A new plant is taking root in ag classrooms: agave. At a test plot in Merced County, agave is becoming the primary subject of coursework. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR A new lawsuit filed in Kern County details sexual abuse allegations by an unnamed plaintiff against the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. It accuses nonprofits tied to Chavez of negligence. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado The US Department of Justice is alleging that UC Berkeley law school’s admissions policy discriminates against white and Asian applicants. Reporter: Katie DeBenedetti Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Changes are coming to a controversial drone code enforcement program in Northern California’s Sonoma County. The county's land use planning and development permitting agency, Permit Sonoma, recently [[last week]] agreed to settle after being sued for allegedly spying on much more than what the program initially intended. Reporter: Noah Abrams, KRCB Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has a strong lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor. But Becerra has kept a relatively low profile since the June Primary and made few specific commitments about what he would do as governor. Reporter: Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio Attorneys for Santa Clara County say they’re optimistic after a federal judge in San Jose extended a halt on the construction of a new ICE holding facility near Gilroy. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero The clean-up effort following last year’s battery fire at Texas-based energy company's Vistra facility in Moss Landing is moving into its final phase. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California signed off earlier this summer on an agreement to share state driver’s license data with a national database. Reporter: Wendy Fry, CalMatters As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests… worker advocates and state officials say some employers are taking advantage of the political climate to exploit immigrant workers in lower-wage jobs. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Powwows are common in many parts of the country where Native Americans call home. But did you know some regions have powwow seasons? California’s powwow season recently kicked off in Central California. And it brought tribes from as far as New York and Canada to Table Mountain Rancheria casino just outside of Fresno, where the sound of a long tradition rang out. Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado, KVPR California sea lion poisonings are surging along the coast, and warm waters brought by El Niño could make things worse. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Researchers estimate that close to 6,000 unsheltered people live within a mile of venues for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Reporter: Libby Rainey, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Sur is being consumed by two wildfires …the Timber Fire to the north started in the first week of August. And at the end of the month, the Plaskett Fire broke out to its south. Earlier this week, KAZU spoke with folks keeping the now-opened strip of the Big Sur Valley alive. Reporter: Katie Brown, KAZU Labor Day weekend is here, and as you’ve heard we’re still in the middle of fire season without much rain in sight. We know many of you will likely be heading outdoors to enjoy California's wilderness so KQED Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is joining us today to walk us through some ways to stay safe. Reporter: Madi Bolanos and Sarah Wright, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices