A measure slated for California’s November ballot that sought to raise the cap on medical malpractice awards could be pulled, under an agreement announced today. Instead, a bill will seek to raise the cap for a patient’s “non-economic damages,” or pain and suffering, although in a more incremental approach than the ballot measure would have. […]
California
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Can a Conservative Break Through for California Attorney General?
The last time California voters elected a Republican to statewide office, Gavin Newsom was the youthful mayor of San Francisco, Mark Zuckerberg had just opened up Facebook to non-college students and Donald Trump was a Democratic celebrity tycoon wrapping up the sixth season of “The Apprentice.” That was 16 years ago. Now Newsom is the […]
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A Silicon Valley Lawmaker Wants to Protect Workers from Employer Spying
Workers today are subject to more monitoring and tracking on the job — often without their knowledge — than ever before, advocates say. Various productivity applications, often on workers’ smartphones or other devices, track and predict delivery drivers’ and warehouse workers’ every move, collecting data on their location, speed, and accuracy in finishing orders, according to […]
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What Would Brian Dahle do as California Governor?
They may not agree on much, but Republican gubernatorial hopeful Brian Dahle pledges that Democratic lawmakers would find a more receptive partner at the Capitol if he unseats Gov. Gavin Newsom this year. After a decade in the GOP’s (super)minority in Sacramento, Dahle said he knows how to build relationships across the aisle and pass […]
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Plans to Curb California Insulin Costs Abound. Will Anything Get Done This year?
As consumers, advocates and others prioritize their fight to lower prescription drug costs, insulin is usually first in line. Now, momentum to curb rising insulin costs seems to be building, with policymakers at the state and federal levels rolling out proposals seeking to provide diabetics some long-awaited financial relief. The questions now: What will materialize […]
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Report to California Legislature: Prepare for Devastating Effects of Climate Change
Painting alarming scenes of fires, floods and economic disruption, the California Legislature’s advisors on Tuesday released a series of reports that lay out in stark terms the impacts of climate change across the state. The typically reserved, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office outlined dire consequences for Californians as climate change continues to alter most aspects of […]
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Sierra Snowpack Worsens, Falls to Lowest Level in 7 Years
Seven years ago today, during the height of the last drought, California Gov. Jerry Brown stood on the barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada, watching as engineers measured the worst snowpack in state history. Today, snow measurements aren’t quite so bleak. But the snowy scene belies the severity of the drought. The snowpack — which […]
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California to Limit Slavery Reparations After Key Vote
After more than six hours of debate Tuesday, California’s reparations task force voted that only Black Californians who can prove a direct lineage to enslaved ancestors will be eligible for the statewide — and first-in-the nation — initiative to address the harms and enduring legacy of slavery. The nine-member task force voted 5-4 in favor […]
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Return of the Condor: Watch the Birds’ Arrival Home on Live Stream
UPDATE: The four young condors have arrived and will spend the next few weeks with a “mentor” bird brought in to impart important social and survival skills before being sent free to soar in the North Coast’s skies. PREVIOUS: More than a century has passed since condors last soared over Yurok ancestral lands but that’s […]
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Gas money: Is it Better to Send Out Checks or Suspend a Tax?
State lawmakers have several proposals for sending checks to people to help with the increased cost of gas. One-time checks would be especially helpful for people with lower incomes, economists and policy experts said. Republicans are pushing to temporarily suspend the state gas tax to reduce the price of gas. California is flush with cash […]
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The Collapse of Community College Enrollment: Can California Turn it Around?
After community college enrollment collapsed in late 2020, California lawmakers last year gave the system of public two-year colleges $120 million to help stem the tide of departing students and bring them back. So far, progress has been uneven. Through last fall, just 17 of California’s 116 community colleges have seen the number of students […]
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Californians Used More Water as State Braces for Another Dry Year
Californians used 2.6 percent more water in January compared to before the drought emergency was declared, a sign that urban residents are ignoring the state’s pleas to take the drought seriously and cut back. The increased water use in California’s cities and towns came during the second-driest January on record, as the Sierra Nevada snowpack […]