We’ve all seen it, the smoker who takes one last drag and flicks the cigarette butt onto the ground. It’s instant litter that California Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson wants to prevent by banning the filters in most cigarettes. The Democrat from Santa Barbara’s bill, SB 424, would ban filtered cigarettes, disposable plastic holders and...
In Newsom’s ‘California for All’ Budget, Undocumented Immigrants Aren't Included
The California Legislature has passed the state budget that included funding to expand MediCal eligibility to undocumented residents under the age of 26. The expansion is projected to aid 90,000 young adults who are living at the brink of poverty, earning less than $16,395 per year in the state. Though a step in the...
Feds: Rep. Duncan Hunter Paid for Affairs With Campaign Cash
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California illegally used campaign money to finance romantic flings with lobbyists and congressional aides, spending thousands of dollars on meals, cocktails and vacations, federal prosecutors say. A government court filing late Monday detailed allegations about the married Republican congressman’s affairs with five...
Health Impact From Smoke Rises With More Intense Wildfires
BILLINGS, Mont. — Climate change in the Western U.S. means more intense and frequent wildfires churning out waves of smoke that scientists say will sweep across the continent to affect tens of millions of people and cause a spike in premature deaths. That emerging reality is prompting people in cities...
A Million Independent Voters Risk Being Irrelevant in California’s Presidential Primary
Presidential challengers hoping to glide to victory through California’s newly relevant primary, a heads-up: Your electoral fate may hinge on convincing enough left-leaning millennials to send postcards over the holiday season. Welcome to the quirk-filled world of California election law. Here, voters without a registered political party can participate in the Democratic...
Walters: Arbitrary Tax Policy Spawns an Offspring
History has proven that no political decrees are more arbitrary than those about taxation. We hear a lot about “tax fairness,” but what is taxed and the level of that taxation follow no logical or moral course. Rather, those decisions are driven by ideology, political clout and the perceived need...
Scientists Seek Beaches Where Dead Whales Can Rot in Peace
PORTLAND, Ore. — So many gray whales are dying off the U.S. West Coast that scientists and volunteers dealing with the putrid carcasses have an urgent request for coastal residents: Lend us your private beaches so these ocean giants can rot in peace. The number of dead whales washing ashore...
Walters: Does Spending More on Schools Pay Off?
As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget was being wrought, the perennial issue of spending on K-12 education was thrashed out once again. The education establishment – professional educators, their unions, their political allies and sympathetic academicians – complained anew that California schools are being shorted the money they need to...
State Government's Tech Has Been a Mess for Decades. Can Newsom Fix It?
California government’s technology drastically pales in comparison to Silicon Valley, but Gov. Gavin Newsom is betting $40.8 million and a new office will change that. Even though California is home to innovative tech giants like Google and Apple, its government historically has used technology that can’t handle simple tasks–like accepting...
'What's in Your Weed?' California to Push Pot Users to Go Legal
LOS ANGELES — Marijuana shoppers are going to be getting a message from California regulators: Go legal. Aiming to slow illegal pot sales that are undercutting the nation's largest licensed market, California is kicking off a public information campaign — Get #weedwise — that encourages consumers to verify their purchases...