The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Monday, Oct. 3.
Youth fire education programs aim to keep communities safe
Across the North State, many local organizations are working to teach the public about fire safety. But Cristan Norman with the Siskiyou County Fire Safe Council says adults can be hard to teach because “many adults are pretty apathetic … the way to get adults on board is through their children.”
To help teach children about wildfire safety, Norman says fire safe councils are using hands-on activities that demonstrate defensible space, home-hardening, and other fire-prevention measures.
— Alec Stutson, NSPR
Millions of Medi-Cal enrollees could be forced to switch insurers
An effort by California to improve care in its Medicaid program may force nearly 2 million of the state’s poorest residents to switch health insurers. California recently required most of the commercial insurers in its Medi-Cal program to re-bid their contracts. In August, the state announced the preliminary results of the bidding. It showed Blue Shield of California and Health Net among four companies standing to lose contracts in just over a year’s time.
— Stephanie O’Neill, Kaiser Health News
Newsom boosts paid family leave benefits, extends COVID-19 sick leave
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday that boosts paid family leave benefits for workers in the coming years. The new law boosts wage replacement from 60-70% of a worker’s paycheck to 90% in 2025. Newsom also signed a bill extending supplemental sick leave for COVID-19 until the end of the year.
— CapRadio Staff
Newsom vetoes bill granting unemployment to undocumented workers
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have created a one-year pilot program offering $300 a week for up to 20 weeks to unemployed, undocumented Californians. Undocumented people contribute an estimated $3 billion in state and local taxes each year but are excluded from unemployment insurance benefits.
— Farida Jhabvala Romero (KQED), The California Report
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In case you missed it
- Man charged in deadly Oroville bus shooting pleads not guilty — NSPR
- Former PG&E executives to pay $117M to settle lawsuit in 2017, 2018 wildfires — NSPR
- Tenants of Chico apartment complex fear evictions could lead to homelessness — NSPR
- Tuscan Water District election to be rescheduled — NSPR
- Stardust Revue aims for a brighter future for burlesque and drag in downtown Chico — NSPR
- Mt. Shasta exploring ‘transformative transportation change’ — NSPR
- City of Chico being sued for wrongful death in 2015 police shooting — NSPR
- Shasta County residents warned to watch out for voter intimidation — NSPR
- The Dixie Fire Stories Project – a photographer’s experience capturing her community’s recovery — NSPR
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