Subsidence
California is sinking at a historic rate. That sinking, which scientists call subsidence, has damaged flood levees intended to protect hundreds of miles of Central Valley farmland. Some levees near the San Joaquin River have sunk more than 6 feet. If this year's El Niño produces heavy storms, those sinking levees are now more likely to fail, putting farms and communities at risk. Thuy Vu will talk with Reveal reporter Nathan Halverson and show the damage that subsidence has caused, in a piece produced by KQED's Monica Lam.
Latest Campaign Polls
Next year, Californians will vote for president and choose a U.S. Senator to replace Barbara Boxer. Polls released this week revealed which candidates are making an impression on voters. Director of The Field Poll Mark DiCamillo joins Scott Shafer to talk about the surveys' results.
Holding Profits Offshore
For years, many U.S corporations have paid less tax by holding their profits in other countries. America's top companies are holding more than 2.1 trillion dollars in profits offshore. That's according to a new report by two left-leaning nonprofit organizations, Citizens for Tax Justice and The Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. Their list includes a number of Bay Area firms. Thuy Vu speaks to Stanford Law professor Joseph Bankman about how the practice works.
Aid-in-Dying
This week Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation allowing California doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients. California is the fifth state to legalize medically assisted suicide. KQED health reporter April Dembosky joins Scott Shafer to discuss what will happen before the law takes effect next year.