The good news just keeps coming for California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. Not only did he win a resounding 60 percent-plus landslide, but he will be greeted by a two-thirds supermajority of fellow Democrats in both houses — more than sufficient to approve a tax increase. Not that he'll need it...
Walters: Gov. Brown Tries to Forge Big Water Deal Before Exit
As the Civil War raged, William Brewer, a young botanist from upstate New York, spent five years cataloging California’s natural attributes for its Legislature. As he and his crew traversed the state by mule in their annual sojourns, living off the land, Brewer found much to commend. But in letters...
Hundreds Missing in Fire’s Wake Ahead of Trump Visit
CHICO — With the confirmed death toll at 63, authorities in Northern California on Friday continued to search for those who perished and those who survived the fiercest of wildfires ahead of a planned visit by President Donald Trump. The president on Saturday is expected to get a look at...
Brown Signed $1 Billion in Wildfire Prevention. None of It for This Year.
Protecting California from devastating wildfires was the Legislature’s biggest focus in this year’s session. Recognizing the urgency, lawmakers formed a special wildfire committee, heard from numerous experts, and, after several emotional debates, passed a $1 billion new law they said would “prevent catastrophic wildfires and protect Californians.” Less than two...
This $2M Tract Home Embodies Crisis and Solutions: Joe Mathews
No home in the world matters more to me than my paternal grandparents’ small blue house at the bottom of a windswept hill in the Bay Area city of San Mateo. But my recent visit was different. While the house still belongs to my family, my grandparents are both dead....
Guard Troops Search for More Dead in Aftermath of Wildfire
PARADISE — With scores of people still missing, National Guard troops searched Wednesday through charred debris for more victims of California's deadliest wildfire as top federal and state officials toured the ruins of a community completely destroyed by the flames. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke joined Gov. Jerry Brown on a...
NorCal Wildfires Death Toll at 48. Many People Still Missing.
CHICO — A message board at a shelter for the many people who fled California's deadliest wildfire is filled with photos of the missing, as well as pleas for any information about relatives and friends. "I hope you are okay," reads one hand written note on the board filled with...
Democrat Harder Takes Valley Congressional Seat From Denham
First-time candidate Josh Harder defeated four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham Tuesday, giving Democrats their fourth pickup of a GOP House seat in California. Harder, 32, a venture capitalist, had anchored his campaign to Denham's vote against the Affordable Care Act, while arguing that he would push for universal health...
GOP Is Dead in California. A New Way Must Rise: Kristin Olsen
The California Republican Party isn’t salvageable at this time. The Grand Old Party is dead — partly because it has failed to separate itself from today’s toxic, national brand of Republican politics. Painful though it was, that was the message I delivered at the California Priorities Summit, sponsored by The...
Dem Domination: California Legislature Is Many Shades of Blue
The California Legislature, controlled by Democrats for decades, is likely to become even bluer when the new class is sworn in next month. Exactly how many more Democrats have been elected is still not certain; it takes a long time to count votes in California. But all signs point toward growing Democratic caucuses...