Newsletters

Was it the second question on the Gray Davis recall that sealed the Democratic governor’s fate? That’s the question that asked who should replace Davis if voters gave him the boot. State law barred him from competing on that question. And that made him practically roadkill for the international supercelebrity who headlined that second question, […]

With the election less than a month away, California county elections officials are beginning to send out mail ballots today. Five of the 14 statewide ballot measures are related to taxes, and if that sounds like a lot, you’re not imagining things: It’s the most tax measures voters have been presented with during a general […]

A whistleblower pointed state investigators to an unnamed, high-ranking law enforcement officer who was using California’s statewide law enforcement telecommunication network to find the home addresses and vehicle information of a deputy district attorney, a county supervisor and six of his employees.  The officer’s illegal use of the network was among the findings in a […]

It’s official: Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed and vetoed his last bills as California governor.  Wednesday was the final day for Newsom to weigh in on 1,160 bills that were sent to him by state legislators.  The governor, widely understood to be gearing up for a run for president, wanted the spotlight on some bills […]

The rent, as we all know, is too damn high. So is California’s poverty rate. The two things are related. That’s the not-so-surprising finding of a new analysis published by the Pew Charitable Trusts: If California’s rents dropped to the national average, the state would slash its poverty rate by 30%. The child poverty rate […]

In moments of crisis, incarcerated firefighters provide a lifeline for California. They are often the frontline in our ever-growing list of destructive wildfires and even during floods or other natural disasters.  Yet once released from prison, they struggle to get firefighting jobs, despite their qualifications. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill by Assemblymember […]

Fourteen propositions are on the November ballot, and whether you think that’s a few too many, it’s still important for you to know how you’ll vote. We’re here to help with a tool that we hope is as fun as it is informative: Quizzes. I chatted with Shelly Tan, a graphics reporter and illustrator on […]

Locals in Pacifica have had enough of Airbnb.  In recent years, the number of listings from the short-term rental platform increased 70% in the city just south of San Francisco that’s known for its crashing waves and coastal trails. The local police department has received more than a hundred reports of loud parties and trespassers. […]

Billionaires really don’t want voters to pass Proposition 40. Not only have they poured more than $187 million so far to try and defeat the measure, they’ve also placed two other measures — Prop. 41 and Prop. 42 — on the November ballot. If either of the two pass with more votes than Prop. 40, […]

If you want to build a housing project somewhere in California like Los Angeles, you’ll have to wade through an ocean of red tape to secure the right permits. The process isn’t for the faint of heart — some projects, for example, require special permits to have dirt taken away. So for those who don’t […]