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Chris Nichols
PolitiFact California Reporter
For the past dozen years, Chris Nichols has worked as a government and politics reporter at newspapers across California. Most recently, he covered the Capitol for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Previously, he worked at the North County Times in Escondido; the Lodi News-Sentinel and the Sonora Union-Democrat.
He is a native of sunny San Diego and long-suffering fan of the San Diego Padres and Chargers – but only if they stay in America’s Finest City. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, Chris left California to earn his master’s degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 2004, but quickly returned home after realizing his heart was in the Golden State, not the Big Apple.
Kamala Harris' Presidential Bid Is Over, But California Political Observers Still See National Potential
December 3, 2019
The U.S. Senator officially ended her Democratic presidential campaign Tuesday, but political consultants in California said Harris could still have a long and formidable career ahead.
MOSTLY TRUE: Nancy Pelosi’s Claim President Trump ‘Hasn’t Built Any New Wall’
November 23, 2019
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently claimed President Donald Trump isn’t serious about building his promised Southern border wall and that his comments on the topic "are really an applause line at a rally."
‘The California Price’: Why It Costs So Much To Build A Home In The Golden State
November 19, 2019
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom promised during his campaign to speed up housing development. So far, it hasn’t happened. PolitiFact California takes a look into why it costs so much to build a home in California.
Candidate For California Governor Employs Fake Ads To Protest Facebook Policy
November 5, 2019
A San Francisco man is running for California governor in 2022 to protest Facebook’s decision to allow false ads by political candidates. He plans to run his own fake ads, but Facebook says it will penalize him.
Fact Check: Does California Really Have ‘90,000 Unsheltered’ Homeless People?
October 31, 2019
Is the state’s homeless crisis really as severe as Steinberg claimed?
Sacramento Mayor Calls For Rapid Expansion Of Tiny Homes Across California
October 29, 2019
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called for a "Silicon Valley moment" on housing in California, saying cities should work with private industry to rapidly expand tiny home construction across the state.
.jpg&width=480 "FILE — In April 2018, Billy Martin, right, joined dozens of other supporters of a rent control initiative who marched into an office building where the California Association of Realtors is located calling for more rent control.")
Californians Could See New Rent Control Measure On November 2020 Ballot
October 28, 2019
Backers say the new measure would scale back the California law blocking rent control on units built after 1995, but not get rid of it entirely.
Boosters Say Sacramento’s MLS Stadium Will Be An Economic Game-Changer. Economists Aren’t So Sure.
October 23, 2019
Sacramento leaders say that the city's newly-awarded Major League Soccer franchise and stadium will be an economic win for the city. But some economists aren't sure about that.
Homeless Californians Who Commit Minor Crimes Could Get Treatment Instead Of Jail Under Proposed Ballot Measure
October 18, 2019
A proposed statewide ballot measure would create a court system to channel people who are homeless toward mental health treatment instead of jail for some minor crimes. But many homeless advocates say it could lead to mass institutionalization.
Tom Steyer Claimed ‘90% Of Americans Have Not Had A Raise For 40 Years.’ Is He Right?
October 16, 2019
Most Americans have seen income go up, slowly.