California News & Current Events | Public News Service

Chuckwalla National Monument is one of two created in mid-January by President Joe Biden, just before he left office. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Two CA national monuments in peril as feds announce plan to rescind them

Two new national monuments in California are in jeopardy after the White House announced a plan to revoke them and then appeared to retreat. On …

The Trump administration is working to lower air-quality standards, which could allow easier permitting for the oil and gas industry. (Travelview/Adobe Stock)

Monday, March 17, 2025

CA local leaders protest massive rollback of federal environmental protections

Local leaders in California are slamming the Trump administration's moves to gut dozens of environmental policies on climate change and pollution in l…

Yosemite National Park just announced it will resume summer campground reservations next week, after previously delaying them because of staffing concerns. (Dawn Endico/Wikimedia Commons)

Monday, March 17, 2025

Sierra Club sues DOGE over mass firings

The Sierra Club predicts big problems at national parks such as Yosemite and Sequoia this summer because the Trump administration is slashing federal …

The U.S. Department of Education is putting laid-off workers on paid leave starting Friday, March 21 and says they will be paid through June 9. (Neal/Adobe Stock)

School employees speak out against mass layoffs at U.S. Dept. of Education

School employees are expressing outrage at the mass layoffs of half the U.S. Department of Education workforce. Secretary of Education Linda …

Local California leaders met with officials at the White House this week as part of the National League of Cities' annual Congressional City Conference. (Dan Kealey)

Local CA leaders look to feds for more certainty, stability

Dozens of local leaders from California are in the nation's capital this week, joining about 2,800 colleagues from around the country at the National …

California is home to 1.1 million Black women, the fifth largest population in the country. (peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Survey: Almost 60% of CA Black women report discrimination at work

New research finds Black working women still face rampant discrimination in the Golden State. The California Black Women's Collective Empowerment …

Conservation experts would like to see more farms use drip or sprinkler systems, which are more efficient than flooding for irrigation. (Deyan Georgiev/Adobe Stock)

Agriculture, especially cattle feed, uses most of Earth’s freshwater

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collab…

The CDC recommends wearing personal protective equipment when handling sick or dead birds, cleaning and disinfecting contaminated areas, and avoiding stirring up dust or bird waste that may spread avian flu. (Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals)

Fact-check: Backyard chickens aren’t safe from bird flu

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collab…

Groups speak out against corporate influence in agriculture

Advocates for small independent farmers are sounding the alarm about the effects of corporate agriculture on farmers and local communities. Four mega-…

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends removing play sand rather than trying to clean it, because fire debris, ash and dirt from residential and structural fires may contain asbestos, heavy metals and other hazardous substances. (Supersomik/Adobe Stock)

After L.A. fires, questions remain about sandbox safety

Concerned parents are pushing the authorities to help parks and day cares remove sand from sandboxes contaminated with ash after the Los Angeles fires…

Protesters in California and across the nation came together for a day of action on Tuesday to underscore the importance of making higher education more accessible and affordable. (Matt Hardy/California Federation of Teachers)<br />

Hundreds march in Sacramento for more education funding

Several hundred protesters marched to the Capitol building in Sacramento on Tuesday, calling for better funding for education. The event was part of …

University of Southern California recently scrubbed many 'DEI' references from its website and sent a campuswide email saying its Office of Inclusion and Diversity would no longer be a standalone entity. (Hanson/Adobe Stock)<br />

Educators sue to block Trump anti-DEI policy

The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association are suing the Trump administration over a threat of funding cuts and inv…

A Carbon Census sensor's sophisticated electronic components (shown here during the Los Angeles fires) can detect a variety of atmospheric compounds. (Mike Glier)

Study: L.A.’s urban trees remove more C02 than expected

A new study shows trees in mid-city Los Angeles absorb up to 60% of carbon dioxide emissions during spring and summer when the trees are most active…

National parks such as Yosemite are bracing for the busy season even as they lose staff in the Trump administration's plan to reduce the federal workforce. (Greg Pickens/Adobe Stock)

Hearing today in CA on lawsuit to halt firings of federal workers

A lawsuit to halt the firing of probationary federal workers gets a hearing before a district court judge in San Francisco this afternoon, even as …

Salicornia grows around a salt lake in Saudi Arabia. The plant is also known as samphire, sea beans, sea asparagus, glasswort, or pickleweed. (Gabriele Fiene)

California researchers explore crops that thrive on salt

By Ashley Stimpson of Nexus Media News for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient/Just an…

California is home to more than 152,000 federal employees. All of them recently received an email from the Office of Personnel Management asking for details on what they accomplish at work. (Luciano Luppa/Adobe Stock)

Government workers speak out on DOGE demands

Federal workers said they are reeling after weeks of job cuts and a demand from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency for workers to j…

There are currently 23 oil and gas facilities in federal waters off the coast of California, including one near Santa Barbara. (Oceana)

Conservation groups sue feds to protect coast from offshore drilling

A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Trump administration to reinstate protections against new offshore drilling. President Donald Trump …

Many community health centers offer mental health services to help children cope with stress related to immigration enforcement. (Oksana/Adobe Stock)

CA children’s advocates speak out against impending immigration raids

California is bracing for large-scale immigration raids - and groups that advocate for children are speaking out against the climate of fear…

Experts say people affected by the Los Angeles area fires could the three major credit bureaus and temporarily

Fraud-fighting experts warn of rise in scams after L.A. fires

Scams are on the rise in the wake of the Los Angeles fires, according to a warning on social media from the Pasadena Police Department - so experts …

Doctors caution that children, the elderly and people with chronic conditions such as asthma and COPD are the most vulnerable to toxic air pollution from wildfire smoke and ash. (Prikhodko/Adobe Stock)

Public health experts warn about pollution from burned plastics in LA fires

After thousands of homes and businesses burned in the Los Angeles fires, public health doctors are warning about the toxic pollution from plastics …

Assal Habibi has done extensive research on how musical training is beneficial for brain development. (Gus Ruelas/USC Photo)<br />

Arts educators reach out after L.A. fire disaster

Music lessons. A trip to the theater. Experiences like these can help students recover from cataclysmic natural disasters like the LA fires, …

Almost 15 million Californians rely on Medi-Cal for their healthcare. (Talia Mdlungu/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

CA schools brace for harmful cuts to Medi-Cal

Educators in California are speaking out against plans in Congress to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in the …

Exposure to early morning sun in particular can help with seasonal affective disorder.(Antonioguillem/Adobe Stock)

Even in sunny California, "wintertime blues" can wreak havoc

Studies show about 40% of Americans report feeling the wintertime blues, and about 2% to 3% experience the more severe seasonal affective disorder…

The Fight for Our Health coalition has sent letters to congressional leaders and California's representatives in Congress urging them to protect Medi-Cal in upcoming budget negotiations. (Health Access CA)

Statewide coalition launches to fight proposed health care cuts

Town hall meetings start tonight across California, pushing back against congressional Republicans' proposal to cut hundreds of billions of dollars …

A home burns in a Los Angeles neighborhood during recent wind-driven wildfires spreading throughout several Southern California communities. (Adobe Stock)

CA towns, cities must adapt as dangers of bigger wildfires loom

By Amy McDermott for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for for California News Service reporting…

The Long Beach Animal Care Services said it fights a constant battle for space to shelter dogs and cats. This puppy is currently being fostered with its siblings but will eventually be available for adoption. (Brittany Murray/Medianews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images)<br />

A more humane future for CA shelter animals

By S.E. Smith for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Yes! Magazine-Public News Service …

In 2023, the Biden administration ordered a Bakersfield oil company to remove old oil rigs from Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Public lands advocates slam federal review of national monuments

Groups that fight to protect public lands are criticizing the Trump administration's new review of all oil, gas and mining on public lands. National …

Farmers markets encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables, which is much more climate-friendly compared with a meat-based diet. (Corey/Adobe Stock)

Farmers markets can be a form of climate action

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient/Just and Climate-Friendly …

Southern sea otters only inhabit about 13% of their former range and remain absent from the Oregon coast. (Dhayes/Adobe Stock)

Grant helps tribes, nonprofits plan to expand range of sea otters

The push to reintroduce southern sea otters to greater sections of the California and Oregon coast is getting a big boost from a $1.56 million grant f…

California's overall rate of educational attainment has increased by 17.4 percentage points since 2009.(Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: CA educational attainment exceeds national average

California has inched past the national average in the percentage of adults with a college degree or other postsecondary credential, according to the …

A new federal report finds U.S. service members, when buying cars, are less likely to make a downpayment, more likely to make a smaller downpayment, and more likely to make a negative equity trade-in than civilian buyers. (Freedomz/Adobe Stock)

Report: Military service members pay more for car loans

Military borrowers pay higher costs and face greater financial risks than civilian borrowers when taking out credit to buy a car - according to a new …

Data show that just under a quarter of California 4th and 8th graders are considered proficient in science. (Viacheslav Yakobchuk/Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: CA students make modest improvements, but lag after pandemic

California's 5.8 million public school kids have made small gains in 4th grade math and reading since 2022. They're still behind pre-pandemic …

CA lawmakers look to block ICE near schools, advocates sound the alarm

California state lawmakers are taking action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement. Last year, state Sen. Lena Gonzalez…

California's state attorney general recently released guidance that ICE agents must have a judicial warrant to enter school property. (Mehaniq41/Adobe Stock)<br />

CA's K-12 schools prepare for possibility of immigration authorities on campus

California school districts are working to reassure parents who may be scared to bring their kids to school - since the Trump administration made it c…

Statewide, Medi-Cal provides medical and dental benefits for 38% of the population, or 14 million people. (Carlos/Adobe Stock)

New report shows big racial gaps in use of Medi-Cal dental benefits

A new report shows what it calls a "dental divide" in the Los Angeles area - finding that only 20% to 25% of people on Medi-Cal actually use their den…

Activist Zoe Rosenberg removed four chickens from Perdue's Petaluma Poultry farm and brought them to a veterinarian for medical treatment. (Direct Action Everywhere)

Trial ahead for CA animal activist accused of trespassing, theft, conspiracy

An animal activist is speaking out ahead of her trial in May - accused of trespassing, theft and conspiracy after a protest at a poultry …

The Bureau of Land Management oversees 15 million acres of public lands in California, including the Fargo Canyon Off Highway Vehicle Area outside Palm Springs. (Tracy Albrecht/BLM)<br />

Hunting, fishing groups praise bills' reintroduction in Congress

California advocates for hunters and anglers are speaking out in favor of two public lands bills that were just reintroduced in the U.S. Senate…

Water districts in Los Angeles are working to reduce the region's reliance on water imported from Northern California by recycling more wastewater and encouraging greater conservation. (Craig Dietrick/Wikimedia Commons)<br />

Conservation groups slam Trump’s executive order on CA water policy

President Donald Trump's new executive order on California water policy is drawing criticism from many water conservation advocates. The order …

Pacience Edwards, a Direct Relief pharmacy specialist, delivers essential medications to the Pasadena Convention Center on Jan. 9. (Direct Relief)

Nonprofits work to meet long-term needs after LA fires

The Los Angeles area wildfires will affect people's health for many years, according to disaster relief experts. The fires can cause severe mental …

The 2025 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being website includes an interactive tool to compare county-level data on 40 indicators. (Vasyl/Adobe Stock)

CA county scorecard reveals struggles in education and foster care

A majority of California children are failing to meet educational standards, according to this year's County Scorecard on Children's Well-Being…

The CAvsHate telephone hotline connects people with culturally-competent services in 200 languages. (CA Civil Rights Dept.)

Hate crimes double in CA from 2019-2023; reporting low in rural areas

State data show that hate-crime reports almost doubled between 2019 and 2023 - so the Civil Rights Division is promoting its new CA vs Hate hotline…

As of 2023, Medi-Cal covered 22% of non-elderly adults in urban areas and 14% in rural areas. (Pcess609/Adobe Stock)

Report: Proposed cuts to Medi-Cal will hurt rural CA the most

Rural Californians would be hurt the most by huge proposed cuts to Medicaid, known in California as Medi-Cal, according to a new report from …

California's Proposition 12 mandated minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens but does not apply to chickens raised for meat. (JackF/Adobe Stock)

Animal welfare advocates work to save CA's Prop 12 under Trump

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabor…

Protesters in San Diego call for a just peace in Gaza on Saturday. (Joe Orellana)

CA pro-Palestinian groups express cautious optimism as ceasefire takes hold

California supporters of the Palestinian cause say they are cautiously optimistic - now that the ceasefire in Gaza has taken hold and the hostage rele…

Protesters with the Interfaith Coalition for Earth Justice of San Diego drew attention to the effects of climate change at an event in November. (GreenFaith)<br />

CA environmental advocates hold series of vigils around inauguration

Faith-based climate activists with the nonprofit GreenFaith are organizing a series of vigils tied to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump…

The ceasefire deal announced Wednesday is similar to one announced by President Joe Biden last May. (Robert/Adobe Stock)

CA Jewish, Muslim leaders praise Gaza ceasefire deal

Leaders of California's Jewish and Muslim communities say they're relieved that Israel and Hamas have taken the first steps toward ending their brutal…

According to a survey by the Veganuary organization, 81% of participants who took the survey maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption after six months. (Iuliia Metkalova/Adobe Stock)

'Veganuary' challenge continues to see growth in 2025

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Coll…

Volunteer Hector Silva of Hunger Action Los Angeles prepares burritos for distribution to fire victims in Pasadena, Calif. (Sara Donis)

Anti-hunger groups tackle increased need during the L.A. fires

Food donations are pouring in to help victims of the Los Angeles fires, to the point donors are being asked to hold off a bit so it can all be …

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