Sacramento RegionSacramento mayoral candidate profile: Epidemiologist Dr. Flojaune CoferFebruary 29, 2024 | Chris NicholsCofer is the only woman running among the major candidates for Sacramento mayor. She’s also the youngest at 41. Unlike her three main opponents, she’s not accepting corporate money and has never held elected office. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Sacramento RegionCity of Sacramento grapples with projected $58.6 million budget deficit. Here’s how the public can give inputFebruary 28, 2024 | Kristin LamThe Sacramento City Council began its formal discussions of the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year and is seeking public input on the financial challenges.
Health CareDeadly restraint: Despite decades of warnings, police continue holding people facedown.February 28, 2024Since the 1990s, law enforcement officials and medical experts have cautioned about the dangers of police-prone restraint, especially when people are high on stimulants or experiencing a mental health crisis.
Sacramento RegionSacramento mayoral candidate profile: Former state Senator Dr. Richard PanFebruary 28, 2024 | Chris NicholsPan said there’s no shortage of ideas for how to solve Sacramento’s homelessness crisis. Instead, he argues there’s a lack of follow through. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Health CareThe rate of antidepressants prescribed to young people surged during the pandemicFebruary 27, 2024Researchers analyzed a sample of about 221 million prescriptions from 2016 to 2022, in Americans between the ages of 12 and 25. The increase was prominent among young women and girls.
EnvironmentWildfires are killing California's ancient giants. Can seedlings save the species?February 27, 2024Extreme wildfires have destroyed about one-fifth of all giant sequoia trees. To safeguard their future, the National Park Service is planting seedlings that could better survive a hotter climate.
Sacramento RegionSacramento mayoral candidate profile: Assembly member Kevin McCartyFebruary 27, 2024 | Chris NicholsMcCarty served on the Sacramento City Council from 2004 until he was elected to the state Assembly in 2014. He said finding housing for the hundreds who camp along the American River Parkway would be among his top priorities as mayor. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
State GovernmentAnother Newsom recall attempt is ramping up. Here’s a refresher on the California recall process.February 26, 2024 | Nicole NixonThere have been many attempts to recall elected officials in California over the years but few actually make it to the ballot. Here’s what needs to happen.
Education$50,000 given to Del Paso Heights high school to change the future of Black and brown youthFebruary 26, 2024 | Srishti PrabhaThe Associated Student Body at Grant Union High School is receiving $50,000 from Golden 1 Credit Union, thanks to two students — Leah Nelson and Andrea Chaparro.
Arts and LifestyleWhy do we leap day? We remind you (so you can forget for another 4 years)February 26, 2024Why do we have leap years, and what are we supposed to do — or not do — with our rare extra day? NPR's Morning Edition spoke with experts in astronomy, history and economics to find out.
Sacramento RegionSacramento mayoral candidate profile: Former city council member Steve HansenFebruary 26, 2024 | Chris NicholsHansen is the only major candidate for mayor who said they’ve experienced homelessness. He has arguably the most conservative plans for how to deal with the problem. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Sacramento RegionSacramento Measure C: What you need to know about the business tax on the March 2024 ballotFebruary 26, 2024 | Kristin LamCity of Sacramento voters in the March 2024 election will decide whether to pass a controversial update to the business operations tax.
EnvironmentNASA is looking for people to test out its Mars simulator for a yearFebruary 23, 2024The agency is accepting applicants for the second cohort of its Mars simulator mission. Participants will live and work from a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot facility at NASA's Houston space center.
State GovernmentCalifornia lawmakers say reparations bills, which exclude widespread payments, are a starting pointFebruary 23, 2024California's Legislative Black Caucus is pushing for lawmakers to pass more than a dozen reparations proposals. The proposals include banning forced prison labor and paying Black families whose property was unfairly seized by the government.
Sacramento RegionCapRadio adds 9 new members to station’s board of directorsFebruary 22, 2024 | Chris NicholsThe move comes after the majority of the board resigned last fall in the wake of a critical financial audit of the Sacramento-based NPR station.
State GovernmentWaiting and sweltering: Why are California’s indoor heat protections for workers five years late?February 22, 2024In March, the state is finally set to approve rules to protect workers from excessive heat indoors. Officials busted a 2019 deadline — a delay that demonstrates California’s byzantine rulemaking process.
EducationLiving history and legacies: Teaching Black history in Sacramento classroomsFebruary 22, 2024 | Srishti PrabhaFebruary is Black History Month and schools like Sacramento Charter High School are shaping their curriculum to include the rich Black history of Sacramento.
State GovernmentCalifornia's Proposition 1 is complicated. Here's how it could affect the people most in need.February 22, 2024 | Kate WolffeAmong other things, the proposition would change the terms of the Mental Health Services Act, a law passed by voters in 2004 that uses a 1% tax on high earners to help pay for mental health services.
State GovernmentU.S. Senate contenders make their final debate argumentsFebruary 21, 2024Democrats Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey face off in their third and final televised debate in the U.S. Senate primary. California voters have two more weeks to turn in their ballots.
State Government10 years after promise, California still hasn’t included undocumented immigrants in cell phone subsidiesFebruary 21, 2024California in 2014 decided undocumented people could qualify for LifeLine, a program that helps low income families afford internet and cell service. A decade later undocumented people still can’t get it.
RaceNext U.S. census will have new boxes for 'Middle Eastern or North African,' 'Latino'March 28, 2024Biden officials approved proposals for the U.S. census and federal surveys to change how Latinos are asked about their race and ethnicity and to add a checkbox for "Middle Eastern or North African."
Up First NewsletterA Baltimore bridge collapse timeline; Disney and DeSantis settle legal battleMarch 28, 2024Two bodies were recovered from the Baltimore bridge collapse and investigators released a timeline of events. The Walt Disney Company and Gov. Ron DeSantis have settled their lawsuits.
NewsFractures in the Grand Alliance between Black and Jewish AmericansMarch 28, 2024The Grand Alliance between Black and Jewish leaders, known largely for shared work on Civil Rights in the 1960s, has a complicated legacy--and an uncertain future between these communities.
Shots - Health NewsCan grief make us accident-prone? A writer learns how it destabilizes and remakes usMarch 28, 2024After a fall near the first anniversary of her beloved aunt's death, a writer explored why grief can make us less sure-footed. She found answers, climbing a precarious staircase in Italy.
LawLegal experts worry about presidential abuse of the Insurrection Act. Here's whyMarch 28, 2024Experts say the Insurrection Act gives a president too much sweeping power to deploy troops on American soil without guard rails or proper oversight from Congress.
MediaChevron owns this city's news site. Many stories aren't toldMarch 28, 2024Chevron operates a major refinery in Richmond, Calif. It also owns the city's dominant news site, putting its own spin on events, and runs similar sites in Texas and Ecuador.
BusinessSam Bankman-Fried is about to get sentenced for his FTX crimes. Here's what to knowMarch 28, 2024Prosecutors are asking for 40 to 50 years, citing the severity of Bankman-Fried's crimes. Lawyers of the disgraced former head of FTX are asking for far less.
ClimateWhy a town on the front line of America's energy transition isn't letting go of coalMarch 28, 2024Kemmerer, Wyo., is on the front line of America's energy transition, with its coal plant slated to close and a nuclear plant in the works. But some think the rush to quit fossil fuels is impractical.