KQED's The California Report

You might've noticed a conspicuous absence lately: rain. In fact, after a December drenching, most of Northern California is on track for a record-dry January, raising the troubling specter of a fourth drought year. So what's going on? Where did the rain go? KQED Science Editor Craig Miller says the answer has been sitting over us for weeks.

UC Regents Debate Salaries, Tuition Hikes, and Athletic Academics at Meeting. Governor Brown and School Groups Headed for Showdown Over Bonds. Cat-puccino Anyone? Cat Cafe Opens in San Diego.

State Officials: Measles Outbreak Up to Nearly 60 Cases; Expect More. California Bill Would Allow Terminally Ill to End Their Own Lives. UC Task Force Claims Progress on Sexual Violence Response. End Music.

Groups of California farmers have been struggling to survive the state's epic drought, and this year, one group has started to lose the fight. Fresno County's Hmong refugee producers are some of the state's newest and most disadvantaged farmers — and they cannot afford the water necessary to keep their businesses going. Emergency loans are available from the government, but as many are discovering, the help is often too little too late.

Recent Central American Immigrants Not Affected by Executive Action on Deferrals.

Former State Senator Calls for Closer Inspection of Diablo Canyon Plant. An Unlikely Start-Up: End-of-Life Doctor Breaks Out on His Own. End Music.

State Senate Plan Would Stop UC Tuition Hike. Sacramento City Officials Hope to Speed Up Water Meter Installation. End Music.

Polled Californians and Legislative Leaders Want More Money for Higher Ed Without Tuition Hikes. Mexican Soda Tax Provides Model for Berkeley. End Music.

State Senator to Re-Introduce Health Insurance Bill for Undocumented Immigrants. Women Inmates Wrap Up Sentences Outside Prison Walls. End Music.

We look at a tragedy that has shaken Mexico to its core: the disappearance — and presumed murder — of 43 students from the southern state of Guerrero. Police took them into custody in September after killing several of their classmates. They haven't been seen since. The state-sponsored violence has rocked the country and it's inspired activism on both sides of the border. And as Brooke Binkowski reports, a growing number of Americans have joined the demand for change in Mexico.

Ferguson Protests Continue in Oakland. Water Woes in Central California. Two SoCal Democrats Lose Assembly Seats after Close Races.

Corinthian Colleges Uncertain Future Leaves Students in Limbo. California Gets a New Supreme Court Justice. End Music.

Californians React to President's Immigration Plans. Labor Issues Trouble Southern California Ports. End Music.

Final Vote on UC Tuition Hike Follows Student Protests. California Revenues Up as Reserves Continue to Grow. Kaiser Mental Health Clinicians Considering Strike. Undocumented Asian Immigrants Eagerly Awaiting Presidential Action. End Music.

California Farmworkers Call for Executive Action on Immigration in Front of White House. Immigration Service Providers Brace for Presidential Action on Deportations. State Water Board Will Decide Phase Out of Diablo Canyon Cooling System. End Music.