(Photo: Solitary confinement cells along a corridor in San Quentin Prison.)The Mandela Act, or AB 2632, would have reformed the practice of solitary confinement, which places people, convicted and awaiting trial, in isolation for up to 24 hours a day in jails, prisons and detention facilities.
Pro-recall forces gather in Redding during the campaign. (Photo: Jefferson Public Radio)For two years now, Shasta County has been the center of a fight between moderate Republicans serving on the board of supervisors and local far-right activists and militia groups who have taken issue with the state’s public health restrictions. But what began as an intensely local political fight captured attention across the state, in part because others wonder whether a similar battle could come their way.
A major facility of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine at UC Merced. (Photo: CIRM)A multibillion-dollar matter was on the table when the 35-members of the governing board of the California stem cell agency huddled electronically to put together a strategy for the next five years. “Real Life” popped up during last week’s meeting along with diversity, legacies, voters, ballot measures. transformative medicine and cures.
Beachgoers in April at Huntington Beach, despite stay-at-home orders. (Photo: Matt Gush, via Shutterstock)California, like the rest of the nation, is seeing a dramatic rise in COVID infections and deaths — and Los Angeles County has some of the most dire statistics. Health officials reported more than 7,500 new cases in the county on Tuesday, shattering the old record, set last week.
Illustration of California flag and the pandemic. (Image: bekulnis)Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce a tougher response to a surge in coronavirus infections that includes a three-week cutback on nonessential services and renewed stay-at-home restrictions affecting most Californians.
Dusk at Silicon Valley, hub of the world's tech industry. (Photo: yhelfman, via Shutterstock)OPINION: With the election cycle now in our nation’s rearview mirror, the work of building back our economy still lies ahead. In order to most effectively meet this challenge, it is imperative that political leaders recognize what has truly driven economic resiliency over the course of this year – digital technologies.
A diverse group of voters casting their ballots. (Photo: SeventyFour, via Shutterstock)A pair of Nov. 3 ballot measures seeks to confer voting rights on two wildly disparate groups of Californians — prisoners and teenagers. Prop. 17 would amend the state constitution to restore voting rights to prison inmates who have completed their sentences. Prop. 18, another constitutional amendment, would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary and special elections if they become 18 by the next general election.
Gov. Gavin Newsom at last year's Gay Rights Day parade in San Francisco. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald, via Shutterstock)Gov. Gavin Newsom has been riding a high tide of approval from Californians for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he could be heading for stormy weather. California’s tax revenues are projected to decline more than 22 percent and the state estimates that unemployment for the year will hit 18 percent.
Empty streets in L.A. during April amid the shelter-in-place rules. (Photo: Time Media, via Shutterstock)Many Californians believe that the worst is yet to come for the U.S. with the COVID-19 pandemic, and less than three in 10 believe restrictions on physical activity in their area should be decreased. Gov. Newsom’s job approval has increased since earlier this year—and most Californians approve of his handling of the pandemic—but his recently released budget plan gets mixed reviews.
One of the joys of summer camp: gathering around the campfire. (Photo: Volodya Senkiv, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As a team that works on developing, producing, and running cool camp programs, most of us can’t think of a more challenging time. The old adage “nailing Jello to a tree” rings true as we plan for what camp in this current environment might look like. Just when we think we’ve got something solved, a new hurdle or change comes about.