Podcast

Coming Soon: The Top 100 Hall of Fame!

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’ll be releasing a special episode on Wednesday morning to talk about the 2024 Capitol Weekly Top 100, which will publish Tuesday night…. in the meantime we’ve got a very short episode with Who Had the Worst Week in Callifornia Politics, and talking about a Big Change coming to the Top 100 this year: The Top 100 Hall of Fame!

Analysis

CA120: New polls show young voters, Latinos key to Dem hopes in November

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Photo by AP.

The events of the past week have seemingly turned the Presidential race on its head in a frenetic month of nerve-wracking surprises. While the results of national and statewide polling are relatively small considering the major shifts in the campaign, we can use our large sample Capitol Weekly poll, with over 5,000 completed surveys, to look at underlying trends that speak to the factors that will be in play as we head toward November.

Capitol Spotlight

Capitol Spotlight: Kim Delfino, Earth Advocacy

Kim Delfino, photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol Weekly

Kim Delfino, an environmental attorney and consultant, is known for her vast knowledge of land use law, wildlife law, water law and energy law. The president of Earth Advocacy, she has led her campaigns while balancing the needs of her family (she and her husband have two adult children) and surviving breast cancer.

Micheli Files

Amending versus revising the California constitution

California justice, image by Mehaniq

As a result of the California Supreme Court removing the Taxpayer Protection Act from the November 2024 General Election ballot, attention has been drawn to the distinction between “amending” and “revising” the state Constitution. What is the difference?

Podcast

A chat with Building Trades leader Chris Hannan

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Last year Chris Hannan was named President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, which represents nearly half a million members in the construction trades. Hannan had earlier served as the Executive Secretary of the Los Angeles and Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. SBCTC is one of the biggest players in California labor politics, particularly in housing policy. President Hannan joined us to talk about the trades, about his own journey from apprentice pipe fitter to the president’s office and about the role of union construction workers in California’s future.

News

‘Bubble boy’ treatments showing success in spite of funding challenges

David Vetter, aka "the bubble boy," who died in 1984 from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Photo by AP

Another child has been treated for a deadly affliction known as the “bubble boy” disease. Dr. Moustache and his “magical team” did have a little help, courtesy of the people of California who put tens of millions of dollars into financing his cell and gene therapy.

News

Better know a flack: the Capitol’s best and worst press reps

The scrum

Capitol Weekly recently did a very subjective, very unscientific email poll of our fellow journalists who cover the Capitol or other parts of California government to see who they think are the best press reps to deal with. And yes, we also asked who they think…. hmmm, how to put this nicely? … could be better at their job. We granted everyone anonymity so they could speak freely.

Micheli Files

Challenges in California’s lawmaking process

Image by Yuriy K

There is not a single factor that makes lawmaking in California difficult. Instead, it is a combination of factors that impacts resolution of public policy issues by the Legislature and sometimes results in gridlock or lack of success.

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