California utility companies are advocating for a controversial pricing structure that would bill households a different fixed charge depending on their income — but the idea is catching heat from Republicans who argue it will hurt low-income families. As you may have already noticed on your own bill, monthly electric...
Earth Day: Central Valley Food Waste Must End as Water Crisis Worsens
In the Central Valley, agriculture is everything. Farmers here grow 25% of the country’s food, yet copious amounts of flawed produce are dumped or left to rot. For many supermarkets, an orange with a hail scratch is deemed unsellable. In 2019, researchers from Santa Clara University found that an estimated one-third of...
California Spends Billions on Homelessness. Why Is Crisis Worse?
The state has spent billions of dollars on homelessness in recent years. So why is the crisis getting worse instead of better? That’s what a bipartisan group of California legislators is trying to get to the bottom of by calling for a first-of-its kind, large-scale audit of the state’s homelessness...
Flooding Could Cost the Valley’s Dairy Industry Billions of Dollars
Floodwaters from an overflowing Lake Success reached the Tule River next to Joseph Goni’s Tulare family dairy on March 15, in the middle of the night, much faster than he had expected. When Goni and his fiancee woke up, the water was at their front door. By the time his...
Expect Surge of ‘Dark Money’ in Local Politics Thanks to New CA Law
When I became the first Black person elected to the Rancho Cordova City Council in 2018, I wasn’t the scion of a powerful political family or the beneficiary of wealthy special interests. I made history because of my track record fighting for my community, and was able to mobilize a...
CA’s $300 Million for 1st-Time Home Buyers Already Gone. Who Got the Money?
California lawmakers marketed its new loan program for first-time home buyers as a “Dream For All.” But just 11 days after applications opened, the initial pot of money is tapped out, sucked dry by eager house hunters. It turns out the dream was only for a lucky couple thousand borrowers —...
A California Law Forced Police to Release Shooting Footage. Now Videos Follow the Same Script
Ken Pritchett clicks his mouse and the logo of a Southern California police department pops up on a computer monitor the width of his shoulders. Another click and the image flips to a three-dimensional map. A glowing orange arrow indicates the direction a man ran as he tried to evade...
How Community Solar Could Revolutionize Clean Energy Access in California
Community solar is finally about to have its moment in the sun. Signed into law last year, Assembly Bill 2316 requires the California Public Utilities Commission to assess new community renewable energy program proposals with a focus on serving low-income customers. This will make solar power an option for all residents, not...
What Stands Between You and a Four-Day Week
It’s Thursday evening. You pack up your things at work and hit the road. Maybe you’re thinking about a lunch plan you’ve got with a friend or a show you plan to binge. But you’re not thinking about clocking in tomorrow: You’ve got a three-day weekend. All your weekends, in...
Federal Government Needs to Step up and Fund California High-Speed Rail
Intensifying climate change, worsening traffic congestion and volatile gas prices have affected us all, and it is now clearer than ever that our nation deserves a world-class high-speed rail network powered by carbon-free energy. In order to compete globally, decarbonize the transportation sector and achieve long-term energy security, we urgently...