SACRAMENTO — Election officials in five California counties that mailed ballots to every voter for this month's primary said the new model appears to have boosted turnout. Counties were still counting ballots from the June 5 primary, so turnout numbers were preliminary. But the tally done so far in the...
Parents & Kids Pay Big Price for Broken Preschool Promise
Since the 1990s, California’s leaders have promised to make preschool universal for every child. Maybe they’ll actually do it by the time I have grandchildren. It’s already too late for my own kids. The youngest of my three sons graduated from preschool last week. I celebrated by writing my final...
Why Are So Many Homeless People on West Coast Streets?
One-quarter of homeless people in the U.S. live in California, despite Californians making up only 12 percent of the population. Not only is homelessness more common on the West Coast but it is also more visible, because a higher proportion of homeless people are unsheltered. In the U.S., 24 percent...
Grizzly Bears in California? The Dream Lives.
In 2014, an environmental group began a "Bring Back the Bears" petition drive in California that has attracted almost 20,000 signatures. Additionally, research shows that a section along the crest of the Sierra could support between 48 and 108 grizzly bears. State Fish & Wildlife Opposes Grizzly Reintroduction But the California...
McConnell Eyes Farm Bill as Path To Legal Hemp
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants something to replace the faltering cash crop of tobacco in his home state of Kentucky. It's clear that he has found it: hemp. Sen. McConnell wants the federal government to take hemp off its list of Schedule I controlled substances, making it legal for farmers...
Opinion: California Isn't Progressive. It's Racist & Dirt Poor.
"Number One In Poverty, California Isn't Our Most Progressive State — It's Our Most Racist One" is the headline over an essay by Michael Shellenberger published May 31 on forbes.com. Shellenberger is not to be taken lightly. He was named a Time magazine Heroes of the Environment winner in 2008, and his TED talks have been...
Cannabis Backers Loving Trump's Apparent Support
Entrepreneurs and other cannabis enthusiasts are doing backflips over President Donald Trump's statement last week about marijuana. The president said Friday that he "probably" would support bipartisan federal legislation protecting legal marijuana activities in states such as California that have approved the drug. Trump's announcement follows his April declaration that...
Madera County Voters Lead the Way Among Valley Counties
It's not clear what exactly drove California voters to mail in their ballots and show up at the polls. For Republicans, perhaps it was President Donald Trump's endorsement of John Cox and the opportunity to get a GOP candidate in the gubernatorial runoff against Democrat Gavin Newsom. Perhaps the opportunity...
California’s 'Top 2' Primary Reverts to Law of the Jungle
Voters who took part in California’s innovative and anti-party “jungle” primary delivered a typical and predictably partisan result in the governor’s race. They sent Democratic Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom as the heavy favorite into a November contest against Republican businessman John Cox. With the liberal Newsom positioning himself as a...
Live June 5 Election Results From GV Wire
Here is a look at the election results in the June 5 primary up through 12:26am: City of Fresno Council District 3 94% of precincts reporting (50% plus one vote wins outright. Otherwise, top two advance to Nov. 6 general election.) Miguel Arias — 30.3% Darren Miller — 14% Craig Scharton —...