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Image caption: Before cities order police to clear out homeless camps, courts have ruled they must provide “adequate” shelter.
Do California Cities Offer ‘Adequate Shelter’ for Homeless?

Police can’t force homeless people from encampments unless the city in question has “adequate shelter” for those who are displaced, according to courts. Now everyone involved wants to know what “adequate” means.

Image caption: New legislation will impose penalties on local school boards that ban books for covering issues of diversity.
New California Bill Slaps Back at School Book Bans

California will penalize school boards that ban books based on inclusion of certain groups under a bill the governor is expected to sign into law. But some fear unintended consequences.

Image caption: The Sacramento region may be the center of state politics, but it’s also a world-class destination for serious athletes. Find out more in our guide to running in the Capital region.
Sept. 11, 2023: The Lighter Side of … California

Take a break from the weighty worries of the modern world. Go on a run, absorb some culture, and yuk it up with California-born comedians.

Image caption: Run to Feed the Hungry participants raise funds for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
Running Around California’s Capital Region

From marathoners to casual joggers, enthusiasts can take advantage of the Sacramento region’s diverse trails, terrain, and competitive events.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to wait for more information before signing a bill that would remove TikTok from most state smartphones.
Newsom Halts TikTok Ban, App to Stay on State Phones

A bipartisan bill to prohibit TikTok on state phones is shelved until 2024. It had breezed through the state Legislature, but the authors want to tweak the measure. It's the latest social media regulation to get stalled in California.

Image caption: With electric vehicles becoming more common, California's subsidy program is shifting to those who can least afford to buy one.
California to Focus Most Electric Car Rebates on Low-Income Buyers

Now that electric cars are mainstream, higher-income Californians will no longer qualify for state subsidies. Lower-income buyers could get up to $12,000.

Image caption: A new contract with their union is designed to ease a shortage of California prison doctors and psychiatrists.
Some of California’s Best-Paid Employees to Get $40K Bonuses

California prisons are badly understaffed when it comes to doctors and psychiatrists. A new contract attempts to boost retention with substantial bonuses.

Image caption: California Forever, a company that wants to use Silicon Valley cash to develop a new city, promises to open a "conversation" with Solano County residents about it.
California Forever: Tech Investors Begin PR Campaign for New City

California Forever, the company backed by billionaire Silicon Valley investors that wants to build a new city in Solano County, has posted a new website in an attempt to start a "conversation" about the massive project.

Image caption: In San Francisco, new police officers can now expect six-figure starting salaries, and other cities are taking similar measures.
Cities Compete to Give Police Recruits the Best Financial Deal

California cities are struggling to hire police in a tight labor market after the COVID pandemic. Some are raising by double digits and offering eye-catching bonuses.

Image caption: The River Islands development will significantly expand the population and the footprint of the Central Valley city of Lathrop.
Sept. 5, 2023: Exurban Sprawl

Planned communities—the past. the present and the future.

Image caption: New COVID boosters are on the way that will help to protect against rising cases and new variants.
COVID Cases on the Rise Again: Here’s What You Need to Know

It’s a confusing time in the COVID pandemic. A new booster is on the way, but cases are rising and you might want more protection now.

Image caption: Disney’s planned community of Celebration in Florida is far from Walt Disney’s earlier vision of a utopian city.
Solano County Planned City Latest in a California Tradition

Silicon Valley billionaires want to create a new city in Solano County. How have planned cities fared in California? From Lakewood to Irvine to Disney’s new Cotino, there have been many.

Image caption: A victory by McDonald's workers at a Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, location was a rarity among retaliation cases.
Workers Suffering Increased Retaliation for On-Job Complaints

More workers are filing claims with the state alleging employers are retaliating against them for engaging in legally protected activities, such as seeking overtime pay or reporting wage theft or discrimination.

Image caption: One of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River targeted for demolition.
Dam Demolition Gets Going. Can Klamath River be Saved?

As four aging hydroelectric dams are demolished, tribes and communities along the Klamath River wait anxiously to see what the future holds. “Once a river is dammed, is it damned forever?” experts ask.

Image caption: In a recent poll, 60 percent of Californians supported use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.
How Some Psychedelic Drugs Could Be Decriminalized in California

Psychedelics are having a moment. A nationwide push to bring magic mushrooms and other psychedelics into the mainstream is gaining traction, and some Californians want in.

Image caption: Protests have erupted statewide in response to right-wing activists in California school districts who are trying to put anti-LGBTQ+ policies in place.
State Moves to Stop Anti-LGBTQ+ Local School Board Policies

Under a system that has long prioritized local control for school districts. state officials now are fighting some recent board decisions regarding LGBTQ students.

Image caption: About 52,000 acres land in Solano County, southwest of Sacramento and east of the Napa Valley, will become a new “megacity” if a group of tech titans get their way.
Tech Titans Revealed as Buyers of $1 Billion of Land in Solano County

The mysterious buyers of $1 billion worth of Solano County land have been revealed as a consortium of Silicon Valley billionaires who want to build a new city from scratch.

Image caption: Orange County Health Care Agency psychologist Stacey Berardino speaks about CARE Court at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress.
CARE Courts Reduction of Homelessness May be Minimal, Officials Say

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s big new experiment to push people with mental illness off the streets and into treatment starts this fall. Counties responsible for the rollout say it may end up being more modest than advertised.

Image caption: Four years before the era of reclamation districts began, the city of Sacramento saw the Great Flood of 1862.
Aug. 28, 2023: There’s Gold in Them Thar Wetlands

California Local focuses on reclamation districts, the oldest type of special district in California, created to turn wetlands into arable—and monetizable—land.

Image caption: The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?

This year, a series of extreme events in California and around the country have wreaked havoc, driven by climate change. How prepared are we for things to get worse?