Jerry Dewayne Williams, if popular folklore is to be believed, should be coming up for parole soon. This spring marks the silver anniversary since Williams, better known as the “pizza thief,” received 25-years-to-life for shoplifting a slice of pizza at the Redondo Beach pier. Ever since, he’s been “the patron saint of...
AP FACT CHECK: Is Trump's 'Read the Transcript' Defense Valid?
WASHINGTON — It's been his drumbeating demand: "Read the transcript!" "Just read the transcript." "Can't we read English?" "Just read the Transcript, everything else is made up garbage." "READ THE TRANSCRIPT!" Heading into public hearings this week, people have read the transcript, and that's why President Donald Trump has an impeachment...
Rebirth, Angst and the 'New Normal' of California Wildfires
SANTA ROSA — Tina Chandler walks outside her home and sniffs the air. "Do you smell smoke?" she asks. Even when the scent is no longer there, it haunts her. So does the fear of the monstrous winds of autumn, the kind that stoked the wildfires that destroyed her northern...
California Needs You: A Veteran’s Call to Service
I am thankful on this Veterans Day. I had the honor to serve our country as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Now, as chief service officer for the state of California, I have the opportunity to bring home my experience and empower all Californians to serve our state and...
Walters: Housing Crisis — Fits and Starts
The latest developments in California’s housing crisis are, as usual, mixed. In September, according to the Legislature’s budget analyst, permits for 10,580 new housing units were issued, a 13% increase from August and a 40% boost from September 2018. However, overall housing starts are still running below 2018’s level, meaning the...
Environmentalists Oppose Westlands' Bid to Secure Water
WASHINGTON — The Interior Department proposes to award one of the first contracts for federal water in perpetuity to a powerful rural California water district that had long employed Secretary David Bernhardt as a lobbyist. Conservation groups are demanding fuller disclosure of financial terms and an environmental review of the...
Trader Joe's Lets Us Be Snobs at Reasonable Prices
For years, I’ve told children, newspaper editors, and other credulous people that I’m the Joe of Trader Joe’s. That’s a lie. But it’s true that the store and I grew up in the very same neighborhood. As a Pasadena child, I would ride my bike two blocks from my house...
Chico Didn't Burn but Fire Brought New Way of Life
CHICO — Amber Blood got to Chico on Nov. 8, 2018, wearing pink slacks and her favorite white peacoat. It was all she had left. Blood was among tens of thousands forced to flee as a wildfire roared through Paradise and nearby communities in Northern California, killing 85 people and...
PG&E Expects More Than $6B in Wildfire Costs
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric reported substantial losses for the third quarter on Thursday, driven by catastrophic wildfires that have been blamed on the utility's outdated transmission lines. The company anticipates those costs could escalate to as much as $6.3 billion. PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January to...
California Justices Skeptical of Requiring Trump Tax Returns
SACRAMENTO — California Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical Wednesday of a state law requiring President Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns if he wants to be a candidate in the state's primary election next year. The justices wondered in a rapid-fire hour of questioning if the nation's first such...