The JPR news team gathers for a roundtable discussion of the top news stories they've been working on this week.
Phoenix-Talent elementary schoolers square off in cooking competition
Seven students from the Phoenix-Talent School District competed in a Future Chefs Challenge at Phoenix High School, preparing original dishes inspired by global flavors. Selected from recipe submissions, the students cooked with adult helpers and were judged on taste, creativity and nutrition. Organizers say the competition is designed to build confidence in the kitchen while encouraging students to explore new ingredients and share family traditions through food.
Judge allows Shasta County election reform measure on ballot
Shasta County voters will decide in June whether to overhaul the county’s election system after a judge declined to block the measure from the ballot. The proposal would require voter ID, mandate hand-counted ballots and limit vote-by-mail. A lawsuit argued the measure violates state and federal law, but the judge ruled such legal questions should be addressed after the election rather than before.
Owner of Klamath Falls lab charged with defrauding Medicare for $46 million
Federal prosecutors have charged the owner of a Klamath Falls medical lab with health care fraud, alleging he submitted $46 million in false claims to Medicare Advantage plans for tests that were never performed. Investigators say no patients received services and some listed beneficiaries had no connection to the lab. Authorities arrested him at Los Angeles International Airport while he was attempting to leave the country.
Chinook salmon are hatching in Upper Klamath for first time in a century
Chinook salmon are hatching in the Upper Klamath Basin for the first time in more than a century, a milestone following the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. The Klamath Tribes documented the young fish in tributaries of Upper Klamath Lake, signaling early signs of successful spawning. Tribal leaders say the return marks progress toward restoring a self-sustaining salmon population and reviving cultural and ecological connections.
Guests
- Maria Carter, JPR news director
- Jane Vaughan, JPR reporter
- Roman Battaglia, JPR reporter
- Justin Higginbottom, JPR reporter
