What’s the proposed Berkeley vacant homes tax on the ballot this November? Berkeley residents will be voting on a proposed tax on vacant rental units this November. Proposed by Vice Mayor Kate Harrison, it could mean that property owners of residential buildings will have to pay a tax on vacant units that have been empty … Continued
Stock photo by AntoineLanz from Pixabay When the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, perinatal care providers braced themselves for a surge in pregnancy-related mortality. A total abortion ban has been predicted to result in a 20% increase in the rates of pregnancy-related mortality overall and a 30% increase … Continued
A San Francisco federal judge will evaluate the temporary restraining order that stopped Caltrans from clearing the Wood Street encampment in West Oakland – deciding the fate of the city’s largest largest unhoused community. KPFA’s Ellie Prickett-Morgan has this story. Ahead of tomorrow’s hearing, residents have drafted an open letter from the Wood Street … Continued
Recent investigations by KTVU and the Marshall Project show that police dogs are often deployed on people who are suspected of minor crimes. They can seriously injure people and leave lasting physical and emotional trauma. However, California state laws don’t clearly say when it’s ok to use police dogs, and they’re not always under … Continued
A herd of Tule Elk. Credit: Lee Eastman/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters. Reported and produced by Sam Anderson. Edited by Lucy Kang. Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California is one of the most iconic national parks in the region, known for rugged sweeping beaches, lush pastures, and wild animals like the famous Tule … Continued
California has a complicated relationship to immigration policy. In theory, this is a sanctuary state. The law blocks most collaboration between local law enforcement and immigration agents. But in the first five months of 2020, California has transferred nearly 600 people from its jails and prisons to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This … Continued
… As part of KPFA’s on-going coverage of COVID-19 outbreaks in California prisons and ICE detention centers, we bring you this series featuring the words of incarcerated and detained people and their loved ones. Click on a link below to read and hear more: What happens when you get COVID-19 inside Santa Rita Jail… … Continued
This series is part of KPFA’s coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in California state prisons. On this episode, we hear from the mother of someone incarcerated inside Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF). KPFA spoke with a woman who only wanted to be identified as “Lisa” about her daughter who recently tested positive for COVID-19 while … Continued
KPFA has been covering the COVID-19 outbreaks inside ICE detention centers throughout the pandemic. In this story, we take a look at what’s happening inside Yuba County Jail (YCJ), where only 15 people remain in ICE custody. Javier, who is only using his first name, has been detained at YCJ for the past 13 months. … Continued
