KQED's The California Report

A Polynesian voyaging canoe is on a four-year journey circumnavigating the Pacific Ocean, using only traditional methods of seafaring - so no GPS, no motor, no high tech sensors, but lots of sails and wind power. The canoe and its crew recently sailed down the California coast, meeting with indigenous communities along the way. Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about the grim effects of climate change, but not as much on the steps each of us can take to make a difference. That's the idea behind KCRW's new "Anti-Dread Climate Podcast"Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic caused homeschool enrollment to boom across California. In the LA Unified School District, almost twice as many kids are homeschooled as before the pandemic – up 90% in 5 years. And many have stuck with it, even after schools fully opened.Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meadows can be a key to forest health. In the Sierra Nevada, however, most have been degraded or lost. But there are efforts underway to restore these habitats. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR A unique holiday tradition here in the Bay Area. The Misfit Cabaret is a variety show that features eccentric performers, often performing burlesque and drag.Reporter: Rachel Martin, NPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The town of Pescadero on the San Mateo County Coast was once known for fish. But a few decades ago salmon in Pescadero Creek went extinct. Now conservationists, with the help of farmers, scientists and federal money for combating climate change, are helping them come back. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQEDCalifornia could lose multiple seats in the US House of Representatives, if new population estimates from the Census Bureau bear out Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In eastern Solano County, a group of Silicon Valley billionaires have a vision: an urban, walkable city filled with jobs, restaurants, sidewalks and bike paths. Their ambition is to put a dent in California’s gaping housing shortage. But for the farmers who currently own that land, that idea is upending their businesses and their future.Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQEDCalifornia Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is joining calls to remove former President Donald Trump from California's primary ballot.Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California will soon allow water agencies to heavily treat wastewater, converting it into drinking water. The State Water Resources Control Board approved regulations to extensively treat sewage water for human consumption. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQEDCongressman Kevin McCarthy officially submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday, announcing he will step down December 31.Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Right now, people all over the world are sending friends and family Christmas cards and holiday gifts.  But often overlooked is the one delivering this mail, the mail carrier.Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not-for-profit credit unions have long billed themselves as community-based alternatives to big commercial banks. Yet, many California credit unions charged customers millions in overdraft fees last year.Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBSA new law protecting California workers who use marijuana goes into effect next year. Starting January 1, it will be illegal for employers in California to discriminate against an employee for their marijuana use off the job.Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New numbers show that fentanyl continues to have a devastating effect on the general public in California. Law enforcement also says the drug poses a threat to officers. For example, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office says one of its deputies recently needed the overdose-reversing drug known as Narcan, after handling fentanyl. But experts say opioids were probably not the cause of his symptoms.Reporter: Brian Krans, The California NewsroomThe conservative Christian majority that brought national attention to Temecula in Riverside County no longer runs that city’s school board, at least for now. A board member who was elected last year with the help of a Christian political action committee has resigned.Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diamond Bakery, an institution for generations of Los Angeles Jews, closed this month after 77 years. But, in what could be considered a Hanukkah miracle, the bakery’s original recipes will live on.Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRWCalifornia workplace regulators have approved new emergency temporary protections to stall a surge in silicosis, an irreversible lung disease disabling and killing countertop fabrication workers.Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices