Category: Northern California

California Bill Would Expand College Financial Aid to Asylum Seekers

A California bill that would expand college financial aid to those seeking asylum passed the state Assembly and will now be heard in the state Senate. Currently, Cal Grant financial aid awards are available only to U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens, such as those who possess a visa or those who are a part of…


California AG Announces Collaborative Agreement to Address Organized Retail Theft Crime

Retailers in California are joining forces with online marketplaces and the state’s top law enforcement agency to stop the spread of retail theft in the state. A statement (pdf)—signed by Attorney General Rob Bonta and a group of 12 retailers and online companies—released June 20 highlights the threats to public safety and the economy due…


Affirmative Action Debate Brings Racist Attack on California Republican

Commentary Affirmative action has brought nothing but division. That’s still happening at a time when California is the most diverse polity in human history. The latest comes from Fox News: “Calif. Democrat accuses Muslim colleague of White supremacy for not backing race-based law: Calif. Republican says bill allows state to ‘discriminate based on race when…


Trump’s Documents and the Bob Kerrey Precedent

Commentary For the better part of a decade, I worked as a cryptanalyst for the National Security Agency (NSA). In that position, I handled highly classified documents on a daily basis. All of the people I worked with took the responsibility of dealing with classified information seriously, and if they hadn’t, the consequences would have…


California’s Stable Affordable Housing Act One Step Closer to Becoming Law

A proposal that would change the way California approaches affordable housing is receiving broad support from Democratic lawmakers and is now closer to reaching the governor’s desk after passing the Senate. Introduced by Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), Senate Bill 555, also known as the Stable Affordable Housing Act of 2023, proposes a 10-year goal of…


Expert Finds California Serial Stabbing Suspect Mentally Unfit, Jury to Decide Competency

WOODLAND, Calif.—A California jury will determine the mental competency of a former university student charged in the stabbing deaths of two people and attempted murder of a third, all violent attacks that rocked the usually placid college town of Davis. A medical expert ordered by the court to review the mental state of Carlos Dominguez,…


What Is a Community?

Commentary I was given cause recently to reflect on the meaning of “community.” What is community? Most people would reflexively answer that it is where you live, your locality, and that would not be entirely incorrect. But, what is a community really? Must you have a home in your community? Can you be in more…


Second Censure Resolution for Adam Schiff Fails. Why?

Commentary Does a resolution to censure or an actual censure of a sitting House member have any teeth? In 2019, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) authored a resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Schiff had grossly mischaracterized a phone call between Donald Trump and the President of Ukraine and helped initiate an impeachment inquiry. This…


San Francisco Receives New Federal Help to Combat Fentanyl Crisis

SAN FRANCISCO—The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has included San Francisco in the upcoming phase of “Operation Overdrive” per a designation request by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, according to an announcement from Pelosi’s office on June 16. This means new federal resources will be unlocked in the coming months to combat the city’s fentanyl trafficking…


Biden Announces $600 Million for ‘The Most Aggressive Climate Action Ever’ During California Visit

Climate action projects across the nation, including in California, will get $600 million more in federal funding, President Joe Biden announced during a tour of a nature preserve in northern California on June 19. California’s share—$67 million—will help build power lines and transmission infrastructure, and support the state’s transition to 100 percent clean energy, according…