The Lottery Is the Main Attraction at This Alpine County Market

A quaint painted scene depicts a two-story building labeled "Mad Dog Cafe, Market & Gas Station" with an outdoor patio adorned with flower boxes and tables. An American flag and a red bike are displayed outside, all reminiscent of Berkeley Journalism's rich storytelling tradition. Lush green trees and hills surround the building.

May 9, 2020 Listen Here Alpine County is one of California’s most remote counties. On the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada and just south of Lake Tahoe, Alpine has the smallest population of any California county, with just under 1,200 residents. But it’s no tiny enclave. By comparison, Alpine County and Alameda County cover…

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Another Covid-19 Loss? The Jumping Frog Jubilee

An elderly person crouches with an extended arm as a frog leaps away from their hand over a green mat outdoors. Several onlookers in the blurred background observe the scene, capturing a moment reminiscent of a Berkeley Journalism feature on local frog jumping competitions or animal releases.

  May 11, 2020 Since Jon Kitchell began competing in the annual Calaveras Jumping Frog Jubilee, his brother has won, his wife has won, and his son has won. Even his daughter-in-law has won. As for Mr. Kitchell, 58, he’s still working on it. “I think every year is the year,” he said. Except this…

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‘My Mom Is Beyond a Superwoman’: Mother’s Day While Locked Up

A smiling man in blue clothing with glasses, affiliated with Berkeley Journalism, has his arm around an older woman with short dark hair, also smiling. They stand close together in front of a neutral background.

Pedro Archuleta and his mother, Connie Archuleta, have gotten closer since Pedro’s incarceration in 2002. But the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow of worry over both of them. Connie worries about conditions inside the California Institution for Men in Chino, where Pedro, who also has a respiratory illness called Valley fever, is locked up.…

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How Do You Enforce a Law That Tramples the Land of the Free?

A woman sits at a dining table working on a laptop, possibly studying for her Berkeley Journalism course. Behind her, a window displays a homemade poster of a bear with the message "Stay Home, Save Lives." The room is decorated with curtains and a potted plant. An open notebook and a drink are on the table.

Angela Alvarado, a veteran prosecutor in the Santa Clara district attorney’s office in California, has to weigh safety, freedom and the law as she fields complaints about stay-at-home violations. May 11, 2020 LOS ALTOS, Calif. — How do you enforce a law that tramples the Land of the Free? This is the vexing question confronting…

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Without Restaurant Sales, Local Farms Face Tough Decisions

A scenic landscape features rows of crops in the foreground, with tall, thin trees lining the fields. In the background, rolling hills stretch under a clear blue sky. A white farmhouse is visible to the right, partially obscured by the trees—a scene reminiscent of images often captured by Berkeley Journalism students.

When the statewide shelter-in-place order shuttered many restaurants in the Bay Area, Annabelle Lenderink panicked. She manages Star Route Farms, which grows a variety of vegetables in West Marin and the Coachella Valley. Nearly all of the restaurant sales the 40-acre farm depends on evaporated overnight. “It was just really gone, you know, nothing,” Lenderink…

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COVID-LA Photo Series

A man stands in the entrance of a storefront labeled "Liquor" in large letters. The shop, reminiscent of classic Hollywood, features themed decorations and star designs on the sidewalk. Above the door, an “Open 24 Hours” neon sign glows brightly—a scene that could easily be part of a Berkeley Journalism piece highlighting city life.

May 4, 2020 Clara Mokri, student at Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium member UC Berkeley, captured the following images throughout Los Angeles during the shelter-in-place order. View the series here. See more of Mokri’s work at www.claramokriphotography.com or on Instagram @claramokriphoto.

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In-Home Healthcare Workers Lack PPE

An N95 respirator mask with yellow straps and a white front, perfect for the bustling Berkeley Journalism scene. The mask features a white breathing valve in the center, labeled "8511" with yellow text indicating "3M" and "NIOSH." It is placed on a blue background.

May 5, 2020 In-home supportive services workers help older, disabled people in their homes—so they don’t have to seek care elsewhere. Many of these minimum wage workers say the state hasn’t provided them with enough personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, shipments of N-95 masks and gloves have finally arrived, but there’s a…

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See Which States Are Reopening and Which Are Still Shut Down

A U.S. map, perfect for a Berkeley Journalism classroom, shows states in three colors: light blue, yellow, and dark blue. Texas is outlined in black. Light blue covers most western and central states; yellow includes northeastern states and a few others; only Arkansas is dark blue.

Read in The New York Times After weeks of shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, the nation has begun to slowly open up. Beaches and state parks are reopening to visitors, spurring concerns about overcrowding. The first barbers have returned to work, masks over their faces. Some restaurants are getting ready to serve customers again.…

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Will Smoke From Controlled Burns Hurt Covid-19 Patients?

A firefighter in yellow protective gear is controlling a controlled burn in a grassy field. Bright flames are visible, and another firefighter in the background is overseeing the area. Amidst this fiery scene, a Berkeley Journalism team documents their brave efforts with grass and trees in the distance.

In the mountains of California, snow is melting, the days are ticking closer to fire season and officials responsible for fighting wildfires face an agonizing choice: Exacerbate the current crisis, or pile risk on to the next one. This is the season when California’s forests are thinned out with controlled burns to reduce the devastation…

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