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"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\n\n\n\u003cp>In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it – over and over.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This brings joy to the cafeteria crew, but Gage Gautheier recently bestowed the highest possible praise from a middle-schooler: “I have literally never heard anyone complain about the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tahoe-Truckee Unified is among 500 California school districts that get their food through the state’s Farm to School program, which pairs local farmers, ranchers and other food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. The program has been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/08/school-lunches/\">so successful\u003c/a> since it started in 2021 that this month the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb172\">expanded it\u003c/a> and made it a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m so relieved the state decided to step it up and make this program permanent,” said Christina Lawson, director of nutrition services at Western Placer Unified in Lincoln, a Sacramento suburb. “That’s been my abiding fear – that our funding would dry up after all this work we’ve done.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093654\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: The Spork Food Hub warehouse, surrounded by an orchard, in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093655\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093655\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: Jacob Weiss, the general manager of Spork Food Hub in Davis, messages directly with a local farmer about ripening crops on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Warehouse Supervisor Lucas Morace removes a pallet of strawberries from a walk-in refrigerator to prepare for delivery at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A boost to local farms \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: Daniela Castillo, manager at Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, picks sungold tomatoes on July 28, 2026. Fiery Ginger Farm is one of over 100 small local farms that partner with Spork Food Hub. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: A cart of ripe tomatoes stays cool in a walk-in refrigerator at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Tahoe-Truckee Unified, Kat Soltanmorad has never been happier in her 25 years as a school nutrition worker. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They taste-test new menu items with students and offer a wide variety of options at the salad bar so everyone can find something they like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have become a radish expert,” Soltanmorad said, noting that the district offers radish varieties such as baby French breakfast and Easter egg from small farms near her district. “We dress them up with Tajin and lime juice or cilantro, and the students love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gauthier, who just finished eighth grade, transferred to Tahoe-Truckee two years ago from Reno, where he said the school food was unimpressive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In Reno they’d give us little sandwiches in plastic bags. Not cooked or anything, just a cold sandwich,” he said. “Here, they actually make an effort. They try.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The staff, too, has benefitted. Because there’s more work for them, they’re getting more hours and bigger paychecks, plus greater job satisfaction, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/08/school-lunch-california/\">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\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At Tahoe-Truckee Unified, Kat Soltanmorad has never been happier in her 25 years as a school nutrition worker. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They taste-test new menu items with students and offer a wide variety of options at the salad bar so everyone can find something they like.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have become a radish expert,” Soltanmorad said, noting that the district offers radish varieties such as baby French breakfast and Easter egg from small farms near her district. “We dress them up with Tajin and lime juice or cilantro, and the students love it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gauthier, who just finished eighth grade, transferred to Tahoe-Truckee two years ago from Reno, where he said the school food was unimpressive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In Reno they’d give us little sandwiches in plastic bags. Not cooked or anything, just a cold sandwich,” he said. “Here, they actually make an effort. They try.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The staff, too, has benefitted. Because there’s more work for them, they’re getting more hours and bigger paychecks, plus greater job satisfaction, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Through the Farm to School program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food, send students on field trips to farms and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies.",
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"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\n\n\n\u003cp>In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it – over and over.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This brings joy to the cafeteria crew, but Gage Gautheier recently bestowed the highest possible praise from a middle-schooler: “I have literally never heard anyone complain about the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tahoe-Truckee Unified is among 500 California school districts that get their food through the state’s Farm to School program, which pairs local farmers, ranchers and other food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. The program has been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/08/school-lunches/\">so successful\u003c/a> since it started in 2021 that this month the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb172\">expanded it\u003c/a> and made it a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m so relieved the state decided to step it up and make this program permanent,” said Christina Lawson, director of nutrition services at Western Placer Unified in Lincoln, a Sacramento suburb. “That’s been my abiding fear – that our funding would dry up after all this work we’ve done.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093654\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: The Spork Food Hub warehouse, surrounded by an orchard, in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093655\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093655\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: Jacob Weiss, the general manager of Spork Food Hub in Davis, messages directly with a local farmer about ripening crops on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Warehouse Supervisor Lucas Morace removes a pallet of strawberries from a walk-in refrigerator to prepare for delivery at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A boost to local farms \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: Daniela Castillo, manager at Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, picks sungold tomatoes on July 28, 2026. Fiery Ginger Farm is one of over 100 small local farms that partner with Spork Food Hub. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: A cart of ripe tomatoes stays cool in a walk-in refrigerator at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Tahoe-Truckee Unified, Kat Soltanmorad has never been happier in her 25 years as a school nutrition worker. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They taste-test new menu items with students and offer a wide variety of options at the salad bar so everyone can find something they like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have become a radish expert,” Soltanmorad said, noting that the district offers radish varieties such as baby French breakfast and Easter egg from small farms near her district. “We dress them up with Tajin and lime juice or cilantro, and the students love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gauthier, who just finished eighth grade, transferred to Tahoe-Truckee two years ago from Reno, where he said the school food was unimpressive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In Reno they’d give us little sandwiches in plastic bags. Not cooked or anything, just a cold sandwich,” he said. “Here, they actually make an effort. They try.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The staff, too, has benefitted. Because there’s more work for them, they’re getting more hours and bigger paychecks, plus greater job satisfaction, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/08/school-lunch-california/\">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\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "inside-the-fight-for-the-future-of-californias-climate-dollars",
"title": "Inside the Fight for the Future of California’s Climate Dollars",
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"headTitle": "Inside the Fight for the Future of California’s Climate Dollars | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As state lawmakers return to the Capitol from summer recess on Monday, Democrats are spoiling for a fight with Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> over the future of California’s signature climate fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less than a year ago, Newsom and the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">extended\u003c/a> the cap-and-trade program to 2045, renaming it cap-and-invest — a clear signal about lawmakers’ thoughts on the fiscal benefits of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052825/whats-next-for-californias-landmark-climate-program\">the system\u003c/a>. By requiring major polluters to purchase permits to account for their emissions, it raises billions of dollars a year for programs ranging from high-speed rail to affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the climate fund could shrink by as much as half due to new rules governing cap-and-invest, forcing lawmakers to make tough choices about how to spend the polluter proceeds — all while Newsom argues the program was never meant to be a permanent source of revenue. Their negotiations could come to a head in the next few weeks, before the final legislative session of the governor’s tenure comes to a close. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040943\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cap-and-invest rules, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085401/amid-opposition-california-regulators-approve-major-changes-to-cap-and-trade-program\">approved\u003c/a> by the California Air Resources Board this spring, are expected to drastically reduce the number of pollution permits, known as allowances, that are auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund over the next three years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, more pollution allowances will be given away to companies covered by the cap, such as oil refineries and factories, to prevent them from leaving California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is tension here insofar as there was an effort to rebrand the program as cap-and-invest — and now there are some serious concerns about the magnitude of the investments that will be coming out of this program,” said Kyle Meng, a professor of environmental economics at UC Santa Barbara. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regulations boost industry\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom signed the reauthorization of cap-and-invest in September, as part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">sweeping negotiations\u003c/a> on climate and energy that included a bill meant to boost the state’s oil industry by making it easier to drill in Kern County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Air regulators at CARB got to work designing a cap that would allow the state to achieve its climate goals — including reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 — while also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053867/affordability-concerns-at-center-of-cap-and-trade-renewal-debate\">addressing affordability\u003c/a>, a top priority for lawmakers during last year’s reauthorization debate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The first set of cap-and-invest rules unveiled in January drew fierce lobbying from the oil industry, which had already seen the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910826/california-considers-more-drilling-and-other-concessions-to-big-oil-as-gas-prices-rise\">closure of refineries\u003c/a> in Los Angeles and Benicia in the last two years that supplied roughly 20% of the state’s refining capacity. A Chevron executive \u003ca href=\"https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2026/q1/californias-economy-faces-threats-with-new-energy-policy-changes\">warned\u003c/a> in a March letter that the regulations would “cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1099\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/49114191696_1eaabc25a9_o-e1589575094581.jpg\" alt=\"Pumpjacks in western Kern County's South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11814822\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumpjacks in western Kern County’s South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019. (Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CARB’s final blueprint, approved in May, increased the free allowances granted to polluters over the next three years. It also created the Manufacturing Decarbonization Incentive, which could grant companies additional allowances above the cap if they make investments in clean air technologies. The initiative is still being developed, but critics worry it could increase emissions and depress demand for allowances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that a big focus of these regulations, it seems to me, was to try to provide additional benefits to industry … to prevent businesses from leaving the state, and also help them decarbonize their production processes,” said Helen Kerstein, an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tradeoff is a decline in the allowances given to utilities (which help fund a Climate Credit on customers’ bills) and a significant drop in allowances auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a result, CARB projects $2 billion annually will be deposited into the fund, roughly half the amount in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A revenue program?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED, Newsom defended CARB’s work as a pragmatic response to rising costs at the pump. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cap-and-invest has historically added roughly $0.25 to the price of a gallon of gas in California. As the state lowers the cap on emissions by issuing fewer pollution allowances over time, the price of each allowance is expected to rise — increasing compliance costs for California’s embattled oil refineries and further complicating the state’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we accelerate that transition, we also need to stabilize the market so that we don’t have $10 gasoline,” Newsom told KQED. “And so there was some rebalancing and consideration in that space, especially in the impacts of refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076853\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom and CARB officials have argued that the central purpose of cap-and-invest is to cost-effectively reduce emissions — not bankroll state programs through the revenue that goes to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The whole idea was to reduce the allowances to reduce pollution — it was never to create a fund to subsidize [programs] in perpetuity,” Newsom said. “But now people have become so used to it, it’s become an ongoing funding source. So now everyone’s fighting for more and more resources.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That argument has come as cold comfort to lawmakers who have eyed the fund to pay for housing, transit and wildfire mitigation in otherwise tight budget times. Even Newsom is banking on cap-and-invest revenue for the construction of high-speed rail in the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In fact, the most quantifiable benefit of cap-and-invest has been its ability to print cash. While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much the program has reduced emissions or precisely how many businesses have been retained because of its market design, the carbon allowance auctions have raised $36.1 billion for the GGRF since they began in 2013. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lawmakers see the revenue as key to the political survival of the state’s climate ambitions, by ensuring that a strict emissions cap will result in tangible benefits to California households beyond the avoided costs of climate damages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can say cap-and-invest isn’t a revenue program, but we live and die on revenue programs,” state Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San José, said. “So you’re going to need to point us to where we’re going to get the revenue to backfill these programs because they’re not going to go away — I think that’s going to be the standoff.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>‘\u003cstrong>Mission critical’ \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In North San José, money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is helping transform a vacant lot next to the Berryessa BART station into an apartment complex with 195 units of affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The development broke ground in May and is expected to open in 2028. On a recent weekday afternoon, construction crews were at work preparing the site’s foundation as BART trains whizzed by. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project received $29 million from the state’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which uses money in the climate fund to build affordable housing near transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091847\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Construction crews work at the site of RISE, an affordable housing development, across the street from the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When your front door is at a station area, the people who live there are much more likely to hop on transit and not utilize a single-occupancy vehicle to get to their destinations,” said Jessie O’Malley Solis, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s director of multimodal planning and real estate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>VTA has a pipeline of 2,900 affordable units envisioned for future development projects at transit stations in San José, Campbell and Milpitas. All would rely on the AHSC funding generated by cap-and-invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s critical,” Solis said. “Mission critical.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But AHSC funding could be completely eliminated under the new cap-and-invest rules, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a deal Newsom struck last year with Democratic lawmakers on how to spend Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund revenue, programs would no longer be guaranteed a percentage share of the fund’s proceeds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, a fixed $1 billion a year would go toward the state’s high-speed rail system, a top Newsom priority, and $1 billion would be set aside for discretionary spending. Funding for housing, transit and reducing pollution in low-income hotspots fell further down the list. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The construction site of RISE, an affordable housing development, next to the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026. The 10-story building will have 195 units. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If that spending blueprint remains unchanged, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that there would be no money in the climate account left earmarked for housing, transit, wildfire resilience or the Community Air Protection Program, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050096/californias-clean-air-program-for-polluted-communities-faces-crossroads\">created to reduce\u003c/a> local air pollution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you cut funding for things like this, you’re undercutting years of community work,” said Lauren Gallagher, an attorney with Communities for a Better Environment. “The agreements that were made last year in the legislative process were not honored in this rulemaking.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Communities for a Better Environment has sued CARB to block the new cap-and-invest rules, accusing the agency of failing to properly consider the environmental impacts of changes that would leave less money in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new fiscal reality could upend the deal between Newsom and legislative Democrats on climate spending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Competing priorities \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor has been steadfast in his desire to prioritize Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars for high-speed rail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rail officials have vowed that an annual $1 billion commitment will allow them to borrow enough money to complete an initial segment from Merced to Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“All those folks that are out there shaking their head on the high-speed rail, we can’t make up for the last 20, 30 years, but right now we’re laying damn tracks,” Newsom said. “I believe when it is done, people will look back and go, boy, this was worthwhile.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lawmakers and analysts have questioned the agency’s plan to complete even the initial segment, let alone the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line that was promised to voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066410\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, local transit agencies from BART to Metrolink face ongoing budget shortfalls. The GGRF has historically funded daily transit operations as well as long-term capital improvements, such as VTA’s Eastridge light-rail extension in San José and the expansion of SMART train service in Sonoma County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, we have high-speed rail in the tier that’s above transit, and I don’t think that makes sense,” Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, said. “High-speed rail shouldn’t get a billion dollars, and then we’ll starve all the other transit agencies in the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others have advocated for prioritizing adaptation to the climate costs already piling up for Californians. Hotter temperatures and longer droughts have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires, which have raised costs for electric utilities and rattled California’s home insurance market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers at Stanford’s Climate & Energy Policy Program warned against eliminating GGRF funding used to manage forests and harden communities vulnerable to wildfires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now is not the time to cut wildfire resilience funding,” they \u003ca href=\"https://cepp.substack.com/p/california-wildfire-resilience-funding\">wrote\u003c/a> on Substack. “Otherwise, we risk losing lives, property, and ecosystems while exacerbating the utility and insurance affordability crises, worsening air quality, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not all legislators are jumping into the spending fight. Four members of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28127828-psc-letter-to-carb-15-day-cap-and-invest-comments-final/\">penned a letter\u003c/a> to CARB supporting the agency’s decision to return pollution allowances to industry and utilities rather than leaving them for lawmakers to divert to pet projects.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Value preserved through free allocation … stays in California,” they wrote. “It stays in worker wages, facility operations, local tax bases, fuel price stability, and ratepayer credits.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A crew works to install cross braces in the tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Air regulators have stressed that the shift in allowances is only temporary — a three-year adjustment to weather a turbulent energy transition. Come 2030, CARB will again consider a new distribution of pollution permits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in the meantime, Kerstein said, lawmakers are left with tough choices over prized programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the face of this uncertainty and this potential volatility, what are its priorities?” Kerstein said. “And how does it want to make sure that its top priorities are funded?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Newsom, there is an added element of time pressure. The last legislative session of his tenure comes to an end Aug. 31 — giving the governor less than a month to leave his mark on the future of California’s climate spending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/scottshafer\">\u003cem>Scott Shafer\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px; margin: 80px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As state lawmakers return to the Capitol from summer recess on Monday, Democrats are spoiling for a fight with Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> over the future of California’s signature climate fund. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As state lawmakers return to the Capitol from summer recess on Monday, Democrats are spoiling for a fight with Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> over the future of California’s signature climate fund. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Less than a year ago, Newsom and the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">extended\u003c/a> the cap-and-trade program to 2045, renaming it cap-and-invest — a clear signal about lawmakers’ thoughts on the fiscal benefits of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052825/whats-next-for-californias-landmark-climate-program\">the system\u003c/a>. By requiring major polluters to purchase permits to account for their emissions, it raises billions of dollars a year for programs ranging from high-speed rail to affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Less than a year ago, Newsom and the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">extended\u003c/a> the cap-and-trade program to 2045, renaming it cap-and-invest — a clear signal about lawmakers’ thoughts on the fiscal benefits of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052825/whats-next-for-californias-landmark-climate-program\">the system\u003c/a>. By requiring major polluters to purchase permits to account for their emissions, it raises billions of dollars a year for programs ranging from high-speed rail to affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the climate fund could shrink by as much as half due to new rules governing cap-and-invest, forcing lawmakers to make tough choices about how to spend the polluter proceeds — all while Newsom argues the program was never meant to be a permanent source of revenue. Their negotiations could come to a head in the next few weeks, before the final legislative session of the governor’s tenure comes to a close. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the climate fund could shrink by as much as half due to new rules governing cap-and-invest, forcing lawmakers to make tough choices about how to spend the polluter proceeds — all while Newsom argues the program was never meant to be a permanent source of revenue. Their negotiations could come to a head in the next few weeks, before the final legislative session of the governor’s tenure comes to a close. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040943\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040943\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cap-and-invest rules, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085401/amid-opposition-california-regulators-approve-major-changes-to-cap-and-trade-program\">approved\u003c/a> by the California Air Resources Board this spring, are expected to drastically reduce the number of pollution permits, known as allowances, that are auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund over the next three years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The cap-and-invest rules, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085401/amid-opposition-california-regulators-approve-major-changes-to-cap-and-trade-program\">approved\u003c/a> by the California Air Resources Board this spring, are expected to drastically reduce the number of pollution permits, known as allowances, that are auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund over the next three years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, more pollution allowances will be given away to companies covered by the cap, such as oil refineries and factories, to prevent them from leaving California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, more pollution allowances will be given away to companies covered by the cap, such as oil refineries and factories, to prevent them from leaving California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is tension here insofar as there was an effort to rebrand the program as cap-and-invest — and now there are some serious concerns about the magnitude of the investments that will be coming out of this program,” said Kyle Meng, a professor of environmental economics at UC Santa Barbara. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is tension here insofar as there was an effort to rebrand the program as cap-and-invest — and now there are some serious concerns about the magnitude of the investments that will be coming out of this program,” said Kyle Meng, a professor of environmental economics at UC Santa Barbara. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Regulations boost industry",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regulations boost industry\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regulations boost industry\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom signed the reauthorization of cap-and-invest in September, as part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">sweeping negotiations\u003c/a> on climate and energy that included a bill meant to boost the state’s oil industry by making it easier to drill in Kern County. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Air regulators at CARB got to work designing a cap that would allow the state to achieve its climate goals — including reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 — while also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053867/affordability-concerns-at-center-of-cap-and-trade-renewal-debate\">addressing affordability\u003c/a>, a top priority for lawmakers during last year’s reauthorization debate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Air regulators at CARB got to work designing a cap that would allow the state to achieve its climate goals — including reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 — while also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053867/affordability-concerns-at-center-of-cap-and-trade-renewal-debate\">addressing affordability\u003c/a>, a top priority for lawmakers during last year’s reauthorization debate. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The first set of cap-and-invest rules unveiled in January drew fierce lobbying from the oil industry, which had already seen the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910826/california-considers-more-drilling-and-other-concessions-to-big-oil-as-gas-prices-rise\">closure of refineries\u003c/a> in Los Angeles and Benicia in the last two years that supplied roughly 20% of the state’s refining capacity. A Chevron executive \u003ca href=\"https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2026/q1/californias-economy-faces-threats-with-new-energy-policy-changes\">warned\u003c/a> in a March letter that the regulations would “cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The first set of cap-and-invest rules unveiled in January drew fierce lobbying from the oil industry, which had already seen the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910826/california-considers-more-drilling-and-other-concessions-to-big-oil-as-gas-prices-rise\">closure of refineries\u003c/a> in Los Angeles and Benicia in the last two years that supplied roughly 20% of the state’s refining capacity. A Chevron executive \u003ca href=\"https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2026/q1/californias-economy-faces-threats-with-new-energy-policy-changes\">warned\u003c/a> in a March letter that the regulations would “cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Pumpjacks in western Kern County's South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/49114191696_1eaabc25a9_o-e1589575094581.jpg\" alt=\"Pumpjacks in western Kern County's South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11814822\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumpjacks in western Kern County’s South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CARB’s final blueprint, approved in May, increased the free allowances granted to polluters over the next three years. It also created the Manufacturing Decarbonization Incentive, which could grant companies additional allowances above the cap if they make investments in clean air technologies. The initiative is still being developed, but critics worry it could increase emissions and depress demand for allowances. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>CARB’s final blueprint, approved in May, increased the free allowances granted to polluters over the next three years. It also created the Manufacturing Decarbonization Incentive, which could grant companies additional allowances above the cap if they make investments in clean air technologies. The initiative is still being developed, but critics worry it could increase emissions and depress demand for allowances. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that a big focus of these regulations, it seems to me, was to try to provide additional benefits to industry … to prevent businesses from leaving the state, and also help them decarbonize their production processes,” said Helen Kerstein, an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that a big focus of these regulations, it seems to me, was to try to provide additional benefits to industry … to prevent businesses from leaving the state, and also help them decarbonize their production processes,” said Helen Kerstein, an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The tradeoff is a decline in the allowances given to utilities (which help fund a Climate Credit on customers’ bills) and a significant drop in allowances auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The tradeoff is a decline in the allowances given to utilities (which help fund a Climate Credit on customers’ bills) and a significant drop in allowances auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a result, CARB projects $2 billion annually will be deposited into the fund, roughly half the amount in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a result, CARB projects $2 billion annually will be deposited into the fund, roughly half the amount in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A revenue program?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A revenue program?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED, Newsom defended CARB’s work as a pragmatic response to rising costs at the pump. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED, Newsom defended CARB’s work as a pragmatic response to rising costs at the pump. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cap-and-invest has historically added roughly $0.25 to the price of a gallon of gas in California. As the state lowers the cap on emissions by issuing fewer pollution allowances over time, the price of each allowance is expected to rise — increasing compliance costs for California’s embattled oil refineries and further complicating the state’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cap-and-invest has historically added roughly $0.25 to the price of a gallon of gas in California. As the state lowers the cap on emissions by issuing fewer pollution allowances over time, the price of each allowance is expected to rise — increasing compliance costs for California’s embattled oil refineries and further complicating the state’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As we accelerate that transition, we also need to stabilize the market so that we don’t have $10 gasoline,” Newsom told KQED. “And so there was some rebalancing and consideration in that space, especially in the impacts of refineries.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As we accelerate that transition, we also need to stabilize the market so that we don’t have $10 gasoline,” Newsom told KQED. “And so there was some rebalancing and consideration in that space, especially in the impacts of refineries.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076853\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076853\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom and CARB officials have argued that the central purpose of cap-and-invest is to cost-effectively reduce emissions — not bankroll state programs through the revenue that goes to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom and CARB officials have argued that the central purpose of cap-and-invest is to cost-effectively reduce emissions — not bankroll state programs through the revenue that goes to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The whole idea was to reduce the allowances to reduce pollution — it was never to create a fund to subsidize [programs] in perpetuity,” Newsom said. “But now people have become so used to it, it’s become an ongoing funding source. So now everyone’s fighting for more and more resources.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The whole idea was to reduce the allowances to reduce pollution — it was never to create a fund to subsidize [programs] in perpetuity,” Newsom said. “But now people have become so used to it, it’s become an ongoing funding source. So now everyone’s fighting for more and more resources.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That argument has come as cold comfort to lawmakers who have eyed the fund to pay for housing, transit and wildfire mitigation in otherwise tight budget times. Even Newsom is banking on cap-and-invest revenue for the construction of high-speed rail in the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That argument has come as cold comfort to lawmakers who have eyed the fund to pay for housing, transit and wildfire mitigation in otherwise tight budget times. Even Newsom is banking on cap-and-invest revenue for the construction of high-speed rail in the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In fact, the most quantifiable benefit of cap-and-invest has been its ability to print cash. While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much the program has reduced emissions or precisely how many businesses have been retained because of its market design, the carbon allowance auctions have raised $36.1 billion for the GGRF since they began in 2013. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In fact, the most quantifiable benefit of cap-and-invest has been its ability to print cash. While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much the program has reduced emissions or precisely how many businesses have been retained because of its market design, the carbon allowance auctions have raised $36.1 billion for the GGRF since they began in 2013. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lawmakers see the revenue as key to the political survival of the state’s climate ambitions, by ensuring that a strict emissions cap will result in tangible benefits to California households beyond the avoided costs of climate damages.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lawmakers see the revenue as key to the political survival of the state’s climate ambitions, by ensuring that a strict emissions cap will result in tangible benefits to California households beyond the avoided costs of climate damages.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You can say cap-and-invest isn’t a revenue program, but we live and die on revenue programs,” state Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San José, said. “So you’re going to need to point us to where we’re going to get the revenue to backfill these programs because they’re not going to go away — I think that’s going to be the standoff.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You can say cap-and-invest isn’t a revenue program, but we live and die on revenue programs,” state Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San José, said. “So you’re going to need to point us to where we’re going to get the revenue to backfill these programs because they’re not going to go away — I think that’s going to be the standoff.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>‘\u003cstrong>Mission critical’ \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In North San José, money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is helping transform a vacant lot next to the Berryessa BART station into an apartment complex with 195 units of affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In North San José, money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is helping transform a vacant lot next to the Berryessa BART station into an apartment complex with 195 units of affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The development broke ground in May and is expected to open in 2028. On a recent weekday afternoon, construction crews were at work preparing the site’s foundation as BART trains whizzed by. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The development broke ground in May and is expected to open in 2028. On a recent weekday afternoon, construction crews were at work preparing the site’s foundation as BART trains whizzed by. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The project received $29 million from the state’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which uses money in the climate fund to build affordable housing near transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The project received $29 million from the state’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which uses money in the climate fund to build affordable housing near transit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091847\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Construction crews work at the site of RISE, an affordable housing development, across the street from the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When your front door is at a station area, the people who live there are much more likely to hop on transit and not utilize a single-occupancy vehicle to get to their destinations,” said Jessie O’Malley Solis, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s director of multimodal planning and real estate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>VTA has a pipeline of 2,900 affordable units envisioned for future development projects at transit stations in San José, Campbell and Milpitas. All would rely on the AHSC funding generated by cap-and-invest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>VTA has a pipeline of 2,900 affordable units envisioned for future development projects at transit stations in San José, Campbell and Milpitas. All would rely on the AHSC funding generated by cap-and-invest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s critical,” Solis said. “Mission critical.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But AHSC funding could be completely eliminated under the new cap-and-invest rules, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But AHSC funding could be completely eliminated under the new cap-and-invest rules, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under a deal Newsom struck last year with Democratic lawmakers on how to spend Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund revenue, programs would no longer be guaranteed a percentage share of the fund’s proceeds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, a fixed $1 billion a year would go toward the state’s high-speed rail system, a top Newsom priority, and $1 billion would be set aside for discretionary spending. Funding for housing, transit and reducing pollution in low-income hotspots fell further down the list. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, a fixed $1 billion a year would go toward the state’s high-speed rail system, a top Newsom priority, and $1 billion would be set aside for discretionary spending. Funding for housing, transit and reducing pollution in low-income hotspots fell further down the list. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The construction site of RISE, an affordable housing development, next to the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026. The 10-story building will have 195 units.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091850\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The construction site of RISE, an affordable housing development, next to the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026. The 10-story building will have 195 units.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If that spending blueprint remains unchanged, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that there would be no money in the climate account left earmarked for housing, transit, wildfire resilience or the Community Air Protection Program, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050096/californias-clean-air-program-for-polluted-communities-faces-crossroads\">created to reduce\u003c/a> local air pollution.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If that spending blueprint remains unchanged, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that there would be no money in the climate account left earmarked for housing, transit, wildfire resilience or the Community Air Protection Program, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050096/californias-clean-air-program-for-polluted-communities-faces-crossroads\">created to reduce\u003c/a> local air pollution.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you cut funding for things like this, you’re undercutting years of community work,” said Lauren Gallagher, an attorney with Communities for a Better Environment. “The agreements that were made last year in the legislative process were not honored in this rulemaking.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When you cut funding for things like this, you’re undercutting years of community work,” said Lauren Gallagher, an attorney with Communities for a Better Environment. “The agreements that were made last year in the legislative process were not honored in this rulemaking.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Communities for a Better Environment has sued CARB to block the new cap-and-invest rules, accusing the agency of failing to properly consider the environmental impacts of changes that would leave less money in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Communities for a Better Environment has sued CARB to block the new cap-and-invest rules, accusing the agency of failing to properly consider the environmental impacts of changes that would leave less money in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new fiscal reality could upend the deal between Newsom and legislative Democrats on climate spending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Competing priorities ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Competing priorities \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The governor has been steadfast in his desire to prioritize Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars for high-speed rail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rail officials have vowed that an annual $1 billion commitment will allow them to borrow enough money to complete an initial segment from Merced to Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rail officials have vowed that an annual $1 billion commitment will allow them to borrow enough money to complete an initial segment from Merced to Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“All those folks that are out there shaking their head on the high-speed rail, we can’t make up for the last 20, 30 years, but right now we’re laying damn tracks,” Newsom said. “I believe when it is done, people will look back and go, boy, this was worthwhile.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But lawmakers and analysts have questioned the agency’s plan to complete even the initial segment, let alone the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line that was promised to voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But lawmakers and analysts have questioned the agency’s plan to complete even the initial segment, let alone the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line that was promised to voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066410\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066410\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, local transit agencies from BART to Metrolink face ongoing budget shortfalls. The GGRF has historically funded daily transit operations as well as long-term capital improvements, such as VTA’s Eastridge light-rail extension in San José and the expansion of SMART train service in Sonoma County. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, local transit agencies from BART to Metrolink face ongoing budget shortfalls. The GGRF has historically funded daily transit operations as well as long-term capital improvements, such as VTA’s Eastridge light-rail extension in San José and the expansion of SMART train service in Sonoma County. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Right now, we have high-speed rail in the tier that’s above transit, and I don’t think that makes sense,” Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, said. “High-speed rail shouldn’t get a billion dollars, and then we’ll starve all the other transit agencies in the state.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Right now, we have high-speed rail in the tier that’s above transit, and I don’t think that makes sense,” Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, said. “High-speed rail shouldn’t get a billion dollars, and then we’ll starve all the other transit agencies in the state.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Others have advocated for prioritizing adaptation to the climate costs already piling up for Californians. Hotter temperatures and longer droughts have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires, which have raised costs for electric utilities and rattled California’s home insurance market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Others have advocated for prioritizing adaptation to the climate costs already piling up for Californians. Hotter temperatures and longer droughts have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires, which have raised costs for electric utilities and rattled California’s home insurance market. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers at Stanford’s Climate & Energy Policy Program warned against eliminating GGRF funding used to manage forests and harden communities vulnerable to wildfires. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Now is not the time to cut wildfire resilience funding,” they \u003ca href=\"https://cepp.substack.com/p/california-wildfire-resilience-funding\">wrote\u003c/a> on Substack. “Otherwise, we risk losing lives, property, and ecosystems while exacerbating the utility and insurance affordability crises, worsening air quality, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Now is not the time to cut wildfire resilience funding,” they \u003ca href=\"https://cepp.substack.com/p/california-wildfire-resilience-funding\">wrote\u003c/a> on Substack. “Otherwise, we risk losing lives, property, and ecosystems while exacerbating the utility and insurance affordability crises, worsening air quality, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Not all legislators are jumping into the spending fight. Four members of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28127828-psc-letter-to-carb-15-day-cap-and-invest-comments-final/\">penned a letter\u003c/a> to CARB supporting the agency’s decision to return pollution allowances to industry and utilities rather than leaving them for lawmakers to divert to pet projects.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Not all legislators are jumping into the spending fight. Four members of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28127828-psc-letter-to-carb-15-day-cap-and-invest-comments-final/\">penned a letter\u003c/a> to CARB supporting the agency’s decision to return pollution allowances to industry and utilities rather than leaving them for lawmakers to divert to pet projects.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Value preserved through free allocation … stays in California,” they wrote. “It stays in worker wages, facility operations, local tax bases, fuel price stability, and ratepayer credits.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Value preserved through free allocation … stays in California,” they wrote. “It stays in worker wages, facility operations, local tax bases, fuel price stability, and ratepayer credits.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A crew works to install cross braces in the tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Air regulators have stressed that the shift in allowances is only temporary — a three-year adjustment to weather a turbulent energy transition. Come 2030, CARB will again consider a new distribution of pollution permits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Air regulators have stressed that the shift in allowances is only temporary — a three-year adjustment to weather a turbulent energy transition. Come 2030, CARB will again consider a new distribution of pollution permits. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in the meantime, Kerstein said, lawmakers are left with tough choices over prized programs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the face of this uncertainty and this potential volatility, what are its priorities?” Kerstein said. “And how does it want to make sure that its top priorities are funded?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In the face of this uncertainty and this potential volatility, what are its priorities?” Kerstein said. “And how does it want to make sure that its top priorities are funded?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Newsom, there is an added element of time pressure. The last legislative session of his tenure comes to an end Aug. 31 — giving the governor less than a month to leave his mark on the future of California’s climate spending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/scottshafer\">\u003cem>Scott Shafer\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/scottshafer\">\u003cem>Scott Shafer\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px; margin: 80px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px; margin: 80px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "Changes to the state’s cap-and-invest program could leave billions of dollars less for housing, transit or high-speed rail — forcing lawmakers to make tough spending choices.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As state lawmakers return to the Capitol from summer recess on Monday, Democrats are spoiling for a fight with Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> over the future of California’s signature climate fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less than a year ago, Newsom and the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">extended\u003c/a> the cap-and-trade program to 2045, renaming it cap-and-invest — a clear signal about lawmakers’ thoughts on the fiscal benefits of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052825/whats-next-for-californias-landmark-climate-program\">the system\u003c/a>. By requiring major polluters to purchase permits to account for their emissions, it raises billions of dollars a year for programs ranging from high-speed rail to affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the climate fund could shrink by as much as half due to new rules governing cap-and-invest, forcing lawmakers to make tough choices about how to spend the polluter proceeds — all while Newsom argues the program was never meant to be a permanent source of revenue. Their negotiations could come to a head in the next few weeks, before the final legislative session of the governor’s tenure comes to a close. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040943\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cap-and-invest rules, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085401/amid-opposition-california-regulators-approve-major-changes-to-cap-and-trade-program\">approved\u003c/a> by the California Air Resources Board this spring, are expected to drastically reduce the number of pollution permits, known as allowances, that are auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund over the next three years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, more pollution allowances will be given away to companies covered by the cap, such as oil refineries and factories, to prevent them from leaving California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is tension here insofar as there was an effort to rebrand the program as cap-and-invest — and now there are some serious concerns about the magnitude of the investments that will be coming out of this program,” said Kyle Meng, a professor of environmental economics at UC Santa Barbara. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regulations boost industry\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom signed the reauthorization of cap-and-invest in September, as part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">sweeping negotiations\u003c/a> on climate and energy that included a bill meant to boost the state’s oil industry by making it easier to drill in Kern County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Air regulators at CARB got to work designing a cap that would allow the state to achieve its climate goals — including reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 — while also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053867/affordability-concerns-at-center-of-cap-and-trade-renewal-debate\">addressing affordability\u003c/a>, a top priority for lawmakers during last year’s reauthorization debate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The first set of cap-and-invest rules unveiled in January drew fierce lobbying from the oil industry, which had already seen the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910826/california-considers-more-drilling-and-other-concessions-to-big-oil-as-gas-prices-rise\">closure of refineries\u003c/a> in Los Angeles and Benicia in the last two years that supplied roughly 20% of the state’s refining capacity. A Chevron executive \u003ca href=\"https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2026/q1/californias-economy-faces-threats-with-new-energy-policy-changes\">warned\u003c/a> in a March letter that the regulations would “cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1099\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/49114191696_1eaabc25a9_o-e1589575094581.jpg\" alt=\"Pumpjacks in western Kern County's South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11814822\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumpjacks in western Kern County’s South Belridge oil field as seen in November 2019. (Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CARB’s final blueprint, approved in May, increased the free allowances granted to polluters over the next three years. It also created the Manufacturing Decarbonization Incentive, which could grant companies additional allowances above the cap if they make investments in clean air technologies. The initiative is still being developed, but critics worry it could increase emissions and depress demand for allowances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that a big focus of these regulations, it seems to me, was to try to provide additional benefits to industry … to prevent businesses from leaving the state, and also help them decarbonize their production processes,” said Helen Kerstein, an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tradeoff is a decline in the allowances given to utilities (which help fund a Climate Credit on customers’ bills) and a significant drop in allowances auctioned off to fill the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a result, CARB projects $2 billion annually will be deposited into the fund, roughly half the amount in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A revenue program?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED, Newsom defended CARB’s work as a pragmatic response to rising costs at the pump. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cap-and-invest has historically added roughly $0.25 to the price of a gallon of gas in California. As the state lowers the cap on emissions by issuing fewer pollution allowances over time, the price of each allowance is expected to rise — increasing compliance costs for California’s embattled oil refineries and further complicating the state’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we accelerate that transition, we also need to stabilize the market so that we don’t have $10 gasoline,” Newsom told KQED. “And so there was some rebalancing and consideration in that space, especially in the impacts of refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076853\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom and CARB officials have argued that the central purpose of cap-and-invest is to cost-effectively reduce emissions — not bankroll state programs through the revenue that goes to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The whole idea was to reduce the allowances to reduce pollution — it was never to create a fund to subsidize [programs] in perpetuity,” Newsom said. “But now people have become so used to it, it’s become an ongoing funding source. So now everyone’s fighting for more and more resources.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That argument has come as cold comfort to lawmakers who have eyed the fund to pay for housing, transit and wildfire mitigation in otherwise tight budget times. Even Newsom is banking on cap-and-invest revenue for the construction of high-speed rail in the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In fact, the most quantifiable benefit of cap-and-invest has been its ability to print cash. While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much the program has reduced emissions or precisely how many businesses have been retained because of its market design, the carbon allowance auctions have raised $36.1 billion for the GGRF since they began in 2013. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lawmakers see the revenue as key to the political survival of the state’s climate ambitions, by ensuring that a strict emissions cap will result in tangible benefits to California households beyond the avoided costs of climate damages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can say cap-and-invest isn’t a revenue program, but we live and die on revenue programs,” state Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San José, said. “So you’re going to need to point us to where we’re going to get the revenue to backfill these programs because they’re not going to go away — I think that’s going to be the standoff.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>‘\u003cstrong>Mission critical’ \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In North San José, money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is helping transform a vacant lot next to the Berryessa BART station into an apartment complex with 195 units of affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The development broke ground in May and is expected to open in 2028. On a recent weekday afternoon, construction crews were at work preparing the site’s foundation as BART trains whizzed by. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project received $29 million from the state’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which uses money in the climate fund to build affordable housing near transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091847\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Construction crews work at the site of RISE, an affordable housing development, across the street from the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When your front door is at a station area, the people who live there are much more likely to hop on transit and not utilize a single-occupancy vehicle to get to their destinations,” said Jessie O’Malley Solis, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s director of multimodal planning and real estate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>VTA has a pipeline of 2,900 affordable units envisioned for future development projects at transit stations in San José, Campbell and Milpitas. All would rely on the AHSC funding generated by cap-and-invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s critical,” Solis said. “Mission critical.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But AHSC funding could be completely eliminated under the new cap-and-invest rules, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a deal Newsom struck last year with Democratic lawmakers on how to spend Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund revenue, programs would no longer be guaranteed a percentage share of the fund’s proceeds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, a fixed $1 billion a year would go toward the state’s high-speed rail system, a top Newsom priority, and $1 billion would be set aside for discretionary spending. Funding for housing, transit and reducing pollution in low-income hotspots fell further down the list. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The construction site of RISE, an affordable housing development, next to the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, in San José on July 16, 2026. The 10-story building will have 195 units. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If that spending blueprint remains unchanged, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that there would be no money in the climate account left earmarked for housing, transit, wildfire resilience or the Community Air Protection Program, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050096/californias-clean-air-program-for-polluted-communities-faces-crossroads\">created to reduce\u003c/a> local air pollution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you cut funding for things like this, you’re undercutting years of community work,” said Lauren Gallagher, an attorney with Communities for a Better Environment. “The agreements that were made last year in the legislative process were not honored in this rulemaking.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Communities for a Better Environment has sued CARB to block the new cap-and-invest rules, accusing the agency of failing to properly consider the environmental impacts of changes that would leave less money in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new fiscal reality could upend the deal between Newsom and legislative Democrats on climate spending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Competing priorities \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor has been steadfast in his desire to prioritize Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars for high-speed rail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rail officials have vowed that an annual $1 billion commitment will allow them to borrow enough money to complete an initial segment from Merced to Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“All those folks that are out there shaking their head on the high-speed rail, we can’t make up for the last 20, 30 years, but right now we’re laying damn tracks,” Newsom said. “I believe when it is done, people will look back and go, boy, this was worthwhile.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lawmakers and analysts have questioned the agency’s plan to complete even the initial segment, let alone the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line that was promised to voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066410\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, local transit agencies from BART to Metrolink face ongoing budget shortfalls. The GGRF has historically funded daily transit operations as well as long-term capital improvements, such as VTA’s Eastridge light-rail extension in San José and the expansion of SMART train service in Sonoma County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, we have high-speed rail in the tier that’s above transit, and I don’t think that makes sense,” Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, said. “High-speed rail shouldn’t get a billion dollars, and then we’ll starve all the other transit agencies in the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others have advocated for prioritizing adaptation to the climate costs already piling up for Californians. Hotter temperatures and longer droughts have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires, which have raised costs for electric utilities and rattled California’s home insurance market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers at Stanford’s Climate & Energy Policy Program warned against eliminating GGRF funding used to manage forests and harden communities vulnerable to wildfires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now is not the time to cut wildfire resilience funding,” they \u003ca href=\"https://cepp.substack.com/p/california-wildfire-resilience-funding\">wrote\u003c/a> on Substack. “Otherwise, we risk losing lives, property, and ecosystems while exacerbating the utility and insurance affordability crises, worsening air quality, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not all legislators are jumping into the spending fight. Four members of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28127828-psc-letter-to-carb-15-day-cap-and-invest-comments-final/\">penned a letter\u003c/a> to CARB supporting the agency’s decision to return pollution allowances to industry and utilities rather than leaving them for lawmakers to divert to pet projects.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Value preserved through free allocation … stays in California,” they wrote. “It stays in worker wages, facility operations, local tax bases, fuel price stability, and ratepayer credits.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12066415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251208-BART-SILICON-VALLEY-TOUR-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A crew works to install cross braces in the tunnel under construction at the West Portal Site of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project in San José on Dec. 8, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Air regulators have stressed that the shift in allowances is only temporary — a three-year adjustment to weather a turbulent energy transition. Come 2030, CARB will again consider a new distribution of pollution permits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in the meantime, Kerstein said, lawmakers are left with tough choices over prized programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the face of this uncertainty and this potential volatility, what are its priorities?” Kerstein said. “And how does it want to make sure that its top priorities are funded?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Newsom, there is an added element of time pressure. The last legislative session of his tenure comes to an end Aug. 31 — giving the governor less than a month to leave his mark on the future of California’s climate spending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/scottshafer\">\u003cem>Scott Shafer\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px; margin: 80px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A landmark state law written by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> lawmakers aimed at helping people identify content that’s been generated by artificial intelligence will go into effect Saturday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law requires AI companies to ensure that their images and videos contain embedded, difficult-to-remove data about how the image was made — often referred to as “provenance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Starting Aug. 2, anyone will be able to put an image, video or audio file into a \u003ca href=\"https://c2pa.org/\">content verifier\u003c/a>, like one from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and determine whether or not it is AI-generated, state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12031242\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Technology leaders attend a generative artificial intelligence meeting in San Francisco on June 29, 2023. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“While AI has some benefits, we’ve seen AI content used for election misinformation for scams and abusive deepfakes,” Becker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law Becker co-authored along with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Los Angeles, will make it easier for everyday people to see what’s real and what’s fabricated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next phase kicks in on Jan. 1, 2027, and will require large online platforms to give users a way to view that previously stored information and figure out whether or not the content that they’re seeing is AI-generated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By 2028, phones and cameras produced in California will be required to store this provenance information as soon as an image is captured.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law — which originally passed in 2024 — has taken nearly three years to go into effect. According to Becker, figuring out how to operationalize these policies can often be a barrier to regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becker said that the lawmakers coordinated closely with the European Union throughout the process. The new law will go into effect on the same day as the \u003ca href=\"https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-starts-enforcing-ai-act-rules-and-new-transparency-requirements-2-august\">European Union’s new AI\u003c/a> Act. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While this law will immediately impact generative AI companies, \u003ca href=\"https://dispatch.starlinglab.org/p/decoding-the-california-ai-transparency\">experts\u003c/a> in the space are keeping an eye on the requirements for online platforms and believe that, if enforced, it “will no doubt have a larger effect on our information economy,” Stephen Sharp Queener, academic researcher with Starling Lab, wrote in a post on Substack. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker will hold a press conference in Sacramento on Aug. 3 to share more details about the new legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Starting Aug. 2, anyone will be able to put an image, video or audio file into a \u003ca href=\"https://c2pa.org/\">content verifier\u003c/a>, like one from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and determine whether or not it is AI-generated, state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Becker said that the lawmakers coordinated closely with the European Union throughout the process. The new law will go into effect on the same day as the \u003ca href=\"https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-starts-enforcing-ai-act-rules-and-new-transparency-requirements-2-august\">European Union’s new AI\u003c/a> Act. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While this law will immediately impact generative AI companies, \u003ca href=\"https://dispatch.starlinglab.org/p/decoding-the-california-ai-transparency\">experts\u003c/a> in the space are keeping an eye on the requirements for online platforms and believe that, if enforced, it “will no doubt have a larger effect on our information economy,” Stephen Sharp Queener, academic researcher with Starling Lab, wrote in a post on Substack. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A landmark state law written by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> lawmakers aimed at helping people identify content that’s been generated by artificial intelligence will go into effect Saturday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law requires AI companies to ensure that their images and videos contain embedded, difficult-to-remove data about how the image was made — often referred to as “provenance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Starting Aug. 2, anyone will be able to put an image, video or audio file into a \u003ca href=\"https://c2pa.org/\">content verifier\u003c/a>, like one from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and determine whether or not it is AI-generated, state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12031242\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/062923_Artificial_Intelligence_AI_REUTERS_CM_02-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Technology leaders attend a generative artificial intelligence meeting in San Francisco on June 29, 2023. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“While AI has some benefits, we’ve seen AI content used for election misinformation for scams and abusive deepfakes,” Becker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law Becker co-authored along with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Los Angeles, will make it easier for everyday people to see what’s real and what’s fabricated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next phase kicks in on Jan. 1, 2027, and will require large online platforms to give users a way to view that previously stored information and figure out whether or not the content that they’re seeing is AI-generated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By 2028, phones and cameras produced in California will be required to store this provenance information as soon as an image is captured.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law — which originally passed in 2024 — has taken nearly three years to go into effect. According to Becker, figuring out how to operationalize these policies can often be a barrier to regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becker said that the lawmakers coordinated closely with the European Union throughout the process. The new law will go into effect on the same day as the \u003ca href=\"https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-starts-enforcing-ai-act-rules-and-new-transparency-requirements-2-august\">European Union’s new AI\u003c/a> Act. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While this law will immediately impact generative AI companies, \u003ca href=\"https://dispatch.starlinglab.org/p/decoding-the-california-ai-transparency\">experts\u003c/a> in the space are keeping an eye on the requirements for online platforms and believe that, if enforced, it “will no doubt have a larger effect on our information economy,” Stephen Sharp Queener, academic researcher with Starling Lab, wrote in a post on Substack. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker will hold a press conference in Sacramento on Aug. 3 to share more details about the new legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-lawmaker-told-court-her-mom-had-dementia-in-family-property-battle-not-so-said-doctors",
"title": "California Lawmaker Told Court Her Mom Had Dementia in Family Property Battle. Not so, Said Doctors",
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"headTitle": "California Lawmaker Told Court Her Mom Had Dementia in Family Property Battle. Not so, Said Doctors | KQED",
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"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>AnaMaria Ávila Bugarin had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills for psychological evaluations, legal costs and fiduciary fees to prove what seemed obvious to most of the people around her: She didn’t have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/dementia\">dementia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one of her daughters claimed she couldn’t take care of herself. Ávila Bugarin wanted to show she didn’t need a court-appointed conservator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So the 76-year-old showed up impeccably dressed for her final exam with a neuropsychologist in September 2018, according to court records. Tearful and distraught, she explained how a quarrel over real estate had destroyed her family and landed her in a fight for the most basic human right, records show. First, she claimed, her daughter had hit her as their property dispute boiled over. Then, her daughter petitioned to get her declared incompetent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such ugly family battles can be common in \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>. What makes Ávila Bugarin’s story unique is that the person who tried to strip her of her autonomy is now \u003ca href=\"https://avilafarias.asmdc.org/\">Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías\u003c/a>, who sits on her chamber’s \u003ca href=\"https://altc.assembly.ca.gov/members\">eldercare committee\u003c/a> — the legislative body that’s supposed to protect seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093612\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12093612\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías on the floor during a session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on May 28, 2026. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>CalMatters reviewed the case as part of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/california-probate-court/\">our ongoing investigation\u003c/a> into California’s conservatorship system, which is designed to protect the vulnerable by taking control of their lives and finances. Previous stories have shown that weak oversight by the state’s Professional Fiduciaries Bureau and the courts has allowed the system to be used against the people it’s supposed to protect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Records on file at the Contra Costa County Superior Court show that before Ávila Farías rose to become an assemblymember, she faced a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28520577-court-grants-the-temporary-restraining-order/\">temporary restraining order\u003c/a> for elder abuse after \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232967-avila-bugarin-files-an-elder-abuse-restraining-order-against-avila-farias/#document/p3/a2824445\">allegedly hitting her mother\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522406-avila-farias-dismisses-her-conservatorship-petition-in-august-2019/\" data-type=\"link\">ended her conservatorship attempt\u003c/a> only after her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232951-the-judge-approves-the-settlement-agreement/#document/p5/a2824937\">agreed to sign over real estate\u003c/a> in a settlement agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The records also reveal that Ávila Farías and her husband have filed for \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232945-avila-farias-files-for-bankruptcy/\">bankruptcy\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513594-isidro-farias-files-for-bankrupcy-in-2014/\">three\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522337-the-fariases-file-bankruptcy-for-buena-vista-llc-in-2011/\">times\u003c/a> on behalf of themselves and their company since 2011, and the assemblymember provided a vastly different explanation of the property in question to the courts than she did to the Fair Political Practices Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melissa Brown, an \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacific.edu/campus-directory/melissa-brown\">elder-law professor emeritus\u003c/a> at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, said Ávila Farías’ attempt to place her mother in conservatorship looks like “a weaponization of the process.”[aside postID=news_11963961 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/092623-Newsom-Gun-Bill-Signing-MG-CM-03.jpg']Ávila Farías would not comment on details of the case, citing a confidentiality agreement that was part of the case’s settlement. But she said she plans to introduce legislation on the issue because of her experience in the case, “hopefully next year.” She didn’t provide specifics about the focus of the legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her spokesperson, Roger Salazar, said in a written statement that there “has never been a judicial finding that Anamarie Farías engaged in any wrongdoing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California conservatorship proceedings commonly involve complex family dynamics,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He pointed out that she has since been named a conservator for another family member, which “reflects the court’s independent determination that she satisfied the legal standards required to serve in a fiduciary capacity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her other family members also declined to comment for this story, citing the confidentiality agreement, or didn’t respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nick Miller, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, said the speaker was not aware of the temporary restraining order or the conservatorship petition when he appointed Ávila Farías to the committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11979470\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11979470\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas on the State Capitol grounds in Sacramento on March 14, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías grew up in Martinez, where she served on the city council and the Contra Costa County Board of Education. She was on the board of directors for the California Housing Finance Agency from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.gov.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2015/04/08/news18916/index.html\">2015\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/02/04/governor-newsom-announces-appointments-2-4-21/\">2024\u003c/a>, during the court battles. Two years ago, voters sent her to the state Assembly with the \u003ca href=\"https://antiochherald.com/2024/05/avila-farias-announces-endorsement-by-gov-newsom-in-assembly-race/?fbclid=IwY2xjawS791RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF4ZGdCMnFSM1YwOFpURFVUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMukZ9lcYHeouL4bicNC-zTcAQqoGeFX9HGyirf7lZVcx8FKFauskvsiRGZ_aem_Ox8lDsZdoyZTcP1Aw_1OoQ\">endorsement of Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the Fair Political Practices Commission received complaints that Ávila Farías had not disclosed \u003ca href=\"https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/enforcement_div/enf_letters/2025/august/anamarie-avila-farias-nacl-202400760.pdf\">all of her economic interests\u003c/a> for several years. The commission closed an investigation in 2025 after she \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522262-avila-farias-amends-years-of-annual-statements/\">amended her forms\u003c/a>, disclosed reportable economic interests and completed the commission’s educational course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, she \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxla.com/news/california-ice-agent-employment-ban-ab1627\">introduced a bill\u003c/a> that would ban some U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees from becoming police officers and teachers in California. A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1627\">watered-down version\u003c/a> of the bill passed the Assembly and is now in the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093000\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12093000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalMatters-Olmos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalMatters-Olmos.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalMatters-Olmos-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Federal immigration agents arrest a man in Bell as residents clash with U.S. Border Patrol agents after a traffic collision involving one of the agency’s vehicles during immigration raids across the Los Angeles area on June 20, 2025. \u003ccite>(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías sits on the Assembly’s Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and is running for a second term in the Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before her ascent in state politics, Ávila Farías and her husband tried their hand in real estate, leaving behind a trail of bankruptcies and questionable property transfers, court and property records show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their family strife centered on three properties: the family home that Ávila Farías purchased with her mother and sister, which they rented to a tenant; Ávila Farías’ permanent home; and another rental property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In August 2008, Ávila Farías and her husband \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513617-avila-farias-transfers-the-family-home-in-2008/\">gifted\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513619-the-fariases-transfer-their-rental-property-in-2008/\">three\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513618-the-fariases-transfer-their-permanent-residence-in-2008/\">properties\u003c/a> to the lawmaker’s mother, Ávila Bugarin, property records show. In court filings, Ávila Bugarin maintained she had no idea she’d been given ownership of two of the properties. Ávila Farías told the court that her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513665-avila-farias-responds-to-her-siblings-objections-to-the-conservatorship/#document/p10/a2824837\">was aware\u003c/a> of the transfers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About three months after the transfers, the couple signed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513626-us-ban-canb-4-11bk70373-d1930112e1251-motion-motion-to-excuse-compliance-with-11-u-s-c-s/#document/p61/a2824438\">$2.3 million business loan agreement\u003c/a>. They \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513626-us-ban-canb-4-11bk70373-d1930112e1251-motion-motion-to-excuse-compliance-with-11-u-s-c-s/#document/p3/a2824440\">defaulted\u003c/a> on the loan about 18 months later, according to court filings, and the couple’s real estate company \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522337-the-fariases-file-bankruptcy-for-buena-vista-llc-in-2011/\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a> in September 2011, eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513636-the-judge-allows-the-creditor-to-take-possession-of-the-properties/\">turning over ownership\u003c/a> of an unrelated property to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513640-the-trustee-asks-the-judge-to-dismiss-buena-vistas-bankruptcy/\">lending company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bankruptcy \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513646-buena-vistas-bankruptcy-was-dismissed-in-april-2012/\">case was dismissed\u003c/a> in April 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years later, Ávila Bugarin said that she discovered her daughter “was behind on her mortgage” on the family home, according to the court investigator’s report. It was then, Ávila Bugarin said, that she started researching the properties, and she learned that her daughter had placed the two other homes in her name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Bugarin told the court investigator she also learned that her daughter had taken out loans against the family home. Ávila Bugarin, who spoke limited English, told the court investigator that she signed the bank documents for the loans, thinking she was refinancing the home, not borrowing against it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She refused to deed the two properties back to Ávila Farías, saying she’d have to get the family home back first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The police eventually got involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February 2018, according to court records filed by Ávila Bugarin, Ávila Farías \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232967-avila-bugarin-files-an-elder-abuse-restraining-order-against-avila-farias/#document/p3/a2824445\">stormed into her apartment\u003c/a>, yanked the telephone from her mother’s hand and hit her wrist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mother filed for a temporary restraining order, asking for protection for herself and her daughter who lived with her, Judith Ávila, which a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28520577-court-grants-the-temporary-restraining-order/\">judge granted\u003c/a>. Judith Ávila corroborated her mother’s account in court filings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías denied the allegations, saying her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513654-avila-farias-responds-to-the-temporary-elder-abuse-restraining-order/#document/p9/a2824955\">slapped her instead\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12069417 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1.jpg']Salazar pointed to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28520015-rosemarie-griffins-response-to-the-restraining-order/#document/p2/a2824971\">statement from another sister\u003c/a>, RoseMarie Griffin, who was on the other end of the phone call when the altercation occurred. Griffin told the court her sister had no history of verbal or physical abuse. “I have never experienced or witnessed any behavior” that would merit a restraining order, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The temporary restraining order was in place \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513564-the-temporary-elder-abuse-restraining-order-was-in-place-for-a-year/#document/p1/a2824448\">for about\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513564-the-temporary-elder-abuse-restraining-order-was-in-place-for-a-year/#document/p2/a2824447\">a year\u003c/a>, according to court records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After mediation over the restraining order failed, the mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513665-avila-farias-responds-to-her-siblings-objections-to-the-conservatorship/#document/p12/a2824449\">filed to evict\u003c/a> Ávila Farías from the home that was now in her name. Ávila Farías filed a request in probate court to place \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522392-avila-farias-files-petitions-to-have-her-mom-conserved/\">her mother\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522391-avila-farias-files-petitions-to-have-her-judith-avila-conserved/\">her sister\u003c/a> in a conservatorship, telling the court that her mother had “an inability to carry out actions in her own rational self-interest, and is subject to delusional and severely disorganized thinking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She argued that her brother was unduly influencing their mother and that her mother needed a neutral conservator in light of disagreements between her and her siblings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías told the court that her mother was forgetful and cited years-old incidents of her mother being scammed out of about $500 and allowing “some squatters (homeless felons)” to use her water hose as examples of why her mother needed someone else to handle her affairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The judge immediately \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513670-the-judge-appoints-a-temporary-conservator-for-avila-bugarin/\">placed Ávila Bugarin\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513669-the-judge-appoints-a-temporary-conservator-for-judith-avila/\">Judith Ávila\u003c/a> under a temporary conservatorship. He said Ávila Bugarin appeared to have been unduly influenced and ordered that she be evaluated. The conservatorship, albeit temporary, blocked Ávila Bugarin from making any financial or personal decisions for herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In subsequent proceedings to determine whether the conservatorship should be permanent, Ávila Bugarin’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513676-avila-fariass-siblings-objection-to-the-conservatorship/\">other children told the court\u003c/a> that they didn’t think their mother had dementia. Two medical doctors came to the same conclusion. And after the final exam, so did the neuropsychologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ms. Avila does not present with any form of significant cognitive deficits which would limit her ability to make medical, legal, financial or life care planning decisions for herself,” Dr. Eric Freitag told the court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the court-appointed professional fiduciary — whom Ávila Farías had recommended — told the court investigator that she “hadn’t noticed any of the issues (Ávila Farías) set forth in the petition.” The fiduciary said Ávila Bugarin was “clear headed and able to take care of herself,” court records show.[aside postID=news_11944448 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS6278_104188708-sfi.jpg']A group of experts drew similar conclusions about Judith Ávila, saying she did not need a conservatorship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías’ attorney, Gary Winuk, said it was appropriate to use conservatorship to figure out Ávila Bugarin’s mental capacity. “The whole purpose of the conservatorship process is to get appropriate testing to find out what someone’s capacity is,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even after experts determined that her mother and sister had the capacity to make their own decisions, the Contra Costa County politician didn’t drop the conservatorship cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About a year after her petition, Ávila Farías won a significant victory: Her \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232951-the-judge-approves-the-settlement-agreement/#document/p2/a2824452\">mother agreed\u003c/a> to transfer ownership of the two contested properties, \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232956-referees-report-to-the-court/#document/p3/a2824480\">valued\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232956-referees-report-to-the-court/#document/p6/a2824481\">about\u003c/a> $1.8 million. And they both agreed to sell the family home they owned together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her mother also agreed to drop her petition for a restraining order. Ávila Farías, who had been arguing that her mother wasn’t competent to make her own financial decisions, said she would stop trying to get the government to take away her mother and sister’s ability to control their own lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five months after the settlement, Ávila Farías \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232962-judge-appoints-receiver-to-sell-the-family-home/#document/p2/a2825129\" data-type=\"link\">hadn’t listed\u003c/a> the home for sale. The judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232962-judge-appoints-receiver-to-sell-the-family-home/\">appointed a receiver\u003c/a>, over \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515633-avila-farias-objects-to-appointing-a-receiver/\">Ávila Farías’ objection\u003c/a>, to sell the home. Three months later, Ávila Farías \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232945-avila-farias-files-for-bankruptcy/\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a>. The home was eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515634-avila-farias-files-updated-list-of-debts-and-payments-in-jan-2021/#document/p1/a2824475\">sold\u003c/a> in November 2020; mother and daughter \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515650-the-judge-approves-avila-fariass-payment-plan/\">used the profits\u003c/a> to cover \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515634-avila-farias-files-updated-list-of-debts-and-payments-in-jan-2021/#document/p10/a2824476\">more than $186,000\u003c/a> in legal fees and other bills related to the conservatorship. Under the agreement, Ávila Farías also gave her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515634-avila-farias-files-updated-list-of-debts-and-payments-in-jan-2021/#document/p10/a2824476\">$116,000 from the sale\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the case has long since been \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522434-the-conservatorship-case-was-resolved-in-2021/\" data-type=\"link\">resolved\u003c/a>, the records from the conservatorship petition raise larger questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías had claimed that her mother hadn’t been contributing to the costs of the properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the past 20 years, Ávila Farías not only has been financially responsible for all asset liability but has also managed day-to-day operations and expenses with no financial contributions from Mom,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513665-avila-farias-responds-to-her-siblings-objections-to-the-conservatorship/#document/p9/a2824989\">she wrote in a court filing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, three and a half years earlier, Ávila Farías told the Fair Political Practices Commission a completely different story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The city of Martinez, California on Jan. 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Michael R. Lopez/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under pressure from a resident to recuse herself from a city council vote on a resolution that could have impacted her property value, she asked the commission to weigh in. “My mother provided the down payment and has made the loan payments ever since,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515697-avila-farias-writes-a-letter-to-the-fair-policial-practices-commission/#document/p1/a2824478\">she wrote\u003c/a>. “My mother is the sole owner of the property.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission said that there was \u003ca href=\"https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/legal_div/advice_letters/2010-2019/2014/14-212.pdf\">no conflict of interest\u003c/a>. Ávila Farías voted in support of the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a city council hearing, the politician berated the resident for asking \u003ca href=\"https://martinez.granicus.com/player/clip/1112?meta_id=83350\">her to recuse herself\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I conduct myself in a high moral standard, and I have my own code of conduct, that I don’t need you or any of my council members to govern,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/07/farias-assembly-conservatorship-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\n",
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"excerpt": "Records show Anamarie Ávila Farías, a state lawmaker representing parts of Contra Costa County, tried to have her mother placed under conservatorship. She dropped it once she gained control of disputed properties.",
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"title": "California Lawmaker Told Court Her Mom Had Dementia in Family Property Battle. Not so, Said Doctors | KQED",
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"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>AnaMaria Ávila Bugarin had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills for psychological evaluations, legal costs and fiduciary fees to prove what seemed obvious to most of the people around her: She didn’t have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/dementia\">dementia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one of her daughters claimed she couldn’t take care of herself. Ávila Bugarin wanted to show she didn’t need a court-appointed conservator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So the 76-year-old showed up impeccably dressed for her final exam with a neuropsychologist in September 2018, according to court records. Tearful and distraught, she explained how a quarrel over real estate had destroyed her family and landed her in a fight for the most basic human right, records show. First, she claimed, her daughter had hit her as their property dispute boiled over. Then, her daughter petitioned to get her declared incompetent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such ugly family battles can be common in \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>. What makes Ávila Bugarin’s story unique is that the person who tried to strip her of her autonomy is now \u003ca href=\"https://avilafarias.asmdc.org/\">Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías\u003c/a>, who sits on her chamber’s \u003ca href=\"https://altc.assembly.ca.gov/members\">eldercare committee\u003c/a> — the legislative body that’s supposed to protect seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093612\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12093612\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/052826-Assembly-Session-MG-CM-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías on the floor during a session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on May 28, 2026. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>CalMatters reviewed the case as part of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/california-probate-court/\">our ongoing investigation\u003c/a> into California’s conservatorship system, which is designed to protect the vulnerable by taking control of their lives and finances. Previous stories have shown that weak oversight by the state’s Professional Fiduciaries Bureau and the courts has allowed the system to be used against the people it’s supposed to protect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Records on file at the Contra Costa County Superior Court show that before Ávila Farías rose to become an assemblymember, she faced a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28520577-court-grants-the-temporary-restraining-order/\">temporary restraining order\u003c/a> for elder abuse after \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232967-avila-bugarin-files-an-elder-abuse-restraining-order-against-avila-farias/#document/p3/a2824445\">allegedly hitting her mother\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522406-avila-farias-dismisses-her-conservatorship-petition-in-august-2019/\" data-type=\"link\">ended her conservatorship attempt\u003c/a> only after her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232951-the-judge-approves-the-settlement-agreement/#document/p5/a2824937\">agreed to sign over real estate\u003c/a> in a settlement agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The records also reveal that Ávila Farías and her husband have filed for \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232945-avila-farias-files-for-bankruptcy/\">bankruptcy\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513594-isidro-farias-files-for-bankrupcy-in-2014/\">three\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522337-the-fariases-file-bankruptcy-for-buena-vista-llc-in-2011/\">times\u003c/a> on behalf of themselves and their company since 2011, and the assemblymember provided a vastly different explanation of the property in question to the courts than she did to the Fair Political Practices Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melissa Brown, an \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacific.edu/campus-directory/melissa-brown\">elder-law professor emeritus\u003c/a> at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, said Ávila Farías’ attempt to place her mother in conservatorship looks like “a weaponization of the process.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Ávila Farías would not comment on details of the case, citing a confidentiality agreement that was part of the case’s settlement. But she said she plans to introduce legislation on the issue because of her experience in the case, “hopefully next year.” She didn’t provide specifics about the focus of the legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her spokesperson, Roger Salazar, said in a written statement that there “has never been a judicial finding that Anamarie Farías engaged in any wrongdoing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California conservatorship proceedings commonly involve complex family dynamics,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He pointed out that she has since been named a conservator for another family member, which “reflects the court’s independent determination that she satisfied the legal standards required to serve in a fiduciary capacity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her other family members also declined to comment for this story, citing the confidentiality agreement, or didn’t respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nick Miller, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, said the speaker was not aware of the temporary restraining order or the conservatorship petition when he appointed Ávila Farías to the committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11979470\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11979470\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/240314-SPEAKER-RIVAS-PB-MD-10-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas on the State Capitol grounds in Sacramento on March 14, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías grew up in Martinez, where she served on the city council and the Contra Costa County Board of Education. She was on the board of directors for the California Housing Finance Agency from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.gov.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2015/04/08/news18916/index.html\">2015\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/02/04/governor-newsom-announces-appointments-2-4-21/\">2024\u003c/a>, during the court battles. Two years ago, voters sent her to the state Assembly with the \u003ca href=\"https://antiochherald.com/2024/05/avila-farias-announces-endorsement-by-gov-newsom-in-assembly-race/?fbclid=IwY2xjawS791RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF4ZGdCMnFSM1YwOFpURFVUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMukZ9lcYHeouL4bicNC-zTcAQqoGeFX9HGyirf7lZVcx8FKFauskvsiRGZ_aem_Ox8lDsZdoyZTcP1Aw_1OoQ\">endorsement of Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the Fair Political Practices Commission received complaints that Ávila Farías had not disclosed \u003ca href=\"https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/enforcement_div/enf_letters/2025/august/anamarie-avila-farias-nacl-202400760.pdf\">all of her economic interests\u003c/a> for several years. The commission closed an investigation in 2025 after she \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522262-avila-farias-amends-years-of-annual-statements/\">amended her forms\u003c/a>, disclosed reportable economic interests and completed the commission’s educational course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, she \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxla.com/news/california-ice-agent-employment-ban-ab1627\">introduced a bill\u003c/a> that would ban some U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees from becoming police officers and teachers in California. A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1627\">watered-down version\u003c/a> of the bill passed the Assembly and is now in the Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093000\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12093000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalMatters-Olmos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalMatters-Olmos.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalMatters-Olmos-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Federal immigration agents arrest a man in Bell as residents clash with U.S. Border Patrol agents after a traffic collision involving one of the agency’s vehicles during immigration raids across the Los Angeles area on June 20, 2025. \u003ccite>(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías sits on the Assembly’s Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and is running for a second term in the Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before her ascent in state politics, Ávila Farías and her husband tried their hand in real estate, leaving behind a trail of bankruptcies and questionable property transfers, court and property records show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their family strife centered on three properties: the family home that Ávila Farías purchased with her mother and sister, which they rented to a tenant; Ávila Farías’ permanent home; and another rental property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In August 2008, Ávila Farías and her husband \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513617-avila-farias-transfers-the-family-home-in-2008/\">gifted\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513619-the-fariases-transfer-their-rental-property-in-2008/\">three\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513618-the-fariases-transfer-their-permanent-residence-in-2008/\">properties\u003c/a> to the lawmaker’s mother, Ávila Bugarin, property records show. In court filings, Ávila Bugarin maintained she had no idea she’d been given ownership of two of the properties. Ávila Farías told the court that her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513665-avila-farias-responds-to-her-siblings-objections-to-the-conservatorship/#document/p10/a2824837\">was aware\u003c/a> of the transfers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About three months after the transfers, the couple signed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513626-us-ban-canb-4-11bk70373-d1930112e1251-motion-motion-to-excuse-compliance-with-11-u-s-c-s/#document/p61/a2824438\">$2.3 million business loan agreement\u003c/a>. They \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513626-us-ban-canb-4-11bk70373-d1930112e1251-motion-motion-to-excuse-compliance-with-11-u-s-c-s/#document/p3/a2824440\">defaulted\u003c/a> on the loan about 18 months later, according to court filings, and the couple’s real estate company \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522337-the-fariases-file-bankruptcy-for-buena-vista-llc-in-2011/\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a> in September 2011, eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513636-the-judge-allows-the-creditor-to-take-possession-of-the-properties/\">turning over ownership\u003c/a> of an unrelated property to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513640-the-trustee-asks-the-judge-to-dismiss-buena-vistas-bankruptcy/\">lending company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bankruptcy \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513646-buena-vistas-bankruptcy-was-dismissed-in-april-2012/\">case was dismissed\u003c/a> in April 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years later, Ávila Bugarin said that she discovered her daughter “was behind on her mortgage” on the family home, according to the court investigator’s report. It was then, Ávila Bugarin said, that she started researching the properties, and she learned that her daughter had placed the two other homes in her name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Bugarin told the court investigator she also learned that her daughter had taken out loans against the family home. Ávila Bugarin, who spoke limited English, told the court investigator that she signed the bank documents for the loans, thinking she was refinancing the home, not borrowing against it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She refused to deed the two properties back to Ávila Farías, saying she’d have to get the family home back first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The police eventually got involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February 2018, according to court records filed by Ávila Bugarin, Ávila Farías \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232967-avila-bugarin-files-an-elder-abuse-restraining-order-against-avila-farias/#document/p3/a2824445\">stormed into her apartment\u003c/a>, yanked the telephone from her mother’s hand and hit her wrist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mother filed for a temporary restraining order, asking for protection for herself and her daughter who lived with her, Judith Ávila, which a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28520577-court-grants-the-temporary-restraining-order/\">judge granted\u003c/a>. Judith Ávila corroborated her mother’s account in court filings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías denied the allegations, saying her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513654-avila-farias-responds-to-the-temporary-elder-abuse-restraining-order/#document/p9/a2824955\">slapped her instead\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Salazar pointed to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28520015-rosemarie-griffins-response-to-the-restraining-order/#document/p2/a2824971\">statement from another sister\u003c/a>, RoseMarie Griffin, who was on the other end of the phone call when the altercation occurred. Griffin told the court her sister had no history of verbal or physical abuse. “I have never experienced or witnessed any behavior” that would merit a restraining order, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The temporary restraining order was in place \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513564-the-temporary-elder-abuse-restraining-order-was-in-place-for-a-year/#document/p1/a2824448\">for about\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513564-the-temporary-elder-abuse-restraining-order-was-in-place-for-a-year/#document/p2/a2824447\">a year\u003c/a>, according to court records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After mediation over the restraining order failed, the mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513665-avila-farias-responds-to-her-siblings-objections-to-the-conservatorship/#document/p12/a2824449\">filed to evict\u003c/a> Ávila Farías from the home that was now in her name. Ávila Farías filed a request in probate court to place \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522392-avila-farias-files-petitions-to-have-her-mom-conserved/\">her mother\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522391-avila-farias-files-petitions-to-have-her-judith-avila-conserved/\">her sister\u003c/a> in a conservatorship, telling the court that her mother had “an inability to carry out actions in her own rational self-interest, and is subject to delusional and severely disorganized thinking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She argued that her brother was unduly influencing their mother and that her mother needed a neutral conservator in light of disagreements between her and her siblings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías told the court that her mother was forgetful and cited years-old incidents of her mother being scammed out of about $500 and allowing “some squatters (homeless felons)” to use her water hose as examples of why her mother needed someone else to handle her affairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The judge immediately \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513670-the-judge-appoints-a-temporary-conservator-for-avila-bugarin/\">placed Ávila Bugarin\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513669-the-judge-appoints-a-temporary-conservator-for-judith-avila/\">Judith Ávila\u003c/a> under a temporary conservatorship. He said Ávila Bugarin appeared to have been unduly influenced and ordered that she be evaluated. The conservatorship, albeit temporary, blocked Ávila Bugarin from making any financial or personal decisions for herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In subsequent proceedings to determine whether the conservatorship should be permanent, Ávila Bugarin’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513676-avila-fariass-siblings-objection-to-the-conservatorship/\">other children told the court\u003c/a> that they didn’t think their mother had dementia. Two medical doctors came to the same conclusion. And after the final exam, so did the neuropsychologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ms. Avila does not present with any form of significant cognitive deficits which would limit her ability to make medical, legal, financial or life care planning decisions for herself,” Dr. Eric Freitag told the court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the court-appointed professional fiduciary — whom Ávila Farías had recommended — told the court investigator that she “hadn’t noticed any of the issues (Ávila Farías) set forth in the petition.” The fiduciary said Ávila Bugarin was “clear headed and able to take care of herself,” court records show.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A group of experts drew similar conclusions about Judith Ávila, saying she did not need a conservatorship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías’ attorney, Gary Winuk, said it was appropriate to use conservatorship to figure out Ávila Bugarin’s mental capacity. “The whole purpose of the conservatorship process is to get appropriate testing to find out what someone’s capacity is,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even after experts determined that her mother and sister had the capacity to make their own decisions, the Contra Costa County politician didn’t drop the conservatorship cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About a year after her petition, Ávila Farías won a significant victory: Her \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232951-the-judge-approves-the-settlement-agreement/#document/p2/a2824452\">mother agreed\u003c/a> to transfer ownership of the two contested properties, \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232956-referees-report-to-the-court/#document/p3/a2824480\">valued\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232956-referees-report-to-the-court/#document/p6/a2824481\">about\u003c/a> $1.8 million. And they both agreed to sell the family home they owned together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her mother also agreed to drop her petition for a restraining order. Ávila Farías, who had been arguing that her mother wasn’t competent to make her own financial decisions, said she would stop trying to get the government to take away her mother and sister’s ability to control their own lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five months after the settlement, Ávila Farías \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232962-judge-appoints-receiver-to-sell-the-family-home/#document/p2/a2825129\" data-type=\"link\">hadn’t listed\u003c/a> the home for sale. The judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232962-judge-appoints-receiver-to-sell-the-family-home/\">appointed a receiver\u003c/a>, over \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515633-avila-farias-objects-to-appointing-a-receiver/\">Ávila Farías’ objection\u003c/a>, to sell the home. Three months later, Ávila Farías \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28232945-avila-farias-files-for-bankruptcy/\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a>. The home was eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515634-avila-farias-files-updated-list-of-debts-and-payments-in-jan-2021/#document/p1/a2824475\">sold\u003c/a> in November 2020; mother and daughter \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515650-the-judge-approves-avila-fariass-payment-plan/\">used the profits\u003c/a> to cover \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515634-avila-farias-files-updated-list-of-debts-and-payments-in-jan-2021/#document/p10/a2824476\">more than $186,000\u003c/a> in legal fees and other bills related to the conservatorship. Under the agreement, Ávila Farías also gave her mother \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515634-avila-farias-files-updated-list-of-debts-and-payments-in-jan-2021/#document/p10/a2824476\">$116,000 from the sale\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the case has long since been \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28522434-the-conservatorship-case-was-resolved-in-2021/\" data-type=\"link\">resolved\u003c/a>, the records from the conservatorship petition raise larger questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ávila Farías had claimed that her mother hadn’t been contributing to the costs of the properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the past 20 years, Ávila Farías not only has been financially responsible for all asset liability but has also managed day-to-day operations and expenses with no financial contributions from Mom,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28513665-avila-farias-responds-to-her-siblings-objections-to-the-conservatorship/#document/p9/a2824989\">she wrote in a court filing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, three and a half years earlier, Ávila Farías told the Fair Political Practices Commission a completely different story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/MartinezGetty-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The city of Martinez, California on Jan. 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Michael R. Lopez/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under pressure from a resident to recuse herself from a city council vote on a resolution that could have impacted her property value, she asked the commission to weigh in. “My mother provided the down payment and has made the loan payments ever since,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28515697-avila-farias-writes-a-letter-to-the-fair-policial-practices-commission/#document/p1/a2824478\">she wrote\u003c/a>. “My mother is the sole owner of the property.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission said that there was \u003ca href=\"https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/legal_div/advice_letters/2010-2019/2014/14-212.pdf\">no conflict of interest\u003c/a>. Ávila Farías voted in support of the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a city council hearing, the politician berated the resident for asking \u003ca href=\"https://martinez.granicus.com/player/clip/1112?meta_id=83350\">her to recuse herself\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I conduct myself in a high moral standard, and I have my own code of conduct, that I don’t need you or any of my council members to govern,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/07/farias-assembly-conservatorship-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\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again",
"title": "LA Fire Survivors Say Newsom Is Trying to Help Utilities Reduce Their Wildfire Costs, Again",
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"headTitle": "LA Fire Survivors Say Newsom Is Trying to Help Utilities Reduce Their Wildfire Costs, Again | KQED",
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"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>If you live in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, chances are you’ve seen the ads that say “Home insurance rates skyrocket” and “The FAIR Plan is broken.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They urge you to contact your state representative to ask them to “fix our wildfire problem to make California more affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those ads are connected to what Los Angeles fire survivors, consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry say is a secretive, last-minute attempt by Gov. Gavin Newsom to help utilities reduce how much they pay for wildfires they cause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the legislative session set to resume next week and run through the end of the month, the governor’s staff has been talking with state lawmakers about addressing challenges around wildfire recovery and rising catastrophic risk in California, a spokesperson for his office confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers have not released the text of the proposals. Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez would not say whether the legislation will do the following, as alleged by fire survivors and a consumer advocacy group:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Limit compensation for fire victims’ pain and suffering.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Eliminate insurance companies’ right to recover wildfire costs from utilities or other corporations.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cap attorneys’ fees, making it harder for fire survivors to get representation.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Every Fire Survivor’s Network, a group started by survivors of last year’s Eaton Fire, and Consumer Watchdog, a consumer advocacy group that focuses on insurance and other issues, say the bills would shift recovery costs from utility companies to insurance policyholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12076327\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Eaton Fire disproportionately ravaged Altadena’s historic Black neighborhoods, including the home that once stood on this lot at the corner of Glenrose Avenue and West Terrace Street. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy:William Jenkins/AfroLA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Insurance industry representatives agree. The strange bedfellows are calling out the late political maneuvering known as “gut-and-amend,” which lawmakers use to create bills by gutting other pending bills and replacing their language for a different purpose and are meant to be fast-tracked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups are speaking out against the purported bill package, which appears to align with the goals of Wildfire Victims First, a campaign funded by utilities that, despite its name, has no wildfire survivors groups among its supporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians deserve a government that works in the open, not behind closed doors,” said Joy Chen, leader of the Every Fire Survivor’s Network, in a press conference last week. She urged the governor to “choose democracy over corporate special interests.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an open \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KPrBXx7Rh6rX_I8fmuJE_FZipdKQGp0ARkYyapDFP4E/edit?tab=t.cpm7mapxvld9#heading=h.btckwp8x4d9d\">letter\u003c/a> to the governor, Chen laid out how she said Newsom has, over the years, already helped utilities shift responsibility for wildfires they cause.[aside postID=news_12093383 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-WOODSIDE-FIRE-01-KQED.jpg']The state’s three major utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric, have tremendous influence in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have what seems to be an unlimited number of names, entities and affiliates; donate to campaigns by Democrats and Republicans; and together employ hundreds of lobbyists who advocate for hundreds of bills every session. In the 2025-26 session, their donations to sitting legislators totaled more than $1.2 million, according to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--10505&giver%5B%5D=oid--8938&giver%5B%5D=oid--4887&transaction_type%5B%5D=Candidate+Donations&transaction_type%5B%5D=Gift&transaction_type%5B%5D=Independent+Expenditures&transaction_type%5B%5D=Party+Committees&transaction_type%5B%5D=Sponsored+Travel&year%5B%5D=2025&year%5B%5D=2026&page=31\">CalMatters’ Digital Democracy Database\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez said the discussions between the governor’s office and California lawmakers are informed by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">report\u003c/a> released in April by the California Earthquake Authority, which under \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb254\">Senate Bill 254\u003c/a> was tasked with studying how the state should “responsibly and equitably allocate the burdens from natural catastrophes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That bill — rewritten so late last year that it required the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/09/california-cap-and-trade-extension/\">to extend its session\u003c/a> — also allows utilities to shift additional wildfire costs to consumers if their costs exceed a wildfire fund created in 2019 through legislation also backed by the governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The three major utilities paid half of the $21 billion fund. Californians paid the other half through monthly surcharges on their electric bills. Eaton Fire survivors have \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-08-01/this-fire-could-have-been-prevented-how-utilities-fought-removal-of-old-powerlines\">sued\u003c/a> Edison over what they say is negligence that led to the fire; the cost of claims from the fire are expected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-07-23/eaton-fire-could-wipe-out-21-billion-state-wildfire-fund-new-documents-say\">exceed what’s in the fund\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-1536x1060.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference of housing & homelessness with new legislation and funding and bills signing, along with other local, state and federal leaders are gathered in San Francisco, California, United States on Sept. 19, 2024. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among the April report’s many recommendations is to put more money in the wildfire fund by increasing the surcharge on utility customers by $8.50 a month, bringing the total to $11 a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Wildfire Victims First, said the campaign is calling on lawmakers to “urgently implement” many of the conclusions in the SB 254 report, which he said “highlighted how payouts to financial middlemen — like trial attorneys, hedge funds and insurance companies — are often paid out before wildfire victims receive a single dollar for rebuilding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Click did not answer CalMatters’ question about why there are no fire survivors groups on the list of more than 200 organizations that support the effort. Most are local chambers of commerce or business groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalMatters contacted nearly a dozen of the organizations. Ten did not respond or would not make their executives available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the chief executive of one of them, Jennifer Gray Thompson, said she changed her mind about participating once she realized the coalition did not include fire victims groups. Her organization, After the Fire, which helps support leaders in communities around the country that have experienced mega fires, was briefly on the list but was removed promptly at her request, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m from Sonoma,” Thompson told CalMatters. “I’m a national advocate for fire victims. I’m definitely not on their side,” she added. Former state Sen. Bill Dodd, a Democrat whom she said did a lot of good for fire survivors when he was in office, was among those who contacted her to solicit her group’s support for the effort, according to emails she shared with CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087362\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A PG&E substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dodd did not return a phone call and text message from CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Council, another supporter, counts PG&E among its member businesses. Spokesperson Rufus Jeffris said the council “generally supports sensible policies and investments that reduce wildfire risk and increase community wildfire resilience and balance the diverse needs of business, consumers and residents.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Consumer Watchdog analysis of utilities’ required financial disclosures shows that 66% of the non-governmental organizations on the list have received utility-industry contributions, grants, sponsorships and more worth about $7.3 million from 2023 to 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Click called Consumer Watchdog a “shadow lobby firm for trial attorneys” and said “it should come as no surprise that they are trying to protect a system that prioritizes trial attorneys over wildfire victims.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokespeople for PG&E, Edison and SDG&E referred CalMatters to the Wildfire Victims First campaign regarding the campaign and the legislative proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What state lawmakers are saying or not saying\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/benjamin-allen-70\">Ben Allen\u003c/a>, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area whose constituents include survivors of the Palisades Fire, attended the Friday press conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Any solutions that we have have to (hold) the responsible parties accountable,\u003cstrong>”\u003c/strong> Allen said in a room full of fire survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who’s responsible for the costs of wildfire recovery is important to both Allen’s current job and possibly his future one: He is chair of the Senate energy and utilities committee, and is \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/06/california-insurance-commissioner-top-two/\">running for\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/insurance-commissioner/\">insurance commissioner\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079349\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Allen, a California state senator, speaks during a forum for candidates for California insurance commissioner at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) in San Francisco on April 9, 2026. The event brought together candidates to discuss the state’s insurance market, including affordability and coverage challenges facing homeowners. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Allen’s spokesperson, Ben Cheever, said the senator was not available for an interview about the specifics of the legislative package.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he sent the following statement from Allen: “I will carefully review any proposal put forth to ensure we hold responsible parties accountable while meaningfully reducing risk to improve affordability. We should not simply shift around the costs consumers pay without addressing this more holistically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fellow Democrat Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, who represents Eaton Fire survivors, said in an interview with CalMatters that if a legislative package contains the proposals fire survivors suspect they do, she would have a “tremendous issue” with them being presented at the last minute. She also said she has talked with other members of the Legislature who “are very upset with what’s taking place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perez said she would oppose any proposal that limits non-economic damages for fire survivors: “I represent Altadena. I have a friend who lost his sister in the fire. How do you put a price tag on losing your sibling?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The senator also said she was “so frustrated and shocked” that SB 254, which started off as a bill intended to reduce profits for investor-owned utilities, ended up helping utilities instead during the last three days of last year’s session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12093339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A wall of demonstration EV Chargers and smart electrical panels made by Tesla, GM and Span are on display at PG&E’s PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“That’s not the way government should work,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalMatters also contacted several other lawmakers or their offices, especially ones who lead related committees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following Democratic lawmakers’ offices did not respond: Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a>; Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lisa-calderon-165426\">Lisa Calderon\u003c/a>, who leads the insurance committee; and Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/cottie-petrie-norris-165040\">Cottie Petrie-Norris\u003c/a>, who leads the utilities and energy committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokespeople for Senate President Pro Tem \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069\">Monique Limon\u003c/a> and Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/josh-becker-165449\">Josh Becker\u003c/a> responded with emailed statements similar to that sent by Newsom spokesperson Martinez: “The current system is unsustainable and not working for fire survivors, utility customers, or insurance policyholders.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The insurance industry’s concerns\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Insurance industry representatives say if insurance companies can’t recover wildfire costs from utilities, also known as subrogation, they will inevitably raise premiums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t think it’s fair to make insurance policyholders pay more to bail out utility shareholders,\u003cstrong>”\u003c/strong> said Denni Ritter, a vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ritter also pushed back against the assertion by the utilities’ campaign that insurance companies usually recover their costs from utilities before paying out claims to their policyholders: “It’s not like AAA goes, ‘OK, we’ll pay you once we’ve recovered from the utilities’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068294\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068294\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E employees work to repair a substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on Dec. 22, 2025, after a fire at the site over the weekend contributed to a major citywide power outage. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rex Frazier is president of the Personal Insurance Federation of California, which represents the largest insurers operating in the state. He said this campaign is the latest attempt by utilities to chip away at their industry’s possible liability for wildfires. Sometimes, the insurance industry has had conversations with utilities, he said. That’s not happening this time, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now he, like other Californians, is seeing the ads from the Wildfire Victims First campaign, whose website says it’s funded by PG&E, SDG&E and SCE shareholders and three other organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to understand why they’re talking about the insurance market,” Frazier said. “We can’t get a clear answer about what they have in mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeanne Kuang contributed reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/wildfire-liability-battle/\">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",
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"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>If you live in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, chances are you’ve seen the ads that say “Home insurance rates skyrocket” and “The FAIR Plan is broken.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They urge you to contact your state representative to ask them to “fix our wildfire problem to make California more affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those ads are connected to what Los Angeles fire survivors, consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry say is a secretive, last-minute attempt by Gov. Gavin Newsom to help utilities reduce how much they pay for wildfires they cause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the legislative session set to resume next week and run through the end of the month, the governor’s staff has been talking with state lawmakers about addressing challenges around wildfire recovery and rising catastrophic risk in California, a spokesperson for his office confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers have not released the text of the proposals. Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez would not say whether the legislation will do the following, as alleged by fire survivors and a consumer advocacy group:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Limit compensation for fire victims’ pain and suffering.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Eliminate insurance companies’ right to recover wildfire costs from utilities or other corporations.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cap attorneys’ fees, making it harder for fire survivors to get representation.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Every Fire Survivor’s Network, a group started by survivors of last year’s Eaton Fire, and Consumer Watchdog, a consumer advocacy group that focuses on insurance and other issues, say the bills would shift recovery costs from utility companies to insurance policyholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12076327\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/blackhomesmatter_-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Eaton Fire disproportionately ravaged Altadena’s historic Black neighborhoods, including the home that once stood on this lot at the corner of Glenrose Avenue and West Terrace Street. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy:William Jenkins/AfroLA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Insurance industry representatives agree. The strange bedfellows are calling out the late political maneuvering known as “gut-and-amend,” which lawmakers use to create bills by gutting other pending bills and replacing their language for a different purpose and are meant to be fast-tracked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups are speaking out against the purported bill package, which appears to align with the goals of Wildfire Victims First, a campaign funded by utilities that, despite its name, has no wildfire survivors groups among its supporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians deserve a government that works in the open, not behind closed doors,” said Joy Chen, leader of the Every Fire Survivor’s Network, in a press conference last week. She urged the governor to “choose democracy over corporate special interests.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an open \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KPrBXx7Rh6rX_I8fmuJE_FZipdKQGp0ARkYyapDFP4E/edit?tab=t.cpm7mapxvld9#heading=h.btckwp8x4d9d\">letter\u003c/a> to the governor, Chen laid out how she said Newsom has, over the years, already helped utilities shift responsibility for wildfires they cause.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The state’s three major utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric, have tremendous influence in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have what seems to be an unlimited number of names, entities and affiliates; donate to campaigns by Democrats and Republicans; and together employ hundreds of lobbyists who advocate for hundreds of bills every session. In the 2025-26 session, their donations to sitting legislators totaled more than $1.2 million, according to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--10505&giver%5B%5D=oid--8938&giver%5B%5D=oid--4887&transaction_type%5B%5D=Candidate+Donations&transaction_type%5B%5D=Gift&transaction_type%5B%5D=Independent+Expenditures&transaction_type%5B%5D=Party+Committees&transaction_type%5B%5D=Sponsored+Travel&year%5B%5D=2025&year%5B%5D=2026&page=31\">CalMatters’ Digital Democracy Database\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez said the discussions between the governor’s office and California lawmakers are informed by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">report\u003c/a> released in April by the California Earthquake Authority, which under \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb254\">Senate Bill 254\u003c/a> was tasked with studying how the state should “responsibly and equitably allocate the burdens from natural catastrophes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That bill — rewritten so late last year that it required the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/09/california-cap-and-trade-extension/\">to extend its session\u003c/a> — also allows utilities to shift additional wildfire costs to consumers if their costs exceed a wildfire fund created in 2019 through legislation also backed by the governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The three major utilities paid half of the $21 billion fund. Californians paid the other half through monthly surcharges on their electric bills. Eaton Fire survivors have \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-08-01/this-fire-could-have-been-prevented-how-utilities-fought-removal-of-old-powerlines\">sued\u003c/a> Edison over what they say is negligence that led to the fire; the cost of claims from the fire are expected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-07-23/eaton-fire-could-wipe-out-21-billion-state-wildfire-fund-new-documents-say\">exceed what’s in the fund\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-1536x1060.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference of housing & homelessness with new legislation and funding and bills signing, along with other local, state and federal leaders are gathered in San Francisco, California, United States on Sept. 19, 2024. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among the April report’s many recommendations is to put more money in the wildfire fund by increasing the surcharge on utility customers by $8.50 a month, bringing the total to $11 a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Wildfire Victims First, said the campaign is calling on lawmakers to “urgently implement” many of the conclusions in the SB 254 report, which he said “highlighted how payouts to financial middlemen — like trial attorneys, hedge funds and insurance companies — are often paid out before wildfire victims receive a single dollar for rebuilding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Click did not answer CalMatters’ question about why there are no fire survivors groups on the list of more than 200 organizations that support the effort. Most are local chambers of commerce or business groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalMatters contacted nearly a dozen of the organizations. Ten did not respond or would not make their executives available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the chief executive of one of them, Jennifer Gray Thompson, said she changed her mind about participating once she realized the coalition did not include fire victims groups. Her organization, After the Fire, which helps support leaders in communities around the country that have experienced mega fires, was briefly on the list but was removed promptly at her request, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m from Sonoma,” Thompson told CalMatters. “I’m a national advocate for fire victims. I’m definitely not on their side,” she added. Former state Sen. Bill Dodd, a Democrat whom she said did a lot of good for fire survivors when he was in office, was among those who contacted her to solicit her group’s support for the effort, according to emails she shared with CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087362\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A PG&E substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dodd did not return a phone call and text message from CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Council, another supporter, counts PG&E among its member businesses. Spokesperson Rufus Jeffris said the council “generally supports sensible policies and investments that reduce wildfire risk and increase community wildfire resilience and balance the diverse needs of business, consumers and residents.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Consumer Watchdog analysis of utilities’ required financial disclosures shows that 66% of the non-governmental organizations on the list have received utility-industry contributions, grants, sponsorships and more worth about $7.3 million from 2023 to 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Click called Consumer Watchdog a “shadow lobby firm for trial attorneys” and said “it should come as no surprise that they are trying to protect a system that prioritizes trial attorneys over wildfire victims.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokespeople for PG&E, Edison and SDG&E referred CalMatters to the Wildfire Victims First campaign regarding the campaign and the legislative proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What state lawmakers are saying or not saying\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/benjamin-allen-70\">Ben Allen\u003c/a>, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area whose constituents include survivors of the Palisades Fire, attended the Friday press conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Any solutions that we have have to (hold) the responsible parties accountable,\u003cstrong>”\u003c/strong> Allen said in a room full of fire survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who’s responsible for the costs of wildfire recovery is important to both Allen’s current job and possibly his future one: He is chair of the Senate energy and utilities committee, and is \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/06/california-insurance-commissioner-top-two/\">running for\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/insurance-commissioner/\">insurance commissioner\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079349\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Allen, a California state senator, speaks during a forum for candidates for California insurance commissioner at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) in San Francisco on April 9, 2026. The event brought together candidates to discuss the state’s insurance market, including affordability and coverage challenges facing homeowners. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Allen’s spokesperson, Ben Cheever, said the senator was not available for an interview about the specifics of the legislative package.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he sent the following statement from Allen: “I will carefully review any proposal put forth to ensure we hold responsible parties accountable while meaningfully reducing risk to improve affordability. We should not simply shift around the costs consumers pay without addressing this more holistically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fellow Democrat Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, who represents Eaton Fire survivors, said in an interview with CalMatters that if a legislative package contains the proposals fire survivors suspect they do, she would have a “tremendous issue” with them being presented at the last minute. She also said she has talked with other members of the Legislature who “are very upset with what’s taking place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perez said she would oppose any proposal that limits non-economic damages for fire survivors: “I represent Altadena. I have a friend who lost his sister in the fire. How do you put a price tag on losing your sibling?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The senator also said she was “so frustrated and shocked” that SB 254, which started off as a bill intended to reduce profits for investor-owned utilities, ended up helping utilities instead during the last three days of last year’s session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12093339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A wall of demonstration EV Chargers and smart electrical panels made by Tesla, GM and Span are on display at PG&E’s PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“That’s not the way government should work,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalMatters also contacted several other lawmakers or their offices, especially ones who lead related committees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following Democratic lawmakers’ offices did not respond: Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a>; Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lisa-calderon-165426\">Lisa Calderon\u003c/a>, who leads the insurance committee; and Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/cottie-petrie-norris-165040\">Cottie Petrie-Norris\u003c/a>, who leads the utilities and energy committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokespeople for Senate President Pro Tem \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069\">Monique Limon\u003c/a> and Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/josh-becker-165449\">Josh Becker\u003c/a> responded with emailed statements similar to that sent by Newsom spokesperson Martinez: “The current system is unsustainable and not working for fire survivors, utility customers, or insurance policyholders.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The insurance industry’s concerns\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Insurance industry representatives say if insurance companies can’t recover wildfire costs from utilities, also known as subrogation, they will inevitably raise premiums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t think it’s fair to make insurance policyholders pay more to bail out utility shareholders,\u003cstrong>”\u003c/strong> said Denni Ritter, a vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ritter also pushed back against the assertion by the utilities’ campaign that insurance companies usually recover their costs from utilities before paying out claims to their policyholders: “It’s not like AAA goes, ‘OK, we’ll pay you once we’ve recovered from the utilities’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068294\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068294\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251222-PGEUpdates-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E employees work to repair a substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on Dec. 22, 2025, after a fire at the site over the weekend contributed to a major citywide power outage. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rex Frazier is president of the Personal Insurance Federation of California, which represents the largest insurers operating in the state. He said this campaign is the latest attempt by utilities to chip away at their industry’s possible liability for wildfires. Sometimes, the insurance industry has had conversations with utilities, he said. That’s not happening this time, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now he, like other Californians, is seeing the ads from the Wildfire Victims First campaign, whose website says it’s funded by PG&E, SDG&E and SCE shareholders and three other organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to understand why they’re talking about the insurance market,” Frazier said. “We can’t get a clear answer about what they have in mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeanne Kuang contributed reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/wildfire-liability-battle/\">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>",
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"title": "Could Smart Homes Make Electrification More Affordable for Californians?",
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"headTitle": "Could Smart Homes Make Electrification More Affordable for Californians? | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find more of the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked away in the East Bay foothills, a sleek white room houses the appliances of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">future\u003c/a> — an induction stove, a battery-powered HVAC system, a fridge with a thin black box resting on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though these devices may seem average, behind the scenes, the machines are sharing more than wires — including information about how much energy they’re using, whether or not the refrigerator door is open and increasingly, how to help balance the power grid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities and technology companies say this kind of “smart home” could make the transition to an all-electric future cheaper, more reliable and more resilient during power outages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the state’s ambitious climate agenda, California wants millions of residents to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">electrify\u003c/a> their homes and shift away from gas-powered vehicles. But every new electric appliance increases \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">demand\u003c/a> on a grid already under pressure from increased use, expanding data centers and more frequent extreme weather. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A wall of demonstration EV Chargers and smart electrical panels made by Tesla, GM and Span are on display at PG&E’s PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The interior of the PG&E PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Building enough infrastructure to meet that demand is expensive, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">costs often falling on consumers\u003c/a>. Instead of making costly grid upgrades, utilities are increasingly searching for ways to use the existing grid more efficiently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“PG&E doesn’t make money off of energy; they make money off of stuff,” said Robert Stafford, a researcher at the World Resources Institute working on transportation electrification and grid resiliency. “Once all of those chargers and transformers and wires are out in the world, it is in everyone’s best interest to use them as efficiently as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Doherty, Manager of Clean Energy & Innovation Communications at PG&E, opens the Span smart electrical panel that operates the PowerHouse at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“All of these batteries kind of have a turbocharged brain inside of them,” Ashman said. “It’s going to work for you in the background, store energy when it’s cheap, charge up at night, and then, when power prices get expensive in the late afternoon, it seamlessly switches to start to run your refrigerator, your window AC, whatever is connected.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>With his company’s own technology, Ashman emphasized that consumers own all their own data and that the batteries are “local first,” which means they can opt in to wifi connection or cloud data sharing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our phones are getting smarter, our computers are getting smarter, and the appliances in our home are also getting smarter,” Ashman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“While that might sound scary to some folks … that can be really exciting if done well,” Ashman continued. “These things are going to be able to take care of you even when the data center goes down, or Google goes down or the power goes out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find more of the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tucked away in the East Bay foothills, a sleek white room houses the appliances of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">future\u003c/a> — an induction stove, a battery-powered HVAC system, a fridge with a thin black box resting on top. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though these devices may seem average, behind the scenes, the machines are sharing more than wires — including information about how much energy they’re using, whether or not the refrigerator door is open and increasingly, how to help balance the power grid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Utilities and technology companies say this kind of “smart home” could make the transition to an all-electric future cheaper, more reliable and more resilient during power outages.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As part of the state’s ambitious climate agenda, California wants millions of residents to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">electrify\u003c/a> their homes and shift away from gas-powered vehicles. But every new electric appliance increases \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">demand\u003c/a> on a grid already under pressure from increased use, expanding data centers and more frequent extreme weather. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Building enough infrastructure to meet that demand is expensive, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">costs often falling on consumers\u003c/a>. Instead of making costly grid upgrades, utilities are increasingly searching for ways to use the existing grid more efficiently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“PG&E doesn’t make money off of energy; they make money off of stuff,” said Robert Stafford, a researcher at the World Resources Institute working on transportation electrification and grid resiliency. “Once all of those chargers and transformers and wires are out in the world, it is in everyone’s best interest to use them as efficiently as possible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“All of these batteries kind of have a turbocharged brain inside of them,” Ashman said. “It’s going to work for you in the background, store energy when it’s cheap, charge up at night, and then, when power prices get expensive in the late afternoon, it seamlessly switches to start to run your refrigerator, your window AC, whatever is connected.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our phones are getting smarter, our computers are getting smarter, and the appliances in our home are also getting smarter,” Ashman said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“While that might sound scary to some folks … that can be really exciting if done well,” Ashman continued. “These things are going to be able to take care of you even when the data center goes down, or Google goes down or the power goes out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find more of the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked away in the East Bay foothills, a sleek white room houses the appliances of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">future\u003c/a> — an induction stove, a battery-powered HVAC system, a fridge with a thin black box resting on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though these devices may seem average, behind the scenes, the machines are sharing more than wires — including information about how much energy they’re using, whether or not the refrigerator door is open and increasingly, how to help balance the power grid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities and technology companies say this kind of “smart home” could make the transition to an all-electric future cheaper, more reliable and more resilient during power outages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the state’s ambitious climate agenda, California wants millions of residents to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">electrify\u003c/a> their homes and shift away from gas-powered vehicles. But every new electric appliance increases \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">demand\u003c/a> on a grid already under pressure from increased use, expanding data centers and more frequent extreme weather. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A wall of demonstration EV Chargers and smart electrical panels made by Tesla, GM and Span are on display at PG&E’s PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The interior of the PG&E PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Building enough infrastructure to meet that demand is expensive, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">costs often falling on consumers\u003c/a>. Instead of making costly grid upgrades, utilities are increasingly searching for ways to use the existing grid more efficiently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“PG&E doesn’t make money off of energy; they make money off of stuff,” said Robert Stafford, a researcher at the World Resources Institute working on transportation electrification and grid resiliency. “Once all of those chargers and transformers and wires are out in the world, it is in everyone’s best interest to use them as efficiently as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Doherty, Manager of Clean Energy & Innovation Communications at PG&E, opens the Span smart electrical panel that operates the PowerHouse at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“All of these batteries kind of have a turbocharged brain inside of them,” Ashman said. “It’s going to work for you in the background, store energy when it’s cheap, charge up at night, and then, when power prices get expensive in the late afternoon, it seamlessly switches to start to run your refrigerator, your window AC, whatever is connected.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>With his company’s own technology, Ashman emphasized that consumers own all their own data and that the batteries are “local first,” which means they can opt in to wifi connection or cloud data sharing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our phones are getting smarter, our computers are getting smarter, and the appliances in our home are also getting smarter,” Ashman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“While that might sound scary to some folks … that can be really exciting if done well,” Ashman continued. “These things are going to be able to take care of you even when the data center goes down, or Google goes down or the power goes out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "lazy-bear-week-gets-hazy-as-woodside-fire-smoke-fills-guerneville",
"title": "Lazy Bear Week Gets Hazy as Woodside Fire Smoke Fills Guerneville",
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"headTitle": "Lazy Bear Week Gets Hazy as Woodside Fire Smoke Fills Guerneville | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bears love to frolic in the woods every summer for Guerneville’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.lazybearfund.org/\">Lazy Bear Week\u003c/a>. But this year, the coastal Sonoma County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093405/woodside-fire-forces-evacuation-of-sonoma-county-summer-camp-homes\">Woodside Fire\u003c/a> is dampening the weeklong LGBTQ+ festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve started calling it hazy bear,” said Joey Pineda, an attendee visiting from Southern California. “This morning I woke up with the dirtiest boogers I’ve ever encountered in my life. But you know what? The bears are making do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Woodside Fire burning near Jenner broke out Thursday afternoon. As of Friday morning, it grew to about 140 acres and was 30% contained. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lazy Bear Week is a fundraising event for the LGBTQ+ “bear” community, a weeklong festival made up of pool parties, dances, campfires and social events. The bear subculture represents a wide array of larger, hairier and often bearded queer people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1347\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698-1536x1045.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The surrounding community of Guerneville, located along the Russian River, on Aug. 24, 2014, near Healdsburg, California. (George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a whole weekend where I don’t have to deal with straight people,” Pineda said. “I’m surrounded by my queer family and people that are encouragers, admirers, and folks who like bears.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the Lazy Bear Fund is celebrating its 30th anniversary, which officials said could be adjusted depending on the air quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pineda and most of his friends decided to stick around for the rest of the weekend, even though the smoke was still thick on Friday morning. As a Californian, he’s used to living with the threat of wildfires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m just so used to hearing about fires and the droughts,” Pineda said. “What can we do but survive and keep moving forward?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pineda said Lazy Bear Fund officials have been transparent about air quality issues and encouraged people with health issues to stay indoors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s so resilient about the queer community is that we’re always looking out for each other,” Pineda said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>John Ledwith, the organization’s creative director and social media manager, said that as of Friday afternoon, air quality was purple, or very unhealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are very aware of the smell and of the air quality,” said Ledwith. “We are keeping an eye on the situation and monitoring it, but people are still lining up to get into our pool parties.\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ledwith said at least one pool party and several other events have been canceled because the smoke was too thick, and that only one person has contacted the organization about health concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No one has reached out to say they’re struggling,” Ledwith said. “The smoke is steadily improving as the day continues.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group is not offering refunds to people who leave early because the event is a fundraiser that has raised $100,000 for LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth and $50,000 for Positive Images of Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ledwith recommends that attendees follow its social media channels for event updates, download the \u003ca href=\"https://app.watchduty.org/\">Watch Duty\u003c/a> app for fire updates and \u003ca href=\"https://www.iqair.com/air-quality/usa/california/guerneville\">IQAIR \u003c/a>for air quality updates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Ari Halevy arrived Thursday, it didn’t take him long before he decided that the smoke was too thick.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The air quality index was off the charts,” Halevy said. “It felt like you were inside somebody’s barbecue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The smoke reminded Halevy, the Angeleno, of the fires that burned in Southern California, and he ultimately decided his health was at risk if he were to stay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had to evacuate and stay with my friend, but the air quality was way worse from this in my opinion,” Halevy said. “It sucks not to be able to get any of my money back, but I don’t need to suffer anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve started calling it hazy bear,” said Joey Pineda, an attendee visiting from Southern California. “This morning I woke up with the dirtiest boogers I’ve ever encountered in my life. But you know what? The bears are making do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lazy Bear Week is a fundraising event for the LGBTQ+ “bear” community, a weeklong festival made up of pool parties, dances, campfires and social events. The bear subculture represents a wide array of larger, hairier and often bearded queer people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year, the Lazy Bear Fund is celebrating its 30th anniversary, which officials said could be adjusted depending on the air quality.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pineda and most of his friends decided to stick around for the rest of the weekend, even though the smoke was still thick on Friday morning. As a Californian, he’s used to living with the threat of wildfires. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pineda said Lazy Bear Fund officials have been transparent about air quality issues and encouraged people with health issues to stay indoors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>John Ledwith, the organization’s creative director and social media manager, said that as of Friday afternoon, air quality was purple, or very unhealthy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People are very aware of the smell and of the air quality,” said Ledwith. “We are keeping an eye on the situation and monitoring it, but people are still lining up to get into our pool parties.\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ledwith said at least one pool party and several other events have been canceled because the smoke was too thick, and that only one person has contacted the organization about health concerns.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“No one has reached out to say they’re struggling,” Ledwith said. “The smoke is steadily improving as the day continues.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The group is not offering refunds to people who leave early because the event is a fundraiser that has raised $100,000 for LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth and $50,000 for Positive Images of Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ledwith recommends that attendees follow its social media channels for event updates, download the \u003ca href=\"https://app.watchduty.org/\">Watch Duty\u003c/a> app for fire updates and \u003ca href=\"https://www.iqair.com/air-quality/usa/california/guerneville\">IQAIR \u003c/a>for air quality updates. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I had to evacuate and stay with my friend, but the air quality was way worse from this in my opinion,” Halevy said. “It sucks not to be able to get any of my money back, but I don’t need to suffer anymore.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Woodside Fire has turned Lazy Bear Week into “Hazy Bear” as smoke from the Woodside Fire burns northwest of Guerneville. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bears love to frolic in the woods every summer for Guerneville’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.lazybearfund.org/\">Lazy Bear Week\u003c/a>. But this year, the coastal Sonoma County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093405/woodside-fire-forces-evacuation-of-sonoma-county-summer-camp-homes\">Woodside Fire\u003c/a> is dampening the weeklong LGBTQ+ festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve started calling it hazy bear,” said Joey Pineda, an attendee visiting from Southern California. “This morning I woke up with the dirtiest boogers I’ve ever encountered in my life. But you know what? The bears are making do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Woodside Fire burning near Jenner broke out Thursday afternoon. As of Friday morning, it grew to about 140 acres and was 30% contained. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lazy Bear Week is a fundraising event for the LGBTQ+ “bear” community, a weeklong festival made up of pool parties, dances, campfires and social events. The bear subculture represents a wide array of larger, hairier and often bearded queer people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1347\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-457745698-1536x1045.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The surrounding community of Guerneville, located along the Russian River, on Aug. 24, 2014, near Healdsburg, California. (George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a whole weekend where I don’t have to deal with straight people,” Pineda said. “I’m surrounded by my queer family and people that are encouragers, admirers, and folks who like bears.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the Lazy Bear Fund is celebrating its 30th anniversary, which officials said could be adjusted depending on the air quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pineda and most of his friends decided to stick around for the rest of the weekend, even though the smoke was still thick on Friday morning. As a Californian, he’s used to living with the threat of wildfires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m just so used to hearing about fires and the droughts,” Pineda said. “What can we do but survive and keep moving forward?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pineda said Lazy Bear Fund officials have been transparent about air quality issues and encouraged people with health issues to stay indoors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s so resilient about the queer community is that we’re always looking out for each other,” Pineda said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>John Ledwith, the organization’s creative director and social media manager, said that as of Friday afternoon, air quality was purple, or very unhealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are very aware of the smell and of the air quality,” said Ledwith. “We are keeping an eye on the situation and monitoring it, but people are still lining up to get into our pool parties.\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ledwith said at least one pool party and several other events have been canceled because the smoke was too thick, and that only one person has contacted the organization about health concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No one has reached out to say they’re struggling,” Ledwith said. “The smoke is steadily improving as the day continues.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group is not offering refunds to people who leave early because the event is a fundraiser that has raised $100,000 for LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth and $50,000 for Positive Images of Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ledwith recommends that attendees follow its social media channels for event updates, download the \u003ca href=\"https://app.watchduty.org/\">Watch Duty\u003c/a> app for fire updates and \u003ca href=\"https://www.iqair.com/air-quality/usa/california/guerneville\">IQAIR \u003c/a>for air quality updates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Ari Halevy arrived Thursday, it didn’t take him long before he decided that the smoke was too thick.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The air quality index was off the charts,” Halevy said. “It felt like you were inside somebody’s barbecue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The smoke reminded Halevy, the Angeleno, of the fires that burned in Southern California, and he ultimately decided his health was at risk if he were to stay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had to evacuate and stay with my friend, but the air quality was way worse from this in my opinion,” Halevy said. “It sucks not to be able to get any of my money back, but I don’t need to suffer anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Woodside Fire Forces Evacuation of Sonoma County Summer Camp, Homes",
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"content": "\u003cp>Hundreds remain under evacuation orders on Friday as crews battle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093383/woodside-fire-30-contained-evacuations-air-quality-warnings-highway-1-closure-in-place\">Woodside Fire\u003c/a>, which broke out on the coast of Sonoma County west of Highway 1 on Thursday night.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The wildfire, which broke out Thursday afternoon, spread across the coast near Jenner throughout the evening, reaching 140 acres by 11 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While forward progress has been stalled, evacuation orders remained in place Friday morning as crews continued to fight hotspots.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Farm Camp, a private sleep-away camp for children in Cazadero, evacuated campers around 10 p.m. Thursday. Earlier in the evening, the camp told guardians that they were sheltering in place, since their site was outside of evacuation zones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve kind of been on call this evening, waiting for updates, watching the fire,” Jeb Conner, whose 10-year-old daughter is a first-time camper, said Friday. “Luckily we knew that they were safe and very detailed emails on what’s happening.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1434\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093435\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png 1434w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326-160x89.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1434px) 100vw, 1434px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family, who live in Richmond, drove to a hotel in Petaluma, where the camp transported 150 people, including nearly 100 kids, by bus last night so that they could reunite with their parents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Conner said he and his wife had just moved back to the area from Norway after six years, and that the smoke that had wafted to Petaluma on Friday morning, affecting air quality, was a reminder of large Northern California fires in years past. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We lived here for six years before we moved to Denmark, and it’s a painful reminder of the fires,” he said. “The smell right now just takes back memories from 2020 or 2019.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was not immediately clear how many other Sonoma County residents were affected by the evacuation orders, which include the Ocean Cove campground, along with Salt Point State Park and Steelwater Cove Regional parks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Evacuation zone SON-1D1, which has a population of 350 and spans the coast from Salt Point State Park to Fort Ross Historic State Park, and the Timber Cove subdivision, a community that includes about 100 homes, according to its \u003ca href=\"https://timbercovehomes.weebly.com/\">home association\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further inland, evacuation zone SON-1D2, which has a population of 265 around Goat Rock and Toners Place, is under an evacuation warning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire spokesperson Tyree Zander said the agency was coordinating with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and California State Parks to try to get people back into the community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The big thing that we have is there are a lot of hotspots throughout the area still,” he said. “We’re also going to bring in a damage inspection team or some members to go through and do damage inspections to get us true numbers of anything that was damaged or destroyed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of 11 a.m., he said, Cal Fire had not been informed of any structures that have been affected by the blaze. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that we’re not going to have the winds that we had yesterday,” Zander said. “We do have a lot of resources on this incident. We had resources stay overnight on the incident with also our night flying helicopters, and they were able to increase our containment, which is a great success.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/daisynguyen\">\u003cem>Daisy Nguyen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Conner said he and his wife had just moved back to the area from Norway after six years, and that the smoke that had wafted to Petaluma on Friday morning, affecting air quality, was a reminder of large Northern California fires in years past. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We lived here for six years before we moved to Denmark, and it’s a painful reminder of the fires,” he said. “The smell right now just takes back memories from 2020 or 2019.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It was not immediately clear how many other Sonoma County residents were affected by the evacuation orders, which include the Ocean Cove campground, along with Salt Point State Park and Steelwater Cove Regional parks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Evacuation zone SON-1D1, which has a population of 350 and spans the coast from Salt Point State Park to Fort Ross Historic State Park, and the Timber Cove subdivision, a community that includes about 100 homes, according to its \u003ca href=\"https://timbercovehomes.weebly.com/\">home association\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Further inland, evacuation zone SON-1D2, which has a population of 265 around Goat Rock and Toners Place, is under an evacuation warning.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cal Fire spokesperson Tyree Zander said the agency was coordinating with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and California State Parks to try to get people back into the community.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The big thing that we have is there are a lot of hotspots throughout the area still,” he said. “We’re also going to bring in a damage inspection team or some members to go through and do damage inspections to get us true numbers of anything that was damaged or destroyed.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of 11 a.m., he said, Cal Fire had not been informed of any structures that have been affected by the blaze. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that we’re not going to have the winds that we had yesterday,” Zander said. “We do have a lot of resources on this incident. We had resources stay overnight on the incident with also our night flying helicopters, and they were able to increase our containment, which is a great success.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/daisynguyen\">\u003cem>Daisy Nguyen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Campers were safely reunited with their families, as fire crews continue battling the blaze on the Pacific Coast. ",
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"title": "Woodside Fire Forces Evacuation of Sonoma County Summer Camp, Homes | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Hundreds remain under evacuation orders on Friday as crews battle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093383/woodside-fire-30-contained-evacuations-air-quality-warnings-highway-1-closure-in-place\">Woodside Fire\u003c/a>, which broke out on the coast of Sonoma County west of Highway 1 on Thursday night.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The wildfire, which broke out Thursday afternoon, spread across the coast near Jenner throughout the evening, reaching 140 acres by 11 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While forward progress has been stalled, evacuation orders remained in place Friday morning as crews continued to fight hotspots.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Farm Camp, a private sleep-away camp for children in Cazadero, evacuated campers around 10 p.m. Thursday. Earlier in the evening, the camp told guardians that they were sheltering in place, since their site was outside of evacuation zones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve kind of been on call this evening, waiting for updates, watching the fire,” Jeb Conner, whose 10-year-old daughter is a first-time camper, said Friday. “Luckily we knew that they were safe and very detailed emails on what’s happening.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1434\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093435\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png 1434w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326-160x89.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1434px) 100vw, 1434px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family, who live in Richmond, drove to a hotel in Petaluma, where the camp transported 150 people, including nearly 100 kids, by bus last night so that they could reunite with their parents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Conner said he and his wife had just moved back to the area from Norway after six years, and that the smoke that had wafted to Petaluma on Friday morning, affecting air quality, was a reminder of large Northern California fires in years past. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We lived here for six years before we moved to Denmark, and it’s a painful reminder of the fires,” he said. “The smell right now just takes back memories from 2020 or 2019.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was not immediately clear how many other Sonoma County residents were affected by the evacuation orders, which include the Ocean Cove campground, along with Salt Point State Park and Steelwater Cove Regional parks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Evacuation zone SON-1D1, which has a population of 350 and spans the coast from Salt Point State Park to Fort Ross Historic State Park, and the Timber Cove subdivision, a community that includes about 100 homes, according to its \u003ca href=\"https://timbercovehomes.weebly.com/\">home association\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further inland, evacuation zone SON-1D2, which has a population of 265 around Goat Rock and Toners Place, is under an evacuation warning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire spokesperson Tyree Zander said the agency was coordinating with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and California State Parks to try to get people back into the community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The big thing that we have is there are a lot of hotspots throughout the area still,” he said. “We’re also going to bring in a damage inspection team or some members to go through and do damage inspections to get us true numbers of anything that was damaged or destroyed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of 11 a.m., he said, Cal Fire had not been informed of any structures that have been affected by the blaze. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that we’re not going to have the winds that we had yesterday,” Zander said. “We do have a lot of resources on this incident. We had resources stay overnight on the incident with also our night flying helicopters, and they were able to increase our containment, which is a great success.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/daisynguyen\">\u003cem>Daisy Nguyen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Woodside Fire Brings Hazy Air to Much of North Bay",
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"content": "\u003cp>A wildfire blazing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sonoma-county\">Sonoma County\u003c/a> since Thursday afternoon has prompted evacuation orders and widespread air quality warnings, and forced officials to close a stretch of Highway 1 in the North Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 140-acre Woodside Fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Thursday in northern Sonoma County near Salt Point State Park, a coastal, heavily forested area about 30 miles north of Bodega Bay. Strong winds quickly carried flames south, sparking smaller fires along the coast, according to Cal Fire Incident Commander Marshall Turbeville. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire said favorable conditions overnight allowed them to make significant progress, stalling forward spread and reaching 30% containment. As of Friday morning, more than 300 fire personnel, including multiple helicopters and air tankers from around the state, were assisting suppression efforts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the North Bay woke up Friday morning to hazy skies, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality monitors registering contamination levels up to four times what’s considered hazardous. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The EPA considers fire-particle pollution levels greater than 300 to be hazardous. Monitors along the Russian River, in communities like Sebastopol, Guerneville and Forestville, recorded levels up to 700 around 8:30 a.m. Friday, prompting warnings of emergency conditions. By the early afternoon, most monitors in the area were reading in the 200 range.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air quality monitors in Santa Rosa fell in the 100 and 200 range, which is considered unhealthy to very unhealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further south, Petaluma and Novato pollution levels were slightly elevated, hovering in the low 100s, which can be unhealthy for members of sensitive populations, including elderly people, children and those with respiratory illnesses, or conditions like asthma or emphysema.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District extended a Spare the Air Alert for the Bay Area through Saturday, saying that air conditions in the North Bay are expected to continue to range from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy based on the EPA’s monitoring system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The worst conditions are expected in Sonoma County, though BAAQMD said smoke impacts could extend to other parts of the Bay over the weekend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a Spare the Air Alert, residents are prohibited from using fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning devices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents in Petaluma Friday morning said they planned to continue with their routines, despite the smell of smoke. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I can smell it,” John Cottrell said. “I can’t really see it. For now it’s okay, but I hope it dissipates.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District cautioned that conditions can change rapidly and smoke levels can be hard to predict in an advisory late Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible, and temperatures allow, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1434\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093435\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png 1434w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326-160x89.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1434px) 100vw, 1434px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire has forced evacuations along the coast near Jenner in Sonoma County, along with a private camp and subdivision community. Evacuation orders and warnings that took effect Thursday remain in place, according to Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fire, directly west of Highway 1, led to closures between Timber Cove Road and Stewarts Point – Skaggs Springs Road, and evacuation zone SON-1D1, along with Salt Point State Park, Steelwater Cove Regional Park, Ocean Cove Private Camp and Timber Cove Subdivision, are under mandatory evacuation orders. An evacuation warning has been issued for zone SON-1D2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turbeville said fire crews were working with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Emergency Management to reopen Highway 1 in the next one to two days, and begin lifting evacuation orders as soon as Friday evening and Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire Napa-Sonoma-Lake Unit spokesperson Tyree Zander said crews were able to make progress overnight Thursday after strong winds died down, and were hoping for conditions to remain calm throughout Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"940\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093433\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205-160x75.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205-1536x722.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that we’re not [going to] have the winds that we had yesterday,” he said. “One of the big factors … was there were winds out here on the coast, which are typical afternoon conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zander warned Bay Area residents to be conscientious not to spark a fire this weekend, when the state is expecting a heat wave. He urged people to check that their trailer chains are lifted off the ground and brakes aren’t sparking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Remember to stay fire safe if you’re going to choose to go out and do something this weekend,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cause of the fire is under investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">\u003cem>Danielle Venton\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 140-acre Woodside Fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Thursday in northern Sonoma County near Salt Point State Park, a coastal, heavily forested area about 30 miles north of Bodega Bay. Strong winds quickly carried flames south, sparking smaller fires along the coast, according to Cal Fire Incident Commander Marshall Turbeville. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cal Fire said favorable conditions overnight allowed them to make significant progress, stalling forward spread and reaching 30% containment. As of Friday morning, more than 300 fire personnel, including multiple helicopters and air tankers from around the state, were assisting suppression efforts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Much of the North Bay woke up Friday morning to hazy skies, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality monitors registering contamination levels up to four times what’s considered hazardous. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The EPA considers fire-particle pollution levels greater than 300 to be hazardous. Monitors along the Russian River, in communities like Sebastopol, Guerneville and Forestville, recorded levels up to 700 around 8:30 a.m. Friday, prompting warnings of emergency conditions. By the early afternoon, most monitors in the area were reading in the 200 range.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The EPA considers fire-particle pollution levels greater than 300 to be hazardous. Monitors along the Russian River, in communities like Sebastopol, Guerneville and Forestville, recorded levels up to 700 around 8:30 a.m. Friday, prompting warnings of emergency conditions. By the early afternoon, most monitors in the area were reading in the 200 range.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Air quality monitors in Santa Rosa fell in the 100 and 200 range, which is considered unhealthy to very unhealthy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Further south, Petaluma and Novato pollution levels were slightly elevated, hovering in the low 100s, which can be unhealthy for members of sensitive populations, including elderly people, children and those with respiratory illnesses, or conditions like asthma or emphysema.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Further south, Petaluma and Novato pollution levels were slightly elevated, hovering in the low 100s, which can be unhealthy for members of sensitive populations, including elderly people, children and those with respiratory illnesses, or conditions like asthma or emphysema.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District extended a Spare the Air Alert for the Bay Area through Saturday, saying that air conditions in the North Bay are expected to continue to range from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy based on the EPA’s monitoring system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District extended a Spare the Air Alert for the Bay Area through Saturday, saying that air conditions in the North Bay are expected to continue to range from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy based on the EPA’s monitoring system. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The worst conditions are expected in Sonoma County, though BAAQMD said smoke impacts could extend to other parts of the Bay over the weekend. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During a Spare the Air Alert, residents are prohibited from using fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning devices.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some residents in Petaluma Friday morning said they planned to continue with their routines, despite the smell of smoke. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I can smell it,” John Cottrell said. “I can’t really see it. For now it’s okay, but I hope it dissipates.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I can smell it,” John Cottrell said. “I can’t really see it. For now it’s okay, but I hope it dissipates.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District cautioned that conditions can change rapidly and smoke levels can be hard to predict in an advisory late Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible, and temperatures allow, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093435\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png 1434w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326-160x89.png 160w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093435\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire has forced evacuations along the coast near Jenner in Sonoma County, along with a private camp and subdivision community. Evacuation orders and warnings that took effect Thursday remain in place, according to Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fire, directly west of Highway 1, led to closures between Timber Cove Road and Stewarts Point – Skaggs Springs Road, and evacuation zone SON-1D1, along with Salt Point State Park, Steelwater Cove Regional Park, Ocean Cove Private Camp and Timber Cove Subdivision, are under mandatory evacuation orders. An evacuation warning has been issued for zone SON-1D2.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The fire, directly west of Highway 1, led to closures between Timber Cove Road and Stewarts Point – Skaggs Springs Road, and evacuation zone SON-1D1, along with Salt Point State Park, Steelwater Cove Regional Park, Ocean Cove Private Camp and Timber Cove Subdivision, are under mandatory evacuation orders. An evacuation warning has been issued for zone SON-1D2.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Turbeville said fire crews were working with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Emergency Management to reopen Highway 1 in the next one to two days, and begin lifting evacuation orders as soon as Friday evening and Saturday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Turbeville said fire crews were working with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Emergency Management to reopen Highway 1 in the next one to two days, and begin lifting evacuation orders as soon as Friday evening and Saturday.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cal Fire Napa-Sonoma-Lake Unit spokesperson Tyree Zander said crews were able to make progress overnight Thursday after strong winds died down, and were hoping for conditions to remain calm throughout Friday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cal Fire Napa-Sonoma-Lake Unit spokesperson Tyree Zander said crews were able to make progress overnight Thursday after strong winds died down, and were hoping for conditions to remain calm throughout Friday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093433\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that we’re not [going to] have the winds that we had yesterday,” he said. “One of the big factors … was there were winds out here on the coast, which are typical afternoon conditions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zander warned Bay Area residents to be conscientious not to spark a fire this weekend, when the state is expecting a heat wave. He urged people to check that their trailer chains are lifted off the ground and brakes aren’t sparking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Zander warned Bay Area residents to be conscientious not to spark a fire this weekend, when the state is expecting a heat wave. He urged people to check that their trailer chains are lifted off the ground and brakes aren’t sparking. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Remember to stay fire safe if you’re going to choose to go out and do something this weekend,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cause of the fire is under investigation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">\u003cem>Danielle Venton\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Heavy smoke continues to affect much of the North Bay.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A wildfire blazing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sonoma-county\">Sonoma County\u003c/a> since Thursday afternoon has prompted evacuation orders and widespread air quality warnings, and forced officials to close a stretch of Highway 1 in the North Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 140-acre Woodside Fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Thursday in northern Sonoma County near Salt Point State Park, a coastal, heavily forested area about 30 miles north of Bodega Bay. Strong winds quickly carried flames south, sparking smaller fires along the coast, according to Cal Fire Incident Commander Marshall Turbeville. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire said favorable conditions overnight allowed them to make significant progress, stalling forward spread and reaching 30% containment. As of Friday morning, more than 300 fire personnel, including multiple helicopters and air tankers from around the state, were assisting suppression efforts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the North Bay woke up Friday morning to hazy skies, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality monitors registering contamination levels up to four times what’s considered hazardous. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The EPA considers fire-particle pollution levels greater than 300 to be hazardous. Monitors along the Russian River, in communities like Sebastopol, Guerneville and Forestville, recorded levels up to 700 around 8:30 a.m. Friday, prompting warnings of emergency conditions. By the early afternoon, most monitors in the area were reading in the 200 range.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Air quality monitors in Santa Rosa fell in the 100 and 200 range, which is considered unhealthy to very unhealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further south, Petaluma and Novato pollution levels were slightly elevated, hovering in the low 100s, which can be unhealthy for members of sensitive populations, including elderly people, children and those with respiratory illnesses, or conditions like asthma or emphysema.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District extended a Spare the Air Alert for the Bay Area through Saturday, saying that air conditions in the North Bay are expected to continue to range from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy based on the EPA’s monitoring system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The worst conditions are expected in Sonoma County, though BAAQMD said smoke impacts could extend to other parts of the Bay over the weekend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a Spare the Air Alert, residents are prohibited from using fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning devices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents in Petaluma Friday morning said they planned to continue with their routines, despite the smell of smoke. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I can smell it,” John Cottrell said. “I can’t really see it. For now it’s okay, but I hope it dissipates.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District cautioned that conditions can change rapidly and smoke levels can be hard to predict in an advisory late Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible, and temperatures allow, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1434\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093435\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326.png 1434w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.06.25-PM-e1785527122326-160x89.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1434px) 100vw, 1434px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire has forced evacuations along the coast near Jenner in Sonoma County, along with a private camp and subdivision community. Evacuation orders and warnings that took effect Thursday remain in place, according to Cal Fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fire, directly west of Highway 1, led to closures between Timber Cove Road and Stewarts Point – Skaggs Springs Road, and evacuation zone SON-1D1, along with Salt Point State Park, Steelwater Cove Regional Park, Ocean Cove Private Camp and Timber Cove Subdivision, are under mandatory evacuation orders. An evacuation warning has been issued for zone SON-1D2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turbeville said fire crews were working with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Emergency Management to reopen Highway 1 in the next one to two days, and begin lifting evacuation orders as soon as Friday evening and Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire Napa-Sonoma-Lake Unit spokesperson Tyree Zander said crews were able to make progress overnight Thursday after strong winds died down, and were hoping for conditions to remain calm throughout Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"940\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093433\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205-160x75.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-12.03.06-PM-e1785524872205-1536x722.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Woodside Fire has burned 140 acres, forcing Sonoma Coast evacuations and a summer camp closure. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that we’re not [going to] have the winds that we had yesterday,” he said. “One of the big factors … was there were winds out here on the coast, which are typical afternoon conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zander warned Bay Area residents to be conscientious not to spark a fire this weekend, when the state is expecting a heat wave. He urged people to check that their trailer chains are lifted off the ground and brakes aren’t sparking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Remember to stay fire safe if you’re going to choose to go out and do something this weekend,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cause of the fire is under investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">\u003cem>Danielle Venton\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi",
"title": "California Lawmakers Fail to Fix Warning System for Teacher Misconduct — Again",
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"headTitle": "California Lawmakers Fail to Fix Warning System for Teacher Misconduct — Again | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/\">\u003cem>KQED\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches\">\u003cem>Sign up for Dispatches\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A last-ditch legislative attempt to help California school districts keep problematic teachers out of the classroom has collapsed following opposition from unions and the state teacher licensing agency that a proposed searchable database would violate privacy and subject educators to unfair treatment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed database, introduced by a Democratic member of the state Assembly in June, would have allowed schools to see if applicants for public school teaching positions had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Federation of Teachers pushed back, warning that teachers could land in the database even if schools had not determined they committed serious misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We would support legislation that targets substantiated reports of egregious misconduct,” said Tristan Brown, a lobbyist with the California Federation of Teachers. “We live in a state with Silicon Valley. The state should be able to support a system that is up to date and tracking substantiated reports of misconduct.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi had proposed to make it easier for schools to screen teacher applicants after a KQED-ProPublica investigation published in May. The news outlets revealed how delays and inaction, combined with a lack of transparency, allowed educators to get new jobs after school districts reported them to the state teacher licensing agency for sexual harassment or other misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat who introduced the teacher accountability bill, said his office was “confronted with a lot of resistance” over whether it would lead to unfair treatment of the accused. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A similar effort by Republican lawmakers to address the issue also hit roadblocks earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the safety of a child does not meet a legislative priority, that’s a head-scratcher for me,” said Republican Assemblymember Tom Lackey, who co-authored the first attempt to create the teacher database. “I think being sympathetic to the offender is on the wrong side of this issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both bills were modeled on a law the Legislature passed in 2025 mandating the creation of a database by next summer that will allow employers to search the names of school support staff, such as bus drivers, custodians and teaching assistants, who are under investigation by their schools or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The database for school support staff passed after months of tense negotiations. Under that system, employees’ names would be removed from the database if school investigations fail to substantiate claims of egregious misconduct. The bill passed despite opposition from unions, but the system that will be put in place is still being refined. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that law explicitly does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The system currently in place for public school educators is a patchwork with a fair number of gaps. School districts have long been required to report to the state any teacher who is fired or who resigns due to misconduct. But the state’s teacher licensing agency, which collects all of those reports, is restricted by state law in what information the agency can share while it investigates. The state’s disciplinary process typically takes one year, and teachers could be hired during the investigation period without schools knowing about the claims against them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s publicly accessible online database of credentialed educators does indicate, with a red-flag icon, whether those public school teachers have been disciplined by the state. But it does not explain the reason for the sanction or provide a link to any documents. It is only after the state licensing agency recommends an educator be disciplined that prospective employers can request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without such details, California school administrators must rely on teachers themselves or their previous employers to provide key information. A law passed in 2024 requires teacher candidates to share their complete job history in education and mandates that school districts ask every previous employer whether a candidate had been reported to the credentialing agency for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. If so, previous schools must share the relevant information. But that law keeps bad actors out of schools only if teachers and schools keep — and provide — accurate records.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than a year, California school administrators have lobbied lawmakers for a better way to protect students from those with a history of misconduct. “A database is needed to provide more complete, timely information so that schools can fulfill their responsibility to put trusted adults in positions that work with students,” said Dorothy Johnson, a lobbyist with the Association of California School Administrators, whose members include superintendents, principals and human resources officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Committee of Credentials, a subcommittee of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, meets in Sacramento, California, on March 18, 2026, as part of three days of deliberations. The subcommittee reviews cases involving alleged educator misconduct. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1381/id/3448036\">the original bill\u003c/a> authored by Muratsuchi and sponsored by the school administrators association, teachers would be added to a new database if their school districts have reported them to the state for misconduct. Before making job offers, schools would be required to check the database, accessible only to employers, for names of teachers with substantiated and credible complaints of egregious misconduct. Then, schools would be required to request records about misconduct from the districts that reported them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi said his office was “immediately confronted with a lot of resistance,” with teachers unions raising concerns over fair treatment of the accused. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown, the lobbyist for the California Federation of Teachers, said the language in the measure was too broad. He said the union would not object to a database that identifies only teachers with substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct, but the bill also states that reports of “possible misconduct” would be included. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our opposition is really focused on making sure we’re looking at dangerous conduct that we can definitively say happened,” Brown said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Muratsuchi, who pulled language for his bill directly from the previous effort by Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, said his intent was for the database to focus on egregious misconduct reports that were substantiated and credible. Had he had more time, he said, he would have clarified the language through the legislative process and addressed the unions’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he introduced the bill with just weeks left in the legislative session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seth Bramble, a lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, the state’s most powerful teachers union, wrote in a statement that the proposed database would lead to “employment consequences for innocent teachers based on allegations later determined to be unfounded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“CTA unequivocally supports protecting students, ensuring that credible misconduct information is shared with prospective school employers, and preventing individuals who commit egregious misconduct from moving from school to school,” Bramble wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration singled out teachers unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children when it announced a national crackdown in July on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Teachers’ unions’ demonstrated commitment to shield their members from disciplinary action for gross misconduct cannot trump basic moral and legal responsibilities to students and families,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in the open letter to state school chiefs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090872/trump-administration-launches-crackdown-on-teacher-sexual-misconduct-following-kqed-propublica-investigation\">McMahon cited\u003c/a> KQED and ProPublica’s finding that California’s teacher licensing agency has not revoked the professional credentials of at least 67 educators who school districts determined had sexually harassed students or committed other sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools. That included Bay Area math teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">Jason Agan, who two schools hired\u003c/a> despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop. Agan was removed from the classroom the day after the story was published.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A substitute replaced him for the remainder of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Agan has denied any sexual motivation in touching students and said during his dismissal hearing at his first school that he touched students only to offer them support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1653\" height=\"1103\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg 1653w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1653px) 100vw, 1653px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photo of teacher Jason Agan in the Rodriguez High School yearbook from 2005 at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Fairfield, California, on March 24, 2026. Two schools hired Agan despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California’s educator licensing agency, joined the unions in objecting to the bill to add teachers to the misconduct database. Jonathon Howard, the government relations manager for the credentialing agency, told Muratsuchi in a June 19 email obtained by KQED and ProPublica that complying with the proposed legislation would “require Commission staff to commit crimes.” Howard cited state laws restricting what information the teacher licensing agency is allowed to share. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi’s bill, Howard said, would expose the agency to “significant liability.” “The Commission does not oppose the goal of ensuring that credentialed educators with substantiated histories of serious misconduct cannot move undetected between schools,” Howard wrote. “However, achieving that goal requires legislation that is legally sound, operationally workable, and fair to the educators whose livelihoods and professional reputations are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica that the agency “stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within weeks of introducing the bill and following opposition, Muratsuchi scrapped the idea of adding teachers reported to the state for egregious misconduct to the database and instead amended the bill to clarify that the teacher licensing agency may penalize administrators who don’t thoroughly vet applicants. The school administrators association withdrew its sponsorship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi, whose term expires in December, said he still supports more access to information about educators disciplined for serious misconduct. But with the legislative session ending Aug. 31, time is running out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I tried,” Muratsuchi said. “I hope future Legislatures pick up the ball.” \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We would support legislation that targets substantiated reports of egregious misconduct,” said Tristan Brown, a lobbyist with the California Federation of Teachers. “We live in a state with Silicon Valley. The state should be able to support a system that is up to date and tracking substantiated reports of misconduct.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat who introduced the teacher accountability bill, said his office was “confronted with a lot of resistance” over whether it would lead to unfair treatment of the accused.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093325\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat who introduced the teacher accountability bill, said his office was “confronted with a lot of resistance” over whether it would lead to unfair treatment of the accused.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A similar effort by Republican lawmakers to address the issue also hit roadblocks earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A similar effort by Republican lawmakers to address the issue also hit roadblocks earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When the safety of a child does not meet a legislative priority, that’s a head-scratcher for me,” said Republican Assemblymember Tom Lackey, who co-authored the first attempt to create the teacher database. “I think being sympathetic to the offender is on the wrong side of this issue.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When the safety of a child does not meet a legislative priority, that’s a head-scratcher for me,” said Republican Assemblymember Tom Lackey, who co-authored the first attempt to create the teacher database. “I think being sympathetic to the offender is on the wrong side of this issue.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both bills were modeled on a law the Legislature passed in 2025 mandating the creation of a database by next summer that will allow employers to search the names of school support staff, such as bus drivers, custodians and teaching assistants, who are under investigation by their schools or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Both bills were modeled on a law the Legislature passed in 2025 mandating the creation of a database by next summer that will allow employers to search the names of school support staff, such as bus drivers, custodians and teaching assistants, who are under investigation by their schools or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The database for school support staff passed after months of tense negotiations. Under that system, employees’ names would be removed from the database if school investigations fail to substantiate claims of egregious misconduct. The bill passed despite opposition from unions, but the system that will be put in place is still being refined. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The database for school support staff passed after months of tense negotiations. Under that system, employees’ names would be removed from the database if school investigations fail to substantiate claims of egregious misconduct. The bill passed despite opposition from unions, but the system that will be put in place is still being refined. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But that law explicitly does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But that law explicitly does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The system currently in place for public school educators is a patchwork with a fair number of gaps. School districts have long been required to report to the state any teacher who is fired or who resigns due to misconduct. But the state’s teacher licensing agency, which collects all of those reports, is restricted by state law in what information the agency can share while it investigates. The state’s disciplinary process typically takes one year, and teachers could be hired during the investigation period without schools knowing about the claims against them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The system currently in place for public school educators is a patchwork with a fair number of gaps. School districts have long been required to report to the state any teacher who is fired or who resigns due to misconduct. But the state’s teacher licensing agency, which collects all of those reports, is restricted by state law in what information the agency can share while it investigates. The state’s disciplinary process typically takes one year, and teachers could be hired during the investigation period without schools knowing about the claims against them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s publicly accessible online database of credentialed educators does indicate, with a red-flag icon, whether those public school teachers have been disciplined by the state. But it does not explain the reason for the sanction or provide a link to any documents. It is only after the state licensing agency recommends an educator be disciplined that prospective employers can request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s publicly accessible online database of credentialed educators does indicate, with a red-flag icon, whether those public school teachers have been disciplined by the state. But it does not explain the reason for the sanction or provide a link to any documents. It is only after the state licensing agency recommends an educator be disciplined that prospective employers can request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without such details, California school administrators must rely on teachers themselves or their previous employers to provide key information. A law passed in 2024 requires teacher candidates to share their complete job history in education and mandates that school districts ask every previous employer whether a candidate had been reported to the credentialing agency for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. If so, previous schools must share the relevant information. But that law keeps bad actors out of schools only if teachers and schools keep — and provide — accurate records.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without such details, California school administrators must rely on teachers themselves or their previous employers to provide key information. A law passed in 2024 requires teacher candidates to share their complete job history in education and mandates that school districts ask every previous employer whether a candidate had been reported to the credentialing agency for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. If so, previous schools must share the relevant information. But that law keeps bad actors out of schools only if teachers and schools keep — and provide — accurate records.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than a year, California school administrators have lobbied lawmakers for a better way to protect students from those with a history of misconduct. “A database is needed to provide more complete, timely information so that schools can fulfill their responsibility to put trusted adults in positions that work with students,” said Dorothy Johnson, a lobbyist with the Association of California School Administrators, whose members include superintendents, principals and human resources officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For more than a year, California school administrators have lobbied lawmakers for a better way to protect students from those with a history of misconduct. “A database is needed to provide more complete, timely information so that schools can fulfill their responsibility to put trusted adults in positions that work with students,” said Dorothy Johnson, a lobbyist with the Association of California School Administrators, whose members include superintendents, principals and human resources officials. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Committee of Credentials, a subcommittee of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, meets in Sacramento, California, on March 18, 2026, as part of three days of deliberations. The subcommittee reviews cases involving alleged educator misconduct.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093305\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Committee of Credentials, a subcommittee of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, meets in Sacramento, California, on March 18, 2026, as part of three days of deliberations. The subcommittee reviews cases involving alleged educator misconduct.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1381/id/3448036\">the original bill\u003c/a> authored by Muratsuchi and sponsored by the school administrators association, teachers would be added to a new database if their school districts have reported them to the state for misconduct. Before making job offers, schools would be required to check the database, accessible only to employers, for names of teachers with substantiated and credible complaints of egregious misconduct. Then, schools would be required to request records about misconduct from the districts that reported them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1381/id/3448036\">the original bill\u003c/a> authored by Muratsuchi and sponsored by the school administrators association, teachers would be added to a new database if their school districts have reported them to the state for misconduct. Before making job offers, schools would be required to check the database, accessible only to employers, for names of teachers with substantiated and credible complaints of egregious misconduct. Then, schools would be required to request records about misconduct from the districts that reported them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi said his office was “immediately confronted with a lot of resistance,” with teachers unions raising concerns over fair treatment of the accused. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi said his office was “immediately confronted with a lot of resistance,” with teachers unions raising concerns over fair treatment of the accused. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brown, the lobbyist for the California Federation of Teachers, said the language in the measure was too broad. He said the union would not object to a database that identifies only teachers with substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct, but the bill also states that reports of “possible misconduct” would be included. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Brown, the lobbyist for the California Federation of Teachers, said the language in the measure was too broad. He said the union would not object to a database that identifies only teachers with substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct, but the bill also states that reports of “possible misconduct” would be included. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our opposition is really focused on making sure we’re looking at dangerous conduct that we can definitively say happened,” Brown said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Muratsuchi, who pulled language for his bill directly from the previous effort by Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, said his intent was for the database to focus on egregious misconduct reports that were substantiated and credible. Had he had more time, he said, he would have clarified the language through the legislative process and addressed the unions’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Our opposition is really focused on making sure we’re looking at dangerous conduct that we can definitively say happened,” Brown said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Muratsuchi, who pulled language for his bill directly from the previous effort by Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, said his intent was for the database to focus on egregious misconduct reports that were substantiated and credible. Had he had more time, he said, he would have clarified the language through the legislative process and addressed the unions’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But he introduced the bill with just weeks left in the legislative session. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Seth Bramble, a lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, the state’s most powerful teachers union, wrote in a statement that the proposed database would lead to “employment consequences for innocent teachers based on allegations later determined to be unfounded.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Seth Bramble, a lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, the state’s most powerful teachers union, wrote in a statement that the proposed database would lead to “employment consequences for innocent teachers based on allegations later determined to be unfounded.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“CTA unequivocally supports protecting students, ensuring that credible misconduct information is shared with prospective school employers, and preventing individuals who commit egregious misconduct from moving from school to school,” Bramble wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“CTA unequivocally supports protecting students, ensuring that credible misconduct information is shared with prospective school employers, and preventing individuals who commit egregious misconduct from moving from school to school,” Bramble wrote.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration singled out teachers unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children when it announced a national crackdown in July on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration singled out teachers unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children when it announced a national crackdown in July on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Teachers’ unions’ demonstrated commitment to shield their members from disciplinary action for gross misconduct cannot trump basic moral and legal responsibilities to students and families,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in the open letter to state school chiefs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Teachers’ unions’ demonstrated commitment to shield their members from disciplinary action for gross misconduct cannot trump basic moral and legal responsibilities to students and families,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in the open letter to state school chiefs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090872/trump-administration-launches-crackdown-on-teacher-sexual-misconduct-following-kqed-propublica-investigation\">McMahon cited\u003c/a> KQED and ProPublica’s finding that California’s teacher licensing agency has not revoked the professional credentials of at least 67 educators who school districts determined had sexually harassed students or committed other sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools. That included Bay Area math teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">Jason Agan, who two schools hired\u003c/a> despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop. Agan was removed from the classroom the day after the story was published.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090872/trump-administration-launches-crackdown-on-teacher-sexual-misconduct-following-kqed-propublica-investigation\">McMahon cited\u003c/a> KQED and ProPublica’s finding that California’s teacher licensing agency has not revoked the professional credentials of at least 67 educators who school districts determined had sexually harassed students or committed other sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools. That included Bay Area math teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">Jason Agan, who two schools hired\u003c/a> despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop. Agan was removed from the classroom the day after the story was published.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A substitute replaced him for the remainder of the school year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Agan has denied any sexual motivation in touching students and said during his dismissal hearing at his first school that he touched students only to offer them support.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Agan has denied any sexual motivation in touching students and said during his dismissal hearing at his first school that he touched students only to offer them support.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg 1653w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg 1653w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photo of teacher Jason Agan in the Rodriguez High School yearbook from 2005 at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Fairfield, California, on March 24, 2026. Two schools hired Agan despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California’s educator licensing agency, joined the unions in objecting to the bill to add teachers to the misconduct database. Jonathon Howard, the government relations manager for the credentialing agency, told Muratsuchi in a June 19 email obtained by KQED and ProPublica that complying with the proposed legislation would “require Commission staff to commit crimes.” Howard cited state laws restricting what information the teacher licensing agency is allowed to share. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California’s educator licensing agency, joined the unions in objecting to the bill to add teachers to the misconduct database. Jonathon Howard, the government relations manager for the credentialing agency, told Muratsuchi in a June 19 email obtained by KQED and ProPublica that complying with the proposed legislation would “require Commission staff to commit crimes.” Howard cited state laws restricting what information the teacher licensing agency is allowed to share. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi’s bill, Howard said, would expose the agency to “significant liability.” “The Commission does not oppose the goal of ensuring that credentialed educators with substantiated histories of serious misconduct cannot move undetected between schools,” Howard wrote. “However, achieving that goal requires legislation that is legally sound, operationally workable, and fair to the educators whose livelihoods and professional reputations are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi’s bill, Howard said, would expose the agency to “significant liability.” “The Commission does not oppose the goal of ensuring that credentialed educators with substantiated histories of serious misconduct cannot move undetected between schools,” Howard wrote. “However, achieving that goal requires legislation that is legally sound, operationally workable, and fair to the educators whose livelihoods and professional reputations are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica that the agency “stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica that the agency “stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Within weeks of introducing the bill and following opposition, Muratsuchi scrapped the idea of adding teachers reported to the state for egregious misconduct to the database and instead amended the bill to clarify that the teacher licensing agency may penalize administrators who don’t thoroughly vet applicants. The school administrators association withdrew its sponsorship.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Within weeks of introducing the bill and following opposition, Muratsuchi scrapped the idea of adding teachers reported to the state for egregious misconduct to the database and instead amended the bill to clarify that the teacher licensing agency may penalize administrators who don’t thoroughly vet applicants. The school administrators association withdrew its sponsorship.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi, whose term expires in December, said he still supports more access to information about educators disciplined for serious misconduct. But with the legislative session ending Aug. 31, time is running out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi, whose term expires in December, said he still supports more access to information about educators disciplined for serious misconduct. But with the legislative session ending Aug. 31, time is running out.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "California is set to launch a database for school support staff, such as bus drivers and janitors, with substantiated claims of egregious misconduct. Setting up a similar system for public school teachers, however, is proving more complicated.",
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"title": "California Lawmakers Fail to Fix Warning System for Teacher Misconduct — Again | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/\">\u003cem>KQED\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches\">\u003cem>Sign up for Dispatches\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A last-ditch legislative attempt to help California school districts keep problematic teachers out of the classroom has collapsed following opposition from unions and the state teacher licensing agency that a proposed searchable database would violate privacy and subject educators to unfair treatment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed database, introduced by a Democratic member of the state Assembly in June, would have allowed schools to see if applicants for public school teaching positions had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Federation of Teachers pushed back, warning that teachers could land in the database even if schools had not determined they committed serious misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We would support legislation that targets substantiated reports of egregious misconduct,” said Tristan Brown, a lobbyist with the California Federation of Teachers. “We live in a state with Silicon Valley. The state should be able to support a system that is up to date and tracking substantiated reports of misconduct.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi had proposed to make it easier for schools to screen teacher applicants after a KQED-ProPublica investigation published in May. The news outlets revealed how delays and inaction, combined with a lack of transparency, allowed educators to get new jobs after school districts reported them to the state teacher licensing agency for sexual harassment or other misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2231342591-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat who introduced the teacher accountability bill, said his office was “confronted with a lot of resistance” over whether it would lead to unfair treatment of the accused. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A similar effort by Republican lawmakers to address the issue also hit roadblocks earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the safety of a child does not meet a legislative priority, that’s a head-scratcher for me,” said Republican Assemblymember Tom Lackey, who co-authored the first attempt to create the teacher database. “I think being sympathetic to the offender is on the wrong side of this issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both bills were modeled on a law the Legislature passed in 2025 mandating the creation of a database by next summer that will allow employers to search the names of school support staff, such as bus drivers, custodians and teaching assistants, who are under investigation by their schools or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The database for school support staff passed after months of tense negotiations. Under that system, employees’ names would be removed from the database if school investigations fail to substantiate claims of egregious misconduct. The bill passed despite opposition from unions, but the system that will be put in place is still being refined. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that law explicitly does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The system currently in place for public school educators is a patchwork with a fair number of gaps. School districts have long been required to report to the state any teacher who is fired or who resigns due to misconduct. But the state’s teacher licensing agency, which collects all of those reports, is restricted by state law in what information the agency can share while it investigates. The state’s disciplinary process typically takes one year, and teachers could be hired during the investigation period without schools knowing about the claims against them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s publicly accessible online database of credentialed educators does indicate, with a red-flag icon, whether those public school teachers have been disciplined by the state. But it does not explain the reason for the sanction or provide a link to any documents. It is only after the state licensing agency recommends an educator be disciplined that prospective employers can request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without such details, California school administrators must rely on teachers themselves or their previous employers to provide key information. A law passed in 2024 requires teacher candidates to share their complete job history in education and mandates that school districts ask every previous employer whether a candidate had been reported to the credentialing agency for credible or substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. If so, previous schools must share the relevant information. But that law keeps bad actors out of schools only if teachers and schools keep — and provide — accurate records.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than a year, California school administrators have lobbied lawmakers for a better way to protect students from those with a history of misconduct. “A database is needed to provide more complete, timely information so that schools can fulfill their responsibility to put trusted adults in positions that work with students,” said Dorothy Johnson, a lobbyist with the Association of California School Administrators, whose members include superintendents, principals and human resources officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260318-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Committee of Credentials, a subcommittee of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, meets in Sacramento, California, on March 18, 2026, as part of three days of deliberations. The subcommittee reviews cases involving alleged educator misconduct. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1381/id/3448036\">the original bill\u003c/a> authored by Muratsuchi and sponsored by the school administrators association, teachers would be added to a new database if their school districts have reported them to the state for misconduct. Before making job offers, schools would be required to check the database, accessible only to employers, for names of teachers with substantiated and credible complaints of egregious misconduct. Then, schools would be required to request records about misconduct from the districts that reported them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi said his office was “immediately confronted with a lot of resistance,” with teachers unions raising concerns over fair treatment of the accused. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown, the lobbyist for the California Federation of Teachers, said the language in the measure was too broad. He said the union would not object to a database that identifies only teachers with substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct, but the bill also states that reports of “possible misconduct” would be included. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our opposition is really focused on making sure we’re looking at dangerous conduct that we can definitively say happened,” Brown said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Muratsuchi, who pulled language for his bill directly from the previous effort by Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, said his intent was for the database to focus on egregious misconduct reports that were substantiated and credible. Had he had more time, he said, he would have clarified the language through the legislative process and addressed the unions’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he introduced the bill with just weeks left in the legislative session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seth Bramble, a lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, the state’s most powerful teachers union, wrote in a statement that the proposed database would lead to “employment consequences for innocent teachers based on allegations later determined to be unfounded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“CTA unequivocally supports protecting students, ensuring that credible misconduct information is shared with prospective school employers, and preventing individuals who commit egregious misconduct from moving from school to school,” Bramble wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration singled out teachers unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children when it announced a national crackdown in July on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Teachers’ unions’ demonstrated commitment to shield their members from disciplinary action for gross misconduct cannot trump basic moral and legal responsibilities to students and families,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in the open letter to state school chiefs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090872/trump-administration-launches-crackdown-on-teacher-sexual-misconduct-following-kqed-propublica-investigation\">McMahon cited\u003c/a> KQED and ProPublica’s finding that California’s teacher licensing agency has not revoked the professional credentials of at least 67 educators who school districts determined had sexually harassed students or committed other sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools. That included Bay Area math teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">Jason Agan, who two schools hired\u003c/a> despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop. Agan was removed from the classroom the day after the story was published.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A substitute replaced him for the remainder of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Agan has denied any sexual motivation in touching students and said during his dismissal hearing at his first school that he touched students only to offer them support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1653\" height=\"1103\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed.jpg 1653w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260324-ProPublica-CATeacherDiscipline-26-BL_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1653px) 100vw, 1653px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photo of teacher Jason Agan in the Rodriguez High School yearbook from 2005 at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Fairfield, California, on March 24, 2026. Two schools hired Agan despite having been fired after an independent panel determined he sexually harassed female students and massaged their shoulders after he’d been warned to stop. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California’s educator licensing agency, joined the unions in objecting to the bill to add teachers to the misconduct database. Jonathon Howard, the government relations manager for the credentialing agency, told Muratsuchi in a June 19 email obtained by KQED and ProPublica that complying with the proposed legislation would “require Commission staff to commit crimes.” Howard cited state laws restricting what information the teacher licensing agency is allowed to share. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi’s bill, Howard said, would expose the agency to “significant liability.” “The Commission does not oppose the goal of ensuring that credentialed educators with substantiated histories of serious misconduct cannot move undetected between schools,” Howard wrote. “However, achieving that goal requires legislation that is legally sound, operationally workable, and fair to the educators whose livelihoods and professional reputations are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica that the agency “stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within weeks of introducing the bill and following opposition, Muratsuchi scrapped the idea of adding teachers reported to the state for egregious misconduct to the database and instead amended the bill to clarify that the teacher licensing agency may penalize administrators who don’t thoroughly vet applicants. The school administrators association withdrew its sponsorship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi, whose term expires in December, said he still supports more access to information about educators disciplined for serious misconduct. But with the legislative session ending Aug. 31, time is running out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003ci> \u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003c/i>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003cstrong>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092538/under-a-sacramento-bridge-californias-largest-urban-bat-colony-takes-flight-every-night\">Under a Sacramento Bridge, California’s Largest Urban Bat Colony Takes Flight\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thousands of drivers cross a bridge to Sacramento every day, with no idea what lurks beneath them: a quarter-million Mexican free-tailed bats. Each summer at sunset, they burst out in swirling formation, drawing crowds to guided tours. As part of KQED’s Hidden Gems series, reporter Srishti Prabha visits the Yolo Causeway to find out what makes these misunderstood creatures worth a closer look.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051964/are-seagulls-native-or-invasive-to-the-bay-area-maybe-both\">\u003cstrong>Are California Gulls Native or Invasive to the Bay Area? Maybe Both\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether they’re stealing hamburgers or swiping ice cream cones, seagulls have earned a bad reputation. In the San Francisco Bay Area, their presence appears to be growing, as California Gulls have become year-round residents. For the Bay Curious podcast, KQED’s Pauline Bartolone found out why tens of thousands of birds ditched breeding grounds in the Eastern Sierra and have permanently relocated to the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003cstrong>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489170/nancys-airport-cafe-where-regulars-fly-in-for-pie\">\u003cstrong>Welcome to Nancy’s Airport Cafe, Where Regulars Fly in for Pie\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along Highway 5 in Glenn County, Nancy’s Airport Cafe has spent decades serving pie and hospitality to rice farmers, truckers, and pilots who fly in just for the food. As part of the California Foodways series, reporter Lisa Morehouse visited the restaurant in 2017, when walls were covered in photos of regulars, and waitresses always remembered their orders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Along Highway 5 in Glenn County, Nancy’s Airport Cafe has spent decades serving pie and hospitality to rice farmers, truckers, and pilots who fly in just for the food. As part of the California Foodways series, reporter Lisa Morehouse visited the restaurant in 2017, when walls were covered in photos of regulars, and waitresses always remembered their orders.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "This week we visit a bat colony in Yolo County, find out why the number of California Gulls are growing in the Bay, and fly in for pie in Glenn County. ",
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"content": "\u003cp>Every summer, as the sun sets over the Yolo Causeway just outside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a>, a quarter of a million bats stream out from beneath the bridge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Drivers crossing Interstate 80 rarely know they’re there — the bats’ wingbeats and chirps drowned out by the rush of trucks and cars crossing the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But from June through August, visitors can watch thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">bats \u003c/a>spiral out from \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">under the causeway\u003c/a> into the dusk sky in a phenomenon locals call a “bat-nado” — on guided tours run by the \u003ca href=\"https://yolobasin.org/bat-talk-tours/?playlist=f679ad2&video=83d2451\">Yolo Basin Foundation.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087049\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Erik Oberg, left, and Jessica McCartney, right, record as bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A maternal colony, hiding in plain sight\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bats living under the causeway are part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">one of the largest \u003c/a>urban colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats \u003ca href=\"https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/bat-colonies-habitats\">in the country\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right now, the camp is almost entirely mothers and their pups, said Corky Quirk, the Yolo Basin Foundation’s program coordinator. Females give birth in early summer and stay with their young for about two months, until the pups are strong enough to fly on their own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a little sign this year; it says, ‘Sleeping bats above, please stay out,'” Quirk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She has run the bat tours since 2004 and, on a hot summer evening in June, warns a group of around 30 onlookers not to bother the critters under the bridge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Quirk didn’t start out as a bat specialist. She was hired by the foundation to teach schoolchildren about wetlands and birds, and only later took over the bat program when the person before her retired. Nearly two decades later, she’s become fascinated by these flying mammals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have always loved flight, and I’ve always loved the underdog, and a bat is sort of the mix of the two, right?” she said. “And they are out there doing ecosystem services that are underappreciated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Yolo Bypass, where the colony lives, doubles as flood control for the city of Sacramento and farmland for rice crops. The bats act as natural pest control for the rice paddies, hunting the armyworm, a crop-damaging caterpillar that grows into a moth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Charlie Russell, a decadeslong volunteer with the bat tours, said that the Mexican free-tailed bats have a symbiotic relationship with the region’s rice farmers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the only place [a farmer] never applies any insecticides to control the armyworm, because he’s got a quarter of a million bats taking care of the moths,” he said. “They’re incredibly important to our environment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the tour, Russell held up a Mexican free-tailed bat for observation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While visitors couldn’t touch the bats, they could get close enough to marvel at just how small they were — each one tiny enough to fit in a palm, with five delicate fingers stretching out to support the thin membrane that lets them fly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their tiny teeth are just large enough to consume vast quantities of soft-bodied prey like moths and mosquitoes, and their narrow wings were built for speed. They’re the world’s fastest mammal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’ve been clocked up to 98 mph, so that’s faster than your cheetahs,” Russell said. “And they’re cute.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1748\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087046\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-2000x1398.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-2048x1432.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Corky Quirk, Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Program Coordinator, wears a Mexican free-tailed bat earring in Davis on June 4, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They may be the perfect size to cup in two hands, but Russell was quick to warn that they’re not pets, no matter how at home they seem around people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These guys would normally be living in caves or rock crevices, but we see them under bridges, tall buildings and parking garages,” Russell said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Quirk said that bats often suffer from a reputation problem — one that has more to do with movies and vampires than with the creatures themselves. Bat populations across California are declining, driven largely by habitat loss, pesticides and predation, and she argues that public perception is tied directly to how well the animals get protected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Bats are pretty misunderstood, and often when people learn more about them, they begin to appreciate them,” Quirk said. “And we protect what we care about.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stay for the ‘batnado’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just after sunset, a thin, dark ribbon of bats peels away from beneath the bridge. The line widens as more join, while the sound of beating wings competes with traffic overhead.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Linda Harter, who has volunteered with the tours for more than a decade, still finds it hard not to react.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Oh, look, they’re flying out right here over the trees,” she said. “They are amazing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s also become adept at telling bats from birds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087047\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Charlie Russell, volunteer at the Yolo Basin Foundation, center, shows volunteers-in-training how to use SonoBat equipment in Davis on June 4, 2026. SonoBat is a software used to analyze bat calls. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you’re wondering, are these swallows or bats, the bats are flapping all the time,” she said. “If you see them start to glide, that’s a bird.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deleo Garcia-Lopez, who came to watch the flyout for the first time, said seeing the bats in action made him realize how much nature was nearby the urban environment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s cool to think there’s definitely some system that they all follow,” he said. “It’s an intricate world that they’re building that’s just under our noses, right under a bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The experience took on more personal meaning for Priya Vasu, who recently moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area, and was struck by the colony’s maternal bond.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It feels like a good metaphor for me,” Vasu said. “The bats are staying with their mothers for their [early] lives — My mom will always be with me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a longtime Sacramento resident, the bat-lined sunset changed Nikita Sinha’s understanding of a bridge she drove down regularly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It felt so special because you could see the Sacramento skyline in the distance,” she said. “It just felt really majestic in that setting sun.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Yolo Basin Foundation runs public bat tours near Sacramento from June through August. The nightly flyout can also be viewed for free at sunset without a formal tour.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But from June through August, visitors can watch thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">bats \u003c/a>spiral out from \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">under the causeway\u003c/a> into the dusk sky in a phenomenon locals call a “bat-nado” — on guided tours run by the \u003ca href=\"https://yolobasin.org/bat-talk-tours/?playlist=f679ad2&video=83d2451\">Yolo Basin Foundation.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087049\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Erik Oberg, left, and Jessica McCartney, right, record as bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087049\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Erik Oberg, left, and Jessica McCartney, right, record as bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "A maternal colony, hiding in plain sight",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bats living under the causeway are part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">one of the largest \u003c/a>urban colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats \u003ca href=\"https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/bat-colonies-habitats\">in the country\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bats living under the causeway are part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">one of the largest \u003c/a>urban colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats \u003ca href=\"https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/bat-colonies-habitats\">in the country\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Right now, the camp is almost entirely mothers and their pups, said Corky Quirk, the Yolo Basin Foundation’s program coordinator. Females give birth in early summer and stay with their young for about two months, until the pups are strong enough to fly on their own.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Right now, the camp is almost entirely mothers and their pups, said Corky Quirk, the Yolo Basin Foundation’s program coordinator. Females give birth in early summer and stay with their young for about two months, until the pups are strong enough to fly on their own.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have a little sign this year; it says, ‘Sleeping bats above, please stay out,'” Quirk said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have a little sign this year; it says, ‘Sleeping bats above, please stay out,'” Quirk said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She has run the bat tours since 2004 and, on a hot summer evening in June, warns a group of around 30 onlookers not to bother the critters under the bridge. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092421\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Quirk didn’t start out as a bat specialist. She was hired by the foundation to teach schoolchildren about wetlands and birds, and only later took over the bat program when the person before her retired. Nearly two decades later, she’s become fascinated by these flying mammals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Quirk didn’t start out as a bat specialist. She was hired by the foundation to teach schoolchildren about wetlands and birds, and only later took over the bat program when the person before her retired. Nearly two decades later, she’s become fascinated by these flying mammals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have always loved flight, and I’ve always loved the underdog, and a bat is sort of the mix of the two, right?” she said. “And they are out there doing ecosystem services that are underappreciated.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I have always loved flight, and I’ve always loved the underdog, and a bat is sort of the mix of the two, right?” she said. “And they are out there doing ecosystem services that are underappreciated.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Yolo Bypass, where the colony lives, doubles as flood control for the city of Sacramento and farmland for rice crops. The bats act as natural pest control for the rice paddies, hunting the armyworm, a crop-damaging caterpillar that grows into a moth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Yolo Bypass, where the colony lives, doubles as flood control for the city of Sacramento and farmland for rice crops. The bats act as natural pest control for the rice paddies, hunting the armyworm, a crop-damaging caterpillar that grows into a moth.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Charlie Russell, a decadeslong volunteer with the bat tours, said that the Mexican free-tailed bats have a symbiotic relationship with the region’s rice farmers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Charlie Russell, a decadeslong volunteer with the bat tours, said that the Mexican free-tailed bats have a symbiotic relationship with the region’s rice farmers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the only place [a farmer] never applies any insecticides to control the armyworm, because he’s got a quarter of a million bats taking care of the moths,” he said. “They’re incredibly important to our environment.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is the only place [a farmer] never applies any insecticides to control the armyworm, because he’s got a quarter of a million bats taking care of the moths,” he said. “They’re incredibly important to our environment.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the tour, Russell held up a Mexican free-tailed bat for observation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While visitors couldn’t touch the bats, they could get close enough to marvel at just how small they were — each one tiny enough to fit in a palm, with five delicate fingers stretching out to support the thin membrane that lets them fly. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While visitors couldn’t touch the bats, they could get close enough to marvel at just how small they were — each one tiny enough to fit in a palm, with five delicate fingers stretching out to support the thin membrane that lets them fly. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their tiny teeth are just large enough to consume vast quantities of soft-bodied prey like moths and mosquitoes, and their narrow wings were built for speed. They’re the world’s fastest mammal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Their tiny teeth are just large enough to consume vast quantities of soft-bodied prey like moths and mosquitoes, and their narrow wings were built for speed. They’re the world’s fastest mammal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’ve been clocked up to 98 mph, so that’s faster than your cheetahs,” Russell said. “And they’re cute.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They’ve been clocked up to 98 mph, so that’s faster than your cheetahs,” Russell said. “And they’re cute.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087046\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-2000x1398.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-2048x1432.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Corky Quirk, Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Program Coordinator, wears a Mexican free-tailed bat earring in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They may be the perfect size to cup in two hands, but Russell was quick to warn that they’re not pets, no matter how at home they seem around people.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These guys would normally be living in caves or rock crevices, but we see them under bridges, tall buildings and parking garages,” Russell said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Quirk said that bats often suffer from a reputation problem — one that has more to do with movies and vampires than with the creatures themselves. Bat populations across California are declining, driven largely by habitat loss, pesticides and predation, and she argues that public perception is tied directly to how well the animals get protected.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Bats are pretty misunderstood, and often when people learn more about them, they begin to appreciate them,” Quirk said. “And we protect what we care about.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just after sunset, a thin, dark ribbon of bats peels away from beneath the bridge. The line widens as more join, while the sound of beating wings competes with traffic overhead.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Linda Harter, who has volunteered with the tours for more than a decade, still finds it hard not to react.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Oh, look, they’re flying out right here over the trees,” she said. “They are amazing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’s also become adept at telling bats from birds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087047\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Charlie Russell, volunteer at the Yolo Basin Foundation, center, shows volunteers-in-training how to use SonoBat equipment in Davis on June 4, 2026. SonoBat is a software used to analyze bat calls.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you’re wondering, are these swallows or bats, the bats are flapping all the time,” she said. “If you see them start to glide, that’s a bird.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deleo Garcia-Lopez, who came to watch the flyout for the first time, said seeing the bats in action made him realize how much nature was nearby the urban environment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s cool to think there’s definitely some system that they all follow,” he said. “It’s an intricate world that they’re building that’s just under our noses, right under a bridge.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The experience took on more personal meaning for Priya Vasu, who recently moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area, and was struck by the colony’s maternal bond.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It feels like a good metaphor for me,” Vasu said. “The bats are staying with their mothers for their [early] lives — My mom will always be with me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a longtime Sacramento resident, the bat-lined sunset changed Nikita Sinha’s understanding of a bridge she drove down regularly.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It felt so special because you could see the Sacramento skyline in the distance,” she said. “It just felt really majestic in that setting sun.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Yolo Basin Foundation runs public bat tours near Sacramento from June through August. The nightly flyout can also be viewed for free at sunset without a formal tour.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Yolo Basin Foundation runs public bat tours near Sacramento from June through August. The nightly flyout can also be viewed for free at sunset without a formal tour.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "As bat populations across California decline, driven largely by habitat loss, pesticides and predation, a Yolo County tour group tries to reshape public perception on the nocturnal neighbors.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Every summer, as the sun sets over the Yolo Causeway just outside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a>, a quarter of a million bats stream out from beneath the bridge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Drivers crossing Interstate 80 rarely know they’re there — the bats’ wingbeats and chirps drowned out by the rush of trucks and cars crossing the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But from June through August, visitors can watch thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">bats \u003c/a>spiral out from \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">under the causeway\u003c/a> into the dusk sky in a phenomenon locals call a “bat-nado” — on guided tours run by the \u003ca href=\"https://yolobasin.org/bat-talk-tours/?playlist=f679ad2&video=83d2451\">Yolo Basin Foundation.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087049\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-15-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Erik Oberg, left, and Jessica McCartney, right, record as bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A maternal colony, hiding in plain sight\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bats living under the causeway are part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OMf2I3lH4&time_continue=9&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fyolobasin.org\">one of the largest \u003c/a>urban colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats \u003ca href=\"https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/bat-colonies-habitats\">in the country\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right now, the camp is almost entirely mothers and their pups, said Corky Quirk, the Yolo Basin Foundation’s program coordinator. Females give birth in early summer and stay with their young for about two months, until the pups are strong enough to fly on their own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a little sign this year; it says, ‘Sleeping bats above, please stay out,'” Quirk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She has run the bat tours since 2004 and, on a hot summer evening in June, warns a group of around 30 onlookers not to bother the critters under the bridge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260604_YoloBats_GC-14-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bats fly under a bridge in Davis on June 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Quirk didn’t start out as a bat specialist. She was hired by the foundation to teach schoolchildren about wetlands and birds, and only later took over the bat program when the person before her retired. Nearly two decades later, she’s become fascinated by these flying mammals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have always loved flight, and I’ve always loved the underdog, and a bat is sort of the mix of the two, right?” she said. “And they are out there doing ecosystem services that are underappreciated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Yolo Bypass, where the colony lives, doubles as flood control for the city of Sacramento and farmland for rice crops. The bats act as natural pest control for the rice paddies, hunting the armyworm, a crop-damaging caterpillar that grows into a moth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Charlie Russell, a decadeslong volunteer with the bat tours, said that the Mexican free-tailed bats have a symbiotic relationship with the region’s rice farmers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the only place [a farmer] never applies any insecticides to control the armyworm, because he’s got a quarter of a million bats taking care of the moths,” he said. “They’re incredibly important to our environment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the tour, Russell held up a Mexican free-tailed bat for observation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While visitors couldn’t touch the bats, they could get close enough to marvel at just how small they were — each one tiny enough to fit in a palm, with five delicate fingers stretching out to support the thin membrane that lets them fly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their tiny teeth are just large enough to consume vast quantities of soft-bodied prey like moths and mosquitoes, and their narrow wings were built for speed. They’re the world’s fastest mammal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’ve been clocked up to 98 mph, so that’s faster than your cheetahs,” Russell said. “And they’re cute.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1748\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087046\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-2000x1398.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-9-KQED-2048x1432.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Corky Quirk, Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Program Coordinator, wears a Mexican free-tailed bat earring in Davis on June 4, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They may be the perfect size to cup in two hands, but Russell was quick to warn that they’re not pets, no matter how at home they seem around people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These guys would normally be living in caves or rock crevices, but we see them under bridges, tall buildings and parking garages,” Russell said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Quirk said that bats often suffer from a reputation problem — one that has more to do with movies and vampires than with the creatures themselves. Bat populations across California are declining, driven largely by habitat loss, pesticides and predation, and she argues that public perception is tied directly to how well the animals get protected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Bats are pretty misunderstood, and often when people learn more about them, they begin to appreciate them,” Quirk said. “And we protect what we care about.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stay for the ‘batnado’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just after sunset, a thin, dark ribbon of bats peels away from beneath the bridge. The line widens as more join, while the sound of beating wings competes with traffic overhead.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Linda Harter, who has volunteered with the tours for more than a decade, still finds it hard not to react.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Oh, look, they’re flying out right here over the trees,” she said. “They are amazing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s also become adept at telling bats from birds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087047\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-10-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Charlie Russell, volunteer at the Yolo Basin Foundation, center, shows volunteers-in-training how to use SonoBat equipment in Davis on June 4, 2026. SonoBat is a software used to analyze bat calls. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you’re wondering, are these swallows or bats, the bats are flapping all the time,” she said. “If you see them start to glide, that’s a bird.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deleo Garcia-Lopez, who came to watch the flyout for the first time, said seeing the bats in action made him realize how much nature was nearby the urban environment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s cool to think there’s definitely some system that they all follow,” he said. “It’s an intricate world that they’re building that’s just under our noses, right under a bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The experience took on more personal meaning for Priya Vasu, who recently moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area, and was struck by the colony’s maternal bond.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It feels like a good metaphor for me,” Vasu said. “The bats are staying with their mothers for their [early] lives — My mom will always be with me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a longtime Sacramento resident, the bat-lined sunset changed Nikita Sinha’s understanding of a bridge she drove down regularly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It felt so special because you could see the Sacramento skyline in the distance,” she said. “It just felt really majestic in that setting sun.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"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?",
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},
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"id": "baycurious",
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"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.",
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},
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
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"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.",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"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",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"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",
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"order": 9
},
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
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"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. ",
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"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
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