There's a different kind of gold rush in California: Sports gambling

Jan 11, 2022
Everyone from Native American tribes to online entities wants a piece of what some call the "holy grail" of the sports gambling landscape.
Various group entities like Fanduel and Native American tribes are vying for control of the sports gambling scene in California.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

In fire-prone California, experts push utilities to monitor the riskiest equipment on the grid

Jan 6, 2022
Power lines and equipment have sparked devastating blazes. Now companies are asked to take stock of their aging infrastructure.
Utilities have been making upgrades to their systems. Above, workers re-anchor a pole that suspends power lines outside Acton, California.
Lily Jamali/Marketplace

California is reshaping Medicaid to bring new health services to families

Dec 29, 2021
Community health workers present at doctor’s appointments can help parents navigate food, sleep, behavior and child development.
Developmental specialist Bella Lopez reads with 2-year-old Oliver Humphrey. She said the kids are often excited to see her at the doctor's office, in part because she's not the one giving shots.
Mariana Dale

California invests millions to try and curtail drug overdoses

Dec 28, 2021
The program's approach includes an emphasis on medically-assisted treatment, using drugs to help ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
California Bridge regional director Joshua Luftig, right, and program coordinator Christian Hailozian at the Bridge Substance Use Program at Highland Hospital in Oakland
Beth LaBerge/KQED

What California's new law means for garment workers and businesses

Nov 11, 2021
The law will guarantee an hourly wage for workers, but higher labor costs will put pressure on many small factories.
Garment worker Francisco Tzul has recently started working for a sewing contractor that pays an hourly wage rather than a piece rate.
Caroline Champlin/Marketplace

California farmers say their crops are caught in the supply chain

Nov 4, 2021
Exports are delayed for key crops like walnuts, many of which are grown for overseas customers.
California farmers may have to sell crops domestically due to supply chain issues. Above, vehicles drive past farmland and a freight train near Pixley, California, in August.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Apprenticeship gives California health care workers a career boost

Oct 21, 2021
The program helps licensed vocational nurses who work in state prisons to become registered nurses.
A program trains licensed vocational nurses who work in rural areas for the state correctional system to become registered nurses in California's correctional facilities.
Getty Images

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What does California's drought mean for the rest of the country?

Oct 20, 2021
For starters, California is the biggest agricultural producer in the U.S.
Dead almond trees lie in a drought-stricken field in Huron, California, in July 2021.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

The challenges of getting oil companies to decommission California's aging offshore oil rigs

Oct 7, 2021
While some lawmakers look to stop new drilling, the existing rigs are continuing to operate.
California brown pelicans fly near offshore oil rigs after sunset on July 21, 2009 near Santa Barbara, California. Shutting down California's offshore oil rigs could prove costly.
David McNew/Getty Images

Owner of child care center hopeful about rebounding from pandemic setbacks

Sep 30, 2021
Milli Pintacsi's child care operation was expanding, and enrollment had reached full capacity. Then the pandemic shut down the business.
Milli Pintacsi, owner of Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool in Napa, California, with her children. "This is our family business," she says. "It feels like we can't fail — we have to make it.”
Courtesy Milli Pintacsi