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Kirk Siegler

Kirk Siegler reports for NPR, based out of NPR West in California.

Siegler grew up near Missoula, MT, and received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Colorado.  He’s an avid skier and traveler in his spare time.

  • Yahoo is expected to announce Monday that it's acquiring the social media site Tumblr, in a deal The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets are reporting to be worth about $1.1 billion. Some analysts are calling the acquisition an effort by Yahoo to be "cool and relevant" again.
  • California is about to become the first state to require shore power at its ports. A new law mandates at least half of a shipping line's fleet to shut down their diesel engines and plug into shore-side electric power when they unload their cargo. It's part of a larger effort to cut pollution at the state's busiest ports, but costs have been a sticking point.
  • City Councilman Eric Garcetti and City Controller Wendy Greuel are in an all-out blitz for votes ahead of Tuesday's election to replace the term-limited Antonio Villaraigosa. But observers say the race hasn't garnered much interest — even though Greuel could become the first female mayor.
  • Instead of traveling alongside picturesque beaches, this boat takes passengers on a tour of the nation's busiest shipping terminal. The sightseeing includes sea lions and trash, juxtaposing Long Beach's commercial might with a fragile ecosystem.
  • Many farmers are cheering government proposals to give thousands of seasonal farmworkers a path to legal status. But even if the bill passes, it won't solve the long-term trend of fewer migrants coming north to work on U.S. farms. Farmers will instead have to learn how to do more with less immigrant labor.
  • Republicans are meeting in a Democratic stronghold this week to talk about retooling their message. So far, there are sharp divisions among RNC delegates about the future direction of the GOP.
  • Amid deep budget cuts and layoffs, the nation's second-largest school district is spending $4.5 million to hire 1,000 new aides this year. The superintendent says he'd rather use the money to hire back teachers, but the shootings in Newtown, Conn., led to a change in priorities.
  • Discussing gun control is not easy in Wyoming, which has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the country. But it also has the highest per capita suicide rate, and guns are usually involved. One grieving mother is trying to boost awareness while respecting the state's gun culture.
  • Wyoming has the highest suicide rate in the U.S., and two-thirds of the state's suicides are by firearm. Like much of the West, Wyoming's gun ownership rates are high, and gun culture is strong. The state's relationship with guns has made suicide prevention efforts tough, but that may be changing.
  • Almost 100 years ago, a water-supply diversion from Owens River helped quench Los Angeles' thirst some 200 miles away. L.A. thrived, but it drained the Owens Lake and created a salt flat that now pollutes the air. A century later, the finger-pointing continues, and this week, the city's water department is back in court over its cleanup plan.