Inland Empire

The California Rehabilitation Center, CRC Men's jail in Norco in 2012. Photo by Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo

Justice

Back to the future: Will this California prison become a luxury hotel again?

As the Norco prison prepares for a closing date in 2026, city leaders hope to overcome a number of hurdles to bring back its luxurious past.

By

Deborah Brennan

• August 27, 2025

The silhouette of a person walking across a plot of farmland with rows of sprinklers watering the fields in the distance. The photo is shot to have the person’s silhouette and sprinklers lined up in the upper third of the frame.

Environment

As heat soars in the Inland Empire, a community group steps up to save lives

GoFundMe.org has teamed with an Inland Empire non-profit to distribute air conditioners and air and water purifiers to those in need just as the temperatures are predicted to rise to near 115 degrees in the desert.

By

Deborah Brennan

• August 20, 2025

A photo of a man in a blue suit walking through a doorway into a hallway inside the U.S. Capitol building. The man is walking by a door with a window that shows his face reflected in the glass.

Politics

This Republican lawmaker has served CA for decades. Newsom’s plan could end his dominance.

As Gov. Gavin Newsom moves forward with his redistricting plan to counteract Texas' push to eliminate five Democratic seats in Congress, Republican Rep. Ken Calvert decries the proposal that puts his seat at risk.

By

Deborah Brennan

• August 13, 2025

A calm, expansive lake at sunset with a rocky shoreline in the foreground. The water reflects the soft pastel tones of the sky, with distant mountains faintly visible along the horizon under streaks of thin clouds.

Commentary

California’s dysfunction could squander Lithium Valley’s half-trillion-dollar potential

Infighting, hyper-regulation and litigation run as deep as the 18 million metric tons of lithium sitting beneath the Salton Sea area, blocking progress.

By Adela de la Torre • August 12, 2025

People wearing black cap and gowns with red, green and white colored sashes stand in front of chairs during a graduation ceremony in font of attendees in an arena.

Higher Education

This group has one of California’s highest graduation rates. So why are they skipping college?

Inland Empire high school students have a higher graduation rate than their peers in California but are below average when it comes to enrolling in college.

By

Deborah Brennan

• July 30, 2025

A wide view of two students walking by a building at a college campus near a wall made out of rocks.

Commentary

My only ‘inheritance’ is education: Why first-generation college students strive

For many Latino students, college seems like a foreign country. Many work jobs, are food insecure and yet aim to graduate. Don't count us out; we are the future.

By Diego Rendon • July 28, 2025

Three individuals sit around a table with microphones and laptops inside a professional radio studio labeled “KQED.” The scene is viewed through a soundproof window from an adjacent room. One person gestures while speaking, and the others listen attentively under soft studio lighting.

Politics

California’s NPR and PBS stations will cut staff and programs after funding slashed

Small NPR and PBS stations in California are teetering after Congress pulled funding from public broadcasting. Even big stations are bracing for cuts.

By

Maya C. Miller

and

Cayla Mihalovich

• July 25, 2025

A lawmaker with glasses, a pearl necklace, and wearing a blue dress is looking at another lawmaker as they talk inside a busy room in the capital building.

Politics

A Republican lawmaker seeks new rules for immigrant workers. Will Trump listen?

State Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, the daughter of immigrants, has urged Trump and other fellow Republicans to consider work permits for undocumented worked considered essential workers.

By

Deborah Brennan

• July 23, 2025

A person — wearing a black suit and a red-pattern tie — smiles and stands in front of office chairs behind the dais of a legislative room at the U.S. capitol.

Politics

Teacher enters crowded race to topple Rep. Ken Calvert, with Barbara Boxer’s blessing

Katherine Aleman, who teaches middle school English language learners in Corona, is the latest Democrat to challenge GOP Rep. Ken Calvert in the state’s 41st Congressional District, one of the country’s most crowded and closest races.

By

Maya C. Miller

• July 21, 2025

A view of the sky above the Adelanto Detention Center behind a barbed wire fence across from a parking lot.

Politics

How these Inland Empire lawmakers are fighting for oversight on ICE detention centers

Two Democratic lawmaker say that the Department of Homeland Security is placing restrictive rules on visiting the Adelanto ICE Processing Center which interferes with their ability to conduct Congressional oversight.

By

Deborah Brennan

• July 16, 2025