KVPR News Podcast

Medical care at California State Prison, Corcoran received a poor rating in a recently published state watchdog review. Now, prison advocates worry that doesn’t bode well for the quality of care during the pandemic. Corcoran’s medical care received a rating of "Inadequate," the lowest rating possible, in a report published in April by the state Office of the Inspector General (OIG) . The OIG is an independent government agency that monitors health care, employee conduct, and other operations

For a decade, the Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC) has aimed to reduce the burden of asthma in the San Joaquin Valley, which sits in one of the country’s most polluted air basins and reports some of the highest rates of asthma and asthma-related medical encounters in the state. This year, the Fresno-based non-profit won the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Leadership in Asthma Management Award. The CCAC is one of just two organizations to receive the

For many of us, hospitals are pillars of communities, representing safety nets that we hope will always be there. But there’s no guarantee they will be. A new report estimates that California’s hospitals have suffered billions of dollars in losses in the last year, and that they could lose billions more before 2021 is through . The causes: Loss of cash flow from elective and non-emergency procedures, as well as the tremendous costs of intensive treatment and increased staffing needed to care for

While teaching a history course at Fresno State, professor Ethan Kytle stumbled upon the forgotten history of a farm labor crisis in 1942 that inspired Fresno residents to leave their jobs, and classrooms, in order to work in the fields. Kytle, along with co-author Blain Roberts, wrote about the crisis for the online magazine Boom California. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with them about the conditions that led to this labor shortage.

It is increasingly likely that Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election later this year. What is less clear is when it will happen, how much it will cost, and what it will mean for the political future of the governor and those running to replace him. To discuss these questions, and more, Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with Ivy Cargile, assistant professor of Political Science at CSU Bakersfield, along with political reporters Ben Christopher at CalMatters and Nicole Nixon at Cap

The Fresno Arts Council recently announced the city’s fifth poet laureate, Megan Anderson Bohigian. In her new role, Anderson Bohigian says she hopes to facilitate healing around the pandemic with a community involved poetry writing project. FM89’s News Director Alice Daniel reached out to her to participate in our own narrative series: Processing the Pandemic. Daniel produced this audio postcard.

The Cal Ag Roots podcast series “We Are Not Strangers Here” explores the history of Black Americans in rural California. This week's Valley Edition features an episode from the series, titled “Back to the Land: Allensworth and the Black Utopian Dream,” produced and hosted by Caroline Collins.

The Cal Ag Roots podcast series “We Are Not Strangers Here” explores the contributions of Black Californians to agriculture and rural communities. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with its producer and host Caroline Collins about the importance of preserving that history and the origins of the podcast.

On this week's Valley Edition, we continue our series looking at how people are processing the pandemic. Last week, we heard from a hip hop dance instructor who says she’s taking more time to slow down and enjoy simple pleasures. This week, a funeral manager talks about his experience. He says it’s been surreal and the grief comes in waves. FM89’s news director Alice Daniel produced this audio postcard.

*Correction 4/24: This interview inadvertently implies that Eric Bream employs undocumented workers, which he does not.* Soon after COVID-19 vaccines were first developed, health authorities estimated that as much as 40 to 50 percent of the population would be reluctant to get it. However, vaccination clinics in the San Joaquin Valley are already reporting a lull in demand, even though nearly 70 percent of the local population remains unvaccinated. In Fresno County, so many appointments for the