‘It Controls You’: 9 Months With a Fresno Mother Battling Addiction and Homelessness
This week, we meet a mom in Fresno who’s homeless. Her name is Amanda, and we’re not using her last name because she doesn’t want people to know she’s a sex worker addicted to heroin and methamphetamine. Reporter Rachel Cassandra spent nine months interviewing her and documenting her life. These interviews candidly discuss addiction and sexual themes.
Persistent Poison: Skyrocketing Rents Trap Families in Homes with Lead Paint
Dozens of neighborhoods in California have higher rates of lead poisoning than Flint, Michigan. But in California, the main problem isn't drinking water, it's lead paint. And in the Bay Area, the lead problem goes hand in hand with high rents. KALW reporters Angela Johnston and Marissa Ortega-Welch introduce us to a family whose lives were upended when their kid got sick.
Is The California Dream Dying? Another Family Calls it Quits on the Golden State
For so many of us Californians, the idea of home is tangled up with the idea of paying high rent or an exorbitant mortgage. The skyrocketing cost of housing means more people are leaving than moving here from other states. Reporter John Corley caught up with one family calling it quits on the Golden State.
Rancho Cucamonga: From Wine Region to Birthplace of ... Flamin' Hot Cheetos?
For our series "A Place Called What?!" we've been asking you for your ideas about California places with unusual names. Monica Barin sent us a note about Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County, a place she called home for many years. But how did this town get its name? We reached out to Jennifer Dickerson at the San Bernardino County Museum.