Black bears are endemic to North America. And California has the second-largest population of black bears in the country, after Alaska. Today, we talk with Arjun Dheer from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife about how the state manages a ballooning population. Plus, the latest news headlines: Fresno files first wage theft lawsuit under new law, and a popular Fresno shopping center is sold.

Affordable housing projects in the city of Merced are taking off. But it’s a different story in its neighboring rural towns. Today we speak with reporter Alma Villegas about why increasing the affordable housing stock is so challenging in this county, especially as California continues to face a housing shortage. .

Smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday in Vatican City, signaling a new pope had been elected. Chandler Marquez, spokesman for the Diocese of Fresno, witnessed the moment firsthand. He talks to us about Pope Leo XIV, the first person from the United States to lead the Catholic Church. Plus, the latest news headlines: House members reintroduce bill that would offer legal status for farmworkers, and a new fee system is coming to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

The national AmeriCorps program incentivizes service and volunteerism in communities. But the federal government ordered millions cut from it. Today, we speak with EdSource reporter Lasherica Thornton about how those cuts are affecting Valley programs.Plus, the latest news headlines: A tiny bug triggers emergency declarations in the Valley, and what a new study says about the impacts of wildfire smoke.

We speak with Alex Riggins, reporter with the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has pored over court documents that highlight alleged child sex abuse by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across California, including here in the Central Valley. Plus, the latest news headlines: President Trump says he won’t fund California’s high-speed rail, and DOGE wants to cut a Kern County farm agency’s office lease.

We talk with Magnus Lofstrom, policy director and senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California, about how counties are implementing Proposition 36. Voters approved the measure in November amid frustration with crime. Plus, the latest news headlines: Cal Fire’s wildfire outlook for the summer, and a Valley high school mascot is competing to be the best in the nation.

California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla sat down with KVPR for an interview about legislation he is hoping to get through Congress and on President Trump’s desk. It would address wildfire policies. Padilla also weighs in on Trump’s second term so far.

We speak with author and Bakersfield native Pam Muñoz Ryan about her writing process. She’s among the writers you should expect to see at this year’s San Joaquin Valley Bookfest. Plus, the latest news headlines: Kamala Harris’s first major speech against President Trump, and a new report says two Valley prisons are at risk of flooding.

KVPR reporter Joshua Yeager reports on recent visits by progressive politicians to Kern County, a conservative bastion in liberal California. Yeager discusses how voters are responding to recent shifts in national politics. Plus, the latest news headlines: Workers observe “May Day” occasion; and funding for a program that protects a fox species is pulled from a Valley university.

We speak with the judges of this year’s San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition. The event was held at the Fresno Fairgrounds and highlighted a growing industry in California. Plus, the latest news headlines: A judge issues a preliminary ruling in an ACLU lawsuit against U.S. Border Patrol, and valley fever cases are rising in California.