The investigation was honored with the Frank A. Blethen Award for Local Accountability Reporting in the Poynter Journalism Prizes, and as a finalist for excellence in local and regional investigative reporting in the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards.
Posted inCommentary
Californians’ electric bills would be much lower without state’s program fees
State public purpose programs add hundreds of dollars to each electric bill annually. Rooftop solar subsidies account for about half that.
Posted inCommentary
California’s parole process is already arduous; be careful how you change it
As lawmakers weigh changing elderly parole, a retired parole board officer notes that only 3% of parolees have committed crimes upon release.
Posted inPolitics
California Republicans who flipped seats in 2024 are fighting to keep them
Vulnerable Republican incumbents are seeking to distance themselves from President Donald Trump as they try to hang on to 2024 gains in the state Legislature.
Posted inEducation
For asylum seekers, the path to a California education is costly
Asylum seekers going to college in California can pay much higher nonresident tuition and are often excluded from financial aid, at great cost to them and their families as immigration cases spend years in limbo.
Posted inCommentary
A farm program that ‘has drawn a wide circle of goodness’ around a California community is at risk
The federal Local Food Purchase Assistance cooperative agreement program pays for locally grown food for feeding programs, such as food banks. It’s ending two years early.
Posted inEnvironment
Will California ever build the Delta tunnel? Major battles ahead as Newsom era nears end
California’s Delta tunnel largely cleared a key hurdle last week — but far bigger obstacles still stand in the way.
Posted inEducation
Cal State struck a deal with OpenAI. Some students and faculty refuse to use it
California State University’s $17 million contract with ChatGPT’s maker OpenAI is up for renewal. Some students and faculty say equal access to AI is important for preparing students for the workforce. Others say the implementation of AI tools has been confusing and opens the door to cheating. Some faculty have banned AI from their classes altogether and even started a petition to end the contract deal.
Posted inPolitics
Who’s running for Congress in California? These races could determine the majority
The fight for control of the U.S. House runs through California’s 52 congressional districts, many of which were dramatically restructured by Proposition 50 last year. Democrats especially are jockeying for position in several races pitting them against each other.
Posted inCommentary
Legislature’s adviser tries budget tough love to get California politicians to close huge deficits
Legislative Analyst Gabe Petek says state spending grew by $100 billion or so a year since 2019, outstripping revenues and resulting in current and future deficits.