For decades, Hollywood Boulevard has been marketed to the world as a glamorous and sophisticated place. But the reality of contemporary Hollywood Boulevard is very different. Some blocks, like around Grauman’s Theater, are packed with throngs of tourists, merchants and street performers. But they’re on overcrowded sidewalks with few amenities, like shade and seating. But planners are working to make it more friendly for walkers and cyclists alike.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

Thousands of Democratic Party delegates, party leaders and politicians are in Chicago to kick off this week’s Democratic National Convention and officially name Vice President Kamala Harris as their party's presidential candidate.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

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As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another’s treasure. And that’s true at a landfill in Riverside County. Workers at the Lamb Canyon Landfill have started rescuing items to resell at a new store. 

Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR

A new poll shows California voters are supportive of a plan to increase penalties for theft and drug offenses, and to raising the state's minimum wage.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Last month, Governor Newsom signed a bill into law that bans school districts from requiring staff to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to anyone without the student’s permission. But this week, the school board of the Cajon Valley Union School District in San Diego County voted unanimously to do just that.

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Three years ago today, as the U.S military completed its pull out, Taliban forces captured Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. In the wake of that change, many Afghan refugees fled to the U.S. and California. They settled in the Bay Area, L.A. and San Diego, but some also found a new home in California’s Mojave Desert. 

Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR 

The Boise Fire, burning in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties, has charred more than 9600 acres, according to fire officials. The fire has led to mandatory evacuations.

Reporter: Justin Higginbottom, Jefferson Public Radio

Some California Democrats have announced a campaign to back a state proposition that would increase penalties for theft and drug crimes. 

Reporter: Kristin Lam, CapRadio 

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Syringe exchange programs have been around in the U.S. since the 1980s, and offer people who use drugs clean needles to reduce the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases. But in some California cities or counties, residents or political leaders are fighting to keep them out. Harm reduction advocates are hoping for the state's support.

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Republicans are hammering Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on immigration. They're calling her a 'failed border czar' responsible for the surge of migrants coming to the U.S., but she's pushing back with a tough on the border message. So where does she stand on immigration and the border?

Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED 

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck 2.5 miles southeast of Highland Park, in LA County on Monday afternoon. In terms of intensity, the shaking was strong enough to knock items off shelves, but didn't cause any widespread damage.

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A group of incarcerated people, led by a former prison doctor, are trying to influence policy in California. They’re doing this by looking inward, and reflecting on their beginnings.

Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio

On Sunday, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games concluded in Paris. Now attention shifts to Los Angeles, host of the Games four years from now. How’s planning for the L.A. Olympics going and what's left to do?

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report 

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Five actors take the stage for a performance in Humboldt County. One of them is Black, the others are white. In this region, fewer than 25% of residents identify as people of color and they often find themselves victims of lifelong habits of the white majority. This production of The White Card aims to shake up those entrenched dynamics.

Reporter: Kelby McIntosh

California Governor Gavin Newsom helped clear a homeless encampment in the Los Angeles region on Thursday. Newsom vowed to take money away from local governments if they don't clean up homeless encampments.

Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio

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Multiple cities throughout California have seen temperatures way above 90 degrees this week. Workers, both indoors and outdoors, are feeling the heat, but for the first time ever, indoor workers finally have protections against excessive heat in the workplace. At the end of last month, state officials unveiled new rules of what’s required in indoor workplaces when temperatures surpass 82 degrees.

Guest: Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, KQED

California put hundreds of millions worth of federal homelessness dollars at risk. A federal audit out this week blames “chaotic” and “disorganized” anti-fraud policies at the state’s housing agency. Auditors gave the California agency it's lowest possible ranking.

Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

A new report says abortions are up nationwide compared to before Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago. California is leading the way, providing more than 16,000 abortions a month on average.

Reporter: Spencer Whitney, KQED

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It's been just a few weeks since President Joe Biden decided to end his presidential campaign. And now with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the ticket, young Democratic voters in California are energized in the lead-up to the November election.

Guests: Aashi Jhawer and Dzian Tran, Voters of Tomorrow

For many young GOP voters in California, the selection of JD Vance speaks volumes to them. He's a younger running mate who shares many of the same values as them. And it's not just the presidential race that's on their mind.

Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report

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Stories about homelessness in Los Angeles tend to focus on problems in big, urban cities. But homelessness has actually been growing faster in a remote desert region 90 minutes north of Downtown L.A.’s Skid Row.

Reporter: David Wagner, LAist

Sacramento State has released the findings of a highly anticipated forensic examination of Capital Public Radio’s finances. It found more than $700,000 in “unsupported” payments, or payments that could not be backed up by expense reports or receipts. Nearly $400,000 was paid out to one individual, whose name was redacted.

Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio

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