Politics

California's K-12 public schools currently receive more than $7 billion annually from the federal government. The budget plan President Donald Trump released last week would cut at least 6 percent of those funds. Here's what you need to know.

(Update: On Oct. 15, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law SB 258. Manufacturers will now be required to list chemical ingredients on cleaning-product labels.) Nail polish and hair dye. Cleaning products. Plants and flowers for the garden. California lawmakers have been considering new labels for them, triggering an annual conflict in the state Capitol over […]

Democrats in the state Senate have OK'd legislation that would give Californians the option to buy “pro-choice” license plates – a small but symbolic rebuke to GOP threats to cut federal funds to Planned Parenthood or any medical provider who performs abortions.

The Trump administration’s proposed spending plan would ax funding for a region-spanning earthquake early warning system that is in the process of being rolled out along the West Coast.

At the bottom of a lengthy appendix to the president’s budget are a few paragraphs that would expand the definition of “sanctuary” jurisdiction and give the federal government new tools to punish cities, counties and states that do not comply with the new rules.

Sandra Lowe reminisced about the good old days as she addressed a roomful of Democratic activists at the California party’s annual convention last week in Sacramento. It used to be, the teachers union leader told the crowd, that it didn’t take much to win a school board race: a short statement in the election handbook, […]

The Trump administration unveiled its fully fleshed out budget proposal today, a fiscal vision for America characterized by significant cuts to discretionary spending programs and, among other things, a dramatic shift in education policy that could have a significant impact on California schooling.

After months of hemming and hawing, the Department of Transportation announced it will approve a $647 million grant to fund the electrification of the Caltrain rail corridor that connects San Francisco and San Jose.

A new generation of legislators and the growing clout of eco-advocates from urban communities is changing the focus of environmental debates in California. Once sidelined as a fringe voice of activism, the “environmental justice” perspective—focused on how environmental decisions impact poor communities and people of color—is now at the center of high-profile deliberations.

On paper, McCarthy is the second-most powerful member in the House after Speaker Paul Ryan, but in reality, no politician has more clout with the Trump White House than he does. McCarthy was one of the first Republican leaders to express support for Trump, and when Ryan and other Republicans disowned him after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape, McCarthy held his tongue and served as a go-between.