Image by Stock-AssoHalloween is upon us, so with that in mind we reached out to our esteemed panel of Capitol insiders with the following question: What is the scariest thing for you in the political world right now?
An illustration of California battered by the coronavirus pandemic. (Image: bekulnis, via Shutterstock)More than two years after California imposed the nation’s first lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, the deadly disease persists, fueled now by the highly infectious subvariants and clouded by fears that the malady will stick around awhile — a long while.
Photo illustration of gambler using cell phone to place bets. (Image: WPadington, via Shutterstock)Odds are, in coming months you’ll become keenly aware that sportsbook operators and gaming tribes are waging a high-stakes ballot battle for control of sport gambling in California, and you may well get sick of it. That’s because both sides have $100 million war chests, ready to deliver their messages on every imaginable platform.
Vocal advocates of reparations gather outside a 2019 Democratic event. (Photo: michelmond, via Shutterstock)Compensating the families of Black Californians who were scarred by slavery is a delicate, complex and controversial task — as the unprecedented state panel pondering the issue is finding out. The “fact that California is taking the first steps toward reparations for slavery is a major milestone,” Justine Leroy an assistant professor at UC Davis whose research specializes in the history of slavery and emancipation, said of the March 29 vote.
The forests of Humboldt County in northern California. (Photo: Ethan Daniels, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Right now, families and communities are paying the price of having a president who refuses to believe in science and the advice of experts and has managed to prioritize the well-being of polluters and corporations over public health. This is all completely unprecedented.
The CalPERS headquarters in Sacramento. (Photo: Kit Leong, via Shutterstock)Once CalPERS could shrug off low funding and rising employer costs as just another downturn, staying the course in the long-term strategy of getting most of its money from market investments that go up and down. This time is different.
Marina Beach north of Monterey, near the site of a planned desalination plant. (Photo: Marina Coast Water District)In parched, drought-stricken California, where water is considered liquid gold, the politics of power and wealth are playing out in real-time. The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) recent decision to allow the California American Water Company (Cal-Am) to proceed with its Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project desalination plant is great news – that is, if you live in Carmel, Pacific Grove or Monterey.
A woman being harassed in the workplace as a colleague looks on. Capitol. (Photo: Antonio Guillem)California has long sponsored the most progressive, socially responsible policies and regulations in the country – including regulations about harassment prevention education for managers. In fact, California regulations have detailed requirements of which topics to include in AB1825 training, how to prevent harassment and retaliation, how to report and respond to harassment complaints if they do occur and how to publish a complaint and investigation procedure.
A black-and-white view of smoggy Century City, Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles. (Photo: trekandshoot)OPINION: Squinting into the smog, our state’s utilities have seen the future — and it’s not fossil fuels. Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric revealed plans to invest $1 billion to build a comprehensive electric transportation infrastructure.
CalPERS' governing board during a 2013 meeting. (Photo: CalPERS board)Calpensions: The state’s two largest public pension systems never recovered from huge investment losses during the deep recession and stock market crash in 2008. CalPERS lost about $100 billion and CalSTRS about $68 billion. Now after a lengthy bull market, most experts are predicting a decade of weak investment returns, well below the annual average.