RIVERSIDE — A judge has ruled California’s law allowing terminally ill people to end their lives was passed legitimately during a special session of the Legislature, dampening a long-running criticism by opponents who sued over the measure. A Riverside Superior Court judge also found this week that the doctors who...
Mario Meet Hulk: Nintendo Park Coming to Universal Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. — Harry Potter and Hulk: Welcome your new neighbors, Mario and Pokemon. A fourth park at Universal Orlando is being created based on characters from Nintendo, the park's owners announced Thursday. After months of being tight-lipped, executives of Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, made the announcement during a question-and-answer...
California Unemployment Rate Held Steady at 3.9% in December
SACRAMENTO — California's unemployment rate held steady at the record low 3.9% in December, the state said Friday. California added 12,600 nonfarm payroll jobs during the month, the Employment Development Department said. Those gains extend California’s record job expansion to 118 months. The current expansion began in February 2010. The...
California Threatened With Funds Loss Over Abortion Coverage
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday threatened California with a potential loss of federal health care funds over the state's requirement that insurance plans cover abortions. The announcement, timed to coincide with the anti-abortion March for Life in the nation's capital, came hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled...
California's Monarch Butterflies Critically Low for 2nd Year
SAN FRANCISCO — The western monarch butterfly population wintering along California's coast remains critically low for the second year in a row, a count by an environmental group released Thursday showed. The count of the orange-and-black insects by the Xerces Society, a nonprofit environmental organization that focuses on the conservation...
California Could Make Utilities Pay for Some Blackout Costs
SACRAMENTO — Californians left in the dark by electric companies that shut off their power to prevent wildfires could get paid for things like lost wages or spoiled food under a bill being considered in the state Legislature. In a state plagued by catastrophic blazes started by strong winds knocking...
Judge Sets Preliminary Hearing in 'Golden State Killer' Case
SACRAMENTO — A California judge on Wednesday set a May hearing to decide if prosecutors have enough evidence to go to trial against a man suspected being the notorious "Golden State Killer" who eluded capture for decades. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Steve White ordered the preliminary hearing for Joseph...
California Asks for Surplus Federal Land to House Homeless
SACRAMENTO — California is asking the Trump administration to provide surplus federal land that could be used to build housing for the homeless, mirroring a new state program. Gov. Gavin Newsom sent the request in a letter Tuesday to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson amid an ongoing...
Walters: Voters Face Hundreds of Local Tax Measures
California voters have seen a deluge of local government tax and bond measures in recent elections and will face even more this year. The California Taxpayers Association has counted 231 local sales and parcel tax increases and bond issues (which automatically increase property taxes if approved) on the March 3 primary ballot...
Celebrities Back California Bill to Cut Single-Use Plastics
SACRAMENTO — A push to pass first-in-the-nation California proposals to limit single-use plastic containers and other items drew support from actor Jeff Goldblum on Wednesday. Environmental groups hail the proposal as a landmark attempt to cut down on 75% of waste from plastic items like takeout boxes, food containers and...