Illustration by Chris Shary100: Alexei Koseff
Fodder for national pundits, ambitious Republicans and a Saturday Night Live skit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attendance at a maskless birthday party for lobbyist Jason Kinney (see No. 65) at The French Laundry was the game-changing California politics story of 2020, thanks to San Francisco Chronicle reporter Alexei Koseff. It provided fuel
A sign in Yorba Linda advocating Gov. Gavin Newsom's recall. (Photo: Matt Gush.)Deeply divided California voters will go to the polls on Sept. 14 — earlier, if they vote by mail — to decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom should be recalled and who should replace him. The polls are tight. A July 24-27 poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies has 47 percent of those most likely to vote wanting to boot Newsom out of office, while 50 percent want to retain him. So what helps Newsom and what doesn’t?
Allen Zaremberg, president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, on Monday announced his retirement. (Photo: Cal Chamber file)Allan Zaremberg, the top executive at the California Chamber of Commerce for more than two decades, announced Monday he was stepping down. He is expected to stay in place through the end of the year.
The Lava Fire burns in June on the northwest side of Mt. Shasta. (Photo: Trevor Bexon, via Shutterstock)
The statistics are terrifying, the damage heartbreaking and California wildfires continue their rampage. “We’re at a pivotal moment in California history as we choose how to spend billions of dollars for climate resilience and wildfire preparation in the state budget,” said state Sen. Henry Stern, chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management.
Ballots that will be mailed to voters across California for the Sept. 14 recall election. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald, via Shutterstock)A million-dollar donation to fight the recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom came from Washington state, not California, and from a name familiar in the world of finance and high tech. Connie Ballmer, who is married to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, contributed $1 million to Newsom’s campaign, the second-largest donation thus far to the anti-recall effort.
An April 2021 demonstration in Los Angeles against masks and vaccination requirements. (Photo: Michael Gordon via Shutterstock)A proposal sailing through the California Legislature that aims to stop people from getting harassed outside of vaccination sites is raising alarms among some First Amendment experts. The measure was introduced after protesters briefly shut down a mass vaccination clinic at Dodger Stadium in January.
Low water during at Lake Shasta reservoir during an earlier drought. (Photo: David Greitzer, via Shutterstock)When asked to name the most important environmental issue facing the state today, Californians are most likely to mention water supply and drought—a shift from a year ago. About six in ten Californians approve of Gov. Newsom’s handling of environmental issues, and a similar share approve of President Biden on the environment. Overwhelming majorities of Californians—including majorities across partisan groups—believe that developing alternative energy sources should be prioritized over expanded use of oil, coal, and natural gas in the nation’s energy supply.
An illustration of a California voter casting a ballot. (Photo: Niyazz, via Shutterstock)Berkeley IGS Poll: The election will be decided not by the overall electorate, but by only those who choose to take part in the recall. And, when the voting preferences of those considered most likely to participate are examined, the outcome becomes much closer, with 47% favoring Newsom’s recall and 50% favoring his retention.
Vertical-axis wind turbines in California. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)Officials with jurisdiction over about 80 percent of California’s power grid say the state faces a grim outlook as summer heat, wildfires and a severe drought intensify. Hoping to reduce strain on the power grid, experts are looking at alternative energy generation, distribution and storage. Some of these systems, inspired in part by the meltdown of California’s electricity market two decades ago, already are in place across the state.
An aerial view of the California Correctional Center in Susanville, destined for closure. (Photo: CDCR)California authorities have ordered the closure of state prisons for the first time in nearly two decades: Four are destined to be shut down in whole or in part, and three more are being discussed for possible closure.