PALM SPRINGS — It's approaching 9 p.m. and Art Laboe adjusts the microphone as Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" ends. "And now it's time for you to call up for those goodnight dedications," Laboe announces. "Hello?" a young girl says. "I want to dedicate this to my dad that's in...
Is AG Becerra's Focus on Trump Diverting His Attention From Crime?
SACRAMENTO — Xavier Becerra became perhaps the nation's most influential attorney general when he was named California's top lawyer two years ago, and he has since used his post atop what some call the "Resistance State" to pummel President Donald Trump's administration with dozens of legal actions. Heading into 2019,...
Pegi Young, Musician and Activist, Dead at 66
NEW YORK — Pegi Young, who with fellow musician and then-husband Neil Young helped found the Bridge School for children with speech and physical impairments, has died. Young died of cancer Tuesday in California, according to spokeswoman Michelle Gutenstein-Hinz. She was 66. Additional details about her death were not immediately...
Sequoia, Kings Canyon Close Due to Health, Safety Concerns
SAN FRANCISCO — Overflowing trash and human waste and other unsafe visitor conditions have prompted Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California to close to the public. The parks said in a statement they were shutting Wednesday evening and would likely stay closed for the duration of the government...
California and Judicial Watch Settle on Cleaning Up Voter Rolls
LOS ANGELES — State election officials and the conservative legal group Judicial Watch have reached a settlement over how California handles records of inactive voters. At issue was how election officials were handling records of voters who hadn't voted in repeated elections and were not part of active voter rolls...
My Turn: Higher Ed Is a Prerequisite for Our Future. Community Colleges Are Key to That.
Pick an issue, any issue, and you’ll hear from the well-meaning throngs that theirs is a top priority for California’s long-term success. But the multitude of issues and solutions won’t bring about real, lasting change without addressing the common denominator that could make or break the Golden State: higher education....
Trump Talks to Family of Slain Valley Police Officer Ronil Singh
President Donald Trump has spoken to the family and former colleagues of the Newman police officer who was shot to death during a Dec. 26 traffic stop by an alleged Mexican national accused of living in the U.S. illegally. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump praised Cpl....
Sierra Snowpack Checks in at 67% of Normal
PHILLIPS STATION — Winter storms have coated California's Sierra Nevada mountains in snow, but the drought-prone state is still off to another dryer-than-normal start to the crucial wet season. California water managers said Thursday the Sierra snowpack is only 67 percent of normal in this winter's first manual measurement. “The...
Man Charged With Killing Valley Cop Gets Mental Health Exam
A Mexican national accused of living in the U.S. illegally was charged with murder Wednesday in the shooting death of a Newman police officer who pulled him over to check if he was driving drunk. Gustavo Perez Arriaga made his first court appearance in Modesto but did not enter a...
Walters: Finally, a Crackdown on Misuse of Taxpayer Money
Although state law specifically prohibits public officials from using taxpayers’ money for political campaigning, they have been doing exactly that throughout California. Local governments hire “consultants” to poll voters on what tax and bond measures they would find acceptable, to draft those proposals accordingly and, finally, to run so-called “information”...