How the National Weather Service Helps California Through Fire Season

Local offices in Sacramento and Hanford were critically understaffed, but pending legislation aims to prevent this from happening again

As California headed into fire season, two National Weather Service offices covering much of the Central Valley struggled with unprecedented vacancies — forcing service cutbacks and backup support from neighboring stations. What does this mean for the future of weather safety in California?

Sep 23, 2025 James Stout

Health Care Cuts Threaten Homegrown Solutions to Rural Doctor Shortages

KFF Health News: California’s far northern region is a collection of sparsely populated counties stretching from just north of Sacramento all the way up to Oregon and from the Pacific coast to the Nevada border. The shortages are so pervasive that support for one of the costliest solutions — a proposed $200 million health care training campus — transcends partisanship.

Sep 19, 2025 Bernard J. Wolfson, KFF Health News