The California Report Magazine

Highway Bus Crash Kills 10 in Sacramento Valley
We begin today with the tragic news of a terrible crash involving a charter bus on Interstate 5 north of Sacramento. The California Highway Patrol and the National Transportation Safety Board are looking into the cause of that accident Thursday, which killed 10 people, including five high school students from the Los Angeles area.

Study: California Election Practices Rank 49th in U.S.
In a new analysis of how well states administer elections, California ranks 49th, just above Mississippi. The study, by the Pew Charitable Trusts, found that California falls short in many areas, including the lack of online tools to help people find their polling place and a very high number of people who vote with provisional ballots -- that's what polling place workers use when they aren't sure someone is actually eligible to vote. We talk with David Becker, author of the Pew election study.

California Farmers Look to Oil Industry for Water
The state's historic drought means many Central Valley farmers are still struggling to keep their crops alive while reservoirs and wells run dry. We find out how farmers in Bakersfield are getting extra water from an unlikely source: the oil industry.

Nation's First Library Social Worker Helps Give Hope to the Homeless
Visitors to San Francisco are often shocked by the number of people living on the streets. Some of those homeless are among the 5,000 people who each day use the city's Main Library. A few years ago, the San Francisco Public Library became the first in the nation to hire a full-time social worker to help them.

Jazz Review: Jeff Denson and Joshua White's 'I'll Fly Away'
Early in its history, jazz was cast as the "devil's music," an affront to the sacred strains of gospel and church music. A new album by bassist Jeff Denson and pianist Joshua White brings the two together, using hymns and spirituals as a base for their creative exploration. Jazz critic Andrew Gilbert has a review.

Delta Livelihoods Take Hit as Recreation Declines
Water is the defining feature of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and recreation on the water -- fishing, wind-surfing, water-skiing and boating -- is a big part of the Delta's economy and culture. But a lot of businesses catering to those recreational pursuits are struggling. We meet a sport fishing guide and a marina owner who know that reality first-hand.

'The Grapes of Wrath' Turns 75
John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" turns 75 on Monday. The book tells the trials of the Joad family during their journey to California at the height of the Depression. It was banned and burned in some cities when it was published. But it also won a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, selling nearly half a million copies within a year. We travel to Steinbeck's hometown of Salinas to mark the anniversary.