Here’s the morning’s top stories on Thursday, August 7th, 2025:
- Yosemite National Park welcomes millions of visitors per year, according to the National Parks Service. The massive figure means that seasonal workers are integral for all of the park’s services to function smoothly. But an NPR investigation revealed that dozens of seasonal workers at Yosemite were on the job for weeks, without getting paid for it.
- More than 2,000 DACA recipients in California are on track to lose their health insurance at the end of August, after the Trump Administration axed a rule that allowed them to obtain health coverage through Covered California.
Dozens of Seasonal Employees at Yosemite National Park Went Weeks Before Seeing a Paycheck
Some seasonal employees at Yosemite National Park worked for as long as six weeks without pay this spring and summer as park supervisors scrambled to manage hiring amid federal budget cuts, workers told NPR. The employees said they are now receiving hourly wages but have not been paid for the work they were asked to do as volunteers while they waited to be put on the federal payroll.
Some of the workers said they feel exploited.
NPR spoke with four seasonal and two full-time workers employed by the National Park Service who described the situation. NPR has agreed not to publish the names of the employees because they are not permitted to speak publicly and feared retribution.
