From Kern County classrooms and water systems to federal spending and healthcare, follow the documents behind the findings.
24 reports to explore
A line-by-line comparison of federal county estimates finds about 533 fewer jobs across disclosed energy categories, with the largest measured declines in natural gas, efficiency and motor vehicles.
READ THE REPORTPassenger boardings increased for a second year, but the newest count remains preliminary and the airport is still classified as a nonhub primary airport.
READ THE REPORTA year-over-year check of federal labor records finds fewer unemployed residents, 4,287 fewer employed residents and a labor force smaller by 7,746 people.
READ THE REPORTCalifornia’s certified participation table shows Kern trailed statewide turnout among registered and eligible voters, leaving 279,485 eligible residents outside the final vote count.
READ THE REPORTA state Justice Department letter says the operator’s applications omitted required materials and that the city treated 2,816 beds as authorized despite a 2,304-bed conditional-use limit.
READ THE REPORTA line-by-line review of the September 16 council record found eight amendments that raised combined authorization limits from $9.28 million to $14.98 million. Five of the eight ceilings at least doubled, but an authorization is not proof the money was spent.
READ THE REPORTAn independent audit found six delayed-start days gave middle-school sixth-graders eight combined hours of instruction and expanded learning instead of nine. After the three staff-development days allowed by law, auditors counted three days short.
READ THE REPORTA seven-year review of California traffic records found the number of people killed or injured in alcohol-involved Bakersfield crashes rose from 225 to 340, while the separate count of reported DUI arrests fell from 1,012 to 766.
READ THE REPORTA review of water-quality reports and public project approvals documents years of uranium violations at Old River and South Kern, along with a 2026 approval for 29 household connections to Bakersfield’s system.
READ THE REPORTA review of Kern's homelessness planning records finds a delayed public dashboard and a participation statistic that needs its denominator explained.
READ THE REPORTAn analysis of state records finds overall chronic-absence counts fell 10.7%, while the count among students identified as homeless rose slightly even as their rate improved.
READ THE REPORTA comparison of two adopted budgets found $13.474 million in planned fund-balance use for 2026–27 and 21 fewer Measure N-supported employees, even as personnel costs rise 2.9%. The figures are authorizations—not audited spending or evidence of layoffs.
READ THE REPORTA line-by-line review found seven records listing overdose and seven listing hanging or strangulation. Nearly half of the 25 records do not name a specific jail or hospital, and the live table provides no row-level posting or revision dates.
READ THE REPORTAn original analysis of California's latest certified discipline file found Kern High's overall suspension rate declined to 8.1%, while foster youth were suspended at 25.2%—more than three times the rate for other students.
READ THE REPORTOur calculation from USDA’s updated workbooks finds a $41.1 billion burden concentrated in five pathogens—even though the underlying national incidence estimates date to 2011.
READ THE REPORTOur analysis of GAO’s audit finds pre-existing terminations represented 40.9% of listed leases and 28.6% of claimed lease savings, while one $1.7 billion contract claim produced no documented savings.
READ THE REPORTGAO reviewed 68 program-change requests and found one required six rounds of questions over two months; Education rejected a formal-coordination recommendation.
READ THE REPORTFederal records show diverging workload and staffing trends, while all three GAO recommendations on hiring and training remain open.
READ THE REPORTA federal review found the AI translation project operating at about one-quarter of forecast offices without documented goals, resources or a long-term plan.
READ THE REPORTA comparison of federal fine notices and enforcement data documents corrected pricing disclosures while leaving a separate question unanswered: how much penalty money was collected?
READ THE REPORTOur comparison of federal oversight and health-program records finds that Medicare and Medicaid account for about half the reported total—and that a major portion of the annual increase reflects a newly reported estimate.
READ THE REPORTFederal forecasts and state records reveal why a promise to cover electricity costs must also account for projects that shrink, stall or disappear.
READ THE REPORTFederal transparency rules reveal more about insurance decisions, but a review of the reporting requirements, an insurer’s disclosure and new watchdog findings shows why overall approval rates cannot answer a patient’s most urgent question.
READ THE REPORTThree 2026 recalls cover about 532,500 products sold through Amazon. Their notices explain the hazards and remedies but offer no tally of completed fixes.
READ THE REPORTEach report links to the public documents or datasets behind its findings.
Data analyses explain their comparisons, dates and calculations so readers can follow the work.
These reports distinguish documented findings from questions the available records cannot resolve.
Reporting methods and limitations appear in each article. Read our editorial standards or send a correction.
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