As the threat of wildfires has grown to a staggering level in California, so has its network of high-tech cameras watching the backcountry to spot the first outbreak of flames and help firefighters battle them until they are contained. As winter arrives, they are also offering some spectacular scenic views...
Sexual Assault on Flight Lands California Man in Prison
A California man was sentenced to two years in prison after he was convicted of sexually assaulting of a woman on a flight from London to Seattle in 2018. Babak Rezapour, of Van Nuys, California, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Seattle, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said in...
California’s Counters Still Have Millions of Ballots to Go
About 4.5 million ballots remain to be counted in the November presidential election, the California Secretary of State’s office said late Thursday. Most of those remaining — slightly more than 4 million — are vote-by-mail ballots. Every voter in California was mailed a ballot because of the pandemic. “In California, we work...
Walters: Sacramento Again Refuses to Grow Up
Sacramento is the Peter Pan of California’s larger cities — never willing to grow up. That became evident again last week when the city’s voters soundly rejected the latest attempt at creating a big city governance structure, this time shooting down a second proposal to make Sacramento’s mayor a real...
California Must Take These Two Steps to Better Combat Labor Trafficking
Two women, enticed by promises of well-paid work and plentiful opportunities, left their homelands for a better life in California. A nightmare awaited them. Upon arrival, Angela Guanzon was told she owed $12,000 to her employer and had to work 10 years at a nursing home to repay her debt....
Walters: How Long Will Newsom Have One-Man Rule?
California has been a one-party state for the last decade, with Democratic governors and supermajorities in both legislative houses doing pretty much as they pleased without paying any attention to the relative handful of Republican legislators. However, one-party rule gave way to one-man rule eight months ago when Gov. Gavin...
Reform the Brown Act to Enhance Transparency and Public Access
The Ralph M. Brown Act represented major progress for transparency in California government when it was enacted in 1953. The law has ensured that generations of Californians have access to their local officials, that the public’s business be conducted in public and that decision-makers hear from their constituents before they...
What We Know So Far About School Reopenings in California
As more California public schools get set to reopen their campuses to students and teachers with a rhythm unseen in previous months, the pool of schools that have reopened so far have largely avoided triggering coronavirus outbreaks. Most of the school districts in the state that have physically reopened have implemented...
No Return to Lock ’Em Up — California Voters Stick With Less Punitive Justice
Over the last three decades, Californians have swung from “tough on crime” conservatism to a more lenient, less punitive approach to criminal justice. Based on the results of this year’s election, it doesn’t look like the pendulum is swinging back anytime soon. Already the state had gradually eased up on...
Support Growing to Mail All Ballots in California Elections
When Henry Brown got his ballot in the mail last month, the 74-year-old California musician didn't agonize over his decision. He filled it out and mailed it back on the same day. “It's more convenient, less stressful," he said. And it could soon become a permanent part of elections in...