Joe Mathews, another guy who makes his living by scribbling about California, penned a very perceptive article recently about the state’s proclivity for not following through on policy pronouncements. “California is stuck in the gray zone,” Mathews wrote, referring to “a military term for the space between peace and war… “In California...
US Takes Step to Require DNA Samples From Asylum-Seekers
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is planning to collect DNA samples from asylum-seekers and other migrants detained by immigration officials and will add the information to a massive FBI database used by law enforcement hunting for criminals, a Justice Department official said. The Justice Department on Monday issued amended regulations...
Latinos 18% of US Population But Nearly Invisible in Movies
NEW YORK — Latinos make up 18% of the U.S. population and 24% of its frequent moviegoers, yet they rarely see themselves on movie screens. A new study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative finds that Latino representation in film lags significantly behind the U.S. population and that, over the...
Should Fresno Try Sacramento's Tactic With 'Nuisance' Vagrants?
SACRAMENTO — The city of Sacramento has filed an unusual lawsuit to ban seven men considered to be a "public nuisance" from a popular business corridor. The lawsuit alleges the men are "drug users, trespassers, thieves ... and violent criminals" who have illegal weapons and ammunition and have forced police...
Fast-Growing Web of Doorbell Cams Raises Privacy Fears
The woodsy community of Wolcott, Connecticut, doesn't see a lot of crime. But when the police chief heard about an opportunity to distribute doorbell cameras to some homes, he didn't hesitate. The police who keep watch over the town of 16,000 raffled off free cameras in a partnership with the...
Poll Finds Hunger for Change to US System of Government
After more than two years of the Donald Trump presidency, Andrea Petrusky is ready for some fundamental changes in the way the United States government works. "Right now we're being shown all of the loopholes, the president being able to do all the things that no president should," said Petrusky,...