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California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour
Read full article: California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hourCalifornia voters have rejected a measure on the November ballot that would have raised the minimum wage for most workers to $18 an hour.
Trump's tale of a harrowing helicopter ride and emergency landing? Didn't happen, Willie Brown says
Read full article: Trump's tale of a harrowing helicopter ride and emergency landing? Didn't happen, Willie Brown saysDonald Trump has shared a harrowing story about almost crashing in a helicopter he was riding in with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
California's first lesbian Senate leader could make history again if she runs for governor
Read full article: California's first lesbian Senate leader could make history again if she runs for governorThe first lesbian leader of the California Senate is thinking about trying to make history again ā with a run for the governor's office.
Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren't they widespread?
Read full article: Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren't they widespread?The idea of putting solar panels on top of the world's thousands of miles of irrigation canals has long seemed like a good one.
Renowned author Joan Didion honored by hundreds at memorial
Read full article: Renowned author Joan Didion honored by hundreds at memorialJoan Didion, a master of rhythm and of the meaning of the unsaid, was remembered Wednesday as an inspiring and fearless writer and valued, exacting and sometimes eccentric friend.
Record heat wave puts California in fossil fuel conundrum
Read full article: Record heat wave puts California in fossil fuel conundrumA record heat wave put California in a fossil fuel conundrum: The state has had to rely more heavily on natural gas to produce electricity and avoid power outages while Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsomās administration moves toward ending the use of oil and gas.
California Democrats cap legislative year with climate wins
Read full article: California Democrats cap legislative year with climate winsTougher clean energy goals and a ban on new oil and gas wells near homes and schools are among the climate wins for California Democrats in the final days of the legislative session.
California's last nuke plant to seek US OK for extended run
Read full article: California's last nuke plant to seek US OK for extended runThe utility that oversees Californiaās last operating nuclear power plant is taking steps to seek federal approval for an extended lifespan, just hours after the Legislature opened a pathway for a run that could last through 2030.
California governor proposes extending nuclear plant's life
Read full article: California governor proposes extending nuclear plant's lifeCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to extend the life of the stateās last operating nuclear power plant by at least five to 10 years to maintain reliable power supplies in the climate change era.
California inmates study at 1st college based behind bars
Read full article: California inmates study at 1st college based behind barsBehind a fortress wall and razor wire and a few feet away from Californiaās death row, students at one of the countryās most unique colleges discuss the 9/11 attacks and issues of morality, identity and nationalism.
Mass shooting suspect served less time with California law
Read full article: Mass shooting suspect served less time with California lawOfficials say a suspect arrested in connection with Sundayās mass shooting near the California state Capitol would likely still be in prison were it not for corrections officialsā use of sentencing credits authorized by voters in 2016.
Law reduced prison time for man tied to Sacramento shooting
Read full article: Law reduced prison time for man tied to Sacramento shootingOfficials say a suspect arrested in connection with Sundayās mass shooting near the California state Capitol would likely still be in prison if not for corrections officialsā use of sentencing credits authorized by voters in 2016.
California governor rejects parole for Manson family member
Read full article: California governor rejects parole for Manson family memberCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday blocked parole for Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, reversing a panelās recommendation that she be freed after spending a half-century in prison.
California high court won't hear Manson follower parole case
Read full article: California high court won't hear Manson follower parole caseThe California Supreme Court has denied a potential bid for freedom by Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten following Gov. Gavin Newsomās rejection of her parole.
Anti-vaccine group targets California's medical director
Read full article: Anti-vaccine group targets California's medical directorThe president of Californiaās medical board says a group of anti-vaccine activists stalked her at home and followed her to her office where four men confronted her after work in a dark parking garage.
California official says women on boards law is toothless
Read full article: California official says women on boards law is toothlessA California official says the stateās landmark law mandating women be placed on corporate boards is toothless and there are no plans to fine companies for not complying.
California judge weighs legality of women board member law
Read full article: California judge weighs legality of women board member lawWhen California's former Gov. Jerry Brown signed the nationās first law requiring women on boards of publicly traded companies three years ago, he suggested it might not survive legal challenges.
Probe ordered on California death row inmate innocence claim
Read full article: Probe ordered on California death row inmate innocence claimGov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an independent investigation into the conviction of death row inmate Kevin Cooper, who says he was framed for the stabbing deaths of four people, including two children, in 1983.
Awaiting census count, California ponders slow growth future
Read full article: Awaiting census count, California ponders slow growth futureThe expected release of U.S. Census Bureau data in the coming days is likely to reflect what California demographers have long known, namely that the state is growing at a record slow rate.
On tap in California: Another drought four years after last
Read full article: On tap in California: Another drought four years after lastIn California that pretty much means we have a drought,ā said Jay Lund, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of California, Davis. In California, the heaviest rain and snow comes in the winter months, but not this year ā about 90% of the state already is experiencing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. AdMuch of Californiaās water comes from mountain snow in the Sierra Nevada that melts during the spring and summer and feeds rivers and streams that in turn fill reservoirs. The state largely escaped fire devastation during the previous drought, but has suffered terribly since, after 100 million trees died and vegetation remained dry as a result of the drought. āThe interesting thing about these other drought impacts is they happened after the drought ended," Lund said. "
Federal judge says California can enforce net neutrality law
Read full article: Federal judge says California can enforce net neutrality lawFILE - In this Jan. 21, 2020, file photo, state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, a federal judge ruled California could enforce a 2018 net neutrality law. Jerry Brown signed the bill in 2018, making California the first state to pass a net neutrality law. But in a separate lawsuit, the telecom industry asked a federal judge to keep blocking the law. On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge John A. Mendez denied their request, allowing California to begin enforcing the law. The law seeks to ban internet providers from slowing down customers' data streams based on the content they are viewing.
HHS pick says pandemic is top job, but agenda is broader
Read full article: HHS pick says pandemic is top job, but agenda is broaderāTo meet this moment, we need strong federal leadership," Becerra said at the first of two hearings on his nomination. AdAppearing before the Senate health committee, Becerra seconded President Joe Bidenās goals of 100 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days, increased coronavirus testing, ramped-up DNA mapping of the virus to track worrisome mutations and reopening schools and businesses. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the health committee, left no doubt that Becerra faces tough scrutiny. California took pride in viewing itself as the resistance to Trump, and Becerra embodied that ethos. AdLack of medical experience doesn't disqualify a nominee for HHS secretary, though it can be a plus.
California panel urges changes to reduce criminal sentences
Read full article: California panel urges changes to reduce criminal sentencesGavin Newsom says California should allow all but death row inmates and those serving life-without-parole to request lighter sentences after serving at least 15 years. California led the nation in tough-on-crime policies 30 years ago, but in recent years has been among the states at the forefront of easing criminal penalties. AdAbout 14,000 people serve less than a year in a prison annually, and sending them to local jails would be a burden, said Cory Salzillo, spokesman for the California State Sheriffsā Association. Skinner's bill includes the recommendations to judges, while Kamlager's follows the committeeās suggestion that gang enhancements be restricted to organized, violent criminal enterprises. AdKamlager said she learned while serving on the committee that gang enhancements are often used to increase what otherwise would be misdemeanor charges against people of color.
A glance at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's incendiary words
Read full article: A glance at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's incendiary wordsRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., goes back to her office after speaking on the floor of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Afterward, Greene suggested that the shooting might have been staged. Connecting a series of scattershot points, Greene suggested a bank controlled by the Rothschild family, who are Jewish, a utility company responsible for the fire and then-Gov. Greene ālikedā the comment and replied, āMost people honestly donāt know so much. 9/11 ATTACKSIn November 2018, Greene shot a video in which she talked about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, referring to a āso-calledā plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Schiff in mix as Newsom deliberates on next California AG
Read full article: Schiff in mix as Newsom deliberates on next California AGScott Applewhite, File)SACRAMENTO, Calif. ā The public and private jockeying to be California's next attorney general is intensifying as Gov. It's a powerful nod of support for Schiff, who does not have much of a personal relationship with Newsom. AdThe job of attorney general is among the highest profile in California, second only to governor in terms of public recognition and overall power. Steinberg, the Sacramento mayor and former leader of the state Senate, is making private appeals to Newsom and his inner circle. Steinberg has a long and close relationship with Newsom, which could be an asset as Newsom faces a potential recall.
Biden calls for action on virus as he introduces health team
Read full article: Biden calls for action on virus as he introduces health teamPresident-elect Joe Biden speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, to announce his health care team. ā President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called for urgent action on the coronavirus pandemic as he introduced a health care team that will be tested at every turn while striving to restore the nation to normalcy. But Becerra, 62, will face questions in his Senate confirmation about whether he possesses sufficient health care and management experience. Accepting his nomination via video link, Becerra called it a ābreathtaking opportunityā to help shape the future of health care. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas argued that Becerra was unqualified because he lacked ties to the health care or pharmaceutical industries.
Becerra's big challenge: Vaccinating Americans against virus
Read full article: Becerra's big challenge: Vaccinating Americans against virusAs California's attorney general, Becerra leads the nation's largest state justice department, an influential perch from which he's fought Republican efforts to roll back health coverage. Becerra, 62, tweeted Monday that in Congress he helped pass the Affordable Care Act and as Californiaās attorney general he has defended it. āAs Secretary of Health and Human Services, I will build on our progress and ensure every American has access to quality, affordable health care ā through this pandemic and beyond,ā he wrote. Defending Californiaās implementation of the Affordable Care Act was a key priority, but he also focused on protecting young immigrants from deportation and defending Californiaās climate change laws. As attorney general, Becerra helped lead a coalition of fellow state attorneys general who sued over the Trump administrationās child separation policies.
Top California air, climate regulator hopes to run Biden EPA
Read full article: Top California air, climate regulator hopes to run Biden EPAFILE - In this Sept. 18, 2019, file photo, California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, with California Gov. Nichols, 75, ends her second tenure as chair of the California Air Resources Board next month, a job thatās made her the top air and climate regulator for the nationās most populous and economically influential state. Critics of Californiaās climate approach say the state's policies have left low-income communities behind. Her current stint on the air board began in 2007 under then-Gov. The state won the power decades ago to implement its own emissions standards as smog choked Southern California.
Amid ashes, California governor fires away on climate change
Read full article: Amid ashes, California governor fires away on climate changeCalifornia Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld talks to the media after he toured the North Complex Fire zone with Gov. āThe data is self-evident, the experience that we have in the state of California just underscoring the reality of the ravages of climate change,ā he said. The debate is over around climate change." Two Republican state lawmakers who represent the Northern California region where Newsom spoke countered that the governor is using climate change as an excuse for years of failed policies by fellow Democrats who control nearly all aspects of California government. Newsom finally called for voters to unseat politicians āacross the spectrumā who deny the effects of climate change, saying he was not just criticizing President Donald Trump.
Some Californians didn't get evacuation alerts in wildfires
Read full article: Some Californians didn't get evacuation alerts in wildfiresFire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues. Despite strides made in evacuation alerts since deadly blazes tore through the area three years ago, many are still vulnerable without a statewide system for alerting people. Plus, she had signed up for all the alerts that emergency officials pressed on people after years of catastrophic wildfires. He noted that the flames moved quickly and unexpectedly from Napa County and into neighboring Yolo and Solano counties. Yolo County emergency services manager Dana Carey said Friday that officials are looking into what happened but that a quick review indicates phone alerts may have been rejected as robocalls.
Talk of Harris successor sets off California guessing game
Read full article: Talk of Harris successor sets off California guessing gameCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom is already being lobbied by hopefuls and numerous names are emerging in the early speculation. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool Photo via AP, File)LOS ANGELES The possible election of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris as vice president has kicked off widespread speculation in California about who might replace her. Gavin Newsom, who would choose a replacement if Joe Biden and Harris defeat President Donald Trumps ticket. For Newsom, the list choices is long and the political risks many, especially with a national reckoning on racial injustice underway.
How climate change-driven fires are changing life in California
Read full article: How climate change-driven fires are changing life in California"This is important because we have already seen a large change in California wildfire activity from the first 10%. Earlier spring snowmeltsThe California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, or CalFire, called climate change "a key driver" of the trend of longer fire seasons. In the fall, many California fires occur in coastal shrub lands and are driven by extreme wind events, such as the Santa Ana and Diablo winds. Climate change has contributed to the forest pest infestations, the report said -- a major cause of tree death in Southwest forests and woodlands. Burn areas grow with climate changeThe increased size of wildfires occurring across California in the last 50 years is attributable to climate change, according to the recent study published in Earth's Future.