A decade ago, at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s request, I supervised a graduate student team that performed a comprehensive analysis of public pensions in California. The goal was to calculate California’s pension debt, the difference between assets and liabilities. The team’s conclusions: the unfunded liability was over $500 billion—seven times the number officially...
Newsom Signs Pact to Boost Trade with Armenia
Trade opportunities between California and Armenia are getting a boost following the signing of an economic cooperation agreement by Gov. Gavin Newson and Armenia's foreign minister Tuesday in New York. The agreement establishes a Trade and Services Desk in Armenia to connect Californian and Armenian businesses and help facilitate various...
EPA Targets California Over Poor Air Quality
The Trump administration on Tuesday blamed California's worst-in-the nation air quality on shoddy paperwork, calling on the state to overhaul its plans for cleaning up toxic smog or risk losing billions in federal road dollars. The government's warning is the latest battle between the Trump administration and California. It comes...
California Sues Auto Dealer for False Ads, Loan Documents
SACRAMENTO — California's attorney general sued Paul Blanco's Good Car Company on Monday, leveling accusations of false advertising and lying on loan documents to boost its profits at the expense of its mostly low-income customers. Xavier Becerra's lawsuit comes after a two-year investigation of the dealer known for its prolific...
Controlled Outages May Be on the Way as PG&E Settles Cases
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric may cut power to try to head off wildfires as fall arrives in California and brings with it the most dangerous fire conditions that over the past two years have produced the deadliest and most destructive blazes in state history. The San Francisco...
What Makes Impossible Meat Possible? A 'Bloody' Ingredient
NEW YORK — What makes Impossible burgers possible? An engineered ingredient that makes the veggie patty look bloody — and one of many new concoctions food regulators expect to see more of in the coming years. Several new vegetarian products are competing to win over meat lovers, but two California...
Walters: Democrats Want to Kneecap Ballot Measures
Democrats own virtually every lever of government in California, including the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats, 46 of the state’s 53 congressional members, and three-fourths of state legislators. However, they apparently want more. For the umpteenth time, the Democrat-controlled Legislature has passed a measure clearly aimed at kneecapping the one...
For California to Thrive, Latinos Must Be Included, and Right Now They’re Too Far Behind
The good news is that the last decade has been better economically for Latinos living in California. But challenges persist. While Latino poverty rates are shrinking, Latinos still make up the largest ethnic group in the state who live in poverty. While Latino household income is up, $56,000 per household,...
Newsom Wanted to Go Bold on Housing. Have He and Lawmakers Delivered so Far?
On the campaign trail and after taking office, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised bold action to confront the issue he called California’s greatest challenge: making housing affordable again. Or at least returning us to a world where this house doesn’t sell for $900 grand. The rhetoric was lofty: A “Marshall Plan” for...
23 States Sue Trump to Keep California's Auto Emission Rules
SACRAMENTO — California and 22 other states sued Friday to stop the Trump administration from revoking the authority of the nation's most populous state to set emission standards for cars and trucks. Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a day after it issued a regulation...