California

California’s ‘jungle primary’ sets up polarized governor’s race for November

Voters who took part in California’s innovative and anti-party “jungle” primary on June 5 delivered a typical and predictably partisan result in the governor’s race. They sent Democratic Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom as the heavy favorite into a November contest against Republican businessman John Cox, who now lists his residence as Rancho Santa Fe. With the liberal Newsom positioning himself as a Bay Area Bernie…


Golden State’s crazy, cheezy dreams

It’s World Cheese Day, don’t you know… Gold rush opportunists, hippie goat ladies, Latino newcomers: California entrepreneurs dream of cheese: The idea for Humboldt Fog goat’s milk cheese first came to Mary Keehn in a dream. She fell asleep on an airplane and awoke with a vivid picture in her mind of how the cheese looked. And then she set out to realize her vision –…


UC program aids in citrus disease fight

At war with the Asian citrus psyllid since it was found in North San Diego County in 2008, California citrus growers and packers have had unprecedented success in slowing the spread of the tree-killing bacteria the psyllid can carry. People in the citrus business say part of that success relates to the testing and distribution of clean citrus plant material through the University of California,…


California plays defense under Trump

On March 13, President Donald Trump inspected towering border wall prototypes at the U.S.-Mexico border during the two-day trip to California – his first to the Golden State since the November 2016 election. Surely he did not expect a warm welcome. Not only did Trump lose the state by more than 4 million votes, but his trip comes hard on the heelsof a lawsuit filed…


Rapid response network needed due to ICE

While much of the local media’s attention was focused on President Trump’s March 13 visit to the border wall prototypes in Otay Mesa, a team of ICE agents deployed throughout Escondido early the same morning and arrested 22 people. The agents were allegedly targeting people who had deportation orders, but they also picked up undocumented immigrants who just happened to be at the wrong place…


California working, UC Berkeley report says

Between 2011 and 2016, California enacted a set of 51 policy measures addressing workers’ rights, environmental issues, safety net programs, taxation, and infrastructure and housing. Critics predicted that these policies—collectively called “the California Policy Model” (CPM) in this paper—would reduce employment and slow economic growth, while supporters argued that they would raise wages for low-wage workers, increase access to health insurance, lower wage inequality, and…


Cal anti-abortion speech goes to SCOTUS

Whether you’re for abortion or against – can the state force you to say anything about it? What about posting a notice with information for the other side? This year, the U.S. Supreme Court must decide. A 2015 California law, the Reproductive FACT Act, requires faith-based “crisis pregnancy centers” that don’t offer abortions to post notices about state family planning and pregnancy-related services. In National…


Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson celebrated

A California firefighter who died while battling what has become the largest blaze in the state’s recorded history was honored in a memorial service Saturday, Dec. 23 in his home county. The celebration of life for Cal Fire Engineer Cory Iverson, 32, of Escondido, wove raw emotion into the rituals of a line-of-duty death as Iverson’s widow, his younger brother and other family members spoke. Iverson died…


Escondido firefighter dies in Thomas Fire

California fire officials say the massive Thomas Fire has claimed the life of an Escondido firefighter. The body of Cory Iverson, a 32-year-old father from Escondido, was driven out of the fire zone in a procession as firefighters lined the road saluting in respect. He had been with Cal Fire since 2009. The San Diego County resident is survived by his wife, Ashley, and a 2-year-old…


Coastal protection on the edge: The challenge of preserving California’s legacy

By Gary Griggs, University of California, Santa Cruz and Charles Lester, University of California, Santa Cruz For 50 years California has used laws and policies to manage development alongs its 1,100-mile coastline and preserve public access to the shore. Climate change will make that task harder. The California coast is an edge. It’s the place where 1,100 miles of shoreline meets the largest ocean on…