Politics

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.

For the first time ever, the proposed state budget includes millions of dollars to help undocumented immigrants fight deportation.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra vowed to defend California's recreational marijuana market against the Trump administration this week, but added that he doesn't see an immediate crackdown coming.

“Make-up money” is what it’s called in Sacramento—the contributions that flow to newly-elected officials from interest groups that backed a losing candidate during the campaign. It’s a completely legal way of saying, in political terms, “Let’s kiss and make up.”

In a possible reversal of his support for medical marijuana on the campaign trail, President Trump today expressed his displeasure with Congress limiting his administration's ability to prosecute growers and consumer of medicinal pot.

In a vote likely to upend both political fortunes and insurance markets across California, the House passed the American Health Care Act today, a bill that would repeal and replace Obamacare. California, which invested heavily in participating in Obamacare, would be particularly affected if the bill becomes law.

Congress has re-authorized a key provision protecting state medical marijuana operations from federal prosecution, providing California's pot industry with at least a temporary reassurance that it can continue business as usual.