News

Supermarket Employees Demand Hero Pay, Protections As COVID-19 Spikes

November 24, 2020

Food 4 Less employees and protestors gathered outside the supermarket in LA’s Boyle Heights neighborhood last week to demand the company reinstitute hero pay and adopt better protections as cases spike across the state.

State Government

After Months With No Pandemic Relief, Advocates Ramp Up Pressure On Congress

November 24, 2020 | Nicole Nixon

The federal government’s COVID-19 relief package known as the CARES Act was approved in March, but some provisions like expanded unemployment benefits have been spent. Other protections will expire at the end of the year.

State Government

EDD Sent Up To $1 Billion Of Unemployment Funds To Prison And Jail Inmates, Prosecutors Say

November 24, 2020 | Nicole Nixon

The fraud allegations represent another black eye for the state’s unemployment department, which has been plagued by payment backlogs since the pandemic began.

Sacramento Sheriff’s Office Breaks COVID-19 Enforcement Commitment After Collecting Millions In Federal Relief Funding

November 24, 2020 | Scott Rodd

In March, with $104 million in federal assistance at stake, the department said its officers would break up social gatherings to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Now, Sheriff Scott Jones says he won’t take action on public health orders.

State Government

Watch: California Health Officials Update On COVID-19 For November 24

November 24, 2020

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly gave an update Tuesday on COVID-19 in the state.

In Stockton, A Dying Daily Paper And Disinformation Affected Mayor Michael Tubbs’ Reelection

November 24, 2020 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

The Record’s demise and the emergence of the 209 Times website made it harder for voters to navigate fact and opinion.

Biden Introduces Key National Security Picks

November 24, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden is continuing to build his incoming White House staff, despite President Trump's refusal to admit defeat in the election. Watch the announcement live at 1 p.m. ET.

Environment

California Turkeys Will Likely Trot North As Climate Warms, But May Not Leave The Suburbs

November 23, 2020 | Ezra David Romero

Millions of commercially raised turkeys will be consumed this week, while their wilder cousins roam free. But wild turkeys may have to trot a little faster to keep up with the projected shifts in both summer and winter climate spaces.

Asian and Pacific Islander Groups Respond To Health Director’s Racial Slur

November 23, 2020 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

Community organizers with a Sacramento-area network of Asian and Pacific Islander residents have submitted a list of demands for how the county can move forward in addressing health disparities and racism as a public health crisis.

Environment

GM Drops Trump Fight Against California Car Standards

November 23, 2020

The auto company, aligned with President Trump, now aligns with president-election Joe Biden in climate change plans.

President-Elect Biden To Begin Formal Transition Process After Agency OK

November 23, 2020

President Trump, who has still yet to concede, tweeted that he was "recommending" the GSA and others in his administration begin "initial protocols" to kickstart the formal transfer of power.

Health Care

As Holidays Arrive, California Faces A Shortage Of In-Home Caregivers

November 23, 2020 | Sammy Caiola

As nursing homes struggle to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, more people are trying to hire in-home caregivers for their elderly loved ones. But California home care agencies say recruitment has been a struggle during the pandemic.

State Government

Watch: Gov. Gavin Newsom Update On COVID-19 For Nov. 23

November 23, 2020

Watch California Gov. Gavin Newsom's update on the state's response to COVID-19.

California NAACP Leader Resigns Amid Conflict-Of-Interest Backlash

November 23, 2020

Alice Huffman was paid millions by corporate ballot measure campaigns that her historic civil rights organization endorsed, while many Black leaders took opposing positions.

How Risky Was That Napa Party Gavin Newsom Attended?

November 22, 2020

A model calculates a 12% chance that a guest at a small dinner party in Napa Valley is infected with the virus. Whether indoors or outdoors, dining in a restaurant is “amongst the riskiest things we do for COVID,” a UCSF health expert said.

State Government

Third Straight Weekend Of Protests, Violence As Trump Supporters Descend On California’s Capitol

November 21, 2020 | Scott Rodd

Pro-Trump demonstrators and Proud Boys gathered at the Capitol in downtown Sacramento and marched to Cesar Chavez Plaza, where they squared-off with counter-protesters.

How Bank Of America Helped Fuel California’s Unemployment Meltdown

November 21, 2020

After the Great Recession, California signed an exclusive contract with Bank of America to distribute unemployment benefits through prepaid debit cards.

State Government

State Mandates Emergency Workplace COVID-19 Protections, Less Crowding For Guest Farmworkers

November 21, 2020

Backed by the state’s attorney general and welcomed by labor advocates as better late than never, California’s new policy will start to hold businesses accountable for protecting their workers and mandate reporting outbreaks.

State Government

‘It’s A Shame’: California Squandered $2.7 Billion For Affordable Housing, Audit Says

November 20, 2020 | Chris Nichols

The California State Auditor found the state wasted $2.7 billion in bond resources that could have spurred affordable housing construction.

Health Care

Can California's Curfew Slow The Spread Of COVID-19? We Asked An Infectious Disease Specialist.

November 20, 2020 | Mike Hagerty

CapRadio spoke with Dr. Lee Riley, an infectious disease specialist at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, who said the curfew will only impact a small number of people.