The California Report Magazine

Recent Graduates Reflect on How AI Is Reshaping Their Future Over the past few weeks, several college commencement speakers who praised artificial intelligence were booed by graduates. As these graduates  enter an uncertain job market, they’re grappling not only with an unpredictable economy but also with the feeling that artificial intelligence is unstoppable. AI can impact whether or not you get your resume in front of a hiring manager or what career you decide to pursue. We hear from some recent California graduates and other students who talk about not whether  AI will impact them, but how.    As California’s Wine Industry Struggles, Some Lodi Grape Growers Pivot to New Crops California produces 80% of all American wines. But most wine grapes aren’t grown in places like Napa or Paso Robles. Most of them actually come from vineyards around one small city in San Joaquin County, Lodi. No matter where you are in Lodi, you’re always less than a 10-minute drive from a vineyard, but it’s no longer just the land of grapes. Orchards full of pistachios, almonds and olives are popping up all over the outskirts of Lodi. As Hannah Weaver reports, that’s because new challenges in the wine industry are pushing grape growers to try other crops. For This Quartet of Fresno State Musicians, a Chance to Play in South Korea  Every summer, a prestigious international music festival highlights an instrument that may not always take center stage: the clarinet. Students from universities around the world are invited to perform at Clarinetfest, and this summer, for the first time ever, some of those students will be coming from Fresno State. KVPR’s Samantha Rangel tells us how they came together to play, and what it means to represent the Central Valley.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June is Pride Month, and for this week’s show we’re featuring excerpts from our Love You for You series, which recently won a regional Murrow award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Gender-expansive youth are often talked about in the news but we rarely hear from them, in their own words, especially about how they can thrive with loving support from their families and communities. So we’re featuring three conversations between these youth and the people in their lives who love, support, and mentor them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uncovering Women Miners’ Forgotten Legacy in the ‘Swiss Alps’ of Sequoia National Park  Mineral King is located in the southern part of Sequoia National Park but its remote location means it gets fewer visitors than other parts of the park. So the campers and backpackers that make the trek are rewarded with a spectacular mountain range with rushing waterfalls. There are only a handful of buildings here, including some historic wooden cabins that belong to a few families who’ve been here long before this was a national park. One of those cabins belongs to Laile Di Silvestro’s family. Her connection to Mineral King goes back to the 1870s. Today, she’s an archeologist, and she’s looking for the stories she didn’t hear growing up. In 2024, as part of our Hidden Gems series, host Sasha Khokha hiked Mineral King with Di Silvestro to learn about some surprising trail blazers in the California Gold Rush, and the discrimination some people faced during those boom times. The World’s Largest Bishop Pine Forest Is in Point Reyes California is home to a lot of iconic trees, including giant sequoias, windswept Monterey cypresses, and Joshua trees. The bishop pine doesn’t have that kind of celebrity status. But if you live on the Point Reyes Peninsula in west Marin County you’re all too familiar with it. These indigenous trees are so well-suited to growing here, that to locals they’re notorious pests, not because of how easily they grow, but because of how they die. In 2024, reporter Lusen Mendel took us to Tomales Bay State Park to meet someone who’s made it his mission to deal with the pesky and strangely loveable pines. Welcome to Rough and Ready, the Tiny Town That Used to Be a Republic We head to the Nevada County town of Rough and Ready, about 5 miles west of Grass Valley.  In 1850, it seceded from the nation and temporarily became its own republic. In 2017, KQED’s Bianca Taylor spoke to a proud resident of Rough and Ready to learn more about the town’s history, and how it got its name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going for a Hike in a California Park? Don’t Forget Your Sewing Supplies Hiking clubs are nothing new. But a group in Los Angeles is now trying to stretch their creative muscles while making new community. Los Angeles’ Hike and Sew members gather every other week in Los Angeles to get into nature with their needle and thread.  Reporter Clare Wiley joined the group as part of our Community Connections series, highlighting Californians who are bringing joy to their neighbors in big and small ways.  Motorized Wheelchairs Making Back Country Hiking More Accessible California is home to more than 18,000 miles of hiking trails. But many of them are out of reach for people with physical disabilities. In Southern California, the city of Burbank is trying to change that. A new program lets people borrow motorized, off-road wheelchairs to explore rugged trails that were once inaccessible. Susan Valot reports that advocates are hoping to open up this option to thousands more people in the state.  How to Explore Muir Woods After Dark Marin County is home to Muir Woods – known for its historic redwood trees. It’s one of the most visited national parks sites in the country, even though you can’t camp there. But as KQED’s outdoors reporter Sarah Wright tells us, once a month, park-goers who nab a ticket can  experience the wonders of the park at night.  How an Altadena Monster Sparked Community Tensions After the Eaton Fire burned through Altadena a year and half ago, an unusual sight reappeared amid the ashes and debris: a giant werewolf wearing a t-shirt with a big rainbow-colored heart that said “I Love Altadena”. The mysterious lycanthrope became a source of inspiration and resilience as the community continued to recover and rebuild. And then, as with any good werewolf story, the full moon appeared, a transformation happened and the pitchforks came out. But in the end, peace prevailed. Reporter Steven Cuevas has the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Story Behind the Bear on the California Flag is Bigger Than One Legend The grizzly bear on California’s state flag makes it distinctive and recognizable. Many people believe the bear is Monarch, one of the last California grizzlies. Captured in the mountains in 1889, he was held in captivity and displayed to the public for the last 22 years of his life. The KQED podcast Bay Curious wanted to find out if it really was Monarch on the flag, and to sort through some of the other legends around the bear. They sent reporter Katherine Monahan to find out.  At Three Sisters Gardens, the Community Creates a New Food System  In West Sacramento, Three Sisters Gardens is a place where neighbors grow food and community. Founded by Alfred Melbourne, the garden is rooted in Indigenous growing practices and the idea that people, plants, and land thrive through cooperation. Local youth play a central role, learning how to plant, harvest, and distribute food while working alongside adults and elders. In a city long shaped by food deserts, the space has become both a source of fresh produce and a place for hands-on learning and mentorship. The California Report's intern Srishti Prabha takes us there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices