This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. After more than a decade being exiled from the governor’s office in California, Republicans are eyeing growing voter frustration with the dominant liberal politics of the state as a launching pad for a comeback next year. Though lacking...
Special Interests Pour More Than Half a Billion Into CA Lobbying
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Lobbying groups spent more than half a billion dollars to influence the state government in 2024, the most ever, according to a CalMatters analysis of data recently filed with the secretary of state. Lobbying by Google, oil companies and...
Why Fresno Unified Tried to Keep Superintendent Search Secret
The Fresno Unified school board is purposely keeping its superintendent search secret. All board members signed a nondisclosure agreement with a search firm assisting them in finding a new leader for the state's third-largest school district. The main reason, several board members and the consultant firm the board hired said,...
Fresno Unified Trustees Passed Over a National Superintendent of the Year
Fresno Unified trustees have passed over a former national superintendent of the year in their search for the district's next chief executive. In 2020, the American Association of School Administrators named Gustavo Balderas as the national superintendent of the year for his work with Eugene School District. That year, he...
Protest Planned in Clovis Targets the Trump Administration
A protest of President Donald Trump and his policies is planned for Saturday at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Shaw and Clovis avenues, according to a flyer circulating online. The demonstration is organized under the “Hands Off!” banner, which calls for the protection of key social programs and policies....
How WrestleMania Came to Rival the Super Bowl and World Cup
WrestleMania week is here, and the 41st annual spectacular is tightly interwoven in the pop culture fabric. While WrestleMania has always been the spotlight of the WWE year, it was the third edition in 1987 that put the body slam on its wrestling industry rivals. Veteran writer and historian Keith...
A License to Kill in California
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Court research by Robert Lewis, Lauren Hepler, Anat Rubin, Sergio Olmos, Cayla Mihalovich, Ese Olumhense, Ko Bragg, Andrew Donohue and Jenna Peterson Ivan Dimov was convicted of reckless driving in 2013, after fleeing police in Washington state while...
Trustees Select Fresno Unified’s New Superintendent. Was ‘the Fix’ On?
Trustees have begun negotiations on a contract to make Misty Her the next Fresno Unified superintendent, multiple sources tell GV Wire. Her is currently the interim superintendent of the state's third-largest school district. She emerged as the top choice of the trustees after they interviewed a field of finalists on...
Smittcamp Warns Fresno Supervisors About New Copper Theft Law. Bredefeld Wants to Take a Risk
This story was updated to include clarification from Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. After a warning from Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp about the constitutionality of a new ordinance, county supervisors approved a law making it illegal for a person to have more than 10 pounds of stripped...
Transparency Concerns Arise Again as Fresno Unified Superintendent Interviews Begin
Fresno Unified has become tight-lipped about its superintendent hiring process as finalist interviews begin Wednesday. The district's board of trustees met in a closed session last Thursday to choose the finalists to succeed retired Superintendent Bob Nelson. Board President Valarie Davis declined to comment on how many finalists were selected,...