Health CareSutter Health psychiatric hospital staff strike for the second time in five monthsApril 26, 2024 | Kate WolffeWorkers conducted a three-day strike this week to call attention to ongoing contract negotiations with the health care giant. They allege some concerns about wages and unsafe staffing levels haven’t been addressed.
EducationRural counties far from universities struggle to recruit teachersApril 26, 2024Allowing community colleges to offer K-12 credentials could be a solution, UCLA report says
State GovernmentMillions of Californians weigh options after losing an affordable internet subsidyApril 25, 2024A federal affordable internet subsidy is going away and 3 million Californians must decide whether to end access largely considered a human right.
State GovernmentColleagues remember Delaine Eastin, the only woman to be elected California state superintendentApril 25, 2024During her two terms, from 1995 to 2003, Eastin successfully pushed for lower class sizes in elementary schools, new academic standards and the installation of school gardens.
Environment130 million Americans routinely breathe unhealthy air, report findsApril 25, 2024Climate change is making it harder to meet clean air goals, says the 25th annual State of the Air report from the American Lung Association.
Health CareGov. Gavin Newsom wants to let Arizona doctors provide abortions in CaliforniaApril 24, 2024 | Kate WolffeCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are announcing legislation Wednesday aimed at helping Arizonans access abortions after the Arizona Supreme Court allowed a near total-ban to move forward.
EducationWill less homework stress make California students happier?April 24, 2024A bill from a member of the Legislature’s happiness committee would require schools to come up with homework policies that consider the mental and physical strain on students.
EnvironmentCalifornia’s newest state park will open near Modesto in JuneApril 24, 2024The park sits at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers. It’s the first new state park in California in a decade, and will provide closer recreation options for Central Valley residents. Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
EnvironmentJudge drops all charges against man arrested in connection with Caldor FireApril 23, 2024 | Claire MorganTravis Shane Smith was arrested in 2021 and charged with reckless arson and possession of a machine gun. In January, a judge ruled there was “not sufficient evidence” to take the arson charge to trial, and another dropped the gun charge this week.
Housing and HomelessnessSupreme Court weighs upending homeless protectionsApril 23, 2024The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a case that could give cities in California and beyond greater authority to crack down on homeless encampments.
EnvironmentStartups want to cool Earth by reflecting sunlight. There are few rules and big risksApril 23, 2024In a parking lot and on San Francisco Bay, NPR witnesses two different tests for solar geoengineering to tackle climate change. With much science unsettled, experts say regulations aren't keeping up.
State GovernmentJudge rejects changing the name of California’s trans youth ballot measureApril 22, 2024Supporters of a California trans youth ballot measure wanted to change the name assigned by the attorney general, but a judge said no.
Bay FC inaugural season already making mark on women’s soccer in Northern CaliforniaApril 22, 2024 | Manola SecairaThe newest franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League drew nearly 18,000 to their first match, a sign of the growing support for professional women’s soccer in the region and around the country. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Sacramento mayor says ‘stakes are huge’ in Supreme Court case on homeless enforcementApril 22, 2024 | Chris NicholsThe case could have wide-ranging implications for state and local governments in California as they grapple with growing homeless encampments and related political pressures. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Sacramento RegionKings fall to Pelicans, miss shot at 2024 playoffsApril 19, 2024The Kings, who were seeded ninth in the West ahead of Friday’s game, are now the first 49-win team in more than 50 years to miss the NBA playoffs.
Arts and LifestyleSacramento R&B festival Sol Blume postponed to next yearApril 19, 2024 | Claire MorganFestival organizers said the venue, Discovery Park, had “significant site damage and growing safety concerns.” They added they’d permanently transition to hosting the event in the summer to avoid future weather conflicts.
Arts and LifestyleSan Francisco mayor announces the city will receive pandas from ChinaApril 19, 2024San Francisco is the latest U.S. city preparing to receive a pair of pandas from China, in a continuation of Beijing’s famed “panda diplomacy.”
EducationSacramento City Unified makes Interim Superintendent Lisa Allen permanentApril 19, 2024Allen, who has been with Sacramento City Unified School District for 28 years, was unanimously appointed superintendent by the school board on Thursday. She took over in July after her predecessor Jorge Aguilar stepped down.
Housing and HomelessnessCalifornia leaders take sides in monumental Supreme Court case on homelessnessApril 19, 2024The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case with major implications on homelessness policy in California. Find out where your leaders stand.
Sacramento RegionCapRadio and financial backer at odds over who owns broadcast towerApril 18, 2024 | Vicki Gonzalez | Chris HaganAfter a financial backer of CapRadio donated one of its broadcasting towers to KVIE following calls for a merger between the two public media stations, management of the Sacramento NPR member station argues they ‘definitively’ own the tower. Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
WeatherMidwest tornadoes cause severe damage in Omaha suburbs April 26, 2024Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska but the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha. Hundreds of homes and other structures have been damaged.
Shots - Health NewsBiden administration abandons plan to ban menthol cigarettes, citing 'feedback'April 26, 2024An anti-smoking advocate says the decision to leave menthol cigarettes on the market "prioritizes politics over lives, especially Black lives."
Middle East crisis — explainedIn Columbia University's protests of 1968 and 2024, what's similar — and differentApril 26, 2024There are parallels between the two high-profile events, most starkly the proliferation of similar protests around the country. But key differences set them apart.
ClimateClimate activist who defaced Edgar Degas sculpture exhibit sentencedApril 26, 2024A federal judge sentenced Joanna Smith to 60 days in prison for smearing paint on the case surrounding Edgar Degas' Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art.
Goats and SodaDRC is seeing its worst mpox outbreak — but has no vaccines or treatments yet. Why?April 26, 2024With nearly 5,000 cases reported so far this year — and concerns about a new strain — the Democratic Republic of Congo is considering the declaration of a public health emergency.
NationalNet neutrality is back: U.S. promises fast, safe and reliable internet for allApril 26, 2024The U.S. will reinstate Obama-era regulations for internet service providers that promise fast, reliable and fair internet speeds for all consumers. What happened when those rules were taken away?
WorldKing Charles III is returning to royal duties after his cancer diagnosisApril 26, 2024Buckingham Palace hasn't said what type of cancer Charles had or if he's finished treatment. It said he'll make a public visit to a cancer clinic Tuesday and will welcome Japan's emperor in June.
Middle East crisis — explainedA baby girl born orphaned and premature after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza has diedApril 26, 2024The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.