California News & Current Events | Public News Service

Under a new proposal, California employees could use up to three days of paid sick leave to get and recover from a COVID vaccination. (Mangostar/Adobestock)

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Parents’ Advocates Cheer CA Deal on COVID Paid Sick Leave

Parents' rights groups are praising a plan to extend paid sick leave for many California workers, which is now on a fast track to pass. Gov…

People fill out paperwork at a credit-repair class at Faith Church Los Angeles. (Jason Tillman)

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Feds Slam Credit-Reporting Agencies for Failure to Correct Errors

When people complained about errors on their credit reports last year, the big three credit-reporting agencies provided relief in just 2% of cases …

Senate Bill 260 stalled in the state Senate Appropriations Committee last May, but could be resurrected if it gets a vote by Monday. (Jzehnder/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Bill Would Require Transparency on Carbon Emissions from Big Corporations

A bill to require big corporations to be transparent about their own carbon footprint needs a vote in the California Senate by the legislative deadlin…

California will need to hire thousands of poll workers in advance of the primary election this spring and the general election in November. (Lisa F. Young/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Want to Help Preserve Democracy? Sign Up as a Poll Worker

Today is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, and counties across California and nationwide are looking to hire. Between the pandemic and the …

California's first Lemon Law passed in 1970 under Gov. Ronald Reagan. (Lunamaria/Adobestock)

Monday, January 24, 2022

Battle Shaping Up Over CA Lemon Law

Consumer advocates are speaking out against a proposed ballot initiative that would reform California's so-called "Lemon Law." Current law allows pe…

According to the state, 4 million California students owe a total of $147 billion in student debt. A new state program aims to help new students reduce that debt through public service. (Pathdoc/Adobe Stock)

New Program to Pay CA College Students $10K for Volunteer Service

The State of California is launching a new program that will pay college students $10,000 to volunteer doing public service work for a year. …

The Carrizo Plain National Monument would receive extra protections from development under the proposed Public Lands Act in Congress. (Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management)

Coalition Presses Senators to Protect CA Public Lands

A coalition of more than 50 local elected officials is pleading for action on the Public Lands Act, a bill that would add protections for more than a …

The National Day of Racial Healing started five years ago, in 2017, three days before the inauguration of former President Donald Trump. (Kellogg Foundation)

National Day of Racial Healing Today

Today, the day after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, comes a chance to put our ideals into action on the sixth annual National Day of Racial …

A new report on children's well-being in California advocates for a "pro-kid" agenda that includes getting rid of Medi-Cal premiums and hiring more school counselors. (Pics5/Adobe Stock)

"D" Grade for California on Children's Well-Being: Report

A new report shows California's 13.5 million children are suffering in the wake of the pandemic. It gives the state low marks on child care…

The Helpline for California Parents and Youth (855-427-2736) takes calls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. (Parents Anonymous)

Helpline for Parents Gets Lifeline in Governor’s New Budget

A helpline providing emergency emotional support for California parents and young people would get a three-year extension under Gov. Gavin Newsom's …

If Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget plan is adopted, Cal Fresh would start planning in order to introduce food assistance to undocumented Californians age 55 and older. (Stanislau_V/Adobestock)

Governor’s Budget Would Begin to Open Cal Fresh to the Undocumented 55+

Advocates for the Food for All campaign are praising Gov. Gavin Newsom's new budget proposal, which would begin the process of expanding the Cal …

Gov. Gavin Newsom's new budget proposal represents an increase of more than $16 billion for education compared with last year. (Jantanee/Adobestock)

Governor’s Budget Includes Highest Education Funding in CA History

K-12 and higher education would get $102 billion next fiscal year as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's new budget proposal, released Monday -- the most in …

Counterprotesters attack a car at a Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim in February 2016. (Brian Levin)

Expert: Right-Wing Violence More Likely Close to Midterm Election

As the midterm elections approach this fall, experts are warning political violence could flare up, not necessarily another attack on the Capitol…

Thanks to a new federal law, patients no longer are in the middle of the negotiation between out-of-network providers and insurance companies. (Antonio Guillem/Adobestock)

New Federal Law Against Surprise Medical Bills Helps Extra 6 Million in CA

This week the new federal law forbidding surprise medical bills goes into effect, protecting an extra six million Californians. In the past…

Hundreds of pro-democracy rallies, such as this one on Capitol Hill in October, are planned for this Thursday around the country. (League of Conservation Voters)

Dozens of CA Pro-Democracy Rallies Set for Thursday

More than 60 rallies and candlelight vigils are taking place across California on Thursday, all to mark the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Capitol …

Only 4 Weeks Left on Covered California Open Enrollment

With the Omicron variant spreading like wildfire, many people without health insurance are searching for options - and may find them on the Covered …

A 2020 study found that more than 23,000 people work as life coaches in the United States. (Wollertz/Adobestock)

Life Coach’s New Year’s Advice for Latinos: Go For It!

It's that time of year where we make our New Year's resolutions, and some in the Latino community are reaching out for help sticking to their plans…

Diing Manyang, from the South Sudan and Kakuma refugee camp, is currently studying at George Washington University. (Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration)

State Department to Pilot New Program for Refugees to Attend College

By next fall, refugee students may be able to apply to attend American colleges and universities. The State Department said it plans to pilot a new …

<a href= — A report this fall found 63% of Californians polled consider high-health care costs to be a "very serious" or "extremely serious" problem. (Andrey Popov/Adobe Stock)

Groups Press Gov. Newsom to Eliminate Medi-Cal Premiums

California's lower-income families could have to start paying hundreds, or even thousands of dollars a year for Medi-Cal health insurance premiums - …

With the proliferation of 5G cellular towers, groups concerned about potential safety issues are asking federal agencies to update their research on the health effects of radiofrequency radiation. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Petition Feds to Act on Radiofrequency Radiation

Groups concerned about the safety of wireless technology and devices - such as cell phones, cell towers and smart meters - petitioned the Food and …

Online shoppers are advised to verify any sites they use, because scammers will mirror the site using a slightly different URL. (Mymemo/Adobestock)

Holiday Scams to Watch Out For This Season

Scams separate millions of Americans from their money this time of year, and experts have some tips on how to avoid being defrauded. One of the …

California recently created a "smog check" program on heavy-duty trucks. The state ranks worst in the nation for air pollution in a new report. (Meeboonstudio/Adobe Stock)

New Rankings Show CA Last in Available Housing, Air Pollution

The U.S. death rate soared 17% from 2019 to 2020, with COVID-19 largely responsible, according to the new America's Health Rankings 2021 annual …

Death doulas educate people on funeral options and comfort the family. (Napa 74/Adobestock)

“Death Doulas” Fight for Right to Serve Families

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A case which could put so-called "death doulas" out of business gets a hearing this week before a federal judge in Sacramento…

Environmental groups want to keep towns such as Alpine in the Sierras in a single political district, rather than combine them with cities on the San Joaquin Valley floor. (Constantine Kulikovsky/Wikimedia Commons)

Redistricting Commission Urged to Consider Environmental Justice

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As the California Citizens Redistricting Commission prepares to decide on the final legislative maps, conservation groups are …

The nonpartisan California Redistricting Commission is charged with mapping out legislative districts based on the 2020 census data. (Vesperstock)

CA Good-Government Groups Focus on Racial Equity in Redistricting

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As California enters the final stretch in the redistricting process, civil rights groups are pressing the state's redistricting …

Local, state and federal agencies are working to electrify the Caltrain cars that go from San Jose to San Francisco, which will lower carbon emissions, allow more ridership and reduce congestion. (Caltrain)

Post-Glasgow, Local Governments Join Race to Zero

LOS ANGELES -- A new report found American cities and counties should make it their goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 63% by 2030 in order to…

Dr. Matt Costa from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and intern Austin Lupo with WILDCOAST, collect soil samples at Brigantine Basin in Del Mar, Calif., to measure the stored carbon. (WILDCOAST)

Groups Urge CA to Harness Blue Carbon in Climate Strategy

SAN DIEGUITO LAGOO, Calif. - Coastal protection groups are pressing California to prioritize so-called "blue carbon" ecosystems in the fight against …

Indigenous people in Peru demonstrate against oil drilling in 2013. (Amazon Watch)

Report: Half of Oil from the Amazon Processed in California

LOS ANGELES -- California-based facilities are refining half of all the oil drilled in the Amazon rain forests, according to a new report by the …

Labor Strikes, Protests Increasing in California

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Labor protests and strikes are on the upswing this fall, compared with 2020 when everyone hunkered as the pandemic closed …

Research shows that only 50% of kids who experience a gap in coverage in a given year will see a doctor. (Drazen/Adobestock)

Health Groups Press for Senate Passage of Build Back Better

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Children's advocacy groups are calling on senators to pass the Build Back Better Act, saying it will protect millions of …

The proposed Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge is key habitat to the federally endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly. (Eric Porter/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Conservation Groups Build Support for Riverside County Wildlife Refuge

HEMET, Calif. -- Public-lands groups are asking Congress to support the proposed Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge, a 500,000-acre swath …

State data show that between 2017 and 2019, the number of paid-leave claims from the lowest-wage workers declined while claims from the highest earners rose by one-third. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi)

Paid-Leave Advocates Press for Build Back Better, Aim to Improve CA Program

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The push to offer paid leave nationwide is in high gear. A plan already passed the U.S. House as part of the Build Back Better …

Native American tribes meet on Alcatraz on Thanksgiving morning each year to draw attention to the loss of native lands. (Annelise Velazquez)

Rethinking Thanksgiving at 400 Years: A Native Perspective

ALCATRAZ ISLAND, Calif. -- Some 400 years ago in 1621, the settlers and Native tribes ate together at the first Thanksgiving meal. But many tribes …

One way climate change affects the western monarch butterfly is by changing the times that certain flowers bloom, which may not match up with monarchs' migration patterns. (LisaLeo/Morguefile)

Western Monarch Butterflies Rebound from Edge of Extinction

GOLETA, Calif. - The western monarch butterfly appears to be pulling back from the edge of extinction - with more than 100,000 counted so far in the 2…

During the pandemic, as many as a quarter of households in Los Angeles qualified for emergency food assistance. (Lial88/Adobestock)

Advocates Sue LA County over Emergency Food-Assistance Delays

LOS ANGELES -- Anti-hunger advocates filed suit Monday to force Los Angeles County to speed up processing of applications for emergency food assistanc…

California's 6.4 million Medicare recipients could see significant savings on prescription drugs if the Build Back Better Act passes. (Rawpixel.com)

Health Advocates Work to Push Build Back Better Act Over Finish Line

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Build Back Better Act, now headed to the U.S. Senate, would be a huge win for consumers, according to groups fighting for …

Environmental advocates say drift gillnet fishing gear is a significant threat to the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle. (NOAA)

Report: Fishing Crews Greatly Under-report Endangered Bycatch

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- California swordfishing crews failed to self-report any of the sea turtles and more than 98% of the marine mammals they …

A new study finds that after six years, fewer than one-third of Latinx community college students are supported to transfer to a four-year college or university. (Abraham/Adobe Stock)

CA's Latinx College Students Make Big Gains, Yet Inequities Persist

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Latinx college students in California made significant gains pre-pandemic - with jumps in college attendance and completion - …

The California Citizens' Redistricting Commission is charged with drawing new legislative maps that take communities of interest into account. (Svanblar/iStockphotos)

Latino Advocates Slam California’s New Redistricting Maps

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Latino civil-rights groups are criticizing the draft legislative maps just released by the California Citizens' Redistricting …

A report from the group "Listen to Us" finds that abused children too often are traumatized further while in foster care. (Wallyir/Morguefile)

Advocates Call for Eliminating Group Homes for Foster Kids

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Group homes and large institutional foster-care settings should be phased out - that's the recommendation of a recent report …

Modesto Junior College has waived tuition and fees for students for this semester. Future funding levels will determine if the program will continue going forward. (MJC)

Community Colleges Lure Students Back with Financial Incentives

MODESTO, Calif. -- Community colleges across California are using COVID-19 relief funds to lower costs for students and lure them back to campus…

An artists' rendering of the proposed National Medal of Honor Museum. (NMOHM)

Medal of Honor Museum Preparing to Break Ground

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- This Veterans Day, Americans are pulling together in support of a new National Medal of Honor Museum set to break ground in …

Matt Fairchild, who is fighting terminal cancer, supports California's medical aid-in-dying legislation. (Compassion & Choices)

Advocates Celebrate Legal Victory for End-of-Life Care in CA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - An appeals court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging medical-aid-in-dying in California. The End-of-Life-Option Act …

The drought, linked to climate change, has led to massive wildfires that have burned almost 2.5 million acres this year in California alone. (Bureau of Land Management)

CA Leaders In Glasgow Press for Quick Action on Climate Change

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A contingent of climate leaders from California is pushing for substantive change at the climate change conference in Glasgow…

Local government representatives marched on World of Action Day at the 2015 World Congress of Local Governments for Sustainability in Seoul, South Korea. Many are headed to Scotland this week.(ICLEI USA)

Californians Head to Glasgow for Climate Change Summit

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- This week, a contingent of local government officials from California and across the U.S. is headed to the United Nations …

AARP research shows that as of 2019 about 10% of adults in California ages 40 to 64 were uninsured. (AARP)

Advocates for Older Americans Promote ACA Open Enrollment

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Now is the time to sign up for health insurance or hunt for a better deal, as this year's CoveredCA's open-enrollment period …

Union members demonstrate in favor of the PRO Act at the Los Angeles office of U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (CWA)

Advocates Push for Labor Protections in Reconciliation Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Build Back Better reconciliation bill currently being negotiated among Senate Democrats would increase penalties on …

A new report recommends that schools do a better job of connecting the dots, from early childhood through K-12 education, to college and careers. (Prostock studio/Adobe Stock)

Report Calls for "One-System" Approach to Link Education, Careers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The U.S. does a poor job of steering students toward good jobs, according to a new study from the Georgetown University Center …

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