The Big Stories for 2014
We know now that 2013 was the year of the "California Comeback," a year that Silicon Valley pushed back against government spying and a time when marriage equality came to California by way of the U.S. Supreme Court. So what's on the horizon for 2014? For a little New Year prognostication Scott Shafer turns to the California Report's three bureau chiefs -- Sasha Khokha in Fresno, Scott Detrow in Sacramento and our Los Angeles bureau chief Steven Cuevas.
ACA Launches in California
One of the biggest stories in 2014 is sure to be implementation of the Affordable Care Act. What many call Obamacare got off to a famously bumpy start, but as of January 1 the law kicked-in to high gear -- and those who've enrolled can now begin getting health care.
Family Planning Clinics Brace for Funding Changes
Among the new benefits under the Affordable Care Act -- better access to contraception. Even before health care reform, the state has been a national model in expanding services and reducing unplanned pregnancies for low-income women. But changes to the funding stream under Obamacare could have those clinics scrambling to balance their budgets. The California Report's health reporter April Dembosky explains how they're trying to adapt.
California's Long Road to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Goals
After measuring the Sierra snowpack Friday the California Department of Water Resources called the situation "dismal," adding conditions are "worse than some of the most devastating droughts the state has ever seen." And scientists say climate change is expected to make managing the state?s water supply even tougher. But California is doing its part to reduce carbon emissions -- last year launching the nation's broadest cap-and-trade program against industrial greenhouse gases. Still, California's journey toward meeting its climate goals has just begun, seven years after passing a landmark law.
Oakland's Old-School Boxing Gym
And finally today, we go to an out of the way place that's tough to find unless you know exactly where it is. King's Boxing Gym in Oakland is a no-nonsense spot, one that evokes an era when boxing was huge. The training ground for a current champion, and a destination for celebrities, the gym remains a kind of temple to the sport.