State Attorney General Xavier Becerra addresses reporters in Sacramento. (Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)California Attorney General. Xavier Becerra, who has filed 40-plus lawsuits against the Trump Administration, has been a darling of many California Democrats. Now he finds himself in a court fight against some of his admirers.
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With the new administration, the capitol has seen an influx of fresh staffers, many of whom are new to the Sacramento area. Where, they ask, does one go to eat, drink and be merry in this burg? If this describes you – no worries, Becky Grunewald has you covered. The longtime Sacto food critic offered
A voter casts a ballot in the 2016 primary election in Ventura County. (Photo: Joseph Sohm)In 2016 California had a late primary, and it looked like the Golden State would deliver deciding votes in both the Republican and Democratic nominations. If it weren’t for Trump’s victory in Indiana just weeks before, California would have been the last stand for Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and others who were mounting a late push to block a Trump nomination.
Medical professionals screen people at a 2018 festival in Costa Mesa. (Photo: David Bruckmann, via Shutterstock)California faces a dramatic shortage of healthcare professionals over the next decade, and the state should take steps now to deal with the problem, according to a new report. “In just 10 years … California is projected to face a shortfall of more than 4,100 primary care clinicians and 600,000 home care workers, and will have only two-thirds of the psychiatrists it needs,” said the study, Meeting the Demand for Health.
Fire safety has suddenly become far more politically fraught and expensive. Here, firefighters respond to 2017 Ponderosa Fire. Photo courtesy of Cal Fire. (Photo: CalFire, via CALmatters)Don’t be fooled by the precipitation, the snowpack, the wildflowers. When winter ends, it’s unlikely that California’s iconic landscape will sustain the moisture to withstand the 100-degree summer and fall. California has yet to recover from the 5-year drought that began in 2012. For four years, record wildfires have ravaged the state, including the Tubbs Fire in Napa and Sonoma in 2017 and the Camp Fire last year that wiped out the town of Paradise in Butte County.
An indoor cannabis farm in California. (Photo: Mitch M., via Shutterstock)OPINION: California’s legal cannabis industry is in a state of disarray. The market is chaotic, the regulatory landscape is in a constant state of flux, and at the same time, the black market continues to flourish. Consumers find themselves with limited access to quality and safe products as businesses struggle to stay afloat and keep up with a moving target.
L.A.'s Hollywood Boulevard by night, an entertainment hub of the city. (Photo: View Apart, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Most consumers are all too familiar with signs displayed by small business owners that read, “We reserve the right to deny service to anyone.” Signs once intended to discourage minor infractions are largely obsolete today, especially with the escalation of alcohol-induced violence in bars and nightclubs. Today, alcohol is a leading contributor to sexual and aggravated assault, and homicide.
Stem cell research in what is known as a "PCR strip." (Image: Science Photo, via Shutterstock)Legislation to help stem the tide of unregulated stem cell clinics in California is still being drafted, but is expected to be introduced by the end of this month. Art Torres, vice chairman of the California stem cell agency, is working on the measure, which is expected to be authored by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo.
Labor union supporters rally at the state Capitol. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)OPINION: If history has taught us anything, it’s that elections are less about choices in partisan ideology than they are about the real world impact that policies have on the lives of everyday people. In 2018, Americans overwhelmingly turned away from Republican politicians.