L.A City Employees Must Get Vaccinated by December City of L.A. workers who remain unvaccinated may be getting a reprieve from a vaccine mandate that took effect Wednesday. ..but it won’t last forever. Mayor Eric Garcetti says municipal employees who aren’t fully vaccinated by December 18th should be “prepared to lose their jobs.” Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW  Rainfall Arrives, And the Drought Continues Rain has been falling in Northern California, and the National Weather Service’s Bay Area division predicts more rain later this week. That’s really good news for reducing wildfire risks, but what does it mean for the drought? Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED California Partners with Company that Built Border Wall for COVID-19 Response California has turned to an unusual partner for part of its COVID-19 response. It’s the same company that built former president Donald Trump’s border wall along the California-Mexico border. The no-bid, $350 million contract has frustrated immigration advocates and community health care leaders. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio 

KQED's The California Report

Rain Brings Reprieve, but the Drought Carries On

Thousands of unvaccinated Los Angeles City workers may have until December to get the mandated shots. But if they remain unvaccinated, they could feel the bite in their paychecks.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Los Angeles County is studying the effectiveness of a peer vaccination program. The homeless are being used as ambassadors to try to help convince other unhoused people get their shots. Guest: Chelsea Shover, Professor at UCLA who is helping lead the program A record number of cargo ships are idling off the Southern California coast. That means delays at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. But one Bay Area port is trying to help alleviate these delays. Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report  The descendents of some of Southern California’s early pioneers are trying to save their ancestors’ crumbling home. This is taking place in the Inland Empire, where a farming town was founded when California was still part of Mexico. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KVCR

Unvaccinated L.A. City Employees Could Get Extra Time to Get Shots

Business leaders testified during a Congressional hearing on Monday about the impacts the recent Orange County oil spill has had on the region. At least one owner says he's unsure if and when things will get back to normal for his fishing company. October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and while many cities across California have ambitious goals to better protect those walking on the street, they are falling well short of those goals. Can anything be done to better protect pedestrians from drivers? Guest: Leah Shahum, Executive Director, Vision Zero Network Revenue from parking tickets is used by cities to pay for things like public parks and trash removal. But in Los Angeles, a new report has found that parking citations just aren’t the money maker they used to be.   Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW  A new law in California will soon mandate use-of-force training for security guards. A CapRadio investigation into the private security industry sparked the legislation.  Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio South Bay Congressman Ro Khanna will preside over an historic hearing later this month, where Big Oil executives and trade groups will face questions about their role in spreading climate disinformation.  Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED 

Orange County Businesses Continue to Struggle Following Oil Spill

Last year, Governor Gavin Newsom sent nearly $850 million to cities and counties to buy empty motels and other properties to convert them into homeless housing. Now he wants to spend over $2.5 billion more on the same effort. The Homekey program has proven to be a success, but most of the sites being used aren't permanent places to stay for participants. Reporters: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report, Anna Scott, KCRW The Coast Guard said that back in January, a cargo vessel named the MSC Danit might have caught its anchor on the underwater pipeline involved in the Orange County oil spill, dragging it more than a 100 feet across the ocean floor. Los Angeles Unified School District’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate takes full effect Monday. Staff and teachers in L.A. need at least one COVID shot to get on campus, and must be fully vaccinated by November 15. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  The California condor is under threat once again. The massive birds went extinct in the wild in the 1980s but through breeding and conservation programs started making a comeback. But deaths attributed to lead poisoning have been rising once again, threatening the survival of this endangered species. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX

Homekey Provides Stability, But No Permanent Housing For Many Participants

The bitter rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers came to a head in their National League Division Series playoff battle. It's the first time the teams have met in the postseason. And the Dodgers came out on top in Game Five in a nail-biter. The Coast Guard says it’s confident the number of gallons leaked from the oil spill in Orange County is around 25,000, far less than the original estimate. Meanwhile, the oil spill was a major talking point during a Congressional hearing on Thursday. Recent COVID-19 trends in California are very positive, with infections, hospitalizations and deaths all down because of vaccinations and mask use.  And in Los Angeles the number of new infections among school children is also subsiding. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

Dodgers Top Giants in Decisive Game Five

About 60,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are threatening to strike next Monday if they can’t reach an agreement with studios over such issues as working conditions and more reasonable hours. IATSE represents a wide range of Hollywood’s workforce from cinematographers and editors to make up artists and script coordinators. Guest: A.J. Catoline, Editor on Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso" The executive director of the labor union SEIU California has resigned, after being charged with tax fraud and other felonies. Alma Hernández and her husband were charged earlier this month. Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report  One of the bills Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed mandates mental health education classes for many middle and high school students in California.  Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED  One team will advance to the National League Championship Series. The other will have its season come to an end. The Dodgers and Giants take the field tonight in San Francisco.

Hollywood Production Workers Set Strike Date

The Alisal Fire has burned more than 13,000 acres in Santa Barbara County. That’s prompted evacuation orders in rural areas and forced the shut down of parts of Highway 101. Reporter: Rachel Showalter, KCBX Los Angeles continues its push to dismantle large homeless encampments in the city and move people into temporary shelters. It's already happened in the city's Echo Park and Venice neighborhoods. Now, the unhoused who are living in a section of MacArthur Park west of downtown, will be required to move by the end of this week. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report In the Coachella Valley, desert cities are passing laws restricting or banning short-term rentals. And that’s squeezing supply in the city of Palm Springs. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW California’s committee on reparations met again Tuesday to discuss housing and environmental inequities that have specifically disadvantaged African Americans. The committee looked at how reparations could be given in the form of direct payments and other methods to correct decades of racist policies and actions.  Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio Among the more than 700 bills Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law are several that aim to fix problems at the state’s unemployment department. The changes come in the wake of a parade of problems that jeopardized much needed help for jobless Californians. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

Alisal Fire Continues to Grow, Threatens Homes

California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla visited the site of the Orange County oil spill on Monday. Bonta has pledged to work with federal and local law enforcement to investigate the disaster. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED So far, more than two dozen birds have been rescued by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, which is leading recovery and rehabilitation efforts for wildlife impacted by the Orange County oil spill.  Pacific Gas & Electric has been blamed for numerous fires in recent years and the utility is mired in debt. Fire survivors have struggled to get any type of compensation from the company. But there's one group that has benefited from all of the pain -- Wall Street hedge funds. Guest: Lily Jamali, Former Co-Host, The California Report

State Attorney General Lanches Investigation Into Orange County Oil Spill

City and state beaches are reopening in Huntington Beach after more than a thousand volunteers and workers continued with clean-up efforts over the weekend, following the recent oil spill. Investigators are looking into whether the pipeline in question may have been damaged far earlier than first thought. Homekey is the centerpiece of California’s multi-billion dollar plans to fight homelessness. Started last year, it focuses on turning old or underused businesses, especially motels, into permanent supportive housing for the homeless. But the program is also showing other benefits in some cities. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring California high school students to take an ethnic studies class in order to graduate. The courses must be offered by the 2025-26 school year. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED ﻿ A new law will afford tribes the same ambulance certification exemptions given to city and county fire departments. Previously, tribes had to jump through hoops. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio

Pipeline Likely Damaged Months Before Orange County Oil Spill

Nearly a week after oil was first reported off the coast of Orange County, investigators still have not been able to determine exactly how much crude has spilled into the Pacific. Tar balls have been spotted further south in San Diego County, but it's unclear if they're from the oil spill. During the pandemic, people have taken up lots of new hobbies and activities. That includes yoga. And some yoga instructors have found ways to create culturally sensitive spaces for students of color, in an industry where many feel white westerners have co-opted the practice.  Reporter: Gabriella Frenes, The California Report  As COVID-19 cases decline in California, Los Angeles County health officials are encouraged by another metric -- more teenagers are getting vaccinated. In the past month, there was a 5% increase in Latino 12-15 year olds receiving the free shots. The percentage was similar for Native American children in the same age group, followed by Black children.  Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC  Bay Area public health officers say the Delta COVID-19 surge is subsiding. So now, it’s time to talk about an exit strategy for indoor mask mandates. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED 

Officials Still Unclear How Much Oil Spilled Off Coast of Orange County

The investigation continues into this past weekend’s oil spill off the coast of Orange County, with attention now focused on a cargo container vessel named “The Rotterdam Express.” The German-owned ship was anchored near the site of the oil spill for more than a week, before the pipeline owned by Amplify Energy ruptured. The Los Angeles City Council has passed an ordinance requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter many indoor businesses, city-owned buildings and large events. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW As California’s drought persists, there’s once again attention on saving water and a renewed push to make our homes and gardens more water efficient. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

German Ship Now Being Investigated For Potential Role in Pipeline Rupture

The Coast Guard says a section of the pipeline that ruptured off the coast of Orange County moved more than a hundred feet along the ocean floor. It’s still unclear what caused the rupture, as authorities have not been able to confirm reports that it may have been caused by a ship’s anchor. Southern California Congressman Mike Levin is renewing a call to pass his legislation, that would ban new offshore drilling off the coast of Southern California. He says the massive oil spill in Orange County is further evidence of the importance of the bill. Guest: Congressman Mike Levin, Representative for California's 49th District Governor Gavin Newsom was at a Fresno elementary school on Tuesday to sign historic education bills into law. One will expand free access to early Pre-K and fund a college savings account for low-income students.  Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio  In a split decision, a three judge panel on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that California’s ban on private prisons and detention centers is unconstitutional. A private prison firm and the Trump administration had sued to stop the 2019 ban from taking effect.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Why did some homes in the Northern California town of Paradise survive the 2018 Camp Fire while so many others did not? New research shows that simple actions such as creating defensible space around homes might have been a big factor.  Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting is Thursday and it comes days after a jury ordered the carmaker to pay $137 million to a Black worker, who accused the company of ignoring racist abuse. The former employee, who worked at Tesla’s Fremont plant from 2015 to 2016, said he was called racist names and employees drew swastikas and left racist graffiti around the plant.  Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED 

New Details Released on Ruptured Pipeline Involved in Massive Oil Spill

There are growing questions about why the emergency response wasn’t faster to a massive oil spill in Orange County over the weekend. And an investigation into the pipeline’s rupture is also underway. The oil spill is also threatening to destroy ecologically sensitive marsh areas in Southern California. Wetlands in Huntington Beach, which have been carefully restored and maintained since the 1990s, are now inundated with oil, and they're critical for coastal life. Reporter: Jacob Margolis, KPCC Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that aims to address racial health disparities for new moms of color and their babies.  Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED In response to an investigation by California public radio stations into the health risks from wildfire smoke, state and federal lawmakers plan to introduce legislation and hold at least one hearing on the topic. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio  

Massive Oil Spill off Orange County Coast Called Potential Ecological Disaster

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KQED's The California Report

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