Rachel Dornhelm | radio journalist

California sees increase in parents seeking exemptions from vaccination requirements

Wednesday May 9, 2012

read/listen here, published on California Healthline

Public health officials say more kindergarteners are entering California's schools without obtaining their required vaccinations.

An interactive map from KidsData.org displays vaccination rates for California kindergarteners by county.

In a California Healthline Special Report by Rachel Dornhelm, experts discussed the recent uptick in parents seeking personal belief exemptions from state immunization requirements.

The Special Report includes comments from:

• Bruce Horwitz, an Oakland pediatrician;
• Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center;
• John Talarico, director of California Department of Public Health's Immunization Branch; and
• Karen, a parent who plans to apply for a personal belief exemption (Dornhelm, California Healthline, 5/9).

The complete transcript of this Special Report is available as a PDF.

Read more: http://www.californiahealthline.org/special-reports/2012/california-sees-increase-in-parents-seeking-exemptions-from-vaccination-requirements.aspx#ixzz1vXsxJhiH

The future of San Francisco's affordable housing

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

aired on KQED News

Low and moderate-income households have always been challenged in finding housing in San Francisco. The end of redevelopment agencies and the housing set-asides they included makes the situation worse. Mayor Ed Lee has convened a working group that's now focused on getting a ballot initiative drafted by May. Rachel Dornhelm reports.

 

LIVE reports: 7 killed in shooting rampage at Oakland University

Monday, April 2, 2012

aired on KQED Radio News, NPR, KPCC and PBS Newshour

Continuing coverage through the day of the tragic incident at Oikos University in Oakland. Live reporting aired on KQED News, NPR, KPCC and PBS Newshour.

 

Watch News Wrap: At Least 7 Killed in Shooting at Oikos University on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Chasing the Work-Life Balance

Friday, January 27, 2012

aired on KQED's The California Report, listen here

Call it work-life balance, the juggle or the seesaw -- many parents in California are doing it. According to the Sloan Work and Family Research Network in almost two-thirds of the state's households with school-aged kids, both parents are working outside the home. And single parents make up almost one-third of the state's labor force. Striking the balance is an issue that all families grapple with, as reporter Rachel Dornhelm found out. (photo of the Payne family -- Cameron, Kafi, Macheo, and Elijah -- profiled in the story)

 

You can read the accompanying blog post -- from KQED's State of Health -- here.

 

Marin Struggles to Meet Fair Housing Laws

Wednesday, November 30, 2012

aired on KQED News, listen here

Ever since President Obama took over the White House, his Housing and Urban Development administration -- or HUD -- has been looking at how to increase enforcement of the nation's Fair Housing Laws. That includes evaluating whether cities and counties are working hard enough to include people of color and other protected classes in their housing plans.

HUD has cracked down on Westchester County, north of New York City, for failing to do this, following a lawsuit by housing advocates. Now, a recent audit is focusing attention on the nearly all-white county of Marin, on California's Northern coast. Reporter: Rachel Dornhelm

 

The Oakland Hills Fire: Lessons Learned and Losses Remembered

Friday, October 14, 2011

aired on KQED's California Report, listen here

This month marks the 20th anniversary of one of the worst urban fires in history -- the one that roared through the hills of Oakland and Berkeley in 1991. Twenty-five people died, 150 were injured and more than 3,000 homes burned. Neighbors and firefighters want to avoid the conditions that led to that disaster. Reporter: Rachel Dornhelm

 

SF Symphony Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

aired on KQED News, listen here

Tonight the San Franciso Symphony celebrates its hundredth anniversary with a gala concert. Reporter Rachel Dornhelm talked to guest artist Lang-Lang and the symphony's artistic director about the milestone.

 

Sausalito's Heath Ceramics to Open Plant in San Francisco

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

aired on KQED News, listen here

Some good news for local manufacturing. A Sausalito ceramics company is opening another plant in San Francisco. Rachel Dornhelm reports the renowned tile and tablewear company heath Ceramics is expanding to the city's Mission DIstrict.

 

Transit Protest Raises Cybersecurity Concerns

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

aired on The California Report, listen here

The hacker group Anonymous released a list of patrons who'd signed up for special offers from the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, which it was able to take from the company's website. That made people wonder whether hackers would also be able to disrupt train operations. Reporter: Rachel Dornhelm

 

Bay Area Muslim Community Celebrates Ramadan, Holds Open Houses

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

published on KQED.org's News Fix, read here

Muslims in the Bay Area and around the world are observing Ramadan August 1 to 30 this year.

A 25-year-old UC Berkeley grad, Zuhair Sadaat, has set out to capture the diversity of the region's Muslim community with a blog called: 30 Mosques in 30 Nights...