California once was a national leader in making government more transparent, requiring state and local agencies to conduct their business in public meetings and giving Californians easy access to public records. In recent years, however, transparency has eroded. The Legislature has retreated into semi-secrecy, particularly on the state budget but also on other major legislation. […] Read More and Comment: Walters: California once led in government transparency. It descended into secrecy and opacity ..read more

Hello to the city, goodbye to your luggage. That was U.S. Senate candidate Adam Schiff’s rude introduction to San Francisco’s vexing reputation for car burglaries Thursday when thieves swiped the bags from his car while it sat in a downtown parking garage. The heist meant the Democratic congressman got stuck at a fancy dinner party in his shirt sleeves and […] Read More and Comment: Thieves snatch Rep. Adam Schiff’s luggage in S.F. He gives dinner speech without a suit ..read more

Deputy DA Teran allegedly accessed and used material she was not allowed to In what can only be called a stunning development, especially considering their close relationship, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed 11 felony charges against Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon’s chief of ethics and integrity Diana Teran. According to a release […] Read More and Comment: Los Angeles DA Gascon Ethics Chief Charged with 11 Felonies ..read more

USC running back has his 2005 award reinstated after a long fight in what he calls ‘a personal victory.’ Reggie Bush, after years spent fighting to retake his place among college football’s most prestigious fraternity, is finally getting his Heisman Trophy back. The Heisman Trust had for years dragged its feet in acknowledging the legendary Trojan running back […] Read More and Comment: Bush can once again strike Heisman pose ..read more

Political hypocrisy should not shock anyone The State of California is hemorrhaging red ink with a massive budget shortfall. The non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office estimates the deficit at $73 billion; Governor Gavin Newsom claims to be optimistic and pegs the shortfall at $38 billion. A gap of $30 billion is more than a bit of optimism. If the deficit […] Read More and Comment: California’s Red Ink is Negatively Impacting Municipalities Large and Small ..read more

BERKELEY —  Pro-Palestinian protests swept across California colleges and universities Tuesday as tensions grew nationwide amid an expanding student-led movement that has pitted administrators and police against young activists and intensified the debate over the line between campus free speech and antisemitism. At UC Berkeley, students have set up dozens of tents in front of Sproul Plaza — the […] Read More and Comment: ‘We will not move.’ Pro-Palestinian encampments, protests grow at California universities ..read more

It appears that state and local officials may soon be empowered to do something about the problem When discussing homelessness, California state and local officials often point to a federal court ruling they say ties their hands completely when it comes to dealing with the problem. But it appears, from the tenor of the oral […] Read More and Comment: The Courts and Homelessness: City Anti-Camping Ordinance Goes Before the Supremes ..read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Monday rejected a proposal aimed at cracking down on how some of the nation’s largest utilities spend customers’ money. California’s investor-owned utilities can’t use money from customers to pay for things like advertising their brand or lobbying for legislation. Instead, they’re supposed to use money from private investors […] Read More and Comment: California reject bill to crackdown on how utilities spend customers’ money ..read more

In California, ‘it takes a village’ to ensure a child with gender dysphoria becomes a transgender adult. Read More and Comment: California Says Its Policies Trump Parental Rights When It Comes to Trans Kids ..read more

A 29-year-old Los Angeles man smashed a window and broke into the home of Mayor Karen Bass early Sunday morning, police said. Read More and Comment: Suspect arrested in break-in at home of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass ..read more