Gov. Gavin Newsom

Cal Food4All advocates ask Newsom for more food aid

On Friday, January 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his January budget proposal for fiscal year 2026-27. The proposed budget maintains the planned expansion of the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to all income-eligible Californians, ages 55 years or older, regardless of their immigration status. The Food4All coalition appreciates seeing a continued commitment to providing food benefits to Californians ages 55 and older, regardless of immigration…



People Behaving Badly: Thanksgiving 2024 Edition

As Thanksgiving Day 2024 dawned over San Diego County, the holiday’s veneer of tranquility was marred by a series of unsettling events, each unraveling the threads of peace. In the heart of Spring Valley, a domestic disturbance escalated into a fatal encounter. Deputies responded to a trespassing call involving a 34-year-old man, Victor Rendon Jr., reportedly armed and erratic. After ensuring the safety of children…


Camp Pendleton Marines go boom, Vance detail shelled

You can’t say America doesn’t know how to celebrate a birthday. For the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary down at Camp Pendleton, they decided to party the old-fashioned way — with artillery. A 155-millimeter shell was fired in salute. It didn’t quite wait for the finale. Somewhere between ignition and impact, it skipped the schedule and dropped shrapnel on the California Highway Patrol detail guarding Vice…


Government shutdown delays Nov. CalFresh benefits

Governor Gavin Newsom today said that President Trump’s federal government shutdown will likely delay food benefits for millions of Californians who rely on CalFresh cards to feed themselves and their families. If President Trump and Congress do not reopen the federal government by October 23, or take action to fund benefits, CalFresh benefits will likely be delayed in November. This afternoon, the California Department of…


Immigrant rights advocates comment on a bill providing $25M to protect immigrant Californians

Immigrant rights advocacy organizations, including the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and Vera Institute of Justice, issued the following statement regarding a bill approved by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom today that would provide $25 million to protect immigrant Californians and other vulnerable communities threatened by the Trump administration’s policies: We are thankful that the state…


1,000 new 2025 California Laws now being enforced

California, ever the avant-garde of legislative theatrics! Starting January 1, 2025, prepare for a smorgasbord of new rules, ranging from the progressive to the peculiar. Cannabis cafés and expanded outdoor drinking? A toast to your libations, but do mind the irony of laws encouraging indulgence while protecting your credit score from the ravages of medical debt. Even financial institutions aren’t safe from the guillotine of…


California under Newsom getting ready for Trump

This week, California’s legislative chambers gather under the banner of a special session—a session sharply defined by the governor’s intent, yet shadowed by debate over the scope of its ambition. Governor Gavin Newsom seeks a modest $25 million allocation to arm the California Department of Justice and state agencies for the legal challenges anticipated from the incoming Trump administration. A narrowly tailored proposal, its focus…


Key issues shaping California in 2023

Welcome to 2023 — a year that will likely prove decisive in California’s attempts to address some of its most pervasive challenges, ranging from housing and homelessness to climate change. CalMatters, open source state journalism project, sets forth some of the noteworthy issues in the year ahead. Wednesday, state lawmakers are set to return to Sacramento (though some may be driving instead of flying Southwest…


Lots of new California laws ringing in 2023

New California laws taking effect on January 1, 2023 include: Abortion (AB-2223) —  It protects a woman or pregnant person who chooses to end a pregnancy from prosecution, even if the abortion is self-induced or happens outside the medical system. It also abolishes the requirement that coroners investigate stillbirths and protects someone who helps a pregnant person end their pregnancy voluntarily from criminal or civil…