Central Valley Daily

Billowing smoke, flaming trees and thousands of axe-wielding hotshot firefighters: these are some of the images from the front lines of the Garnet Fire burning in eastern Fresno County. KVPR’s Kerry Klein takes us on a tour of the north flank of the fire, and shares her reporting on what firefighting operations have looked like. Plus, the latest news headlines: Questions raised over a state legislator’s bill; and what a new study on student loan payments says about Valley borrowers.

The assasination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves across the country, including in the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno County leaders called for civility among dissenting groups in the wake of the killing, and today we speak with Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig. He reflects on the local response to Kirk’s assasination and weighs in on how we can repair society.Plus, the latest news headlines: A Catholic bishop’s experience with Charlie Kirk before his assassination; and UC Merced students protest staff layoffs.

Madera County is one of only nine in the state where expecting mothers do not have access to birthing services. Instead, they have to travel to out of county hospitals. Journalist Tim Sheehan explains why the county’s hospital chose not to continue birthing services when it reopened – and what that means for expecting mothers. Plus, the latest news headlines: A bill to revamp Kern County oil drilling heads to Gov. Newsom’s desk; and hundreds attend a vigil for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

California has millions of acres of public land. So why is some of it inaccessible? It turns out, an odd sprawl of property ownership in the state has created “landlocked” public lands, which often require people to ask for permission — or to just trespass — to access it. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Emma Stiefel mapped out this inaccessible land, and explains what it would take to open it up to the public.

It was the 1990s, and a high school music teacher in Fresno had fallen in love with a relatively new music genre: Latin jazz. But he had a problem: he couldn’t find the sheet music to help teach this funky, groovy music to his students. So he decided to take matters into his own hands and build a publishing company himself. We talk with KVPR reporter Kerry Klein about her feature on how Steve Alcala is helping students play Latin jazz all around the globe. Plus, the latest news headlines: Fresno’s leaders denounce violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, firefighters make progress on the Garnet Fire, and Madera County joins eight others as “maternity care deserts.”

The Garnet Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest has placed renewed attention on wildland firefighters. For decades, these firefighters were prevented from wearing masks while working. But, a landmark decision this week by the U.S. Forest Service will change that. Hannah Dreier, an investigative reporter with the New York Times, discusses her reporting on firefighters’ health that sparked this change. Plus, the latest news headlines: Charlie Kirk is shot and killed while speaking at a university in Utah, and two men’s basketball players from Fresno State have been permanently banned by the NCAA for betting on their own games.

Each year, federal grants are awarded to communities nationwide, helping with everything from roads to research. However, once President Trump assumed office, he altered the criteria for meeting those grants - which threatened millions the City of Fresno had been counting on. Now, the city is suing. Fresnoland reporter Omar Rashad breaks down the case and highlights one local nonprofit that stands to lose 40 percent of its budget.Plus, the latest news headlines: The Garnet Fire reaches the giant sequoias of McKinley Grove, and the CSU system embarks on a new AI-driven career program.

When was the last time you spotted a Monarch butterfly? If it’s been a moment, you’re not alone. The population has declined tremendously over the last 25 years. A new effort by the California State Parks Foundation is asking Californians to track their butterfly sightings. Randy Widera, who leads programming for the Foundation, explains how ‘citizen scientists’ can help protect the species. Plus, the latest news headlines: the Garnet Fire gains ground, a Bakersfield lawmaker urges Sacramento to boost oil production, and tourism in Yosemite grows.

On today’s episode, we explore a relatively new AI-powered tool for law enforcement called “Draft One.” The tool can take audio from body camera footage and write a police report, which would help save officers time on administrative tasks. Departments across the country are piloting the tool, including in Fresno. But is it safe enough to warrant use when it comes to crimes? Tekendra Parmar, an investigative journalist with Mother Jones, discusses his recent reporting.

It’s been 60 years since Filipino farmworkers in Delano protested for better wages and sparked a nationwide movement for labor rights. The Delano Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society is hosting a free public event on Saturday to mark the occasion. In this episode we speak with Suzanne Villaruz, an event coordinator, who has a personal connection to the movement in the 1960’s. Plus, the latest news headlines: Why there are questions about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s whereabouts; and what a study says about the Valley’s economy.