Central Valley Daily

An effort is growing to designate over a million acres of Sierra Nevada land as a national monument. But the proposal also has strong opposition. Opponents say it would devastate the local outdoors economy. On today’s show, we speak with Deanna Lynn Wulff, who is part of a group advocating for the “Range of Light National Monument.” Plus, the latest news headlines, including a new social media bil...

A new solar project has been launched in the city of Visalia. It aims to bring an alternative source of energy to residents who might not otherwise have access to it. We speak with Brandon Smithwood, a vice president at Dimension Energy, about how community solar projects work and how state efforts are aiming to expand them. Plus, the latest news headlines, including, did college students win Adam...

Earlier this year, Merced County officials raised alarm over a struggle to keep necessary staffing at the sheriff, district attorney, and fire departments. The county proposed a tax measure on the November ballot to help with funding. But the measure failed. We speak with Brianna Vaccari, a reporter with the Merced Focus newsroom, to hear what might be next for the county. Plus, the latest news he...

California homeowners have had their insurance dropped or significantly increased in recent years. And many say the California Department of Insurance could be doing more to help them. On today’s show, we speak with Stephanie Sierra, an investigative reporter with ABC7 in San Francisco. She recently spoke to people impacted by insurance increases and even tracked down the state insurance commissio...

In the November elections, residents in the city of Los Banos ousted their mayor and re-called two city council members. Leading up to the elections, Los Banos residents were discontent with the controversial appointment of their city manager. We speak with Mike Dunbar, reporter at The Westside Express, about ongoing turmoil within the Los Banos city government. Plus, the latest news headlines, in...

Every year on Thanksgiving, millions tune in to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But there’s another show that also draws a loyal crowd: The National Dog Show. Vito, a pug, took home the grand prize this year. On today’s show, we speak with George Milutinovich of Fresno. He was this year's “Best in Show” judge, where he picked the winner out of seven breeds. We talk to him about his judgi...

The University of California Health Milk Bank is working with groups across the state to help get human milk to children who need it most – but might not have access otherwise. Experts say breastmilk is one of the best ways to help nurture a newborn to health when they are born sick or premature. In this episode, we speak with Alison Wolf, executive director of the milk bank, to discuss the progra...

Donald Trump is set to return to office in January when he’s sworn in as the 47th U.S. president. Immigrant communities across the U.S. worry he will make good on promises of mass deportations. So how are groups preparing to support immigrants who might be caught up in those actions? We speak with KVPR’s Esther Quintanilla on the steps some local groups and officials are taking now. Plus, the late...

Republican Rep. David Valadao is returning to Congress for a sixth term in January after beating former state Assemblymember Rudy Salas for a second time. The contest drew millions of dollars in campaign spending to unseat Valadao. But we speak with KVPR’s Joshua Yeager about why voters keep sending Valadao to Washington. Plus, the latest news headlines, including a Fresno County patient infected...

Every year, NPR collaborates with its team of reporters and puts together a list titled “Books We Love.” It’s a curated list of hundreds of books that staff members and trusted critics say are worth a read. NPR Arts Desk reporter Andrew Limbong joins us to discuss the thorough list and some of his favorite books from this year. Plus, the latest news headlines, including, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stop i...

This past election, voters across the Central Valley were asked to approve or reject over 30 different school bond measures. That would open up funding to make campus infrastructure and program upgrades. As vote counts wrap up, many of the bonds in the Valley have passed. So what’s next? We speak with EdSource reporter Lasherica Thronton. Plus, the latest news headlines, including bird flu found i...

A “bomb cyclone” hit the Pacific Northwest earlier this week. While the storm’s intensity has diminished, it is boosting the strength of another storm – known as an atmospheric river – that is hitting much of Northern California. We speak with National Weather Service Meteorologist David Spector about the first significant storms of the season and what’s next. Plus, the latest news headlines, incl...

In 2017, Tulare Regional Medical Center declared bankruptcy and closed its doors. In the years leading up to the closure, the hospital had been run by Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA). After the bankruptcy, Dr. Benny Benzeevi, who was CEO of HCCA, was accused of a long list of financial crimes that led the hospital to its fate. He was eventually charged with 40 felony counts and, just thi...

What does it take to be a top lumberjack? Madera County resident Nate Hodges recently traveled to France to compete in an international timbersports competition that featured top talent in wood cutting. Earlier this month, Hodges defeated woodcutters from countries like New Zealand and Canada to become the 2024 Stihl Timbersports Individual World Champion. In this episode, we speak with him about...

Earlier this month, the California Air Resources Board approved a revision to a state climate program known as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The program tries to encourage cleaner transportation fuels with financial incentives. But the change had one side effect that raised eyebrows among many: it could raise already high gas prices. We spoke with CalMatters reporter Alejandro Lazo about this deci...

The City of Tehachapi in Kern County is a major thoroughfare for trains getting to or from the Central Valley. But what happens during a major disaster? Tehachapi officials have also been wondering about this and are pushing for more precise communication to be prepared. We speak with Tehachapi City Manager Greg Garrett about his concerns. Plus, the latest news headlines, including an E. coli outb...

Across California, over 1.1 million people are deaf or hard of hearing, with many of them calling the Central Valley home. What type of resources are available to assist them? We speak with Michelle Bronson from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center. She discusses the organization’s work and an upcoming event. Plus, the latest news headlines, including a report on UC Merced’s 20th anniversar...

The riparian woodrat is native to the San Joaquin Valley. But the endangered species hadn’t been seen in its natural habitat for many years. That was until recently, when biologists discovered the species at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge near Modesto. We speak with ecologist Ashley Verna about the significance behind the discovery. Plus, the latest news headlines, including county...

What role does artificial intelligence play in police departments? While not yet widely used, the Fresno Police Department is already utilizing the technology to write its police reports. We speak with KVPR editor and reporter Kerry Klein about her new reporting that looks into this. Plus, the latest news headlines, including a bomb threat investigated at the Kings County elections office and Fres...

President-elect Donald Trump made strong statements about California during his campaign. It included a threat to withhold federal disaster funding if the state and Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t meet specific requests from his upcoming administration. With the election over and Trump headed back to the White House, we speak with CalMatters reporter Alexei Koseff about what a second Trump presidency cou...

The new book, Pony Confidential, takes readers along for a unique journey. A talking pony is determined to find its owner, whom it hasn’t seen in over two decades – but only to discover she’s been accused of murder. The pony must now prove her innocence. The novel is starting to receive national acclaim. We speak with the author, Central Valley professor Christina Lynch, about what inspired her to...

Members of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians are protesting after they were recently disenrolled from the tribe. Recently, protesters gathered outside a Madera County casino managed by the tribe to voice opposition to the disenrollment. We speak with Claudia Gonzales, former chairwoman of the tribe, after she, too, was kicked out of the tribe and what she fears could happen next. Plus,...

State and federal officials are close to choosing a new plan to manage how water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta would be distributed through the California Aqueduct and Delta-Mendota Canal. The water channels run through the western side of the Central Valley. CalMatters reporter Alastair Bland discusses the plan that is up for approval and why it’s making environmentalists unhappy. Plus, t...

Election Day is behind us. We hear how it went in the San Joaquin Valley. Nationally, Republicans have seemed to have a lead in Congress and in the White House. In the Valley, congressional races were still too close to call as of Tuesday night. KVPR’s Kerry Klein and Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado tell us where things ended up, and what reporters from the KVPR newsroom observed as the night went on.

It’s Election Day! As millions head out to vote, many more have already cast their ballots. KVPR asked voters in the San Joaquin Valley what is top of mind today. We hear directly from voters across the region. Plus, what KVPR is watching for in today’s election – from tight congressional districts to the race for the White House.