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Nina Sparling
Contributing Reporter
Nina Sparling is a journalist and audio producer based in San Francisco, where she covers inequality, politics, and the environment. She got her start in journalism covering food, agriculture and technology in New York. Her writing has appeared in outlets including the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Paris Review. Her radio work has been featured on KQED, Alaska News Nightly, and NPR.
Nina is an alum of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She cooks a lot, sometimes writes poems, and is at work on a project about the deep sea.
El Dorado County May Consider Protections for Mobile Home Park Residents
November 27, 2020
Dozens of counties and cities across California have passed regulations to keep the mobile home industry in check. El Dorado County may soon join them.
As Pandemic Balloons Statewide, Some Rural Counties Explore Making Their Own Rules
November 19, 2020
Some elected officials in northern California met weeks ago to discuss gaining more regional autonomy in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. One idea is to pass resolutions at the county level asserting power over decision making.
California Is Making Progress On Safe Water For All, But Work Remains
November 12, 2020
Some 1 million Californians lack access to safe drinking water. A new state report found there has been progress towards changing that, but a 2019 state program could benefit from funding and legislative oversight.
Despite Well-Funded Opposition, Republicans Maintain Stronghold in Rural, Northern California
November 5, 2020
Early results looked unusually strong for two Democratic challengers running in deeply conservative and rural parts of northern California. But as more ballots get counted, the gap is widening.
Shasta County Supervisor Candidate Supports State of Jefferson, Outraises Opponent
October 29, 2020
A vast swath of far northern California reaching into Oregon has been working to create a 51st State in the West for decades. And this year the so-called State of Jefferson is turning attention to local elections.
California’s Landmark Groundwater Law Falls Short, Advocates Say
October 22, 2020
In 2014, California took its first step to regulate how it uses groundwater. But now advocates are now warning that those rules might be leaving out disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley who depend on groundwater to drink.
NorCal Republicans Say A Local Focus, Not National Politics, Will Help Them Win This Year
October 21, 2020
Democrats have controlled state politics in California for years. But Republicans still have strongholds in the far north and east. Two of the area’s newest conservative legislators talk about how they view the party, this election season and beyond.