Category: Northern California

Newsom’s Revised Budget Doesn’t Cut Enough

Commentary As expected, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revision of his January budget proposal, announced at 10 am May 12, projects a major deficit of $31.5 billion for fiscal year 2023-24, which begins on July 1. That’s $10 billion more than his January projection of a $22.5 billion deficit. The May Revise, as it’s called in Sacramento…


California Condors Confront Bird Flu in Flight From Extinction

LOS ANGELES—The California condor is facing the deadliest strain of avian influenza in U.S. history, and the outbreak could jeopardize the iconic vulture with its 10-foot wingspan decades after conservationists saved the species from extinction. But nine newly hatched chicks, covered in downy white feathers, give condor-keepers at the Los Angeles Zoo hope that the…


Campgrounds at Yosemite National Park to Close Over Flood Threat as Snowpack Melts

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif.—Three popular campgrounds at California’s Yosemite National Park will be temporarily closed starting May 15 because of a forecast of flooding as warming temperatures melt the Sierra Nevada’s massive snowpack. Park officials said Sunday that the Lower and North Pines Campgrounds and the Housekeeping Camp will be shut over fears that waterways…


5.5 Magnitude Earthquake, Large Aftershock Hit Northern California; Minor Damage Reported

EAST SHORE, Calif.—Earthquakes have rattled a large area of Northern California this week, but only minor damage was immediately reported. A magnitude 5.5 quake centered in the Sierra Nevada’s Lake Almanor resort region struck at 4:19 p.m. Thursday and a magnitude 5.2 aftershock occurred at 3:18 a.m. Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. ABC10…


California Deficit Expands to $31.5 Billion, Newsom Proposes Broad Spending Cuts in Revised Budget

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced proposed revisions to the state’s 2023–24 fiscal budget on May 12 during a press conference at the state Capitol, with an additional $9 billion deficit added to prior estimates. Uncertainty was a key talking point during the governor’s remarks, with inflation, rising interest rates, financial market jitters, and delayed tax…


Lyft Lays Off 383 Employees at Headquarters in San Francisco

Ride-share service Lyft has laid off 383 employees at its headquarters—according to a company notice filed with the state on May 10—and has closed its San Francisco driver center. Lyft is the latest company to announce a closure in the city as businesses and residents struggle with skyrocketing crime and an economic decline some have called…


California Report Shows Exodus Continues, Los Angeles Lost the Most People

Population declines continue to plague the Golden State, with a newly released report detailing the losses. While some areas in the Central Valley and Inland Empire saw growth, Southern California led the way in departures. The state’s population dipped .4 percent from January 2022 compared to the same time this year, falling below 39 million…


Warm, Sunny Days Returning to California After Wet Winter

A paddleboard rental at Santa Cruz Harbor on the California coast is preparing for the first warm and sunny weekend in a long time. “I’m excited,” Trudie Ransom, owner of the SUP Shack, told The Epoch Times. “It could be the first best weekend we’ve had in six months.” With temperatures expected to rise into the…


Prices up 17 Percent in California Since 2020, Inflation Impacting Consumers

California has experienced one of the highest levels of inflation in the nation since 2020, with prices jumping 17 percent on average, according to a recent report from the state’s Legislative Analysts’ Office. “It’s been worse for us than the numbers suggest,” California Bay Area resident Lisa Jackson told The Epoch Times. “Everything I have…


California ‘Carbon Neutrality’ Won’t Reduce Global Temperatures

Commentary You might want to trade in your Tesla for a 2023 V8 Dodge Charger Hemi 870 horsepower gas guzzler. It turns out California will have practically no effect on reducing global temperatures no matter what you and other residents do—including how much carbon you use in your life of fun in the Golden State…