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"slug": "how-two-exiled-russian-journalists-took-refuge-in-the-bay-area",
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"content": "\u003cp>Roman Badanin was at home in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> seven months ago when he heard a knock on his door. To the independent Russian journalist’s surprise, two FBI agents had come to see him in the middle of the day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was not in any trouble locally, the agents said. They had come to inform him that he was likely a person of interest for a foreign intelligence service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin could imagine what country they were talking about, the agents said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although an FBI visit was a “new experience” for Badanin, the Russian state’s intrusion into his life was not.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2018, he has served as editor-in-chief and founder of Proekt, an independent media outlet known for publishing bold investigations into Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian state. Those stories, he said, have often led the Kremlin and powerful elites to intimidate and weaponize the law against staff members.\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/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Journalist Mikhail Rubin completed a fellowship at Stanford University after fleeing Russia. (Courtesy of George Porteous)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2021, Russian authorities raided Badanin and his colleagues’ apartments in Moscow. Only a few weeks later, the state designated Proekt’s journalists “foreign agents” under a law that Putin has used to punish dissent. To save themselves from imprisonment or worse, many made the difficult decision to leave their country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost five years later, Badanin and his deputy editor, Mikhail Rubin, were able to recount the raids from the relative safety of Northern California. The John S. Knight (JSK) journalism fellowship at Stanford University created an opportunity for them to move here with their young families and continue investigative reporting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the FBI visit came as a reminder of the Russian state’s watchful eye — even on the other side of the world — and the dangers of returning home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, Proekt’s full-time staff of 17 people is scattered across the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their situation is typical for independent journalists from Russia, which consistently \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/2026-rsf-index-press-freedom-25-year-low\">ranks\u003c/a> near the bottom of global press freedom rankings. According to Reporters Without Borders, nearly 50 journalists are currently jailed inside the country, while almost 70 exiles have been \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/exiled-convicted-surveilled-how-russia-has-prosecuted-nearly-70-journalists-beyond-its-borders\">prosecuted\u003c/a> in absentia. Dozens of reporters have been \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/reports/2006/11/russia-murders/\">murdered\u003c/a> or killed in suspicious \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/04/21/604497554/why-do-russian-journalists-keep-falling\">falls\u003c/a> from windows or balconies over the past few decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin, 49, and Rubin, 38, described their predicament with a mix of humor and malaise, acknowledging the high price they’ve paid for their work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Most [exiled journalists] are depressed, totally unhappy,” Rubin said. “It’s stupid to be covering your country from Europe, from the States, from wherever. It’s definitely way better than being in prison, but this is it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Kremlin blocks their website inside Russia, as well as internet platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube, which Proekt has relied on to engage audiences. With little access to on-the-ground reporting, gathering information about Russia has never been more difficult.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Whatever work used to take us one week, now takes a month,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yet producing independent journalism for Russian audiences still motivates Badanin and Rubin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alongside a daily news sub-outlet named Agentstvo or “Agency” — a play on the “foreign agent” designation — Proekt’s investigative work has continued. The team increasingly relies on leaks and data while taking precautions to protect sources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, they \u003ca href=\"https://www.proekt.media/guide/otsy-i-dedy/\">published\u003c/a> a sweeping investigation of nepotism and extreme wealth among Russia’s elite, tracking over 1,000 government officials.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I still love this job,” Badanin said. “If I can enter Russia safely and not be arrested, I would do a lot of good things as a journalist being inside.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But trying to raise his children there is another story. “I’m not ready to bet all I have on this trip,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A winding path to journalism\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin never expected to become a journalist as a young man. He saw it as an unserious path compared to the rigor of history, his chosen field at Moscow State University, where he studied medieval Spain.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when he entered Russia’s turbulent economy during the 1990s, his only way of making a living was working at the news website Gazeta.ru.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I realized I [could] talk to real people about their real problems in real time,” he said. “I fell in love with journalism.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For his part, Rubin took an early interest in politics, despite his father’s wishes for him to become a scientist. When his father brought up physics on long walks together, Rubin remembers feeling “terribly bored.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m stupid in these things,” he said. “Understood nothing. But the moment he started talking to me about politics, about history — I think I was 7 or 8 — I was so interested in what he was telling me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, as an undergraduate at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Rubin chose to study journalism, which he jokingly calls “the worst decision in my life.” Beginning in the aughts, he reported extensively on the Kremlin for Russian outlets like Izvestia and RBC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a shift from the relative openness that followed the Soviet collapse, the early 2000s brought signs of weakening press freedom in Russia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin lost his job at Gazeta.ru in 2011 when the Kremlin expressed disappointment in the outlet’s coverage of parliamentary elections. Putin returned to the presidency the following year, intensifying Russia’s authoritarian turn.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As domestic political freedoms steadily vanished and Russia’s foreign policy became increasingly aggressive, Badanin moved from outlet to outlet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As editor-in-chief of RBC, Russia’s largest media holding, Badanin faced the Kremlin’s wrath for covering the annexation of Crimea. He and his colleagues were fired after publishing an investigation into the massive wealth of Putin’s daughter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin’s final role before he first came to Stanford was as editor-in-chief of TV Rain, a young, independent television channel. But he sensed the outlet would soon be punished, shuttered or bought out by the Kremlin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I perfectly understood that my time in Russia, basically, is limited,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He knew his RBC colleague Elizaveta Osetinskaya had once been a JSK Fellow at Stanford. The program seemed like an ideal opportunity to learn about tech and media, while finding a new path if his worst fears were realized.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When he arrived on campus in 2017, he remembers being struck by Silicon Valley’s diversity and dynamism. At the same time, he began to recognize the struggle for press freedom as a global one, including the decline of local journalism in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a saying in Russian, ‘to wear pink sunglasses,’ which means to see everything better than it is,” he said. “That was my feeling when I came to the U.S. … One day, I realized that not everything is as cool as I imagined it before.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the yearlong fellowship came to an end, he learned he was the subject of a criminal investigation in Russia over alleged defamation, which carries a punishment of prison time. A man close to Putin had filed the charges in what Badanin believed was retaliation for an investigation he published.\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/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Memorial Court through arches at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fellowship permitted Badanin to extend his stay at Stanford, given the risks he faced at home. He spent that time working remotely with colleagues in Russia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, he was eager to return to Moscow. When the defamation charges expired, he did just that, founding Proekt in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next few years were some of the most productive for Badanin and Rubin, who first met while both worked at Gazeta.ru in the early 2010s. They dedicated themselves to writing taboo stories that few other outlets would touch, covering corruption, killings and crimes by state-related actors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 drew near, Russia’s crackdown on journalists and internet freedom escalated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The decision to flee \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The summer of 2021 brought an end to Proekt’s work inside the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin was asleep when the raid on his Moscow apartment began at 6 a.m. on June 29. About 10 men — Russian law enforcement and Federal Security Service (FSB) agents — arrived with orders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was clear that they wanted to intimidate us, to threaten us, to give us a feeling that we need to, at best, flee Russia, or to stop doing what we were doing,” Badanin said.\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/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091714\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roman Badanin at Stanford University in Stanford on July 17, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the men burst into the home Badanin shared with his wife, their 5-month-old daughter began to cry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was not uncommon for Russian security services to conduct these kinds of searches in the early morning — the tradition had been inherited from Stalinism. Showing up early ensured that agents would find their targets asleep and likely disorient them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin was shocked and furious. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What are you doing in my house at this early time?” he said, confronting the men. Only later did he realize his luck not to be killed, poisoned or imprisoned for life. “At that exact moment, my fate was decided,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The men began to confiscate electronics and CDs from the apartment. One agent, speaking to his superior over the phone, received approval to seize an expired Bank of America credit card.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They went on to interrogate Badanin, focusing in part on his ties to the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same morning, in another part of Moscow, Rubin received a text from Maria Zholobova, another member of Proekt. Police were pounding on her door, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He hurried in a taxi to Zholobova’s home. From messages with a lawyer and his colleagues, the orchestrated nature of the raids was becoming clear. Badanin was not responding. “I should have understood that I would be next,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A car filled with police was waiting for Rubin when he arrived at Zholobova’s building. Several burst out of the vehicle, shouting, “Stop, buster, don’t move.” None wore uniforms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They looked like criminals,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the rest of the day, Rubin \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/2021/06/russian-police-interrogate-3-journalists-with-investigative-outlet-proekt-raid-apartments/\">endured\u003c/a> mind-numbing interrogations, searches and bureaucratic absurdities, going hours without hearing a concrete charge against him. Authorities took his laptop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their final move before leaving was to place Rubin’s passport down on the table in front of him. “It was a very clear signal,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ten days after the interrogations, Badanin flew with his family to Morocco for a pre-planned vacation. Rubin took charge of Proekt’s staff in Moscow. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091716\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-1536x1007.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People walk along the Floating Bridge over the Moskva River against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin tower and St. Basil’s Cathedral on June 29, 2026, in Moscow, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One evening, news broke that the Russian Federation had classified Proekt as an “undesirable organization” and Badanin and Rubin as “foreign agents.” Rubin’s colleagues urged him to leave the country. One journalist associated with the Kremlin who Rubin knew personally warned him he could be arrested. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that was a provocation, but who knows,” Rubin said. The next morning, he boarded a flight to the United States with a small bag and a ticket purchased by his brother, who lived in America.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin did not learn of the designations until he reached a small village in the Saharan desert and regained WiFi access. Returning to Russia now posed the immediate risk of imprisonment. While his wife and sons returned to Moscow to pick up his baby daughter, he flew to New York City using an American visa, bringing only a backpack. He and Rubin reunited there, making plans to continue Proekt’s work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then came a lucky offer: JSK invited Badanin to return to Stanford as a senior fellow.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was not a difficult offer to accept. “I needed a place just to settle,” he said. Five years later, he has held several roles at Stanford and remains in Northern California with his family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rubin’s path to the Bay Area was less direct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He lived with a friend in Los Angeles before moving to Tbilisi, Georgia, for a year, where Rubin met his wife, who was on vacation from Russia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rubin returned to the U.S. with her by his side, beginning a fellowship in Washington, D.C. After Rubin applied for and won the JSK fellowship in 2024, the couple made a cross-country road trip. Nine months later, their son was born at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adjusting to life in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area brought a different pace of life for Badanin and Rubin. Although raising children and the complexity of their work left little free time, both men came to enjoy California’s natural beauty and national parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m in love with sequoias and redwoods,” Rubin said. “I love when things are big.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s forgiving climate is another perk compared with frigid Moscow. “I always hated running before I came here, but with this climate, you don’t have an excuse,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just as Badanin discovered in 2017, a two-year JSK fellowship gave Rubin time to improve his education, a lifelong goal. His classes ranged from history to politics, theatrical improv and public speaking at the business school.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Badanin and Rubin came to the Bay Area, they joined a wider community of politically like-minded Russian emigrants who have settled here in recent years. Many connect over Telegram channels to share immigration advice and organize social events.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is not the first destination, because it’s quite far and not easy to get access to the U.S.A.,” said Emil Kamalov, a postdoctoral fellow and political scientist at Stanford \u003ca href=\"https://outrush.io/eng\">researching\u003c/a> political emigration out of Russia. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Based on his survey data, however, around 40% of those who have left Russia since 2022 are connected to the IT sector, with the Bay Area as a “very obvious destination for this.” Tighter internet restrictions and Western sanctions following the full-scale invasion have \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/technology/russia-tech-workers.html\">driven\u003c/a> a “brain drain” of Russian tech companies and workers out of the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other emigrants were drawn by academic opportunities at Stanford and the University of California, including Kamalov himself. “That’s a brain drain,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford’s Russian-speaking community is composed of “amazing people,” Rubin said. “Language does matter.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin, however, draws a distinction between himself and Russians who moved to the Bay Area for high-paying jobs in tech. “It’s very difficult to find a common ground with many of them, because the vast majority of them came here voluntarily,” he said. “I came here involuntarily…I had to do that. I’m not a software engineer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proekt’s work to engage ordinary Russians remains their focus, despite an uncertain future. While Badanin now holds a green card, Rubin’s fellowship with JSK ended this summer. For now, he and his wife have embarked on a move to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, Russia \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/04/15/russia-undesirable-label/\">labeled\u003c/a> Stanford University with the same “undesirable” designation as Proekt. Perhaps Badanin and Rubin really had found a new home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>George Porteous is editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roman Badanin was at home in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> seven months ago when he heard a knock on his door. To the independent Russian journalist’s surprise, two FBI agents had come to see him in the middle of the day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He was not in any trouble locally, the agents said. They had come to inform him that he was likely a person of interest for a foreign intelligence service.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin could imagine what country they were talking about, the agents said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although an FBI visit was a “new experience” for Badanin, the Russian state’s intrusion into his life was not.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2018, he has served as editor-in-chief and founder of Proekt, an independent media outlet known for publishing bold investigations into Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian state. Those stories, he said, have often led the Kremlin and powerful elites to intimidate and weaponize the law against staff members.\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/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-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\">Journalist Mikhail Rubin completed a fellowship at Stanford University after fleeing Russia.\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/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091595\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Journalist Mikhail Rubin completed a fellowship at Stanford University after fleeing Russia.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2021, Russian authorities raided Badanin and his colleagues’ apartments in Moscow. Only a few weeks later, the state designated Proekt’s journalists “foreign agents” under a law that Putin has used to punish dissent. To save themselves from imprisonment or worse, many made the difficult decision to leave their country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Almost five years later, Badanin and his deputy editor, Mikhail Rubin, were able to recount the raids from the relative safety of Northern California. The John S. Knight (JSK) journalism fellowship at Stanford University created an opportunity for them to move here with their young families and continue investigative reporting.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Almost five years later, Badanin and his deputy editor, Mikhail Rubin, were able to recount the raids from the relative safety of Northern California. The John S. Knight (JSK) journalism fellowship at Stanford University created an opportunity for them to move here with their young families and continue investigative reporting.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the FBI visit came as a reminder of the Russian state’s watchful eye — even on the other side of the world — and the dangers of returning home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, Proekt’s full-time staff of 17 people is scattered across the world.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their situation is typical for independent journalists from Russia, which consistently \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/2026-rsf-index-press-freedom-25-year-low\">ranks\u003c/a> near the bottom of global press freedom rankings. According to Reporters Without Borders, nearly 50 journalists are currently jailed inside the country, while almost 70 exiles have been \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/exiled-convicted-surveilled-how-russia-has-prosecuted-nearly-70-journalists-beyond-its-borders\">prosecuted\u003c/a> in absentia. Dozens of reporters have been \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/reports/2006/11/russia-murders/\">murdered\u003c/a> or killed in suspicious \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/04/21/604497554/why-do-russian-journalists-keep-falling\">falls\u003c/a> from windows or balconies over the past few decades.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Their situation is typical for independent journalists from Russia, which consistently \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/2026-rsf-index-press-freedom-25-year-low\">ranks\u003c/a> near the bottom of global press freedom rankings. According to Reporters Without Borders, nearly 50 journalists are currently jailed inside the country, while almost 70 exiles have been \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/exiled-convicted-surveilled-how-russia-has-prosecuted-nearly-70-journalists-beyond-its-borders\">prosecuted\u003c/a> in absentia. Dozens of reporters have been \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/reports/2006/11/russia-murders/\">murdered\u003c/a> or killed in suspicious \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/04/21/604497554/why-do-russian-journalists-keep-falling\">falls\u003c/a> from windows or balconies over the past few decades.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin, 49, and Rubin, 38, described their predicament with a mix of humor and malaise, acknowledging the high price they’ve paid for their work.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Most [exiled journalists] are depressed, totally unhappy,” Rubin said. “It’s stupid to be covering your country from Europe, from the States, from wherever. It’s definitely way better than being in prison, but this is it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Most [exiled journalists] are depressed, totally unhappy,” Rubin said. “It’s stupid to be covering your country from Europe, from the States, from wherever. It’s definitely way better than being in prison, but this is it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Kremlin blocks their website inside Russia, as well as internet platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube, which Proekt has relied on to engage audiences. With little access to on-the-ground reporting, gathering information about Russia has never been more difficult.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Kremlin blocks their website inside Russia, as well as internet platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube, which Proekt has relied on to engage audiences. With little access to on-the-ground reporting, gathering information about Russia has never been more difficult.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Whatever work used to take us one week, now takes a month,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yet producing independent journalism for Russian audiences still motivates Badanin and Rubin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alongside a daily news sub-outlet named Agentstvo or “Agency” — a play on the “foreign agent” designation — Proekt’s investigative work has continued. The team increasingly relies on leaks and data while taking precautions to protect sources.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alongside a daily news sub-outlet named Agentstvo or “Agency” — a play on the “foreign agent” designation — Proekt’s investigative work has continued. The team increasingly relies on leaks and data while taking precautions to protect sources.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In November 2025, they \u003ca href=\"https://www.proekt.media/guide/otsy-i-dedy/\">published\u003c/a> a sweeping investigation of nepotism and extreme wealth among Russia’s elite, tracking over 1,000 government officials.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In November 2025, they \u003ca href=\"https://www.proekt.media/guide/otsy-i-dedy/\">published\u003c/a> a sweeping investigation of nepotism and extreme wealth among Russia’s elite, tracking over 1,000 government officials.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I still love this job,” Badanin said. “If I can enter Russia safely and not be arrested, I would do a lot of good things as a journalist being inside.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I still love this job,” Badanin said. “If I can enter Russia safely and not be arrested, I would do a lot of good things as a journalist being inside.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But trying to raise his children there is another story. “I’m not ready to bet all I have on this trip,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But trying to raise his children there is another story. “I’m not ready to bet all I have on this trip,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "A winding path to journalism",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A winding path to journalism\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin never expected to become a journalist as a young man. He saw it as an unserious path compared to the rigor of history, his chosen field at Moscow State University, where he studied medieval Spain.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Badanin never expected to become a journalist as a young man. He saw it as an unserious path compared to the rigor of history, his chosen field at Moscow State University, where he studied medieval Spain.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But when he entered Russia’s turbulent economy during the 1990s, his only way of making a living was working at the news website Gazeta.ru.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I realized I [could] talk to real people about their real problems in real time,” he said. “I fell in love with journalism.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For his part, Rubin took an early interest in politics, despite his father’s wishes for him to become a scientist. When his father brought up physics on long walks together, Rubin remembers feeling “terribly bored.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m stupid in these things,” he said. “Understood nothing. But the moment he started talking to me about politics, about history — I think I was 7 or 8 — I was so interested in what he was telling me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m stupid in these things,” he said. “Understood nothing. But the moment he started talking to me about politics, about history — I think I was 7 or 8 — I was so interested in what he was telling me.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, as an undergraduate at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Rubin chose to study journalism, which he jokingly calls “the worst decision in my life.” Beginning in the aughts, he reported extensively on the Kremlin for Russian outlets like Izvestia and RBC.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later, as an undergraduate at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Rubin chose to study journalism, which he jokingly calls “the worst decision in my life.” Beginning in the aughts, he reported extensively on the Kremlin for Russian outlets like Izvestia and RBC.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a shift from the relative openness that followed the Soviet collapse, the early 2000s brought signs of weakening press freedom in Russia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin lost his job at Gazeta.ru in 2011 when the Kremlin expressed disappointment in the outlet’s coverage of parliamentary elections. Putin returned to the presidency the following year, intensifying Russia’s authoritarian turn.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Badanin lost his job at Gazeta.ru in 2011 when the Kremlin expressed disappointment in the outlet’s coverage of parliamentary elections. Putin returned to the presidency the following year, intensifying Russia’s authoritarian turn.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As domestic political freedoms steadily vanished and Russia’s foreign policy became increasingly aggressive, Badanin moved from outlet to outlet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As editor-in-chief of RBC, Russia’s largest media holding, Badanin faced the Kremlin’s wrath for covering the annexation of Crimea. He and his colleagues were fired after publishing an investigation into the massive wealth of Putin’s daughter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin’s final role before he first came to Stanford was as editor-in-chief of TV Rain, a young, independent television channel. But he sensed the outlet would soon be punished, shuttered or bought out by the Kremlin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He knew his RBC colleague Elizaveta Osetinskaya had once been a JSK Fellow at Stanford. The program seemed like an ideal opportunity to learn about tech and media, while finding a new path if his worst fears were realized.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When he arrived on campus in 2017, he remembers being struck by Silicon Valley’s diversity and dynamism. At the same time, he began to recognize the struggle for press freedom as a global one, including the decline of local journalism in the United States.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have a saying in Russian, ‘to wear pink sunglasses,’ which means to see everything better than it is,” he said. “That was my feeling when I came to the U.S. … One day, I realized that not everything is as cool as I imagined it before.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the yearlong fellowship came to an end, he learned he was the subject of a criminal investigation in Russia over alleged defamation, which carries a punishment of prison time. A man close to Putin had filed the charges in what Badanin believed was retaliation for an investigation he published.\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/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-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\">A view of Memorial Court through arches at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025.\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/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067139\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Memorial Court through arches at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fellowship permitted Badanin to extend his stay at Stanford, given the risks he faced at home. He spent that time working remotely with colleagues in Russia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, he was eager to return to Moscow. When the defamation charges expired, he did just that, founding Proekt in 2018.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, he was eager to return to Moscow. When the defamation charges expired, he did just that, founding Proekt in 2018.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next few years were some of the most productive for Badanin and Rubin, who first met while both worked at Gazeta.ru in the early 2010s. They dedicated themselves to writing taboo stories that few other outlets would touch, covering corruption, killings and crimes by state-related actors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The next few years were some of the most productive for Badanin and Rubin, who first met while both worked at Gazeta.ru in the early 2010s. They dedicated themselves to writing taboo stories that few other outlets would touch, covering corruption, killings and crimes by state-related actors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 drew near, Russia’s crackdown on journalists and internet freedom escalated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 drew near, Russia’s crackdown on journalists and internet freedom escalated.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The decision to flee ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The decision to flee \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The decision to flee \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The summer of 2021 brought an end to Proekt’s work inside the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin was asleep when the raid on his Moscow apartment began at 6 a.m. on June 29. About 10 men — Russian law enforcement and Federal Security Service (FSB) agents — arrived with orders.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Badanin was asleep when the raid on his Moscow apartment began at 6 a.m. on June 29. About 10 men — Russian law enforcement and Federal Security Service (FSB) agents — arrived with orders.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was clear that they wanted to intimidate us, to threaten us, to give us a feeling that we need to, at best, flee Russia, or to stop doing what we were doing,” Badanin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was clear that they wanted to intimidate us, to threaten us, to give us a feeling that we need to, at best, flee Russia, or to stop doing what we were doing,” Badanin said.\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/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091714\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-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\">Roman Badanin at Stanford University in Stanford on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091714\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roman Badanin at Stanford University in Stanford on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the men burst into the home Badanin shared with his wife, their 5-month-old daughter began to cry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the men burst into the home Badanin shared with his wife, their 5-month-old daughter began to cry.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It was not uncommon for Russian security services to conduct these kinds of searches in the early morning — the tradition had been inherited from Stalinism. Showing up early ensured that agents would find their targets asleep and likely disorient them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It was not uncommon for Russian security services to conduct these kinds of searches in the early morning — the tradition had been inherited from Stalinism. Showing up early ensured that agents would find their targets asleep and likely disorient them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin was shocked and furious. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What are you doing in my house at this early time?” he said, confronting the men. Only later did he realize his luck not to be killed, poisoned or imprisoned for life. “At that exact moment, my fate was decided,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What are you doing in my house at this early time?” he said, confronting the men. Only later did he realize his luck not to be killed, poisoned or imprisoned for life. “At that exact moment, my fate was decided,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The men began to confiscate electronics and CDs from the apartment. One agent, speaking to his superior over the phone, received approval to seize an expired Bank of America credit card.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The men began to confiscate electronics and CDs from the apartment. One agent, speaking to his superior over the phone, received approval to seize an expired Bank of America credit card.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They went on to interrogate Badanin, focusing in part on his ties to the United States.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same morning, in another part of Moscow, Rubin received a text from Maria Zholobova, another member of Proekt. Police were pounding on her door, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That same morning, in another part of Moscow, Rubin received a text from Maria Zholobova, another member of Proekt. Police were pounding on her door, she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He hurried in a taxi to Zholobova’s home. From messages with a lawyer and his colleagues, the orchestrated nature of the raids was becoming clear. Badanin was not responding. “I should have understood that I would be next,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He hurried in a taxi to Zholobova’s home. From messages with a lawyer and his colleagues, the orchestrated nature of the raids was becoming clear. Badanin was not responding. “I should have understood that I would be next,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A car filled with police was waiting for Rubin when he arrived at Zholobova’s building. Several burst out of the vehicle, shouting, “Stop, buster, don’t move.” None wore uniforms.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A car filled with police was waiting for Rubin when he arrived at Zholobova’s building. Several burst out of the vehicle, shouting, “Stop, buster, don’t move.” None wore uniforms.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They looked like criminals,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They looked like criminals,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the rest of the day, Rubin \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/2021/06/russian-police-interrogate-3-journalists-with-investigative-outlet-proekt-raid-apartments/\">endured\u003c/a> mind-numbing interrogations, searches and bureaucratic absurdities, going hours without hearing a concrete charge against him. Authorities took his laptop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For the rest of the day, Rubin \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/2021/06/russian-police-interrogate-3-journalists-with-investigative-outlet-proekt-raid-apartments/\">endured\u003c/a> mind-numbing interrogations, searches and bureaucratic absurdities, going hours without hearing a concrete charge against him. Authorities took his laptop.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their final move before leaving was to place Rubin’s passport down on the table in front of him. “It was a very clear signal,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Their final move before leaving was to place Rubin’s passport down on the table in front of him. “It was a very clear signal,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ten days after the interrogations, Badanin flew with his family to Morocco for a pre-planned vacation. Rubin took charge of Proekt’s staff in Moscow. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ten days after the interrogations, Badanin flew with his family to Morocco for a pre-planned vacation. Rubin took charge of Proekt’s staff in Moscow. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-1536x1007.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/RussiaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091716\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-1536x1007.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People walk along the Floating Bridge over the Moskva River against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin tower and St. Basil’s Cathedral on June 29, 2026, in Moscow, Russia. \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/RussiaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091716\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People walk along the Floating Bridge over the Moskva River against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin tower and St. Basil’s Cathedral on June 29, 2026, in Moscow, Russia. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One evening, news broke that the Russian Federation had classified Proekt as an “undesirable organization” and Badanin and Rubin as “foreign agents.” Rubin’s colleagues urged him to leave the country. One journalist associated with the Kremlin who Rubin knew personally warned him he could be arrested. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One evening, news broke that the Russian Federation had classified Proekt as an “undesirable organization” and Badanin and Rubin as “foreign agents.” Rubin’s colleagues urged him to leave the country. One journalist associated with the Kremlin who Rubin knew personally warned him he could be arrested. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that was a provocation, but who knows,” Rubin said. The next morning, he boarded a flight to the United States with a small bag and a ticket purchased by his brother, who lived in America.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that was a provocation, but who knows,” Rubin said. The next morning, he boarded a flight to the United States with a small bag and a ticket purchased by his brother, who lived in America.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin did not learn of the designations until he reached a small village in the Saharan desert and regained WiFi access. Returning to Russia now posed the immediate risk of imprisonment. While his wife and sons returned to Moscow to pick up his baby daughter, he flew to New York City using an American visa, bringing only a backpack. He and Rubin reunited there, making plans to continue Proekt’s work.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Badanin did not learn of the designations until he reached a small village in the Saharan desert and regained WiFi access. Returning to Russia now posed the immediate risk of imprisonment. While his wife and sons returned to Moscow to pick up his baby daughter, he flew to New York City using an American visa, bringing only a backpack. He and Rubin reunited there, making plans to continue Proekt’s work.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then came a lucky offer: JSK invited Badanin to return to Stanford as a senior fellow.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It was not a difficult offer to accept. “I needed a place just to settle,” he said. Five years later, he has held several roles at Stanford and remains in Northern California with his family.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rubin’s path to the Bay Area was less direct.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He lived with a friend in Los Angeles before moving to Tbilisi, Georgia, for a year, where Rubin met his wife, who was on vacation from Russia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rubin returned to the U.S. with her by his side, beginning a fellowship in Washington, D.C. After Rubin applied for and won the JSK fellowship in 2024, the couple made a cross-country road trip. Nine months later, their son was born at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Adjusting to life in the Bay Area",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bay Area brought a different pace of life for Badanin and Rubin. Although raising children and the complexity of their work left little free time, both men came to enjoy California’s natural beauty and national parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m in love with sequoias and redwoods,” Rubin said. “I love when things are big.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s forgiving climate is another perk compared with frigid Moscow. “I always hated running before I came here, but with this climate, you don’t have an excuse,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state’s forgiving climate is another perk compared with frigid Moscow. “I always hated running before I came here, but with this climate, you don’t have an excuse,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just as Badanin discovered in 2017, a two-year JSK fellowship gave Rubin time to improve his education, a lifelong goal. His classes ranged from history to politics, theatrical improv and public speaking at the business school.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Badanin and Rubin came to the Bay Area, they joined a wider community of politically like-minded Russian emigrants who have settled here in recent years. Many connect over Telegram channels to share immigration advice and organize social events.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When Badanin and Rubin came to the Bay Area, they joined a wider community of politically like-minded Russian emigrants who have settled here in recent years. Many connect over Telegram channels to share immigration advice and organize social events.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is not the first destination, because it’s quite far and not easy to get access to the U.S.A.,” said Emil Kamalov, a postdoctoral fellow and political scientist at Stanford \u003ca href=\"https://outrush.io/eng\">researching\u003c/a> political emigration out of Russia. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Based on his survey data, however, around 40% of those who have left Russia since 2022 are connected to the IT sector, with the Bay Area as a “very obvious destination for this.” Tighter internet restrictions and Western sanctions following the full-scale invasion have \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/technology/russia-tech-workers.html\">driven\u003c/a> a “brain drain” of Russian tech companies and workers out of the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Based on his survey data, however, around 40% of those who have left Russia since 2022 are connected to the IT sector, with the Bay Area as a “very obvious destination for this.” Tighter internet restrictions and Western sanctions following the full-scale invasion have \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/technology/russia-tech-workers.html\">driven\u003c/a> a “brain drain” of Russian tech companies and workers out of the country.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other emigrants were drawn by academic opportunities at Stanford and the University of California, including Kamalov himself. “That’s a brain drain,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stanford’s Russian-speaking community is composed of “amazing people,” Rubin said. “Language does matter.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Badanin, however, draws a distinction between himself and Russians who moved to the Bay Area for high-paying jobs in tech. “It’s very difficult to find a common ground with many of them, because the vast majority of them came here voluntarily,” he said. “I came here involuntarily…I had to do that. I’m not a software engineer.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Badanin, however, draws a distinction between himself and Russians who moved to the Bay Area for high-paying jobs in tech. “It’s very difficult to find a common ground with many of them, because the vast majority of them came here voluntarily,” he said. “I came here involuntarily…I had to do that. I’m not a software engineer.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proekt’s work to engage ordinary Russians remains their focus, despite an uncertain future. While Badanin now holds a green card, Rubin’s fellowship with JSK ended this summer. For now, he and his wife have embarked on a move to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proekt’s work to engage ordinary Russians remains their focus, despite an uncertain future. While Badanin now holds a green card, Rubin’s fellowship with JSK ended this summer. For now, he and his wife have embarked on a move to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In April, Russia \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/04/15/russia-undesirable-label/\">labeled\u003c/a> Stanford University with the same “undesirable” designation as Proekt. Perhaps Badanin and Rubin really had found a new home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In April, Russia \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/04/15/russia-undesirable-label/\">labeled\u003c/a> Stanford University with the same “undesirable” designation as Proekt. Perhaps Badanin and Rubin really had found a new home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>George Porteous is editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Roman Badanin was at home in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> seven months ago when he heard a knock on his door. To the independent Russian journalist’s surprise, two FBI agents had come to see him in the middle of the day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was not in any trouble locally, the agents said. They had come to inform him that he was likely a person of interest for a foreign intelligence service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin could imagine what country they were talking about, the agents said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although an FBI visit was a “new experience” for Badanin, the Russian state’s intrusion into his life was not.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2018, he has served as editor-in-chief and founder of Proekt, an independent media outlet known for publishing bold investigations into Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian state. Those stories, he said, have often led the Kremlin and powerful elites to intimidate and weaponize the law against staff members.\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/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-Russian-journalists-STANFORD-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Journalist Mikhail Rubin completed a fellowship at Stanford University after fleeing Russia. (Courtesy of George Porteous)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2021, Russian authorities raided Badanin and his colleagues’ apartments in Moscow. Only a few weeks later, the state designated Proekt’s journalists “foreign agents” under a law that Putin has used to punish dissent. To save themselves from imprisonment or worse, many made the difficult decision to leave their country.\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>Almost five years later, Badanin and his deputy editor, Mikhail Rubin, were able to recount the raids from the relative safety of Northern California. The John S. Knight (JSK) journalism fellowship at Stanford University created an opportunity for them to move here with their young families and continue investigative reporting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the FBI visit came as a reminder of the Russian state’s watchful eye — even on the other side of the world — and the dangers of returning home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, Proekt’s full-time staff of 17 people is scattered across the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their situation is typical for independent journalists from Russia, which consistently \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/2026-rsf-index-press-freedom-25-year-low\">ranks\u003c/a> near the bottom of global press freedom rankings. According to Reporters Without Borders, nearly 50 journalists are currently jailed inside the country, while almost 70 exiles have been \u003ca href=\"https://rsf.org/en/exiled-convicted-surveilled-how-russia-has-prosecuted-nearly-70-journalists-beyond-its-borders\">prosecuted\u003c/a> in absentia. Dozens of reporters have been \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/reports/2006/11/russia-murders/\">murdered\u003c/a> or killed in suspicious \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/04/21/604497554/why-do-russian-journalists-keep-falling\">falls\u003c/a> from windows or balconies over the past few decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin, 49, and Rubin, 38, described their predicament with a mix of humor and malaise, acknowledging the high price they’ve paid for their work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Most [exiled journalists] are depressed, totally unhappy,” Rubin said. “It’s stupid to be covering your country from Europe, from the States, from wherever. It’s definitely way better than being in prison, but this is it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Kremlin blocks their website inside Russia, as well as internet platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube, which Proekt has relied on to engage audiences. With little access to on-the-ground reporting, gathering information about Russia has never been more difficult.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Whatever work used to take us one week, now takes a month,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yet producing independent journalism for Russian audiences still motivates Badanin and Rubin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alongside a daily news sub-outlet named Agentstvo or “Agency” — a play on the “foreign agent” designation — Proekt’s investigative work has continued. The team increasingly relies on leaks and data while taking precautions to protect sources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, they \u003ca href=\"https://www.proekt.media/guide/otsy-i-dedy/\">published\u003c/a> a sweeping investigation of nepotism and extreme wealth among Russia’s elite, tracking over 1,000 government officials.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I still love this job,” Badanin said. “If I can enter Russia safely and not be arrested, I would do a lot of good things as a journalist being inside.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But trying to raise his children there is another story. “I’m not ready to bet all I have on this trip,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A winding path to journalism\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin never expected to become a journalist as a young man. He saw it as an unserious path compared to the rigor of history, his chosen field at Moscow State University, where he studied medieval Spain.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when he entered Russia’s turbulent economy during the 1990s, his only way of making a living was working at the news website Gazeta.ru.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I realized I [could] talk to real people about their real problems in real time,” he said. “I fell in love with journalism.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For his part, Rubin took an early interest in politics, despite his father’s wishes for him to become a scientist. When his father brought up physics on long walks together, Rubin remembers feeling “terribly bored.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m stupid in these things,” he said. “Understood nothing. But the moment he started talking to me about politics, about history — I think I was 7 or 8 — I was so interested in what he was telling me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, as an undergraduate at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Rubin chose to study journalism, which he jokingly calls “the worst decision in my life.” Beginning in the aughts, he reported extensively on the Kremlin for Russian outlets like Izvestia and RBC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a shift from the relative openness that followed the Soviet collapse, the early 2000s brought signs of weakening press freedom in Russia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin lost his job at Gazeta.ru in 2011 when the Kremlin expressed disappointment in the outlet’s coverage of parliamentary elections. Putin returned to the presidency the following year, intensifying Russia’s authoritarian turn.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As domestic political freedoms steadily vanished and Russia’s foreign policy became increasingly aggressive, Badanin moved from outlet to outlet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As editor-in-chief of RBC, Russia’s largest media holding, Badanin faced the Kremlin’s wrath for covering the annexation of Crimea. He and his colleagues were fired after publishing an investigation into the massive wealth of Putin’s daughter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin’s final role before he first came to Stanford was as editor-in-chief of TV Rain, a young, independent television channel. But he sensed the outlet would soon be punished, shuttered or bought out by the Kremlin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I perfectly understood that my time in Russia, basically, is limited,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He knew his RBC colleague Elizaveta Osetinskaya had once been a JSK Fellow at Stanford. The program seemed like an ideal opportunity to learn about tech and media, while finding a new path if his worst fears were realized.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When he arrived on campus in 2017, he remembers being struck by Silicon Valley’s diversity and dynamism. At the same time, he began to recognize the struggle for press freedom as a global one, including the decline of local journalism in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a saying in Russian, ‘to wear pink sunglasses,’ which means to see everything better than it is,” he said. “That was my feeling when I came to the U.S. … One day, I realized that not everything is as cool as I imagined it before.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the yearlong fellowship came to an end, he learned he was the subject of a criminal investigation in Russia over alleged defamation, which carries a punishment of prison time. A man close to Putin had filed the charges in what Badanin believed was retaliation for an investigation he published.\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/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00183_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Memorial Court through arches at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fellowship permitted Badanin to extend his stay at Stanford, given the risks he faced at home. He spent that time working remotely with colleagues in Russia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, he was eager to return to Moscow. When the defamation charges expired, he did just that, founding Proekt in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next few years were some of the most productive for Badanin and Rubin, who first met while both worked at Gazeta.ru in the early 2010s. They dedicated themselves to writing taboo stories that few other outlets would touch, covering corruption, killings and crimes by state-related actors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 drew near, Russia’s crackdown on journalists and internet freedom escalated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The decision to flee \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The summer of 2021 brought an end to Proekt’s work inside the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin was asleep when the raid on his Moscow apartment began at 6 a.m. on June 29. About 10 men — Russian law enforcement and Federal Security Service (FSB) agents — arrived with orders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was clear that they wanted to intimidate us, to threaten us, to give us a feeling that we need to, at best, flee Russia, or to stop doing what we were doing,” Badanin said.\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/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091714\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260717-RussianJournalistsExile-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roman Badanin at Stanford University in Stanford on July 17, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the men burst into the home Badanin shared with his wife, their 5-month-old daughter began to cry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was not uncommon for Russian security services to conduct these kinds of searches in the early morning — the tradition had been inherited from Stalinism. Showing up early ensured that agents would find their targets asleep and likely disorient them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin was shocked and furious. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What are you doing in my house at this early time?” he said, confronting the men. Only later did he realize his luck not to be killed, poisoned or imprisoned for life. “At that exact moment, my fate was decided,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The men began to confiscate electronics and CDs from the apartment. One agent, speaking to his superior over the phone, received approval to seize an expired Bank of America credit card.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They went on to interrogate Badanin, focusing in part on his ties to the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same morning, in another part of Moscow, Rubin received a text from Maria Zholobova, another member of Proekt. Police were pounding on her door, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He hurried in a taxi to Zholobova’s home. From messages with a lawyer and his colleagues, the orchestrated nature of the raids was becoming clear. Badanin was not responding. “I should have understood that I would be next,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A car filled with police was waiting for Rubin when he arrived at Zholobova’s building. Several burst out of the vehicle, shouting, “Stop, buster, don’t move.” None wore uniforms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They looked like criminals,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the rest of the day, Rubin \u003ca href=\"https://cpj.org/2021/06/russian-police-interrogate-3-journalists-with-investigative-outlet-proekt-raid-apartments/\">endured\u003c/a> mind-numbing interrogations, searches and bureaucratic absurdities, going hours without hearing a concrete charge against him. Authorities took his laptop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their final move before leaving was to place Rubin’s passport down on the table in front of him. “It was a very clear signal,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ten days after the interrogations, Badanin flew with his family to Morocco for a pre-planned vacation. Rubin took charge of Proekt’s staff in Moscow. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091716\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/RussiaGetty-1536x1007.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People walk along the Floating Bridge over the Moskva River against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin tower and St. Basil’s Cathedral on June 29, 2026, in Moscow, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One evening, news broke that the Russian Federation had classified Proekt as an “undesirable organization” and Badanin and Rubin as “foreign agents.” Rubin’s colleagues urged him to leave the country. One journalist associated with the Kremlin who Rubin knew personally warned him he could be arrested. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that was a provocation, but who knows,” Rubin said. The next morning, he boarded a flight to the United States with a small bag and a ticket purchased by his brother, who lived in America.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin did not learn of the designations until he reached a small village in the Saharan desert and regained WiFi access. Returning to Russia now posed the immediate risk of imprisonment. While his wife and sons returned to Moscow to pick up his baby daughter, he flew to New York City using an American visa, bringing only a backpack. He and Rubin reunited there, making plans to continue Proekt’s work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then came a lucky offer: JSK invited Badanin to return to Stanford as a senior fellow.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was not a difficult offer to accept. “I needed a place just to settle,” he said. Five years later, he has held several roles at Stanford and remains in Northern California with his family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rubin’s path to the Bay Area was less direct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He lived with a friend in Los Angeles before moving to Tbilisi, Georgia, for a year, where Rubin met his wife, who was on vacation from Russia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rubin returned to the U.S. with her by his side, beginning a fellowship in Washington, D.C. After Rubin applied for and won the JSK fellowship in 2024, the couple made a cross-country road trip. Nine months later, their son was born at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adjusting to life in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area brought a different pace of life for Badanin and Rubin. Although raising children and the complexity of their work left little free time, both men came to enjoy California’s natural beauty and national parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m in love with sequoias and redwoods,” Rubin said. “I love when things are big.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s forgiving climate is another perk compared with frigid Moscow. “I always hated running before I came here, but with this climate, you don’t have an excuse,” Rubin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just as Badanin discovered in 2017, a two-year JSK fellowship gave Rubin time to improve his education, a lifelong goal. His classes ranged from history to politics, theatrical improv and public speaking at the business school.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Badanin and Rubin came to the Bay Area, they joined a wider community of politically like-minded Russian emigrants who have settled here in recent years. Many connect over Telegram channels to share immigration advice and organize social events.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is not the first destination, because it’s quite far and not easy to get access to the U.S.A.,” said Emil Kamalov, a postdoctoral fellow and political scientist at Stanford \u003ca href=\"https://outrush.io/eng\">researching\u003c/a> political emigration out of Russia. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Based on his survey data, however, around 40% of those who have left Russia since 2022 are connected to the IT sector, with the Bay Area as a “very obvious destination for this.” Tighter internet restrictions and Western sanctions following the full-scale invasion have \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/technology/russia-tech-workers.html\">driven\u003c/a> a “brain drain” of Russian tech companies and workers out of the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other emigrants were drawn by academic opportunities at Stanford and the University of California, including Kamalov himself. “That’s a brain drain,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford’s Russian-speaking community is composed of “amazing people,” Rubin said. “Language does matter.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Badanin, however, draws a distinction between himself and Russians who moved to the Bay Area for high-paying jobs in tech. “It’s very difficult to find a common ground with many of them, because the vast majority of them came here voluntarily,” he said. “I came here involuntarily…I had to do that. I’m not a software engineer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proekt’s work to engage ordinary Russians remains their focus, despite an uncertain future. While Badanin now holds a green card, Rubin’s fellowship with JSK ended this summer. For now, he and his wife have embarked on a move to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, Russia \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/04/15/russia-undesirable-label/\">labeled\u003c/a> Stanford University with the same “undesirable” designation as Proekt. Perhaps Badanin and Rubin really had found a new home.\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>\u003cem>George Porteous is editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-kids-grapple-with-a-mid-summer-heat-wave-new-state-laws-try-to-help",
"title": "As Kids Grapple With a Mid-Summer Heat Wave, New State Laws Try to Help",
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"headTitle": "As Kids Grapple With a Mid-Summer Heat Wave, New State Laws Try to Help | 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>As triple-digit temperatures bake some parts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, two new laws aim to help educate students about heat illness and protect them from it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that will require the state Board of Education to consider teaching students about the symptoms of heat illness in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another law, which the governor signed in 2024 with a key deadline this month, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">come up with rules\u003c/a> for outdoor activities when there are extreme weather events like heat waves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both are promising, low-cost measures. But neither requires the state to spend money on the things that experts say would actually make schools safer: updated HVAC, shade structures, a funded health curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s office says, as of now, it has no plans to propose funding for an updated health framework.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The laws “demonstrate that children in California are already being harmed by extreme heat,” said Sarah Matsumoto, director of policy and government affairs for Green Schoolyards America. “It’s not a future problem anymore. There definitely needs to be a comprehensive plan to protect children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A student’s experience becomes law\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2022, during a \u003ca href=\"https://tenstrands.org/a-youth-advocate-for-heat-safety-in-schools-interview-with-natalie/\">record-breaking\u003c/a>, triple-digit heat wave in Sacramento, the air conditioning in Natalie Rubio’s school cafeteria gave out. She was in the fourth grade; she and her classmates had to eat lunch outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 13, Natalie recalls some of her peers feeling sick – flushed with red cheeks and headaches, symptoms of heat illness. She brought her experience and her idea for a bill promoting heat education to the legislature: Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Palmdale Republican, wrote \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1653\">Assembly Bill 1653\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding guidance on how to teach heat illness in schools is a “simple, common-sense step,” Lackey said in a legislative hearing about the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play a game during recess at Grass Valley Elementary School in Oakland on April 28, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This bill creates no mandates,” Lackey said. “It simply promotes awareness and prevention. Because sometimes the most powerful way to protect our students is by giving them the knowledge to protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat illness is a growing concern for students, parents and educators as heat waves become stronger and longer. In California, 618 children ages 5 to 17 \u003ca href=\"https://trackingcalifornia.org/topics/heat-related-illness#gsc.tab=0\">went to the emergency room\u003c/a> in 2024 because of heat illness, according to Tracking California, a health surveillance tool by the Public Health Institute. That’s about a 30% jump from the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California students lost more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.undauntedk12.org/california-closures-25-26\">40,000 hours \u003c/a>of instructional time in the 2025-26 school year due to closures and disruptions from extreme heat, according to data collected by UndauntedK12. Extreme heat accounted for 73% of weather-related school closures in the fall semester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natalie envisions short, interactive lessons tailored to each grade level and reminders during heat waves. “I want schools to teach every student the signs and symptoms of heat illness and how to respond in a memorable way,” the middle school student said.[aside postID=news_12090872 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CA-Trump-Teacher-Follow-PD2-1.jpg']Lackey’s law doesn’t guarantee new lessons — that depends on when the state next updates its health education framework, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/documents/healthedframework2019.pdf\">which last happened in 2019\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Board of Education could incorporate heat illness lessons into its health education framework — a voluntary guide for teaching about subjects including nutrition, physical activity, drugs and alcohol and mental health — the next time it considers updates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s no further update scheduled, and doing so again “must be initiated and funded by the legislature.” Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for the governor, referred questions about whether the administration would fund a new framework to the education board. The board did not respond to CalMatters’ questions by the deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephanie Seidmon, a project manager for UndauntedK12, said the nonprofit educational advocacy group supported the law “because this is a potentially low-cost solution in a time when our state budget is (limited).”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If an eventual update does include heat illness education, it could make a real difference in the number of kids that end up in the nurse’s office with serious symptoms, said Rosemarie Dowell, government relations committee chair for the California School Nurses Organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students “might not realize that this headache or this dizziness might not just be feeling tired but could be a sign of heat illness,” Dowell said. “That can empower them to react for themselves, react for somebody else, to encourage them to get water, to find that shade or to tell an adult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A push for more protections\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state Department of Education offers no official guidance on how hot is too hot for students to be outside, or how teachers should respond to unusually high temperatures. The department refers schools to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ep/extremeheat.asp\">list of resources\u003c/a>, including the state health department’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/EPO/Pages/Extreme%20Heat%20Pages/BI_Natural-Disasters_Extreme-Heat.aspx\">guidance\u003c/a> on extreme heat, defined as longer than two days and nights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s0749-3797(12)00742-8/fulltext#:~:text=Exertional%20heat%20illness%20occurred%20at,at%20the%20time%20of%20onset.\">an estimated 9,000 high school athletes\u003c/a> suffer from and receive treatment for exertional heat illness every year, with most incidents occurring in August. The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, sets and can enforce heat-related policies, including rules about practice times and hydration breaks for student athletes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044135\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play on the playground outside a Head Start in Hollister, California, on June 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1248\">Senate Bill 1248\u003c/a>, authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Bakersfield Democrat, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">adopt protocols for outdoor activities\u003c/a>, such as sports practice and recess, during extreme weather. This includes setting criteria for when schools should cancel outdoor activities. The death of \u003ca href=\"https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lake-elsinore-boy-who-died-while-exercising-in-the-heat-at-school-had-a-heart-defect-report/\">12-year-old Yahshua Robinson\u003c/a>, who in August 2023 collapsed and died during P.E. class in Lake Elsinore, prompted that law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law requires schools to develop heat-safety plans that include monitoring weather forecasts, designating safe indoor alternatives to outdoor activities, and training staff to recognize heat stress, among other measures. The law required schools to have those plans ready by July 1 of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a legislative hearing in 2024, Yahshua’s mother said her son died following dangerous school rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was in the nineties outside that day, and even the best and highly trained athletes wouldn’t run in it,” she said. “Yet Yahshua’s class of middle schoolers were made to run in that heat. Physical education should happen only in environments conducive for physical activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The funding gap that laws don’t touch\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>School and environmental advocates want state leaders to go further by investing in better cooling systems and more shady areas for children to play. But limited state and school funding stands in the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of our school buildings were built before the era of extreme heat fueled by climate change,” Seidmon said. “Our kids are playing on playgrounds, in schoolyards and on fields that don’t have shade … So it’s critical that our school buildings and grounds protect our children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"A young girl is seen through a circular opening in an outdoor play gym structure\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emily Penner, an associate professor of education at UC Irvine, is \u003ca href=\"https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2025/2025-05-20-penners-heat-exposure-in-california-schools\">researching the effects of heat exposure\u003c/a> on school children and how schools are adapting to warmer days. Response, she’s learning, varies widely by region — schools that have long struggled with extreme heat are more likely to try new approaches, such as using more heat-resilient materials for playgrounds and prioritizing air conditioning in school buses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adaptation efforts like shading infrastructure and HVAC in most schools can make a significant difference, Penner says. At the same time, these projects require funding that many schools may not have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a case where we have some pretty concrete things we know we need to do, like put HVAC at most schools across the state, and now we have to kind of figure out how to marshal political support for something like that,” Penner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Money on the table, but not enough\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even where funding exists, schools are finding it hard to secure or insufficient to meet the need. In 2020, the legislature created a state program, known as CalShape, funded by utility ratepayers, which has helped schools pay for assessments and upgrades to their air conditioning systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the program administrator, the California Energy Commission, abruptly paused applications in 2024, citing budget constraints. The state will return the leftover $200 million to investor-owned utilities if the Legislature doesn’t act by the end of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, Californians voted to approve Proposition 2, a bond measure that earmarks $10 billion for school facilities. But school modernization projects already \u003ca href=\"https://www.lacoe.edu/content/dam/lacoeedu/documents/businessservices/bas/facilities-network/OPSC%20May%202025%20Update.pdf\">demand\u003c/a> more than \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/education/california-school-bond-funding-proposition-2-measure-us\">the funding \u003c/a>provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988060\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"Three young students hold hands outside as they walk away from the camera towards a play gym structure during recess\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Voters also approved Proposition 4, which sends another \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">$10 billion\u003c/a> to climate projects statewide. That includes $50 million for the state’s Urban Forestry Program, which funnels money to local projects that add green space, including in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Compared to the federal government and many states, California is one of the leaders in this issue,” Matsumoto said. “And we are still not collectively meeting the moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2026/07/california-school-heat-illness-laws/\">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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"excerpt": "One new California law promotes heat illness education in schools; another, rolling out this month, requires rules for outdoor activity during extreme heat.",
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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>As triple-digit temperatures bake some parts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, two new laws aim to help educate students about heat illness and protect them from it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that will require the state Board of Education to consider teaching students about the symptoms of heat illness in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another law, which the governor signed in 2024 with a key deadline this month, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">come up with rules\u003c/a> for outdoor activities when there are extreme weather events like heat waves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both are promising, low-cost measures. But neither requires the state to spend money on the things that experts say would actually make schools safer: updated HVAC, shade structures, a funded health curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s office says, as of now, it has no plans to propose funding for an updated health framework.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The laws “demonstrate that children in California are already being harmed by extreme heat,” said Sarah Matsumoto, director of policy and government affairs for Green Schoolyards America. “It’s not a future problem anymore. There definitely needs to be a comprehensive plan to protect children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A student’s experience becomes law\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2022, during a \u003ca href=\"https://tenstrands.org/a-youth-advocate-for-heat-safety-in-schools-interview-with-natalie/\">record-breaking\u003c/a>, triple-digit heat wave in Sacramento, the air conditioning in Natalie Rubio’s school cafeteria gave out. She was in the fourth grade; she and her classmates had to eat lunch outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 13, Natalie recalls some of her peers feeling sick – flushed with red cheeks and headaches, symptoms of heat illness. She brought her experience and her idea for a bill promoting heat education to the legislature: Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Palmdale Republican, wrote \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1653\">Assembly Bill 1653\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding guidance on how to teach heat illness in schools is a “simple, common-sense step,” Lackey said in a legislative hearing about the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play a game during recess at Grass Valley Elementary School in Oakland on April 28, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This bill creates no mandates,” Lackey said. “It simply promotes awareness and prevention. Because sometimes the most powerful way to protect our students is by giving them the knowledge to protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat illness is a growing concern for students, parents and educators as heat waves become stronger and longer. In California, 618 children ages 5 to 17 \u003ca href=\"https://trackingcalifornia.org/topics/heat-related-illness#gsc.tab=0\">went to the emergency room\u003c/a> in 2024 because of heat illness, according to Tracking California, a health surveillance tool by the Public Health Institute. That’s about a 30% jump from the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California students lost more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.undauntedk12.org/california-closures-25-26\">40,000 hours \u003c/a>of instructional time in the 2025-26 school year due to closures and disruptions from extreme heat, according to data collected by UndauntedK12. Extreme heat accounted for 73% of weather-related school closures in the fall semester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natalie envisions short, interactive lessons tailored to each grade level and reminders during heat waves. “I want schools to teach every student the signs and symptoms of heat illness and how to respond in a memorable way,” the middle school student said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Lackey’s law doesn’t guarantee new lessons — that depends on when the state next updates its health education framework, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/documents/healthedframework2019.pdf\">which last happened in 2019\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Board of Education could incorporate heat illness lessons into its health education framework — a voluntary guide for teaching about subjects including nutrition, physical activity, drugs and alcohol and mental health — the next time it considers updates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s no further update scheduled, and doing so again “must be initiated and funded by the legislature.” Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for the governor, referred questions about whether the administration would fund a new framework to the education board. The board did not respond to CalMatters’ questions by the deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephanie Seidmon, a project manager for UndauntedK12, said the nonprofit educational advocacy group supported the law “because this is a potentially low-cost solution in a time when our state budget is (limited).”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If an eventual update does include heat illness education, it could make a real difference in the number of kids that end up in the nurse’s office with serious symptoms, said Rosemarie Dowell, government relations committee chair for the California School Nurses Organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students “might not realize that this headache or this dizziness might not just be feeling tired but could be a sign of heat illness,” Dowell said. “That can empower them to react for themselves, react for somebody else, to encourage them to get water, to find that shade or to tell an adult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A push for more protections\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state Department of Education offers no official guidance on how hot is too hot for students to be outside, or how teachers should respond to unusually high temperatures. The department refers schools to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ep/extremeheat.asp\">list of resources\u003c/a>, including the state health department’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/EPO/Pages/Extreme%20Heat%20Pages/BI_Natural-Disasters_Extreme-Heat.aspx\">guidance\u003c/a> on extreme heat, defined as longer than two days and nights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s0749-3797(12)00742-8/fulltext#:~:text=Exertional%20heat%20illness%20occurred%20at,at%20the%20time%20of%20onset.\">an estimated 9,000 high school athletes\u003c/a> suffer from and receive treatment for exertional heat illness every year, with most incidents occurring in August. The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, sets and can enforce heat-related policies, including rules about practice times and hydration breaks for student athletes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044135\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play on the playground outside a Head Start in Hollister, California, on June 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1248\">Senate Bill 1248\u003c/a>, authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Bakersfield Democrat, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">adopt protocols for outdoor activities\u003c/a>, such as sports practice and recess, during extreme weather. This includes setting criteria for when schools should cancel outdoor activities. The death of \u003ca href=\"https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lake-elsinore-boy-who-died-while-exercising-in-the-heat-at-school-had-a-heart-defect-report/\">12-year-old Yahshua Robinson\u003c/a>, who in August 2023 collapsed and died during P.E. class in Lake Elsinore, prompted that law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law requires schools to develop heat-safety plans that include monitoring weather forecasts, designating safe indoor alternatives to outdoor activities, and training staff to recognize heat stress, among other measures. The law required schools to have those plans ready by July 1 of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a legislative hearing in 2024, Yahshua’s mother said her son died following dangerous school rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was in the nineties outside that day, and even the best and highly trained athletes wouldn’t run in it,” she said. “Yet Yahshua’s class of middle schoolers were made to run in that heat. Physical education should happen only in environments conducive for physical activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The funding gap that laws don’t touch\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>School and environmental advocates want state leaders to go further by investing in better cooling systems and more shady areas for children to play. But limited state and school funding stands in the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of our school buildings were built before the era of extreme heat fueled by climate change,” Seidmon said. “Our kids are playing on playgrounds, in schoolyards and on fields that don’t have shade … So it’s critical that our school buildings and grounds protect our children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"A young girl is seen through a circular opening in an outdoor play gym structure\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emily Penner, an associate professor of education at UC Irvine, is \u003ca href=\"https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2025/2025-05-20-penners-heat-exposure-in-california-schools\">researching the effects of heat exposure\u003c/a> on school children and how schools are adapting to warmer days. Response, she’s learning, varies widely by region — schools that have long struggled with extreme heat are more likely to try new approaches, such as using more heat-resilient materials for playgrounds and prioritizing air conditioning in school buses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adaptation efforts like shading infrastructure and HVAC in most schools can make a significant difference, Penner says. At the same time, these projects require funding that many schools may not have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a case where we have some pretty concrete things we know we need to do, like put HVAC at most schools across the state, and now we have to kind of figure out how to marshal political support for something like that,” Penner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Money on the table, but not enough\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even where funding exists, schools are finding it hard to secure or insufficient to meet the need. In 2020, the legislature created a state program, known as CalShape, funded by utility ratepayers, which has helped schools pay for assessments and upgrades to their air conditioning systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the program administrator, the California Energy Commission, abruptly paused applications in 2024, citing budget constraints. The state will return the leftover $200 million to investor-owned utilities if the Legislature doesn’t act by the end of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, Californians voted to approve Proposition 2, a bond measure that earmarks $10 billion for school facilities. But school modernization projects already \u003ca href=\"https://www.lacoe.edu/content/dam/lacoeedu/documents/businessservices/bas/facilities-network/OPSC%20May%202025%20Update.pdf\">demand\u003c/a> more than \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/education/california-school-bond-funding-proposition-2-measure-us\">the funding \u003c/a>provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988060\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"Three young students hold hands outside as they walk away from the camera towards a play gym structure during recess\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Voters also approved Proposition 4, which sends another \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">$10 billion\u003c/a> to climate projects statewide. That includes $50 million for the state’s Urban Forestry Program, which funnels money to local projects that add green space, including in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Compared to the federal government and many states, California is one of the leaders in this issue,” Matsumoto said. “And we are still not collectively meeting the moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2026/07/california-school-heat-illness-laws/\">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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"content": "\u003cp>President Donald Trump used a primetime speech Thursday night to raise doubts on the integrity of America’s election system. He claimed that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote in California and other Democratic-led states. He also attacked the Golden State’s primary election for governor and Los Angeles mayor as an “example of the insanity.” Marisa and Guy dig into the president’s claims and the lack of evidence for them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, they discuss a new statewide poll showing Californians say they care deeply about the environment but don’t want to pay more to protect it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003cbr>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cp>As small businesses in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> face skyrocketing rents and ongoing economic troubles stemming from the pandemic, the city is looking to make it easier for owners and workers alike to keep doors open. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Friday unveiled a package aimed at supporting small business owners and their workers through two pieces of legislation. The first would enable small businesses to unionize in order to collectively negotiate rent with commercial landlords. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many small businesses, San Francisco’s astronomically high rent is one of the largest operating expenses. But the city’s rent control policies do not cover commercial properties, making it difficult to stay in business amid the current ballooning real estate market, largely driven by the artificial intelligence boom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Small businesses often face the risk of displacement, especially when their commercial rent goes up,” Chan said during a press conference on Friday in Japantown, which is home to a number of mom-and-pop shops. “We want our small businesses to stay in our corridors, because that really is the backbone of our local economy.”\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/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12068072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians cross the street in front of a vacant to vibrant pop-up Dandelion Chocolate on Powell Street in San Francisco on Dec. 17, 2025. While retail vacancy in Union Square has improved after several years of store closures, San Francisco Center Mall is still struggling despite millions of dollars raised for Mayor Lurie’s Downtown Development Corporation, free lease programs for small businesses, and other Hail Marys the city is throwing at its primary commercial district. 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That’s no longer the case.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The second proposal, called the Workers’ Opportunity to Purchase Act, would codify processes for employees to purchase the business they work at if an owner decides to sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea is meant to incentivize business owners to prepare a succession plan and sell to workers who already know the business inside and out. That would include a right of first offer to workers, giving them time to explore forming a cooperative or a purchase offer, as well as a right of first refusal, requiring owners to notify workers before a sale or third-party bid so workers have an opportunity to counter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benjy Caplan, who works at Green Apple Books, said that would help employees like him who want to take over the business one day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our hope is that when it comes time for them to have a succession plan, it includes us,” said Caplan, who is a union member with UFCW Local 5. “It’s hard and scary these days, and these two pieces of legislation I think are really going to make it feel a lot more hopeful for workers and small business owners.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both pieces of legislation will be introduced to the Board of Supervisors in September.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was so disheartening in the pandemic that many of our small businesses were threatened with forced evictions, even though they were in a situation where they could not operate,” Osaki said. “Small businesses have been the lifeblood of our community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benjy Caplan, who works at Green Apple Books, said that would help employees like him who want to take over the business one day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As small businesses in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> face skyrocketing rents and ongoing economic troubles stemming from the pandemic, the city is looking to make it easier for owners and workers alike to keep doors open. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Friday unveiled a package aimed at supporting small business owners and their workers through two pieces of legislation. The first would enable small businesses to unionize in order to collectively negotiate rent with commercial landlords. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many small businesses, San Francisco’s astronomically high rent is one of the largest operating expenses. But the city’s rent control policies do not cover commercial properties, making it difficult to stay in business amid the current ballooning real estate market, largely driven by the artificial intelligence boom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Small businesses often face the risk of displacement, especially when their commercial rent goes up,” Chan said during a press conference on Friday in Japantown, which is home to a number of mom-and-pop shops. “We want our small businesses to stay in our corridors, because that really is the backbone of our local economy.”\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/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12068072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251217-sfstateofdowntown00005seqn_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians cross the street in front of a vacant to vibrant pop-up Dandelion Chocolate on Powell Street in San Francisco on Dec. 17, 2025. While retail vacancy in Union Square has improved after several years of store closures, San Francisco Center Mall is still struggling despite millions of dollars raised for Mayor Lurie’s Downtown Development Corporation, free lease programs for small businesses, and other Hail Marys the city is throwing at its primary commercial district. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposal would enable small business owners to collectively negotiate rents with their landlords and direct public resources like legal aid to commercial tenants’ unions. \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>In some commercial corridors, small businesses already work together to negotiate rents, but Chan’s proposal would codify that process by requiring property owners to recognize commercial tenants unions where members share the same landlords during lease negotiations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jon Osaki said that the model has shown success in Japantown, where several small businesses collectively bargained rent prices down with property owners during the pandemic when business was extremely slow. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was so disheartening in the pandemic that many of our small businesses were threatened with forced evictions, even though they were in a situation where they could not operate,” Osaki said. “Small businesses have been the lifeblood of our community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Christin Evans, who owns a bookstore and cocktail bar in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, said many small businesses she hears from have had their leases shift to month-to-month as landlords see opportunities to raise the rent during the current economic boom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The majority of small businesses are essentially subject to the whims of building ownership,” said Evans, who co-founded the progressive advocacy group Small Business Forward. “It used to be that most small businesses were negotiating with mom-and-pop landlords. That’s no longer the case.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The second proposal, called the Workers’ Opportunity to Purchase Act, would codify processes for employees to purchase the business they work at if an owner decides to sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea is meant to incentivize business owners to prepare a succession plan and sell to workers who already know the business inside and out. That would include a right of first offer to workers, giving them time to explore forming a cooperative or a purchase offer, as well as a right of first refusal, requiring owners to notify workers before a sale or third-party bid so workers have an opportunity to counter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benjy Caplan, who works at Green Apple Books, said that would help employees like him who want to take over the business one day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our hope is that when it comes time for them to have a succession plan, it includes us,” said Caplan, who is a union member with UFCW Local 5. “It’s hard and scary these days, and these two pieces of legislation I think are really going to make it feel a lot more hopeful for workers and small business owners.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both pieces of legislation will be introduced to the Board of Supervisors in September.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> top administrator resigned over inappropriate text messages about female colleagues, a city council member said he wants to pay him over $400,000 in severance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember Ken Houston on Thursday \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8137367&GUID=DB384C2C-65A2-4727-A61A-9BC4EED4811D\">proposed granting\u003c/a> former City Administrator Jestin Johnson the payment in exchange for a waiver of any potential legal claims against the city. Houston eventually pulled the item before the council was able to discuss it in a meeting, but said he would reintroduce the proposal later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084482/oakland-mayor-barbara-lee-signals-shell-run-for-full-term-in-november\">Johnson stepped down in May\u003c/a> after a public records request revealed the messages from 2024. Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In another text to a former assistant city administrator, Johnson said a female department head “had me a little giddy,” adding, “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under his \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6202728&GUID=08E1D061-2F88-47C7-B8B7-E87E17C3D3D4&Options=&Search=\">original employment agreement\u003c/a>, Johnson was entitled to six months of severance pay in the event of being terminated without cause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But because he resigned, that severance provision was never triggered, so Houston’s resolution would require council authorization to create a new, alternative payout.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mayor’s office, the city administrator and the city attorney were not behind the severance item. Houston brought it forward on his own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I planned to pull it this morning because I want to wait till after recess to bring it forward,” Houston told KQED ahead of the Rules and Legislation Committee meeting. “I’m definitely bringing it back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, Mayor Barbara Lee said she was unaware of the messages until they became public, and accepted his resignation shortly after.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Houston said that he did not partake in the discussions that led to Johnson’s departure and that he had not discussed the proposal with Johnson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He’s pushing the severance, he said, because he believes Johnson was effectively “forced to resign” rather than leaving on his own — and because he worries the city could face an expensive lawsuit if it pays Johnson nothing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m a business person, I’m proactive,” Houston said. “If he sues, which I would do if I was in his position, it will cost the city.” Houston likened his proposed severance to “killing two birds with one stone.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It’s helping someone that helped the city, and is being proactive for a lawsuit that may be possibly coming down the pipeline,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He asked, “Is it better to give up $400,000 than $3 million with all the expenses?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lee’s office declined to comment on Houston’s item or his claims that Johnson was essentially forced to resign.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> top administrator resigned over inappropriate text messages about female colleagues, a city council member said he wants to pay him over $400,000 in severance.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmember Ken Houston on Thursday \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8137367&GUID=DB384C2C-65A2-4727-A61A-9BC4EED4811D\">proposed granting\u003c/a> former City Administrator Jestin Johnson the payment in exchange for a waiver of any potential legal claims against the city. Houston eventually pulled the item before the council was able to discuss it in a meeting, but said he would reintroduce the proposal later.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmember Ken Houston on Thursday \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8137367&GUID=DB384C2C-65A2-4727-A61A-9BC4EED4811D\">proposed granting\u003c/a> former City Administrator Jestin Johnson the payment in exchange for a waiver of any potential legal claims against the city. Houston eventually pulled the item before the council was able to discuss it in a meeting, but said he would reintroduce the proposal later.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084482/oakland-mayor-barbara-lee-signals-shell-run-for-full-term-in-november\">Johnson stepped down in May\u003c/a> after a public records request revealed the messages from 2024. Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another text to a former assistant city administrator, Johnson said a female department head “had me a little giddy,” adding, “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under his \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6202728&GUID=08E1D061-2F88-47C7-B8B7-E87E17C3D3D4&Options=&Search=\">original employment agreement\u003c/a>, Johnson was entitled to six months of severance pay in the event of being terminated without cause. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But because he resigned, that severance provision was never triggered, so Houston’s resolution would require council authorization to create a new, alternative payout.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mayor’s office, the city administrator and the city attorney were not behind the severance item. Houston brought it forward on his own.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I planned to pull it this morning because I want to wait till after recess to bring it forward,” Houston told KQED ahead of the Rules and Legislation Committee meeting. “I’m definitely bringing it back.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May, Mayor Barbara Lee said she was unaware of the messages until they became public, and accepted his resignation shortly after.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Houston said that he did not partake in the discussions that led to Johnson’s departure and that he had not discussed the proposal with Johnson.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He’s pushing the severance, he said, because he believes Johnson was effectively “forced to resign” rather than leaving on his own — and because he worries the city could face an expensive lawsuit if it pays Johnson nothing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m a business person, I’m proactive,” Houston said. “If he sues, which I would do if I was in his position, it will cost the city.” Houston likened his proposed severance to “killing two birds with one stone.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It’s helping someone that helped the city, and is being proactive for a lawsuit that may be possibly coming down the pipeline,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m a business person, I’m proactive,” Houston said. “If he sues, which I would do if I was in his position, it will cost the city.” Houston likened his proposed severance to “killing two birds with one stone.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It’s helping someone that helped the city, and is being proactive for a lawsuit that may be possibly coming down the pipeline,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He asked, “Is it better to give up $400,000 than $3 million with all the expenses?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lee’s office declined to comment on Houston’s item or his claims that Johnson was essentially forced to resign.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Councilmember Ken Houston said a severance payment to former City Administrator Jestin Johnson could shield the city from a costly lawsuit.",
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"title": "Oakland Official Says City Should Pay $409K to City Admin Who Resigned Over Text Scandal | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> top administrator resigned over inappropriate text messages about female colleagues, a city council member said he wants to pay him over $400,000 in severance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember Ken Houston on Thursday \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8137367&GUID=DB384C2C-65A2-4727-A61A-9BC4EED4811D\">proposed granting\u003c/a> former City Administrator Jestin Johnson the payment in exchange for a waiver of any potential legal claims against the city. Houston eventually pulled the item before the council was able to discuss it in a meeting, but said he would reintroduce the proposal later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084482/oakland-mayor-barbara-lee-signals-shell-run-for-full-term-in-november\">Johnson stepped down in May\u003c/a> after a public records request revealed the messages from 2024. Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In another text to a former assistant city administrator, Johnson said a female department head “had me a little giddy,” adding, “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under his \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6202728&GUID=08E1D061-2F88-47C7-B8B7-E87E17C3D3D4&Options=&Search=\">original employment agreement\u003c/a>, Johnson was entitled to six months of severance pay in the event of being terminated without cause. \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>But because he resigned, that severance provision was never triggered, so Houston’s resolution would require council authorization to create a new, alternative payout.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mayor’s office, the city administrator and the city attorney were not behind the severance item. Houston brought it forward on his own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I planned to pull it this morning because I want to wait till after recess to bring it forward,” Houston told KQED ahead of the Rules and Legislation Committee meeting. “I’m definitely bringing it back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, Mayor Barbara Lee said she was unaware of the messages until they became public, and accepted his resignation shortly after.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Houston said that he did not partake in the discussions that led to Johnson’s departure and that he had not discussed the proposal with Johnson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He’s pushing the severance, he said, because he believes Johnson was effectively “forced to resign” rather than leaving on his own — and because he worries the city could face an expensive lawsuit if it pays Johnson nothing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m a business person, I’m proactive,” Houston said. “If he sues, which I would do if I was in his position, it will cost the city.” Houston likened his proposed severance to “killing two birds with one stone.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It’s helping someone that helped the city, and is being proactive for a lawsuit that may be possibly coming down the pipeline,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He asked, “Is it better to give up $400,000 than $3 million with all the expenses?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lee’s office declined to comment on Houston’s item or his claims that Johnson was essentially forced to resign.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-francisco-to-require-drug-free-living-at-new-permanent-supportive-housing",
"title": "San Francisco to Require Drug-Free Living at New Permanent Supportive Housing",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco to Require Drug-Free Living at New Permanent Supportive Housing | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>New permanent supportive housing in San Francisco must prohibit on-site drug use in order to receive full city funding, after a controversial vote this week at the Board of Supervisors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board voted 7-4 to approve the ordinance, authored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, that enables evictions on the basis of drug use in city-funded housing projects. The plan has drawn criticism from public health and homelessness advocates who say it could send more \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034006/san-francisco-mans-housing-struggle-relapse-put-him-back-on-streets\">drug users to the street if they relapse\u003c/a>, a common experience for people recovering from substance-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But proponents say it will create environments where more people in recovery can succeed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This responds to real needs of [permanent supportive housing] residents themselves, people who may or may not be in recovery, but who simply want to live in a drug-free residential community,” Dorsey, who identifies as a former drug addict himself, said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco has around 9,600 site-based permanent supportive housing units, most of which follow the state’s Housing First approach, which attempts to keep people housed regardless of drug use. \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/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034108\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks with District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey before a press conference about strategies to end open-air drug markets in San Francisco, California, on April 10, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are currently just over 1,400 total permanent supportive housing units in San Francisco in various stages of development, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. But almost all of the city’s upcoming permanent supportive housing projects receive some form of state funding, making them ineligible for drug-free housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The policy would apply specifically to new city-funded permanent supportive housing projects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not secured funding for all of the projects in the pipeline, but we almost always pursue state funding for 100% affordable projects, including PSH,” said Anne Stanley, communications manager for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “Projects need to be fully funded through local dollars in order for the [drug-free] ordinance to apply.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If someone living in a drug-free building were to get caught using drugs, Dorsey said eviction would be uncommon. But those who do violate the policy could be evicted or relocated to a new building or homeless shelter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We should expect evictions under this ordinance to be exceedingly rare,” he said. “The self-selection of residents who voluntarily opt into drug-free residential communities largely solves in advance for scenarios that involve persistent drug relapses or habitual returns to use.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters of the plan said it builds on the work the city is doing to prop up more sober-living options, such as Hope House and James Baldwin Place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But opposing members on the Board of Supervisors raised concerns about unintended outcomes from the policy change. Supervisor Jackie Fielder put forward an amendment that would have removed shelters from the list of places someone relapsing could be relocated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Shelter is not housing. Shelter is a rough place for someone struggling with substance-use disorder to be. A person is not considered housed when they’re in shelter, they’re still considered homeless,” Fielder said on Tuesday. “People should be offered the option for treatment and if they participate in treatment, be able to return to their unit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The amendment failed to pass, despite research showing that relapse is a common part of the recovery journey for many people who have struggled with substance use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t want somebody who doesn’t have the linear progression of being sober and falls off the wagon a couple of times to have to go back to square one and have to start in the coordinated entry system at shelter,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who supported Fielder’s amendment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The version of the ordinance passed this week comes after years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082132/following-newsoms-veto-lawmaker-returns-with-drug-free-homeless-housing-bill\">advocacy at the state level\u003c/a> to allow for more state-funded drug-free housing, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11990693/san-francisco-lawmakers-want-sober-housing-to-be-part-of-homelessness-plan\">months of discussions\u003c/a> about the local proposal with neighbors, local leaders and medical professionals, including some who previously opposed Dorsey’s measure for putting additional risk on vulnerable residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“An individual with a substance-use disorder evicted from housing because of relapses should be moved to a setting with more intensive services,” a May 4 letter from members of the San Francisco-Marin Medical Society said. “The ordinance as currently written does not contain minimum guardrails that, at the very least, would ensure that the evicted individual is not relegated to an undetermined setting with less support and possibly homelessness.”\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/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12072183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs promoting dignity and welcome hang on a door inside St. John’s the Evangelist Episcopal Church, home to the Gubbio Project, on Feb. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. The program allows unhoused guests to rest inside the church without intake requirements. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy does not prohibit alcohol or marijuana or medication-assisted recovery treatment like methadone or buprenorphine, which assist in opioid-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other homelessness advocates said the plan creates new barriers to building housing that is affordable to extremely low-income residents, at a time when rents in the city are skyrocketing, evictions are increasing and the city is on the hook to build thousands of affordable housing units to meet state requirements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This unnecessarily creates obstacles for backfilling Trump HUD cuts, and for projects in the pipeline,” Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director for the Coalition on Homelessness, said in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. “We can and should do sober housing, have done sober housing and simply need to recognize that by doing so we don’t want to drive up evictions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco has seen a downward trend in overdose deaths this year, according to new data from the Department of Public Health. From January to June 2026, there were a total of 262 overdose deaths, around 27% fewer compared to the same time period last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This downward trend is encouraging, but the number of people that continue to die of overdose is still unacceptable,” Deputy Director of Public Health Naveena Baba said during a press conference on Wednesday. “It is not enough to prevent deaths. We want people to flourish.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Health officials attributed the changes in overdose deaths to a number of interventions in the city, including ramping up access to medication-assisted treatment. The city’s trajectory also mirrors nationwide trends of a decreasing rate of overdose deaths, Baba said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new policy also comes as Mayor Daniel Lurie has initiated various changes to the city’s drug response, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032239/overdoses-climb-lurie-orders-scaling-back-harm-reduction-programs\">shift away from harm reduction\u003c/a> practices that aim to reduce health and social risks involved with drug use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under his administration, the city has stopped handing out safe smoking supplies and people seeking access to other harm reduction services now must participate in counseling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now that the ordinance has passed, Dorsey said city leaders can still work together to finalize details around implementation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should be sensitive to not being overly prescriptive in how we legislate to avoid setting our departments up for failure,” Dorsey said. “I am confident that the specifics on housing offers, evictions and broader program components can be addressed in the rulemaking process.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>New permanent supportive housing in San Francisco must prohibit on-site drug use in order to receive full city funding, after a controversial vote this week at the Board of Supervisors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board voted 7-4 to approve the ordinance, authored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, that enables evictions on the basis of drug use in city-funded housing projects. The plan has drawn criticism from public health and homelessness advocates who say it could send more \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034006/san-francisco-mans-housing-struggle-relapse-put-him-back-on-streets\">drug users to the street if they relapse\u003c/a>, a common experience for people recovering from substance-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The board voted 7-4 to approve the ordinance, authored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, that enables evictions on the basis of drug use in city-funded housing projects. The plan has drawn criticism from public health and homelessness advocates who say it could send more \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034006/san-francisco-mans-housing-struggle-relapse-put-him-back-on-streets\">drug users to the street if they relapse\u003c/a>, a common experience for people recovering from substance-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But proponents say it will create environments where more people in recovery can succeed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This responds to real needs of [permanent supportive housing] residents themselves, people who may or may not be in recovery, but who simply want to live in a drug-free residential community,” Dorsey, who identifies as a former drug addict himself, said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This responds to real needs of [permanent supportive housing] residents themselves, people who may or may not be in recovery, but who simply want to live in a drug-free residential community,” Dorsey, who identifies as a former drug addict himself, said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco has around 9,600 site-based permanent supportive housing units, most of which follow the state’s Housing First approach, which attempts to keep people housed regardless of drug use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco has around 9,600 site-based permanent supportive housing units, most of which follow the state’s Housing First approach, which attempts to keep people housed regardless of drug use. \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/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034108\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-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\">District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks with District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey before a press conference about strategies to end open-air drug markets in San Francisco, California, on April 10, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are currently just over 1,400 total permanent supportive housing units in San Francisco in various stages of development, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. But almost all of the city’s upcoming permanent supportive housing projects receive some form of state funding, making them ineligible for drug-free housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There are currently just over 1,400 total permanent supportive housing units in San Francisco in various stages of development, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. But almost all of the city’s upcoming permanent supportive housing projects receive some form of state funding, making them ineligible for drug-free housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The policy would apply specifically to new city-funded permanent supportive housing projects. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The policy would apply specifically to new city-funded permanent supportive housing projects. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have not secured funding for all of the projects in the pipeline, but we almost always pursue state funding for 100% affordable projects, including PSH,” said Anne Stanley, communications manager for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “Projects need to be fully funded through local dollars in order for the [drug-free] ordinance to apply.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have not secured funding for all of the projects in the pipeline, but we almost always pursue state funding for 100% affordable projects, including PSH,” said Anne Stanley, communications manager for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “Projects need to be fully funded through local dollars in order for the [drug-free] ordinance to apply.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If someone living in a drug-free building were to get caught using drugs, Dorsey said eviction would be uncommon. But those who do violate the policy could be evicted or relocated to a new building or homeless shelter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If someone living in a drug-free building were to get caught using drugs, Dorsey said eviction would be uncommon. But those who do violate the policy could be evicted or relocated to a new building or homeless shelter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We should expect evictions under this ordinance to be exceedingly rare,” he said. “The self-selection of residents who voluntarily opt into drug-free residential communities largely solves in advance for scenarios that involve persistent drug relapses or habitual returns to use.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We should expect evictions under this ordinance to be exceedingly rare,” he said. “The self-selection of residents who voluntarily opt into drug-free residential communities largely solves in advance for scenarios that involve persistent drug relapses or habitual returns to use.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters of the plan said it builds on the work the city is doing to prop up more sober-living options, such as Hope House and James Baldwin Place. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters of the plan said it builds on the work the city is doing to prop up more sober-living options, such as Hope House and James Baldwin Place. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But opposing members on the Board of Supervisors raised concerns about unintended outcomes from the policy change. Supervisor Jackie Fielder put forward an amendment that would have removed shelters from the list of places someone relapsing could be relocated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But opposing members on the Board of Supervisors raised concerns about unintended outcomes from the policy change. Supervisor Jackie Fielder put forward an amendment that would have removed shelters from the list of places someone relapsing could be relocated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Shelter is not housing. Shelter is a rough place for someone struggling with substance-use disorder to be. A person is not considered housed when they’re in shelter, they’re still considered homeless,” Fielder said on Tuesday. “People should be offered the option for treatment and if they participate in treatment, be able to return to their unit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Shelter is not housing. Shelter is a rough place for someone struggling with substance-use disorder to be. A person is not considered housed when they’re in shelter, they’re still considered homeless,” Fielder said on Tuesday. “People should be offered the option for treatment and if they participate in treatment, be able to return to their unit.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The amendment failed to pass, despite research showing that relapse is a common part of the recovery journey for many people who have struggled with substance use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The amendment failed to pass, despite research showing that relapse is a common part of the recovery journey for many people who have struggled with substance use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We don’t want somebody who doesn’t have the linear progression of being sober and falls off the wagon a couple of times to have to go back to square one and have to start in the coordinated entry system at shelter,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who supported Fielder’s amendment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We don’t want somebody who doesn’t have the linear progression of being sober and falls off the wagon a couple of times to have to go back to square one and have to start in the coordinated entry system at shelter,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who supported Fielder’s amendment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The version of the ordinance passed this week comes after years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082132/following-newsoms-veto-lawmaker-returns-with-drug-free-homeless-housing-bill\">advocacy at the state level\u003c/a> to allow for more state-funded drug-free housing, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11990693/san-francisco-lawmakers-want-sober-housing-to-be-part-of-homelessness-plan\">months of discussions\u003c/a> about the local proposal with neighbors, local leaders and medical professionals, including some who previously opposed Dorsey’s measure for putting additional risk on vulnerable residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The version of the ordinance passed this week comes after years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082132/following-newsoms-veto-lawmaker-returns-with-drug-free-homeless-housing-bill\">advocacy at the state level\u003c/a> to allow for more state-funded drug-free housing, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11990693/san-francisco-lawmakers-want-sober-housing-to-be-part-of-homelessness-plan\">months of discussions\u003c/a> about the local proposal with neighbors, local leaders and medical professionals, including some who previously opposed Dorsey’s measure for putting additional risk on vulnerable residents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“An individual with a substance-use disorder evicted from housing because of relapses should be moved to a setting with more intensive services,” a May 4 letter from members of the San Francisco-Marin Medical Society said. “The ordinance as currently written does not contain minimum guardrails that, at the very least, would ensure that the evicted individual is not relegated to an undetermined setting with less support and possibly homelessness.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“An individual with a substance-use disorder evicted from housing because of relapses should be moved to a setting with more intensive services,” a May 4 letter from members of the San Francisco-Marin Medical Society said. “The ordinance as currently written does not contain minimum guardrails that, at the very least, would ensure that the evicted individual is not relegated to an undetermined setting with less support and possibly homelessness.”\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/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12072183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-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\">Signs promoting dignity and welcome hang on a door inside St. John’s the Evangelist Episcopal Church, home to the Gubbio Project, on Feb. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. The program allows unhoused guests to rest inside the church without intake requirements.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The policy does not prohibit alcohol or marijuana or medication-assisted recovery treatment like methadone or buprenorphine, which assist in opioid-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other homelessness advocates said the plan creates new barriers to building housing that is affordable to extremely low-income residents, at a time when rents in the city are skyrocketing, evictions are increasing and the city is on the hook to build thousands of affordable housing units to meet state requirements. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This unnecessarily creates obstacles for backfilling Trump HUD cuts, and for projects in the pipeline,” Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director for the Coalition on Homelessness, said in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. “We can and should do sober housing, have done sober housing and simply need to recognize that by doing so we don’t want to drive up evictions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco has seen a downward trend in overdose deaths this year, according to new data from the Department of Public Health. From January to June 2026, there were a total of 262 overdose deaths, around 27% fewer compared to the same time period last year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This downward trend is encouraging, but the number of people that continue to die of overdose is still unacceptable,” Deputy Director of Public Health Naveena Baba said during a press conference on Wednesday. “It is not enough to prevent deaths. We want people to flourish.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Health officials attributed the changes in overdose deaths to a number of interventions in the city, including ramping up access to medication-assisted treatment. The city’s trajectory also mirrors nationwide trends of a decreasing rate of overdose deaths, Baba said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new policy also comes as Mayor Daniel Lurie has initiated various changes to the city’s drug response, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032239/overdoses-climb-lurie-orders-scaling-back-harm-reduction-programs\">shift away from harm reduction\u003c/a> practices that aim to reduce health and social risks involved with drug use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The new policy also comes as Mayor Daniel Lurie has initiated various changes to the city’s drug response, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032239/overdoses-climb-lurie-orders-scaling-back-harm-reduction-programs\">shift away from harm reduction\u003c/a> practices that aim to reduce health and social risks involved with drug use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under his administration, the city has stopped handing out safe smoking supplies and people seeking access to other harm reduction services now must participate in counseling. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now that the ordinance has passed, Dorsey said city leaders can still work together to finalize details around implementation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We should be sensitive to not being overly prescriptive in how we legislate to avoid setting our departments up for failure,” Dorsey said. “I am confident that the specifics on housing offers, evictions and broader program components can be addressed in the rulemaking process.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Residents caught using drugs could face eviction or relocation to other housing units and homeless shelters under the city’s controversial new housing policy.",
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"title": "San Francisco to Require Drug-Free Living at New Permanent Supportive Housing | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>New permanent supportive housing in San Francisco must prohibit on-site drug use in order to receive full city funding, after a controversial vote this week at the Board of Supervisors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board voted 7-4 to approve the ordinance, authored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, that enables evictions on the basis of drug use in city-funded housing projects. The plan has drawn criticism from public health and homelessness advocates who say it could send more \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034006/san-francisco-mans-housing-struggle-relapse-put-him-back-on-streets\">drug users to the street if they relapse\u003c/a>, a common experience for people recovering from substance-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But proponents say it will create environments where more people in recovery can succeed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This responds to real needs of [permanent supportive housing] residents themselves, people who may or may not be in recovery, but who simply want to live in a drug-free residential community,” Dorsey, who identifies as a former drug addict himself, said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco has around 9,600 site-based permanent supportive housing units, most of which follow the state’s Housing First approach, which attempts to keep people housed regardless of drug use. \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/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034108\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks with District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey before a press conference about strategies to end open-air drug markets in San Francisco, California, on April 10, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are currently just over 1,400 total permanent supportive housing units in San Francisco in various stages of development, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. But almost all of the city’s upcoming permanent supportive housing projects receive some form of state funding, making them ineligible for drug-free housing. \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 policy would apply specifically to new city-funded permanent supportive housing projects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not secured funding for all of the projects in the pipeline, but we almost always pursue state funding for 100% affordable projects, including PSH,” said Anne Stanley, communications manager for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “Projects need to be fully funded through local dollars in order for the [drug-free] ordinance to apply.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If someone living in a drug-free building were to get caught using drugs, Dorsey said eviction would be uncommon. But those who do violate the policy could be evicted or relocated to a new building or homeless shelter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We should expect evictions under this ordinance to be exceedingly rare,” he said. “The self-selection of residents who voluntarily opt into drug-free residential communities largely solves in advance for scenarios that involve persistent drug relapses or habitual returns to use.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters of the plan said it builds on the work the city is doing to prop up more sober-living options, such as Hope House and James Baldwin Place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But opposing members on the Board of Supervisors raised concerns about unintended outcomes from the policy change. Supervisor Jackie Fielder put forward an amendment that would have removed shelters from the list of places someone relapsing could be relocated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Shelter is not housing. Shelter is a rough place for someone struggling with substance-use disorder to be. A person is not considered housed when they’re in shelter, they’re still considered homeless,” Fielder said on Tuesday. “People should be offered the option for treatment and if they participate in treatment, be able to return to their unit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The amendment failed to pass, despite research showing that relapse is a common part of the recovery journey for many people who have struggled with substance use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t want somebody who doesn’t have the linear progression of being sober and falls off the wagon a couple of times to have to go back to square one and have to start in the coordinated entry system at shelter,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who supported Fielder’s amendment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The version of the ordinance passed this week comes after years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082132/following-newsoms-veto-lawmaker-returns-with-drug-free-homeless-housing-bill\">advocacy at the state level\u003c/a> to allow for more state-funded drug-free housing, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11990693/san-francisco-lawmakers-want-sober-housing-to-be-part-of-homelessness-plan\">months of discussions\u003c/a> about the local proposal with neighbors, local leaders and medical professionals, including some who previously opposed Dorsey’s measure for putting additional risk on vulnerable residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“An individual with a substance-use disorder evicted from housing because of relapses should be moved to a setting with more intensive services,” a May 4 letter from members of the San Francisco-Marin Medical Society said. “The ordinance as currently written does not contain minimum guardrails that, at the very least, would ensure that the evicted individual is not relegated to an undetermined setting with less support and possibly homelessness.”\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/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12072183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020226SUPER-BOWL-HOMELESSNESS-_GH_006-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs promoting dignity and welcome hang on a door inside St. John’s the Evangelist Episcopal Church, home to the Gubbio Project, on Feb. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. The program allows unhoused guests to rest inside the church without intake requirements. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy does not prohibit alcohol or marijuana or medication-assisted recovery treatment like methadone or buprenorphine, which assist in opioid-use disorder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other homelessness advocates said the plan creates new barriers to building housing that is affordable to extremely low-income residents, at a time when rents in the city are skyrocketing, evictions are increasing and the city is on the hook to build thousands of affordable housing units to meet state requirements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This unnecessarily creates obstacles for backfilling Trump HUD cuts, and for projects in the pipeline,” Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director for the Coalition on Homelessness, said in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. “We can and should do sober housing, have done sober housing and simply need to recognize that by doing so we don’t want to drive up evictions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco has seen a downward trend in overdose deaths this year, according to new data from the Department of Public Health. From January to June 2026, there were a total of 262 overdose deaths, around 27% fewer compared to the same time period last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This downward trend is encouraging, but the number of people that continue to die of overdose is still unacceptable,” Deputy Director of Public Health Naveena Baba said during a press conference on Wednesday. “It is not enough to prevent deaths. We want people to flourish.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Health officials attributed the changes in overdose deaths to a number of interventions in the city, including ramping up access to medication-assisted treatment. The city’s trajectory also mirrors nationwide trends of a decreasing rate of overdose deaths, Baba said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new policy also comes as Mayor Daniel Lurie has initiated various changes to the city’s drug response, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032239/overdoses-climb-lurie-orders-scaling-back-harm-reduction-programs\">shift away from harm reduction\u003c/a> practices that aim to reduce health and social risks involved with drug use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under his administration, the city has stopped handing out safe smoking supplies and people seeking access to other harm reduction services now must participate in counseling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now that the ordinance has passed, Dorsey said city leaders can still work together to finalize details around implementation. \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 should be sensitive to not being overly prescriptive in how we legislate to avoid setting our departments up for failure,” Dorsey said. “I am confident that the specifics on housing offers, evictions and broader program components can be addressed in the rulemaking process.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Jhony Silva has lived in the Bay Area since he was a toddler. The 30-year-old was a nursing assistant at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But since \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-honduras\">the expiration of \u003c/a>Temporary Protected Status for his birth country, Honduras, last September, Silva’s life has been shaken. He lost his job — which he held while also going to school to become a registered nurse — and he frequently fears getting deported and separated from his family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have a 9-year-old that I worry about,” he said. “Getting that TPS status taken away from me was a very rude awakening, and it’s left me in a really unpleasant situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hundreds of thousands of people on TPS are likely to be in a similar situation. In late June, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the power \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088417/supreme-court-immigration-decision-leaves-thousands-of-californians-in-limbo\">to end TPS for Haitians and Syrians without court oversight\u003c/a>, attacking a decades-old federal program that allows people to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088937\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A protester holds a sign calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees in front of the court in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision can have ripple effects by jeopardizing the status of individuals from other TPS-designated countries like Venezuela and Nepal. According to federal data from early last year, nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RS20844\">1.3 million people\u003c/a> from 17 different countries are TPS holders, with almost 80,000 living in California. KQED published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088988/on-tps-in-california-what-you-should-know-after-the-supreme-court-ruling\">a Q&A with lawyers and experts\u003c/a> from the Supreme Court case shortly after the decision in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want people to realize that we are not what Donald Trump says we are,” Silva said. “We are hardworking people that want to make a life for ourselves out here, and support our family and try to pursue our own version of the American Dream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We all deserve better, and we all need to come together and work on figuring out how to better this situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To learn more about the fallout of the TPS ruling and the context around it, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914391/the-fallout-from-the-supreme-courts-tps-ruling\">KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em>\u003c/a> spoke to Jazmine Ulloa, \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>national reporter covering immigration, and Emi MacLean, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mina Kim: What is Temporary Protected Status?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emi MacLean: \u003c/strong>Temporary Protected Status is a form of humanitarian immigration protection for people whose countries are in crisis. These are people who are in the United States and cannot safely return to their home countries because their countries are at war, there’s a humanitarian crisis or there’s a natural disaster. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s a 1990 law that is intended to limit executive discretion and create rules for when countries can be designated for TPS and how countries’ designations for TPS can end. It ended a period where there was complete executive discretion. It was Congress’s intent at the time to create rules that govern how countries can get TPS and how individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries can be protected against deportation, detention and be provided work authorization while they’re living in the United States. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089188\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators hold up an anti-Trump sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. The Supreme Court is to issue its final rulings on Friday ahead of its summer break, including cases involving birthright citizenship, porn site age verification, students and LGBTQ-themed content, and voting rights. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long are TPS holders in the country for?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>Each individual designation is up to 18 months, but the law is clear that at the end of a period of a country’s designation, the government must review the conditions in the country. If it’s still unsafe for individuals to return to that country, their TPS designation must be extended. And we know that wars, natural disasters, humanitarian crises don’t come in 12- or 18-month intervals. Sometimes countries can be in crisis for five years, 10 years or more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law is clear that TPS must be extended if the country’s conditions remain unsafe and may be terminated only if it is safe for individuals to return to that country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The National TPS Alliance and others who have been fighting for TPS holders recognize that TPS, or humanitarian protection, is critical. But there needs to be a path to permanent protection that’s available for people, especially people who cannot return home for a period of time and who build lives here, who have U.S. citizen children, who own homes, who are working long-term in jobs and who become part of the fabric of this country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They should not be permanently in limbo just because their countries are going through a protracted crisis. So certainly there should be reforms to the system. There should be reforms in a lot of ways that provide pathways to status for people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is the Trump administration saying about TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jazmine Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This falls more into this broader shift away from these international commitments that the United States has held for decades — that the U.S. took on in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration hasn’t necessarily said they want to terminate the program altogether, but they’ve suggested it in the way that they’ve approached it. They’re making it harder for refugees to enter; they’ve cut the number of refugees to record lows; they have made it much harder for asylum seekers to seek asylum in the courts. \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/10/2026/05/ap26090784092005-scaled-e1781134932262.jpeg\" alt=\"President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March.\" class=\"wp-image-12085478\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This is part of that much broader movement, this broader shift away from establishing those humanitarian protections for people. More than a dozen countries have now been eliminated. Only four remain standing: El Salvador, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What I’m hearing from folks is just how the legal landscape is just quickly changing underneath their feet: where one person can be legally here in the United States on one day, they feel like by the next day they won’t be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Does that mean that the Supreme Court, in its decision, essentially said that the federal courts need to stay out of TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Under the law, the administration has the authority to terminate TPS designations for individual countries — but only where they follow certain criteria. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the central issues that was before the Supreme Court is: “Does the government \u003cem>have \u003c/em>to follow the law?” And essentially, the government’s argument was, ‘In no uncertain terms, there’s nothing the courts can do about it.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/29/nx-s1-5804707/supreme-court-tps\">question from a Supreme Court justice\u003c/a> was: “If the secretary made a decision relying on a Ouija board, rather than evaluating country conditions, would we be able to have any review?” The Solicitor General, one of the top lawyers in the United States, said: “There would be no judicial review in that case.” \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/10/2026/06/TPSGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Temporary Protected Status holders, along with union leaders and advocates, rally as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Mullin v. Doe on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The case will determine whether the Trump administration may terminate the TPS designations. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So the law is clear that there are processes that must be followed for a TPS designation to be terminated — where hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. And a central question now is: can courts do anything about it when they completely violate the law? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It doesn’t completely eliminate all avenues for judicial review, but it severely constrains the avenues that are available for judicial review. And it essentially gives the administration what it was asking for. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are more than a dozen cases across the country before all sorts of judges where TPS holders are challenging the Trump administration’s illegal terminations of TPS. And every single judge in every single case had recognized that there must be checks and balances. There must be oversight. Otherwise, the TPS statute is just advisory. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And the Supreme Court endorsed the extreme position that the government presented, which is that it is effectively advisory. What the Supreme Court did say is that there may still be constitutional claims, including claims related to the unconstitutional termination of TPS because the TPS terminations were motivated by racism.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>But one of the arguments made was that this \u003cem>was \u003c/em>motivated by racism. How did the Trump administration respond to that?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration essentially asked the justices to close their eyes and their ears to the clearly racist statements by President Trump and the then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The constitutionality of the TPS termination question was related directly to the termination of TPS for Haiti. We will all remember during the campaign, and while Trump was president, he talked about Haitians — and Haitian TPS holders in particular — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12006797/haitians-in-ca-worry-of-long-term-effects-from-false-political-rhetoric\">eating cats and dogs of their neighbors\u003c/a>. He talked about Haitian as poisoning the blood of the country. And he described Haiti, and in the context of talking about TPS, as a “shit country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Essentially what the Solicitor General was saying is, those are just statements of policy differences. And in an egregious majority decision by the supermajority in a six-to-three decision, the Supreme Court agreed and said, “This is heated language and an expression of policy differences.” And they essentially ignored the very clearly racist statements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But they did not prevent TPS holders from continuing to bring constitutional challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this ruling mean for other TPS holders not from Haiti or Syria?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration remains locked in litigation over whether it can end protections for more than a million people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Venezuela, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And so I’ve been talking to TPS holders from many of these nations who are scrambling to find other forms of protection and are trying to make life-and-death decisions right now about whether to stay in the country or be forced to return to countries that they say are still very, very unstable. And they’re doing so at a time when the administration is ramping up arrests all across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this mean for people who have lost TPS? Does it essentially mean they are subject to deportation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> There are 1.3 million people who had TPS at the start of this administration. And as Jazmine was saying, virtually all of the TPS designations have been terminated to date, except for a few that have not yet come up for review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are about 700,000 people who have already lost their TPS status because the legal challenges have allowed for those TPS terminations to go into effect. There are about 350,000 Haitian and Syrian TPS holders that are expected to lose their status within days as a result of the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the government’s arguments defending their TPS terminations, and there are some others where the challenges continue to be making their way through the courts, but are going to be much harder because of the Supreme Court’s decisions. \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/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family attends Mass at St. Jarlath’s Church in Oakland during a vigil for immigrant families on Oct. 28, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What we know is that TPS holders who have lost status have been at risk of detention and deportation, and they have, in many cases, already lost their employment authorization and are living on the margins where previously they were able to contribute to their families, contribute to their communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I spend a lot of time in this very rural conservative area in Iowa, where more than a dozen Ukrainians have arrived since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, and they’ve been able to establish themselves. They’ve been able to buy homes and work various jobs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now they have to stay home. Their employers have been fighting to bring them back to work. I spoke to one employer who said, “These two women here who learned how to frame, how to paint windows and frame the doorways, it’s very specialized, skilled work that they were able to learn in two years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He’s paid thousands of dollars to try to get them visas, but those are very difficult processes and can take many years to establish, and the administration is only making it harder in so many different ways, whether it’s in the courts whether through these administrative processes. So it’s putting people in very dire situations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What process exists for TPS holders to be able to get a status that is not temporary? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Temporary Protected Status is supposed to mean something that is different from permanent status. What that means is that for as long as it is unsafe for an individual to return to their home country, they should be able to stay here, but they are consistently in limbo. And so it is not a great status for people to be in for long periods of time, but sometimes it’s the only available status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I talked this morning to a Haitian TPS holder who’s lived here since she was a child. Every single other member of her family has a permanent status. She applied more than five years ago to adjust through a family member. That wait list is probably going to be six to 10 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her employer wants her to be able to stay and sought employment authorization for her with an H-1B visa, but the administration has blocked the processing of immigration applications for Haitians and for many people from many other countries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> That doesn’t mean that Congress could not create a pathway to status. And there are actually bills that currently exist in Congress that would provide a path to permanent legal status — green cards — for TPS holders. It is very important now that, in addition to providing longer-term protections for TPS holders, a path to permanent relief and a moratorium on deportations, that the statute has judicial review restored.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It’s a convenient retort that Trump and the DHS secretaries will say: just follow the rules, get in line, apply through the normal process. But they’re doing literally everything in their power to prevent people from getting any permanent status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And they are, in fact, engaging with this mass de-documentation program. Some 1.3 million people will lose status effectively overnight through their actions. They are the ones who are making people undocumented and preventing them from having another path to getting status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the impacts of the TPS ruling on communities and economies? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve looked at it at a large-scale level and at the interpersonal level and personal level and familial level. There were multiple Nobel Prize-winning economists who filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court about the billions of dollars that are going to be lost to the U.S. economy from the de-documentation of TPS holders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many TPS holders — including a large number of the 350,000 Haitian TPS holders who are on the eve of losing their status — work in vital care industries as doctors, nurses and home health aides. Patients rely on them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/GettyImages-1059576326-e1549920421190.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725430\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate in front of the White House against the decision by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for people from six countries in November 2018. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve also done studies at a smaller level of members of the National TPS Alliance who we represent in TPS challenges in court about what the effect was on individuals, and on their families from the loss of TPS status. We found that of the people who responded to the study, virtually all had stable, long-term committed employment, some for many years. And then overnight, the majority of people effectively lost all of their income. So that is devastating for individuals. It’s also devastating for communities that are then forced to pick up the pieces. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> A problem that a lot of TPS holders are encountering is that sometimes their work permit has not necessarily been terminated, but there’s a lot of confusion as to when. And so some employers have already let staff go, thinking that they’re going to have to do so anyway, so why not just do it now? Others are trying to work with lawyers, with their legal assistants, to figure out exactly what the regulations are. Many worry about facing steep fines if they do not meet the government’s new approach to this program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The U.S. has stripped TPS status for some of these countries, but don’t they \u003cem>also\u003c/em> have travel advisories warning people not to go there? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The inconsistency and incoherence between the two parts of the government cannot be ignored. That you have the State Department saying on their website, no part of Syria is safe, and saying, if you’re going to travel to Haiti, \u003ca href=\"https://ht.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-haiti-july-2026/\">prepare a will in advance\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And yet, in the decisions terminating TPS for Haiti and Syria, the DHS secretary said it can be safe to return, there’s only sporadic violence in Syria, there are improvements in Haiti. There’s no way that that’s true. The termination decisions are founded on lies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The Venezuela earthquake is a really poignant and deeply devastating example. The earthquake is exactly the type of thing that would have sparked a TPS designation under any other administration, or many other administrations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We know that there was a deportation flight from Miami to Venezuela the day before the earthquake. We know \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5875287/venezuela-deportees-us-quakes\">there were TPS holders on that flight, and we know that they died\u003c/a>. They were in a hotel that collapsed. There’s been no acknowledgment, no remorse, no recognition of that. And still there are Venezuelan TPS holders, a large number of them who are detained and awaiting deportation, and there’s been no mention of any consideration of designating Venezuela for TPS because of the earthquake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>There are quite a number of lawmakers who have recognized the concern for the Venezuelan population and even the concern for the termination of TPS for Venezuela, including Republican lawmakers in Florida who are willing to post on their social media that they’re concerned about TPS for Venezuela but unwilling to do anything about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about the countries \u003cem>with\u003c/em> protection? When do those come up for renewal? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I’m definitely hearing from people from El Salvador who are on TPS that they are very, very worried. And these TPS holders from El Salvador are particularly striking because many of them have been in the country for 30 years, and it is because of their struggle to find legal pathways in this country that we even have the program to begin with. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This program was created, as we said earlier, in the 1990s, and it was driven by a bipartisan push in Congress largely \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/temporary-protected-status-whats-up-with-that/\">because people from El Salvador were fleeing their native country\u003c/a> and coming into the United States; they were fleeing a very violent civil war and they were ending up here and they were trying to find sanctuary in churches, and they were lobbying members of Congress for this protection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is striking to many of them to now, years later, have built lives. Many of them have kids who have now gone on to college. They are still struggling for the same type of protection and still fearing this war or very unstable situations back in El Salvador.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there any new legal avenues being pursued by TPS advocates?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> We do think that with more evidence about the motivations for the TPS terminations, it should be clear that the TPS terminations were motivated by racism, which is against the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s an open question about whether the Supreme Court is going to find a violation of the Constitution for anything if they’re not willing to recognize these clearly, blatantly racist statements as evidence of racism, but we plan to and will bring even more evidence than was available at the Supreme Court. We also believe that there are other constitutional challenges that have not been brought, that we intend to move forward in the courts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s clear that this will not immediately protect the TPS holders at risk. Deportations are happening now. Detentions are happening. Now the harm is happening to TPS holders, their families and their communities, many of whom have lived here for a long time. We will continue to fight, but it is really critical that there is a political solution as well, given the real limitations that the Supreme Court has placed on legal avenues for relief.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jhony Silva has lived in the Bay Area since he was a toddler. The 30-year-old was a nursing assistant at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jhony Silva has lived in the Bay Area since he was a toddler. The 30-year-old was a nursing assistant at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But since \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-honduras\">the expiration of \u003c/a>Temporary Protected Status for his birth country, Honduras, last September, Silva’s life has been shaken. He lost his job — which he held while also going to school to become a registered nurse — and he frequently fears getting deported and separated from his family. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But since \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-honduras\">the expiration of \u003c/a>Temporary Protected Status for his birth country, Honduras, last September, Silva’s life has been shaken. He lost his job — which he held while also going to school to become a registered nurse — and he frequently fears getting deported and separated from his family. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have a 9-year-old that I worry about,” he said. “Getting that TPS status taken away from me was a very rude awakening, and it’s left me in a really unpleasant situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I have a 9-year-old that I worry about,” he said. “Getting that TPS status taken away from me was a very rude awakening, and it’s left me in a really unpleasant situation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hundreds of thousands of people on TPS are likely to be in a similar situation. In late June, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the power \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088417/supreme-court-immigration-decision-leaves-thousands-of-californians-in-limbo\">to end TPS for Haitians and Syrians without court oversight\u003c/a>, attacking a decades-old federal program that allows people to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hundreds of thousands of people on TPS are likely to be in a similar situation. In late June, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the power \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088417/supreme-court-immigration-decision-leaves-thousands-of-californians-in-limbo\">to end TPS for Haitians and Syrians without court oversight\u003c/a>, attacking a decades-old federal program that allows people to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons.\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/TPSGetty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088937\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A protester holds a sign calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees in front of the court in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 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/TPSGetty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088937\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A protester holds a sign calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees in front of the court in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision can have ripple effects by jeopardizing the status of individuals from other TPS-designated countries like Venezuela and Nepal. According to federal data from early last year, nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RS20844\">1.3 million people\u003c/a> from 17 different countries are TPS holders, with almost 80,000 living in California. KQED published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088988/on-tps-in-california-what-you-should-know-after-the-supreme-court-ruling\">a Q&A with lawyers and experts\u003c/a> from the Supreme Court case shortly after the decision in June. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The decision can have ripple effects by jeopardizing the status of individuals from other TPS-designated countries like Venezuela and Nepal. According to federal data from early last year, nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RS20844\">1.3 million people\u003c/a> from 17 different countries are TPS holders, with almost 80,000 living in California. KQED published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088988/on-tps-in-california-what-you-should-know-after-the-supreme-court-ruling\">a Q&A with lawyers and experts\u003c/a> from the Supreme Court case shortly after the decision in June. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I want people to realize that we are not what Donald Trump says we are,” Silva said. “We are hardworking people that want to make a life for ourselves out here, and support our family and try to pursue our own version of the American Dream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I want people to realize that we are not what Donald Trump says we are,” Silva said. “We are hardworking people that want to make a life for ourselves out here, and support our family and try to pursue our own version of the American Dream.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We all deserve better, and we all need to come together and work on figuring out how to better this situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We all deserve better, and we all need to come together and work on figuring out how to better this situation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To learn more about the fallout of the TPS ruling and the context around it, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914391/the-fallout-from-the-supreme-courts-tps-ruling\">KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em>\u003c/a> spoke to Jazmine Ulloa, \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>national reporter covering immigration, and Emi MacLean, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>To learn more about the fallout of the TPS ruling and the context around it, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914391/the-fallout-from-the-supreme-courts-tps-ruling\">KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em>\u003c/a> spoke to Jazmine Ulloa, \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>national reporter covering immigration, and Emi MacLean, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mina Kim: What is Temporary Protected Status?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mina Kim: What is Temporary Protected Status?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emi MacLean: \u003c/strong>Temporary Protected Status is a form of humanitarian immigration protection for people whose countries are in crisis. These are people who are in the United States and cannot safely return to their home countries because their countries are at war, there’s a humanitarian crisis or there’s a natural disaster. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emi MacLean: \u003c/strong>Temporary Protected Status is a form of humanitarian immigration protection for people whose countries are in crisis. These are people who are in the United States and cannot safely return to their home countries because their countries are at war, there’s a humanitarian crisis or there’s a natural disaster. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s a 1990 law that is intended to limit executive discretion and create rules for when countries can be designated for TPS and how countries’ designations for TPS can end. It ended a period where there was complete executive discretion. It was Congress’s intent at the time to create rules that govern how countries can get TPS and how individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries can be protected against deportation, detention and be provided work authorization while they’re living in the United States. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There’s a 1990 law that is intended to limit executive discretion and create rules for when countries can be designated for TPS and how countries’ designations for TPS can end. It ended a period where there was complete executive discretion. It was Congress’s intent at the time to create rules that govern how countries can get TPS and how individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries can be protected against deportation, detention and be provided work authorization while they’re living in the United States. \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/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089188\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators hold up an anti-Trump sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. The Supreme Court is to issue its final rulings on Friday ahead of its summer break, including cases involving birthright citizenship, porn site age verification, students and LGBTQ-themed content, and voting rights.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089188\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators hold up an anti-Trump sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. The Supreme Court is to issue its final rulings on Friday ahead of its summer break, including cases involving birthright citizenship, porn site age verification, students and LGBTQ-themed content, and voting rights.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long are TPS holders in the country for?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long are TPS holders in the country for?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>Each individual designation is up to 18 months, but the law is clear that at the end of a period of a country’s designation, the government must review the conditions in the country. If it’s still unsafe for individuals to return to that country, their TPS designation must be extended. And we know that wars, natural disasters, humanitarian crises don’t come in 12- or 18-month intervals. Sometimes countries can be in crisis for five years, 10 years or more. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>Each individual designation is up to 18 months, but the law is clear that at the end of a period of a country’s designation, the government must review the conditions in the country. If it’s still unsafe for individuals to return to that country, their TPS designation must be extended. And we know that wars, natural disasters, humanitarian crises don’t come in 12- or 18-month intervals. Sometimes countries can be in crisis for five years, 10 years or more. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The law is clear that TPS must be extended if the country’s conditions remain unsafe and may be terminated only if it is safe for individuals to return to that country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The law is clear that TPS must be extended if the country’s conditions remain unsafe and may be terminated only if it is safe for individuals to return to that country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The National TPS Alliance and others who have been fighting for TPS holders recognize that TPS, or humanitarian protection, is critical. But there needs to be a path to permanent protection that’s available for people, especially people who cannot return home for a period of time and who build lives here, who have U.S. citizen children, who own homes, who are working long-term in jobs and who become part of the fabric of this country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The National TPS Alliance and others who have been fighting for TPS holders recognize that TPS, or humanitarian protection, is critical. But there needs to be a path to permanent protection that’s available for people, especially people who cannot return home for a period of time and who build lives here, who have U.S. citizen children, who own homes, who are working long-term in jobs and who become part of the fabric of this country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They should not be permanently in limbo just because their countries are going through a protracted crisis. So certainly there should be reforms to the system. There should be reforms in a lot of ways that provide pathways to status for people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They should not be permanently in limbo just because their countries are going through a protracted crisis. So certainly there should be reforms to the system. There should be reforms in a lot of ways that provide pathways to status for people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is the Trump administration saying about TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is the Trump administration saying about TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jazmine Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This falls more into this broader shift away from these international commitments that the United States has held for decades — that the U.S. took on in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jazmine Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This falls more into this broader shift away from these international commitments that the United States has held for decades — that the U.S. took on in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration hasn’t necessarily said they want to terminate the program altogether, but they’ve suggested it in the way that they’ve approached it. They’re making it harder for refugees to enter; they’ve cut the number of refugees to record lows; they have made it much harder for asylum seekers to seek asylum in the courts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration hasn’t necessarily said they want to terminate the program altogether, but they’ve suggested it in the way that they’ve approached it. They’re making it harder for refugees to enter; they’ve cut the number of refugees to record lows; they have made it much harder for asylum seekers to seek asylum in the courts. \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/10/2026/05/ap26090784092005-scaled-e1781134932262.jpeg\" alt=\"President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March.\" class=\"wp-image-12085478\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March.\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/10/2026/05/ap26090784092005-scaled-e1781134932262.jpeg\" alt=\"President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March.\" class=\"wp-image-12085478\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This is part of that much broader movement, this broader shift away from establishing those humanitarian protections for people. More than a dozen countries have now been eliminated. Only four remain standing: El Salvador, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This is part of that much broader movement, this broader shift away from establishing those humanitarian protections for people. More than a dozen countries have now been eliminated. Only four remain standing: El Salvador, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What I’m hearing from folks is just how the legal landscape is just quickly changing underneath their feet: where one person can be legally here in the United States on one day, they feel like by the next day they won’t be. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What I’m hearing from folks is just how the legal landscape is just quickly changing underneath their feet: where one person can be legally here in the United States on one day, they feel like by the next day they won’t be. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Does that mean that the Supreme Court, in its decision, essentially said that the federal courts need to stay out of TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Does that mean that the Supreme Court, in its decision, essentially said that the federal courts need to stay out of TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Under the law, the administration has the authority to terminate TPS designations for individual countries — but only where they follow certain criteria. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Under the law, the administration has the authority to terminate TPS designations for individual countries — but only where they follow certain criteria. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the central issues that was before the Supreme Court is: “Does the government \u003cem>have \u003c/em>to follow the law?” And essentially, the government’s argument was, ‘In no uncertain terms, there’s nothing the courts can do about it.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the central issues that was before the Supreme Court is: “Does the government \u003cem>have \u003c/em>to follow the law?” And essentially, the government’s argument was, ‘In no uncertain terms, there’s nothing the courts can do about it.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/29/nx-s1-5804707/supreme-court-tps\">question from a Supreme Court justice\u003c/a> was: “If the secretary made a decision relying on a Ouija board, rather than evaluating country conditions, would we be able to have any review?” The Solicitor General, one of the top lawyers in the United States, said: “There would be no judicial review in that case.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/29/nx-s1-5804707/supreme-court-tps\">question from a Supreme Court justice\u003c/a> was: “If the secretary made a decision relying on a Ouija board, rather than evaluating country conditions, would we be able to have any review?” The Solicitor General, one of the top lawyers in the United States, said: “There would be no judicial review in that case.” \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/TPSGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Temporary Protected Status holders, along with union leaders and advocates, rally as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Mullin v. Doe on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The case will determine whether the Trump administration may terminate the TPS designations.\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/TPSGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088821\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Temporary Protected Status holders, along with union leaders and advocates, rally as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Mullin v. Doe on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The case will determine whether the Trump administration may terminate the TPS designations.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So the law is clear that there are processes that must be followed for a TPS designation to be terminated — where hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. And a central question now is: can courts do anything about it when they completely violate the law? \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>So the law is clear that there are processes that must be followed for a TPS designation to be terminated — where hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. And a central question now is: can courts do anything about it when they completely violate the law? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It doesn’t completely eliminate all avenues for judicial review, but it severely constrains the avenues that are available for judicial review. And it essentially gives the administration what it was asking for. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It doesn’t completely eliminate all avenues for judicial review, but it severely constrains the avenues that are available for judicial review. And it essentially gives the administration what it was asking for. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are more than a dozen cases across the country before all sorts of judges where TPS holders are challenging the Trump administration’s illegal terminations of TPS. And every single judge in every single case had recognized that there must be checks and balances. There must be oversight. Otherwise, the TPS statute is just advisory. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>There are more than a dozen cases across the country before all sorts of judges where TPS holders are challenging the Trump administration’s illegal terminations of TPS. And every single judge in every single case had recognized that there must be checks and balances. There must be oversight. Otherwise, the TPS statute is just advisory. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And the Supreme Court endorsed the extreme position that the government presented, which is that it is effectively advisory. What the Supreme Court did say is that there may still be constitutional claims, including claims related to the unconstitutional termination of TPS because the TPS terminations were motivated by racism.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And the Supreme Court endorsed the extreme position that the government presented, which is that it is effectively advisory. What the Supreme Court did say is that there may still be constitutional claims, including claims related to the unconstitutional termination of TPS because the TPS terminations were motivated by racism.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>But one of the arguments made was that this \u003cem>was \u003c/em>motivated by racism. How did the Trump administration respond to that?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>But one of the arguments made was that this \u003cem>was \u003c/em>motivated by racism. How did the Trump administration respond to that?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration essentially asked the justices to close their eyes and their ears to the clearly racist statements by President Trump and the then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration essentially asked the justices to close their eyes and their ears to the clearly racist statements by President Trump and the then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The constitutionality of the TPS termination question was related directly to the termination of TPS for Haiti. We will all remember during the campaign, and while Trump was president, he talked about Haitians — and Haitian TPS holders in particular — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12006797/haitians-in-ca-worry-of-long-term-effects-from-false-political-rhetoric\">eating cats and dogs of their neighbors\u003c/a>. He talked about Haitian as poisoning the blood of the country. And he described Haiti, and in the context of talking about TPS, as a “shit country.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The constitutionality of the TPS termination question was related directly to the termination of TPS for Haiti. We will all remember during the campaign, and while Trump was president, he talked about Haitians — and Haitian TPS holders in particular — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12006797/haitians-in-ca-worry-of-long-term-effects-from-false-political-rhetoric\">eating cats and dogs of their neighbors\u003c/a>. He talked about Haitian as poisoning the blood of the country. And he described Haiti, and in the context of talking about TPS, as a “shit country.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Essentially what the Solicitor General was saying is, those are just statements of policy differences. And in an egregious majority decision by the supermajority in a six-to-three decision, the Supreme Court agreed and said, “This is heated language and an expression of policy differences.” And they essentially ignored the very clearly racist statements. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Essentially what the Solicitor General was saying is, those are just statements of policy differences. And in an egregious majority decision by the supermajority in a six-to-three decision, the Supreme Court agreed and said, “This is heated language and an expression of policy differences.” And they essentially ignored the very clearly racist statements. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But they did not prevent TPS holders from continuing to bring constitutional challenges. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But they did not prevent TPS holders from continuing to bring constitutional challenges. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this ruling mean for other TPS holders not from Haiti or Syria?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this ruling mean for other TPS holders not from Haiti or Syria?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration remains locked in litigation over whether it can end protections for more than a million people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Venezuela, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration remains locked in litigation over whether it can end protections for more than a million people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Venezuela, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And so I’ve been talking to TPS holders from many of these nations who are scrambling to find other forms of protection and are trying to make life-and-death decisions right now about whether to stay in the country or be forced to return to countries that they say are still very, very unstable. And they’re doing so at a time when the administration is ramping up arrests all across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And so I’ve been talking to TPS holders from many of these nations who are scrambling to find other forms of protection and are trying to make life-and-death decisions right now about whether to stay in the country or be forced to return to countries that they say are still very, very unstable. And they’re doing so at a time when the administration is ramping up arrests all across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this mean for people who have lost TPS? Does it essentially mean they are subject to deportation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this mean for people who have lost TPS? Does it essentially mean they are subject to deportation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> There are 1.3 million people who had TPS at the start of this administration. And as Jazmine was saying, virtually all of the TPS designations have been terminated to date, except for a few that have not yet come up for review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> There are 1.3 million people who had TPS at the start of this administration. And as Jazmine was saying, virtually all of the TPS designations have been terminated to date, except for a few that have not yet come up for review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are about 700,000 people who have already lost their TPS status because the legal challenges have allowed for those TPS terminations to go into effect. There are about 350,000 Haitian and Syrian TPS holders that are expected to lose their status within days as a result of the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the government’s arguments defending their TPS terminations, and there are some others where the challenges continue to be making their way through the courts, but are going to be much harder because of the Supreme Court’s decisions. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>There are about 700,000 people who have already lost their TPS status because the legal challenges have allowed for those TPS terminations to go into effect. There are about 350,000 Haitian and Syrian TPS holders that are expected to lose their status within days as a result of the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the government’s arguments defending their TPS terminations, and there are some others where the challenges continue to be making their way through the courts, but are going to be much harder because of the Supreme Court’s decisions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"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/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_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\">A family attends Mass at St. Jarlath’s Church in Oakland during a vigil for immigrant families on Oct. 28, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080887\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family attends Mass at St. Jarlath’s Church in Oakland during a vigil for immigrant families on Oct. 28, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What we know is that TPS holders who have lost status have been at risk of detention and deportation, and they have, in many cases, already lost their employment authorization and are living on the margins where previously they were able to contribute to their families, contribute to their communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What we know is that TPS holders who have lost status have been at risk of detention and deportation, and they have, in many cases, already lost their employment authorization and are living on the margins where previously they were able to contribute to their families, contribute to their communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I spend a lot of time in this very rural conservative area in Iowa, where more than a dozen Ukrainians have arrived since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, and they’ve been able to establish themselves. They’ve been able to buy homes and work various jobs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I spend a lot of time in this very rural conservative area in Iowa, where more than a dozen Ukrainians have arrived since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, and they’ve been able to establish themselves. They’ve been able to buy homes and work various jobs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now they have to stay home. Their employers have been fighting to bring them back to work. I spoke to one employer who said, “These two women here who learned how to frame, how to paint windows and frame the doorways, it’s very specialized, skilled work that they were able to learn in two years.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Now they have to stay home. Their employers have been fighting to bring them back to work. I spoke to one employer who said, “These two women here who learned how to frame, how to paint windows and frame the doorways, it’s very specialized, skilled work that they were able to learn in two years.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He’s paid thousands of dollars to try to get them visas, but those are very difficult processes and can take many years to establish, and the administration is only making it harder in so many different ways, whether it’s in the courts whether through these administrative processes. So it’s putting people in very dire situations. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He’s paid thousands of dollars to try to get them visas, but those are very difficult processes and can take many years to establish, and the administration is only making it harder in so many different ways, whether it’s in the courts whether through these administrative processes. So it’s putting people in very dire situations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What process exists for TPS holders to be able to get a status that is not temporary? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What process exists for TPS holders to be able to get a status that is not temporary? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Temporary Protected Status is supposed to mean something that is different from permanent status. What that means is that for as long as it is unsafe for an individual to return to their home country, they should be able to stay here, but they are consistently in limbo. And so it is not a great status for people to be in for long periods of time, but sometimes it’s the only available status. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Temporary Protected Status is supposed to mean something that is different from permanent status. What that means is that for as long as it is unsafe for an individual to return to their home country, they should be able to stay here, but they are consistently in limbo. And so it is not a great status for people to be in for long periods of time, but sometimes it’s the only available status. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I talked this morning to a Haitian TPS holder who’s lived here since she was a child. Every single other member of her family has a permanent status. She applied more than five years ago to adjust through a family member. That wait list is probably going to be six to 10 years. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>I talked this morning to a Haitian TPS holder who’s lived here since she was a child. Every single other member of her family has a permanent status. She applied more than five years ago to adjust through a family member. That wait list is probably going to be six to 10 years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her employer wants her to be able to stay and sought employment authorization for her with an H-1B visa, but the administration has blocked the processing of immigration applications for Haitians and for many people from many other countries. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Her employer wants her to be able to stay and sought employment authorization for her with an H-1B visa, but the administration has blocked the processing of immigration applications for Haitians and for many people from many other countries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> That doesn’t mean that Congress could not create a pathway to status. And there are actually bills that currently exist in Congress that would provide a path to permanent legal status — green cards — for TPS holders. It is very important now that, in addition to providing longer-term protections for TPS holders, a path to permanent relief and a moratorium on deportations, that the statute has judicial review restored.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> That doesn’t mean that Congress could not create a pathway to status. And there are actually bills that currently exist in Congress that would provide a path to permanent legal status — green cards — for TPS holders. It is very important now that, in addition to providing longer-term protections for TPS holders, a path to permanent relief and a moratorium on deportations, that the statute has judicial review restored.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It’s a convenient retort that Trump and the DHS secretaries will say: just follow the rules, get in line, apply through the normal process. But they’re doing literally everything in their power to prevent people from getting any permanent status. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It’s a convenient retort that Trump and the DHS secretaries will say: just follow the rules, get in line, apply through the normal process. But they’re doing literally everything in their power to prevent people from getting any permanent status. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And they are, in fact, engaging with this mass de-documentation program. Some 1.3 million people will lose status effectively overnight through their actions. They are the ones who are making people undocumented and preventing them from having another path to getting status.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And they are, in fact, engaging with this mass de-documentation program. Some 1.3 million people will lose status effectively overnight through their actions. They are the ones who are making people undocumented and preventing them from having another path to getting status.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the impacts of the TPS ruling on communities and economies? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the impacts of the TPS ruling on communities and economies? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve looked at it at a large-scale level and at the interpersonal level and personal level and familial level. There were multiple Nobel Prize-winning economists who filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court about the billions of dollars that are going to be lost to the U.S. economy from the de-documentation of TPS holders. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve looked at it at a large-scale level and at the interpersonal level and personal level and familial level. There were multiple Nobel Prize-winning economists who filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court about the billions of dollars that are going to be lost to the U.S. economy from the de-documentation of TPS holders. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many TPS holders — including a large number of the 350,000 Haitian TPS holders who are on the eve of losing their status — work in vital care industries as doctors, nurses and home health aides. Patients rely on them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many TPS holders — including a large number of the 350,000 Haitian TPS holders who are on the eve of losing their status — work in vital care industries as doctors, nurses and home health aides. Patients rely on them. \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/10/2019/02/GettyImages-1059576326-e1549920421190.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725430\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate in front of the White House against the decision by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for people from six countries in November 2018.\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/10/2019/02/GettyImages-1059576326-e1549920421190.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725430\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate in front of the White House against the decision by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for people from six countries in November 2018.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve also done studies at a smaller level of members of the National TPS Alliance who we represent in TPS challenges in court about what the effect was on individuals, and on their families from the loss of TPS status. We found that of the people who responded to the study, virtually all had stable, long-term committed employment, some for many years. And then overnight, the majority of people effectively lost all of their income. So that is devastating for individuals. It’s also devastating for communities that are then forced to pick up the pieces. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve also done studies at a smaller level of members of the National TPS Alliance who we represent in TPS challenges in court about what the effect was on individuals, and on their families from the loss of TPS status. We found that of the people who responded to the study, virtually all had stable, long-term committed employment, some for many years. And then overnight, the majority of people effectively lost all of their income. So that is devastating for individuals. It’s also devastating for communities that are then forced to pick up the pieces. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> A problem that a lot of TPS holders are encountering is that sometimes their work permit has not necessarily been terminated, but there’s a lot of confusion as to when. And so some employers have already let staff go, thinking that they’re going to have to do so anyway, so why not just do it now? Others are trying to work with lawyers, with their legal assistants, to figure out exactly what the regulations are. Many worry about facing steep fines if they do not meet the government’s new approach to this program.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> A problem that a lot of TPS holders are encountering is that sometimes their work permit has not necessarily been terminated, but there’s a lot of confusion as to when. And so some employers have already let staff go, thinking that they’re going to have to do so anyway, so why not just do it now? Others are trying to work with lawyers, with their legal assistants, to figure out exactly what the regulations are. Many worry about facing steep fines if they do not meet the government’s new approach to this program.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The U.S. has stripped TPS status for some of these countries, but don’t they \u003cem>also\u003c/em> have travel advisories warning people not to go there? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The U.S. has stripped TPS status for some of these countries, but don’t they \u003cem>also\u003c/em> have travel advisories warning people not to go there? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The inconsistency and incoherence between the two parts of the government cannot be ignored. That you have the State Department saying on their website, no part of Syria is safe, and saying, if you’re going to travel to Haiti, \u003ca href=\"https://ht.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-haiti-july-2026/\">prepare a will in advance\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The inconsistency and incoherence between the two parts of the government cannot be ignored. That you have the State Department saying on their website, no part of Syria is safe, and saying, if you’re going to travel to Haiti, \u003ca href=\"https://ht.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-haiti-july-2026/\">prepare a will in advance\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And yet, in the decisions terminating TPS for Haiti and Syria, the DHS secretary said it can be safe to return, there’s only sporadic violence in Syria, there are improvements in Haiti. There’s no way that that’s true. The termination decisions are founded on lies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And yet, in the decisions terminating TPS for Haiti and Syria, the DHS secretary said it can be safe to return, there’s only sporadic violence in Syria, there are improvements in Haiti. There’s no way that that’s true. The termination decisions are founded on lies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The Venezuela earthquake is a really poignant and deeply devastating example. The earthquake is exactly the type of thing that would have sparked a TPS designation under any other administration, or many other administrations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The Venezuela earthquake is a really poignant and deeply devastating example. The earthquake is exactly the type of thing that would have sparked a TPS designation under any other administration, or many other administrations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We know that there was a deportation flight from Miami to Venezuela the day before the earthquake. We know \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5875287/venezuela-deportees-us-quakes\">there were TPS holders on that flight, and we know that they died\u003c/a>. They were in a hotel that collapsed. There’s been no acknowledgment, no remorse, no recognition of that. And still there are Venezuelan TPS holders, a large number of them who are detained and awaiting deportation, and there’s been no mention of any consideration of designating Venezuela for TPS because of the earthquake. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We know that there was a deportation flight from Miami to Venezuela the day before the earthquake. We know \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5875287/venezuela-deportees-us-quakes\">there were TPS holders on that flight, and we know that they died\u003c/a>. They were in a hotel that collapsed. There’s been no acknowledgment, no remorse, no recognition of that. And still there are Venezuelan TPS holders, a large number of them who are detained and awaiting deportation, and there’s been no mention of any consideration of designating Venezuela for TPS because of the earthquake. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>There are quite a number of lawmakers who have recognized the concern for the Venezuelan population and even the concern for the termination of TPS for Venezuela, including Republican lawmakers in Florida who are willing to post on their social media that they’re concerned about TPS for Venezuela but unwilling to do anything about it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>There are quite a number of lawmakers who have recognized the concern for the Venezuelan population and even the concern for the termination of TPS for Venezuela, including Republican lawmakers in Florida who are willing to post on their social media that they’re concerned about TPS for Venezuela but unwilling to do anything about it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about the countries \u003cem>with\u003c/em> protection? When do those come up for renewal? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I’m definitely hearing from people from El Salvador who are on TPS that they are very, very worried. And these TPS holders from El Salvador are particularly striking because many of them have been in the country for 30 years, and it is because of their struggle to find legal pathways in this country that we even have the program to begin with. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I’m definitely hearing from people from El Salvador who are on TPS that they are very, very worried. And these TPS holders from El Salvador are particularly striking because many of them have been in the country for 30 years, and it is because of their struggle to find legal pathways in this country that we even have the program to begin with. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This program was created, as we said earlier, in the 1990s, and it was driven by a bipartisan push in Congress largely \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/temporary-protected-status-whats-up-with-that/\">because people from El Salvador were fleeing their native country\u003c/a> and coming into the United States; they were fleeing a very violent civil war and they were ending up here and they were trying to find sanctuary in churches, and they were lobbying members of Congress for this protection. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This program was created, as we said earlier, in the 1990s, and it was driven by a bipartisan push in Congress largely \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/temporary-protected-status-whats-up-with-that/\">because people from El Salvador were fleeing their native country\u003c/a> and coming into the United States; they were fleeing a very violent civil war and they were ending up here and they were trying to find sanctuary in churches, and they were lobbying members of Congress for this protection. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It is striking to many of them to now, years later, have built lives. Many of them have kids who have now gone on to college. They are still struggling for the same type of protection and still fearing this war or very unstable situations back in El Salvador.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It is striking to many of them to now, years later, have built lives. Many of them have kids who have now gone on to college. They are still struggling for the same type of protection and still fearing this war or very unstable situations back in El Salvador.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there any new legal avenues being pursued by TPS advocates?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> We do think that with more evidence about the motivations for the TPS terminations, it should be clear that the TPS terminations were motivated by racism, which is against the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> We do think that with more evidence about the motivations for the TPS terminations, it should be clear that the TPS terminations were motivated by racism, which is against the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s an open question about whether the Supreme Court is going to find a violation of the Constitution for anything if they’re not willing to recognize these clearly, blatantly racist statements as evidence of racism, but we plan to and will bring even more evidence than was available at the Supreme Court. We also believe that there are other constitutional challenges that have not been brought, that we intend to move forward in the courts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it’s clear that this will not immediately protect the TPS holders at risk. Deportations are happening now. Detentions are happening. Now the harm is happening to TPS holders, their families and their communities, many of whom have lived here for a long time. We will continue to fight, but it is really critical that there is a political solution as well, given the real limitations that the Supreme Court has placed on legal avenues for relief.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But it’s clear that this will not immediately protect the TPS holders at risk. Deportations are happening now. Detentions are happening. Now the harm is happening to TPS holders, their families and their communities, many of whom have lived here for a long time. We will continue to fight, but it is really critical that there is a political solution as well, given the real limitations that the Supreme Court has placed on legal avenues for relief.\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Jhony Silva has lived in the Bay Area since he was a toddler. The 30-year-old was a nursing assistant at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But since \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-honduras\">the expiration of \u003c/a>Temporary Protected Status for his birth country, Honduras, last September, Silva’s life has been shaken. He lost his job — which he held while also going to school to become a registered nurse — and he frequently fears getting deported and separated from his family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have a 9-year-old that I worry about,” he said. “Getting that TPS status taken away from me was a very rude awakening, and it’s left me in a really unpleasant situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hundreds of thousands of people on TPS are likely to be in a similar situation. In late June, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the power \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088417/supreme-court-immigration-decision-leaves-thousands-of-californians-in-limbo\">to end TPS for Haitians and Syrians without court oversight\u003c/a>, attacking a decades-old federal program that allows people to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088937\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A protester holds a sign calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees in front of the court in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision can have ripple effects by jeopardizing the status of individuals from other TPS-designated countries like Venezuela and Nepal. According to federal data from early last year, nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RS20844\">1.3 million people\u003c/a> from 17 different countries are TPS holders, with almost 80,000 living in California. KQED published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088988/on-tps-in-california-what-you-should-know-after-the-supreme-court-ruling\">a Q&A with lawyers and experts\u003c/a> from the Supreme Court case shortly after the decision in June. \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>“I want people to realize that we are not what Donald Trump says we are,” Silva said. “We are hardworking people that want to make a life for ourselves out here, and support our family and try to pursue our own version of the American Dream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We all deserve better, and we all need to come together and work on figuring out how to better this situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To learn more about the fallout of the TPS ruling and the context around it, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914391/the-fallout-from-the-supreme-courts-tps-ruling\">KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em>\u003c/a> spoke to Jazmine Ulloa, \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>national reporter covering immigration, and Emi MacLean, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mina Kim: What is Temporary Protected Status?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emi MacLean: \u003c/strong>Temporary Protected Status is a form of humanitarian immigration protection for people whose countries are in crisis. These are people who are in the United States and cannot safely return to their home countries because their countries are at war, there’s a humanitarian crisis or there’s a natural disaster. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s a 1990 law that is intended to limit executive discretion and create rules for when countries can be designated for TPS and how countries’ designations for TPS can end. It ended a period where there was complete executive discretion. It was Congress’s intent at the time to create rules that govern how countries can get TPS and how individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries can be protected against deportation, detention and be provided work authorization while they’re living in the United States. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089188\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2221594152-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators hold up an anti-Trump sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. The Supreme Court is to issue its final rulings on Friday ahead of its summer break, including cases involving birthright citizenship, porn site age verification, students and LGBTQ-themed content, and voting rights. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long are TPS holders in the country for?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>Each individual designation is up to 18 months, but the law is clear that at the end of a period of a country’s designation, the government must review the conditions in the country. If it’s still unsafe for individuals to return to that country, their TPS designation must be extended. And we know that wars, natural disasters, humanitarian crises don’t come in 12- or 18-month intervals. Sometimes countries can be in crisis for five years, 10 years or more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law is clear that TPS must be extended if the country’s conditions remain unsafe and may be terminated only if it is safe for individuals to return to that country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The National TPS Alliance and others who have been fighting for TPS holders recognize that TPS, or humanitarian protection, is critical. But there needs to be a path to permanent protection that’s available for people, especially people who cannot return home for a period of time and who build lives here, who have U.S. citizen children, who own homes, who are working long-term in jobs and who become part of the fabric of this country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They should not be permanently in limbo just because their countries are going through a protracted crisis. So certainly there should be reforms to the system. There should be reforms in a lot of ways that provide pathways to status for people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is the Trump administration saying about TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jazmine Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This falls more into this broader shift away from these international commitments that the United States has held for decades — that the U.S. took on in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration hasn’t necessarily said they want to terminate the program altogether, but they’ve suggested it in the way that they’ve approached it. They’re making it harder for refugees to enter; they’ve cut the number of refugees to record lows; they have made it much harder for asylum seekers to seek asylum in the courts. \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/10/2026/05/ap26090784092005-scaled-e1781134932262.jpeg\" alt=\"President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March.\" class=\"wp-image-12085478\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Trump holds his signed executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail in the White House’s Oval Office in March. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa: \u003c/strong>This is part of that much broader movement, this broader shift away from establishing those humanitarian protections for people. More than a dozen countries have now been eliminated. Only four remain standing: El Salvador, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What I’m hearing from folks is just how the legal landscape is just quickly changing underneath their feet: where one person can be legally here in the United States on one day, they feel like by the next day they won’t be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Does that mean that the Supreme Court, in its decision, essentially said that the federal courts need to stay out of TPS?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Under the law, the administration has the authority to terminate TPS designations for individual countries — but only where they follow certain criteria. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the central issues that was before the Supreme Court is: “Does the government \u003cem>have \u003c/em>to follow the law?” And essentially, the government’s argument was, ‘In no uncertain terms, there’s nothing the courts can do about it.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/29/nx-s1-5804707/supreme-court-tps\">question from a Supreme Court justice\u003c/a> was: “If the secretary made a decision relying on a Ouija board, rather than evaluating country conditions, would we be able to have any review?” The Solicitor General, one of the top lawyers in the United States, said: “There would be no judicial review in that case.” \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/10/2026/06/TPSGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TPSGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Temporary Protected Status holders, along with union leaders and advocates, rally as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Mullin v. Doe on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The case will determine whether the Trump administration may terminate the TPS designations. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So the law is clear that there are processes that must be followed for a TPS designation to be terminated — where hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. And a central question now is: can courts do anything about it when they completely violate the law? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It doesn’t completely eliminate all avenues for judicial review, but it severely constrains the avenues that are available for judicial review. And it essentially gives the administration what it was asking for. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are more than a dozen cases across the country before all sorts of judges where TPS holders are challenging the Trump administration’s illegal terminations of TPS. And every single judge in every single case had recognized that there must be checks and balances. There must be oversight. Otherwise, the TPS statute is just advisory. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And the Supreme Court endorsed the extreme position that the government presented, which is that it is effectively advisory. What the Supreme Court did say is that there may still be constitutional claims, including claims related to the unconstitutional termination of TPS because the TPS terminations were motivated by racism.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>But one of the arguments made was that this \u003cem>was \u003c/em>motivated by racism. How did the Trump administration respond to that?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration essentially asked the justices to close their eyes and their ears to the clearly racist statements by President Trump and the then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> The constitutionality of the TPS termination question was related directly to the termination of TPS for Haiti. We will all remember during the campaign, and while Trump was president, he talked about Haitians — and Haitian TPS holders in particular — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12006797/haitians-in-ca-worry-of-long-term-effects-from-false-political-rhetoric\">eating cats and dogs of their neighbors\u003c/a>. He talked about Haitian as poisoning the blood of the country. And he described Haiti, and in the context of talking about TPS, as a “shit country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Essentially what the Solicitor General was saying is, those are just statements of policy differences. And in an egregious majority decision by the supermajority in a six-to-three decision, the Supreme Court agreed and said, “This is heated language and an expression of policy differences.” And they essentially ignored the very clearly racist statements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But they did not prevent TPS holders from continuing to bring constitutional challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this ruling mean for other TPS holders not from Haiti or Syria?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> The Trump administration remains locked in litigation over whether it can end protections for more than a million people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Venezuela, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And so I’ve been talking to TPS holders from many of these nations who are scrambling to find other forms of protection and are trying to make life-and-death decisions right now about whether to stay in the country or be forced to return to countries that they say are still very, very unstable. And they’re doing so at a time when the administration is ramping up arrests all across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What does this mean for people who have lost TPS? Does it essentially mean they are subject to deportation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> There are 1.3 million people who had TPS at the start of this administration. And as Jazmine was saying, virtually all of the TPS designations have been terminated to date, except for a few that have not yet come up for review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are about 700,000 people who have already lost their TPS status because the legal challenges have allowed for those TPS terminations to go into effect. There are about 350,000 Haitian and Syrian TPS holders that are expected to lose their status within days as a result of the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the government’s arguments defending their TPS terminations, and there are some others where the challenges continue to be making their way through the courts, but are going to be much harder because of the Supreme Court’s decisions. \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/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/20251028_Immigrant-Mass-_Hernandez-7_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family attends Mass at St. Jarlath’s Church in Oakland during a vigil for immigrant families on Oct. 28, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What we know is that TPS holders who have lost status have been at risk of detention and deportation, and they have, in many cases, already lost their employment authorization and are living on the margins where previously they were able to contribute to their families, contribute to their communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I spend a lot of time in this very rural conservative area in Iowa, where more than a dozen Ukrainians have arrived since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, and they’ve been able to establish themselves. They’ve been able to buy homes and work various jobs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now they have to stay home. Their employers have been fighting to bring them back to work. I spoke to one employer who said, “These two women here who learned how to frame, how to paint windows and frame the doorways, it’s very specialized, skilled work that they were able to learn in two years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He’s paid thousands of dollars to try to get them visas, but those are very difficult processes and can take many years to establish, and the administration is only making it harder in so many different ways, whether it’s in the courts whether through these administrative processes. So it’s putting people in very dire situations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What process exists for TPS holders to be able to get a status that is not temporary? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> Temporary Protected Status is supposed to mean something that is different from permanent status. What that means is that for as long as it is unsafe for an individual to return to their home country, they should be able to stay here, but they are consistently in limbo. And so it is not a great status for people to be in for long periods of time, but sometimes it’s the only available status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I talked this morning to a Haitian TPS holder who’s lived here since she was a child. Every single other member of her family has a permanent status. She applied more than five years ago to adjust through a family member. That wait list is probably going to be six to 10 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her employer wants her to be able to stay and sought employment authorization for her with an H-1B visa, but the administration has blocked the processing of immigration applications for Haitians and for many people from many other countries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> That doesn’t mean that Congress could not create a pathway to status. And there are actually bills that currently exist in Congress that would provide a path to permanent legal status — green cards — for TPS holders. It is very important now that, in addition to providing longer-term protections for TPS holders, a path to permanent relief and a moratorium on deportations, that the statute has judicial review restored.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> It’s a convenient retort that Trump and the DHS secretaries will say: just follow the rules, get in line, apply through the normal process. But they’re doing literally everything in their power to prevent people from getting any permanent status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And they are, in fact, engaging with this mass de-documentation program. Some 1.3 million people will lose status effectively overnight through their actions. They are the ones who are making people undocumented and preventing them from having another path to getting status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the impacts of the TPS ruling on communities and economies? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve looked at it at a large-scale level and at the interpersonal level and personal level and familial level. There were multiple Nobel Prize-winning economists who filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court about the billions of dollars that are going to be lost to the U.S. economy from the de-documentation of TPS holders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many TPS holders — including a large number of the 350,000 Haitian TPS holders who are on the eve of losing their status — work in vital care industries as doctors, nurses and home health aides. Patients rely on them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/GettyImages-1059576326-e1549920421190.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725430\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate in front of the White House against the decision by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for people from six countries in November 2018. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>We’ve also done studies at a smaller level of members of the National TPS Alliance who we represent in TPS challenges in court about what the effect was on individuals, and on their families from the loss of TPS status. We found that of the people who responded to the study, virtually all had stable, long-term committed employment, some for many years. And then overnight, the majority of people effectively lost all of their income. So that is devastating for individuals. It’s also devastating for communities that are then forced to pick up the pieces. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> A problem that a lot of TPS holders are encountering is that sometimes their work permit has not necessarily been terminated, but there’s a lot of confusion as to when. And so some employers have already let staff go, thinking that they’re going to have to do so anyway, so why not just do it now? Others are trying to work with lawyers, with their legal assistants, to figure out exactly what the regulations are. Many worry about facing steep fines if they do not meet the government’s new approach to this program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The U.S. has stripped TPS status for some of these countries, but don’t they \u003cem>also\u003c/em> have travel advisories warning people not to go there? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The inconsistency and incoherence between the two parts of the government cannot be ignored. That you have the State Department saying on their website, no part of Syria is safe, and saying, if you’re going to travel to Haiti, \u003ca href=\"https://ht.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-haiti-july-2026/\">prepare a will in advance\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And yet, in the decisions terminating TPS for Haiti and Syria, the DHS secretary said it can be safe to return, there’s only sporadic violence in Syria, there are improvements in Haiti. There’s no way that that’s true. The termination decisions are founded on lies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>The Venezuela earthquake is a really poignant and deeply devastating example. The earthquake is exactly the type of thing that would have sparked a TPS designation under any other administration, or many other administrations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We know that there was a deportation flight from Miami to Venezuela the day before the earthquake. We know \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5875287/venezuela-deportees-us-quakes\">there were TPS holders on that flight, and we know that they died\u003c/a>. They were in a hotel that collapsed. There’s been no acknowledgment, no remorse, no recognition of that. And still there are Venezuelan TPS holders, a large number of them who are detained and awaiting deportation, and there’s been no mention of any consideration of designating Venezuela for TPS because of the earthquake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean: \u003c/strong>There are quite a number of lawmakers who have recognized the concern for the Venezuelan population and even the concern for the termination of TPS for Venezuela, including Republican lawmakers in Florida who are willing to post on their social media that they’re concerned about TPS for Venezuela but unwilling to do anything about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about the countries \u003cem>with\u003c/em> protection? When do those come up for renewal? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ulloa:\u003c/strong> I’m definitely hearing from people from El Salvador who are on TPS that they are very, very worried. And these TPS holders from El Salvador are particularly striking because many of them have been in the country for 30 years, and it is because of their struggle to find legal pathways in this country that we even have the program to begin with. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This program was created, as we said earlier, in the 1990s, and it was driven by a bipartisan push in Congress largely \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/temporary-protected-status-whats-up-with-that/\">because people from El Salvador were fleeing their native country\u003c/a> and coming into the United States; they were fleeing a very violent civil war and they were ending up here and they were trying to find sanctuary in churches, and they were lobbying members of Congress for this protection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is striking to many of them to now, years later, have built lives. Many of them have kids who have now gone on to college. They are still struggling for the same type of protection and still fearing this war or very unstable situations back in El Salvador.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there any new legal avenues being pursued by TPS advocates?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MacLean:\u003c/strong> We do think that with more evidence about the motivations for the TPS terminations, it should be clear that the TPS terminations were motivated by racism, which is against the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s an open question about whether the Supreme Court is going to find a violation of the Constitution for anything if they’re not willing to recognize these clearly, blatantly racist statements as evidence of racism, but we plan to and will bring even more evidence than was available at the Supreme Court. We also believe that there are other constitutional challenges that have not been brought, that we intend to move forward in the courts. \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>But it’s clear that this will not immediately protect the TPS holders at risk. Deportations are happening now. Detentions are happening. Now the harm is happening to TPS holders, their families and their communities, many of whom have lived here for a long time. We will continue to fight, but it is really critical that there is a political solution as well, given the real limitations that the Supreme Court has placed on legal avenues for relief.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marisa talks about the modern era of election integrity with Ese Olumhense, an investigative reporter and professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. They examine how President Donald Trump set the stage for the January 6th riot and the aftermath, including the proliferation of \u003ca href=\"https://revealnews.org/article/election-crime-legislation-voter-suppression/\">election crime legislation\u003c/a> that are still reverberating today. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you missed it, you can listen to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090101/americas-long-history-of-voting-and-election-integrity\">first episode\u003c/a> of our election integrity series examining the history of voting and election integrity in America. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Investigative reporter Ese Olumhense traces how Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election drove a wave of legislation that’s reshaping voter access nationwide. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marisa talks about the modern era of election integrity with Ese Olumhense, an investigative reporter and professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. They examine how President Donald Trump set the stage for the January 6th riot and the aftermath, including the proliferation of \u003ca href=\"https://revealnews.org/article/election-crime-legislation-voter-suppression/\">election crime legislation\u003c/a> that are still reverberating today. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you missed it, you can listen to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090101/americas-long-history-of-voting-and-election-integrity\">first episode\u003c/a> of our election integrity series examining the history of voting and election integrity in America. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "trump-administration-launches-crackdown-on-teacher-sexual-misconduct-following-kqed-propublica-investigation",
"title": "Trump Administration Launches Crackdown on Teacher Sexual Misconduct Following KQED-ProPublica Investigation",
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"headTitle": "Trump Administration Launches Crackdown on Teacher Sexual Misconduct Following KQED-ProPublica Investigation | 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>The Trump administration has launched a national crackdown on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a> into California’s teacher disciplinary system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-protection-of-students-sexual-misconduct-adults-positions-of-authority-july-10-2026-114298.pdf\">guidance\u003c/a> issued last week, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cited the news outlets’ reporting in May 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 types of sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McMahon threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools that fail to protect children from teacher sexual misconduct. She called on states and school districts to scrutinize their laws and regulations to prevent educators who have engaged in sexual misconduct involving students from obtaining new positions elsewhere. Citing previous \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-11-200\">reports by the Government Accountability Office\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED483143.pdf\">other studies\u003c/a>, McMahon said the Department of Education has observed a “troubling and recurring pattern” of credible reports of sexual abuse and harassment by school employees going uninvestigated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, many administrators and State educational regulators have apparently preferred to sweep these incidents under the rug and have ‘pass[ed] the trash’ to another school,” McMahon wrote in an open letter to state schools chiefs on Friday, referring to teachers who go on to work in different schools after findings of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McMahon said the Department of Education intends to increase its monitoring of school systems to ensure that they comply with federal law. The Trump administration will also examine states’ laws and regulations to determine their effectiveness in protecting students, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department is investigating \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-national-k-12-initiative-protect-students-adult-sexual-predators-schools\">20 school districts\u003c/a> over their data collection practices and handling of allegations of staff sexual harassment of students, McMahon announced. Two of the districts — Tulare City and Wilsona — are in central and Southern California, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28475359-doe-list-email/#document/p1\">list the department provided\u003c/a> to KQED and ProPublica. The Tulare City superintendent has not responded to a request for comment. Wilsona Superintendent Steve Doyle said the district will cooperate fully with the federal review and “is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/GettyImages-2206133236-scaled-e1773253186922.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048527\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump holding up a signed executive order poses with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the White House on March 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump on March 20 signed an executive order to formally begin the process of dismantling the Education Department, saying that his administration is returning education back to the states. (Chen Mengtong via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The list, which the Trump administration said was built on 2023-24 civil rights data, also includes districts in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Tony Thurmond, California state superintendent of public instruction, said he was not available to comment on the Trump administration’s letter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California law requires public school teachers who resign or are fired for misconduct to be reported to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state’s educator licensing agency. That agency then decides whether teachers will be disciplined further, including by losing their professional credentials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Our look at California’s teacher disciplinary process revealed a pattern of delays and inaction, combined with a lack of transparency, that has allowed educators to continue teaching after school districts reported them to the state for sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That disciplinary process, which is hidden from public view, stands out compared with how California oversees other professionals. The fact that a teacher has been disciplined is noted — along with a red flag icon next to their name — on a state website of credentialed educators, but the database does not explain why. California law prohibits the teacher licensing agency from sharing that information publicly. In contrast, the licensing bodies governing dozens of other professions in California, including doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers, make the reasons behind disciplinary actions easily accessible on their websites. And at least 12 states, including Oregon, Washington and Florida, do the same for teachers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s system also makes it difficult for school districts to learn the details of prospective employees’ disciplinary histories. Only after the state licensing agency recommends educators be disciplined can prospective employers request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings — if the request is made within five years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California law does require teaching candidates to provide prospective employers with their complete educational job history and mandates that school districts ask previous employers whether candidates have ever been reported to the state for egregious misconduct. But no state agency is enforcing whether teachers are sharing their full employment records, whether districts are checking for previous misconduct or whether schools are providing the records. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Prospective employers have the tools at their disposal to assess whether an individual is fit to be in the classroom,” Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica. “However, the Commission has no legal authority to compel employers to use these tools.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fitzhugh said Monday that state law prevents the agency from formally reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct that districts report to the state unless it also receives an affidavit from alleged victims. “The Commission stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB848\">new California law\u003c/a> mandates 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 for or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. But the law does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some critics characterized McMahon’s latest guidance as political rhetoric and grandstanding, given the Trump administration’s gutting of the Education Department and routine \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/education-department-civil-rights-donald-trump-discrimination\">dismissal of civil rights cases\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staff-on-student predation occurs less frequently than student-on-student harassment and assault. This letter is silent on that,” said Heidi Goldstein, a personnel commissioner of the Berkeley Unified School District and advisory board member of Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, a national nonprofit. “I look at something like this as a wedge issue you’re going to take to schools to weaken union power overall.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In her letter, McMahon singled out teachers’ unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children.\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/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014399\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students run behind a wall providing shade in the schoolyard at International Community School in Oakland on Oct. 20, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is yet another example of the Trump administration weaponizing and distorting an issue for political purposes while also systematically dismantling the very offices of the Department of Education that were established to protect the safety and civil rights of students across the nation,” said Maggie Sisco, a spokesperson for the California Teachers Association. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McMahon also noted that the Trump administration recently opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District for an agreement it made with the teachers’ union to reassign educators accused of sexual misconduct instead of removing them while district officials investigate. But Christy Hagen, a spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified, said: “Reassignment means an employee is assigned away from students and schools during an investigation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” Hagen said, and reported allegations are reviewed promptly through a “thorough and impartial process.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Los Angeles Unified, California’s largest school district, has yet to release public records requested by KQED reporter Holly McDede two years ago. The First Amendment Coalition, a California nonprofit that advocates for free speech and government transparency, filed a \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-19-McDede-Writ-Petition.pdf\">lawsuit\u003c/a> on \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fac-sues-l-a-schools-for-concealing-teacher-misconduct-records/\">behalf of McDede\u003c/a> in May. Hagen said Monday that the district “has responded to requests in accordance with the California Public Records Act.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor, said if elected, he would “end the loopholes that let dangerous teachers move from one school district to another.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Agencies will share information, act quickly and put student safety first, not the system,” Hilton said. “If you abuse a child, your teaching career is over.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. health and human services secretary, former California attorney general and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said Becerra “will make sure this state has a system that acts swiftly and keeps educators who harm students out of the classroom.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Protecting students from predators demands real action — but this president is demanding it from the very office he’s spent years tearing down,” Underland said. “California won’t wait on Washington.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has launched a national crackdown on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a> into California’s teacher disciplinary system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-protection-of-students-sexual-misconduct-adults-positions-of-authority-july-10-2026-114298.pdf\">guidance\u003c/a> issued last week, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cited the news outlets’ reporting in May 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 types of sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-protection-of-students-sexual-misconduct-adults-positions-of-authority-july-10-2026-114298.pdf\">guidance\u003c/a> issued last week, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cited the news outlets’ reporting in May 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 types of sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McMahon threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools that fail to protect children from teacher sexual misconduct. She called on states and school districts to scrutinize their laws and regulations to prevent educators who have engaged in sexual misconduct involving students from obtaining new positions elsewhere. Citing previous \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-11-200\">reports by the Government Accountability Office\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED483143.pdf\">other studies\u003c/a>, McMahon said the Department of Education has observed a “troubling and recurring pattern” of credible reports of sexual abuse and harassment by school employees going uninvestigated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>McMahon threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools that fail to protect children from teacher sexual misconduct. She called on states and school districts to scrutinize their laws and regulations to prevent educators who have engaged in sexual misconduct involving students from obtaining new positions elsewhere. Citing previous \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-11-200\">reports by the Government Accountability Office\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED483143.pdf\">other studies\u003c/a>, McMahon said the Department of Education has observed a “troubling and recurring pattern” of credible reports of sexual abuse and harassment by school employees going uninvestigated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, many administrators and State educational regulators have apparently preferred to sweep these incidents under the rug and have ‘pass[ed] the trash’ to another school,” McMahon wrote in an open letter to state schools chiefs on Friday, referring to teachers who go on to work in different schools after findings of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, many administrators and State educational regulators have apparently preferred to sweep these incidents under the rug and have ‘pass[ed] the trash’ to another school,” McMahon wrote in an open letter to state schools chiefs on Friday, referring to teachers who go on to work in different schools after findings of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McMahon said the Department of Education intends to increase its monitoring of school systems to ensure that they comply with federal law. The Trump administration will also examine states’ laws and regulations to determine their effectiveness in protecting students, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>McMahon said the Department of Education intends to increase its monitoring of school systems to ensure that they comply with federal law. The Trump administration will also examine states’ laws and regulations to determine their effectiveness in protecting students, she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The department is investigating \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-national-k-12-initiative-protect-students-adult-sexual-predators-schools\">20 school districts\u003c/a> over their data collection practices and handling of allegations of staff sexual harassment of students, McMahon announced. Two of the districts — Tulare City and Wilsona — are in central and Southern California, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28475359-doe-list-email/#document/p1\">list the department provided\u003c/a> to KQED and ProPublica. The Tulare City superintendent has not responded to a request for comment. Wilsona Superintendent Steve Doyle said the district will cooperate fully with the federal review and “is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The department is investigating \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-national-k-12-initiative-protect-students-adult-sexual-predators-schools\">20 school districts\u003c/a> over their data collection practices and handling of allegations of staff sexual harassment of students, McMahon announced. Two of the districts — Tulare City and Wilsona — are in central and Southern California, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28475359-doe-list-email/#document/p1\">list the department provided\u003c/a> to KQED and ProPublica. The Tulare City superintendent has not responded to a request for comment. Wilsona Superintendent Steve Doyle said the district will cooperate fully with the federal review and “is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student.” \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/10/2025/07/GettyImages-2206133236-scaled-e1773253186922.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048527\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump holding up a signed executive order poses with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the White House on March 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump on March 20 signed an executive order to formally begin the process of dismantling the Education Department, saying that his administration is returning education back to the states. \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/10/2025/07/GettyImages-2206133236-scaled-e1773253186922.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048527\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump holding up a signed executive order poses with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the White House on March 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump on March 20 signed an executive order to formally begin the process of dismantling the Education Department, saying that his administration is returning education back to the states. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The list, which the Trump administration said was built on 2023-24 civil rights data, also includes districts in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The list, which the Trump administration said was built on 2023-24 civil rights data, also includes districts in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Tony Thurmond, California state superintendent of public instruction, said he was not available to comment on the Trump administration’s letter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Tony Thurmond, California state superintendent of public instruction, said he was not available to comment on the Trump administration’s letter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California law requires public school teachers who resign or are fired for misconduct to be reported to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state’s educator licensing agency. That agency then decides whether teachers will be disciplined further, including by losing their professional credentials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California law requires public school teachers who resign or are fired for misconduct to be reported to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state’s educator licensing agency. That agency then decides whether teachers will be disciplined further, including by losing their professional credentials. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Our look at California’s teacher disciplinary process revealed a pattern of delays and inaction, combined with a lack of transparency, that has allowed educators to continue teaching after school districts reported them to the state for sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Our look at California’s teacher disciplinary process revealed a pattern of delays and inaction, combined with a lack of transparency, that has allowed educators to continue teaching after school districts reported them to the state for sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That disciplinary process, which is hidden from public view, stands out compared with how California oversees other professionals. The fact that a teacher has been disciplined is noted — along with a red flag icon next to their name — on a state website of credentialed educators, but the database does not explain why. California law prohibits the teacher licensing agency from sharing that information publicly. In contrast, the licensing bodies governing dozens of other professions in California, including doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers, make the reasons behind disciplinary actions easily accessible on their websites. And at least 12 states, including Oregon, Washington and Florida, do the same for teachers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That disciplinary process, which is hidden from public view, stands out compared with how California oversees other professionals. The fact that a teacher has been disciplined is noted — along with a red flag icon next to their name — on a state website of credentialed educators, but the database does not explain why. California law prohibits the teacher licensing agency from sharing that information publicly. In contrast, the licensing bodies governing dozens of other professions in California, including doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers, make the reasons behind disciplinary actions easily accessible on their websites. And at least 12 states, including Oregon, Washington and Florida, do the same for teachers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s system also makes it difficult for school districts to learn the details of prospective employees’ disciplinary histories. Only after the state licensing agency recommends educators be disciplined can prospective employers request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings — if the request is made within five years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s system also makes it difficult for school districts to learn the details of prospective employees’ disciplinary histories. Only after the state licensing agency recommends educators be disciplined can prospective employers request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings — if the request is made within five years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California law does require teaching candidates to provide prospective employers with their complete educational job history and mandates that school districts ask previous employers whether candidates have ever been reported to the state for egregious misconduct. But no state agency is enforcing whether teachers are sharing their full employment records, whether districts are checking for previous misconduct or whether schools are providing the records. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California law does require teaching candidates to provide prospective employers with their complete educational job history and mandates that school districts ask previous employers whether candidates have ever been reported to the state for egregious misconduct. But no state agency is enforcing whether teachers are sharing their full employment records, whether districts are checking for previous misconduct or whether schools are providing the records. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Prospective employers have the tools at their disposal to assess whether an individual is fit to be in the classroom,” Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica. “However, the Commission has no legal authority to compel employers to use these tools.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fitzhugh said Monday that state law prevents the agency from formally reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct that districts report to the state unless it also receives an affidavit from alleged victims. “The Commission stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fitzhugh said Monday that state law prevents the agency from formally reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct that districts report to the state unless it also receives an affidavit from alleged victims. “The Commission stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB848\">new California law\u003c/a> mandates 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 for or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. But the law does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB848\">new California law\u003c/a> mandates 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 for or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. But the law does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some critics characterized McMahon’s latest guidance as political rhetoric and grandstanding, given the Trump administration’s gutting of the Education Department and routine \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/education-department-civil-rights-donald-trump-discrimination\">dismissal of civil rights cases\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Staff-on-student predation occurs less frequently than student-on-student harassment and assault. This letter is silent on that,” said Heidi Goldstein, a personnel commissioner of the Berkeley Unified School District and advisory board member of Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, a national nonprofit. “I look at something like this as a wedge issue you’re going to take to schools to weaken union power overall.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Staff-on-student predation occurs less frequently than student-on-student harassment and assault. This letter is silent on that,” said Heidi Goldstein, a personnel commissioner of the Berkeley Unified School District and advisory board member of Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, a national nonprofit. “I look at something like this as a wedge issue you’re going to take to schools to weaken union power overall.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In her letter, McMahon singled out teachers’ unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is yet another example of the Trump administration weaponizing and distorting an issue for political purposes while also systematically dismantling the very offices of the Department of Education that were established to protect the safety and civil rights of students across the nation,” said Maggie Sisco, a spokesperson for the California Teachers Association. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McMahon also noted that the Trump administration recently opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District for an agreement it made with the teachers’ union to reassign educators accused of sexual misconduct instead of removing them while district officials investigate. But Christy Hagen, a spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified, said: “Reassignment means an employee is assigned away from students and schools during an investigation.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>McMahon also noted that the Trump administration recently opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District for an agreement it made with the teachers’ union to reassign educators accused of sexual misconduct instead of removing them while district officials investigate. But Christy Hagen, a spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified, said: “Reassignment means an employee is assigned away from students and schools during an investigation.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The district “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” Hagen said, and reported allegations are reviewed promptly through a “thorough and impartial process.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Los Angeles Unified, California’s largest school district, has yet to release public records requested by KQED reporter Holly McDede two years ago. The First Amendment Coalition, a California nonprofit that advocates for free speech and government transparency, filed a \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-19-McDede-Writ-Petition.pdf\">lawsuit\u003c/a> on \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fac-sues-l-a-schools-for-concealing-teacher-misconduct-records/\">behalf of McDede\u003c/a> in May. Hagen said Monday that the district “has responded to requests in accordance with the California Public Records Act.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Los Angeles Unified, California’s largest school district, has yet to release public records requested by KQED reporter Holly McDede two years ago. The First Amendment Coalition, a California nonprofit that advocates for free speech and government transparency, filed a \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-19-McDede-Writ-Petition.pdf\">lawsuit\u003c/a> on \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fac-sues-l-a-schools-for-concealing-teacher-misconduct-records/\">behalf of McDede\u003c/a> in May. Hagen said Monday that the district “has responded to requests in accordance with the California Public Records Act.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor, said if elected, he would “end the loopholes that let dangerous teachers move from one school district to another.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor, said if elected, he would “end the loopholes that let dangerous teachers move from one school district to another.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Agencies will share information, act quickly and put student safety first, not the system,” Hilton said. “If you abuse a child, your teaching career is over.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Agencies will share information, act quickly and put student safety first, not the system,” Hilton said. “If you abuse a child, your teaching career is over.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. health and human services secretary, former California attorney general and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said Becerra “will make sure this state has a system that acts swiftly and keeps educators who harm students out of the classroom.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. health and human services secretary, former California attorney general and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said Becerra “will make sure this state has a system that acts swiftly and keeps educators who harm students out of the classroom.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Protecting students from predators demands real action — but this president is demanding it from the very office he’s spent years tearing down,” Underland said. “California won’t wait on Washington.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Protecting students from predators demands real action — but this president is demanding it from the very office he’s spent years tearing down,” Underland said. “California won’t wait on Washington.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The U.S. education secretary cited our finding that California has not revoked the credentials of at least 67 educators who school districts determined had sexually harassed students or committed other types of sexual misconduct.",
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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>The Trump administration has launched a national crackdown on how school districts handle accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a> into California’s teacher disciplinary system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-protection-of-students-sexual-misconduct-adults-positions-of-authority-july-10-2026-114298.pdf\">guidance\u003c/a> issued last week, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cited the news outlets’ reporting in May 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 types of sexual misconduct. At least 14 of those educators were rehired by other schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McMahon threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools that fail to protect children from teacher sexual misconduct. She called on states and school districts to scrutinize their laws and regulations to prevent educators who have engaged in sexual misconduct involving students from obtaining new positions elsewhere. Citing previous \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-11-200\">reports by the Government Accountability Office\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED483143.pdf\">other studies\u003c/a>, McMahon said the Department of Education has observed a “troubling and recurring pattern” of credible reports of sexual abuse and harassment by school employees going uninvestigated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, many administrators and State educational regulators have apparently preferred to sweep these incidents under the rug and have ‘pass[ed] the trash’ to another school,” McMahon wrote in an open letter to state schools chiefs on Friday, referring to teachers who go on to work in different schools after findings of sexual 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>McMahon said the Department of Education intends to increase its monitoring of school systems to ensure that they comply with federal law. The Trump administration will also examine states’ laws and regulations to determine their effectiveness in protecting students, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department is investigating \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-national-k-12-initiative-protect-students-adult-sexual-predators-schools\">20 school districts\u003c/a> over their data collection practices and handling of allegations of staff sexual harassment of students, McMahon announced. Two of the districts — Tulare City and Wilsona — are in central and Southern California, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28475359-doe-list-email/#document/p1\">list the department provided\u003c/a> to KQED and ProPublica. The Tulare City superintendent has not responded to a request for comment. Wilsona Superintendent Steve Doyle said the district will cooperate fully with the federal review and “is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/GettyImages-2206133236-scaled-e1773253186922.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048527\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump holding up a signed executive order poses with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the White House on March 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump on March 20 signed an executive order to formally begin the process of dismantling the Education Department, saying that his administration is returning education back to the states. (Chen Mengtong via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The list, which the Trump administration said was built on 2023-24 civil rights data, also includes districts in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Tony Thurmond, California state superintendent of public instruction, said he was not available to comment on the Trump administration’s letter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California law requires public school teachers who resign or are fired for misconduct to be reported to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state’s educator licensing agency. That agency then decides whether teachers will be disciplined further, including by losing their professional credentials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Our look at California’s teacher disciplinary process revealed a pattern of delays and inaction, combined with a lack of transparency, that has allowed educators to continue teaching after school districts reported them to the state for sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That disciplinary process, which is hidden from public view, stands out compared with how California oversees other professionals. The fact that a teacher has been disciplined is noted — along with a red flag icon next to their name — on a state website of credentialed educators, but the database does not explain why. California law prohibits the teacher licensing agency from sharing that information publicly. In contrast, the licensing bodies governing dozens of other professions in California, including doctors, nurses, police officers and lawyers, make the reasons behind disciplinary actions easily accessible on their websites. And at least 12 states, including Oregon, Washington and Florida, do the same for teachers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s system also makes it difficult for school districts to learn the details of prospective employees’ disciplinary histories. Only after the state licensing agency recommends educators be disciplined can prospective employers request a summary of the case and the agency’s findings — if the request is made within five years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California law does require teaching candidates to provide prospective employers with their complete educational job history and mandates that school districts ask previous employers whether candidates have ever been reported to the state for egregious misconduct. But no state agency is enforcing whether teachers are sharing their full employment records, whether districts are checking for previous misconduct or whether schools are providing the records. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Prospective employers have the tools at their disposal to assess whether an individual is fit to be in the classroom,” Anita Fitzhugh, a spokesperson for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, previously told KQED and ProPublica. “However, the Commission has no legal authority to compel employers to use these tools.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fitzhugh said Monday that state law prevents the agency from formally reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct that districts report to the state unless it also receives an affidavit from alleged victims. “The Commission stands ready to implement any additional public protections that the Legislature authorizes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB848\">new California law\u003c/a> mandates 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 for or have substantiated complaints of egregious misconduct. But the law does not apply to public school teachers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some critics characterized McMahon’s latest guidance as political rhetoric and grandstanding, given the Trump administration’s gutting of the Education Department and routine \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/education-department-civil-rights-donald-trump-discrimination\">dismissal of civil rights cases\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staff-on-student predation occurs less frequently than student-on-student harassment and assault. This letter is silent on that,” said Heidi Goldstein, a personnel commissioner of the Berkeley Unified School District and advisory board member of Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, a national nonprofit. “I look at something like this as a wedge issue you’re going to take to schools to weaken union power overall.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In her letter, McMahon singled out teachers’ unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children.\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/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014399\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/028_KQEDScience_IntCommunitySchoolOakland_10202022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students run behind a wall providing shade in the schoolyard at International Community School in Oakland on Oct. 20, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is yet another example of the Trump administration weaponizing and distorting an issue for political purposes while also systematically dismantling the very offices of the Department of Education that were established to protect the safety and civil rights of students across the nation,” said Maggie Sisco, a spokesperson for the California Teachers Association. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McMahon also noted that the Trump administration recently opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District for an agreement it made with the teachers’ union to reassign educators accused of sexual misconduct instead of removing them while district officials investigate. But Christy Hagen, a spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified, said: “Reassignment means an employee is assigned away from students and schools during an investigation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” Hagen said, and reported allegations are reviewed promptly through a “thorough and impartial process.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Los Angeles Unified, California’s largest school district, has yet to release public records requested by KQED reporter Holly McDede two years ago. The First Amendment Coalition, a California nonprofit that advocates for free speech and government transparency, filed a \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-19-McDede-Writ-Petition.pdf\">lawsuit\u003c/a> on \u003ca href=\"https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fac-sues-l-a-schools-for-concealing-teacher-misconduct-records/\">behalf of McDede\u003c/a> in May. Hagen said Monday that the district “has responded to requests in accordance with the California Public Records Act.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor, said if elected, he would “end the loopholes that let dangerous teachers move from one school district to another.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Agencies will share information, act quickly and put student safety first, not the system,” Hilton said. “If you abuse a child, your teaching career is over.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. health and human services secretary, former California attorney general and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said Becerra “will make sure this state has a system that acts swiftly and keeps educators who harm students out of the classroom.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Protecting students from predators demands real action — but this president is demanding it from the very office he’s spent years tearing down,” Underland said. “California won’t wait on Washington.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-lawmakers-look-to-make-abortion-shield-laws-less-dependent-on-whos-governor",
"title": "California Lawmakers Look to Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who's Governor",
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"headTitle": "California Lawmakers Look to Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who’s Governor | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gov-gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a>, using his executive power, refused to extradite a physician accused of prescribing and mailing abortion pills to a Louisiana woman, he said California would “not ever” allow “extremist politicians” to punish its doctors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is considering a run for president, has long championed reproductive rights, but state lawmakers in the Democratically controlled California legislature know future governors might not have the same political beliefs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump, has vowed to honor these types of extradition requests from other states if he’s elected,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071206/gop-candidate-steve-hilton-would-extradite-california-abortion-doctor-to-louisiana\"> saying that\u003c/a> Louisiana “is trying to uphold what its people voted for, and California is undermining it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His opponent, Democrat Xavier Becerra, has said he would deny the requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislation advancing in Sacramento is the latest chapter in a tit for tat that’s been happening between conservative and liberal states since 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned \u003cem>Roe v. Wade\u003c/em>, ending federal legal protections for abortion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2164\">A bill\u003c/a> by state Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, which is being heard in committee, would take some decisions out of the governor’s hands, requiring governors to deny extradition requests for healthcare providers who prescribe abortion medication or administer gender-affirming care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12005912\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12005912\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19.jpg\" alt=\"A white woman wearing glasses and blue jacket stands in front of a podium with a microphone around other people.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan speaks in support of SCR 135, which would designate May 6, 2024, as California Holocaust Memorial Day on the Assembly floor at the state Capitol in Sacramento on April 29, 2024. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It would also shield anyone in California who helped patients travel to California or another state to receive legal care. While opponents cast “shield laws” as an incursion on other states’ authority, supporters of the bill view it as insurance — even with Becerra leading Hilton 52% to 31%, according to\u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4p03f9rh\"> May polling\u003c/a> by the University of California-Berkeley Institute of Government Studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom spokesperson Marissa Saldivar said the governor doesn’t comment on pending legislation. Hilton and Becerra didn’t return calls for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Protecting providers from prosecution should not rely on shifting political winds or a single person’s decision,” said Alyssa Sherer, a nurse practitioner who spoke in support of the bill at a Senate committee hearing in June. Sherer is also the medical director at Hey Jane, a telehealth medication abortion provider.[aside postID=news_12086530 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PlannedParenthoodSF.jpg']Thirteen states have banned abortion outright, and 28 other states ban abortion somewhere between six weeks and viability. At the same time, other states that allow abortion have enacted shield laws to protect doctors and nurses from liability when they prescribe across state lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People living in states with total abortion bans are increasingly getting abortion pills prescribed via telehealth, from 74,000 abortions in 2024 to 92,000 abortions in 2025, according to the Guttmacher Institute, citing numbers from its Monthly Abortion Provision Study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics of shield laws say that states have a legitimate interest in enforcing their own statutes and that such laws represent an attempt by some states, like California, to nullify the legal decisions of others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If California says, ‘We’re not going to honor any other state’s laws. We’re going to ship abortion pills into your states. You can’t have a law that says abortion is illegal,’ I don’t know — that doesn’t seem like a workable situation,” said Greg Burt, who is vice president of the California Family Council and has spoken in opposition to shield laws at the State Capitol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty-one other states and Washington, D.C., have similar shield laws, but Arizona, California, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania rely on an executive order, which could be reversed by a successor, according to the Guttmacher Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081063\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081063\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Hilton, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California, during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Amanda Barrow, a senior staff attorney at the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy at UCLA Law, said passing extradition protections would put California on firmer footing because, an executive order “could be revoked by a governor who is anti-abortion or anti-gender-affirming-care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hilton has said he would do just that if elected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just as I wouldn’t want to see Louisiana coming in and undermining something that we voted for here in California,” the GOP candidate told KQED in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk2e2XSSRXY\"> May gubernatorial debate\u003c/a>, Becerra said he was strident about protecting reproductive rights as the state’s attorney general.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Absolutely no,” Becerra said of allowing California physicians to be extradited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, Hawaii\u003ca href=\"https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1875&year=2026\"> added gender-affirming care\u003c/a> to its existing shield laws. And Oregon\u003ca href=\"https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB4088\"> expanded extradition protections\u003c/a>, including banning law enforcement from cooperating with out-of-state or federal investigations into care that’s legal in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Republican legislators in conservative states have cast telehealth visits as an end run around their laws. And some have moved to restrict abortion pill access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11779903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11779903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of a green abortion pill.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bill signed by Gov. Newsom (the first of its kind in the nation) requires campus health centers at public universities to provide abortion pills. \u003ccite>(Phil Walter/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The governors of\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-lawmakers-abortion-pills-cfec4e3223819aeb64df8c9cfc8effab\"> Mississippi\u003c/a>,\u003ca href=\"https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/governor-signs-oklahoma-bill-criminalizing-providing-abortion-inducing-drugs/\"> Oklahoma\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26881/300950\"> South Dakota\u003c/a> have signed bills this year that criminalize the sale, purchase, or distribution of medication that induces an abortion. Those states make it a felony to provide medication abortion drugs to people who are seeking to end a pregnancy. The laws impose up to 10 years in prison with potentially tens of thousands of dollars in fines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mississippi amended the state’s controlled substances code to add abortion pills as a criminal category. Although the state already prohibits abortion broadly, the measure specifically addresses distribution, which could subject out-of-state providers to prosecution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, Louisiana tried to extradite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069971/california-lawmakers-defend-doctor-as-states-clash-over-abortion\">a California doctor, Remy Coeytaux,\u003c/a> accused of mailing abortion pills to a patient. Newsom denied the request.[aside postID=science_2001391 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-02-BL-KQED.jpg']Likewise, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0k02HsbD8I\">denied\u003c/a> Louisiana’s February 2025 extradition request for a doctor in her state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Texas has taken a slightly different legal tact. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate, obtained a default judgment of more than $100,000 against the New York doctor targeted by Louisiana, but a judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/31/texas-lawsuit-new-york-abortion-provider-shield-law-ken-paxton/\">dismissed\u003c/a> it, citing New York’s shield law. Neither Paxton nor Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill responded to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fear of being charged with a crime for providing quality medical care is contributing to physicians leaving medicine, said Sacramento emergency room doctor Kamara Graham, who is vice president of the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, which is supporting the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really conflicting and hard for us to weigh that concern of: Will I get extradited and charged and potentially be taken away from my family? Or do I do the right thing for my patient?” Graham said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The availability of medication used in most abortions could soon change nationwide. Under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/fda-launches-study-of-abortion-pill-safety-as-opponents-push-for-limits-a3cee37b?st=6pZecS\"> recently confirmed\u003c/a> it is conducting a safety review of mifepristone, one of two medications in pill form that is used in most U.S. abortions. The FDA maintains the drug is safe and effective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1274\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_-1536x978.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at an event on “Making Health Technology Great Again,” in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on July 30, 2025. \u003ccite>(Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If the FDA were to decide that mifepristone is not safe, such a ruling would supersede state laws, even in states where abortion is legal. If mifepristone is restricted, many telehealth groups have said\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/courts/louisiana-fda-mifepristone-misoprostol-abortion-pills-mail-federal-court-case/\"> they would switch\u003c/a> to using only the other medication, misoprostol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The elephant in the room is whether the Trump administration, particularly after the midterms, makes some kind of move to put national limits on access to abortions,” said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at UC Davis who has written several books on reproductive health law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everything is something that the legislature can solve for,” Ziegler said, “because there’s some uncertainty about how the federal courts are going to react to all of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us/\">\u003cem>KFF Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/about-us/\"> \u003cem>KFF\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As states with abortion bans target California physicians who prescribe abortion pills across state lines, Democrats want to lock in protections for doctors, no matter who the next governor is.",
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"title": "California Lawmakers Look to Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who's Governor | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gov-gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a>, using his executive power, refused to extradite a physician accused of prescribing and mailing abortion pills to a Louisiana woman, he said California would “not ever” allow “extremist politicians” to punish its doctors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is considering a run for president, has long championed reproductive rights, but state lawmakers in the Democratically controlled California legislature know future governors might not have the same political beliefs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump, has vowed to honor these types of extradition requests from other states if he’s elected,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071206/gop-candidate-steve-hilton-would-extradite-california-abortion-doctor-to-louisiana\"> saying that\u003c/a> Louisiana “is trying to uphold what its people voted for, and California is undermining it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His opponent, Democrat Xavier Becerra, has said he would deny the requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislation advancing in Sacramento is the latest chapter in a tit for tat that’s been happening between conservative and liberal states since 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned \u003cem>Roe v. Wade\u003c/em>, ending federal legal protections for abortion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2164\">A bill\u003c/a> by state Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, which is being heard in committee, would take some decisions out of the governor’s hands, requiring governors to deny extradition requests for healthcare providers who prescribe abortion medication or administer gender-affirming care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12005912\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12005912\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19.jpg\" alt=\"A white woman wearing glasses and blue jacket stands in front of a podium with a microphone around other people.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/042924-State-Capitol-Session-MG-CM-19-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan speaks in support of SCR 135, which would designate May 6, 2024, as California Holocaust Memorial Day on the Assembly floor at the state Capitol in Sacramento on April 29, 2024. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It would also shield anyone in California who helped patients travel to California or another state to receive legal care. While opponents cast “shield laws” as an incursion on other states’ authority, supporters of the bill view it as insurance — even with Becerra leading Hilton 52% to 31%, according to\u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4p03f9rh\"> May polling\u003c/a> by the University of California-Berkeley Institute of Government Studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom spokesperson Marissa Saldivar said the governor doesn’t comment on pending legislation. Hilton and Becerra didn’t return calls for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Protecting providers from prosecution should not rely on shifting political winds or a single person’s decision,” said Alyssa Sherer, a nurse practitioner who spoke in support of the bill at a Senate committee hearing in June. Sherer is also the medical director at Hey Jane, a telehealth medication abortion provider.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Thirteen states have banned abortion outright, and 28 other states ban abortion somewhere between six weeks and viability. At the same time, other states that allow abortion have enacted shield laws to protect doctors and nurses from liability when they prescribe across state lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People living in states with total abortion bans are increasingly getting abortion pills prescribed via telehealth, from 74,000 abortions in 2024 to 92,000 abortions in 2025, according to the Guttmacher Institute, citing numbers from its Monthly Abortion Provision Study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics of shield laws say that states have a legitimate interest in enforcing their own statutes and that such laws represent an attempt by some states, like California, to nullify the legal decisions of others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If California says, ‘We’re not going to honor any other state’s laws. We’re going to ship abortion pills into your states. You can’t have a law that says abortion is illegal,’ I don’t know — that doesn’t seem like a workable situation,” said Greg Burt, who is vice president of the California Family Council and has spoken in opposition to shield laws at the State Capitol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty-one other states and Washington, D.C., have similar shield laws, but Arizona, California, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania rely on an executive order, which could be reversed by a successor, according to the Guttmacher Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081063\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081063\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3423_1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Hilton, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California, during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Amanda Barrow, a senior staff attorney at the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy at UCLA Law, said passing extradition protections would put California on firmer footing because, an executive order “could be revoked by a governor who is anti-abortion or anti-gender-affirming-care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hilton has said he would do just that if elected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just as I wouldn’t want to see Louisiana coming in and undermining something that we voted for here in California,” the GOP candidate told KQED in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk2e2XSSRXY\"> May gubernatorial debate\u003c/a>, Becerra said he was strident about protecting reproductive rights as the state’s attorney general.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Absolutely no,” Becerra said of allowing California physicians to be extradited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, Hawaii\u003ca href=\"https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1875&year=2026\"> added gender-affirming care\u003c/a> to its existing shield laws. And Oregon\u003ca href=\"https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB4088\"> expanded extradition protections\u003c/a>, including banning law enforcement from cooperating with out-of-state or federal investigations into care that’s legal in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Republican legislators in conservative states have cast telehealth visits as an end run around their laws. And some have moved to restrict abortion pill access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11779903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11779903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of a green abortion pill.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/abortion-pill_wide-ce7dbb87eee88c5892b979374156df14b25fe16f-e1516737780651-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bill signed by Gov. Newsom (the first of its kind in the nation) requires campus health centers at public universities to provide abortion pills. \u003ccite>(Phil Walter/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The governors of\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-lawmakers-abortion-pills-cfec4e3223819aeb64df8c9cfc8effab\"> Mississippi\u003c/a>,\u003ca href=\"https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/governor-signs-oklahoma-bill-criminalizing-providing-abortion-inducing-drugs/\"> Oklahoma\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26881/300950\"> South Dakota\u003c/a> have signed bills this year that criminalize the sale, purchase, or distribution of medication that induces an abortion. Those states make it a felony to provide medication abortion drugs to people who are seeking to end a pregnancy. The laws impose up to 10 years in prison with potentially tens of thousands of dollars in fines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mississippi amended the state’s controlled substances code to add abortion pills as a criminal category. Although the state already prohibits abortion broadly, the measure specifically addresses distribution, which could subject out-of-state providers to prosecution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, Louisiana tried to extradite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069971/california-lawmakers-defend-doctor-as-states-clash-over-abortion\">a California doctor, Remy Coeytaux,\u003c/a> accused of mailing abortion pills to a patient. Newsom denied the request.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Likewise, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0k02HsbD8I\">denied\u003c/a> Louisiana’s February 2025 extradition request for a doctor in her state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Texas has taken a slightly different legal tact. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate, obtained a default judgment of more than $100,000 against the New York doctor targeted by Louisiana, but a judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/31/texas-lawsuit-new-york-abortion-provider-shield-law-ken-paxton/\">dismissed\u003c/a> it, citing New York’s shield law. Neither Paxton nor Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill responded to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fear of being charged with a crime for providing quality medical care is contributing to physicians leaving medicine, said Sacramento emergency room doctor Kamara Graham, who is vice president of the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, which is supporting the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really conflicting and hard for us to weigh that concern of: Will I get extradited and charged and potentially be taken away from my family? Or do I do the right thing for my patient?” Graham said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The availability of medication used in most abortions could soon change nationwide. Under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/fda-launches-study-of-abortion-pill-safety-as-opponents-push-for-limits-a3cee37b?st=6pZecS\"> recently confirmed\u003c/a> it is conducting a safety review of mifepristone, one of two medications in pill form that is used in most U.S. abortions. The FDA maintains the drug is safe and effective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1274\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/RFKJr.Getty_-1536x978.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at an event on “Making Health Technology Great Again,” in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on July 30, 2025. \u003ccite>(Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If the FDA were to decide that mifepristone is not safe, such a ruling would supersede state laws, even in states where abortion is legal. If mifepristone is restricted, many telehealth groups have said\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/courts/louisiana-fda-mifepristone-misoprostol-abortion-pills-mail-federal-court-case/\"> they would switch\u003c/a> to using only the other medication, misoprostol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The elephant in the room is whether the Trump administration, particularly after the midterms, makes some kind of move to put national limits on access to abortions,” said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at UC Davis who has written several books on reproductive health law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everything is something that the legislature can solve for,” Ziegler said, “because there’s some uncertainty about how the federal courts are going to react to all of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us/\">\u003cem>KFF Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/about-us/\"> \u003cem>KFF\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "California Peach Growers Hope Next Farm Bill Will Do More for Specialty Crops",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s a sweltering morning in June off State Route 70 in Marysville as Sarb Johl watches one of his employees use an excavator to push dead peach trees into ginormous, dry piles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s picking up the trees that have already been pushed out of the ground so they can be burned,” Johl said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like a lot of farmers in Yuba and Sutter counties, Johl grows peaches — and not the kind that you buy fresh at the store or farmers’ market. These peaches are grown specifically for canning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Johl was forced to rip out over half of his peach acres after one of the last canneries in the state, Del Monte Foods, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/del-monte-files-for-bankruptcy-as-its-canned-fruit-and-vegetable-sales-slide\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a> and then closed earlier this year. That left growers like Johl \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article314486736.html\">without a buyer\u003c/a> for their fruit — and facing a dire economic crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the processor goes out, basically you got no place to go,” Johl said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, the United States Department of Agriculture threw farmers a lifeline by creating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-05-05/california-lawmakers-secure-federal-aid-for-yuba-sutter-peach-farmers-affected-by-major-cannery-closure\">$9 million program\u003c/a> to fund the removal of thousands of acres of trees.\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-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12090778\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090778\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pile of dead peach trees lie in a field next to an active peach orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026.\u003cbr> (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12090773\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1818-scaled-e1783982597496.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090773\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An excavator destroys a portion of Sarb Johl’s peach orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, farmers like Johl need to invest in growing another crop, likely a type of nut, and they’re hoping the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088977/a-lifeline-for-californias-small-farms-just-expired-what-comes-next\">new farm bill\u003c/a> will provide some help to make the transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it may not be that simple.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So historically, the farm bill has sort of left out specialty crop growers,” said \u003ca href=\"https://jsayre.ucdavis.edu/\">James Sayre\u003c/a>, an agricultural economist at UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sayre said that specialty crops — like some fruits, vegetables and nuts — have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the massive piece of agriculture legislation. He said that’s partially because a lot of the bill is dedicated to what are called \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12047\">Title I crops\u003c/a> — think big commodities like corn, wheat and soybeans. Title I crops are federally subsidized with insurance programs and direct payments to farmers when prices fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The upshot is that if you are a specialty crop grower, you basically didn’t have access to many of these programs,” Sayre said.\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/10/2026/07/IMG_1827-scaled-e1783983231785.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090774\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sarb Johl holds a pair of unripe peaches at his orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Title I crops are grown across many Midwestern states, while specialty crops are concentrated in California. Sayre said that means lawmakers from big commodity-growing regions have more votes in Congress and therefore more political power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One silver lining is that California Sen. Adam Schiff has a seat on the Senate’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/\">Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee\u003c/a>. It’s the first time in 30 years that a lawmaker from the Golden State is at the table.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schiff said one of his main priorities is to \u003ca href=\"https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-pushes-to-level-playing-field-for-californias-farmers-in-senate-farm-bill-with-six-new-agriculture-bills/\">get more resources\u003c/a> for specialty crop farmers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no reason to treat these farmers differently than we treat farmers in other parts of the country that grow different crops,” Schiff said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The senator said that specialty crop farmers face the same natural disasters and market pressures as commodity farmers. \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/IMG_1852.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sarb Johl reaches for an unripe peach at his orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. \u003cbr> (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But getting a new farm bill across the finish line has gotten more difficult since H.R. 1, the president’s federal budget package, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/millions-lose-snap-benefits-as-one-big-beautiful-bills-stricter-requirements-kick-in\">significantly cut\u003c/a> the food assistance program known as SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schiff said Democrats want to see those cuts reversed in the next farm bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think there’s some bipartisan interest in doing that,” Schiff said. “If Republicans are willing to meet us, then I think we have a farm bill.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But farmers like Johl can’t wait around for politicians to duke it out in the halls of the Capitol. Back at the farm, he said giving up peaches entirely would be like giving up a part of his family heritage. Johl’s dad immigrated from Punjab, India, in the 1960s, landing in Yuba City and working on a peach farm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eventually, he bought his own ranch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He had a love for peaches,” Johl said. “That got passed on to the next generation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johl hopes the new farm bill will include more support for specialty crop farmers, so maybe his kids can grow peaches, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live by, ‘Hey, tomorrow’s gonna be a better day,’” Johl said. “‘Next year is gonna be a better season.”’\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And Johl said that maybe, in another season, he’ll get the chance to plant some more peach trees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was edited with support from the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a sweltering morning in June off State Route 70 in Marysville as Sarb Johl watches one of his employees use an excavator to push dead peach trees into ginormous, dry piles.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He’s picking up the trees that have already been pushed out of the ground so they can be burned,” Johl said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like a lot of farmers in Yuba and Sutter counties, Johl grows peaches — and not the kind that you buy fresh at the store or farmers’ market. These peaches are grown specifically for canning.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Johl was forced to rip out over half of his peach acres after one of the last canneries in the state, Del Monte Foods, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/del-monte-files-for-bankruptcy-as-its-canned-fruit-and-vegetable-sales-slide\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a> and then closed earlier this year. That left growers like Johl \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article314486736.html\">without a buyer\u003c/a> for their fruit — and facing a dire economic crisis.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When the processor goes out, basically you got no place to go,” Johl said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In April, the United States Department of Agriculture threw farmers a lifeline by creating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-05-05/california-lawmakers-secure-federal-aid-for-yuba-sutter-peach-farmers-affected-by-major-cannery-closure\">$9 million program\u003c/a> to fund the removal of thousands of acres of trees.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In April, the United States Department of Agriculture threw farmers a lifeline by creating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-05-05/california-lawmakers-secure-federal-aid-for-yuba-sutter-peach-farmers-affected-by-major-cannery-closure\">$9 million program\u003c/a> to fund the removal of thousands of acres of trees.\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/IMG_1858-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090778\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pile of dead peach trees lie in a field next to an active peach orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026.\u003cbr>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, farmers like Johl need to invest in growing another crop, likely a type of nut, and they’re hoping the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088977/a-lifeline-for-californias-small-farms-just-expired-what-comes-next\">new farm bill\u003c/a> will provide some help to make the transition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it may not be that simple.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So historically, the farm bill has sort of left out specialty crop growers,” said \u003ca href=\"https://jsayre.ucdavis.edu/\">James Sayre\u003c/a>, an agricultural economist at UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So historically, the farm bill has sort of left out specialty crop growers,” said \u003ca href=\"https://jsayre.ucdavis.edu/\">James Sayre\u003c/a>, an agricultural economist at UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sayre said that specialty crops — like some fruits, vegetables and nuts — have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the massive piece of agriculture legislation. He said that’s partially because a lot of the bill is dedicated to what are called \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12047\">Title I crops\u003c/a> — think big commodities like corn, wheat and soybeans. Title I crops are federally subsidized with insurance programs and direct payments to farmers when prices fall.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sayre said that specialty crops — like some fruits, vegetables and nuts — have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the massive piece of agriculture legislation. He said that’s partially because a lot of the bill is dedicated to what are called \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12047\">Title I crops\u003c/a> — think big commodities like corn, wheat and soybeans. Title I crops are federally subsidized with insurance programs and direct payments to farmers when prices fall.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The upshot is that if you are a specialty crop grower, you basically didn’t have access to many of these programs,” Sayre said.\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/IMG_1827-scaled-e1783983231785.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090774\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sarb Johl holds a pair of unripe peaches at his orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Title I crops are grown across many Midwestern states, while specialty crops are concentrated in California. Sayre said that means lawmakers from big commodity-growing regions have more votes in Congress and therefore more political power.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One silver lining is that California Sen. Adam Schiff has a seat on the Senate’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/\">Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee\u003c/a>. It’s the first time in 30 years that a lawmaker from the Golden State is at the table.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Schiff said one of his main priorities is to \u003ca href=\"https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-pushes-to-level-playing-field-for-californias-farmers-in-senate-farm-bill-with-six-new-agriculture-bills/\">get more resources\u003c/a> for specialty crop farmers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Schiff said one of his main priorities is to \u003ca href=\"https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-pushes-to-level-playing-field-for-californias-farmers-in-senate-farm-bill-with-six-new-agriculture-bills/\">get more resources\u003c/a> for specialty crop farmers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s no reason to treat these farmers differently than we treat farmers in other parts of the country that grow different crops,” Schiff said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The senator said that specialty crop farmers face the same natural disasters and market pressures as commodity farmers. \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/IMG_1852.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sarb Johl reaches for an unripe peach at his orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. \u003cbr>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But getting a new farm bill across the finish line has gotten more difficult since H.R. 1, the president’s federal budget package, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/millions-lose-snap-benefits-as-one-big-beautiful-bills-stricter-requirements-kick-in\">significantly cut\u003c/a> the food assistance program known as SNAP. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Schiff said Democrats want to see those cuts reversed in the next farm bill.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think there’s some bipartisan interest in doing that,” Schiff said. “If Republicans are willing to meet us, then I think we have a farm bill.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But farmers like Johl can’t wait around for politicians to duke it out in the halls of the Capitol. Back at the farm, he said giving up peaches entirely would be like giving up a part of his family heritage. Johl’s dad immigrated from Punjab, India, in the 1960s, landing in Yuba City and working on a peach farm.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Peach farmers in the Central Valley have pulled up their crops and are facing financial hardship. They hope a new farm bill will help keep them going after one of the last canneries in the state closed earlier this year. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s a sweltering morning in June off State Route 70 in Marysville as Sarb Johl watches one of his employees use an excavator to push dead peach trees into ginormous, dry piles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s picking up the trees that have already been pushed out of the ground so they can be burned,” Johl said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like a lot of farmers in Yuba and Sutter counties, Johl grows peaches — and not the kind that you buy fresh at the store or farmers’ market. These peaches are grown specifically for canning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Johl was forced to rip out over half of his peach acres after one of the last canneries in the state, Del Monte Foods, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/del-monte-files-for-bankruptcy-as-its-canned-fruit-and-vegetable-sales-slide\">filed for bankruptcy\u003c/a> and then closed earlier this year. That left growers like Johl \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article314486736.html\">without a buyer\u003c/a> for their fruit — and facing a dire economic crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the processor goes out, basically you got no place to go,” Johl said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, the United States Department of Agriculture threw farmers a lifeline by creating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-05-05/california-lawmakers-secure-federal-aid-for-yuba-sutter-peach-farmers-affected-by-major-cannery-closure\">$9 million program\u003c/a> to fund the removal of thousands of acres of trees.\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-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12090778\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090778\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1858-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pile of dead peach trees lie in a field next to an active peach orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026.\u003cbr> (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12090773\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1818-scaled-e1783982597496.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090773\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An excavator destroys a portion of Sarb Johl’s peach orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, farmers like Johl need to invest in growing another crop, likely a type of nut, and they’re hoping the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088977/a-lifeline-for-californias-small-farms-just-expired-what-comes-next\">new farm bill\u003c/a> will provide some help to make the transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it may not be that simple.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So historically, the farm bill has sort of left out specialty crop growers,” said \u003ca href=\"https://jsayre.ucdavis.edu/\">James Sayre\u003c/a>, an agricultural economist at UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sayre said that specialty crops — like some fruits, vegetables and nuts — have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the massive piece of agriculture legislation. He said that’s partially because a lot of the bill is dedicated to what are called \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12047\">Title I crops\u003c/a> — think big commodities like corn, wheat and soybeans. Title I crops are federally subsidized with insurance programs and direct payments to farmers when prices fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The upshot is that if you are a specialty crop grower, you basically didn’t have access to many of these programs,” Sayre said.\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/10/2026/07/IMG_1827-scaled-e1783983231785.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090774\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sarb Johl holds a pair of unripe peaches at his orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Title I crops are grown across many Midwestern states, while specialty crops are concentrated in California. Sayre said that means lawmakers from big commodity-growing regions have more votes in Congress and therefore more political power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One silver lining is that California Sen. Adam Schiff has a seat on the Senate’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/\">Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee\u003c/a>. It’s the first time in 30 years that a lawmaker from the Golden State is at the table.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schiff said one of his main priorities is to \u003ca href=\"https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-pushes-to-level-playing-field-for-californias-farmers-in-senate-farm-bill-with-six-new-agriculture-bills/\">get more resources\u003c/a> for specialty crop farmers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no reason to treat these farmers differently than we treat farmers in other parts of the country that grow different crops,” Schiff said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The senator said that specialty crop farmers face the same natural disasters and market pressures as commodity farmers. \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/IMG_1852.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1852-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sarb Johl reaches for an unripe peach at his orchard in Marysville, California, on June 12, 2026. \u003cbr> (Claudia Brancart/NSPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But getting a new farm bill across the finish line has gotten more difficult since H.R. 1, the president’s federal budget package, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/millions-lose-snap-benefits-as-one-big-beautiful-bills-stricter-requirements-kick-in\">significantly cut\u003c/a> the food assistance program known as SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schiff said Democrats want to see those cuts reversed in the next farm bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think there’s some bipartisan interest in doing that,” Schiff said. “If Republicans are willing to meet us, then I think we have a farm bill.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But farmers like Johl can’t wait around for politicians to duke it out in the halls of the Capitol. Back at the farm, he said giving up peaches entirely would be like giving up a part of his family heritage. Johl’s dad immigrated from Punjab, India, in the 1960s, landing in Yuba City and working on a peach farm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eventually, he bought his own ranch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He had a love for peaches,” Johl said. “That got passed on to the next generation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johl hopes the new farm bill will include more support for specialty crop farmers, so maybe his kids can grow peaches, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live by, ‘Hey, tomorrow’s gonna be a better day,’” Johl said. “‘Next year is gonna be a better season.”’\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And Johl said that maybe, in another season, he’ll get the chance to plant some more peach trees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was edited with support from the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"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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"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"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": {
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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": {
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"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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},
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"title": "Latino USA",
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
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},
"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"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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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
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},
"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>",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
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"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
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},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
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"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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