SACRAMENTO — Arnold Schwarzenegger and three other former California governors joined Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday in a video campaign promoting the use of face coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. “This is not about being weak,” Schwarzenegger says as he holds up a mask in a public...
Newsom Appoints Fresno’s Lee Ann Eager to Transportation Commission
Lee Ann Eager, a strong advocate for high-speed rail and president/CEO of the Fresno County Economic Development Corp. since 2009, was appointed to the California Transportation Commission by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday. The 13-member commission is responsible for programming and allocating funds for the construction of highways, passenger rail, transit,...
Face Masks Required Across California Under New State Order as COVID Cases Rise
SACRAMENTO — California is requiring people to wear masks in most indoor settings and outdoors when distancing isn't possible under a statewide order issued Thursday. “Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” Gov Gavin Newsom said in a statement announcing the order. “They are critical to keeping those who...
Memorial Praises California Deputy Killed on Duty
SANTA CRUZ — Heartbroken mourners on Wednesday praised a Northern California sheriff's deputy who was killed in an ambush, calling him kind, unflappable and funny — the kind of officer that people want to keep a community safe. Hundreds of people, many in blue and green law enforcement uniforms, gathered...
California Highway Patrol Spent $38M Responding to Protests
SACRAMENTO — The California Highway Patrol spent $38 million responding to recent widespread protests over racial injustice, state officials said Tuesday, bringing state agencies’ combined law enforcement costs to $63 million so far. The new highway patrol tally sent to state lawmakers is on top of $25 million that Gov....
Newsom Agrees to Nix Cuts for Seniors, Others
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has agreed not to cut funding for child care programs and health insurance for low-income older adults as part of his plan to cover the state's estimated $54.3 billion budget deficit. Newsom's budget proposal had recommended making fewer older adults eligible for Medicaid to save...
California Has Recorded More Than 5,000 COVID-19 Deaths
SAN FRANCISCO — California has recorded more than 5,000 COVID-19 deaths as cases continue to climb in several parts of the state. On Sunday, the state Department of Public Health reported 148,855 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 5,063 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Last week, nine counties...
African American Reparation Bill Passes California Assembly
SACRAMENTO — A proposal to establish a task force to study and prepare recommendations for how to give reparations to African Americans passed the California Assembly on Thursday. The bill advanced with a 56-5 vote as protests nationwide over police brutality re-energized the movement for racial justice and activists pressed...
California Senate OKs Bill to Mail Ballots for Fall Election
SACRAMENTO — Fearing a surge of coronavirus cases that could force a second statewide shutdown in the fall, the California Senate on Thursday approved a measure that would guarantee all registered voters get a ballot in the mail before the November election. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has already ordered ballots...
Is Gov. Newsom Blind About Work in Our Pandemic-Shaped Future?
Gov. Gavin Newsom likely knows in his gut how devastating Senate Bill 743 will be to California's housing shortage and the wealth gap dividing our coastal and interior communities. And, I am certain that the governor knows that trends accelerate in a crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic. Listen to...