KQED's The California Report

On the tops of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California lies plants that exist nowhere else in the world. The Pebble Plains ecosystem is more than a million years old. It’s an old expert at adapting to a changing climate, and yet, it’s dying out faster than ever before.Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRWDuring the holidays, many people spend time with their loved one, but also enjoy food that is celebrated in their cultures. Think tamales for Latin American families, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Japanese American families often celebrate the New Year in their own way – with mochi.Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought. But in big areas of the state, where people rely on groundwater, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find more water that’s underground.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California ReportCalifornia’s bighorn sheep population will soon be getting some help in dealing with the state’s drought.   A project is underway to build nearly a hundred artificial watering holes for bighorn sheep in San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo counties.Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This has been a big year for space exploration. There was the deployment of a powerful new space space telescope. It's peering billions of years back through time and bringing us stunning images of our universe when it was in its infancy. And a rocket was launched to the moon in preparation for humankind's return to the lunar surface. Guests: Danielle Venton, KQED and Benjamin Burress, Astronomer at the Chabot Space and Science Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of construction delays, and tens of billions of dollars in cost overruns, California’s high-speed rail project has become one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the country. We go to the Central Valley, to check in on the first phase of high speed rail’s construction and get local reactions to the project’s problems.Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cold weather has hit California and for many Californians, that means the smell of warm tamales wafting through the house. We wanted to learn more about this iconic dish, and it's evolution in California, and why it's so popular during the Christmas holiday.Guest: Bill Esparza, Author of the book L.A. Mexicano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Residents are assessing the damage after Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake on California's North Coast. Fire departments in Humboldt County have already been out surveying homes and businesses to find out the extent of the damage.Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public RadioThursday is the fifth night of Hanukkah. All over the world, for many centuries, Jewish people have marked the holiday by eating foods fried in oil. In a city as diverse as Los Angeles, Hanukkah is celebrated with fried foods from Europe, Asia and Africa.Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two people are dead as a result of Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Humboldt County. At least a dozen were injured. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public RadioMost of the damage from Tuesday’s quake happened in the small Humboldt County town of Rio Dell. Much of the town is still without power or water.Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQEDThis month's first-of-its-kind offshore wind lease auction along California’s coast generated a healthy $750 million in combined sales. The state is charging ahead with plans for floating wind turbines miles off its coastline, preparing for a novel source of clean energy, enough power for 1.5 million homes.  Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across California and the nation, governments are looking at new ways to address the crisis of growing unhoused communities. In Sacramento, the city and county have agreed to take a new approach -- bringing shelter and health care services directly to homeless encampments. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio The Biden Administration has announced a big goal of reducing homelessness 25% nationwide by 2025. Housing advocates in California are lauding the plan, but they’re wondering who’s going to pay for it. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Survivors of September's Mill Fire, which devastated parts of Siskiyou County, are continuing to put the pieces of their lives back together. Now, residents’ access to state and federal assistance will determine whether the historically Black neighborhood of Lincoln Heights in Weed will be able to stay together.Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public RadioThe Trump-era immigration policy known as Title 42 is scheduled to end this week. Title 42 allowed border patrol agents to turn away migrants at the border. And they don't get a chance to pursue an asylum case in immigration court.Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State utility regulators have approved a controversial proposal that will change how future owners of rooftop solar systems will be compensated for the excess power they produce that’s fed into the grid. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQEDAfter years of promising to do so, CalFire has released new, updated hazard maps to help Californians determine if they live in places that face increased wildfire risk. The interactive map was more than a decade in the making and comes after groups voiced criticism of CalFire, calling the department’s maps antiquated and “inexcusable.”  Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadioSea level rise poses a threat to California’s coastline. But we don’t often think about how rising water could push contaminants into neighborhoods, especially places near former military or industrial sites. Around half of those sites in California are located in the Bay Area. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices