The long, loud fights over prison closures in 2022 spilled into 2023 as communities dependent on prison dollars continued to argue for their own survival. Despite protests, lobbying and lawsuits by the affected cities, California still plans to close another five prisons by 2027 as inmate populations keep falling....
California Gas Tax Revenue Will Drop by $6 Billion, Threatening Roads
Lea este artículo en español. California’s funding from gas taxes will drop by nearly $6 billion in the next decade due to the state’s electric car rules and other climate programs, “likely resulting in a decline in highway conditions for drivers,” according to a new state analysis released today....
California Projected to Lose Four Congressional Seats After 2030 Census
After the 2020 Census came a first: California lost one of its 53 congressional seats because its population growth slowed so much in the prior decade compared to other states. A projection out Tuesday says that California could lose even more political punch after the 2030 Census — four more...
Did You Know Environmentally Conscious California Ships Toxic Waste to Mexico?
The fumes that wafted through the Tecate streets gave people headaches and left children vomiting. Authorities warned the community it was from a chemical leak at a place called Recicladora Temarry de Mexico. It’s a recycling facility that’s one of the biggest destinations for California’s hazardous waste. Places like Tesla, Sherwin-Williams,...
How Well Is Your State Lawmaker Representing Your Interests?
Pop quiz: What does your state senator do? And for extra credit: Which Assemblymember represents you? You’d be forgiven for not knowing. Despite the hundreds of laws that legislators pass each year, many Californians aren’t always aware of what their representatives do, or how their decisions impact their lives....
Ticket Resellers Have Upended Live Music. California Must Restore Power for Artists and Fans
In the ever-evolving world of live entertainment, being able to attend or put on a concert is a cherished privilege for fans and artists alike. Unfortunately, the ticketing ecosystem in California is riddled with issues like bots, deceptive websites, and speculative ticketing. Industrialized, third-party resellers have upended the live...
Reading Scores Climb After Targeted Intervention at California’s 75 Worst-Performing Schools
California’s $53 million investment in teaching its youngest and lowest-performing students to read has shown dramatic — and relatively fast — results, researchers at Stanford have found. In a study released Sunday night, researchers at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education found that the percent of third-graders in the program...
State EDD Changes Unemployment Contractor After Billions in Scams
California has a new unemployment and disability payment contractor after the state’s multi-billion-dollar pandemic fraud panic. The Employment Development Department hopes it will be the end of an era of brazen scams, which wreaked havoc for laid-off workers and fueled police busts involving stacks of ill-gotten debit cards issued at the department’s direction...
Five Key Moments from the Newsom-Desantis Debate
They came, they saw, they yelled at each other. A lot. Somewhere in the 100 or so minutes of crosstalk and insults tonight was Fox News’ heavily-promoted “The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate” between Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Touted by moderator...
What to Expect at DeSantis-Newsom Debate on Thursday Night
If you don’t already know, political wonks in California, Florida, and maybe a few states in between, will be glued to their screens Thursday night to watch Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron Desantis square off in a highly-anticipated Blue vs. Red State debate that’s been brewing since the summer....