News

Health Care

The FDA OKs Pfizer-BioNTech Booster For People 65+ And At High Risk For Severe COVID

September 22, 2021

A third shot of the vaccine can be given at least six months after the two-dose regimen of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to the authorization. A booster rollout could begin this week.

Students With Disabilities Across California Stuck In Limbo

September 22, 2021

Some parents are being forced to decide between risking sending their kids with disabilities to school and getting all their needs met or keeping them at home and forfeiting their special education services.

As Sacramento Opens New Navigation Center For Unhoused People, A New Lawsuit Threatens To Block Other Shelters From Moving Forward

September 22, 2021 | Janelle Salanga

A navigation center on X Street opened Tuesday to welcome homeless people, their pets and partners. It’s one of the shelters the city is hoping can address a growing homelessness crisis. But there’s still some criticism and concern.

Environment

How Indigenous Knowledge Is Changing The Way California Tracks The Effects of Climate Change

September 22, 2021 | Manola Secaira

For a long time, Indigenous knowledge has been ignored in Western science and academia. A recent report challenges this trend, by including tribal perspectives in research on the indicators of climate change.

California Coronavirus Updates: San Francisco Airport Mandates All Employees Be Vaccinated

September 22, 2021

San Francisco is requiring all workers at San Francisco International Airport get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Associated Press.

Health Care

Home Births Gain Popularity In ‘Baby Bust’ Decade

September 21, 2021

Over the past decade, California has seen a sustained rise in the proportion of people who opt to give birth at home or in midwife-run birthing centers rather than in a hospital.

Environment

As California’s Drought Deepens, Water Use Drops Only 1.8%

September 21, 2021

Officials warn that next year’s cuts in water supply could go even deeper as severe drought grips nearly 90% of California. Residents of the North Coast and Bay Area conserved more than Southern Californians did.

‘Winter Was The Deadliest Season’: Report Shows 137 Homeless Residents Died In Sacramento County In 2020

September 21, 2021 | Chris Nichols

Advocates say Sacramento should open warming centers before winter this year and locate them close to homeless camps.

EGUSD Rescinds Expulsion Recommendation Of Black Student Following Community Involvement

September 21, 2021 | A.V. Benford

A small band of activists gathered outside the offices of the Elk Grove Unified School District on Sept. 13 to demand the immediate reinstatement of a Black female student-athlete facing expulsion.

State Government

California's Firefighters Keep Getting Injured While Training. And Some Have Died

September 21, 2021

Over the last year and a half, almost four dozen Cal Fire firefighters have suffered from heat illness during training, and since 2003, five have died.

Environment

Here's Why Firefighters Are Wrapping Sequoia Trees In Aluminum Blankets

September 20, 2021

The sequoias are "wrapped with house-wrapping material, kind of an aluminum-foil fabric that goes around the base of the trees," says Jon Wallace, who is helping to lead the firefighting effort.

Environment

Highway 50 Reopened Tuesday, A Month After The Caldor Fire Closed It

September 20, 2021 | Chris Hagan | Ed Fletcher

Officials say drivers should be alert to crews working along the highway and cautioned that the area will look very different than it did before the fire.

State Government

A Partisan Recall Puts California Republican Party In Disarray

September 19, 2021

Gov. Gavin Newsom made the California recall a partisan contest, and Republican elected officials had an embarrassing showing. Larry Elder, on the other hand, is the new power in the GOP.

CHP Sidesteps Feds To Continue 30-Day Tows

September 18, 2021

The California Highway Patrol still impounds thousands of unlicensed drivers’ cars for 30 days, despite a 2017 federal court ruling calling the holds unconstitutional.

Environment

A Single Fire Killed Thousands Of Sequoias. Scientists Are Racing To Save The Rest

September 17, 2021

The world's largest trees are adapted to wildfires. But with fires getting more extreme, scientists warn that giant sequoias are running out of time.

California State Of Mind | Episode 40

Recall Reset: Newsom Claims Victory And Turns His Attention Back To Bills

September 17, 2021

Gavin Newsom will keep his job as Governor but will the recall election have a lasting effect on how the Golden State is governed? Hear more context on the results and learn about some of the bills we might have missed.

State Government

California’s Housing Crisis: How Much Difference Will A Zoning Bill Make?

September 17, 2021

YIMBYs and NIMBYs are battling over legislation to allow more duplexes, but some experts downplay its impact on California housing.

Environment

Caldor Fire: Where To Find Information And Resources

September 16, 2021

Here's how to find the latest information on conditions, evacuations and closures for the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County.

Environment

Prescribed Burns Could Help Reduce California’s Wildfires. A New Bill Could Help Make Planned Fires More Frequent

September 16, 2021 | Manola Secaira

California officials are falling behind on goals to treat forest land via prescribed burns. Advocates rallied behind a bill to make the burns more accessible, saying that it’ll take the effort of more than state agencies to catch up.

Health Care

‘This Did Not Need To Happen’: Fourth COVID-19 Wave Pushes California’s Healthcare Workers To The Brink

September 16, 2021 | Nina Sparling

COVID-19 has exacerbated an ongoing challenge for hospitals across California: hiring and retaining enough nurses. Communities in the Central Valley are among those where the shortage is the most acute.