By Lynn La Stay up-to-date with free briefings on topics that matter to all Californians. Subscribe to CalMatters today for nonprofit news in your inbox. Service Employees International Union California and youth advocates rallied at the state Capitol in Sacramento to protest proposed budget cuts on May 15, 2024. Photo by Renee Lopez for CalMatters […]
Posted inCalifornia, Opinion
No matter what district attorney candidates say, Los Angeles is much safer than it used to be
By Jim Newton Stay up-to-date with free briefings on topics that matter to all Californians. Subscribe to CalMatters today for nonprofit news in your inbox. It’s hard to generalize about a city like Los Angeles, and even harder to do so about Los Angeles County. What could 10 million people, who speak scores of languages, […]
Posted inCalifornia, Economy
Gig companies spent $200 million to write their own labor law. The state Supreme Court could throw it out
By Levi Sumagaysay Stay up-to-date with free briefings on topics that matter to all Californians. Subscribe to CalMatters today for nonprofit news in your inbox. The California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next Tuesday in a case that could change the fate of more than 1 million gig workers in the state — and […]
Posted inCalifornia, Opinion, State
How California’s bursting budget morphed into a $45 billion deficit in just two years
By Dan Walters Stay up-to-date with free briefings on topics that matter to all Californians. Subscribe to CalMatters today for nonprofit news in your inbox. The much-revised 2024-25 state budget that Gov. Gavin Newsom released last week contains hundreds of spending reductions and other actions to close what he says is a $44.9 billion deficit. […]
Posted inBay Area
Ex-San Jose mayor criticizes Democratic Party after it endorses rival
By Brandon Pho After losing his party’s endorsement by a single vote, congressional candidate Sam Liccardo is taking aim at the California Democratic Party. A lifelong Democrat, Liccardo didn’t mince words accusing party bosses of hijacking votes on Tuesday to endorse his opponent, Assemblymember Evan Low. He criticized Low’s connections in elite Democratic circles and […]
Posted inYouth
‘Welcome to our Family Courthouse,’ Facility Dogs Declare
Courthouse dogs are a ‘game changer’ for traumatized children By Sara Tiano Specially trained facility dogs are comforting children in crisis in child protection and justice systems nationwide. Provided photo. The young girl climbed somberly into the witness box. With her accused abuser sitting mere feet away in this south Mississippi courtroom, she answered question […]
Posted inBay Area, Opinion
Op-ed: College brings hope to incarcerated students
By Special to San José Spotlight A large body of research over the last few decades demonstrates education, including secondary education, can significantly reduce the likelihood of an individual who has been incarcerated reentering the criminal justice system. Individuals who enroll in postsecondary education programs are 28% less likely to be reincarcerated than those who […]
Posted inBay Area, Education, State
San Jose State students stage protest and call for divestment
By B. Sakura Cannestra San Jose State University students have set up a dozen tents on a lawn in front of Clark Hall, calling for the school to acknowledge the death toll in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war. The student encampment began Monday, which was the last day of classes at SJSU. University administrators put […]
Posted inCalifornia
Calexico’s Fire Station No. 2 Cost Rises By $315K … So Far
By Richard Montenegro Brown CALEXICO — Last week’s Calexico City Council meeting brought updates on Calexico Fire Station No. 2 located on the west side of the city, where construction from the roof to the sewers is actively happening to make the crucial first-responder building inhabitable once more. “Inside they’re tearing apart everything and they […]
Posted inCalifornia, Sports
SPORTS: Future Bright for Young Holtville Vikings Tennis Team
By Richard Montenegro Brown HOLTVILLE — The Holtville High boys tennis team recently wrapped up its season, finishing with a 1-9 record in Imperial Valley League play and sending one player, Alonso Cuevas, to the CIF tournament. Despite only winning one match, Vikings coach George McClure is excited about his team’s prospects for upcoming seasons, […]
English 