This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. California’s K-12 schools will take far-ranging steps to prevent sexual abuse on campus — including building a database of teachers under investigation for misconduct — under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Senate Bill 848, sponsored...
Federal Oversight Is Disappearing as Multiple Refineries Explode. Who’s in Charge Now?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. An explosion rattled windows across nearby neighborhoods. Orange columns of flame shot like blowtorches out of stacks and pipes, uncontrolled. The incident that shook Chevron’s El Segundo refinery last week once would have prompted a federal investigation. Not...
In the Central Valley, Prop. 50 Is a Fight Between Newsom’s California and GOP’s Washington
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Along the highways of California’s San Joaquin Valley, as field workers harvest almonds and pistachios and tractors churn dusty top soil into the already hazy air, drivers can’t miss the giant yellow billboards. “VOTE NO on PROP 50....
Regulators Know PG&E, Edison Are Slow to Hook up Solar. Why Are There No Penalties?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The state’s two largest utilities routinely drag their feet connecting solar panels to the electric grid, missing state-mandated deadlines as much as 73% of the time, according to a complaint filed to regulators by solar advocates. The complaint...
California Braces for ‘Devastating’ Cuts to Federal Homeless Housing Funds
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The latest blow in a seemingly endless barrage of bad news for the California agencies tasked with fighting homelessness looms: President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to deeply cut federal funding for permanent housing. The news has sent...
If Hate-Fueled Algorithms Cause Real-World Harm, CA Tech Companies Should Pay
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Whether by design or by quiet submission to a rapidly-evolving digital landscape, the world’s largest social media companies have allowed their platforms to become factories of division, dehumanization and, increasingly, real-world violence. What began as tools for connection...
California Lawmakers Dodge Tough Bills by Not Voting. Here Are the Worst Offenders
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. There’s a green button for “aye” and a red button for “no” on Concord Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías’ desk. She feels obligated to push one of those buttons for every bill that comes her way in the California...
Campaign Over Gavin Newsom’s Maps Is One of California’s Most Expensive Ever
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. With five weeks until election day, the fight over changing congressional districts in California to favor Democrats has already become one of the most expensive ballot measures in recent state history. The official campaigns supporting and opposing Gov....
Newsom Vetoes Bill to Regulate License Plate Readers Despite Evidence of Misuse
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have tightened rules on how police in California use automated license plate readers, saying the regulations would impede criminal investigations. The Legislature approved the proposal last month amid reports police...
Newsom Threatens to Cut USC Funding if It Complies With Trump Demands
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday threatened to cut billions in state funding from the University of Southern California if it complies with a Trump administration request to impose the president’s political priorities on campus. USC was one of...