SAN DIEGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents fatally shot a motorist who refused to stop at California's border with Mexico. San Diego police say the shooting took place Monday night in a secondary vehicle inspection area near the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Police say the suspect's vehicle...
California Has Housing Crisis, Legislature Has No Fix Yet
SACRAMENTO — Crisis. Emergency. California lawmakers are describing the state’s housing crunch in dire terms. But few seem to agree on what to do about it. The political wrangling over the last few weeks around bills to cap rent increases, set new rules for evictions and cut red tape to...
Commutes, Jobs at Stake in California’s Clean Air Battle With Trump
Unrelenting commutes. Lost construction jobs. A statewide economic shudder. Prepare for all three if California loses its clean air battle with the Trump administration. That’s the warning from state transportation planning agency officials, who say the ongoing fight over passenger vehicle standards might cause collateral damage to road and public...
Analysis: 'Strength in Numbers' Paying off Big for Warriors
TORONTO — The mantra for Golden State during Steve Kerr's five seasons with the Warriors has been "Strength in Numbers." It's more than a marketing slogan. It's a catchy phrase on shirts, for sure, and it's emblazoned plenty of places for all to see — even on one shoulder of...
2020 Democrats Grapple With California's Electoral Buzz Saw
SAN FRANCISCO — Democratic presidential candidates are confronting the Democratic National Committee's tough standards to get on the debate stage, trying to distinguish themselves from their many rivals and plotting how to win the critical four early voting states. That leaves them barely enough time to think about what comes next: California. The Golden...
Walters: Capping High Interest Rates on Loans Doesn't Fix Poverty
Last month, the Federal Reserve System issued a report on “the economic well-being of U.S. households” and it contained a rather disturbing bit of data. “If faced with an unexpected expense of $400,” a survey of American households found, “61% of adults say they would cover it with cash, savings,...
California’s Earlier Spot in 2020 Primaries Shaking up Presidential Race
With the state’s Democratic Party holding its convention in San Francisco this weekend, you’ll be able to count at least 14 presidential candidates descending on California. And for a change, they’re here not just for our money, but for our votes. California will be sidling up to the front of the electoral...
Shouts, Tears, Votes Push Police Use-of-Force Standard Through Assembly
For an hour and a half Wednesday morning, California lawmakers lined up to speak for or against (but mostly for) one of the most high-profile bills of the year. One member of the Assembly, a former state cop, choked back tears as he wrestled with the implications of his vote....
A Rare Tenant Win, But Why Don’t California’s Renters Have More Political Punch?
California tenants just scored a rare victory in the state Capitol — emphasis on the rare. A high-profile bill passed by the state Assembly would impose a “rent-gouging cap” on annual rent increases for the vast majority of renters. If approved by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, it...
California Approves Power Outages to Prevent More Wildfires
SACRAMENTO — California regulators on Thursday approved allowing utilities to cut off electricity to possibly hundreds of thousands of customers to avoid catastrophic wildfires like the one sparked by power lines last year that killed 85 people and largely destroyed the city of Paradise. Utilities' liability can reach billions of...