Placer County Explainer Articles

California may soon shut down its last nuclear power plant, but Gov. Gavin Newsom who once championed the closure has had a change of heart. Federal funds may now keep the plant running.

Following the K-Street shooting, a freelance journalist's thoughts about reporting on the deadliest single episode of gun violence in Sacramento history.

Elon Musk may be the latest, but billionaires have been buying media outlets for decades. What does that mean for the control of news and information at a time when a free press is more important than ever?

Code violations, even after they're fixed, can cost struggling homeowners their homes. Some have seen fees and fines into the six figures even after repairs. Here are some of the horror stories. But what can be done about it?

California can increase water savings in urban and suburban areas by 30 to 48 percent using nothing but existing technology, a new report from the Pacific Institute says.

California has a new plan for dealing with COVID as the disease becomes endemic. But does that mean the pandemic is over? Here’s what Gov. Newsom is proposing.

California has more gun laws than any other state. Here's how it took a series of mass shootings to make the state the toughest in the country on guns.

The modern gun control movement started in California. Surprisingly, it was the work of Ronald Regan and the Black Panther Party. Here’s what happened.

California has lost 25 percent of its newspapers and seen a circulation plummet over the past 15 years. A bill in the State Legislature, SB 911, could help.

How the California mental health crisis emerged out of the state’s history of deinstitutionalization and laws designed to protect the mentally ill, as well as the communities around them.

Should California pay reparations to descendants of enslaved African-American people? A state task force studying the topic is ready to issue its first report in June.

Californians have the perfect opportunity to remember César Chávez by making March 31 a day of service.

The defense industry built modern California. Though military dollars have declined, the military-industrial complex still plays a major role in shaping the state. Here’s how.

The effort to bring high speed rail to California has been an epic tale of ambition and failure—a story of endless delays and bloated cost overruns. Where does it stand now, and will the state ever see its own bullet …

The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the railroads to today’s highways, making the need for planning increasingly urgent. Here’s how it all happened, and where we stand today.

California put hundreds of new laws into effect for 2022. Here are 5 that will change how business operates in the state.

How a controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling created a national, legal sports gambling industry which now sees California as its own 'Holy Grail.'

In 2022, California voters may see as many as four ballot initiatives to make betting on sporting events legal. Here’s how they would change sports gambling, and who's behind each separate measure.

Thousands of miles of railroad track, including some in Santa Cruz County, now sit idle. The fate of those largely abandoned tracks has become a burning controversy.

The Monterey Bay National Heritage Area Study Act would evaluate whether Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties have cultural, natural and historic resources that tell an important American story.