Greater LA

During the first week of LAUSD’s new semester, about 6500 students were sent home because they tested positive for COVID-19 or were around someone who tested positive. That’s roughly one in every 70 students. Some parents are applauding the rigorous testing and contact tracing, but others call it overboard and disruptive to education.

The City of LA is forming a new partnership with the state of California to eliminate all rental debt for low-income households financially impacted by the pandemic. The application period opens September 1.

The fate of LA’s street markets often rests in the hands of a few elected officials who, with a phone call or stroke of a pen, can decide whether or not they stay open. 

Popping up here and there makes it tough to build a business and to establish a cultural space in neighborhoods. But moving indoors can be expensive for mom-and-pop operations, which are often run by immigrants unprepared to deal with city and county rules.

KCRW goes to the new Alameda Night Market to hear from vendors about their challenges with city rules plus health and business codes.

California has recall fever. More than 70 elected officials across the state have faced recall efforts since the beginning of this year, most notably Governor Gavin Newsom. Petitions are circulating right now to oust three members of the LA City Council: Mike Bonin, Nithya Raman and Kevin de León. And some Californians have been pushing to remove George Gascon as LA County’s district attorney since he took office this year.

Biddy Mason was born enslaved in the southern U.S., then got moved to California by a plantation owner. She later sued for her freedom and won. In LA, she became a medical practitioner who served both Black and white local communities. For 10 years, Mason saved her money until she was finally able to purchase a piece of land on Spring Street in downtown LA and establish a family homestead. 

With back-to-school season here, questions about vaccine policies aren’t just being raised at the K-12 level. UC schools and Cal State campuses have established firm rules regarding vaccines. Students and faculty must submit proof of vaccination to have access to any and all on-campus facilities. But some individual community college districts aren’t enforcing a vaccine mandate. It’s a tale of two policies, and it’s unclear – to paraphrase Charles Dickens – if they’re indicative of an epoch of belief, or an epoch of incredulity.

Last year took a heavy toll on educators who had to pivot to teaching via video, sometimes with their own kids at home. Many of them watched hard-won education gains disappear into black boxes on Zoom. Those experiences led many of them to quit the profession. 

If you live in California, chances are your food scraps are still getting buried in landfills and contributing to a warmer planet. And so, California became the first U.S. state to require local jurisdictions to compost their organic waste. SB 1383 was signed into law in 2016, and it aims to reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2025. It also requires that by January 2022, all cities and counties in California need to establish a plan to compost the organic waste going into trash cans.

LAUSD’s 2021-2022 school year kicked off today. Some parents, students, and teachers experienced long wait times entering campuses due to the district’s new Daily Pass program, but are confident the kinks will get worked out. Faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated by October 15, and some middle and high school teachers are encouraging their students to get the shots. Routine testing sites are set up on campuses for students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.

The 2021 wildfire season is here and on track to be the most devastating one in state history. Dozens of KCRW listeners have submitted questions about home insurance, fire prevention, and surviving the smoke. We dug up answers.