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SoCal Matters
Bots Posing as College Students
Season 2024
Episode 4
All across California, bots are posing as fake college students — which has been wreaking havoc on the state's community colleges. This often AI-assisted fraud has become an issue in financial aid applications and certain kinds of online classes — forcing professors to spend time verifying real human enrollments instead of actually teaching. Adam Echelman reports for CalMatters.
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1:55
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2:00
Federal cuts threaten pandemic-era health grants that supported key public health services.
2:00
Federal housing voucher program winds down, leaving thousands without support.
1:59
Palisades fire destroyed affordable mobile homes — and rebuilding is far from guaranteed.
2:00
A running club in Skid Row offers exercise and community for people overcoming homelessness.
1:55
330 USDA food shipments for California food banks are on hold with no timeline in sight.
2:00
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2:00
New state maps show wildfire risk zones have expanded dramatically across California.
1:59
The DMV keeps money from towed car sales if owners don’t claim it—often without telling them.
2:00
Despite $3 billion spent, Lake Tahoe's water clarity is getting worse.
1:55
California Senator Rubio denies involvement after reports link her to a federal corruption probe.
2:00
LA's lawsuit against Edison raises concerns about wildfire liability and state funds.