Weight loss pills available: A heap of GLP-1 pillsOPINION – California lawmakers are being asked to advance legislation targeting compounded GLP-1 medications, framed as a response to a supposed “public health crisis” driven by “unsafe” and “unregulated” products.
Side view closeup of Middle Eastern doctor holding clipboard while consulting child in clinic copy spaceOPINION – In California, even limited efforts to revisit medical exemption policy face steep resistance. This year’s SB 1377 (Jones) made one thing unmistakably clear: advancing even modest reforms to the state’s medical exemption system is extraordinarily difficult.
Officer trying to calm down female victim of car accident, shocked girl cryingOPINION – For decades, the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund has been the backbone of victim services nationwide. But in recent years, there has been a significant shortfall in VOCA funding, with California seeing a staggering 67% cut since 2019.
A quiet neighborhood in Bend Oregon with blue skyOPINION – Two bills moving through the Legislature this session could fundamentally reshape how California’s homeowners associations manage their finances.
State Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Brandon Bourdages, via Shutterstock)OPINION—On May 14, Gov. Newsom unveiled his May Revision and declared California’s deficit gone. Erased by a $16.5 billion revenue surge driven by AI-fueled stock market gains. I don’t buy it.
Girl making some exercises on the blackboardOPINION – About 20% of our students are emergent bilinguals, with their language diversity on the rise –Spanish is most common, followed by Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, and Persian. While future teachers who receive their teaching credential in California are required to take specific courses on how to support language learners, the actual content varies widely.
US visa, Visa in passport, fee for US visa, tour of the USA, airport, customs, checkpoint, illegal immigrants, closed borders, nationality H-1B visa. Macro photo. High quality photoOPINION – We need a modern system that aligns legal pathways with workforce needs and provides an earned path to legal status for long-term contributors. Without it, we are placing California’s economic stability at risk.
Neighborhood crime watch sign on a fenceOPINION – California has the opportunity to follow Richmond’s model, potentially leading to huge reductions in gun violence across the entire state. A bill called AB 2378 would create a statewide Office of Community Violence Intervention, installing a director to provide unprecedented support for violence intervention infrastructure and field needs.
California Capitol Building in Sacramento. Image by bbourdagesOPINION – California stares down an $18 billion budget problem for 2026–27, $5 billion larger than the Newsom administration admitted last June. Revenue gains from the AI boom? Almost entirely erased by Proposition 98 education mandates and Proposition 2 debt payments.
Businessman hand using digital tablet working with laptop computer and smartphone in coworking space. Urban lifestyle with modern electronic devices. Internet of things and online app conceptsOPINION – For small businesses like mine, success often depends on reaching the right customers at the right time with the right deals. That makes data-informed promotions – like coupons for products left in customers’ online shopping carts, or special deals for customers we’d like to reengage – a critical part of our marketing strategy.