MOORPARK — John and Molly Chester, a filmmaker and a chef, had made a decision that many urbanites only fantasize about: They decided to leave their life in Los Angeles and start a farm that would function in harmony with nature. Their family and friends thought they were crazy, but...
Gov. Newsom Is Shrinking Jerry Brown’s Pet Projects
When Jerry Brown began his first governorship in 1975, he quickly set himself apart from his father, former Gov. Pat Brown. The elder Brown’s legacy had been an immense expansion of the state’s public-works infrastructure—new colleges and universities, a web of freeways and, most of all, a massive project to...
Opinion: Gig Economy Workers Deserve Basic Protections That Come With Employee Status
Like so many California families, Karim Bayumi of Anaheim, his wife and two young children are doing everything they can to scrape by. Bayumi drives for a large rideshare company as his primary source of income. On March 11, Bayumi’s rate was cut from 80 cents a mile to 60...
Chief Praises Slain Officer, Scolds California Lawmakers
SACRAMENTO — A police chief briefly scolded California lawmakers Monday for "making it more difficult for us" as he honored an officer whose slaying entered the national debate over immigration last year. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson spoke while praising Cpl. Ronil Singh, who immigrated from Fiji and was fatally...
Red-Legged Frogs Thriving in Yosemite After Long Absence
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Red-legged frogs made famous by Mark Twain are thriving in Yosemite Valley after a decades-long absence. Ecologists this spring found clusters of eggs in meadows and ponds, proof of the first breeding by the frogs in Yosemite since 2017, when adult red-legged frogs were reintroduced after...
IPOs Bring Tax Jackpot for California; Can Lawmakers Resist?
SACRAMENTO — Uber and Airbnb are among at least six California-based companies valued at more than $1 billion expected to go public this year, creating a new class of millionaires and billionaires and a welcome quandary for the state's budget writers. Though it's tough to gauge the total tax revenue...
Fresno PD: Mom Killed by Man She Got Restraining Order Against
Fresno police suspect a woman was shot and killed by the man she got a domestic-violence restraining order against a day earlier. Police Chief Jerry Dyer says the 40-year-old man killed himself while being chased by officers Saturday. Dyer says police found the 26-year-old woman shot to death inside her...
Walters: California’s Vexing Poverty Puzzle
California, as we all should know by now, has the nation’s highest rate of poverty as measured by the Census Bureau’s supplemental – and most accurate – methodology. The primary reason is California’s horrendously high cost of living, particularly for housing, that overwhelms the relatively meager incomes of millions of...
GV Wire Nabs 10 First Place and Runner-up CNPA Awards
In its first year in the competition, GV Wire won four first-place and six second-place awards in CNPA's California Journalism Contest. The winners were announced Saturday at the California News Publishers Association gala in Long Beach. In addition, GV Wire claimed four third-place awards and fifth place for General Excellence in...
When the Next Recession Hits, Will California Be Able to Count on Washington?
They don’t call it the Golden State for nothing, at least not lately. California’s fiscal health is in extraordinary shape. Income tax receipts surpassed expectations for the pivotal month of April. Projections of a $21 billion-plus surplus are not out of the question. Nearly 3 million jobs have been added since the depths of...