The USDA declared California a natural disaster due to its severe drought, triggering aid for growers and ranchers who supply much of the nation’s food. Why has the federal government stepped in to help with California’s water woes?

After more than a year of legal tussling with state public health officials over restrictions on indoor gatherings, houses of worship — mostly evangelical or Catholic and politically conservative — have been on a winning streak at the highest court.

Sacramento feels something like other valley towns, but bigger. And it has big surprises. An exciting food scene, for one thing, at least before COVID. (The Big Tomato was always farm-to-fork.) Cool evening breezes in summer, outdoor a/c, thanks to the nearby Delta. And a spectacular State Capitol. Join us for more, just up the road.

Steven Crittenden, the man charged in the high-profile 1987 killings of a Chico couple, has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, among other charges.

Dave visits with birder and wildlife photographer Dudley Edmondson, author of Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Faces and outdoor educator/activist Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson about the challenges and rewards that come with equal access to America's public wildlands and green spaces.

California counties say it’s been a challenge to expand vaccine eligibility to all Californians given the fluctuation in supply, and the complications of adjusting to a new state distribution system.

April 17 through 24 2021 is California Native Week, designated by the California State Legislature in 2010 as an annual celebration of the fantastic diversity of plants on whom this large expanse of unique and uniquely beautiful land and history rests in so many ways. The California Floristic Province is one of the Biodiversity Hot Spots on Earth and as the most populous state in the US, California also has an incredible diversity of humans making their lives here as well.

Author Echo Heron is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author. Born in Troy, New York, her work tackles many genres, including fiction, mysteries, and historical fiction.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the pause is not expected to have a significant impact on California’s vaccine allocation or plans to reopen by mid-June — a plan that is contingent on adequate vaccine supply.

SB 663 would allow the target of a recall to access names and addresses of voters who signed a petition to recall them. The bill author says it would help ensure voters were not misled, but others say it would inflate fears of retaliation.

Every family has that story it tells a million times. For NPR's student Podcast Challenge winner Miriam Colvin, that story is of a family friend boxing against an unknown up-and-comer: Cassius Clay.

Cyrus Vance Jr. announced the new policy on Wednesday and appeared virtually in court to seek the dismissal of more than 5,000 prostitution-related cases dating back to the 1970s.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Patrick Oppmann, a CNN reporter based in Havana, about what it means for Cuba that a Castro is not at the helm for the first time in more than sixty years.

On Tuesday, a Columbus police officer shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant, whose aunt says called the police for help. The body camera video has been released as the community grieves.

Archaeologists have finally uncovered the location of Harriet Tubman's house, where she spent her formative teenage years before she escaped enslavement. Their clue was a Lady Liberty coin dated 1808.

The Biden administration is hoping Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro will commit to climate standards for the Amazon. Activists warn of the folly of a deal with Bolsonaro, who's long dismissed climate concerns.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it will investigate the Minneapolis Police Department for possible patterns of excessive use of force and discriminatory practices.

Advocates say the number of places that offer free attorneys for people in court for evictions need to be expanded. Bills are pending in eight states, but there are real costs that someone has to pay.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with cookbook writer Nigella Lawson about her latest book Cook, Eat, Repeat and how to stop viewing cooking as tedious and, instead, find peace in the kitchen.

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass of California about the George Floyd police reform bill she's sponsoring and her talks with Republicans to help it pass in the Senate.