations for failing to document tuition costs and keep appropriate records, among other violations. The school kept operating anyway. More than three years later, the state issued another order to close and fined the school $100,000 for disregarding the previous order. The only way it can stay open and continue operating, the state wrote, is if it qualifies for an exemption, such as charging $2,500 or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school is still operating as of this month and charges students $4,000, according to the school’s secretary, who spoke to CalMatters on the phone. She refused to answer other questions, such as whether the school qualifies for another exemption. Certain religious schools, nonprofit organizations and apprenticeship programs are exempt from state oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vargas, the state spokesperson, said El Monte Truck Driving School is making payments on a payment plan for the $100,000 fine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases federal officials have gone after trucking schools for criminal activity. In a series of cases dating back to 2011, the U.S. Attorney General’s Office prosecuted 20 trucking school owners, California DMV employees, and intermediaries who conspired to give trucking licenses to unqualified drivers, many of whom never took a DMV exam. In an announcement in 2022, the attorney general stated the school owners bribed DMV employees to help “failing or unqualified students” get their licenses. “In total, hundreds of fraudulent commercial driver license permits and licenses were issued as a part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/eastern-district-california-completes-prosecution-20-defendants-dmv-corruption-cases\">these schemes\u003c/a>, jeopardizing public safety,” the office wrote in its statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are schools properly training tomorrow’s truck drivers?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state exemptions and the lack of federal vetting mean there are few records on whether schools are adequately preparing drivers. Along with DMV exams, California state law says that trucking students need to spend \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-veh/division-6/chapter-7/article-5/section-15250-1/\">at least 15 hours\u003c/a> behind the wheel of a truck before they can receive a license. Since 2022, federal law also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-380#se49.5.380_1703\">requires\u003c/a> trucking schools to teach a specific curriculum that involves learning the parts of a truck and ways to operate it safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students at some exempt schools interviewed by CalMatters said they struggled to get time behind the wheel and that they often had to teach themselves.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12071380",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/GettyImages-450371215-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Aramis Andrews told CalMatters he paid more than $3,000 to attend Premier Trucking School in Red Bluff, which is unlicensed. Andrews said the instructor expected him to teach himself online before attending class, after which he was promised 20 hours of behind-the-wheel practice. But when he showed up to the school, the instructor was upset that Andrews wasn’t more prepared and kicked him out of the program on the second day. “He (the instructor) wanted me to go to the school and already know everything and just drive around some and make sure I was good at it,” Andrews said. “I feel like it was just a scam to be honest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joe German, the school’s owner, said he kicked Andrews out because he “didn’t take the course seriously.” German said he gave Andrews a refund for the remainder of the program, which Andrews disputes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, the bureau fined Premier Trucking School $12,500 for \u003ca href=\"https://www.bppe.ca.gov/enforcement/actions/settl_of_affir_cit_premier_trucking_school_20251229.pdf\">operating without a license\u003c/a> or a valid exemption. German said he paid the fine, though he denied any intentional wrongdoing. He said he was unaware of the bureau’s rules and that the full licensing process “would bankrupt us.” The bureau “is set up for universities or big, big schools,” he said, “not a school that’s one or two trucks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Gold, the CEO of 160 Driving Academy, the lack of regulation is the main reason for the poor training some students receive. “These schools do not have a comprehensive approved training curriculum and there’s no way they are compliant with the federal rules. Who knows the level of training they are conducting?” he said during his testimony for Fong’s bill last year. “The unsuspecting consumer has no idea.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fong said he would not comment on why his bill did not pass, but he noted the state had a “tough budget last year.” The bill died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where fiscal matters are addressed. One estimate by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education said it would cost more than $800,000 a year to hire five new staff members to regulate all trucking schools, though registration fees paid by the schools could recoup roughly half of those costs. The Legislature is considering the bill again this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The trucking school ‘mill’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, appointed by President Donald Trump, has made cracking down on trucking schools a central piece of his agenda. He argues — with \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/immigrant-drivers/\">only anecdotal evidence\u003c/a> — that many schools, especially those in California, are graduating immigrants who don’t speak English and who drive more dangerously than other truckers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, Duffy said the department \u003ca href=\"https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-cracks-down-illegal-providers-commercial\">had removed\u003c/a> nearly 3,000 trucking schools from its national registry for falsifying data, neglecting the federally required curriculum or refusing to provide certain records. The department also notified an additional 4,500 schools about “potential noncompliance,” though it did not respond to CalMatters questions about the specifics of those violations. Duffy has said repeatedly that some trucking schools are “mills,” helping students receive driver’s licenses even when they \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib2u4mDnH6E\">lack the qualifications\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/011526-Trucking-School-Modesto-LV-15-CM-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A semi-truck with a trailer reading “The Truck Master School” drives out the gated driveway of a parking lot to a trucking school with a giant banner on the gate.\">\u003cfigcaption>A truck drives out of the practice lot of The Truck Master School in Modesto on Jan. 15, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite Duffy’s efforts, institutions with repeated violations still appear on the national registry. The Fresno Truck Driving School Inc. was inspected six times in the last two years, with the U.S. Transportation Department repeatedly finding that the emergency brakes on its trucks weren’t properly operating. It also reported that the school had a driver who could not “read or speak the English language sufficiently to respond to official inquiries.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re getting an inspection (from the federal government), that means something has gone terribly wrong,” said Zach Cahalan, the executive director of the Truck Safety Coalition, which advocates for truck safety and the victims of truck-related crashes. Still, he said trucks often are cited for multiple violations before the federal government tries to shut down the carrier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transportation department proposed removing Premier Trucking School from its registry, and the school is now closed. DTS Technical, Inc. is still on the federal list. So is the Truck Nation School in Modesto, even though it’s been closed for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A different school, the Truck Master School, took over the lease of Truck Nation, where Chavez used to practice. Truck Master charges just under $2,500, and like its predecessor, it’s exempt from state oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>About the data\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To estimate the number of trucking schools that are not regulated by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, CalMatters cross-checked state and federal datasets. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration maintains the \u003ca href=\"https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Search\">Training Provider Registry\u003c/a>, which allows providers to self-certify they meet federal and state requirements. The registry also allows students to find commercial driver’s license training. But the department \u003ca href=\"https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Provider\">specifies\u003c/a> it does not “approve or certify” those providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to compile a comparable list of providers that may also be under the purview of the state bureau, CalMatters cleaned a list of 2,676 locations found in the federal database where providers conducted training in California as of Jan. 8, 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalMatters first filtered out providers registered as “private enrollment only” (such as employer-based training programs). We then manually filtered out providers whose names and online presence indicated they were likely one of the following and not primarily a commercial driver training school that charges tuition:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Public school district;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Community college;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Municipal, utility, state or federal agency;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Individual instructor;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chauffeur, logistics or similar company.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Because the federal database lists all locations separately, CalMatters consolidated branch locations of the same school based on name and contact information. We then matched schools to the state bureau’s list of approved private postsecondary educational institutions based on name, location and contact information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After compiling a comparable list, our analysis found at least 184 training providers listed on the federal registry that appear to be primarily operating as private trucking schools but were not approved by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to operate as of Jan. 8, 2026. To confirm whether a school is still operating, we used recent reviews and online listings, though some listings may be outdated, or we contacted the school directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://github.com/CalMatters/data-trucking-schools\">\u003cem>See the list of schools\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/child-care-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12072221/these-california-trucking-schools-broke-state-laws-regulators-couldnt-do-anything-about-it",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12072221"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_18540",
"news_1169",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_22772",
"news_20013",
"news_36267",
"news_20202"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12072222",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12072132": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12072132",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12072132",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1770217210000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-has-a-dangerous-driver-problem-a-bipartisan-group-of-lawmakers-wants-to-fix-that",
"title": "California Has a Dangerous Driver Problem. A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Wants to Fix That",
"publishDate": 1770217210,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Has a Dangerous Driver Problem. A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Wants to Fix That | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A bipartisan group of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-assembly\">state Assembly members\u003c/a> announced a package of bills Monday to crack down on dangerous drivers and address some of the roadway safety issues CalMatters uncovered as part of its ongoing \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/license-to-kill/\">License to Kill\u003c/a> series.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposals take aim at laws and practices that have allowed dangerous drivers to stay on California’s roads and contributed to a spike in traffic deaths. The bills would: require first-time DUI offenders to install in-car breathalyzers, lengthen many license suspensions and revocations, increase DUI training for law enforcement and close a loophole that allows people who’ve killed with their car to avoid consequences through a diversion program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sacramento is listening. We see that there is a problem and we are doing what we can, crossing that partisan divide and trying to identify real solutions that we can deliver now to make our communities safer,” said Democratic Assemblymember Nick Schultz of Burbank, chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Assembly proposals are one component of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041243/san-franciscos-streets-still-deadly-advocates-want-lurie-to-do-more\">broader reckoning over years of rising traffic deaths\u003c/a> playing out at the Capitol. Next week, a separate event is expected to include more details about new bills from the California Senate, related budget proposals and the perspective of families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, Schultz \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/01/californa-dui-law-reform/\">introduced \u003c/a>a bill to increase penalties for repeat DUI offenders. Assembly members detailed several additional legislative efforts at Monday’s press conference that would:\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Close a diversion loophole.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We reported in December that a criminal justice reform law from a few years ago was allowing judges to dismiss misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges for drivers who agreed to take part in what’s known as a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-vehicular-manslaughter-diversion/\">diversion program\u003c/a>. But in an unintended twist, that has meant the drivers not only avoided a criminal conviction but also kept a clean driving record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assembly Member Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City who chairs the Assembly Transportation Committee, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1662\">a new bill\u003c/a> that would require the DMV to add points to a driver’s license when they’re granted misdemeanor diversion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Make license suspensions and revocations start when a driver is released from custody as opposed to at the time of conviction.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, someone who is convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter would likely by law have their license revoked for three years. But the revocation would often start while they’re in prison and they might be eligible to get their license back as soon as they’re out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson said her office is finalizing language on another bill that would change that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Driving is a privilege,” Wilson said. “This package holds dangerous drivers accountable and keeps our streets safer for everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Force first-time DUI offenders to install what’s known as an ignition interlock device on their vehicles.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is now the third time that Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Democrat from Irvine, has introduced this measure.[aside postID=forum_2010101909751 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2025/04/GettyImages-1230256771-1-1020x574.jpg']California is currently one of the few states that doesn’t require first time offenders to install the technology, which forces a driver to blow into a breathalyzer and prove they haven’t been drinking in order to start their car. Her \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-roadway-deaths-inaction/\">previous efforts failed\u003c/a> after the Department of Motor Vehicles raised budget concerns and civil liberties groups worried it would disproportionately impact the poor and people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>California is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035925/license-to-kill\">epicenter of America’s DUI and drunk driving epidemic\u003c/a>. As moms, as dads, as Californians, it’s horrifying. And as policymakers, we have an opportunity and we have an obligation to do something about this,” Petrie-Norris said. “We know these devices work. We know that they can save lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Increase training for law enforcement officers on how to enforce the state’s DUI laws.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assembly Member Juan Alanis, a Republican from Modesto, said currently many officers only get basic training at the academy on drunk and drugged driving and must often wait for colleagues with more specialized training to assess a driver’s sobriety level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is to help those agencies and officers to be able to have that training so that way we can identify DUI drivers faster, quicker and get them off the streets,” Alanis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schultz called the package of proposals a “starting point” and said he expects his colleagues in the state Senate will also be proposing changes to save lives on the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, last month state Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat from Norwalk, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB907\">introduced a bill\u003c/a> to crack down on DUIs – increasing punishment and making it easier for prosecutors to charge repeat offenders with murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Archuleta is expected to hold a press conference later this month along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, road safety advocates and other lawmakers to announce further road safety bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/02/assembly-driving-bills/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The Assembly proposals are part of a broader push at the Capitol to reform California’s weak driving laws.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1770163066,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 25,
"wordCount": 871
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Has a Dangerous Driver Problem. A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Wants to Fix That | KQED",
"description": "The Assembly proposals are part of a broader push at the Capitol to reform California’s weak driving laws.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Has a Dangerous Driver Problem. A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Wants to Fix That",
"datePublished": "2026-02-04T07:00:10-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-03T15:57:46-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 13,
"slug": "politics",
"name": "Politics"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/robert-lewis/\">Robert Lewis\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/laurenhepler/\">Lauren Hepler\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12035925",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12072132/california-has-a-dangerous-driver-problem-a-bipartisan-group-of-lawmakers-wants-to-fix-that",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A bipartisan group of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-assembly\">state Assembly members\u003c/a> announced a package of bills Monday to crack down on dangerous drivers and address some of the roadway safety issues CalMatters uncovered as part of its ongoing \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/license-to-kill/\">License to Kill\u003c/a> series.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposals take aim at laws and practices that have allowed dangerous drivers to stay on California’s roads and contributed to a spike in traffic deaths. The bills would: require first-time DUI offenders to install in-car breathalyzers, lengthen many license suspensions and revocations, increase DUI training for law enforcement and close a loophole that allows people who’ve killed with their car to avoid consequences through a diversion program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sacramento is listening. We see that there is a problem and we are doing what we can, crossing that partisan divide and trying to identify real solutions that we can deliver now to make our communities safer,” said Democratic Assemblymember Nick Schultz of Burbank, chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Assembly proposals are one component of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041243/san-franciscos-streets-still-deadly-advocates-want-lurie-to-do-more\">broader reckoning over years of rising traffic deaths\u003c/a> playing out at the Capitol. Next week, a separate event is expected to include more details about new bills from the California Senate, related budget proposals and the perspective of families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, Schultz \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/01/californa-dui-law-reform/\">introduced \u003c/a>a bill to increase penalties for repeat DUI offenders. Assembly members detailed several additional legislative efforts at Monday’s press conference that would:\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Close a diversion loophole.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We reported in December that a criminal justice reform law from a few years ago was allowing judges to dismiss misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges for drivers who agreed to take part in what’s known as a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-vehicular-manslaughter-diversion/\">diversion program\u003c/a>. But in an unintended twist, that has meant the drivers not only avoided a criminal conviction but also kept a clean driving record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assembly Member Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City who chairs the Assembly Transportation Committee, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1662\">a new bill\u003c/a> that would require the DMV to add points to a driver’s license when they’re granted misdemeanor diversion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Make license suspensions and revocations start when a driver is released from custody as opposed to at the time of conviction.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, someone who is convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter would likely by law have their license revoked for three years. But the revocation would often start while they’re in prison and they might be eligible to get their license back as soon as they’re out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson said her office is finalizing language on another bill that would change that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Driving is a privilege,” Wilson said. “This package holds dangerous drivers accountable and keeps our streets safer for everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Force first-time DUI offenders to install what’s known as an ignition interlock device on their vehicles.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is now the third time that Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Democrat from Irvine, has introduced this measure.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "forum_2010101909751",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2025/04/GettyImages-1230256771-1-1020x574.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>California is currently one of the few states that doesn’t require first time offenders to install the technology, which forces a driver to blow into a breathalyzer and prove they haven’t been drinking in order to start their car. Her \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-roadway-deaths-inaction/\">previous efforts failed\u003c/a> after the Department of Motor Vehicles raised budget concerns and civil liberties groups worried it would disproportionately impact the poor and people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>California is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035925/license-to-kill\">epicenter of America’s DUI and drunk driving epidemic\u003c/a>. As moms, as dads, as Californians, it’s horrifying. And as policymakers, we have an opportunity and we have an obligation to do something about this,” Petrie-Norris said. “We know these devices work. We know that they can save lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Increase training for law enforcement officers on how to enforce the state’s DUI laws.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assembly Member Juan Alanis, a Republican from Modesto, said currently many officers only get basic training at the academy on drunk and drugged driving and must often wait for colleagues with more specialized training to assess a driver’s sobriety level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is to help those agencies and officers to be able to have that training so that way we can identify DUI drivers faster, quicker and get them off the streets,” Alanis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schultz called the package of proposals a “starting point” and said he expects his colleagues in the state Senate will also be proposing changes to save lives on the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, last month state Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat from Norwalk, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB907\">introduced a bill\u003c/a> to crack down on DUIs – increasing punishment and making it easier for prosecutors to charge repeat offenders with murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Archuleta is expected to hold a press conference later this month along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, road safety advocates and other lawmakers to announce further road safety bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/02/assembly-driving-bills/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12072132/california-has-a-dangerous-driver-problem-a-bipartisan-group-of-lawmakers-wants-to-fix-that",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12072132"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8",
"news_13",
"news_1397"
],
"tags": [
"news_18538",
"news_35344",
"news_22456"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12072135",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12072100": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12072100",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12072100",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1770154471000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "some-california-high-speed-rail-records-could-remain-secret-under-proposed-law",
"title": "Some California High-Speed Rail Records Could Remain Secret Under Proposed Law",
"publishDate": 1770154471,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Some California High-Speed Rail Records Could Remain Secret Under Proposed Law | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The auditor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-high-speed-rail\">California’s High-Speed Rail Authority\u003c/a> wants the power to keep certain records confidential, drawing concerns from transparency advocates that the agency could shield vital information about a controversial and costly public infrastructure project from the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1608\">Assembly Bill 1608\u003c/a>, authored by Assembly Transportation \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937950/lori-wilson-on-her-faith-family-and-the-special-session-on-oil-prices\">Committee Chair Lori Wilson\u003c/a>, would allow the inspector general overseeing the high-speed rail authority to withhold records that the official believes would “reveal weaknesses” that could harm the state or benefit someone inappropriately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill would also prevent the release of internal discussions and “personal papers and correspondence” if the person involved submits a written request to keep their records private.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation appears to have the blessing of Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration released a nearly identical \u003ca href=\"https://trailerbill.dof.ca.gov/public/trailerBill/pdf/1379\">budget trailer bill\u003c/a> — a vehicle for the governor and legislative leaders to adopt major reforms swiftly with minimal public input — on Monday. The language for both proposals came from the inspector general’s office, said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson of the state Department of Finance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Office of the Inspector General of High-Speed Rail Authority, which audits, monitors and makes policy recommendations to the authority, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2022/07/high-speed-rail-california/\">was formed in 2022\u003c/a> after Assembly Democrats held bullet train funding hostage in exchange for increased oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11913625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/IMG_7164-scaled-e1652127989772.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11913625\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/IMG_7164-scaled-e1652127989772.jpeg\" alt=\"A construction worker walks down a steep bridge arch.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker on the partially constructed Cedar Viaduct in Fresno in March. The 3,700-foot-long structure, with four massive arches, is part of California’s high-speed rail project. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The rail line, designed to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles, was approved by voters in 2008. At the time, it was estimated to cost $33 billion and be completed by 2020. It is now estimated to cost more than $100 billion, with only a 171-mile segment connecting Merced and Bakersfield planned for completion by 2033.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project delays and ever-increasing price tag have frustrated both Democrats and Republicans. Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Los Angeles Democrat who held up the funding in 2022, said at the time there was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2022/05/california-high-speed-rail-standoff/\">“no confidence”\u003c/a> in the project. U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Rocklin Republican, has fiercely criticized it as a waste of money and \u003ca href=\"https://kiley.house.gov/posts/representative-kiley-introduces-legislation-to-eliminate-funding-for-the-ca-high-speed-rail-project\">introduced legislation to gut federal funding\u003c/a> for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, a Suisun City Democrat and a former county auditor, said her bill would empower the inspector general’s office and shield it from public records requests for sensitive data, such as whistleblowers’ identities, details of fraud, documents regarding pending litigation and records about security risks. High-speed rail authority officials often will not turn over sensitive records to the oversight agency out of fear that the office would be compelled to release them, forcing the inspector general’s office to jump through hoops to obtain information for audits, she argued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The only way we’ll get the level of transparency and the accountability that the Legislature requires is to make sure that our (inspector general’s office), who are technically the eyes and ears of the public … have every protection they need to be able to take the full deep dive without hindrance,” Wilson told CalMatters in an interview last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palmer echoed Wilson’s point, arguing that the governor’s proposal aims to allow the inspector general’s office to “communicate sensitive findings to external bodies in position to take corrective action.”[aside postID=news_12057238 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/AP25265725194713-1-2000x1333.jpg']But some good government groups see the measure as offering the inspector general’s office blanket authority to withhold anything it doesn’t want to disclose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a wholesale atom bomb on disclosure,” said Chuck Champion, president of the California News Publishers Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the measure is drawing opposition from Republicans who already consider the project a failure. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/alexandra-macedo-187421\">Alexandra Macedo\u003c/a>, a Visalia Republican, said it is “insulting” that the project began when she was in middle school and remains far from complete. She called the empty concrete high-speed rail structures throughout her district a “modern day Stonehenge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As far as I’m concerned, every ounce of this project should be available for public consumption and should be presented factually and in entirety to the entire legislative body,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials from the High-Speed Rail Authority and the inspector general that oversees it declined CalMatters’ request for comment. Newsom’s office also did not respond to CalMatters’ questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill is the latest in a series of legislative attempts to shield records and agencies from the public. Last year, lawmakers passed laws that loosened public meeting requirements for various groups, from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb707\">local governments\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1103\">research review organizations\u003c/a>, and exempted \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb495\">insurers\u003c/a> from having to disclose information they report to the Legislature. State Treasurer Fiona Ma sponsored a measure to establish a new infrastructure agency within her office while exempting much of its operations from public disclosure, a bill that was ultimately watered down and killed last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Public Records Act, which applies to all state and local agencies except the state Legislature and judicial offices, already exempts disclosure of various types of sensitive information Wilson’s measure aims to protect, said Ginny LaRoe, advocacy director at the First Amendment Coalition, which champions press freedom and transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, state law \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-2/chapter-3/article-1/section-7922-000/\">broadly allows\u003c/a> agencies to withhold records when they believe it serves the public interest. There are also specific protections for \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-5/chapter-11/section-7927-500/\">preliminary drafts\u003c/a> and internal discussions, \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-5/chapter-12/section-7927-605/\">trade secrets\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-5/chapter-8/section-7927-200/\">documents related to pending litigation\u003c/a> involving a public agency, which are disclosable once a lawsuit is resolved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_17-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Construction on the High-Speed Rail above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 6, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local\">\u003cfigcaption>Construction on the high-speed rail project above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 6, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But interpreting the public records law would take up a lot of the inspector general’s capacity, said Wilson’s chief of staff Taylor Woolfork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bill’s objective is for this small oversight body to concentrate on generating meaningful reports that strengthen the high speed rail program, not to divert limited resources toward interpreting complex CPRA questions or defending disclosure decisions in court,” he said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Woolfork acknowledged the existing exemptions for the agency in the public records law, he said it does not go far enough to protect the inspector general’s office. Under current law, if the high-speed rail authority is being sued, the inspector general’s office could be required to release information because the agency itself isn’t being sued, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both proposals would allow people who communicate with the inspector general’s office to stay confidential as long as they make a written request, a practice in laws that govern the state auditor’s office and inspectors general at other agencies, such as the state departments of transportation and corrections and rehabilitation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>‘If any project should have intense transparency and scrutiny, it’s the high-speed rail.’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ccite>Chuck Champion, president of the California News Publishers Association\u003c/cite>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the decision to withhold that information should be based on a set of “objective legitimate criteria … independent of someone’s personal wishes,” LaRoe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A whistleblower … understandably may have fear of coming forward with important information about waste, fraud or abuse, but that doesn’t mean that they should unilaterally be able to control what the public has access to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LaRoe also took issue with allowing the inspector general to shield information due to potential “weaknesses” such as “information security, physical security, fraud detection controls, or pending litigation” — language that CalMatters could not find anywhere else in state public records access laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On its face, I could see an agency refusing to disclose information because it’s embarrassing, because it shows a weakness,” LaRoe said. “Too often, we see agencies interpreting words in ways that ultimately protect people or decisions that maybe look embarrassing or are uncomfortable or create controversy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the language, Wilson said she expects the proposal will be “honed in” on through the legislative process. “This was, we felt, a good starting point,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it is troubling whenever lawmakers seek to further shield public agencies from disclosure requirements — especially a watchdog agency overseeing such a controversial project, LaRoe and Champion said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If any project should have intense transparency and scrutiny, it’s the high-speed rail,” Champion said. “This project has been a disaster from jump street. And what else is in there that we have not yet found that they could tuck into this loophole?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/02/california-high-speed-rail-record-exemption/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "California created an inspector general to monitor its long-delayed high-speed rail project. Now, one lawmaker wants to allow that office to withhold some investigative records from the public.\r\n\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1770154471,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 34,
"wordCount": 1519
},
"headData": {
"title": "Some California High-Speed Rail Records Could Remain Secret Under Proposed Law | KQED",
"description": "California created an inspector general to monitor its long-delayed high-speed rail project. Now, one lawmaker wants to allow that office to withhold some investigative records from the public.\r\n\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Some California High-Speed Rail Records Could Remain Secret Under Proposed Law",
"datePublished": "2026-02-03T13:34:31-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-03T13:34:31-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1397,
"slug": "transportation",
"name": "Transportation"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12072100",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12072100/some-california-high-speed-rail-records-could-remain-secret-under-proposed-law",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The auditor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-high-speed-rail\">California’s High-Speed Rail Authority\u003c/a> wants the power to keep certain records confidential, drawing concerns from transparency advocates that the agency could shield vital information about a controversial and costly public infrastructure project from the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1608\">Assembly Bill 1608\u003c/a>, authored by Assembly Transportation \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937950/lori-wilson-on-her-faith-family-and-the-special-session-on-oil-prices\">Committee Chair Lori Wilson\u003c/a>, would allow the inspector general overseeing the high-speed rail authority to withhold records that the official believes would “reveal weaknesses” that could harm the state or benefit someone inappropriately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill would also prevent the release of internal discussions and “personal papers and correspondence” if the person involved submits a written request to keep their records private.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation appears to have the blessing of Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration released a nearly identical \u003ca href=\"https://trailerbill.dof.ca.gov/public/trailerBill/pdf/1379\">budget trailer bill\u003c/a> — a vehicle for the governor and legislative leaders to adopt major reforms swiftly with minimal public input — on Monday. The language for both proposals came from the inspector general’s office, said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson of the state Department of Finance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Office of the Inspector General of High-Speed Rail Authority, which audits, monitors and makes policy recommendations to the authority, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2022/07/high-speed-rail-california/\">was formed in 2022\u003c/a> after Assembly Democrats held bullet train funding hostage in exchange for increased oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11913625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/IMG_7164-scaled-e1652127989772.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11913625\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/IMG_7164-scaled-e1652127989772.jpeg\" alt=\"A construction worker walks down a steep bridge arch.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker on the partially constructed Cedar Viaduct in Fresno in March. The 3,700-foot-long structure, with four massive arches, is part of California’s high-speed rail project. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The rail line, designed to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles, was approved by voters in 2008. At the time, it was estimated to cost $33 billion and be completed by 2020. It is now estimated to cost more than $100 billion, with only a 171-mile segment connecting Merced and Bakersfield planned for completion by 2033.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project delays and ever-increasing price tag have frustrated both Democrats and Republicans. Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Los Angeles Democrat who held up the funding in 2022, said at the time there was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2022/05/california-high-speed-rail-standoff/\">“no confidence”\u003c/a> in the project. U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Rocklin Republican, has fiercely criticized it as a waste of money and \u003ca href=\"https://kiley.house.gov/posts/representative-kiley-introduces-legislation-to-eliminate-funding-for-the-ca-high-speed-rail-project\">introduced legislation to gut federal funding\u003c/a> for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, a Suisun City Democrat and a former county auditor, said her bill would empower the inspector general’s office and shield it from public records requests for sensitive data, such as whistleblowers’ identities, details of fraud, documents regarding pending litigation and records about security risks. High-speed rail authority officials often will not turn over sensitive records to the oversight agency out of fear that the office would be compelled to release them, forcing the inspector general’s office to jump through hoops to obtain information for audits, she argued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The only way we’ll get the level of transparency and the accountability that the Legislature requires is to make sure that our (inspector general’s office), who are technically the eyes and ears of the public … have every protection they need to be able to take the full deep dive without hindrance,” Wilson told CalMatters in an interview last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palmer echoed Wilson’s point, arguing that the governor’s proposal aims to allow the inspector general’s office to “communicate sensitive findings to external bodies in position to take corrective action.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12057238",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/AP25265725194713-1-2000x1333.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But some good government groups see the measure as offering the inspector general’s office blanket authority to withhold anything it doesn’t want to disclose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a wholesale atom bomb on disclosure,” said Chuck Champion, president of the California News Publishers Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the measure is drawing opposition from Republicans who already consider the project a failure. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/alexandra-macedo-187421\">Alexandra Macedo\u003c/a>, a Visalia Republican, said it is “insulting” that the project began when she was in middle school and remains far from complete. She called the empty concrete high-speed rail structures throughout her district a “modern day Stonehenge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As far as I’m concerned, every ounce of this project should be available for public consumption and should be presented factually and in entirety to the entire legislative body,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials from the High-Speed Rail Authority and the inspector general that oversees it declined CalMatters’ request for comment. Newsom’s office also did not respond to CalMatters’ questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill is the latest in a series of legislative attempts to shield records and agencies from the public. Last year, lawmakers passed laws that loosened public meeting requirements for various groups, from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb707\">local governments\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1103\">research review organizations\u003c/a>, and exempted \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb495\">insurers\u003c/a> from having to disclose information they report to the Legislature. State Treasurer Fiona Ma sponsored a measure to establish a new infrastructure agency within her office while exempting much of its operations from public disclosure, a bill that was ultimately watered down and killed last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Public Records Act, which applies to all state and local agencies except the state Legislature and judicial offices, already exempts disclosure of various types of sensitive information Wilson’s measure aims to protect, said Ginny LaRoe, advocacy director at the First Amendment Coalition, which champions press freedom and transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, state law \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-2/chapter-3/article-1/section-7922-000/\">broadly allows\u003c/a> agencies to withhold records when they believe it serves the public interest. There are also specific protections for \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-5/chapter-11/section-7927-500/\">preliminary drafts\u003c/a> and internal discussions, \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-5/chapter-12/section-7927-605/\">trade secrets\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-1/division-10/part-5/chapter-8/section-7927-200/\">documents related to pending litigation\u003c/a> involving a public agency, which are disclosable once a lawsuit is resolved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/030623-High-Speed-Rail-LV_CM_17-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Construction on the High-Speed Rail above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 6, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local\">\u003cfigcaption>Construction on the high-speed rail project above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 6, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But interpreting the public records law would take up a lot of the inspector general’s capacity, said Wilson’s chief of staff Taylor Woolfork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bill’s objective is for this small oversight body to concentrate on generating meaningful reports that strengthen the high speed rail program, not to divert limited resources toward interpreting complex CPRA questions or defending disclosure decisions in court,” he said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Woolfork acknowledged the existing exemptions for the agency in the public records law, he said it does not go far enough to protect the inspector general’s office. Under current law, if the high-speed rail authority is being sued, the inspector general’s office could be required to release information because the agency itself isn’t being sued, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both proposals would allow people who communicate with the inspector general’s office to stay confidential as long as they make a written request, a practice in laws that govern the state auditor’s office and inspectors general at other agencies, such as the state departments of transportation and corrections and rehabilitation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>‘If any project should have intense transparency and scrutiny, it’s the high-speed rail.’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ccite>Chuck Champion, president of the California News Publishers Association\u003c/cite>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the decision to withhold that information should be based on a set of “objective legitimate criteria … independent of someone’s personal wishes,” LaRoe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A whistleblower … understandably may have fear of coming forward with important information about waste, fraud or abuse, but that doesn’t mean that they should unilaterally be able to control what the public has access to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LaRoe also took issue with allowing the inspector general to shield information due to potential “weaknesses” such as “information security, physical security, fraud detection controls, or pending litigation” — language that CalMatters could not find anywhere else in state public records access laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On its face, I could see an agency refusing to disclose information because it’s embarrassing, because it shows a weakness,” LaRoe said. “Too often, we see agencies interpreting words in ways that ultimately protect people or decisions that maybe look embarrassing or are uncomfortable or create controversy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the language, Wilson said she expects the proposal will be “honed in” on through the legislative process. “This was, we felt, a good starting point,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it is troubling whenever lawmakers seek to further shield public agencies from disclosure requirements — especially a watchdog agency overseeing such a controversial project, LaRoe and Champion said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If any project should have intense transparency and scrutiny, it’s the high-speed rail,” Champion said. “This project has been a disaster from jump street. And what else is in there that we have not yet found that they could tuck into this loophole?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/02/california-high-speed-rail-record-exemption/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12072100/some-california-high-speed-rail-records-could-remain-secret-under-proposed-law",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12072100"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8",
"news_13",
"news_1397"
],
"tags": [
"news_20290",
"news_22772",
"news_16",
"news_309",
"news_4",
"news_1764",
"news_38"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12072103",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12071892": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12071892",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071892",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1770066010000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "child-care-in-california-was-already-hard-to-find-the-immigration-crackdown-has-made-it-worse",
"title": "Child Care in California Was Already Hard to Find — the Immigration Crackdown Has Made It Worse",
"publishDate": 1770066010,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Child Care in California Was Already Hard to Find — the Immigration Crackdown Has Made It Worse | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent weekday morning in Los Angeles, a young mother dropped off her 2-year-old and 4-year-old at a child care center located in a neighbor’s home. It was the 2-year-old’s birthday, so she also brought a treat for the staff and kids: a “Cars”-themed red velvet cake, the child’s favorite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then she went off to her job as an office cleaner. The child care provider never saw her again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She was picked up,” said the provider, Adriana, who asked to be identified only by her first name because although she is a legal resident of the U.S. she fears wrongful deportation. She also asked not to name the mother and children. “The kids were saying, ‘Where’s mommy? Where’s mommy?’ It was hard for us providers to explain. It was heartbreaking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigrants has taken a particularly high toll on the child care industry – both for families and providers. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/publications/blog/nearly-half-a-million-early-childhood-educators-are-immigrants/\">almost 40%\u003c/a> of the workforce is foreign-born and more than a million parents — immigrant and otherwise — rely on child care providers so they can go to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Absenteeism and empty classrooms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several recent reports have found that since Trump beefed up immigration enforcement, child care centers have lost staff — immigrants who are afraid to come to work — as well as immigrant parents who are afraid to drop their children off for fear of being arrested and separated from their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/publications/brief/immigration-policies-harm-ece/\">One study\u003c/a>, from the Center for Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley, found the effects to be wide-ranging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071645\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071645\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A daycare worker hugs a child in a play room at her child care facility in San José on Oct. 2, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The administration’s policies targeting immigrant populations not only harm the immigrant (early childhood education) workforce, they also have the potential to destabilize the already-fragile ECE system that immigrant and nonimmigrant children, families, and ECE professionals rely on,” the authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The loss of staff and revenue has \u003ca href=\"https://d1y8sb8igg2f8e.cloudfront.net/documents/ICE_and_Child_Care__Media_1-Pager.pdf\">affected all families\u003c/a>, not just immigrants, because it means the already-tight child care market has shrunk even further, according to New America, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Aggressive immigration enforcement has already caused closures, empty classrooms, and absenteeism in day care centers in some communities,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/immigrant-workers-childcare-crisis/\">according to a report \u003c/a>by the American Immigration Council, a research and advocacy organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Bigger than we can imagine’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is home to about 1.7 million babies and toddlers, the vast majority of whom spend at least some time in child care while their parents work. Some are enrolled in licensed day care centers, some have nannies, and others have informal arrangements with neighbors or family members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tightening of the child care industry has been an extra burden on families who are already juggling the demands of work and home life. Child care is \u003ca href=\"https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/californias-child-care-crisis-high-unmet-need-and-regional-disparities/\">expensive and hard to find\u003c/a> in California — the immigration crackdown has made it even harder.[aside postID=news_12070762 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/240911-CHILDCARE-REAX-MD-01_qed.jpg']“The impact, especially on women, is bigger than we can imagine,” said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, which advocates for early childhood education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s the children who might suffer the most, she said. Not only are some missing their regular child care providers, but those with immigrant parents may be experiencing stress at home and a disruption of their routine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids benefit from going to child care. That’s a healthy, safe place for them to be,” Lozano said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lozano’s group encourages immigrant families to make a plan for their children in case a parent is arrested, and inform the child care provider. The group also reminds child care providers they shouldn’t allow immigration enforcement officers into a child care center unless the agents have a signed judicial warrant. Early Edge California and other groups have published a website, \u003ca href=\"https://allinforhealth.org/safe-schools/\">All in for Safe Schools\u003c/a>, that offers guidance to schools and child care centers on how to help immigrant families and LGBTQ students. In addition, the Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 30,000 chid care providers in California, also provides resources for immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Know your rights, have a plan, be prepared,” Lozano said. “And talk to your kids about it in a way they can understand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Locked doors, pulled shades\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In Alameda County, where 34% of the population is foreign-born, the immigration crackdown has had a noticeable effect on families and child care providers, even though the county has not seen significant immigration enforcement compared to other regions, said Kym Johnson, chief executive officer of BANANAS, a nonprofit child care referral and family resource service in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some child care providers are avoiding public places, such as parks and playgrounds, while some immigrant families have dropped out of playgroups or kept their children home from day care when immigration agents are spotted in the neighborhood, Johnson said.[aside postID=news_12069711 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260115-SFCHILDCARESUBSIDIES00057_TV-KQED.jpg']At one playgroup in East Oakland, organizers started locking the door and closing the blinds to make families feel safe. At another playgroup, located at a library, staff helped families create safety plans in case immigration agents arrived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bananas used to hold monthly diaper give-aways in a parking lot that would regularly attract 200 families. Fewer people started showing up after Trump took office, Johnson said, so now the group holds the giveaways several times a month, attracting smaller crowds, and moved the event indoors, so families can’t be seen from the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People have been trying to stay under the radar when they can,” Johnson said. “We do what we can to help people, because so many of these families don’t have a voice. And the kiddos especially don’t have a voice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’re targeting everyone’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Adriana, the child care provider in Los Angeles, has been in the child care business for 23 years. She tends to a dozen or so children in her home and is also raising her own four children. The day of the 2-year-old’s “Cars”-themed birthday, Adriana called the children’s grandmother after the mother didn’t arrive to pick them up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alarmed, the grandmother tried unsuccessfully to reach the children’s mother and then brought the children to her house. Eventually the family learned what happened: Both the children’s parents plus their uncle were arrested and deported to Colombia. After a few weeks, the grandmother and children moved to Colombia, as well, so the family could be united.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Adriana started bringing her passport everywhere she went. She also started locking both gates at her house, not opening the front door unless she knows who’s ringing the bell, and working with parents — even those with legal status — to create back-up plans in case they’re arrested.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m here legally, but they’re targeting everyone,” she said. “I’m just scared. What if my kids are in school and I can’t call? I try not to let it affect me, but it’s always in the back of my mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She often feels frustrated and helpless, but tries to create a safe, welcoming environment for the children in her care so they can focus on having fun — and find some relief from the anxiety they may be feeling at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s sad. (Immigration agents) are targeting hard-working people, not criminals,” she said. “People who are just trying to make ends meet for their families. But my job is to take care of children. So we try not to put that fear onto the kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/child-care-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "In California, almost 40% of the workforce is foreign-born and more than a million parents — immigrant and otherwise — rely on child care providers so they can go to work.\r\n\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1770054554,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 1420
},
"headData": {
"title": "Child Care in California Was Already Hard to Find — the Immigration Crackdown Has Made It Worse | KQED",
"description": "In California, almost 40% of the workforce is foreign-born and more than a million parents — immigrant and otherwise — rely on child care providers so they can go to work.\r\n\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Child Care in California Was Already Hard to Find — the Immigration Crackdown Has Made It Worse",
"datePublished": "2026-02-02T13:00:10-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-02T09:49:14-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1169,
"slug": "immigration",
"name": "Immigration"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Carolyn Jones, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12071647",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12071892/child-care-in-california-was-already-hard-to-find-the-immigration-crackdown-has-made-it-worse",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent weekday morning in Los Angeles, a young mother dropped off her 2-year-old and 4-year-old at a child care center located in a neighbor’s home. It was the 2-year-old’s birthday, so she also brought a treat for the staff and kids: a “Cars”-themed red velvet cake, the child’s favorite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then she went off to her job as an office cleaner. The child care provider never saw her again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She was picked up,” said the provider, Adriana, who asked to be identified only by her first name because although she is a legal resident of the U.S. she fears wrongful deportation. She also asked not to name the mother and children. “The kids were saying, ‘Where’s mommy? Where’s mommy?’ It was hard for us providers to explain. It was heartbreaking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigrants has taken a particularly high toll on the child care industry – both for families and providers. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/publications/blog/nearly-half-a-million-early-childhood-educators-are-immigrants/\">almost 40%\u003c/a> of the workforce is foreign-born and more than a million parents — immigrant and otherwise — rely on child care providers so they can go to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Absenteeism and empty classrooms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several recent reports have found that since Trump beefed up immigration enforcement, child care centers have lost staff — immigrants who are afraid to come to work — as well as immigrant parents who are afraid to drop their children off for fear of being arrested and separated from their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/publications/brief/immigration-policies-harm-ece/\">One study\u003c/a>, from the Center for Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley, found the effects to be wide-ranging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071645\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071645\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/231002-ChildCareLaborMovement-011-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A daycare worker hugs a child in a play room at her child care facility in San José on Oct. 2, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The administration’s policies targeting immigrant populations not only harm the immigrant (early childhood education) workforce, they also have the potential to destabilize the already-fragile ECE system that immigrant and nonimmigrant children, families, and ECE professionals rely on,” the authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The loss of staff and revenue has \u003ca href=\"https://d1y8sb8igg2f8e.cloudfront.net/documents/ICE_and_Child_Care__Media_1-Pager.pdf\">affected all families\u003c/a>, not just immigrants, because it means the already-tight child care market has shrunk even further, according to New America, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Aggressive immigration enforcement has already caused closures, empty classrooms, and absenteeism in day care centers in some communities,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/immigrant-workers-childcare-crisis/\">according to a report \u003c/a>by the American Immigration Council, a research and advocacy organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Bigger than we can imagine’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is home to about 1.7 million babies and toddlers, the vast majority of whom spend at least some time in child care while their parents work. Some are enrolled in licensed day care centers, some have nannies, and others have informal arrangements with neighbors or family members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tightening of the child care industry has been an extra burden on families who are already juggling the demands of work and home life. Child care is \u003ca href=\"https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/californias-child-care-crisis-high-unmet-need-and-regional-disparities/\">expensive and hard to find\u003c/a> in California — the immigration crackdown has made it even harder.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12070762",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/240911-CHILDCARE-REAX-MD-01_qed.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The impact, especially on women, is bigger than we can imagine,” said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, which advocates for early childhood education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s the children who might suffer the most, she said. Not only are some missing their regular child care providers, but those with immigrant parents may be experiencing stress at home and a disruption of their routine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids benefit from going to child care. That’s a healthy, safe place for them to be,” Lozano said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lozano’s group encourages immigrant families to make a plan for their children in case a parent is arrested, and inform the child care provider. The group also reminds child care providers they shouldn’t allow immigration enforcement officers into a child care center unless the agents have a signed judicial warrant. Early Edge California and other groups have published a website, \u003ca href=\"https://allinforhealth.org/safe-schools/\">All in for Safe Schools\u003c/a>, that offers guidance to schools and child care centers on how to help immigrant families and LGBTQ students. In addition, the Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 30,000 chid care providers in California, also provides resources for immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Know your rights, have a plan, be prepared,” Lozano said. “And talk to your kids about it in a way they can understand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Locked doors, pulled shades\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In Alameda County, where 34% of the population is foreign-born, the immigration crackdown has had a noticeable effect on families and child care providers, even though the county has not seen significant immigration enforcement compared to other regions, said Kym Johnson, chief executive officer of BANANAS, a nonprofit child care referral and family resource service in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some child care providers are avoiding public places, such as parks and playgrounds, while some immigrant families have dropped out of playgroups or kept their children home from day care when immigration agents are spotted in the neighborhood, Johnson said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12069711",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260115-SFCHILDCARESUBSIDIES00057_TV-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>At one playgroup in East Oakland, organizers started locking the door and closing the blinds to make families feel safe. At another playgroup, located at a library, staff helped families create safety plans in case immigration agents arrived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bananas used to hold monthly diaper give-aways in a parking lot that would regularly attract 200 families. Fewer people started showing up after Trump took office, Johnson said, so now the group holds the giveaways several times a month, attracting smaller crowds, and moved the event indoors, so families can’t be seen from the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People have been trying to stay under the radar when they can,” Johnson said. “We do what we can to help people, because so many of these families don’t have a voice. And the kiddos especially don’t have a voice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’re targeting everyone’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Adriana, the child care provider in Los Angeles, has been in the child care business for 23 years. She tends to a dozen or so children in her home and is also raising her own four children. The day of the 2-year-old’s “Cars”-themed birthday, Adriana called the children’s grandmother after the mother didn’t arrive to pick them up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alarmed, the grandmother tried unsuccessfully to reach the children’s mother and then brought the children to her house. Eventually the family learned what happened: Both the children’s parents plus their uncle were arrested and deported to Colombia. After a few weeks, the grandmother and children moved to Colombia, as well, so the family could be united.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Adriana started bringing her passport everywhere she went. She also started locking both gates at her house, not opening the front door unless she knows who’s ringing the bell, and working with parents — even those with legal status — to create back-up plans in case they’re arrested.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m here legally, but they’re targeting everyone,” she said. “I’m just scared. What if my kids are in school and I can’t call? I try not to let it affect me, but it’s always in the back of my mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She often feels frustrated and helpless, but tries to create a safe, welcoming environment for the children in her care so they can focus on having fun — and find some relief from the anxiety they may be feeling at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s sad. (Immigration agents) are targeting hard-working people, not criminals,” she said. “People who are just trying to make ends meet for their families. But my job is to take care of children. So we try not to put that fear onto the kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/child-care-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12071892/child-care-in-california-was-already-hard-to-find-the-immigration-crackdown-has-made-it-worse",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12071892"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_18540",
"news_1169",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_22772",
"news_20754",
"news_29460",
"news_20202"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12071896",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12071886": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12071886",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071886",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1770055248000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-rep-david-valadao-voted-for-medi-cal-cuts-will-voters-hold-it-against-him",
"title": "California Rep. David Valadao Voted for Medi-Cal Cuts. Will Voters Hold It Against Him?",
"publishDate": 1770055248,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Rep. David Valadao Voted for Medi-Cal Cuts. Will Voters Hold It Against Him? | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/david-valadao\">David Valadao\u003c/a> has some explaining to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly two-thirds of constituents in his Central Valley district — approximately 527,000 Californians — are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program that provides health care coverage to low-income Americans and those with disabilities. At 64%, Valadao’s district has the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/medicaid/congressional-district-interactive-map-medicaid-enrollment-by-eligibility-group/\">highest \u003c/a>Medicaid enrollment rate of any Republican seat in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet last year, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12033802/how-cuts-medicaid-republican-gains-california\">Republican cast what would become\u003c/a> the decisive vote to pass President Donald Trump’s domestic policy megabill, a law that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051681/local-health-providers-prepare-for-medi-cal-cuts\">slashed more than $1 trillion\u003c/a> from Medicaid and other programs that help the poorest Americans to pay for tax cuts that will mostly \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/us/politics/trump-gop-policy-bill-rich-poor.html\">benefit \u003c/a>the country’s richest. One of the most drastic changes is stricter eligibility requirements for Medicaid that California officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT9_aI0TD5U\">estimate \u003c/a>will kick two million Californians off their health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans across the country will face an uphill battle in the midterms as they toil to defend — and sell — the record of their party’s widely unpopular and polarizing president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Valadao in particular has the unenviable task of justifying why he consistently supported — not just on final passage, but at each procedural step along the way — a measure that bears such dire consequences for so many of the constituents whose votes he’ll need to win reelection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11977150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1255046317-scaled-e1770053296326.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11977150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1255046317-scaled-e1770053296326.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rep. David Valadao stands in his milo field on Oct. 21, 2022 in Hanford, King’s County. \u003ccite>(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His two Democratic opponents are already arguing that Valadao’s vote in favor of the “one big beautiful bill,” which came after he suggested he wouldn’t support cutting Medicaid, amounts to a breach of trust that should cost him his job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was the deciding vote. His one vote could have stopped that,” said Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jasmeet-bains-165424\">Jasmeet Bains\u003c/a>, a Bakersfield physician who’s challenging Valadao.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Randy Villegas, a Visalia school board trustee and college professor who is also vying for the chance to unseat Valadao, put it more bluntly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He “lied to our faces,” Villegas said, using an expletive for emphasis. “We have somebody in office who is willing to try and do or say whatever is politically convenient to save his own butt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the six-term congressman declined CalMatters’ requests for an interview, saying his schedule was full.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Congressman David Valadao has consistently fought for Central Valley families and real solutions to strengthen rural health care, not played politics for headlines,” wrote Christian Martinez, regional press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after his final vote on the megabill, Valadao stressed that even though he \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3103\">still had concerns\u003c/a> with the bill, he ultimately voted for it to avoid tax hikes that would result from the expiration of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. While Valadao and other Republicans have marketed those cuts as tax relief for middle- and low-income families, economists agree that they \u003ca href=\"https://economics.ucla.edu/how-a-historic-corporate-tax-cut-reshaped-the-u-s-economy/#:~:text=The%20researchers%20identify%20a%20substantial,costs%20required%20to%20produce%20them.\">disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans and corporations\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Can Democrats replicate 2018?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Out of seven elections, Valadao has only lost once – in 2018, as part of the decisive “blue wave” that flipped control of the House during Trump’s first midterm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That year, Democrats leveraged the GOP’s multiple failed attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a program that since its creation has grown broadly popular with Americans across the political spectrum. Also looming then was the White House’s controversial practice of separating immigrant children from their parents and detaining them to deter border crossings.[aside postID=news_12033802 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250323-DEM-TOWN-HALLS-MD-14-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg']Even casual observers of politics can draw the parallels between 2018 — a Trump midterm election defined by Republican attacks on health care and aggressive immigration enforcement — and 2026. And national Democrats for months have said they plan to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/us/politics/trump-budget-medicaid.html\">run the same playbook\u003c/a> as they push to flip the House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican strategists agree this will be the most difficult reelection that incumbent House Republicans have faced since the last time Trump was in office, even for someone like Valadao who has consistently outperformed as a Republican in a Democratic-leaning district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think this is the year that Valadao is in deep trouble,” said Mike Madrid, Republican political consultant and cofounder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. “Nine times out of 10, I don’t say that. But this year is going to look a lot like 2018 — probably more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Valadao reclaimed his seat in 2020, he’s twice fended off challenges from former Democratic Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a moderate with strong backing from national Democrats. (Salas \u003ca href=\"https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00791756/1932283/\">filed candidate paperwork\u003c/a> but \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2026/01/27/republicans-navigate-alex-prettis-killing-00748773\">recently stated\u003c/a> he has not yet decided whether he’ll enter the race.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has also sought to further burnish his reputation as a moderate and an independent thinker rather than a Trump acolyte. Of the 10 Republican defectors who voted with Democrats in 2021 to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, Valadao is the only one left in Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Will Medicaid vote cost Valadao his job?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After Trump won reelection in 2024 and congressional Republicans started crafting the president’s first big legislative package, Valadao repeatedly signaled that he wouldn’t support a bill that threatened Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one letter to House leadership, Valadao and some Hispanic lawmakers argued that such cuts “would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/092525_Redistricting-Day-2_LV_CM_12-1024x682.jpg\" alt='A red political sign is seen near a highways with cars passing through. That sign, that includes an image of a lawmaker next to an image of a child, reads \" Rep. Valadao cut our healthcare to give tax breaks to billionaires.\"'>\u003cfigcaption>A political sign against U.S. Rep. David Valadao off of Highway 198 in Lemoore on Sept. 26, 2025. Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But ultimately, he voted several times to advance Trump’s domestic policy agenda, which health care advocates and constituents lambasted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think there was really a sense of betrayal among at least some of his voters, who thought, ‘You know, this is not what I elected him to Congress to do — I thought he was a different kind of Republican who would represent the needs of the district,’” said Amanda McAllister-Wallner, executive director of Health Access. She helped lead the coalition known as “Fight for Our Health,” which lobbied Valadao and other California House Republicans to vote against the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valadao’s vote was especially significant given that the 22nd Congressional District, which he represents, is home to a higher percentage of Medicaid enrollees than any other Republican district in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valadao has defended his votes and said he ultimately supported the legislation because it preserved the Medicaid program “for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled and elderly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics say the more stringent eligibility requirements will cause patients of all ages to lose coverage, since proving eligibility can be a confusing and laborious process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know how important the program is for my constituents,” Valadao \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3103\">wrote in a statement\u003c/a> after he voted to approve the bill. He added that several of the most concerning policy changes that “would have devastated healthcare in my district,” were removed as a result of his “many months of meetings” with Republican leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Valadao does damage control\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since the vote, Valadao has seemingly worked to insulate himself from potentially difficult questions, declining multiple interviews with CalMatters for several different stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a nod to the issue that lost him the 2018 race, Valadao also joined Democrats and 16 other Republicans to buck House GOP leadership in a symbolic vote to extend the already-expired Affordable Care Act tax subsidies. More than 85,000 of his constituents on ACA plans saw their health premiums skyrocket by an average of $85 per month, \u003ca href=\"https://fightforourhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/FFOH-District-22-Fact-Sheet-23636-1.pdf\">according to health advocates\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12071841 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg']When he has received questions about Medicaid funding, he has pointed repeatedly to the “Rural Health Transformation Project,” a $50 billion fund tucked into the Trump megabill designed to help some rural hospitals keep their doors open as \u003ca href=\"https://calhospital.org/federal-medicaid-cuts-will-strip-up-to-128-billion-from-ca-hospitals-cha-estimates/\">they prepare to lose billions in Medicaid revenue\u003c/a>. Critics have pointed out that California would only receive $230 million from the program in 2026, a fraction of the estimated $15 billion the state’s hospitals would have received in Medicaid dollars this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valadao co-hosted a roundtable last month with local health care industry leaders and advocates, Rep. Vince Fong and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under Trump. The event was closed to the press, and one attendee said there was little time to address specific questions or concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would say that it felt performative,” said Virginia Hedrick, CEO of the California Rural Indian Health Board. She said she was frustrated that the conversation was largely scripted and felt more like a sales pitch for Oz and the White House’s agenda than a genuine discussion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a great roundtable of people who would have loved to have a more robust conversation around true impacts and what solutions exist,” Hedrick said. “And those solutions would be congressional fixes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>‘It felt performative.’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ccite>Virginia Hedrick, CEO of the California Rural Indian Health Board.\u003c/cite>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But as much as Valadao’s opponents hope to leverage the Medicaid cuts, political strategists warn that they should not fixate too much on health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I were running the campaign against him, I would not pin all my hopes on that,” said Madrid. He argued that Democrats should tap into Americans’ concerns about the economy and the cost of living, which consistently poll as the top issue for voters and are “politically poisonous” for Republicans given that prices have only risen since their party took control of Washington.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rob Stutzman, a veteran Republican political strategist, posited that Medicaid wouldn’t be as strong a motivator as the Affordable Care Act was to get voters out. The people most affected by those cuts, low-income families and those with disabilities, are not the typical demographic of likely midterm voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s as equipped to weather a Trump midterm as a lot of Republicans in similar situations across the country,” Stutzman said of Valadao. “He’s now a long-term incumbent. He’s got a lot of muscle and strength in that district.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/02/congress-valadao-medicaid-cuts/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Democrats hope to oust him again by leveraging his vote for the GOP megabill that will cut funding to Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage for nearly two-thirds of his constituents.\r\n\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1770069079,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 41,
"wordCount": 1842
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Rep. David Valadao Voted for Medi-Cal Cuts. Will Voters Hold It Against Him? | KQED",
"description": "Democrats hope to oust him again by leveraging his vote for the GOP megabill that will cut funding to Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage for nearly two-thirds of his constituents.\r\n\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Rep. David Valadao Voted for Medi-Cal Cuts. Will Voters Hold It Against Him?",
"datePublished": "2026-02-02T10:00:48-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-02T13:51:19-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 13,
"slug": "politics",
"name": "Politics"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Maya C. Miller, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12071886",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12071886/california-rep-david-valadao-voted-for-medi-cal-cuts-will-voters-hold-it-against-him",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/david-valadao\">David Valadao\u003c/a> has some explaining to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly two-thirds of constituents in his Central Valley district — approximately 527,000 Californians — are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program that provides health care coverage to low-income Americans and those with disabilities. At 64%, Valadao’s district has the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/medicaid/congressional-district-interactive-map-medicaid-enrollment-by-eligibility-group/\">highest \u003c/a>Medicaid enrollment rate of any Republican seat in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet last year, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12033802/how-cuts-medicaid-republican-gains-california\">Republican cast what would become\u003c/a> the decisive vote to pass President Donald Trump’s domestic policy megabill, a law that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051681/local-health-providers-prepare-for-medi-cal-cuts\">slashed more than $1 trillion\u003c/a> from Medicaid and other programs that help the poorest Americans to pay for tax cuts that will mostly \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/us/politics/trump-gop-policy-bill-rich-poor.html\">benefit \u003c/a>the country’s richest. One of the most drastic changes is stricter eligibility requirements for Medicaid that California officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT9_aI0TD5U\">estimate \u003c/a>will kick two million Californians off their health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans across the country will face an uphill battle in the midterms as they toil to defend — and sell — the record of their party’s widely unpopular and polarizing president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Valadao in particular has the unenviable task of justifying why he consistently supported — not just on final passage, but at each procedural step along the way — a measure that bears such dire consequences for so many of the constituents whose votes he’ll need to win reelection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11977150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1255046317-scaled-e1770053296326.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11977150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1255046317-scaled-e1770053296326.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rep. David Valadao stands in his milo field on Oct. 21, 2022 in Hanford, King’s County. \u003ccite>(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His two Democratic opponents are already arguing that Valadao’s vote in favor of the “one big beautiful bill,” which came after he suggested he wouldn’t support cutting Medicaid, amounts to a breach of trust that should cost him his job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was the deciding vote. His one vote could have stopped that,” said Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jasmeet-bains-165424\">Jasmeet Bains\u003c/a>, a Bakersfield physician who’s challenging Valadao.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Randy Villegas, a Visalia school board trustee and college professor who is also vying for the chance to unseat Valadao, put it more bluntly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He “lied to our faces,” Villegas said, using an expletive for emphasis. “We have somebody in office who is willing to try and do or say whatever is politically convenient to save his own butt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the six-term congressman declined CalMatters’ requests for an interview, saying his schedule was full.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Congressman David Valadao has consistently fought for Central Valley families and real solutions to strengthen rural health care, not played politics for headlines,” wrote Christian Martinez, regional press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after his final vote on the megabill, Valadao stressed that even though he \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3103\">still had concerns\u003c/a> with the bill, he ultimately voted for it to avoid tax hikes that would result from the expiration of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. While Valadao and other Republicans have marketed those cuts as tax relief for middle- and low-income families, economists agree that they \u003ca href=\"https://economics.ucla.edu/how-a-historic-corporate-tax-cut-reshaped-the-u-s-economy/#:~:text=The%20researchers%20identify%20a%20substantial,costs%20required%20to%20produce%20them.\">disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans and corporations\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Can Democrats replicate 2018?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Out of seven elections, Valadao has only lost once – in 2018, as part of the decisive “blue wave” that flipped control of the House during Trump’s first midterm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That year, Democrats leveraged the GOP’s multiple failed attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a program that since its creation has grown broadly popular with Americans across the political spectrum. Also looming then was the White House’s controversial practice of separating immigrant children from their parents and detaining them to deter border crossings.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12033802",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250323-DEM-TOWN-HALLS-MD-14-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Even casual observers of politics can draw the parallels between 2018 — a Trump midterm election defined by Republican attacks on health care and aggressive immigration enforcement — and 2026. And national Democrats for months have said they plan to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/us/politics/trump-budget-medicaid.html\">run the same playbook\u003c/a> as they push to flip the House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican strategists agree this will be the most difficult reelection that incumbent House Republicans have faced since the last time Trump was in office, even for someone like Valadao who has consistently outperformed as a Republican in a Democratic-leaning district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think this is the year that Valadao is in deep trouble,” said Mike Madrid, Republican political consultant and cofounder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. “Nine times out of 10, I don’t say that. But this year is going to look a lot like 2018 — probably more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Valadao reclaimed his seat in 2020, he’s twice fended off challenges from former Democratic Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a moderate with strong backing from national Democrats. (Salas \u003ca href=\"https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00791756/1932283/\">filed candidate paperwork\u003c/a> but \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2026/01/27/republicans-navigate-alex-prettis-killing-00748773\">recently stated\u003c/a> he has not yet decided whether he’ll enter the race.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has also sought to further burnish his reputation as a moderate and an independent thinker rather than a Trump acolyte. Of the 10 Republican defectors who voted with Democrats in 2021 to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, Valadao is the only one left in Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Will Medicaid vote cost Valadao his job?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After Trump won reelection in 2024 and congressional Republicans started crafting the president’s first big legislative package, Valadao repeatedly signaled that he wouldn’t support a bill that threatened Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one letter to House leadership, Valadao and some Hispanic lawmakers argued that such cuts “would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/092525_Redistricting-Day-2_LV_CM_12-1024x682.jpg\" alt='A red political sign is seen near a highways with cars passing through. That sign, that includes an image of a lawmaker next to an image of a child, reads \" Rep. Valadao cut our healthcare to give tax breaks to billionaires.\"'>\u003cfigcaption>A political sign against U.S. Rep. David Valadao off of Highway 198 in Lemoore on Sept. 26, 2025. Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But ultimately, he voted several times to advance Trump’s domestic policy agenda, which health care advocates and constituents lambasted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think there was really a sense of betrayal among at least some of his voters, who thought, ‘You know, this is not what I elected him to Congress to do — I thought he was a different kind of Republican who would represent the needs of the district,’” said Amanda McAllister-Wallner, executive director of Health Access. She helped lead the coalition known as “Fight for Our Health,” which lobbied Valadao and other California House Republicans to vote against the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valadao’s vote was especially significant given that the 22nd Congressional District, which he represents, is home to a higher percentage of Medicaid enrollees than any other Republican district in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valadao has defended his votes and said he ultimately supported the legislation because it preserved the Medicaid program “for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled and elderly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics say the more stringent eligibility requirements will cause patients of all ages to lose coverage, since proving eligibility can be a confusing and laborious process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know how important the program is for my constituents,” Valadao \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3103\">wrote in a statement\u003c/a> after he voted to approve the bill. He added that several of the most concerning policy changes that “would have devastated healthcare in my district,” were removed as a result of his “many months of meetings” with Republican leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Valadao does damage control\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since the vote, Valadao has seemingly worked to insulate himself from potentially difficult questions, declining multiple interviews with CalMatters for several different stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a nod to the issue that lost him the 2018 race, Valadao also joined Democrats and 16 other Republicans to buck House GOP leadership in a symbolic vote to extend the already-expired Affordable Care Act tax subsidies. More than 85,000 of his constituents on ACA plans saw their health premiums skyrocket by an average of $85 per month, \u003ca href=\"https://fightforourhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/FFOH-District-22-Fact-Sheet-23636-1.pdf\">according to health advocates\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12071841",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When he has received questions about Medicaid funding, he has pointed repeatedly to the “Rural Health Transformation Project,” a $50 billion fund tucked into the Trump megabill designed to help some rural hospitals keep their doors open as \u003ca href=\"https://calhospital.org/federal-medicaid-cuts-will-strip-up-to-128-billion-from-ca-hospitals-cha-estimates/\">they prepare to lose billions in Medicaid revenue\u003c/a>. Critics have pointed out that California would only receive $230 million from the program in 2026, a fraction of the estimated $15 billion the state’s hospitals would have received in Medicaid dollars this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valadao co-hosted a roundtable last month with local health care industry leaders and advocates, Rep. Vince Fong and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under Trump. The event was closed to the press, and one attendee said there was little time to address specific questions or concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would say that it felt performative,” said Virginia Hedrick, CEO of the California Rural Indian Health Board. She said she was frustrated that the conversation was largely scripted and felt more like a sales pitch for Oz and the White House’s agenda than a genuine discussion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a great roundtable of people who would have loved to have a more robust conversation around true impacts and what solutions exist,” Hedrick said. “And those solutions would be congressional fixes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>‘It felt performative.’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ccite>Virginia Hedrick, CEO of the California Rural Indian Health Board.\u003c/cite>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But as much as Valadao’s opponents hope to leverage the Medicaid cuts, political strategists warn that they should not fixate too much on health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I were running the campaign against him, I would not pin all my hopes on that,” said Madrid. He argued that Democrats should tap into Americans’ concerns about the economy and the cost of living, which consistently poll as the top issue for voters and are “politically poisonous” for Republicans given that prices have only risen since their party took control of Washington.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rob Stutzman, a veteran Republican political strategist, posited that Medicaid wouldn’t be as strong a motivator as the Affordable Care Act was to get voters out. The people most affected by those cuts, low-income families and those with disabilities, are not the typical demographic of likely midterm voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s as equipped to weather a Trump midterm as a lot of Republicans in similar situations across the country,” Stutzman said of Valadao. “He’s now a long-term incumbent. He’s got a lot of muscle and strength in that district.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/02/congress-valadao-medicaid-cuts/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12071886/california-rep-david-valadao-voted-for-medi-cal-cuts-will-voters-hold-it-against-him",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12071886"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_22772",
"news_1323",
"news_2605",
"news_17968"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12071887",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12071732": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12071732",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071732",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1769806827000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-chief-justice-steps-up-monitoring-of-immigration-arrests-at-courthouses",
"title": "California Chief Justice Steps Up Monitoring of Immigration Arrests at Courthouses",
"publishDate": 1769806827,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Chief Justice Steps Up Monitoring of Immigration Arrests at Courthouses | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-supreme-court\">California Supreme Court\u003c/a> Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero said she is taking a more proactive stance to preserve access to the judicial system as the Trump administration continues to make arrests in courthouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press conference on Thursday, Guerrero — the high court’s first Latina chief — expressed concern over the “chilling effects” of federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066492/us-judge-hears-lawsuits-over-ice-arrests-at-courthouses-immigration-check-ins\">immigration enforcement in California courthouses\u003c/a> and said the Judicial Council has been closely monitoring the situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The type of immigration enforcement action that we’ve seen instills fear in witnesses, litigants that creates problems for them being able to access the courts,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immigration enforcement agencies in general did not make arrests in courthouses during the Biden administration, a policy meant to ensure that people would feel safe participating in the judicial system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That changed when President Donald Trump took office. The Republican administration has allowed agents to arrest people in and around courthouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guerrero’s office has documented immigration enforcement incidents in 17 courthouses, with the most activity reported by the Superior Court of Shasta County. The data tracking has been informal so far, she said, but the Judicial Council will \u003ca href=\"https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/itc/sp25-05.pdf\">consider a proposal to formalize it on April 24\u003c/a>. That would require courts to regularly submit data to the Judicial Council on civil arrests in and around superior courthouses.[aside postID=news_12068969 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/250820-ICEActivity-05_qed.jpg']“The proposal will help ensure consistent and coordinated statewide collection and reporting of data to better assess broader implications for access to justice,” wrote the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee and Court Executives Advisory Committee in their proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guerrero said the monitoring is passed onto the attorney general’s office and serves to “be better prepared to take any additional further actions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The president is not going to listen to me if I try to tell him what to do, so what really is the point of that?” she said. “I’m less interested in making statements, trying to tell people what they’re doing wrong, and instead trying to find a way forward so that our courts are informed — that we are available.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means looking for ways for state courts to assert their authority, she said. She pointed to remote hearings, educating the branch about its legal authority, and connecting the public with resources so they can pursue additional remedies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Democratic senators this month \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/democrats-immigration-legislation/\">introduced new efforts\u003c/a> to bolster protections in courthouse. Sen. Susan Rubio, a Democrat from West Covina, introduced a bill that would allow remote courthouse appearances for the majority of civil or criminal state court hearings, trials or conferences until January 2029. Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, a Democrat from San Bernardino, introduced legislation to prevent federal immigration agents from making “unannounced and indiscriminate” arrests in courthouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/01/chief-justice-immigration-arrests/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "California’s top judge wants to deter immigration agents from making arrests in courthouses, a practice that she says instills fear in witnesses and litigants.\r\n\r\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1769801631,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 15,
"wordCount": 534
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Chief Justice Steps Up Monitoring of Immigration Arrests at Courthouses | KQED",
"description": "California’s top judge wants to deter immigration agents from making arrests in courthouses, a practice that she says instills fear in witnesses and litigants.\r\n\r\n",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Chief Justice Steps Up Monitoring of Immigration Arrests at Courthouses",
"datePublished": "2026-01-30T13:00:27-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-01-30T11:33:51-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1169,
"slug": "immigration",
"name": "Immigration"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Cayla Mihalovich, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12071647",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12071732/california-chief-justice-steps-up-monitoring-of-immigration-arrests-at-courthouses",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-supreme-court\">California Supreme Court\u003c/a> Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero said she is taking a more proactive stance to preserve access to the judicial system as the Trump administration continues to make arrests in courthouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press conference on Thursday, Guerrero — the high court’s first Latina chief — expressed concern over the “chilling effects” of federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066492/us-judge-hears-lawsuits-over-ice-arrests-at-courthouses-immigration-check-ins\">immigration enforcement in California courthouses\u003c/a> and said the Judicial Council has been closely monitoring the situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The type of immigration enforcement action that we’ve seen instills fear in witnesses, litigants that creates problems for them being able to access the courts,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immigration enforcement agencies in general did not make arrests in courthouses during the Biden administration, a policy meant to ensure that people would feel safe participating in the judicial system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That changed when President Donald Trump took office. The Republican administration has allowed agents to arrest people in and around courthouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guerrero’s office has documented immigration enforcement incidents in 17 courthouses, with the most activity reported by the Superior Court of Shasta County. The data tracking has been informal so far, she said, but the Judicial Council will \u003ca href=\"https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/itc/sp25-05.pdf\">consider a proposal to formalize it on April 24\u003c/a>. That would require courts to regularly submit data to the Judicial Council on civil arrests in and around superior courthouses.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12068969",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/250820-ICEActivity-05_qed.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The proposal will help ensure consistent and coordinated statewide collection and reporting of data to better assess broader implications for access to justice,” wrote the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee and Court Executives Advisory Committee in their proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guerrero said the monitoring is passed onto the attorney general’s office and serves to “be better prepared to take any additional further actions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The president is not going to listen to me if I try to tell him what to do, so what really is the point of that?” she said. “I’m less interested in making statements, trying to tell people what they’re doing wrong, and instead trying to find a way forward so that our courts are informed — that we are available.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means looking for ways for state courts to assert their authority, she said. She pointed to remote hearings, educating the branch about its legal authority, and connecting the public with resources so they can pursue additional remedies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Democratic senators this month \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/democrats-immigration-legislation/\">introduced new efforts\u003c/a> to bolster protections in courthouse. Sen. Susan Rubio, a Democrat from West Covina, introduced a bill that would allow remote courthouse appearances for the majority of civil or criminal state court hearings, trials or conferences until January 2029. Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, a Democrat from San Bernardino, introduced legislation to prevent federal immigration agents from making “unannounced and indiscriminate” arrests in courthouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/01/chief-justice-immigration-arrests/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12071732/california-chief-justice-steps-up-monitoring-of-immigration-arrests-at-courthouses",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12071732"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_1169",
"news_6188",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_22772",
"news_20202"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12071739",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12071647": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12071647",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071647",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1769732931000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "cops-have-to-treat-marijuana-in-your-car-differently-after-new-california-supreme-court-ruling",
"title": "Cops Have to Treat Marijuana in Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling",
"publishDate": 1769732931,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Cops Have to Treat Marijuana in Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to impaired driving and the state’s open container law, a rolled and ready joint is more like a can of beer in giving police cause to search a car than a few crumbs of marijuana, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/california-supreme-court/\">California Supreme Court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court’s reasoning: You can smoke a joint and drink a beer, but loose marijuana isn’t readily consumable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S287164.PDF\">ruling handed down Thursday\u003c/a>, the high court ruled that police must find marijuana in a condition that’s ready to be smoked if they are going to charge a driver with an open container violation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We hold that at a minimum, to constitute a violation of (the open container law), marijuana in a vehicle must be of a usable quantity, in imminently usable condition, and readily accessible to an occupant,” wrote Associate Justice Goodwin Liu in a unanimous opinion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loose marijuana found on a car’s floorboards is like spilled beer, the court ruled. “In assessing whether the marijuana is imminently usable or readily accessible, courts should consider whether the marijuana could be consumed with minimal effort by an occupant of the vehicle,” the court found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling reversed a magistrate judge, trial court and the California Court of Appeal, which had all agreed that the loose marijuana constituted an open container violation and gave police cause to search a vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/marijuana/\">Recreational marijuana\u003c/a> has been legal in California since 2016 when voters passed an initiative allowing it. It remains illegal under federal law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12071253 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/010318-Oakland-PD-CM-01.jpg']The case at issue was out of Sacramento, where police officers stopped a car and searched it, finding 0.36 grams of marijuana crumbs on the floorboards of the backseat, along with a tray on which to roll joints. The driver hadn’t been driving erratically, her registration and license were unblemished and she had no warrants out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No officer suggested he was concerned that (the driver and passenger) could have somehow, while riding in the front of the car, collected the scattered bits of marijuana from the rear floor behind (the passenger) for imminent consumption,” the court ruled. “Nor was there evidence of paraphernalia, such as matches, lighters, rolling papers, blunts, or vaporizers, that could facilitate the marijuana’s consumption.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Supreme Court also found that the officers did not have probable cause to search the car in the first place. The police had argued that the driver’s nervousness and possession of a rolling tray was sufficient to search the car, an argument the court rejected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/01/marijauna-laws-driving/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "In a ruling handed down Thursday, the high court ruled that police must find marijuana in a condition that’s ready to be smoked if they are going to charge a driver with an open container violation. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1769732931,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 14,
"wordCount": 486
},
"headData": {
"title": "Cops Have to Treat Marijuana in Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling | KQED",
"description": "In a ruling handed down Thursday, the high court ruled that police must find marijuana in a condition that’s ready to be smoked if they are going to charge a driver with an open container violation. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Cops Have to Treat Marijuana in Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling",
"datePublished": "2026-01-29T16:28:51-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-01-29T16:28:51-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 31795,
"slug": "california",
"name": "California"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Nigel Duara, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12071647",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12071647/cops-have-to-treat-marijuana-in-your-car-differently-after-new-california-supreme-court-ruling",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to impaired driving and the state’s open container law, a rolled and ready joint is more like a can of beer in giving police cause to search a car than a few crumbs of marijuana, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/california-supreme-court/\">California Supreme Court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court’s reasoning: You can smoke a joint and drink a beer, but loose marijuana isn’t readily consumable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S287164.PDF\">ruling handed down Thursday\u003c/a>, the high court ruled that police must find marijuana in a condition that’s ready to be smoked if they are going to charge a driver with an open container violation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We hold that at a minimum, to constitute a violation of (the open container law), marijuana in a vehicle must be of a usable quantity, in imminently usable condition, and readily accessible to an occupant,” wrote Associate Justice Goodwin Liu in a unanimous opinion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loose marijuana found on a car’s floorboards is like spilled beer, the court ruled. “In assessing whether the marijuana is imminently usable or readily accessible, courts should consider whether the marijuana could be consumed with minimal effort by an occupant of the vehicle,” the court found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling reversed a magistrate judge, trial court and the California Court of Appeal, which had all agreed that the loose marijuana constituted an open container violation and gave police cause to search a vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/marijuana/\">Recreational marijuana\u003c/a> has been legal in California since 2016 when voters passed an initiative allowing it. It remains illegal under federal law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12071253",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/010318-Oakland-PD-CM-01.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The case at issue was out of Sacramento, where police officers stopped a car and searched it, finding 0.36 grams of marijuana crumbs on the floorboards of the backseat, along with a tray on which to roll joints. The driver hadn’t been driving erratically, her registration and license were unblemished and she had no warrants out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No officer suggested he was concerned that (the driver and passenger) could have somehow, while riding in the front of the car, collected the scattered bits of marijuana from the rear floor behind (the passenger) for imminent consumption,” the court ruled. “Nor was there evidence of paraphernalia, such as matches, lighters, rolling papers, blunts, or vaporizers, that could facilitate the marijuana’s consumption.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Supreme Court also found that the officers did not have probable cause to search the car in the first place. The police had argued that the driver’s nervousness and possession of a rolling tray was sufficient to search the car, an argument the court rejected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/01/marijauna-laws-driving/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12071647/cops-have-to-treat-marijuana-in-your-car-differently-after-new-california-supreme-court-ruling",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12071647"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_34167",
"news_6188",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_548",
"news_22772",
"news_102"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11955214",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12069808": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12069808",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12069808",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1768430014000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-investigates-elon-musks-ai-company-after-avalanche-of-complaints-about-sexual-content",
"title": "California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content",
"publishDate": 1768430014,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/rob-bonta\">Rob Bonta\u003c/a> today announced an investigation into how and whether Elon Musk’s X and xAI broke the law in the past few weeks by enabling the spread of naked or sexual imagery without consent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>xAI \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/tech/xai-grok-child-sexualized-photos-59cabffe?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeXFpqFQcrxsO5WTkfUv06n_yUF6SLsaiidykNtXuu99sfcWdIeGHE6&gaa_ts=6967eaf6&gaa_sig=Xo5Vee-O05o95LbH9S5pemMTlPI6DdA5iZKEj5SEbQPtBBwZQuX9-vC1SF3WvpfVZT6YyP8zLGAprQ5MlwHhpQ%3D%3D\">reportedly\u003c/a> updated its Grok artificial intelligence tool last month to allow image editing. Users on the social media platform X, which is connected to the tool, began using Grok to remove clothing in pictures of women and children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking,” Bonta \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-launches-investigation-xai-grok-over-undressed-sexual-ai\">said in a written statement\u003c/a>. “This material, which depicts women and children in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet. I urge xAI to take immediate action to ensure this goes no further.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonta urged Californians who want to report depictions of them or their children undressed or commiting sexual acts to visit \u003ca href=\"http://oag.ca.gov/report\">oag.ca.gov/report\u003c/a>. In an emailed response, xAI did not address questions about the investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/musk-s-grok-ai-generated-thousands-of-undressed-images-per-hour-on-x?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzc5MDk4NywiZXhwIjoxNzY4Mzk1Nzg3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEhRS0hLR0lGUE8wMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRUIzODlCNUI2ODI0RTY0QjY5MENEODE1RTBDREZGRCJ9.3B4JWnmqmXFC3DOqhs11h99g5gNzi4j_poKAHLuWdrY&leadSource=uverify%20wall\">obtained by Bloomberg\u003c/a> found that X now produces more non-consensual naked or sexual imagery than any other website online. In a posting on X, Musk promised “consequences” for people who made illegal content with the tool. On Friday, Grok limited image editing to paying subscribers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One potential route for Bonta to prosecute xAI is a law that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/13/governor-newsom-signs-bills-to-further-strengthen-californias-leadership-in-protecting-children-online/\">went into effect\u003c/a> just two weeks ago \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab621\">creating legal liability for the creation and distribution\u003c/a> of “deepfake” pornography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12013478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12013478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>X and xAI appear to be violating the provisions of that law, known as AB 621, said Sam Dordulian, who previously worked in the sex crimes unit of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office but today works in private practice as a lawyer for people in cases involving deepfakes or revenge porn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, author of the law, told CalMatters in a statement last week that she reached out to prosecutors, including the attorney general’s office and the city attorney of San Francisco, to remind them that they can act under the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s happening on X, Bauer-Kahan said, is what AB 621 was designed to address.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Real women are having their images manipulated without consent, and the psychological and reputational harm is devastating,” the San Ramon Democrat said in an emailed statement. “Underage children are having their images used to create child sexual abuse material, and these websites are knowingly facilitating it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A global concern\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bonta’s inquiry also comes shortly after a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/cagovernor/status/2011489740026232891\">call for an investigation\u003c/a> by Gov. Gavin Newsom, backlash from regulators in the European Union and India and bans on X in Malaysia, Indonesia, and potentially the United Kingdom. As Grok app downloads \u003ca href=\"https://sherwood.news/tech/grok-has-been-climbing-apple-and-googles-app-store-rankings-amid-calls-to/\">rise in Apple and Google app store\u003c/a>s, lawmakers and advocates are calling for the smartphone makers to prohibit the application.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why Grok created the feature the way it did and how it will respond to the controversy around it is unclear, and answers may not be forthcoming, since \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/musk-s-grok-ai-generated-thousands-of-undressed-images-per-hour-on-x?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzc5MDk4NywiZXhwIjoxNzY4Mzk1Nzg3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEhRS0hLR0lGUE8wMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRUIzODlCNUI2ODI0RTY0QjY5MENEODE1RTBDREZGRCJ9.3B4JWnmqmXFC3DOqhs11h99g5gNzi4j_poKAHLuWdrY&leadSource=uverify%20wall\">an analysis recently concluded\u003c/a> that it’s the least transparent of major AI systems available today. xAI did not address questions about the investigation from CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evidence of concrete harm from deepfakes is piling up. In 2024, the FBI warned that the use of \u003ca href=\"https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville/news/sextortion-a-growing-threat-targeting-minors\">deepfake tools to extort young people is a growing problem\u003c/a> that has led to instances of self-harm and suicide. Multiple audits have found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.techpolicy.press/laion-and-the-challenges-of-preventing-ai-generated-csam/\">child sexual abuse material is inside the training data of AI models\u003c/a>, making them capable of generating vulgar photos. A \u003ca href=\"https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FINAL-UPDATED-CDT-2024-NCII-Polling-Slide-Deck.pdf\">2024 Center for Democracy and Technology survey\u003c/a> found that 15% of high school students have heard of or seen sexually explicit imagery of someone they know at school in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation announced today is the latest action by the attorney general to push AI companies to keep kids safe. Late last year, Bonta endorsed a bill that would have prevented chatbots that talk about self-harm and engage in sexually explicit conversations from interacting with people under 18.[aside postID=news_12064374 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/TeslaFremontGetty.jpg']He also joined attorneys general from 44 other states in sending a letter that questions why companies like Meta and OpenAI allow their chatbots to have sexually inappropriate conversations with minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has passed roughly half a dozen laws since 2019 to protect people from deepfakes. The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab621\">new law by Bauer-Kahan\u003c/a> amends and strengthens a 2019 law, most significantly by allowing district attorneys to bring cases against companies that “recklessly aid and abet” the distribution of deepfakes without the consent of the person depicted nude or committing sexual acts. That means the average person can ask the attorney general or the district attorney where they live to file a case on their behalf. It also increases the maximum amount that a judge can award a person from $150,000 to $250,000. Under the law, a public prosecutor is not required to prove that an individual depicted in an AI-generated nude or sexual image suffered actual harm to bring a case to court. Websites that refuse to comply within 30 days can face penalties of $25,000 per violation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to those measures, two 2024 laws (\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1831\">AB 1831\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1381?slug=CA_202320240SB1381\">SB 1381\u003c/a>) expand the state’s definition of child pornography to make possession or distribution of artificially-generated child sexual abuse material illegal. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb981\">Another required\u003c/a> social media platforms to give people an easy way to request the immediate removal of a deepfake, and defines the posting of such material as a form of digital identity theft. A California law limiting the use of deepfakes in elections was signed into law last year, but was \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/elon-musk-x-court-win-california-deepfake-law-00494936\">struck down by a federal judge last summer\u003c/a> following a lawsuit by X and Elon Musk.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Future reforms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Every new state law helps give lawyers like Dordulian a new avenue to address harmful uses of deepfakes, but he said more needs to be done to help people protect themselves. He said his clients face challenges proving violation of existing laws since they require distribution of explicit materials, for example, with a messaging app or social media platform, for protections to kick in. In his experience, people who use nudify apps typically know each other, so distribution doesn’t always take place, and if it does, it can be hard to prove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, he said, he has a client who works as a nanny who alleges that the father of the kids she takes care of made images of her using photos she posted on Instagram. The nanny found the images on his iPad. This discovery was disturbing for her and caused her emotional trauma, but since he can’t use deepfake laws, he has to sue on the basis of negligence or emotional distress, and laws that were never created to address deepfakes. Similarly, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/27/nudify-ai-generated-deepfake-fbi.html\">victims told CNBC last year\u003c/a> that the distinction between creating and distributing deepfakes left a gap in the law in a number of U.S. states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The law needs to keep up with what’s really happening on the ground and what women are experiencing, which is just the simple act of creation itself is the problem,” Dordulian said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069820\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An iPhone screen displays the Grok logo on the Grok AI app on January 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California is at the forefront of passing laws to protect people from deepfakes, but existing law isn’t meeting the moment, said Jennifer Gibson, cofounder and director of \u003ca href=\"https://psst.org/\">Psst\u003c/a>, a group created a little over a year ago that provides pro bono legal services to tech and AI workers interested in whistleblowing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2025/12/new-ai-regulation/\">California law that went into effect Jan. 1\u003c/a> protects whistleblowers inside AI companies but only if they work on catastrophic risk that can kill more than 50 people or cause more than $1 billion in damages. If the law protected people who work on deepfakes, former X employees who \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-grok-explicit-content-data-annotation-2025-9?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email\">detailed witnessing Grok generating illegal sexually explicit material last year to Business Insider\u003c/a> would, Gibson said, have had protections if they shared the information with authorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There needs to be a lot more protection for exactly this kind of scenario in which an insider sees that this is foreseeable, knows that this is going to happen, and they need somewhere to go to report to both to keep the company accountable and protect the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/01/california-investigates-deepfakes-elon-musk-company/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office is looking into whether a new AI image editing tool from Elon Musk’s company violates California law.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1768430741,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 27,
"wordCount": 1503
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content | KQED",
"description": "Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office is looking into whether a new AI image editing tool from Elon Musk’s company violates California law.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Investigates Elon Musk’s AI Company After ‘Avalanche’ of Complaints About Sexual Content",
"datePublished": "2026-01-14T14:33:34-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-01-14T14:45:41-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 6188,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"name": "Law and Justice"
},
"source": "CalMatters",
"sourceUrl": "https://calmatters.org/",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Khari Johnson, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12069808",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12069808/california-investigates-elon-musks-ai-company-after-avalanche-of-complaints-about-sexual-content",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/rob-bonta\">Rob Bonta\u003c/a> today announced an investigation into how and whether Elon Musk’s X and xAI broke the law in the past few weeks by enabling the spread of naked or sexual imagery without consent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>xAI \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/tech/xai-grok-child-sexualized-photos-59cabffe?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeXFpqFQcrxsO5WTkfUv06n_yUF6SLsaiidykNtXuu99sfcWdIeGHE6&gaa_ts=6967eaf6&gaa_sig=Xo5Vee-O05o95LbH9S5pemMTlPI6DdA5iZKEj5SEbQPtBBwZQuX9-vC1SF3WvpfVZT6YyP8zLGAprQ5MlwHhpQ%3D%3D\">reportedly\u003c/a> updated its Grok artificial intelligence tool last month to allow image editing. Users on the social media platform X, which is connected to the tool, began using Grok to remove clothing in pictures of women and children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking,” Bonta \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-launches-investigation-xai-grok-over-undressed-sexual-ai\">said in a written statement\u003c/a>. “This material, which depicts women and children in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet. I urge xAI to take immediate action to ensure this goes no further.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonta urged Californians who want to report depictions of them or their children undressed or commiting sexual acts to visit \u003ca href=\"http://oag.ca.gov/report\">oag.ca.gov/report\u003c/a>. In an emailed response, xAI did not address questions about the investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/musk-s-grok-ai-generated-thousands-of-undressed-images-per-hour-on-x?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzc5MDk4NywiZXhwIjoxNzY4Mzk1Nzg3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEhRS0hLR0lGUE8wMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRUIzODlCNUI2ODI0RTY0QjY5MENEODE1RTBDREZGRCJ9.3B4JWnmqmXFC3DOqhs11h99g5gNzi4j_poKAHLuWdrY&leadSource=uverify%20wall\">obtained by Bloomberg\u003c/a> found that X now produces more non-consensual naked or sexual imagery than any other website online. In a posting on X, Musk promised “consequences” for people who made illegal content with the tool. On Friday, Grok limited image editing to paying subscribers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One potential route for Bonta to prosecute xAI is a law that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/13/governor-newsom-signs-bills-to-further-strengthen-californias-leadership-in-protecting-children-online/\">went into effect\u003c/a> just two weeks ago \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab621\">creating legal liability for the creation and distribution\u003c/a> of “deepfake” pornography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12013478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12013478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241107-ATTORNEYGENERALBONTA-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>X and xAI appear to be violating the provisions of that law, known as AB 621, said Sam Dordulian, who previously worked in the sex crimes unit of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office but today works in private practice as a lawyer for people in cases involving deepfakes or revenge porn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, author of the law, told CalMatters in a statement last week that she reached out to prosecutors, including the attorney general’s office and the city attorney of San Francisco, to remind them that they can act under the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s happening on X, Bauer-Kahan said, is what AB 621 was designed to address.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Real women are having their images manipulated without consent, and the psychological and reputational harm is devastating,” the San Ramon Democrat said in an emailed statement. “Underage children are having their images used to create child sexual abuse material, and these websites are knowingly facilitating it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A global concern\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bonta’s inquiry also comes shortly after a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/cagovernor/status/2011489740026232891\">call for an investigation\u003c/a> by Gov. Gavin Newsom, backlash from regulators in the European Union and India and bans on X in Malaysia, Indonesia, and potentially the United Kingdom. As Grok app downloads \u003ca href=\"https://sherwood.news/tech/grok-has-been-climbing-apple-and-googles-app-store-rankings-amid-calls-to/\">rise in Apple and Google app store\u003c/a>s, lawmakers and advocates are calling for the smartphone makers to prohibit the application.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why Grok created the feature the way it did and how it will respond to the controversy around it is unclear, and answers may not be forthcoming, since \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/musk-s-grok-ai-generated-thousands-of-undressed-images-per-hour-on-x?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzc5MDk4NywiZXhwIjoxNzY4Mzk1Nzg3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEhRS0hLR0lGUE8wMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRUIzODlCNUI2ODI0RTY0QjY5MENEODE1RTBDREZGRCJ9.3B4JWnmqmXFC3DOqhs11h99g5gNzi4j_poKAHLuWdrY&leadSource=uverify%20wall\">an analysis recently concluded\u003c/a> that it’s the least transparent of major AI systems available today. xAI did not address questions about the investigation from CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evidence of concrete harm from deepfakes is piling up. In 2024, the FBI warned that the use of \u003ca href=\"https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville/news/sextortion-a-growing-threat-targeting-minors\">deepfake tools to extort young people is a growing problem\u003c/a> that has led to instances of self-harm and suicide. Multiple audits have found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.techpolicy.press/laion-and-the-challenges-of-preventing-ai-generated-csam/\">child sexual abuse material is inside the training data of AI models\u003c/a>, making them capable of generating vulgar photos. A \u003ca href=\"https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FINAL-UPDATED-CDT-2024-NCII-Polling-Slide-Deck.pdf\">2024 Center for Democracy and Technology survey\u003c/a> found that 15% of high school students have heard of or seen sexually explicit imagery of someone they know at school in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation announced today is the latest action by the attorney general to push AI companies to keep kids safe. Late last year, Bonta endorsed a bill that would have prevented chatbots that talk about self-harm and engage in sexually explicit conversations from interacting with people under 18.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12064374",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/TeslaFremontGetty.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He also joined attorneys general from 44 other states in sending a letter that questions why companies like Meta and OpenAI allow their chatbots to have sexually inappropriate conversations with minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has passed roughly half a dozen laws since 2019 to protect people from deepfakes. The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab621\">new law by Bauer-Kahan\u003c/a> amends and strengthens a 2019 law, most significantly by allowing district attorneys to bring cases against companies that “recklessly aid and abet” the distribution of deepfakes without the consent of the person depicted nude or committing sexual acts. That means the average person can ask the attorney general or the district attorney where they live to file a case on their behalf. It also increases the maximum amount that a judge can award a person from $150,000 to $250,000. Under the law, a public prosecutor is not required to prove that an individual depicted in an AI-generated nude or sexual image suffered actual harm to bring a case to court. Websites that refuse to comply within 30 days can face penalties of $25,000 per violation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to those measures, two 2024 laws (\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1831\">AB 1831\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1381?slug=CA_202320240SB1381\">SB 1381\u003c/a>) expand the state’s definition of child pornography to make possession or distribution of artificially-generated child sexual abuse material illegal. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb981\">Another required\u003c/a> social media platforms to give people an easy way to request the immediate removal of a deepfake, and defines the posting of such material as a form of digital identity theft. A California law limiting the use of deepfakes in elections was signed into law last year, but was \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/elon-musk-x-court-win-california-deepfake-law-00494936\">struck down by a federal judge last summer\u003c/a> following a lawsuit by X and Elon Musk.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Future reforms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Every new state law helps give lawyers like Dordulian a new avenue to address harmful uses of deepfakes, but he said more needs to be done to help people protect themselves. He said his clients face challenges proving violation of existing laws since they require distribution of explicit materials, for example, with a messaging app or social media platform, for protections to kick in. In his experience, people who use nudify apps typically know each other, so distribution doesn’t always take place, and if it does, it can be hard to prove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, he said, he has a client who works as a nanny who alleges that the father of the kids she takes care of made images of her using photos she posted on Instagram. The nanny found the images on his iPad. This discovery was disturbing for her and caused her emotional trauma, but since he can’t use deepfake laws, he has to sue on the basis of negligence or emotional distress, and laws that were never created to address deepfakes. Similarly, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/27/nudify-ai-generated-deepfake-fbi.html\">victims told CNBC last year\u003c/a> that the distinction between creating and distributing deepfakes left a gap in the law in a number of U.S. states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The law needs to keep up with what’s really happening on the ground and what women are experiencing, which is just the simple act of creation itself is the problem,” Dordulian said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069820\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2255688657-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An iPhone screen displays the Grok logo on the Grok AI app on January 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California is at the forefront of passing laws to protect people from deepfakes, but existing law isn’t meeting the moment, said Jennifer Gibson, cofounder and director of \u003ca href=\"https://psst.org/\">Psst\u003c/a>, a group created a little over a year ago that provides pro bono legal services to tech and AI workers interested in whistleblowing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2025/12/new-ai-regulation/\">California law that went into effect Jan. 1\u003c/a> protects whistleblowers inside AI companies but only if they work on catastrophic risk that can kill more than 50 people or cause more than $1 billion in damages. If the law protected people who work on deepfakes, former X employees who \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-grok-explicit-content-data-annotation-2025-9?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email\">detailed witnessing Grok generating illegal sexually explicit material last year to Business Insider\u003c/a> would, Gibson said, have had protections if they shared the information with authorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There needs to be a lot more protection for exactly this kind of scenario in which an insider sees that this is foreseeable, knows that this is going to happen, and they need somewhere to go to report to both to keep the company accountable and protect the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/01/california-investigates-deepfakes-elon-musk-company/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12069808/california-investigates-elon-musks-ai-company-after-avalanche-of-complaints-about-sexual-content",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12069808"
],
"categories": [
"news_6188",
"news_8",
"news_248"
],
"tags": [
"news_25184",
"news_3897",
"news_16",
"news_35354",
"news_17996",
"news_3674",
"news_346"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12069810",
"label": "source_news_12069808"
},
"news_12066341": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12066341",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12066341",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1765144824000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-students-with-disabilities-fear-cuts-after-trumps-policy-changes",
"title": "California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump's Policy Changes",
"publishDate": 1765144824,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump’s Policy Changes | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Sleep is a rare commodity at Lindsay Crain’s house. Most nights, she and her husband are up dozens of times, tending to their daughter’s seizures. The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these days, that’s not the only thing keeping Crain awake. The Culver City mother worries about how President Donald Trump’s myriad budget cuts could strip their daughter of services she needs to go to school, live at home and enjoy a degree of independence that would have been impossible a generation ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every family I know is terrified right now,” Crain said. “We still have to live our everyday lives, which are challenging enough, but now it feels like our kids’ futures are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s budget includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=how+much+medicaid+cuts&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8\">nearly $1 trillion in cuts\u003c/a> to Medicaid, which funds a wide swath of services to disabled children, including speech, occupational and physical therapy, wheelchairs, in-home aides and medical care. All children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities – in California, nearly 1 million – receive at least some services through Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, at the U.S. Department of Education, Trump has gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which is among the agencies that enforce the 50-year-old law granting students with disabilities the right to attend school and receive an education appropriate to their needs. Before that law was enacted, students with disabilities often didn’t attend school at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a delicate web of services that, combined, support a whole child, a whole family,” said Kristin Wright, executive director of inclusive practices and systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education and the former California state director of special education. “So when the basic foundational structure is upended, like Medicaid, for example, it’s not just one cut from a knife. It’s multiple.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans have also suggested moving the office of special education out of the Department of Education altogether and moving it to the Department of Health and Human Services. Disability rights advocates say that would bring a medical – rather than a social – lens to special education, which they described as a major reversal of progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump has chipped away at other rights protecting people with disabilities, as well. In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/usdot-will-not-enforce-biden-wheelchair-passenger-protection-rule-2025-09-29/\">would not enforce a rule\u003c/a> that requires airlines to reimburse passengers for damaged or lost wheelchairs. Trump has also repeatedly used the word “\u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115625429081411360\">retarded\u003c/a>,” widely considered a slur, \u003ca href=\"https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/news/resurgence-of-r-word-alarms-disability-advocates\">alarming advocates\u003c/a> who say it shows a lack of respect and understanding of the historical discrimination against people with disabilities. It’s all \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/deep-state-diaries/donald-trumps-assault-on-disability-rights\">left some wondering\u003c/a> if the administration plans more cuts to hard-fought rights protecting people with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fewer therapists, less equipment\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Medicaid cuts may have the most immediate effect. People with developmental disabilities typically receive therapy, home visits from aides, equipment and other services through regional centers, a network of 21 mostly government-funded nonprofits in California that coordinate services for people with disabilities. The goal of regional centers is to help people with disabilities live as independently as possible.\u003cbr>\n[aside postID=\"mindshift_65382,news_12058726\" label=\"Related Stories\"]\u003cbr>\nMore than a third of regional centers’ funding comes from Medicaid, which is facing deep cuts under Trump’s budget. The money runs out at the end of January, and it’s unclear what services will be cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools also rely on Medicaid to pay for therapists, equipment, vision and hearing tests and other services that benefit all students, not just those with disabilities. In light of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/11/california-budget-lao-forecast/\">state budget uncertainty\u003c/a>, it’s not likely the state could backfill the loss of Medicaid funding, and schools would have to pare down their services.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Uncertain futures\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Lelah Coppedge, whose teenage son has cerebral palsy, the worst part is the uncertainty. She knows cuts are coming, but she doesn’t know when or what they’ll include.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I go down this rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios,” said Coppedge, who lives in the Canoga Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. “Before this happened, I felt there was a clear path for my son. Now that path is going away, and it’s terrifying.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge’s son, Jack, is a 16-year-old high school student who excels at algebra and physics. He loves video games and has a wide circle of friends at school. He uses a wheelchair and struggles with speech, communicating mostly through eye movements. He’ll look at his mom’s right hand to indicate “yes,” her left hand for “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge and her husband rely on a nurse who comes four days a week to help Jack get dressed, get ready for bed and do other basic activities. Medicaid pays for the nurse, as well as other services like physical therapy. Even though Coppedge and her husband both work and have high-quality private health insurance, they could not afford Jack’s care without help from the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also rely on the local regional center, which they assumed would help Jack after he graduates from high school, so he can remain at home, continue to hone his skills and generally live as independently as possible. If that funding vanishes, Coppedage worries Jack will someday end up in a facility where people don’t know him, don’t know how to communicate with him and don’t care about him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like we’re going backward,” Coppedge said. “Half the time, I put my head in the sand because I’m just trying to manage the day-to-day. The rest of the time I worry that (the federal government) is looking at people like Jack as medical problems, not as unique people who want to have full, happy lives. It feels like that’s getting lost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current uncertainty is stressful, but it’s even harder for families who are immigrants, Wright said. Those families are less likely to stand up for services they’re entitled to and are facing the extra fear of deportation. English learners, as well as low-income children, are disproportionately represented among students in special education, \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DQCensus/EnrELAS.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=State&year=2024-25\">according to state data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s the other piece to all this — how it’s affecting immigrant families,” Wright said. “It’s a whole other level of anxiety and fear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decades of progress on the line\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Karma Quick-Panwala, an advocate at the nonprofit Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said she worries about the rollback of decades’ worth of progress that was hard-won by the disability rights community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://sites.ed.gov/idea/\">Individuals with Disabilities Education Act\u003c/a>, the 1975 law that created special education, actually predates the federal Department of Education. In fact, Congress created the department in part to oversee special education. Removing special ed would be a devastating blow to the disability community — not just because services might be curtailed, but philosophically, as well, Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Department of Education, special education is under the purview of education experts who promote optimal ways to educate students with disabilities, so they can learn, graduate from high school and ideally go on to productive lives. In the Department of Health and Human Services, special education would no longer be overseen by educators but by those in the medical field, where they’re more likely to “look at disability as something to be cured or segregated and set aside,” Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The disability rights community has worked so hard and gave so much to make sure people with disabilities had a right to a meaningful education, so they could have gainful employment opportunities and participate in the world,” Quick-Panwala said. “The idea is that they wouldn’t just be present at school, but they would actually learn and thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the time being, Wright, Quick-Panwala and other advocates are reminding families that federal funding might be shrinking, but the laws remain unchanged. Students are still entitled under federal law to the services outlined in their individual education plans, regardless of whether there’s money to pay for it. The funding will have to come from somewhere, at least for now, even if that means cutting it from another program. And California is unlikely to roll back its own special education protections, regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An imperfect but successful routine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Those reassurances are scant comfort to Crain, whose daughter Lena will rely on government support her entire life. Born seven weeks prematurely, Lena has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a cognitive impairment and is on the deaf-blind spectrum. But she has a 100-watt smile and a relentless spirit, Crain said. Even after the whole family has been up all night, Lena insists on going to school and getting the most out of every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\" alt=\"A man and two women stand next to each other on a deck outside a home.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Jack Deacy, his daughter Lena Deacy, and Lindsay Crain at their home in Culver City on Dec. 1, 2025. The family fears potential Medicaid cuts because Lena, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other medical conditions, relies on Medicaid-funded services for her daily care and well-being. \u003ccite>(Zaydee Sanchez/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Funny and assertive, she has a few close friends and, like many teenagers, plenty of opinions about her parents. She loves her English teacher and spends most of her day in regular classrooms with help from an aide. Her favorite book is about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist who won a Nobel Peace Prize for fighting for girls’ right to an education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between school and home visits from aides and after-school therapists, Crain feels the family has pieced together an imperfect but mostly successful routine for Lena.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our entire lives are about teaching her self-advocacy, so she can have the most independent life possible,” Crain said. “Just because you need support doesn’t mean you can’t have a say in your life. There’s been so much work around the culture and the laws and the education system to make sure disabled people can make their own choices in life. We’re absolutely terrified of losing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Trump has cut funding to Medicaid, which pays for many services for students with disabilities. He also gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which helps enforce disability law.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1765143192,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 1760
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump's Policy Changes | KQED",
"description": "Trump has cut funding to Medicaid, which pays for many services for students with disabilities. He also gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which helps enforce disability law.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump's Policy Changes",
"datePublished": "2025-12-07T14:00:24-08:00",
"dateModified": "2025-12-07T13:33:12-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 8,
"slug": "news",
"name": "News"
},
"source": "CalMatters",
"sourceUrl": "https://calmatters.org/",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/carolyn-jones/\">Carolyn Jones, \u003c/a>CalMatters",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12066341/california-students-with-disabilities-fear-cuts-after-trumps-policy-changes",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Sleep is a rare commodity at Lindsay Crain’s house. Most nights, she and her husband are up dozens of times, tending to their daughter’s seizures. The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these days, that’s not the only thing keeping Crain awake. The Culver City mother worries about how President Donald Trump’s myriad budget cuts could strip their daughter of services she needs to go to school, live at home and enjoy a degree of independence that would have been impossible a generation ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every family I know is terrified right now,” Crain said. “We still have to live our everyday lives, which are challenging enough, but now it feels like our kids’ futures are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s budget includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=how+much+medicaid+cuts&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8\">nearly $1 trillion in cuts\u003c/a> to Medicaid, which funds a wide swath of services to disabled children, including speech, occupational and physical therapy, wheelchairs, in-home aides and medical care. All children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities – in California, nearly 1 million – receive at least some services through Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, at the U.S. Department of Education, Trump has gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which is among the agencies that enforce the 50-year-old law granting students with disabilities the right to attend school and receive an education appropriate to their needs. Before that law was enacted, students with disabilities often didn’t attend school at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a delicate web of services that, combined, support a whole child, a whole family,” said Kristin Wright, executive director of inclusive practices and systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education and the former California state director of special education. “So when the basic foundational structure is upended, like Medicaid, for example, it’s not just one cut from a knife. It’s multiple.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans have also suggested moving the office of special education out of the Department of Education altogether and moving it to the Department of Health and Human Services. Disability rights advocates say that would bring a medical – rather than a social – lens to special education, which they described as a major reversal of progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump has chipped away at other rights protecting people with disabilities, as well. In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/usdot-will-not-enforce-biden-wheelchair-passenger-protection-rule-2025-09-29/\">would not enforce a rule\u003c/a> that requires airlines to reimburse passengers for damaged or lost wheelchairs. Trump has also repeatedly used the word “\u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115625429081411360\">retarded\u003c/a>,” widely considered a slur, \u003ca href=\"https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/news/resurgence-of-r-word-alarms-disability-advocates\">alarming advocates\u003c/a> who say it shows a lack of respect and understanding of the historical discrimination against people with disabilities. It’s all \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/deep-state-diaries/donald-trumps-assault-on-disability-rights\">left some wondering\u003c/a> if the administration plans more cuts to hard-fought rights protecting people with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fewer therapists, less equipment\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Medicaid cuts may have the most immediate effect. People with developmental disabilities typically receive therapy, home visits from aides, equipment and other services through regional centers, a network of 21 mostly government-funded nonprofits in California that coordinate services for people with disabilities. The goal of regional centers is to help people with disabilities live as independently as possible.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "mindshift_65382,news_12058726",
"label": "Related Stories "
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cbr>\nMore than a third of regional centers’ funding comes from Medicaid, which is facing deep cuts under Trump’s budget. The money runs out at the end of January, and it’s unclear what services will be cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools also rely on Medicaid to pay for therapists, equipment, vision and hearing tests and other services that benefit all students, not just those with disabilities. In light of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/11/california-budget-lao-forecast/\">state budget uncertainty\u003c/a>, it’s not likely the state could backfill the loss of Medicaid funding, and schools would have to pare down their services.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Uncertain futures\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Lelah Coppedge, whose teenage son has cerebral palsy, the worst part is the uncertainty. She knows cuts are coming, but she doesn’t know when or what they’ll include.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I go down this rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios,” said Coppedge, who lives in the Canoga Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. “Before this happened, I felt there was a clear path for my son. Now that path is going away, and it’s terrifying.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge’s son, Jack, is a 16-year-old high school student who excels at algebra and physics. He loves video games and has a wide circle of friends at school. He uses a wheelchair and struggles with speech, communicating mostly through eye movements. He’ll look at his mom’s right hand to indicate “yes,” her left hand for “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge and her husband rely on a nurse who comes four days a week to help Jack get dressed, get ready for bed and do other basic activities. Medicaid pays for the nurse, as well as other services like physical therapy. Even though Coppedge and her husband both work and have high-quality private health insurance, they could not afford Jack’s care without help from the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also rely on the local regional center, which they assumed would help Jack after he graduates from high school, so he can remain at home, continue to hone his skills and generally live as independently as possible. If that funding vanishes, Coppedage worries Jack will someday end up in a facility where people don’t know him, don’t know how to communicate with him and don’t care about him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like we’re going backward,” Coppedge said. “Half the time, I put my head in the sand because I’m just trying to manage the day-to-day. The rest of the time I worry that (the federal government) is looking at people like Jack as medical problems, not as unique people who want to have full, happy lives. It feels like that’s getting lost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current uncertainty is stressful, but it’s even harder for families who are immigrants, Wright said. Those families are less likely to stand up for services they’re entitled to and are facing the extra fear of deportation. English learners, as well as low-income children, are disproportionately represented among students in special education, \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DQCensus/EnrELAS.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=State&year=2024-25\">according to state data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s the other piece to all this — how it’s affecting immigrant families,” Wright said. “It’s a whole other level of anxiety and fear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decades of progress on the line\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Karma Quick-Panwala, an advocate at the nonprofit Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said she worries about the rollback of decades’ worth of progress that was hard-won by the disability rights community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://sites.ed.gov/idea/\">Individuals with Disabilities Education Act\u003c/a>, the 1975 law that created special education, actually predates the federal Department of Education. In fact, Congress created the department in part to oversee special education. Removing special ed would be a devastating blow to the disability community — not just because services might be curtailed, but philosophically, as well, Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Department of Education, special education is under the purview of education experts who promote optimal ways to educate students with disabilities, so they can learn, graduate from high school and ideally go on to productive lives. In the Department of Health and Human Services, special education would no longer be overseen by educators but by those in the medical field, where they’re more likely to “look at disability as something to be cured or segregated and set aside,” Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The disability rights community has worked so hard and gave so much to make sure people with disabilities had a right to a meaningful education, so they could have gainful employment opportunities and participate in the world,” Quick-Panwala said. “The idea is that they wouldn’t just be present at school, but they would actually learn and thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the time being, Wright, Quick-Panwala and other advocates are reminding families that federal funding might be shrinking, but the laws remain unchanged. Students are still entitled under federal law to the services outlined in their individual education plans, regardless of whether there’s money to pay for it. The funding will have to come from somewhere, at least for now, even if that means cutting it from another program. And California is unlikely to roll back its own special education protections, regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An imperfect but successful routine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Those reassurances are scant comfort to Crain, whose daughter Lena will rely on government support her entire life. Born seven weeks prematurely, Lena has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a cognitive impairment and is on the deaf-blind spectrum. But she has a 100-watt smile and a relentless spirit, Crain said. Even after the whole family has been up all night, Lena insists on going to school and getting the most out of every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\" alt=\"A man and two women stand next to each other on a deck outside a home.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Jack Deacy, his daughter Lena Deacy, and Lindsay Crain at their home in Culver City on Dec. 1, 2025. The family fears potential Medicaid cuts because Lena, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other medical conditions, relies on Medicaid-funded services for her daily care and well-being. \u003ccite>(Zaydee Sanchez/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Funny and assertive, she has a few close friends and, like many teenagers, plenty of opinions about her parents. She loves her English teacher and spends most of her day in regular classrooms with help from an aide. Her favorite book is about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist who won a Nobel Peace Prize for fighting for girls’ right to an education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between school and home visits from aides and after-school therapists, Crain feels the family has pieced together an imperfect but mostly successful routine for Lena.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our entire lives are about teaching her self-advocacy, so she can have the most independent life possible,” Crain said. “Just because you need support doesn’t mean you can’t have a say in your life. There’s been so much work around the culture and the laws and the education system to make sure disabled people can make their own choices in life. We’re absolutely terrified of losing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12066341/california-students-with-disabilities-fear-cuts-after-trumps-policy-changes",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12066341"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_29228",
"news_20666",
"news_4449",
"news_3457"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12066344",
"label": "source_news_12066341"
}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "\"KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS9iYXktY3VyaW91cy1wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdA",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"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",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "\"KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"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 />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"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.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"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",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"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.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"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",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zZXJpZXMvamVycnlicm93bi9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv"
}
},
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"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",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"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)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"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": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"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": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5Nzk2MzI2MTEx",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc29sZG91dA"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM4MjU5Nzg2MzI3",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM0NTcwODQ2MjY2",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?affiliate=calmatters": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"postsToRender": 9
},
"tag": null,
"vitalsOnly": true,
"totalRequested": 9,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 921,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_12072221",
"news_12072132",
"news_12072100",
"news_12071892",
"news_12071886",
"news_12071732",
"news_12071647",
"news_12069808",
"news_12066341"
]
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"subscriptionsReducer": {},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_18481": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18481",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18481",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CALmatters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null,
"imageData": {
"ogImageSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"width": 1200,
"height": 630
},
"twImageSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
},
"twitterCard": "summary_large_image"
}
},
"ttid": 18515,
"slug": "calmatters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/affiliate/calmatters"
},
"source_news_12069808": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12069808",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "CalMatters",
"link": "https://calmatters.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_12066341": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12066341",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "CalMatters",
"link": "https://calmatters.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"news_18540": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18540",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18540",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2595,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/education"
},
"news_1169": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1169",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1169",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1180,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/immigration"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_22772": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22772",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22772",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CALmatters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CALmatters Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22789,
"slug": "calmatters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/calmatters"
},
"news_20013": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20013",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20013",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20030,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/education"
},
"news_36267": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36267",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36267",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "immigrant truck drivers",
"slug": "immigrant-truck-drivers",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "immigrant truck drivers | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36284,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigrant-truck-drivers"
},
"news_20202": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20202",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20202",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20219,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigration"
},
"news_33738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33755,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/california"
},
"news_33748": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33748",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33748",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33765,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/immigration"
},
"news_33733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33750,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/news"
},
"news_1397": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1397",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1397",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Transportation",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Transportation Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1409,
"slug": "transportation",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/transportation"
},
"news_18538": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18538",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18538",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california"
},
"news_35344": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35344",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35344",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "California DMV",
"slug": "california-dmv",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "California DMV | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35361,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-dmv"
},
"news_22456": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22456",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22456",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "public safety",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "public safety Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22473,
"slug": "public-safety",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/public-safety"
},
"news_33734": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33734",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33734",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local Politics",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Politics Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33751,
"slug": "local-politics",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/local-politics"
},
"news_20290": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20290",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20290",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California High-Speed Rail",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California High-Speed Rail Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20307,
"slug": "california-high-speed-rail",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-high-speed-rail"
},
"news_16": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_16",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "16",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Gavin Newsom",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Gavin Newsom Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16,
"slug": "gavin-newsom",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/gavin-newsom"
},
"news_309": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_309",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "309",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "high-speed rail",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "high-speed rail Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 317,
"slug": "high-speed-rail",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/high-speed-rail"
},
"news_4": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "los angeles",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "los angeles Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4,
"slug": "los-angeles",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/los-angeles"
},
"news_1764": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1764",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1764",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "public transit",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "public transit Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1777,
"slug": "public-transit",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/public-transit"
},
"news_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 58,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco"
},
"news_20754": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20754",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20754",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "child care",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "child care Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20771,
"slug": "child-care",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/child-care"
},
"news_29460": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29460",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29460",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "early education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "early education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29477,
"slug": "early-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/early-education"
},
"news_1323": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1323",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1323",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Donald Trump",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Donald Trump Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1335,
"slug": "donald-trump",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/donald-trump"
},
"news_2605": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2605",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2605",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Medi-Cal",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Medi-Cal Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2621,
"slug": "medi-cal",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/medi-cal"
},
"news_17968": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17968",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17968",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 18002,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/politics"
},
"news_6188": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6188",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6188",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Law and Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Law and Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6212,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/law-and-justice"
},
"news_34167": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34167",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34167",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Criminal Justice",
"slug": "criminal-justice",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Criminal Justice Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34184,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/criminal-justice"
},
"news_548": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_548",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "548",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California Supreme Court",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Supreme Court Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 557,
"slug": "california-supreme-court",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-supreme-court"
},
"news_102": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_102",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "102",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "marijuana",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "marijuana Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 106,
"slug": "marijuana",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/marijuana"
},
"news_33745": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33745",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33745",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Criminal Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Criminal Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33762,
"slug": "criminal-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/criminal-justice"
},
"news_248": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_248",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "248",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Technology Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 256,
"slug": "technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/technology"
},
"news_25184": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_25184",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "25184",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "AI",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "AI Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 25201,
"slug": "ai",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/ai"
},
"news_3897": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3897",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3897",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Elon Musk",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Elon Musk Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3916,
"slug": "elon-musk",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/elon-musk"
},
"news_35354": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35354",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35354",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "investigation",
"slug": "investigation",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "investigation | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35371,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/investigation"
},
"news_17996": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17996",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17996",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18030,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/news"
},
"news_3674": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3674",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3674",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Rob Bonta",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Rob Bonta Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3692,
"slug": "rob-bonta",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/rob-bonta"
},
"news_346": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_346",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "346",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Twitter",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Twitter Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 354,
"slug": "twitter",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/twitter"
},
"news_33732": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33732",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33732",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Technology Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33749,
"slug": "technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/technology"
},
"news_29228": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29228",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29228",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "disability community",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "disability community Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29245,
"slug": "disability-community",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/disability-community"
},
"news_20666": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20666",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20666",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Medicaid",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Medicaid Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20683,
"slug": "medicaid",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/medicaid"
},
"news_4449": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4449",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4449",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "special education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "special education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4468,
"slug": "special-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/special-education"
},
"news_3457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Students",
"slug": "students",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Students | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 3475,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/students"
},
"news_33746": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33746",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33746",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33763,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/education"
}
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"localStorageReducer": {},
"browserHistoryReducer": [],
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"location": {
"pathname": "/news/affiliate/calmatters",
"previousPathname": "/"
}
}
