Joe Moore

What happens when the most vulnerable members of society are failed by the very system that is there to protect them? That’s the question asked in a major series of reports by the Center For Investigative Reporting called Broken Shield.

California has more trees now than at any time since the late Pleistocene. And it comes as no surprise to residents of the San Joaquin Valley that our cultivation of trees has played a defining role in shaping the California we know today.

With forecasts pointing to the third dry year in a row, one Central Valley congressman is calling on the governor to take emergency action to secure more water for valley farmers. FM89's Joe Moore reports.

Speaking on Valley Public Radio's Valley Edition, Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) says that California water users are facing possibly their biggest shortage in over three decades.

This week on Valley Edition we explore the once in a lifetime experience of “Thanksgivukkah” –Thanksgiving and Hanukkah overlap this year and won’t happen for another 70,000 years – through the culinary creations from the only Jewish Chef in Fresno. FM89 Reporter Rebecca Plevin reports.

This week on Valley Edition we discuss the issues of homelessness, prisons and a new book about the legacy of the Dust Bowl.

Valley Public Radio Reporter Rebecca Plevin tells the story of how two women evicted from a Fresno homeless encampment chose entirely different homes after eviction - one an eco-home and the other a field.

California's Central Valley will be forever linked in history with the story of the Dust Bowl. Cities like Bakersfield and Fresno were the final destination for many who fled Oklahoma and nearby states during the 1930's - an era of dust storms, drought and the Great Depression. But what about those who stayed behind? And did John Steinbeck get the story right in his novel "The Grapes of Wrath?"

In the decades-long effort to clean up the San Joaquin Valley's notoriously poor air, 2013 might be a milestone. For the first time, the air basin had zero violations of the hourly federal ozone standard.  

That news prompted the governing board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to vote Thursday to formally request that the EPA lift a required a $29 million annual penalty.

In the world of sports,  controversies over logos aren't unusual. The Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians have long been the subject of protests from Native American groups. Even high school teams aren't immune from such issues. But closer to home there’s another sort of debate over the logo for the sports teams from Fresno State - the Bulldog. In this case the debate isn’t about alleged racism, it’s about violence, and a street gang that has appropriated the logo for its own use. 

This week on Valley Edition we take a look at Fresno State football, veterans, the possibility of a new town in the region, water issues in the region and more.

Beginning the program, Valley Edition Host Joe Moore talks with Paul Swearengin, host of the Paul Swearengin Sports Podcast, about Fresno State Football. The two discuss the dispute over the team’s name, mascot, gangs and more.

Peter Gleick is one of California's leading water experts. In an op-ed piece recently published in the Sacramento Bee, Gleick  criticized the draft of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan for what he calls a lack of specificity.

Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk held court Wednesday night before a packed crowd at Cal State University Bakersfield's Doré Theatre, in the college's new guest lecture series.

The founder of PayPal, and the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and chairman of SolarCity delivered a free ranging talk that covered everything from travel to Mars to high speed rail. 

Musk criticized the state's high speed rail plan, saying that it isn't "cool." Musk:

Over the past decade, downtown Fresno's arts scene has blossomed with new galleries and studios, not to mention live-work lofts and an area filled with public art that's been dubbed the mural district. 

Congressman David Valadao (R-Hanford) has renewed his call for the House to take up the issue of comprehensive immigration reform this year. He made his comments this week speaking on Valley Public Radio's Valley Edition.

The Hanford Republican says that the House GOP leadership should bring the bill, HR 15 up for debate. The measure would address a variety of immigration issues, including border security, a guest worker program and a pathway to citizenship for those currently in the country illegally. 

This week on Valley Edition we take a look at the issues of immigration, high speed rail and agriculture in an interview with Republican Congressman David Valadao. 

Pianist Orion Weiss is one of the most acclaimed artists of his generation. His visits Fresno this weekend to perform with the Fresno Philharmonic for a concert titled "I Got Rhythm" which features music by Gershwin, Ravel and several Latin-American composers, including Marquez, Fernandez and Revueltas.  In our interview, we talk to Weiss about his career, working with his former teacher Emmanuel Ax, and about performing the music of Gershwin and Ravel. 

This week on Valley Edition we explore the issues that have plagued West Fresno and how California's future bullet train may impact one of the oldest districts in Fresno.