Politics

Voter casts a ballot at local precinct in Fresno County during 2018 General Election

Props to You, Californians: A Preview of What’s on Your November Ballot

July 5, 2020

After a bit of last-minute legislative maneuvering, the list of propositions that California voters will be asked to weigh in on has been — more or less — finalized. Ben Christopher CalMatters This past week marked the deadline for citizens a...

A Guide to Understanding the Genius of Trump’s Dangerous Rhetoric

The Conversation

June 21, 2020

All leaders are demagogues. You may not realize this, because we’ve come to associate the word “demagogue” with only dangerous populist leaders. But in Greek, the word just means “leader of the people” (dēmos “...

Screen shot of Amy Cooper, a white woman, calling 911 on Christian Cooper, an unrelated black man, because he asked her to keep her dog on a leash in Central Park

State Lawmaker Wants Racially Motivated 911 Calls to Be Hate Crimes

Jim Jakobs

June 18, 2020

Seeking to prevent what he calls the weaponization law enforcement against communities of color, Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) is pushing new legislation. Bonta's goal is to end discriminatory 911 cal...

Newsom and Lawmakers Pursue ‘Mutually Repugnant’ Budget Compromise

CalMatters

June 9, 2020

Even with the process controlled entirely by Democrats, a certain degree of tension is wired into the annual ritual of crafting a state budget in Sacramento. The spending plan, after all, is a powerful opportunity for the governor and each house of the Legisla...

Photo of Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld in his office

Fresno City Council Makes Face Masks Mandatory for Everyone Entering City Hall

Jim Jakobs

June 4, 2020

The Fresno City Council voted Thursday afternoon to make masks a prerequisite to enter City Hall. Under the rule, anyone not wearing a mask will be turned away by security. This includes city councilmembers,...

Customers Pay $1,000 Fine Levied by City After Fresno Restaurant Reopens

Jim Jakobs

May 8, 2020

Bacon sizzled. Eggs were cracked. Customers filled up the parking lot and tables of a northwest Fresno restaurant Friday morning. The 'Waffle Shop' is back open for breakfast. The customers' cacophony was...

A Coronavirus Property Tax Delay? Californians Shouldn’t Count on It

CalMatters

April 3, 2020

The global pandemic notwithstanding, most California owners are still on the hook to pay their property taxes next week — thus far, the state isn’t granting any reprieves. Though both federal and state lawmakers postponed the deadline for income taxes throu...

Photo of Pacific Research at a voting center in Fresno

Fresno Exit Poll Asks About Presidential Picks and Coronavirus

Nancy Price

March 3, 2020

The Woodward Park Regional Library, one of Fresno County's voting centers, was the site Tuesday of exit polling on presidential candidate preferences. The exit poll also asked voters to rate their level of c...

Photo combination of TJ Cox and David Valadao

Do Fresno Bee Endorsements Matter? Valadao, Cox Will Find Out.

Bill McEwen

March 3, 2020

Newspapers all over the country no longer endorse or, as The Fresno Bee says, "recommend" candidates in political contests. The Arizona Republic became the latest last week, writing that its readers "don’t w...

Photo of a sign in a Silicon Valley hotel

Steak Dinners, Secret Donors: How the Tech Caucus Is Courting Silicon Valley With Charity

CalMatters

February 27, 2020

On a recent afternoon, more than a dozen California lawmakers gathered to discuss thorny issues impacting a state that is the cradle of technological innovation — but also suffering from wildfires, aging infrastructure, and vast economic inequality. On the age...

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Protesters Torch Minneapolis Police Station in Violent Night

Trump Wears Mask in Public for First Time During Pandemic

Amazon’s Homeless Shelter Faces Seattle Crisis, Criticism

Trump Commutes Longtime Friend Roger Stone’s Prison Sentence

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Five Myths About COVID-19 Politicians Insist Are True

Props to You, Californians: A Preview of What’s on Your November Ballot

Temperance Flat Dam Put on the Shelf Indefinitely

'Fresno, Out!' Viral Hoops Star Honed Game at Local Playgrounds

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Singer Says Lawsuit Over Lady a Name Is ‘White Privilege’

City Supplies COVID-19 Masks for Saturday’s Harvard Block Sale

Going Online Due to COVID-19 This Fall Could Hurt Colleges’ Future

We’re Doing This COVID-19 Mask Thing All Wrong

Five Myths About COVID-19 Politicians Insist Are True

Walters: State Unemployment Insurance in Chaos

Eid al-Fitr Marks End of Ramadan, but COVID-19 Curtails Big Events

LIVE: Daily Briefing from Gov. Gavin Newsom

COVID-19 Brings a New Kind of Ramadan for Muslim Community

Must Muslims Fast for Ramadan During COVID-19?

With Student Gathering, Trump Gets a More Boisterous Crowd

Ex-Bush Officials Launch Super PAC Backing Biden Over Trump

Trump’s Superpower Turns to Kryptonite

Trump Rally Highlights Vulnerabilities Heading Into Election

Props to You, Californians: A Preview of What’s on Your November Ballot

A Guide to Understanding the Genius of Trump’s Dangerous Rhetoric

State Lawmaker Wants Racially Motivated 911 Calls to Be Hate Crimes

Newsom and Lawmakers Pursue ‘Mutually Repugnant’ Budget Compromise

Fresno City Council Makes Face Masks Mandatory for Everyone Entering City Hall

Customers Pay $1,000 Fine Levied by City After Fresno Restaurant Reopens

A Coronavirus Property Tax Delay? Californians Shouldn’t Count on It

Fresno Exit Poll Asks About Presidential Picks and Coronavirus

Do Fresno Bee Endorsements Matter? Valadao, Cox Will Find Out.

Steak Dinners, Secret Donors: How the Tech Caucus Is Courting Silicon Valley With Charity