Hundreds of thousands of out of work Californians are stuck with frozen accounts, and without desperately-needed unemployment benefits after being flagged for fraud by the state’s Employment Development Department. But a bill that could protect innocent people snagged by EDD’s "freeze first, verify later" policy has passed through the state Assembly.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

Economists in California continue to paint a rosy picture for pandemic recovery. The latest UCLA Anderson Forecast finds that a driving force for an economic recovery will likely be a pent-up demand for leisure and hospitality, but those industries have been struggling to hire workers.

Guest: Scott Satterfield, General Manager of Hotel Trio in Healdsburg

During the Trump presidency, California and Washington DC were locked in a bitter battle over the regulation of vehicle emissions and whether the state had the authority to cut pollution from cars and trucks. Now, the state wants control back, and the Biden administration seems willing to allow it.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

Federal legislation introduced by Bay Area Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren would loosen a decades-old system that puts an annual limit on the share of legal immigrants admitted from any one country. 

Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED

A bill to offer food assistance benefits to undocumented immigrants is gaining momentum in the state legislature. Advocates say it could benefit up to a million Californians who don’t qualify for federally-funded CalFresh food stamps.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

Mental health services for California children could get a boost under Governor Gavin Newsom’s most recent budget proposal. Health and social service providers say the funding is needed as the state’s youngest residents struggle with mental health challenges created during the pandemic.

Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio

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