News

State Government

California Has Lost A Greater Share Of Revenue Than Most States Due To COVID-19

August 3, 2020 | Nicole Nixon

An NPR nationwide analysis of states' revenue and budgets during the pandemic found tax revenue was down in California by 42% from March to May, in comparison to the same time last year.

Composer Max Richter On 'Voices,' A New Album That Envisions A Better World

August 3, 2020

Composer Max Richter's new album drew inspiration from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document spearheaded by Eleanor Roosevelt which he calls "a blueprint for a better world."

Leon Fleisher, The Pianist Who Reinvented Himself, Dies At 92

August 3, 2020

The beloved pianist was a young lion of his generation until a hand injury forced him to rethink his relationship to music.

U.S. Army To Soldiers As Training Resumes: 'Get Your Masks On'

August 3, 2020

Some 4,000 National Guard soldiers are the first to return to large-scale training at Fort Irwin, Calif., since the pandemic hit in March. Generals say the troops are regularly monitored for symptoms.

Environment

Exclusive: California’s Clean Air Programs Take A Hit In New Funding Squeeze

August 3, 2020

Projects that tackle vehicles, pollution in low-income communities, prescribed burns and even cows have lost 14% of their original budgets because of cap and trade shortfall.

State Government

Watch Live: Gov. Gavin Newsom Update On COVID-19 For August 3

August 3, 2020

Watch live at 12 p.m. as California Gov. Gavin Newsom gives an update on the state's response to COVID-19.

California's Apple Fire Destroys More Than 20,000 Acres

August 2, 2020

Officials have ordered evacuations for nearly 8,000 people in southern California, as the state continues to grapple with a rapidly growing number of COVID-19 cases.

‘I Want To See It In My Lifetime’: Black Lives Matter Marches To Sacramento Police Headquarters Demanding Reform

August 1, 2020 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

Organizers say the demonstration is in response to what they feel is a lack of action from city leaders after calls of police social equity reforms.

Health Care

Hospitals Juggle Resources, Continue Surgeries As California’s COVID-19 Cases Rise

July 31, 2020 | Sammy Caiola

California hospitals are performing a careful balancing act of continuing business as usual while maintaining COVID-19 surge capacity. In most cases, that doesn’t involve canceling or postponing non-essential procedures.

Court Bans 'Abusive' Spiking, But Sticks With Pension Protections

July 31, 2020

Thursday's ruling gives counties the right to prevent “abuse of the pension system,” but stops short of ending a half-century of precedent. “It’s probably great news for pension lawyers.”

Updates From Nevada’s Special Legislative Session: Here’s What You Need To Know

July 31, 2020 | Bert Johnson

Lawmakers are in Carson City for the second special legislative session of the year. They’re considering reforms to eviction court proceedings, rules around policing, how elections are administered and the state’s beleaguered unemployment division.

Looking For Solutions To Income Inequality During COVID-19

July 31, 2020 | Kris Vera-Phillips

While Congress continues to debate a coronavirus stimulus package, government and community leaders are looking for other options that could help communities who need help paying off bills and keeping their families fed.

Environment

Are Shrimp-Flavored Dog Treats The Answer To Keeping Lake Tahoe Blue?

July 31, 2020 | Ezra David Romero

Each year, scientists release data about how Lake Tahoe is changing — and in the past year the lake lost eight feet of clarity. But tiny shrimp are making it difficult to sustain that clarity. That’s why researchers want to turn them into dog treats.

Business

Business Journal: TriWest Healthcare Closes Rancho Cordova Office, Cuts More Than 200 Jobs

July 31, 2020 | Steve Milne

In a sign of the pandemic times, a healthcare benefits company closes its Rancho Cordova office and cuts more than 200 local jobs.

State Government

EDD In The Hot Seat As 1 Million Californians Remain Stuck In Unemployment Insurance Purgatory

July 30, 2020 | Scott Rodd

A bipartisan group of lawmakers channeled frustrations from unemployed constituents, while EDD director Sharon Hilliard defended her department’s efforts to keep on top of historic benefits claims.

U.S. Agriculture Officials Warn Residents Not To Open Mystery Seeds From China

July 30, 2020 | Rich Ibarra

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the concern is that the seeds, which have arrived in small packages with Chinese writing on the outside, could contain viruses or bacteria or they could be an invasive species.

Black Lives Matter Criticizes How Sacramento Police Officers Treated Victims After Oak Park Shooting

July 30, 2020

After graphic video surfaced online of the aftermath of an Oak Park shooting, Black Lives Matter Sacramento is questioning whether or not police officers followed proper protocol when they responded.

Low-Wage Workers Nervous As $600-A-Week Unemployment Stimulus Expires

July 30, 2020 | Nicole Nixon | Sarah Mizes-Tan

More than 10% of Sacramentans are unemployed and will lose the extra $600 a week in benefits, which could mean not being able to pay rent as the Senate debates a new stimulus plan.

PolitiFact California

Trump Draws False Contrast Between Absentee, Mail-In Voting, Election Experts Say

July 30, 2020 | Chris Nichols

The verification and security processes are the same for absentee and mail-in voting. In many states the term ‘absentee voting’ has been phased out because there’s no difference between it and mail-in voting.

Health Care

California Doesn’t Need To Force More People Into Mental Health Treatment, But Services Are Lacking, State Audit Finds

July 30, 2020 | Sammy Caiola

Many severely mentally ill Californians are cycling in-and-out of forced hospitalizations due to a lack of treatment options when they’re released, according to a recent report from the state auditor.