San Quentin

California may have paid up to $1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims filed on behalf of prison and jail inmates in what prosecutors are calling “the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history.” The state paid more than 35,000 claims under state prisoners’ names, with one inmate collecting nearly $49,000, a group of […]

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, October 22. Affirmative action unlikely to pass Will Californians decide to raise taxes on commercial properties — approving the biggest change to the state’s property tax structure in more than 40 years — or won’t they? With less than two weeks before the election, the Prop. 15 race is shaping […]

Good morning, California. It’s Monday, August 31. Legislative session ends today The fate of hundreds of thousands of California renters teetering on the brink of eviction — and of the landlords who depend on their rent payments — hangs in the balance of a cliffhanger vote lawmakers will take today. Their vote on a controversial […]

California’s patchwork reentry system is scrambling to find housing and services for former inmates. “What this pandemic has done is highlight the inadequacies in the system,” said one program director.

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, July 10. Shut-down sites, supply shortages So you want a coronavirus test? Well, it may not be that simple. This week, San Bernardino County canceled hundreds of appointments due to a shortage of materials. Five testing sites were shut down in Sacramento because UC Davis Health, which processes the tests, […]

Imperial County on the Mexican border has the state's highest rate of COVID-19 cases, straining hospitals and forcing the transfer of 500 critically ill patients outside the region.

Judge approves PG&E settlements with wildfire victims. Families of Ghost Ship fire victims can sue PG&E. State wrestles with how to tax weed.

Law on use of police force moves closer to reality. Democrats continue push for health care legislation. Senate approves "Trump insurance" bill.

Gov. Jerry Brown's grant of clemency to the brother-in-law of Speaker Anthony Rendon underscores not just Brown's thinking, but California's evolution on crime and punishment.

Rehabilitation can work. When I arrived at San Quentin State Prison in 2014, I experienced a culture shock. Incarcerated men were passing by, in full conversation, about their college essays, victim impact statements, remorse letters, and their childhood traumas.