KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Biden Administration holds up military aid delivery to Israel over disagreement over planned Rafah raid. Trump attorneys cross examine Stormy Daniels at New York hush money trial. New employment numbers show jobless claims up slightly. San Francisco homeless advocates hold Mothers Day rally for funding for homeless young mothers. Senate Committee takes on junk fees aimed at low income consumers. PUC approves electricity rate changes.  Human Rights Watch reports on ethnic massacres in Sudan. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 9, 2024 Biden Administration holds up military aid delivery to Israel over disagreement over planned Rafah raid. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Israel seizes border crossing near Rafah as it preps for an incursion into Rafah. Biden stiffens asylum rules at US-Mexico border. Biden campaigns in Wisconsin, touts his economic success. House holds hearing on antisemitism in public schools.  California labor activists call on lawmakers to support bills to protect climate change economy jobs. Berkeley Unified faces antisemitism complaint with the Department of Education. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 8, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Stormy Daniels testifies in Trump hush money trial to alleged tryst and payment to stay quiet about it. Biden denounces rise in antisemitism during address at Holocaust memorial event at US Capitol. Israeli forces seize Gaza side of Rafah border crossing, UN issues warning against military assault. Tornadoes hammer central US, causing injuries, deaths and destruction. Putin sworn in for fifth term as Russian leader, after eliminating opposition. Veterans kick off peace march from Maine to Washington DC.  Maghazi camp in Gaza struck.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 7, 2024 Stormy Daniels testifies in Trump hush money trial to alleged tryst and payment to stay quiet about it. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Hamas accepts Qatari-Egyptian ceasefire proposal, Israel has yet to respond. Judge overseeing Trump hush money trial fines him over gag order violations, threatens him with jail if he repeats it. Scottish National Party chooses new leader. Protesters demonstrate against Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s appearance at San Francisco cyber security conference. Bill to limit use of retail self checkout stands now in state legislature. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 6, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The United Nations humanitarian aid agency says hundreds of thousands of people would be “at imminent risk of death” if Israel carries out a military assault in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Turkey has announced that it is suspending all imports and exports to Israel over its ongoing military action in Gaza. Garbage buildup at Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp creates unsanitary conditions and serious health concerns. It’s World Press Freedom Day, even as the war in Gaza stands out as one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists. President Joe Biden finalized a rule change in Obamacare today that will open the healthcare market to tens of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as children but who don’t qualify for government health insurance because they lack legal status. Former longtime Donald Trump adviser Hope Hicks took the stand today in the eleventh day of the former president’s hush money trial, recounting how his 2016 presidential campaign became embroiled in a political firestorm over a tape in which he boasted about grabbing women without their permission. Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife have been indicted and taken into custody on conspiracy and bribery charges in connection with a federal probe into their ties with the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ signing of the repeal of a Civil War-era ban on nearly all abortions was a stirring occasion for the women working to ensure the 19th-century law remains in the past. An Asian American advocacy group released a new study this week on America’s perceptions of Asian Americans in the country, revealing new data on how Americans see Asian Americans and how Asian Americans see themselves.   Palestinian children displaced by Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk through a temporary tent camp near Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali) The post UN aid agency says a Rafah incursion would put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk – May 3, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   Biden weighs in on campus anti-war protests. UC Berkeley encampment still in place despite crackdowns on other campus protests. Arizona Governor signs bill into law undoing 1864 anti-abortion ban. UN report paints grim picture of post war Gaza rebuilding efforts. Stormy Daniels lawyer on stand again at Trump New York hush money trial. Federal prison officials announce Dublin women’s prison emptied out. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 2, 2024 Biden weighs in on campus anti-war protests. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   Student encampments shutdown amid violent confrontations and building occupations. May Day rallies held around the world including in the Bay Area. Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for vote on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership. May Day rallies held around the world including in the Bay Area. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israeli leaders, calls for ceasefire in Gaza war. Harvey Weinstein back in New York courtroom for first time since appeals court rescinded his 2020 rape conviction. Florida abortion ban goes into effect.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 1, 2024 Student encampments shutdown amid violent confrontations and building occupations. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   Columbia campus protests escalate with building occupation and threats of expulsion. Police crack down on University of Texas campus protest. Judge fines Trump for gag order violation at hush money trial in New York. Secretary of State Blinken in Israel for talks, urges Hamas accept ceasefire proposal. US health officials recommend women get regular mammograms starting at a younger age. Youth voter organization breaks downs down findings of youth voter poll. California lawmakers advance bill that would protect poll workers.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 30, 2024 Columbia campus protests escalate with building occupation and threats of expulsion. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Blinken meets Middle Eastern leaders in Riyadh, urges Hamas to accept Israeli ceasefire offer. Campus anti-war protests continue to roil US university campuses. Labor activists call for the state to extend $20 per hour minimum wage to prisoners. Housing rights advocates call on Governor Newsom to budget more for affordable housing. Scotland First Minister resigns over failure to form governing coalition with Scottish Green Party. Midwest states deal with a rash of tornadoes, several people killed. Californians call for state single payer system. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 29, 2024 Blinken meets Middle Eastern leaders in Riyadh, urges Hamas to accept Israeli ceasefire offer. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump hush money trial continues in New York, defense attorneys go after former Enquirer publisher’s credibility. Student led protests against the Israel Hamas war continue on US campuses. US will send $6 billion in missile defense equipment to Ukraine. Legal scholars cast doubt on Trump presidential immunity arguments in Supreme Court. New study shows Americans losing sleep. Aid workers attempt to distribute aid coming into Gaza. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 26, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Supreme Court hears arguments from Trump lawyers calling for absolute immunity. New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns, interim transitional council sworn in. UN Humanitarian Chief for Gaza addresses dire situation in the enclave. Chef Jose Andres eulogizes seven food aid colleagues killed in accidental Israeli airstrike. California nurses union calls for single payer healthcare system. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 25, 2024 Supreme Court hears arguments from Trump lawyers calling for absolute immunity. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Campus protests against Gaza war roil US university campuses. President Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Hamas release hostage video of American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Troubled aircraft manufacturer Boeing reports $355 revenue drop in first quarter. State legislative Committee advances bill to provide treatment instead of suspension for students who violate school drug rules. UN releases dire new report on state of global hunger. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 24, 2024 President Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Senate moves closer to passing $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies. Environmental activists call on San Francisco water regulators to stop diverting water from state waterways. Former National Enquirer publisher takes the stand in Trump’s New York hush money trial. UN takes up plastic pollution as a global issue in need of solving. California mayors call on the state government to continue homeless assistance funding. Gaza refugee camp hit according to Gaza health officials. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 23, 2024 Senate moves closer to passing $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Supreme Court takes up case on whether banning sleeping rough in unconstitutional. Opening arguments begin in Trump hush money trial in New York. Supreme Court agrees to hear Administration challenge to lower court ruling against ghost gun bans. Independent investigators release results of report into allegations of UNRWA neutrality problems. High Speed rail linking Las Vegas to LA begins construction. UC Berkeley students hold encampment demanding UC divestment from Israel connected companies. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 22, 2024 Supreme Court takes up case on whether banning sleeping rough in unconstitutional. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump hush money trial in New York seats 12 jurors and 6 alternates, arguments start next week. The House advances a foreign aid package toward a final vote, including aid to Ukraine and Israel. World leaders call for easing tensions between Israel and Iran following back and forth strikes. Tesla recalls nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks over concern over sticking accelerator pedal. RFK Jr. makes the ballot in battleground state of Michigan. Bay Area activists among group sailing an unauthorized flotilla of aid to Gaza from Turkey. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 19, 2024 Trump hush money trial in New York seats 12 jurors and 6 alternates, arguments start next week. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump hush money trial seats 12 jurors, six alternates to be selected next. President Biden picks up the endorsement of more than a dozen members of the Kennedy family, dismissing the RFK Jr. candidacy. Maine lawmakers pass tough new gun restriction six months after state’s worst mass shooting. Governor Newsom calls for stronger oversight of local government’s use of state homeless funds. Starbucks to lessen the amount of its plastic waste. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 18, 2024 President Biden picks up the endorsement of more than a dozen members of the Kennedy family, bypassing the RFK Jr. candidacy. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Senate dismisses impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Biden supports House bills that would fund aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Tennessee VW workers close to voting to unionize. Ukraine officials say Russian missile attack kills 14, wounds 60. State regulators push utility tax to help fund clean energy transition. Recovery efforts continue after Israeli strike on Meghazi camp in Gaza.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 17, 2024 Senate dismisses impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Day two of jury selection in Trump New York hush money criminal trial. House Speaker Mike Johnson defies far-right opposition to push Ukraine, Israel aid package. Biden pushed economic vision in first leg of three day campaign push in Pennsylvania. House Republicans send impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to Senate. California homeless encampment removal bill fails to clear legislative committee.  Activists push for housing bond for California fall election. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 16, 2024 Day two of jury selection in Trump New York hush money criminal trial. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump hush money trial begins in New York with jury selection. Biden urges restraint from Israel in responding to Iranian weekend missile strikes. UN debates Iran Israel tensions, following Iranian strikes aimed at Israel. Anti-Gaza war protestors shutdown traffic on Bay Area freeways and around the nation. Tesla announces layoff of one-tenth of its global workforce. Paris Hilton in Sacramento to advocate for teen detention facility transparency bill. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 15, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Biden warns Iran against possible retaliatory strike against Israel. House reauthorises FISA foreign surveillance program after partisan debate. Vice-President Harris slams Trump abortion policy at Arizona abortion rights rally. Trump hush money trial to begin Monday with jury selection. UN humanitarian experts warn of worsening situation for Gaza civilians. Biden offers another student debt relief plan. California legislature considering limiting corporate purchase of homes. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 12, 2024 Biden warns Iran against possible retaliatory strike against Israel. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Arizona lawmakers trying to repeal 19th century era abortion ban after state Supreme Court OKs it. Biden shores up Pacific alliances during trilateral summit with Filipino and Japanese leaders. Federal fishing officials cancel California’s salmon season for the second year in a row. Notorious former NFL star, actor and suspected double murderer OJ Simpson dies of cancer aged 76. President Biden signs new rule closing gun show loophole. Ukraine parliament passes new military mobilization law. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 11, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for official state visit. Inflation continues upward trend in the US. Heavy rains, wind, tornadoes and hail forecast to pummel the Gulf Coast and Deep South. California AG Rob Bonta discusses hate crimes during Fresno visit. Bill to limit corporate housing purchases now in state legislature. Tennessee GOP-controlled legislature advances bill to arm teachers at schools. UC Berkeley names new Chancellor former Business School Dean Rich Lyons. Eid celebrations held in Gaza Strip amid hunger concerns. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 10, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 9, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 8, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Rare earthquake rattles East Coast, no injuries or major damage reported. Biden visits site of collapsed bridge in Baltimore, vows federal assistance in rebuild. Israel sacks two military officers, reprimands two others in drone strike deaths of aid workers in Gaza. US adds 303,000 jobs in March, continuing upward economic swing. Former worker shot in mass shooting at Half Moon Bay mushroom farm sues owners. UN sends first aid shipment to Sudan in months, millions face food shortages. UN body calls for end to arm shipments to Israel.  Central Valley to host forum on fighting prejudice.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 5, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Biden Netanyahu discuss deaths of international aid workers and other issues during call. Protesters head to Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale facility, calling on the company to cut off equipment sales to Israel. Civil rights groups sue Alabama over new law restricting assisting voting by mail. A federal judge in Florida rejects Trump’s request that documents case be dismissed on Presidential privilege grounds. Treasury Secretary Yellin in China for trade and security talks with Chinese officials. Oakland A’s to move to Sacramento for three years until Las Vegas stadium built. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 4, 2024 Biden Netanyahu discuss deaths of international aid workers and other issues during call. appeared first on KPFA.

New York judge won’t delay Trump criminal hush money trial to wait for immunity ruling. New York judge won’t delay Trump criminal hush money trial to wait for immunity ruling. Israeli war cabinet member calls for early elections, Netanyahu balks. Earthquake in Taiwan kills at least nine, injures scores of others. Fed Chair hints at possible interest rate cuts later this year. Ukraine passes law lowering minimum conscription age from 27 to 25. SF General nurses rally for better staffing levels. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 3, 2024 New York judge won’t delay Trump criminal hush money trial to wait for immunity ruling. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. White House meets virtually with Israeli officials to discuss Rafah campaign plan. Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin. Israeli parliament passes bill that could make shut down Al Jazeera in the country. PRINGLE on SC NURSES STRIKE California’s final Sierra snowpack survey yields good news. Mono Lake advocates demand limits on water taken from the lake. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 2, 2024 California’s final Sierra snowpack survey yields good news. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Israeli and US officials hold a virtual meeting over planned Rafah military operation. Florida’s Supreme Court upholds the state’s 15 week ban on abortion. Portion of Highway 1 collapses after heavy weekend rains, stranding some drivers. California fast food workers get a pay rise as $20 per hour minimum wage starts today. Uber Protest held today in San Francisco over wages and working conditions. East Bay residents fight for housing rights. Zimbabwe drought causes fear of possible food shortages. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – April 1, 2024 Israeli and US officials hold a virtual meeting over planned Rafah military operation. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Speaking at a news conference being held at Tradepoint Atlantic on Sparrows Point, the only major shipping site within the Port of Baltimore that lies outside the collapsed bridge, Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore called the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse following a freighter collision a “economic catastrophe.” Israeli military operations hit central Gaza, including Maghazi refugee camp, killing family of five. A federal court ruled that congressional elections in South Carolina will be held under a map that it had previously deemed unconstitutional and discriminatory against Black voters. Donald Trump’s lawyers were in Georgia to ask a judge again to dismiss the election fraud case against the former president on charges he schemed to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers argue his actions were protected free speech. California water officials and the city of Los Angeles have a big decision to make about how much water is diverted from Mono Lake watershed this year. Hundreds of anti-war protesters braved the rain today near the Port of San Francisco to block a public press event celebrating the launch of a massive U.S. military ship, which they say will be used to support the war in Gaza. The post Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore calls the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse following a freighter collision an “economic catastrophe” – March 29, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   Disgraced crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for fraud. Biden Administration tightens endangered species regulations, loosened under Trump. Federal, state and local officials pledge to work together to help Baltimore recover from bridge collapse. French lawmakers pass a bill that would ban discrimination based on hair color, texture and style. AP investigation shows nonlethal police methods have led to 1,000 deaths of suspects. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 28, 2024 Disgraced crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for fraud. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Two people rescued from site of Baltimore bridge collapse, six missing and presumed dead. New York City implements $15 toll for Manhattan drivers, hoping to reduce congestion. Oakland Mayor Thao introduces new police chief Floyd Mitchell to the city. Marijuana legalization advocates call on Biden Administration to decriminalize Cannabis. Gazans react to UN Security Council ceasefire resolution. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 27, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Baltimore bridge collapses after collision with cargo ship, six people missing. Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. picks California attorney Nicole Shanahan as Presidential running mate. UK court denies U.S. extradition request for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange without assurances of no death penalty. President Biden and Vice-President Harris make healthcare themed campaign stop in North Carolina. Russia extends detention of American journalist until at least June. SCOTUS considers case limiting abortion pill access.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 26, 2024 Baltimore bridge collapses after collision with cargo ship, six people missing. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump hush money trial to begin April 15. NY appeals court said Trump fraud trial can be paused if he raises $175 million in 10 days. UN Security Council approves Gaza ceasefire resolution, US abstains. US officials decry Putin’s continued claim that Ukraine was involved in Moscow terror attack. Daly City healthcare workers begin two day strike at Seton Medical Center over health benefits. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 25, 2024 NY appeals court said Trump fraud trial can be paused if he raises $175 million in 10 days. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Islamic State Group claims responsibility in Moscow mass shooting that kills at least 40 and injuries more than 100. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Secretary of State Blinken’s request to scrap planned Rafah offensive. Russia and China reject U.S. sponsored Gaza ceasefire resolution.  House passes government funding package ahead of shutdown deadline, Senate must approve. Oakland Mayor Thao names new police chief Floyd Mitchell after year long search. Automaker Stellantis lays off 400 technical employees. Trump social media company Truth Social announces its going public. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 22, 2024 Islamic State Group claims responsibility in Moscow mass shooting that kills at least 40 and injuries more than 100. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Congress reaches deal to fund the government until September, avoiding a Friday partial government shutdown deadline. US Justice Department, 15 states and DC, sue Apple for alleged monopolistic practices in smartphone market. UN Haiti envoy warns of worsening humanitarian, security situation on the island. Secretary of State Blinken continues diplomatic efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire. World report on happiness released, US drops a few places on the list. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 21, 2024 Congress reaches deal to fund the government until September, avoiding a Friday partial government shutdown deadline. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. A federal appeals court again blocked Texas from arresting and deporting people accused of being an undocumented immigrant within hours after the US Supreme Court lifted its block of the Texas law. Canada’s Foreign Minister said her government would not approve new weapons export permits to Israel until the government could ensure the weapons were used in accordance with Canadian law. Former President Donald Trump suggested he’d support a national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy. Congress moved to fast-track spending bill, avoid government shutdown. California lawmakers, tribal leaders, academics, and law enforcement officials held a roundtable discussion today to discuss a half-century-old law that they argue is still having negative impacts on the criminal justice outcomes of some Native American communities. Migrants are taken into custody by officials at the Texas-Mexico border, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, lifted a stay on a Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally, while a legal battle over immigration authority plays out. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) The post Federal appeals court again blocks Texas from arresting, deporting people accused of being undocumented immigrants – March 20, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   Hong Kong lawmakers approve strict new law cracking down on dissent. UN labor organization says profits from forced labor going up. Child hunger increasing in Gaza strip. Candidates focus on crime issues as election season heats up. World Meteorological organization report shows planet warming at record rate. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 19, 2024 Biden administration and Congress reach government funding agreement ahead of partial government shutdown deadline. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Biden Netanyahu discuss Rafah offensive as UN officials warn of possible famine in Gaza. Vladimir Putin wins fifth six-year Presidential term in essentially uncontested vote. Tennessee VW plant workers seeking union election. Biden signs order expanding medical research for women. SCOTUS considers NRA free speech suit against New York Insurance regulator.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 18, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. World’s leading economies warn Iran not to send ballistic missiles to Russia or face sanctions. Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis remains on Trump Georgia election interference trial, special prosecutor steps down following judge’s ultimatum. Storms in Midwest and South kill at least three and leave a trail of damage. Spainish parliament grants amnesty to Catalan separatists who called unauthorised independence referendum. California’s new Fast Food Council meets for the first time; state labor commission drops minimum wage exemption for Panera Bread. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 15, 2024 Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis remains on Trump Georgia election interference trial, special prosecutor steps down following judge’s ultimatum. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. New York prosecutors say they’re willing to delay Trump hush money trial 30 days. Senate leader Chuck Schumer calls Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. EPA putting new rules limiting medical equipment cleaning chemical use, citing cancer risk. Senate hearing considers 32-hour work week. Tenderloin businesses and residents sue San Francisco over rampant drug use in neighborhood. Berkeley Mayor and Segorea Te Land Trust announce West Berkeley Shellmound land back to Ohlone people. Vice President Kamala Harris becomes first V.P. to visit an abortion clinic, Planned Parenthood. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 14, 2024 New York prosecutors say they’re willing to delay Trump hush money trial 30 days. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. House advances bill that would force Tiktok Chinese owners to sell or face a US ban. Judge in Georgia drops some charges in Trump election interference case there, most charges remain. Putin hints that nuclear weapons not off the table in Ukraine if Russian independence threatened. A UN agency holds a hearing on Gaza war affects on women and children. Michigan jury hears closing arguments in case of father of school shooter for negligence. Indigenous activists in Berkeley celebrate city’s decision to return a patch of sacred Ohlone land. Pro-Palestinian protestors briefly shut down traffic at San Francisco International airport. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 13, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   House Committee holds politically charged hearing on Biden handling of classified documents. First food aid shipment leaves Cyprus for Gaza. Primaries held Tuesday in several states, Biden and Trump expected to clinch nominations. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agrees to step down amid crisis. Housing advocates call on state and local officials to support housing initiatives. Bill to limit active shooter drills at California public schools introduced. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 12, 2024 House Committee holds politically charged hearing on Biden handling of classified documents.  appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Palestinians begin Muslim holy month of Ramadan as humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. Trump seeking to delay his March 25 hush money payment trial. Swedish climate activists Greta Thunberg and others take their climate message to Sweden’s parliament.  President Biden releases his 2025 budget as his campaign heats up. UC Berkeley Jewish students rally on campus to demand university combat antisemitism. Swedish flag raised over NATO headquarters in Brussels as Nordic country joins alliance. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 11, 2024 Palestinians begin Muslim holy month of Ramadan as humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File) Trump posts $91 million bond to cover New York defamation lawsuit judgment. US employers hire 275,000 workers in February, continuing recent upward trend. France enshrines abortion rights in constitution, becomes first nation to do so. Donor ship ready to depart Cyprus for Gaza after EU establishes humanitarian aid route. Reactions come in to President Biden’s fiery State of the Union speech. This winter is officially warmest on record say researchers. Gaza residents face uncertainty amid massive shortages. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 8, 2024 Trump posts $91 million bond to cover New York defamation lawsuit judgment. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Biden gives State of the Union address, focuses on legislative achievements ahead of November election. Sweden formally joins NATO alliance in Washington ceremony. Jury hears opening arguments in trial of father of school shooter, he’s charged with involuntary manslaughter. US to build temporary port in Mediterranean to increase aid to Gaza. San Francisco Mayor London Breed gives State of the City Address. Senate panel holds hearing on reauthorization of Older Americans Act. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 7, 2024 Biden gives State of the Union address, focuses on legislative achievements ahead of November election. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Nikki Haley drops out of Presidential race after Super Tuesday loss. US and Caribbean officials call on Haitian leader to call for new elections in troubled country. Alabama lawmakers vote to pass a finalized bill to protect in vitro fertilization. UN’s top humanitarian official for Gaza warns of dire situation in war-torn enclave. New York’s governor Hochul sends hundreds of guardsmen and state police to NYC to beef up subway security. Central Valley election results from Super Tuesday come in. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 6, 2024 Nikki Haley drops out of Presidential race after Super Tuesday loss. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. . (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Super Tuesday Primary elections held in 16 states and one territory today, biggest primary day of the year. Independent Arizona Senator Krysten Sinema announces she’s not running for re-election this year. President Biden announces new rule capping credit card late fees at $8. The UN issues report on severe food shortages in Gaza. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoes bill that would forbid non-citizens from crossing border illegally. Alabama lawmakers move legislation to protect IVF in the state. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 5, 2024 Super Tuesday Primary elections held in 16 states and one territory today, biggest primary day of the year. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) Supreme Court rules Trump’s name can remain on Colorado primary ballot. French lawmakers pass a bill codifying abortion rights in French constitution. Haiti descends into chaos as armed gangs of escaped prisoners run wild. UN report says reasonable grounds to believe Hamas committed widespread sexual violence on October 7. EU fines Apple $2 billion in antitrust ruling over limiting music streaming competition. Sierra Mountain residents get a break, but more heavy snow on the way. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 4, 2024 Supreme Court rules Trump’s name can remain on Colorado primary ballot. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Biden announces air drop aid shipment deliveries for Gaza amid worsening humanitarian situation. US, Egypt and Qatar continue to push for Gaza short term humanitarian ceasefire. Nikki Haley says her campaign picked up $12 million in contributions in February. Kentucky governor signs bills to protect IVF treatments in the state. State lawmaker introduces bill to ban legacy admissions at private California colleges and universities. CDC shortens isolation period before students with Covid can return to school. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 1, 2024 Biden announces air drop aid shipment deliveries for Gaza amid worsening humanitarian situation. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Biden, Trump hold dueling border events in Texas. More than 100 killed in Gaza chaotic incident during humanitarian aid delivery. Texas Senator John Cornyn to run for Mitch McConnell’s GOP leadership role. Alabama House passes bill to protect IVF access. Activists call on insurance companies to stop insuring fossil fuel projects.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 29, 2024 Biden, Trump hold dueling border events in Texas. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Mitch McConnell to step down from leadership position in November. Congress reaches tentative deal to avoid government shutdown on Friday. Supreme Court to take up Trump immunity case in April. Biden has annual physical, found to be fit for duty. Oakland recall campaign opponents rally against campaigns and alleged threats and violence. Supreme court appears split over federal bump stock ban. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 28, 2024 Mitch McConnell to step down from leadership position in November. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Biden meets with Congressional leaders, urges passage of legislation to fund the government. Michigan voters go to the polls, Biden faces challenge from Democrats for not supporting Gaza ceasefire. EPA announces it will clean up two dozen superfund sites nationwide. Gazans facing starvation as four month old war continues. San Francisco Supervisors issue formal apology to city’s black community over role in historic discrimination. Berkeley and East Bay leaders join partnership to study effects of Alta Bates hospital closure. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 27, 2024 Biden meets with Congressional leaders, urges passage of legislation to fund the government. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (Shannon Stapleton/Pool Photo via AP, File)   US airman dies after setting himself on fire to protest Israeli military operation in Gaza. Trump team appeals New York judge’s $450 million ruling over Trump’s fraudulent business practices. San Francisco Prop. F drug proposal draws backlash. Manhattan prosecutor asks judge for a gag order on Trump in hush many case. Black California lawmakers announce a package of reparations bills.  Hungary approves Sweden’s accession to NATO alliance. Oakland homeless cabin residents accuse management company of incompetence. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 26, 2024 Trump team appeals New York judge’s $450 million ruling over Trump’s fraudulent business practices. appeared first on KPFA.

The post The Pacifica Evening News 02-23-24 appeared first on KPFA.

Biden Administration slams Alabama Court ruling that embryos are children, blames SCOTUS Roe v. Wade decision. Mother of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny allowed to view his body, but officials refuse to release it to her. Justice Department appoints first ever chief Artificial Intelligence Officer. Biden faces protests calling for a ceasefire during his campaign fundraising swing through California. US officials say talks for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza are encouraging. San Francisco police commission passes rule limiting “pretextual traffic stops,” calling them discriminatory. The post The Pacifica Evening News 02-22-24 appeared first on KPFA.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) President Biden announces student debt relief plan for 150 thousand borrowers. House Republicans continue impeachment probe of President Biden’s links to his family’s businesses. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to find out next week whether he can be extradited from UK to US on spy charges. Bay Area peace activists call on Democrats Joe Biden and Senator Alex Padilla to back permanent ceasefire in Gaza. G20 summit kicks off in Brazil, climate change and global strife are on the agenda. The post Pacifica Evening News 02-21-24 President Biden announces student debt relief plan for 150 thousand borrowers. appeared first on KPFA.

(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) Nikki Haley vows to stay in the GOP presidential nomination race beyond Saturday’s South Carolina primary. UK court to determine whether Wikileaks found Julian Assange is to be extradited to the US on espionage charges. Biden Administration announces new sanctions against Putin regime, following death in prison of dissident Navalny. US votes down ceasefire resolution in Gaza, citing lack of mention of Hamas held hostages. Poor People’s Campaign launches nationwide voter mobilization of low income voters. Biden to visit California on three day fundraising trip. The post The Pacifica Evening News 02-20-24 Nikki Haley vows to stay in the GOP presidential nomination race beyond Saturday’s South Carolina primary. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.   President Biden says he’s willing to discuss Ukraine aid bill with House Speaker and Congressional leaders. Palestinians take Israel to the International Criminal Court to challenge legality of occupation of Palestinian territory. Widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny promises to continue his opposition to Putin government. Day of Remembrance for anniversary of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII held today in Fresno. Heavy storm strike the Bay Area and much of California today, bringing warnings of floods and outages. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 19, 2024 President Biden says he’s willing to discuss Ukraine aid bill with House Speaker and Congressional leaders. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies in prison, world leaders condemn Vladimir Putin. New York judge order Trump organization to pay $355 million in civil fraud trial verdict. Madera city council approves Gaza ceasefire resolution. San Francisco General Hospital workers demand higher staffing levels. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 16, 2024 Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies in prison, world leaders condemn Vladimir Putin. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (Alyssa Pointer/Pool Photo via AP) Georgia DA Fani Willis vehemently denies claims her relationship has any affect on Trump election trial. Administration acknowledges Russians developing anti-satellite technology, but says not a threat. Israeli forces storm Rafah hospital to recover bodies of hostages. Biden Administration temporarily defers deportations of thousands of Palestinians for humanitarian reasons. Venezuela shuts down UN human rights office as criticism of rights abuses intensify. Democratic lawmakers form task force to come up with solutions to border crisis. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 15, 2024 Georgia DA Fani Willis vehemently denies claims her relationship has any affect on Trump election trial. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Mass shooting in Kansas City during Chiefs Super Bowl Championship parade. White House urges House Republicans to pass bipartisan senate foreign aid bill to a vote. Democrat elected to replace ousted Congressman George Santos in suburban New York special congressional election. Uber drivers in SF and around the nation rally for better pay and working conditions. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 14, 2024 Mass shooting in Kansas City during Chiefs Super Bowl Championship parade, kills one injures dozens. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. SCOTUS limits EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants Governor Newsom signs landmark bill to combat plastic pollution San Francisco workers celebrate minimum wage increase and call for workers’ rights Lawmakers consider legislation that would ease naturalization process for non-citizen veterans Image: Bruce Mansfield, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons The post SCOTUS limits EPA’s authority to regulate power plant emissions; Governor Newsom signs landmark bill to combat plastic pollution; SF workers celebrate minimum wage increase and call for workers’ rights; Lawmakers consider legislation that would ease naturalization for non-citizen veterans appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. NATO formally invites Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance North Korea accuses US, South Korea, and Japan of creating an Asian version of NATO Environmental groups file lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s decision to resume oil and gas sales Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma denounces SCOTUS ruling on tribal lands The post NATO formally invites Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance; N. Korea accuses US, S. Korea and Japan of creating an Asian version of NATO; Environmental groups file lawsuit challenging the Biden’s decision to resume oil and gas sales; Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma denounces SCOTUS ruling on tribal lands appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. SCOTUS strikes down restrictive NY gun control law expanding the ability of gun owners to carry firearms in public Federal agents search home of Trump-era DOJ official as part of Jan. 6 riot investigation White House COVID-19 Response Team announces that the FDA has approved vaccines for young children Anti-war protestors gather outside Barbara Lee’s office to renounce her support for a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine CA Assembly Committee clears clean energy bill that seeks to achieve 100 percent renewable energy  The post SCOTUS strikes down restrictive NY gun control law; Federal agents search home of Trump-era DOJ official; White House announces COVID vaccines for young children; Anti-war protestors gather outside Barbara Lee’s office appeared first on KPFA.

This story aired on UpFront on Monday, November 2, 2020. https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BOONE-prop-25.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-346947-5'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA election reporter Photo from Coalition to End Money Bond In the final days of the 2018 California legislative session, the push to eliminate cash bail went through massive revisions that lost it support from a lot of groups working to end mass incarceration. It passed — narrowly. The day after Governor Jerry Brown signed it into law in 2018, the bail industry filed paperwork expressing their intent to challenge SB 10 by bringing it before California voters. That’s Prop 25. Activists fighting against mass incarceration agree that the money bail system is racist and should be abolished. But they’re split on whether voters should approve SB 10, by voting for Prop 25. Mohamed Shekh is national campaigns director of Critical Resistance, a prison abolitionist organization that’s opposing Prop 25, because they’re opposed to what it uses to replace cash bail: algorithmic tools that assess an arrested person’s risk of either failing to return for trial, or getting arrested again before trial. “Yes, it does remove cash bail,” Shekh says of Prop 25, “but the underlying problem with cash bail is not just that money’s involved. It’s the fact that people are being locked up before trial. “Once you’re deemed a risk, then there’s actually no way for you to be released pretrial, even though you have not yet been convicted of anything. Prop 25 is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing of a reform bill.” The question facing voters is whether that’s worse than the cash bail system we currently have. “The current system spends about $5 million a day across California, just caging people pre-trial simply because they cannot afford cash to pay for their bail,” says John Bauters of Californians for Safety and Justice — one of the organizations that helped get SB 10 passed, and is campaigning to get Prop 25 approved so it can go into law. “We would not want to exchange one harmful system for one that is even worse.” – Andreya Garcia-Ponce De Leon Bauters cites research that indicates anywhere from 50,000 to 150,000 more people could be released more quickly pretrial, if Prop 25 is passed. Most of the releases would be people charged with non-serious misdemeanors who would get automatic release under prop 25. The open question is what would happen to everyone else – people charged with felonies, or people who are charged with misdemeanors but have criminal records, or are on probation, or if they’ve missed any court dates. They would then undergo risk assessment, and a key study admits Proposition 25 would not reduce racist outcomes for Black people caught in the system. And some advocates warn things could be worse for those undergoing risk assessment under Prop 25. Andreya Garcia-Ponce De Leon is with the End Pre-Trial Racism Committee — it’s the smaller No on 25 campaign that’s not bankrolled by the bail industry, but supported by activist groups like Essie Justice Group and Color of Change. Andreya’s organization in San Bernardino county, Free Them All, supports people who get out of jail with housing, food and job help. “We would not want to exchange one harmful system for one that is even worse,” Andreya says. “I am directly impacted in this. I have a failure to appear, which was not in any part my fault. That was actually on the fault of the judicial system. And my attorneys of record were never noticed. And even though it was an error of the court, the computer doesn’t know that. The computer’s going to read – ‘Failure to appear? That is high risk. So, therefore, you are going to stay in incarceration.'” There are two basic concerns about these algorithmic risk-assessment tools, The first is the data that goes into them: For instance, Black people are more likely than whites to be charged for crimes, and more likely to get booked into jail for a crime instead of cited and released. That means they’re more likely to have a record. That means they’re more likely to be subject to the algorithm — and that an algorithm’s more likely to flag Black people as having a risk of getting arrested again before trial. Additionally, algorithms could include inputs like ZIP code, codifying the criminalization of people from unwanted neighborhoods. The second concern is how judges will use what the algorithm tells them. “Often we’ve found is even when people have low risk, the judges are overriding the low risk and still detaining people,” says John Raphling. Raphling is a senior researcher on the criminal legal system for Human Rights Watch, which is opposing Prop 25. He also used to be a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County. Raphling says the courts are motivated to keep individuals locked up longer to obtain convictions. “This is a really important thing to understand what motivates judges and prosecutors is, people plead guilty quickly when they’re locked up, people in pretrial detention.” A 2019 study by researchers at Harvard showed participants summary information about a person’s race, criminal record, and what an algorithm predicted their chances were of either failing to appear or getting arrested before trial. Then it asked participants to make their own call on what each person’s risk was. On average, participants increased the risk assessment of Black people, and decreased it for white people. But Prop 25 proponents say judges can already do the same with bail. “They can currently put their thumb on the high end of the bail schedule, if they just don’t like the neighborhood the person comes from or the way they look,” says John Bauters. “Whereas under SB 10, the vast majority of people who are misdemeanants don’t ever see a judge they’re actually released on their own recognizance.” Bauters disagrees that voters should reject Prop 25 if they are concerned about the algorithms. “This is a binary choice for voters,” he says. Do you wish to get rid of the cash bail system: Yes or no?” A third point of conflict is whether passing Prop 25 makes it easier or harder to get something better into law. “Legislators are not going to pick up and suddenly do a, quote-unquote, ‘more progressive’ version of bail reform,” Bauters says. “When the bail industry is still in the room with all its money and they spent $3 million over the past three years, lining the pockets of legislators in Sacramento to make sure that they could keep their industry intact, and they lost by one vote in the Assembly — This passed by one vote.” Bauters campaigned hard for SB 10 and fought with the bail industry in the halls of the state capitol. His argument: pass Prop 25 to break the political power of the bail industry now. Then it will be easier to pass amendments that make it better. SB 10 already requires an evaluation within five years and a report to the governor and legislature in one year identifying any problems. And another bill already requires the risk assessment algorithms be made public. “The hardcore reality here today is that this bill was a compromise in the end between all three branches of government,” he says. “Does it have every single thing I want in it? No. Absolutely not. But I know as an advocate that you have to have the bail industry out of the picture.” But Prop 25’s anti-carceral opponents worry that taking out the bail industry will increase spending in the criminal system, redirecting power and resources to the institution they fight against. It’s the opposite of abolition, they say. “It’s going to expand funding and power of probation departments. It’s going to expand the power and scope of the judicial system to give judges more discretion to lock people up pre-trial, and going to overall expand this system that we understand is fundamentally racist, controlling, and harmful,” Mohamed Shekh says. If Californians pass Prop 25, we won’t be the first state to eliminate cash bail. New Jersey ended their cash bail system in 2017, adopting a point-based risk test system. Alaska did something similar in 2018. The ACLU of Northern California is not making an endorsement on Prop 25. The ACLU of Southern California endorses a “No” vote on Prop 25. And separately, the bail industry has raised about $8 million dollars to oppose Prop 25 — they’re in a battle for their own survival.  The post Reform groups and prison abolitionists diverge on California’s Prop 25: Trading bail for anti-Black algorithms appeared first on KPFA.

https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BOONE-OAKLAND-D3-COUNCIL-1.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-346298-8'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By KPFA election reporter Ariel Boone (@arielboone) OAKLAND, CA – On a sunny Saturday morning in DeFremery Park in West Oakland, 50 people have come to knock on doors. There are ironworkers, students, democratic socialists, even Sunrise Movement climate activists — all here to support Carroll Fife, a candidate for Oakland city council in District 3. “Who’s door knocking for the first time ever?” precinct captain Mary Schindler asks the crowd. Several hands go up. Everyone cheers. “Yes! You guys, that’s awesome!”  West Oakland is a historically Black neighborhood, rapidly gentrifying, and one of the epicenters of the 2008 foreclosure crisis. Last year, it was also the site of an action that drew national attention: A group of unhoused Black moms, calling themselves “Moms 4 Housing,” took over an empty investor-owned home, occupied it for over two months, and eventually — after heavily-armed sheriffs evicted them — forced the owner to sell the property to a land trust for conversion to permanently affordable housing. Carroll Fife, the Oakland director of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, or ACCE, was a key organizer behind the moms’ action. Now she is trying to unseat the councilmember who represents the neighborhood, aiming heavy fire at the incumbent’s votes on policing and tenants’ rights.  Today, Fife says she has a network of over 600 volunteers phone-banking, text-banking, and canvassing. “We’ve knocked on about 12,000 doors,” says Fife’s volunteer coordinator, Katie Tertocha. This is all in one council district of about 57,000 people, and all to unseat one incumbent.  Who’s represented in the fight for housing rights? In 2016, Lynette McElhaney won a second term in the district with 13,000 votes. “I am a very proud Oaklander, wife and mom and grandmother, and a person has been deeply involved in community level work,” Lynette McElhaney tells me. McElhaney has been in office eight years. She’s seeking a third term. She says she wants to address the housing and homelessness crisis by building housing for all income levels. She emphasizes the importance of private homeownership, using the example of the house her parents bought with GI Bill benefits.  “My family was more stable than that of my neighbors,” McElhaney says. “I believe in property ownership, I believe in securing families, neighborhoods through ownership, I believe in the generational transfer of wealth. And I know that that helped define a middle class.” McElhaney is the only property owner in this race. And her focus on property owners — including landlords — has put her at odds with groups working for tenants’ rights. In 2018 she tried to take away eviction protections from renters in owner-occupied fourplexes.  “I literally got surrounded by a group of elderly black women at a funeral,” McElhaney explains. “We couldn’t even grieve, because they were afraid of what they called the ‘liberal majority’ of the council was doing to them as Black women, as Black elderly women who had worked hard, their entire lives. And they felt that this was a push to erase them. And I had an obligation to hear from them and to try to raise their voice on council.” Oakland city council candidate Carroll Fife addresses supporters and members of the media outside “Mom’s House,” the property in West Oakland that became the nationwide focus of the fight for housing rights in the winter of 2019-2020. Fife says McElhaney has been reticent to help tenants facing displacement from the district during her tenure, including members of ACCE. “If you ask any housing organization in the city of Oakland, they will tell you how oppositional that the councilmember has been to renters and anything that would protect renters.” “I had a family that lived in a [threeplex] for three generations, and they were calling the councilmember repeatedly saying that they were going to be evicted illegally. And she would not return their calls. And ultimately said the landlord was well within his power to evict them because he wanted to move in. And they said, ‘He’s not moving in. He’s going to sell the property.’ And she would not help. They were evicted. Four generations, 50 years, in one home. And as soon as he got everybody out, he sold the house for $1.5 million.” Fife has confronted McElhaney for her votes on council in the past. In 2019, she rebuked McElhaney in public comment during a council meeting for “repeatedly interrupting” community members who came to testify against proposed changes that would have lengthened the time required to submit ballot measures. Fife says her own family was also displaced from West Oakland years ago, by an owner move-in eviction. She says it was illegal — the owner never moved in. She wants to decommodify housing, move it out of the private market, and treat it as a human right.   “I believe that the whole idea of housing being built and construction constructed to address the housing crisis. Is a little fallacious. We see housing being built all over the place, it’s just not affordable,” Fife says. “There are several of these luxury units that are vacant right now. You’ll have 50% vacancies in a lot of these different buildings. So let’s get people in there, and let’s build in the places that have been segregated for decades, like Rockridge.” It is a very serious campaign. Fife’s years of organizing work helped her pick up high-profile endorsements, including from Bernie Sanders, the Alameda Labor Council, and tenants’ rights groups. She’d raised $176,000 from individual donations as of October 16. That’s slightly more than the incumbent. Labor unions have also dropped nearly $400,000 into an independent expenditure committee supporting Fife and at-large council candidate Rebecca Kaplan. McElhaney’s high-profile endorsements include state senator Nancy Skinner, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.  McElhaney faces questions over ethics, policing votes There are other candidates in the race — Oakland uses “instant runoff” or ranked-choice voting, so there was no primary. They all have much less funding and organization. But each candidate I spoke with aimed more fire at McElhaney than Fife.  Oakland councilmember Lynette McElhaney, who is facing a fierce challenge from organizer Carroll Fife. (Facebook) Candidate Seneca Scott says his top issues are homelessness, blight and illegal dumping. He moved to Oakland 8 years ago to work for SEIU Local 1021–one of the unions now backing Fife. Scott founded a community garden and kitchen, where he runs his campaign. He says he has about a dozen volunteers. “I think Lynette just doesn’t have the bandwidth or the energy anymore,” Scott says. “If you’re undergoing ethics investigations, and new ethics investigations about using the money from the old ethics investigation, to pay her lawyer — I mean, it was just kind of a lot.” Scott is referring to ethics violations that have plagued McElhaney’s campaign. A grand jury in 2016 said McElhaney inappropriately used her council office and resources to stop multi-unit housing from being built next to her home. She was ordered to pay a fine — so she created a legal defense fund — and then took an illegal contribution from a developer who had business before the city, which she voted for. That developer, Lane Partners, was fined $5,000 for the contribution. The company’s lawyer is still listed as McElhaney’s legal fund principal officer. I asked McElhaney if she had any regrets for taking money from Lane Partners. She said, “I have literally no idea what you’re talking about.” Another candidate in the District 3 race, Meron Semedar, questions the logic of building market rate housing in the district. Semedar is an Eritrean refugee who has lived in Oakland for eight years, and works with African students at UC Berkeley. “If we look at Lynette, she’s been in office for the last two terms eight years. And while she was in office, housing has become a huge problem in Oakland. We see there’s a lot of housing being built, but it’s not really addressing our housing crisis.” McElhaney also faces fierce criticism for a vote on police funding this summer. After the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, hundreds called into Oakland council meetings demanding the defunding of police. On June 23, 2020, McElhaney joined a group of councilmembers that derailed a proposal to cut the police budget by $25 million, by pushing a surprise vote on a budget that the public had not seen, which included smaller cuts and a “task force” to consider future cuts. The public comment at that meeting sounded like this: “We need to defund the Oakland Police Department. It is honestly shameful that you have done this.” “I’m just so sad. And it just really strengthens my commitment to making sure you’re unseated.” “Shame on all of you. I am so disappointed, and you have let me, as a Black woman, down.” “Voting on the budget this evening was absolutely absurd. You clearly aren’t listening to us. So, Councilmember McElhaney, my councilmember, is up for re-election this year. And with our work, she’ll be unseated. Bye, McElhaney. You won’t be missed.” McElhaney insists she is listening to her constituents — but to the ones who didn’t call into the Zoom meeting. “This blaming and blocking business is, first of all, irresponsible to talk about what actually happened,” she says.  She maintains that cutting $25 million from police, a proposal by District 2 councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, would have done a disservice to crime victims. McElhaney lost her son and grandson to gun violence. “We said, show us how this will not hurt victims families. I spent four years sitting in the living rooms of people who have suffered loss in this community, people who don’t come with anger and righteous indignation on a Zoom or into city hall, whose pain and hurt have been ignored in this community for nearly 30 years, and the residents in District 3 that have been demanding increased police presence were not asking me to be reckless,” McElhaney says. “It just really strengthens my commitment to making sure you’re unseated.” – Caller in public comment at the Oakland City Council meeting on June 23, 2020 In contrast, Carroll Fife says disinvesting from police and reinvesting in public services is central to her platform. She says police should be reassigned from conducting traffic stops, going to encampment evictions, staffing special events, and towing cars.  “I would love to see that the police budget goes down to nothing,” she says. “I think it’s going to take a minute for our society to actually invest and see a return on actually making sure that people are getting the services that they need. Because this whole system is based on the market, there are going to be forces that try to intervene, and probably you’ll see a spike in crime, because police are involved in manufacturing crime.” If Oakland does have policing, Fife adds, “I would love to see it focused on the top on white collar criminals that are actually stealing entire neighborhoods, immunities and disinvesting and shifts in wealth from working class people the wealthy elites. That’s the real crime.” A chance to build power for West Oakland Oakland’s wealthier council districts have traditionally wielded more money to influence city races. But whoever occupies the District 3 seat next has an enormous amount of work ahead of them, from weighing the impact of any proposed development at Howard Terminal, to environmental cleanup, and meeting the needs of the city’s unhoused residents, many of whom live in West Oakland. Accomplishing change will require building power for the district. “Jerry Brown said he would break, his goal was to dismantle, the Black political establishment in the city of Oakland. That was his role and his goal as mayor. And he’s effectively done that. And his chief of staff through Libby Schaaf as mayor has extended that,” Fife says. “Schaaf has to have a group that’s on the city council that’s beholden to her ideas to continue the displacement of Black bodies from the city, as well as enact policies that allow developers and corporations to have free reign.” Fife promises to keep her campaign organizing structure intact after the election whether she wins or loses, with neighborhood leaders in place to continue to push legislation in the city. The District 3 election is about more than just whether an economic and housing justice activist makes it to public office. It’s also about building power for residents of West Oakland, long an environmental dumping ground. And it could determine whether Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has a supportive majority on the council — which would impact everything from how the city bargains with unions, to what it does about its police department, and how this booming town with a long and radical Black history responds to rapid gentrification. Update Oct. 22 – This story has been corrected to indicate the District 3 family was evicted from a threeplex, and to remove a mention of any endorsement by Kamala Harris in the race. The post Moms 4 Housing organizer Carroll Fife takes on incumbent McElhaney in fierce Oakland council race over housing, policing appeared first on KPFA.

https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ariel-Boone-on-Prop-16-brian-mix.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-345803-11'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter OAKLAND, CA – California is one of only ten states that ban affirmative action by public institutions. Voters put that ban into the state’s constitution in 1996. But that could change this fall, when voters get a chance to overturn the ban with Proposition 16. Affirmative action was a response to the civil rights movement. It means an institution considers race and sex when they review applications for a job, for admissions or for contracting, in order to include categories of people they’ve excluded in the past. Sharon Elise is a professor of sociology teaching at California State University, San Marcos and associate vice president for racial and social justice in the California Faculty Association, the union representing faculty on CSU campuses. She calls herself an “affirmative action baby.” As a Black student, Sharon received a scholarship from a private college to attend. After, she enrolled at UC San Diego, where there was also programming to support Black students, including tutoring and social support. Then, she was hired to teach. “I first started off at Fresno, and definitely I was an affirmative action hire, and what that meant is you’re still very outnumbered. You’re one or two people of color in a program that was beginning to diversify against the sea of whiteness that had been its historical legacy.” Then the sea of whiteness came roaring back. “There were years that I was the only Black woman tenure-track faculty member on my campus. Years.” – Sociologist Sharon Elise in 1996, California conservatives ran an initiative to end affirmative action in government contracting and at public universities and colleges — Proposition 209. They framed it as a ban on “discrimination” and racial preferences. Then-Governor Pete Wilson campaigned on it, and used its success to launch a presidential bid. “Affirmative action preferences are quotas based on race and gender,” he said, announcing his run for president. “They are inescapably unfair and they are undermining a fundamental American dream.” Republicans were turning to affirmative action as a “wedge issue.” They wanted to split white voters from the Democratic Party, using the language of “anti-discrimination.” Wilson lost the nomination, but GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole started stumping for Prop 209 himself. Dole lost the presidency, but Prop 209 passed. Protests rocked California campuses before and after the passage of Prop 209. Suddenly, every public university and college in California had to terminate its programs for recruiting and supporting students of color. “For Black people, anything for Latinos, anything for Filipinos, this stuff just disappeared overnight, practically,” Elise says. “And I will tell you in practice, it meant there were years that I was the only Black woman tenure-track faculty member on my campus. Years.” Students stepped in to try to recreate these support programs in their spare time, unpaid. Meanwhile, UC Berkeley’s admission rate for African American students dropped from 50 percent to 15 percent. “Without saying, ‘You know, you must look really hard at these people and do what you can to create pathways for them,’ it’s not going to happen. And it does not happen,” Elise notes. “When we say we needed affirmative action as a tool to fight discrimination, it’s a fact. Because without it, we see the results.” California voters are now deciding whether to approve Prop 16, which would repeal Prop 209 and strike the ban on affirmative action from the state constitution. The challenge for Prop 16 supporters is that their opponents also use the language of anti-discrimination.  Gail Heriot is a law professor at the University of San Diego, and a co-chair of the No on 16 campaign. She says affirmative action discriminates against white people and Asian-Americans. “There have been many times in history where the United States of America has engaged in racial discrimination for reasons that were thought to be good and sufficient at the time. And almost always, we have come to regret that kind of decision.” Heriot argues affirmative action is bad for Black and Latino students. She argues underrepresented students who would benefit from affirmative action are better off going to less competitive schools. “Almost a hundred percent of the students who are getting that preferential treatment, they’re going to get grades that are low. And that’s not doing them a favor. They’re much better off going to the school where their grades will be high, they’re more likely to go on to graduate school.” Opponents say these statistics have been debunked. A 2020 economic impact study by the UC Office of the President showed the opposite of Heriot’s claims — Prop 209 didn’t just push students of color off the most competitive campuses onto other campuses, the study said. It pushed them out of the UC system as a whole. Systemwide, Black, Latino and Native American student enrollment fell 12% in the UC system after 209. Applicants in the years after 209 took effect earned, on average, 5 percent lower wages between the ages of 23 and 35. Plus, the number of Black or Latino students who became high earners ($100,000 and above) fell. And the study showed the grades of students of color actually suffered in the sciences, engineering and math after 209. Heriot also cited Brookings research saying Black students don’t study as much as Asian-American students: “I’m saying that they, that compared to Asian students, they don’t study as often. Is that likely to affect grades? Will you think about that?” she said. Vincent Pan, a co-chair of the Yes on 16 campaign and a director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, called Heriot’s claim “racist lies.” “In some cases, you do have real disadvantages for students of color in terms of what classes are even offered at their schools,” Pan says. “And so when you have a GPA system, for example, that weights advanced placement courses higher, but you don’t have equal access to advanced placement courses. You do have these built-in systemic disadvantages facing students of color, including African Americans. But when they talk about, ‘Well, this group doesn’t study as hard or are not as qualified,’ then you really start to see their true colors.” Heriot also said California’s ban on affirmative action has saved the state money by letting it pick lower-bidding contractors.  But a 2015 study by the Equal Justice Society found that this had consequences — California businesses owned by people of color and women have lost over $1 billion annually because of Prop 209. Pan says it “can’t be understated” how much of an economic loss this was for the state, and for struggling neighborhoods that lost this money and are experiencing poverty.  The Yes on 16 campaign has support from the founders of Black Lives Matter, the family of Martin Luther King Jr, Senator Kamala Harris, Governor Newsom, the ACLU, and California teachers and nurses. It’s also drawing support from a new generation of students. “There’s only been one professor I really connected with, and it’s a professor who also Latino, who’s also first generation.” – Jose Lopez, UC Merced student Jose Lopez is external vice president of student government at UC Merced. He says he knows how it feels like to be not represented on campus. “There’s only been one professor I really connected with, and it’s a professor who also Latino, who’s also first generation,” Lopez says.  Over half of California K-12 students are Latino. But as of 2018, Latinos made up just 12 percent of tenured faculty at the UCs, CSU campuses, and community colleges. “As a first generation Latino student from a low income household, it was always very difficult for me to access higher education,” Lopez continues. “When I was a senior in high school, I had no idea about the ACT that I had to take in order to enroll in higher education. So I kind of had to wing it, and I had no practice, I had no study. And I feel like it’s different for other communities who have those resources compared to us. And I feel like that would greatly change the representation in higher education, if students have more access to these types of resources with affirmative action.” When California’s original ban on affirmative action was on the ballot, students like Jose and professors like Sharon Elise were protesting on almost every campus in the state. They lost, but the fight politicized a generation.  But right now, campus rallies aren’t possible right now because of remote learning and Covid, so students like Jose are texting and phone banking each other to organize for Prop 16. The post With Prop 16, a new generation of Californians has a chance to reinstate affirmative action. Will they? appeared first on KPFA.

Listen to the full radio report here, first aired October 7, 2020: https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/California-Election-Mechanics-reporter-ariel-boone.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-345019-14'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter SACRAMENTO, CA – “Do not wait. If you can vote early, please vote early this year.” That was the primary message of Sam Mahood, press secretary for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Mahood declined to spell out any scenarios where the state would be overwhelmed by an influx of mail-in ballots this year — 72 percent of ballots in California’s presidential primary in March were returned by mail, after all — but this will be an election unlike any other in state history, with record-breaking numbers of registered voters, new election systems rolled out, and a pandemic to manage. “Just given everything with COVID, we know there’s going to be a bigger strain on resources for everyone and on polling locations,” Mahood says. “We really say November 3, as much as it’s Election Day, it’s really the last date to vote, is how we want people to look at it this year.” California now has 21 million active registered voters — a record. The secretary of state says that number includes 83% of eligible adults. Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis says the county currently has 940,000 registered voters, and could hit 1 million by election day.  Dupuis told KPFA that along with voter registration, poll worker recruitment has spiked. The county needs 1,700 volunteer election workers to staff voting centers from October 31 through November 3, and 4,800 people signed up. It has a reserve of 3,000 extra volunteers. “We’ve never been in this situation,” Dupuis says. “It’s just amazing, the outpour of support from our community.” Another thing that’s new this year: California will mail every voter a ballot. In fact, California has already mailed every registered voter a ballot — every county was required to send them by October 5. If you have not received your ballot by October 10, the secretary of state recommends signing up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, and contacting your county registrar. You may have heard about backups at the post office earlier this year — so we asked the people who actually handle the mail what to expect.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It’s in our DNA. That’s our job.” – Shirley Taylor, American Postal Workers Union Shirley Taylor is a national business agent for the American Postal Workers Union. She says multiple postal workers’ unions have formed a nationwide task force to clear every ballot from every mail processing center, every night. “The National Postal Mail Handlers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors, all of us are participating,” Taylor says. “And the purpose is to ensure all election mail, mainly ballots, are processed and cleared daily and accounted for. And every night they’re going to have a clearance report certification that all ballots are clear. And if not, they have to tell the reason why. And then these representatives of the committee will review these reports and walk through these plants, looking for problems and giving suggestions.” There’s more scrutiny on the postal service this year. In August, a federal judge in Washington blocked moves by President Trump’s postmaster general to remove mail sorting machines and bar postal workers from using overtime to finish deliveries. But Shirley Taylor says the workers are up to the task of delivering ballots.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It’s in our DNA. That’s our job.” She would know — Shirley started working for the postal service in 1962 in Alameda County, for $2.67 an hour. She worked before the arrival of the high-speed mail sorting machines that Louis DeJoy would eventually have removed.  Also, California arranged with the Post Office to get ballots delivered even they don’t have postage. It’s “no stamp, no problem,” in the first statewide general election where no postage is required on any ballot, says the secretary of state’s office.  Sam Mahood and Tim Dupuis both stressed that even though everyone’s getting mailed a ballot, this is not just a vote by mail election.  There will be in-person voting machines. And, Mahood says, “These are really critical for voters who might have made a mistake with their ballot and need to get a replacement, voters who need to take advantage of same day voter registration if they miss the October 19 voter registration deadline, voters with disabilities who might need to use accessible voting machines that are available at their polling location, or voters who might need assistance in another language and need help from a poll worker.” This might be the sticky part. An executive order from Gavin Newsom in June instructed registrars to mail every voter a ballot, but also set terms of providing safe, in-person, accessible voting options. Many typical polling locations like schools and senior centers are closed to the public for safety. So some counties are switching to a “vote center” model. In Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and Fresno counties, there will be fewer polling locations, and instead, voting centers will be open at least four days before the election, for early voting. In theory, they’re a big step forward: voters are no longer restricted to just one voting location, and any center in your county will do. “In this election, if you happen to be in Livermore, and you’re a resident of Alameda, you could go into an accessible vote location in that city, and we’ll be able to produce your city of Alameda ballot so that you can vote there,” Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis says. “It does remove those geographic restrictions. So you’re able to vote where it’s convenient.” But the switch to a voting center system can be tricky: when Los Angeles did it for the primary this spring, there were long voting lines because poll workers had difficulty connecting to an online database. Newsom’s executive order says counties that use the vote center model must have 1 for every 10,000 voters. And big crowds can be a problem during a pandemic. “The first thing we wanted to think about is: Do we need the voter to get out of their car at all?” – Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis Tim Dupuis says measures are in place to keep COVID from spreading at Alameda County’s vote centers. “If they have the ballot already that we mailed to them, and they have the envelope, we’re going to have a drive through drop stop, where they can just hand us their ballot through the window, and we’ll drop it into the ballot box, and they’ll get their ‘I voted’ sticker. “If they want to vote and they’re willing to vote in their car, we call it curbside voting. So they’ll be able to come up and they can ask for their ballot. We’ll ask them to park and we’ll run their ballot out to them when it’s ready. “Worst case, if they do have to come into the location, we have everything spread out. These locations are at least 2,500 square feet, and everybody’s going to be wearing the protective equipment, the PPE that’s required. We’ll have all of the sanitizing that’s necessary for those facilities, and we’ll limit the number of people who can actually come in,” Dupuis says.  Alameda County is offering vote centers open from October 31 through November 3 in addition to drop boxes placed throughout the county. But Dupuis calls the vote centers a “last resort” for voting: “It’s available to you, but we really are encouraging safe voting with all the options that we have.” Here’s what else election officials want you to know: In California, you can register for a ballot to be mailed to you until October 19. After that, you can register and vote in-person up to and including Election Day. You can do this now, any day, at your county registrar’s office. You will also be able to do it at voting centers, most of which will open 4 days before the election, on October 31. If you’re voting by mail, you can also track your ballot on its way to you, from you, and through the counting process, using a new online tool offered in every county called “Where’s My Ballot?” Mahood says 5 percent of California voters have already signed up for the tool, and assures KPFA that the state is “absolutely” ready for an influx of new sign-ups. “You’ll know when it’s on the way to you when it’s been received by your County elections office, when it’s been, and if it hasn’t been counted,” he says. “You’ll be alerted to an issue, which you’ll still have time to correct. Usually it’s a missing signature, or your signature doesn’t match what’s on file, but by signing up, you’ll be notified much more quickly.” It’s important to know where your ballot goes. In the past decade, an average of 1.7 percent of ballots cast by mail in California were rejected.  “The top three reasons for ballot rejection for everybody are late, a missing signature or a bad signature,” says Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California. Her research has found mail-in ballot rejection disproportionately impacts voters aged 18-24. In a study of Sacramento, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, young voters were three times more likely to have ballots rejected in 2018, according to Romero’s research. She says to make sure you sign the envelope if you’re voting by mail in California, and get the ballot in the mail early, no later than November 3. But most important, she says, is to make the decision to vote. “It’s the fact that we make potential voters in this country be responsible for their own voter registration, and then we put a lot of hoops there to make it more difficult to register for young people. “We will see millions of eligible voters in this election that will not vote in our state. And that is a travesty for our democracy.” The post California’s election is now underway. Here’s how to vote safely and securely appeared first on KPFA.

Listen to the full radio report here, first aired September 24, 2020: https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BOONE-Prop-22-Explainer.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-344185-20'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter OAKLAND, CA – Ride-hailing and delivery companies Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Postmates and Instacart have spent at least $182 million in support of Proposition 22, which California voters will decide in November.  At issue is the basic question: are drivers independent contractors, or should they be guaranteed all of the rights of employees, like minimum wage, overtime, workers compensation and unemployment insurance? Proposition 22 would permanently classify drivers for app companies as independent contractors. “What Prop 22 would do is protect the ability of app based drivers to choose to work as independent contractors, with control over where, when, how long and for whom they wanna work,” says Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for the Yes on 22 campaign. “What we know from speaking with rideshare and delivery drivers is that more than 70 percent say that they want the ability to remain independent contractors.” Driver John Mejia disagrees. He drove for Uber and Lyft for just over four years, and he says the flexibility is a myth. He wants to be treated as an employee, in accordance with AB 5. For years, Mejia recalls, he would log into the Uber and Lyft apps to drive, and see a notice informing him his pay rate would decrease. Each time, he pressed “accept” — that was the only way to continue working. “They’ve always controlled how much I make when, when I get paid the most and under their algorithms,” Mejia says. “Is that independence? Not really. Is that, is that flexibility? Not really.” The workplace rights of John Mejia and thousands of other app drivers became a state policy fight in 2018, when the California Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision called Dynamex. It created a simple test to determine if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.  To pass the Dynamex ABC test and classify their its drivers as independent contractors, Uber, Lyft, Doordash and their industry would have to prove that, A – Their drivers are “free from the control and direction of the company”; B – that the driving they do would is “outside the usual course of the company’s business”; And C – That the driver is engaged in an independent trade or small business. Though lawsuits are currently making their way through courts deciding the matter, labor experts tell KPFA that multiple federal judges have agreed that app companies fail the ABC test — and that drivers are employees. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, the author of AB 5, a bill that incorporated the Dynamex decision into state law, agrees. “There is no way for a delivery driver, an Uber driver, to fit into this idea of being a small business,” she says. “They don’t set their own rates. They don’t make their own decisions. they’re told where to go, when to go. there there’s just a lot of control in the entire aspect of it.” “What I realized after driving with them almost for four and a half years, was that it was never about the relationship with the driver. It was really about their relationship to making money.” – John Mejia, driver for Uber and Lyft Six weeks after Governor Newsom signed AB 5 in 2019, delivery and ride-hailing companies filed paperwork to put Proposition 22 on the ballot, and exempt themselves from the law. Proposition 22 has support from police unions, multiple chambers of commerce, and the California Republican Party. In fact, the Yes on 22 campaign this month transferred $2 million to the California Republican Party to support campaigning efforts for the measure. It’s opposed by labor unions, including the Teamsters, SEIU, United Food and Commercial Workers and the California Labor Federation as well as high-profile Democrats, like presidential nominee Joe Biden and senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. What’s inside Prop 22? Prop 22 would would permanently classify drivers for the app companies as independent contractors, not employees. It also contains some things that look like worker protections: It bars companies from stealing tips from drivers, a practice which is already illegal for employers to do to employees. It mandates drivers rest after working for 12 hours — though drivers could easily flout the law by switching to a second app.  It makes app companies pay a healthcare subsidy for drivers to buy insurance through Covered California. But the subsidy is based on the price of a “bronze” plan, known for high deductibles and fees.  Plus, Prop 22 creates a minimum pay system, something drivers have long demanded, which the app companies say is a historic wage guarantee. The initiative promises 30 cents a mile and 120 percent of minimum wage for hours worked. But there’s a catch: labor attorneys say the companies found a way to undercount work hours. “The ballot proposition would only pay drivers for about two-thirds of the time that they’re actually working, because it only pays them for engaged time,” says Rey Fuentes, a legal fellow at the Partnership for Working Families.  “The companies funded research that clearly indicates drivers spend about a third of their time waiting, logged on, engaged to work — or essentially engaged to wait. And that time is compensable. Under California law, you should be paid for that time.” Another study by UC Santa Cruz researchers suggested the unpaid waiting time for San Francisco gig drivers could be closer to 20-24 percent of their working time. Whatever the proportion, under Prop 22, waiting time would remain uncompensated.  The Yes on 22 campaign told KPFA that they intentionally limited driver pay to this so-called “engaged time” to prevent drivers from double dipping, earning money to wait on two apps at the same time. But two drivers told KPFA they feel the apps keep them waiting without pay on purpose to “maximize profits” and increase the availability of instant rides and deliveries for customers. Another thing Proposition 22 does: restrain lawmakers. If the state legislature wants to give app drivers a legal right to unionize or collectively bargain, they have to amend Prop 22, and that requires a seven-eigths supermajority vote. The part of the measure that makes drivers independent contractors could never be amended, Rey Fuentes says. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez says she’s “never” seen a ballot initiative with a seven-eighths threshold. “Sometimes it requires a three fourth vote of the legislature, but seven-eighths is almost laughable.” Geoff Vetter, the Yes on 22 spokesperson, says it’s intentional. “We think it’s important that the voice of drivers and voters be protected, so that if Proposition 22 passes in November, the legislature can’t come back in January and completely undo it.” No sick leave, and a raging pandemic Another impact Prop 22 might have: keeping drivers on the job while they’re sick. Independent contractors don’t get the paid sick leave that state and local laws require for employees.  Labor rights lawyer Rey Fuentes says this means Proposition 22 would even override more generous local laws in places like San Francisco, where employees are currently guaranteed access to up to nine days of paid sick leave. “The ballot proposition would make that law inaccessible to workers for companies like Doordash and Uber and Lyft, and leave them with zero paid sick leave,” he says. KPFA spoke with a driver named Edan Alva, who had no legal protections or sick leave when he fell seriously ill with the flu in January. Driving has been Alva’s primary source of income since 2018, and seeing a doctor would have cost him $120, which he could not afford.  “I had to work sick, putting myself and my passengers at risk,” he says. “And I hated myself for doing that. But the choice was between working sick and losing the roof over my head. I worked as much as I could just until I earned enough money to pay my rent. And then I just physically couldn’t work or really move much anymore.”  Edan Alva now volunteers for a group called Gig Workers Rising, which is campaigning against Prop 22. He stopped driving when the pandemic started, and says he won’t go back unless he feels safe. The CDC currently recommends companies pay for worker sick leave — so they don’t go to work sick, and possibly spread a deadly disease. Thousands of drivers have also struggled to access pandemic unemployment insurance, because Uber and Lyft have declined to report driver earnings to the state. John Mejia filed for pandemic unemployment insurance, but the companies wouldn’t confirm to the state that he worked for them, even though he had his earnings documented on a 1099. “They made it difficult for me,” Mejia says. “I actually got some unemployment insurance, but it took me just under six months before I saw any money from them.” The UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education conducted analysis that found Uber and Lyft would owe the state of California’s unemployment insurance fund $413 million, if they had classified their drivers as employees. For now, California is continuing to pay out, despite the companies not paying in. Rebecca Smith of the National Employment Law Project says, “if you are an employee, you’re entitled to all of those things. You’re entitled to minimum wage, and overtime, and health and safety protections, and paid sick days. And in California, paid family leave and unemployment benefits when you lose your job and workers’ compensation when you’re injured, much of that is taken away by this initiative and it’s taken away permanently.” A 2020 study from UC Santa Cruz of gig drivers in San Francisco said 45% of the workers couldn’t handle a $400 financial emergency without having to borrow money. The study also estimates that up to 1 in 5 drivers might be earning nothing at all once expenses are accounted for.   The post What’s inside Prop 22, Uber and Lyft’s $182M ballot measure on the fate of gig drivers? appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (House Television via AP) House Republicans impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by one vote, citing mishandling of the border crisis. The Senate passes a $95 billion military funding bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Labor Department numbers show inflation is up three percent over last month, but prices stabilizing. Unionized flight attendants stage informational pickets at airports nationwide calling for higher pay. Special election held in suburban New York City to replace ousted Congressman George Santos. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 13, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Trump appeals to Supreme Court to delay the case charging him with improperly storing classified documents at his Florida estate. Israeli forces free two Hamas held hostages, following raid on Rafah, dozens of Palestinians killed in fighting. Northeast braces for powerful snow storms set to hit the region. Judge orders Tesla founder Elon Musk to testify at SEC hearing on his purchase of Twitter. Immigrant rights advocates call for increased resources for immigration court in Contra Costa County. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 12, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the country’s military to prepare a plan to evacuate civilians from the densely populated southern Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion. Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says he will seek to form a coalition government after his party trailed independent candidates backed by his imprisoned rival, Imran Khan, in parliamentary election results. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says he’s running for U.S. Senate. A special counsel report says there’s evidence President Joe Biden “willfully” retained and shared highly classified materials when he was a private citizen, including documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan. It also calls into question Biden’s memory and mental fitness. The Justice Department report nonetheless says no criminal charges are warranted for Biden or anyone else. California Department of Water Resources released the final environmental impact report for the controversial Bay Delta Tunnel. It takes the state one step closer to building a conveyance that would funnel fresh water flows from the Sacramento River under the Delta at the rate of 6000 cubic feet per second. San Francisco Mayor London Breed is pushing a March 5 ballot measure that would require single adults on welfare be screened and treated for illegal drug addiction or else lose cash assistance. Palestinian children displaced by Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk through a temporary tent camp near Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)   The post Israeli military to prepare a plan to evacuate civilians from Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion – February 9, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump’s eligibility for the presidential ballot is in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. The 9 justices heard arguments in the case of “Trump vs Anderson,” an appeal from a Colorado State Supreme Court ruling that bars former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the “Insurrection Clause” of the 14th Amendment. Trump’s lawyer says the law does not apply to the former president, while Colorado’s Secretary of State says electing an insurrectionist could allow him to “dismantle democracy from within.” Israeli strikes killed over a dozen people in the southern Gaza town of Rafah that could be the next target in Israel’s offensive. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres held a press conference today in which, among other things, he spoke about the ongoing war in Gaza. The Senate voted today to begin work on a package of wartime funding for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies, after the collapse of a carefully negotiated compromise that also included border enforcement policies Republicans had demanded. A special counsel report released today found evidence that President Joe Biden willfully retained and shared highly classified information when he was a private citizen, including documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, but concluded that criminal charges were not warranted. California state lawmakers announced new plans today to update the state’s decade-old plastic bag ban and entirely ban plastic shopping bags in the state. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans today to send prosecutors to Oakland in his latest move to crack down on rising crime in the Bay Area city, where high crime rates have drawn national attention.   The post Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump ballot case – February 8, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool via AP)   Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Hamas-backed ceasefire proposal, vows to fight until complete victory. US drone strike in Iraq kills top Iranian-backed militant group commander. EPA tightens soot emission standards, says new rules will save thousands of lives. Florida Supreme court considers case to remove proposed abortion ban from state’s November ballot. Senate works to salvage supplemental foreign military aid border security bill. Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong sues city and Mayor over firing. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 7, 2024 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Hamas-backed ceasefire proposal, vows to fight until complete victory. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)   Biden pressures Congress to pass Senate bill funding Ukraine and Israel and increasing border security. Qatar says Hamas responding positively to latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. House fails to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after some Republicans balk. Mother of Michigan school shooter convicted of manslaughter for parental negligence. Federal court in DC rules former President Trump is not immune from election interference prosecution. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 6, 2024 Biden pressures Congress to pass Senate bill funding Ukraine and Israel and increasing border security. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)   Secretary of State Blinken back in Middle East on diplomatic push to end Gaza war. The Senate announces a bipartisan funding bill for foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel and border security. Boeing delays shipping 737 planes due to flaws in dozens of fuselages. British and Irish leaders meet in Northern Ireland for powersharing agreement talks there. Massive storm drenches California causing flooding, mudslides and power outages. Britain’s King Charles diagnosed with cancer. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 5, 2024 Secretary of State Blinken back in Middle East on diplomatic push to end Gaza war. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. US hits Iranian-backed militant targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for drone strike that killed US servicemembers. Federal judge postpones former President Trump’s scheduled March election interference trial in DC. Second atmospheric river in a week set to hit California over the weekend. Senate negotiators reach agreement to revamp nations asylum system. Hamas considering US, Egyptian, Qatari hostage release ceasefire proposal. Fresno activists suing to stop CALTRANS project. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 2, 2024 US hits Iranian-backed militant targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for drone strike that killed US servicemembers. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Biden visits UAW workers in suburban Detroit, while anti-Gaza war protestors demonstrate outside for ceasefire. Biden issues executive order sanctioning Israeli West Ban settlers who abuse Palestinians. Thirty percent of Alabama auto plant workers sign cards to unionize. Federal government announces negotiations underway with drug makers on Medicare drug prices. Contra Costa health officials hear expert report on 2022 Martinez refinery chemical release. Environmental group gives California a B grade for its environmental policies.  Chicago implements Gaza ceasefire resolution. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 1, 2024 Biden visits UAW workers in suburban Detroit, while anti-Gaza war protestors demonstrate outside for ceasefire. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Fighting continued today in Gaza as Israel pursued its war against Hamas militants. UN officials call for continued funding for Palestinian relief agency and for a halt to hostilities in Gaza. House Republicans push for impeachment vote of Homeland Security Chief Mayorkas. Justice Department officials warn of Chinese hacking network attacking critical US infrastructure. Big storm hits Bay Area, bringing heavy rain and wind. Governor Newsom backs ballot proposition to increase funding for homeless services and housing. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 31, 2024 House Republicans push for impeachment vote of Homeland Security Chief Mayorkas. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. House Republicans move ahead with impeachment vote of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. Senate agrees to bipartisan foreign aid funding bill with border security added, House Speaker says its nonstarter. Trump allowed to remain on Illinois primary ballot. UN health officials urge donor nations to reconsider cutting funding to UNRWA. State water officials conduct second Sierra snowpack survey of the year. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 30, 2024 House Republicans move ahead with impeachment vote of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Wikimedia commons Drone strike that kills three American servicemembers in Jordan mistaken for US drone and not intercepted. House impeachment vote on Homeland Security Chief Mayorkas could come by next week. UN Chief calls for countries cutting funding to UN Relief agency to reconsider. Gazans dependent on UN aid worry about loss of relief funding. Vice President Harris visits San Jose to talk reproductive rights as part of nationwide abortion rights tour. Climate activists protest at Wells Fargo San Francisco headquarters to demand bank disinvest in east coast gas pipeline. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 29, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Patrick Post) UN top court rules Israel must limit civilian casualties and possibility of genocide in Gaza, stops short of ceasefire call. US pausing aid to UN Palestinian refugee agency, citing allegations employees participated in October 7 attack. New York court order Trump to pay writer more than $83 million in damages in defamation case. Georgia committee set up to investigate Atlanta DA prosecuting Trump for alleged inappropriate relationship. Federal judge in Oakland hears arguments in lawsuit seeking halt to US aid to Israel based on genocide convention. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 26, 2024 UN top court rules Israel must limit civilian casualties and possibility of genocide in Gaza, stops short of ceasefire call. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (Alabama Department of Corrections via AP, File)   The Supreme Court clears the way for Alabama to carry out the first prisoner execution using nitrogen gas.  Mother of a Michigan school shooter who killed four students was put on trial today for ignoring his diminishing mental health.  US economy grew for the sixth straight quarter at the end of 2023. Trump White House aide Peter Navarro convicted in contempt of Congress for ignoring January 6 Committee subpoenas. Republican lawmakers say a deal to fund military aid to Ukraine and Israel looking increasingly unlikely. Abortion rights advocates hold an online forum on state of reproductive rights in the US.  Republican lawmakers say a deal to fund military aid to Ukraine and Israel looking increasingly unlikely. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 25, 2024 The Supreme Court clears the way for Alabama to carry out the first prisoner execution using nitrogen gas. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. UAW endorses President Biden’s re-election bid. Trump and GOP supporters ramp up pressure on Nikki Haley to drop out of party presidential nomination race. Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down plane over Ukrainian territory. Anti-Gaza war activists protest outside San Leandro offices of military contractor. San Francisco non-profits speak out against proposed city budget cuts to services. British Army chief says UK needs to better prepare for possibility of future war. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 24, 2024 anti-Gaza war activists protest outside San Leandro offices of military contractor. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Former President Trump wins New Hampshire’s first in the nation primary as expected. Jury selection begins in trial in Michigan of parents of teenage school shooter accused of ignoring mental health issues and purchasing him a gun. Faculty strike at CSU campuses ends after one day with tentative two year agreement. Candidates for California US Senate seat square off in first debate. Israeli military announces deadliest single day for the army since start of Gaza war. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 23, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) US-British militaries coordinate again to strike Iranian-backed Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. Secretary of State Blinken travels to Africa to meet with regional leaders. EU foreign ministers meet to promote the creation of a Palestinian state as the only way to end Middle East conflict. Nearly 30,000 professors, coaches librarians and other CSU staff begin weeklong strike of 23 campus system. FAA recommends airlines expand safety reviews to include all Boeing planes. Lawmakers introduce bill to keep ACA and Medicare costs down. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 22, 2024 Nearly 30,000 professors, coaches librarians and other CSU staff begin weeklong strike of 23 campus system. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Wikimedia commons Israeli PM Netanyahu says he opposes Palestinian state, countering US position. President Biden signs stopgap temporary government funding bill into law. Pakistani military holds national security review amid heightened tensions with Iran. UN warns Zimbabwe faces hunger crisis without immediate food aid. President Biden hosts the nation’s big city mayors for a speech on issues facing American cities. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 19, 2024 President Biden signs stopgap temporary government funding bill into law. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File) Justice Department report rebukes Uvalde, Texas law enforcement school shooting response. Congress passes stopgap government funding bill just ahead of partial shutdown deadline. Trump defamation trial continues in New York, Trump not in attendance. Report says idle California oil wells badly in need of environmental cleanup. Supporters of menthol cigarette ban urge Biden Administration to make good on ban pledge. Tensions flare up in Middle East as Pakistan and Iran trade missile strikes. Gazan residents face shelter issues during Israeli Hamas war.  The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 18, 2024 Justice Department report rebukes Uvalde, Texas law enforcement school shooting response. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo) US puts Iranian-backed Houthi rebels back on international terrorist organization list. Friday deadline approaches for Congress to reach a deal on a funding bill to avoid partial government shutdown. New York judge threatens to expel former President Trump from civil defamation lawsuit courtroom. A Gaza maternity ward struggles to operate under wartime conditions.  Wars around the world cast a large shadow on this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos. Dozens of San Francisco public employee unions enter contract talks with city. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 17, 2024 US puts Iranian-backed Houthi rebels back on international terrorist organization list. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 16, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali) UN Agencies warn of possible Gaza famine and disease if humanitarian aid shipments don’t increase. Voters in Iowa take part in the Iowa Caucuses, the first major Presidential contest of the year. Harsh winter weather sweeps across much of country bringing high winds and freezing temperatures. King Day celebrations held in cities nationwide, including Oakland. Guatemala inaugurates new president, but only after a day long standoff. Demonstrations held over the weekend in San Francisco and other major cities calling for a Middle East ceasefire. Quaker Oats company recalls more than 40 products over salmonella scare. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 15, 2024 UN Agencies warn of possible Gaza famine and disease if humanitarian aid shipments don’t increase. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Patrick Post)     Israel defends itself against South African genocide case brought over war in Gaza at ICJ. Fighting in Gaza kills dozens of people as Israel Hamas war continues. US Navy warns ships to steer clear of Red Sea following US British strikes on Houthi targets. Biden administration fast tracking student loan forgiveness program. DOJ seeks death penalty for Buffalo white supremacist shooter who killed 10 black people in 2022. Conservatives pressure House speaker Mike Johnson to abandon government funding bill agreement. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 12, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. South Africa presents its claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians at the United Nations International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. US, British militaries launch massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. Iran’s navy seizes an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, pleads not guilty to federal tax violations in a Los Angeles courtroom. Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech at the conclusion of his New York civil fraud trial today, unleashing a barrage of attacks in a six-minute diatribe before being cut off by the judge. An Ohio woman who miscarried on a toilet at home will not be criminally charged for her handling of a home miscarriage. A proposed tax on California’s most wealthy residents died in committee this week. A group of activists and consumers rally in front of the San Francisco offices of California’s main energy regulatory agency, demanding a reversion of a series of rate hikes granted to PG&E. The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations The post South Africa presents its claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians at the Hague – January 11, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/Pool Photo via AP) Secretary of State Blinken continues Middle East diplomatic tour to head off expansion of Israel Hamas war to region. Allied warships fend off Iranian-backed Houthi rebel attacks on Red Sea shipping. Governor Newsom unveils $291 billion 2024 budget plan, budget deficit smaller than expected. House Republicans begin impeachment hearing of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Alaska airlines grounds flights of Boeing 737 Max 9 jet through Saturday, after mid air blowout incident. State legislature debates offshore oil lease termination bill. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 10, 2024 Secretary of State Blinken continues Middle East diplomatic tour to head off expansion of Israel Hamas war to region. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Donald Trump was in a D.C. court today as a federal appeals panel of judges expressed skepticism that the former president was immune from prosecution on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election. The U.N. General Assembly held a meeting on the recent veto in the Security Council by the United States on a Gaza ceasefire resolution. The Supreme Court is considering the case of an Oregon man, Yonas Fikre, who was put on the “no-fly” list, then taken off and told he would not be put back based on current information. Fikre sued, alleging that the FBI violated his rights by putting him on the list. The government argues that the case is moot since he is no longer on the list. San Francisco has become the largest city in the nation to approve a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. The vote by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was 8-3. It came after hours of emotional public testimony at a committee hearing yesterday and before the full board of supervisors last month. Bitterly cold nights in the San Joaquin Valley this winter have homeless people struggling to stay warm. In Fresno today people from the Homeless Union pleaded with city officials to expand the hours of warming centers, add more centers, and continue providing free transportation to warm spaces. It’s estimated there are between four and five thousand homeless persons in the city. Former President Donald Trump waits to take the witness stand at New York Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) The post Appeals panel of judges express skepticism that the former president is immune from prosecution – January 9, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Biden campaigns in black church in South Carolina, condemns violence and Trump’s divisive rhetoric. Blinken meets Arab leaders to discuss post Hamas governance of Gaza. White House says it will investigate lack of communication surrounding hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. San Francisco Board of Supervisors committee advances Gaza ceasefire resolution. KPFA’s Rami Almeghary discusses humanitarian situation in Gaza. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 8, 2024 Biden campaigns in black church in South Carolina, condemns violence and Trump’s divisive rhetoric. appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The Supreme Court says it will decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kept off the ballot because of his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. The Supreme Court says it will allow Idaho to enforce that state’s strict abortion ban, even in medical emergencies as case works its way through the courts. Lawmakers memorialize the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. President Biden delivered his first big campaign address of the year today at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Biden spoke of what he called the existential threat to American democracy that former President, and current GOP Presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump poses. Wayne LaPierre, the longtime leader of the National Rifle Association, says he is resigning the week before a major lawsuit against him. A federal judge heard testimony this week over an East Bay federal women’s prison where inmates have alleged rampant and ongoing sexual abuse by correctional officers. A group of Oakland residents initiated the formal process to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. The post The Supreme Court says it will decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kept off the ballot – January 5, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. A 17-year-old opened fire at a small-town Iowa high school on the first day of school after the winter break, killing a sixth-grader and wounding five others. Palestinian hospital officials say an Israeli strike hit a home in an area of southern Gaza that the military had declared a safe zone, killing at least 12 people, almost all children. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed back to the Middle East today. It’s part of an intense diplomatic effort to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and increase international pressure on Israel to reduce civilian casualties among Palestinians. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump pressed to have Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team held in contempt, saying the prosecutors had taken steps to advance the 2020 election interference case against him in violation of U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s order last month that temporarily put the case on hold. A bill that would ease the student debt burden owed directly to schools and not to third party federal or private lenders is making its way through the state legislature as the new legislative session starts this week. The California Department of Justice put out a new report this week that indicated police still have a long way to go in curbing racial profiling practices in the state. Police and protesters faced off at People’s Park in Berkeley in the early morning hour before sunrise. Park supporters assembled in the blocked-off neighborhood surrounding the park and gathered at the intersection of Telegraph and Haste. The fight comes as UC Berkeley again moves to try and develop the historic park. Law enforcement officials walks past the Perry Middle School entrance following a shooting at the nearby Perry High School, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. Multiple people were shot inside the school early Thursday as students prepared to start their first day of classes after their annual winter break, authorities said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) The post A 17-year-old opens fire at a small-town Iowa high school on the first day of school after the winter break, killing one – January 4, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.