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Image caption: Farm workers had argued that reforms now in place in California would reduce employer retaliation for unionization efforts.
Farmworkers in Stanislaus County Win Union Vote Under New Law

The United Farm Workers, which represents nearly 7,000 workers, won a unionization vote in Stanislaus County. It’s the first such win in six years and first under a law that went into effect in May.

Image caption: Rene Girard, 'the godfather of the Like button.'
Desire and Addiction on Facebook

Harper’s magazine reviews a posthumous collection by Rene Girard, who was Peter Thiel’s professor at Stanford, and is called “the godfather of the Like button.”

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Building Democracy in California

Released on the day following the much-hyped "Red vs. Blue" debate, Jonathan Vankin's "How California Works" easily explains exactly how we are "Building Democracy in the Golden State."

Image caption: Ocean waves may be good for more than surfing. They may play a role in reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions.
California Looks to Ocean Waves For New Clean Energy Source

Only a few small demonstration projects off the West Coast have harnessed the power of waves and tides. Costs are high and hurdles are challenging.

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What the ‘Parental Rights Movement’ Looks Like in California

The LA Times profiles a Chino Valley woman fighting LGBTQ+ inclusivity in schools.

Image caption: J.B. Hamby (inset) and the All-American Canal, which supplies water to the Imperial Valley.
The Rising Young Star in California’s Water Politics

In California, water can help define fortunes, literally. A young Stanford graduate who chairs the Colorado River Board of California has a major say in this.

Image caption: California's school buildings aren't what they used to be, after years or neglect and disrepair that the legislature now struggles to reverse.
California's Crumbling Schools: Legislature Crafting Huge Construction Bond

Small, rural districts often struggle to pass local bond measures to pay for school construction and repairs. In some cases, leaking roofs, dry rot and broken air conditioners haven’t been fixed in years.

Image caption: Rodin Farms Fruit Stand lies along one of the “stroads” in Stanislaus County, and a widening of the highway could drive the longtime landmark out of business.
Nov. 27, 2023: Season’s Eating

Holiday recipes from Sacramento Digs Gardening, a tour of agricultural tourist attractions—including Modesto’s imperiled Rodin Farms Fruit Stand—and a preview of the scenery-chewing Newsom-DeSantis debate.

Image caption: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (left) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) will face off in a Fox News debate on Nov. 30.
Newsom vs. DeSantis Fox News Debate Set for Nov. 30

Governors Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Ron DeSantis (R-FL) are set to face off in a debate Nov. 30 with unexpectedly high stakes, as polls now show both underwater in voter approval ratings.

Image caption: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (right) waited until just before Thanksgiving to hit legislative leadership with a drastic overhaul.
Rivas Shakes up Legislative Leadership: Winners and Losers

Assembly Speaker Rivas puts key allies into leadership posts and shuffles the top posts on committees heading into the 2024 session of the Legislature. One big winner: pro-housing advocates.

Image caption: Bob Iger at the ceremony for Minnie Mouse’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Iger’s Return to Disney Struggles to Recapture Magic

Veteran Disney CEO Bob Iger returned to the company a year ago, reports the Los Angeles Times, but things haven’t gone exactly as planned.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom meet with California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick.
Getting to Know California’s Poet Laureate

Lee Herrick explains to the Los Angeles Times why he’s always traveling California.

Image caption: Climate change models suggest that bone-dry Death Valley could see more torrential rain in the future.
Water Flows Back Into Death Valley

Record rains help a lake reappear in the hottest place on Earth, and The New York Times documents the spectacle.

Image caption: Despite rising homelessness, the state lifted its COVID-era eviction ban. Now renters are feeling the consequences.
End of Pandemic Ban Sends Renter Evictions Soaring

The number of Californians facing eviction was relatively low for years during a lengthy statewide moratorium. In the year after it ended, cases soared and still remain high in large counties.

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Nov. 20, 2023: Take It to the Bank

From now until the end of the year, ’tis the season of giving. Here are some suggestions for where to make a deposit.

Image caption: Almost half of all low-income Black adults in California experience food insecurity.
Hunger and Food Insecurity in California: What It Is, What to Do About It

Hunger and food insecurity have become persistent problems in California. With the world’s fifth-largest economy, what steps can we take to make sure that everyone has enough to eat?

Image caption: On a press conference televised by Fox 11 News, Gov. Gavin Newsom answered questions about the company that Caltrans was suing for nonpayment on the property that caught fire underneath the 10 Freeway.
LA Freeway Fire Destroys Immigrant Businesses

A fire under Interstate 10 in Los Angeles devastated some businesses run by immigrants. Caltrans had been trying to evict their landlord.“

Image caption: Second Harvest CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez (at right) with a group of local Rotary members who helped wrap Holiday Food & Fund Drive barrels.
Setting the Table for Social Change

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez looks at food insecurity as a symptom of an underlying disorder—one that can be cured.

Image caption: It's becoming more difficult to have a healthy childbirth in California as maternity wards close at an alarming rate.
California Hospitals Closed 46 Maternity Wards Since 2012

Hospitals all over California are closing their maternity wards, including in dense cities like Los Angeles and in more remote communities in the Sierra Nevada.

Image caption: A definitive federal report says California’s economy suffers more than almost all states from the effects of climate change.
California Among Top 5 Worst Climate Change States, Report Says

California ranks among the top states suffering economic damage from climate-related disasters. The report describes food shortages, floods, droughts, wildfires, pollution, disease—all linked to climate change.