Emergency personnel at a car crash scene in Lake Forest, Orange County. (Photo: mikeledray, via Shutterstock)The pandemic-prompted shift to at-home work dramatically reduced the number of cars on the road, so people drove faster, drank more, paid less attention and got lazy about their seatbelts, all of which contributed to the highest rate of fatal accidents in more than a decade.
Californnia Gov. Gavin Newsom, chatting with a homeless man in Fresno, has proposed a sweeping overhaul of California's mental health care system. (Photo: Governor's office)Newsom’s plan would create an entirely new system of civil court supervision, connecting individuals with intensive treatment and, equally important, housing. By his estimate, it would help 7,000-to-12,000 severely mentally ill people each year, many with chronic physical conditions that are worsened by life on the streets, clearly unable to care for themselves. It would not replace existing programs.
Even “retired,” Daniel Zingale can’t leave the political fray. He is currently serving on the Delta Stewardship Council, is part of the California 100 Project, and recently announced that he joined the veteran lobby firm Sacramento Advocates. We also learned that he helped his former boss, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, promote his recent message to the Russian people about Ukraine.
Former state prison inmate Jason Bryant has co-founded a group to help inmates re-enter society. (Photo: Tammy McCarley)Ted Gray and Jason Bryant committed violent felonies when they were 22 and 20 years old, respectively. Consequently, the young duo received lengthy prison sentences. That was then. Today, they are older and wiser and cofounders of Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs (CROP). It aims to help formerly incarcerated people striving to be productive members of society.
A crowd at the Santa Monica pier during the height of the pandemic. Some people wear masks, some don't.(Photo: Hanson L, via Shutterstock)To mask or not to mask? That is the question — and there are a lot of answers. California on March 1 lifted its rule requiring unvaccinated people to wear masks in most indoor settings, but still strongly recommended that everyone wear masks indoors while in public. After fully two years of self-imposed isolation and masking, many people were delighted with the move.
Artist's rendering of the proposed new entrance to the California Capitol by Mark Cavagnero Associates.Lobbyist, professor and author Chris Micheli joins us to talk about his two latest books, and gives us a rundown on lobbying during the current phase of the pandemic. He also answered our questions about the ongoing legal battle over the capitol annex project and imminent destruction of the 1952 annex on the East side of the capitol building.
Dealing the cards at a casino gaming table. (Photo: Nejron Photo, via Shutterstock)Californians, given the chance, would wager hundreds of millions of dollars a year on sporting events, say analysts, and that golden potential is luring gaming tribes, card rooms and online sportsbooks to the November ballot.
Parched San Louis Reservoir along the Pacheco Pass,, at about 55 percent of capacity, as of this month. (Photo: Robert Enriquez, via Shutterstock)In California, the climate crisis is worsening drought conditions. As a result, the federal Bureau of Reclamation has cut 2022 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project contractors. “We began the 2022 water year with low CVP reservoir storage and some weather whiplash, starting with a record day of Sacramento rainfall in October and snow-packed December storms to a very dry January and February, which are on pace to be the driest on record,” said Regional Director Ernest Conan.
With the average gasoline pump price approaching six bucks a gallon in California, we called Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President of the Western States Petroleum Association, to explain how we got here and what happens now.
A close-up of a retro microphone, a type sometimes used at public events. (Photo: vectorfusionart, via Shutterstock)It isn’t something that politicians and other public figures worry about very much, although perhaps they should. It’s embarrassing, of course, but most of all, it’s revealing. We’re talking about the dreaded ‘hot mic’ menace.