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California Local Explainers, Guides, Etc.


Image caption: From Past to Present: The range of California art in the museums listed below is represented by the Crocker Art Museum’s exterior: one half completed in 1872, the other added in 2010.
Golden State Treasures

Gold Rush-era landscapes, funk art sculptures, pop art statements, Chicano art movement masterworks—here are 10 places to explore the work of California artists.

Image caption: Seemingly minor code violations can cost struggling homeowners thousands.
Code Violations and ‘Excessive Fines’: Californians Battle Cities

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?

Image caption: With drought getting worse, California needs to increase water use efficiency.
How California Can Increase Water Savings By 30 Percent

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.

Image caption: Gov. Newsom’s new SMARTER plan anticipates that COVID will move from pandemic to endemic.
California’s New ‘Endemic’ COVID Plan

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.

Image caption: Black Panthers at the California Capitol in 1967, an incident that sparked the gun control movement.
California Gun Control, Reagan, and the Black Panthers

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.

Image caption: State Sen. Steve Glazer speaks at a hearing of the Governmental Organization Committee on March 29.
Calling Emergency to Save Journalism

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.

Image caption: Momentum may be building for California to pay reparations for slavery.
California’s Reparations Task Force: What Is It?

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.

Image caption: César Chávez in 1979, originally photographed for U.S. News & World Report.
What’s the Best Way to Celebrate César Chávez Day?

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

Image caption: The Reaper drone is manufactured by a major California defense contracting firm.
California Defense Contracting: The Rise and Decline

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.

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25 California Women Who Made History

California women have played a significant role in shaping every major industry within the U.S. and the world. Here are a few of them.

Image caption: After nearly four decades, California has still failed to complete a single high speed rail line.
Will High Speed Rail Ever Happen in California?

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 …

Image caption: Though it’s the most famous, the San Andreas Fault is just one of more than 500 active faults in California.
Battening Down for the Big One

Making it through the earthquake is the easy part. The hard part is surviving in the chaos that follows.

Image caption: California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways

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.

Image caption: Want to know more about California? These podcasts are a great place to start.
Golden State Podcasts

Travel, food, true crime politics—there’s a show for everyone. Here are some top-rated podcasts that focus on some aspect of California culture.

Image caption: Businesses in California must adapt to a slate of new laws in 2022.
5 New California Laws That Change How Business Does Business

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

Image caption: Legally betting on football and other sports is possible thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court.
How California Became the ‘Holy Grail’ for the Sports Betting Industry

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

Image caption: Betting on sporting events such as the Super Bowl may soon be legal in California.
California’s Four Sports Betting Initiatives

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.

Image caption: Margaret Cho, George Lopez, Tiffany Haddish and eight other California-bred comedians offer unique perspectives on their home state.
Califunny

Plenty of East Coast comedians make California the butt of their jokes. Here are some locals who’ve earned the right to make fun of this place.

Image caption: Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained

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.

Image caption: Elkhorn Slough, California's second largest estuary, is just one of the natural wonders in the Monterey Bay region.
National Heritage Areas, Explained

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.

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