Polling continues to show that families of color, in particular, are the most concerned about letting their kids go back on campus, and that sentiment was loud and clear at today’s state Assembly hearing on the plan. Many parents, in California and nationwide, would rather wait until teachers are vaccinated and more people have immunity to COVID-19 before schools reopen in person.

For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Jeff Bell and Patti Reising and KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern were joined by Pecolia Manigo, she is the mother of three Oakland students, and she’s executive director of PLAN, the Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network.

Governor Newsom and State legislative leaders have struck a deal on a package of financial incentives to try to get more of California’s public schools to reopen in person by the end of the month.

However, the schools aren't required to bring kids back in person, but if they don't they will miss out some extra government funding. As well, the agreement does not require that all teachers be vaccinated before they return.

So will this deal be enough to get reluctant school districts and teachers’ unions to agree to reopen for in person education?

For more, KCBS Radio news anchors, Jeff Bell and Patti Reising, along with KCBS Radio Political Reporter, Doug Sovern, spoke with Megan Bacigalupi. She’s the mother of two young children in the Oakland public schools, and one of the leaders of the OUSD Parents group. She's also leader of the statewide group Open Schools California.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a disproportionate toll on Blacks and Latinos in California, but what about Native Americans?

The most comprehensive survey yet reveals new information about how the coronavirus is affecting the lives and livelihoods of Tribal people in the Golden State

For more, KCBS Radio Political Reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio news anchors Jeff Bell and Margie Shafer, spoke with G. Christina Mora, a sociologist at UC Berkeley who is co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies there.

Whether you have a college degree is now a bigger factor in your willingness to get a COVID19 vaccine, than your race.

That’s according to a new study today from the USC Dornsife school, which finds level of education plays a huge role in how Americans view the pandemic, and the vaccine

For more,  KCBS Radio Political Reporter Doug Sovern, along with Jeff Bell and Margie Shafer, are joined by Kyla Thomas, one of the sociologists at the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, which runs the Understanding Coronavirus in America Study.

While Congress is still in a stalemate, California is moving forward with almost eight billion dollars of COVID-19 relief. There will be stimulus checks of at least $600 for millions of taxpayers, and relief for small business owners too

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about how this package will work, so today, KCBS Radio anchors Jeff Bell and Patti Reising, and KCBS radio political reporter Doug Sovern dove into it with State Senator Nancy Skinner of the 9th District in the East Bay. She chairs the Senate Budget Committee as well as the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and played a leading role in drafting this relief legislation.