Mainstream news political news and opinion

Business - 9:36 am
After weeks of negotiations, California said it has selected 13 health plans for a new state-run insurance marketplace where as many as 5 million people will shop for coverage next year.���� »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Peter Lee, Anthony Wright,

Editorial - 12:00 am
Downtown's elevated pedestrian walkways need repair and protection from vandals. But where will the money come from? Downtown's elevated pedestrian walkways need repair and protection from vandals. But where will the money come from? »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Jose Huizar,

Editorial - 12:00 am
Congressional negotiators should be applauded for crafting a measure to replace an outdated and dysfunctional visa system with one that looks to the future economic needs of the U.S.Congressional negotiators should be applauded for crafting a ... »Read  »E-mail story

Education - May 22, 11:14 pm
The fifth-grade teacher's low-budget effort defeats Antonio Sanchez, who had $2.2 million spent on his behalf and was endorsed by the mayor's reform coalition.On its face, the election this week of a Los Angeles fifth-grade teacher to the Board of ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Michael D. Antonovich, Eli Broad, Eric Garcetti, Fred Huebscher, Nury Martinez, SEIU, Carmen Trutanich, Antonio Villaraigosa,

California - May 22, 8:49 pm
Lorena Gonzalez wins a special election for the 80th Assembly District in the San Diego area, while GOP farmer Andy Vidak wins a Central Valley Senate seat.SACRAMENTO — Democrats took another seat in the state Assembly this week, but a ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Jim Brulte, California Republican Party, Eric Garcetti, Lorena Gonzalez, Curren Price, Carmen Trutanich, Andy Vidak,

California - May 22, 8:45 pm
The city attorney acknowledges his resounding defeat in his bid to keep his post was payback for the ill-fated run for district attorney he made despite promising to serve two terms in the city job.The seeds of one-term Los Angeles City Atty. ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Mike Feuer, Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel, Carmen Trutanich, Antonio Villaraigosa, Dennis Zine,

California - May 22, 8:36 pm
State Sen. Curren Price and ex-Assemblyman Gil Cedillo both defeated foes with more local experience as council aides. A third council race is up in the air.Two newly elected members of the Los Angeles City Council are veteran Sacramento lawmakers ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Tony Cardenas, Gil Cedillo, Eric Garcetti, Nury Martinez, Jan Perry, Curren Price, Ed Reyes, Carmen Trutanich,

California - May 22, 7:05 pm
Voters approved a measure that would keep only 135 dispensaries — those operating before a failed moratorium in 2007 — open. But challenges await the law.Los Angeles voters took regulation of the city's medical marijuana shops into their ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Eric Garcetti, Bill Rosendahl,

California - May 22, 6:57 pm
Eric Garcetti's winning strategy in the mayor's race robbed Wendy Greuel of key strongholds in L.A.Eric Garcetti defeated Wendy Greuel in the Los Angeles mayor's race by running up huge margins across a vast stretch of the central city, from the ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Bill Carrick, Michael Finnegan, Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel, James K. Hahn, Richard Riordan,

Business - May 22, 5:59 pm
Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California are all expected to participate in the state-run market for individual health coverage.Some prominent health insurers, including industry giant UnitedHealth Group Inc., are not ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Bay Area Council, Peter Lee,

California - May 22, 5:03 pm
L.A.'s mayor-elect offered voters lofty visions. But he faces battles over employee salaries, police overtime pay and how to reverse cuts in numerous city services.In the campaign for mayor, Eric Garcetti spoke grandly about a city with plentiful ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Brian D'Arcy, Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel, Paul Koretz, Antonio Villaraigosa, Herb Wesson,

Editorial - 8:52 am
FULLERTON, Alexandra Avramescu: There must be more rules and regulations on passengers using electronics aboard airplanes. The article, 'Airline logs boost case that tablets, phones pose threat' [Business, May 20] reports: 'Government and airline... »Read  »E-mail story

Editorial - 8:17 am
Also: IRS scandal; Oklahoma twister »Read  »E-mail story

Editorial - 12:00 am
Government is now so huge, powerful and callous that citizens risk becoming proverbial serfs without the freedoms guaranteed by the founders. Is that perennial fear an exaggeration? Survey the current news. We have just learned that the Internal... »Read  »E-mail story

Editorial - 12:00 am
For supporters of President Obama's health care law, it's been a frustrating couple of months. Instead of a seamless rollout of the law's provisions, many of the unintended consequences that detractors warned of in 2009 have come to pass. Even the... »Read  »E-mail story

Editorial - 12:00 am
The pampered grandees who run the federal government – usually into the ground – could learn a thing or two from a man who disclaimed such luxury to live alone in a rural cabin. Henry David Thoreau's maxim ought to be a guide to reforming... »Read  »E-mail story

Editorial - 12:00 am
When it comes to health care costs, everyone must do their part to ensure our system is successful. But under the current system, a small number of huge, profitable corporations have found a loophole that allows them to shift their costs onto the... »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - 12:00 am
There is a famous closing scene in the 1972 movie, 'The Candidate,' which starred Robert Redford as Bill McKay, an underdog office seeker. When he emerges victorious on Election Day, he asks his campaign manager, 'What do we do now?' Eric ... »Read  »E-mail story

Editorial - 12:00 am
Imagine a government health care program more expensive than any other in U.S. history. Its major function is to treat polio, a disease that has been nearly nonexistent in the U.S. for decades. The cost per patient has doubled since the beginning ... »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - 12:00 am
Hundreds of demonstrators – many of whom self-identified as Tea Party members – gathered Tuesday outside the Internal Revenue Service office in Santa Ana, part of a nationwide protest against the targeting of conservative groups that applied ... »Read  »E-mail story

- May 22, 6:06 pm
SANTA ANA – The County of Orange is paying nearly $2 million to settle a lawsuit brought by former Sheriff's Lt. Bill Hunt, who ran against then-Sheriff Mike Carona in 2006, then was demoted to patrol duty after he lost the election. The ... »Read  »E-mail story

- 1:09 pm
A California Senate budget subcommittee delivered a setback to a planned upgrade for the state's job website today by rejecting a proposal to fund it. Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley during session in the Senate chambers in Sacramento on ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Joel Anderson, CalPERS, CalSTRS, CCPOA, Loni Hancock, Dan Morain, Curren Price, SEIU, Dan Walters,

- 10:53 am
Our column in today's fiber/cyber Bee looks at the how budget decisions regarding the failed MyCalPays project highlight the inherent tensions of governing. Read The State Worker blog. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: CalPERS, CalSTRS, CCPOA, John Chiang, Legislative Analyst's Office, Dan Morain, SEIU, Dan Walters,

- 10:26 am
A San Francisco State University professor considering a run for Oakland mayor is drawing scrutiny for a class assignment that asked students to create a political campaign ad and gave them the option of developing it for him. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Fair Political Practices Commission, Dan Morain, Ann Ravel, Gary Winuk,

- 6:21 am
Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee and Board Chair Diana Dooley will both be there. Dr. Alan Shatzel operates the robot remotely from a computer. The RP-VITA lets doctors use videoconferencing to handle emergencies. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Jerry Brown, Howard Dickstein, Diana Dooley, Field Poll, John Garamendi, Peter Lee, Dan Morain, Michael Rubio, Dan Walters, water,

- 6:18 am
Kern County Democrat Leticia Perez has lost her bid to capture former senator Michael Rubio's Senate seat, but the real loser, Dan says, is the 'Democratic left.' »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Field Poll, Dan Morain, Leticia Perez, Michael Rubio, Dan Walters,

Editorials - 12:00 am
Apple Inc. isn't doing anything outright illegal, or different than lots of other U.S. corporations are doing to shave their tax bills. It's just being more ingenious and aggressive than most about playing every possible angle. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Dan Morain, Barack Obama,

Editorials - 12:00 am
It's pruning season in Sacramento, City residents can always tell.The obvious clues are the growing piles of yard waste sitting along curbsides uncollected. Some of the piles have been there so long the leaves and grass have turned brown. Leaf ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Dan Morain,

Opinion - 12:00 am
Networks are generally leery of shows that are set in the past. TV executives think younger viewers don't care about history. And they're always on the hunt for the younger demo, working on the mistaken premise that millennials buy more and change ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Dan Morain,

Opinion - 12:00 am
The beverage industry is in a real bind. On one hand, the major drink manufacturers that produce soda, energy drinks, sweet teas and sports drinks are an American success story. They have made some of the most iconic products in the world and have ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Dan Morain,
Bills: SB 622,

Opinion - 12:00 am
To the distinguished California Public High School Class of 2013.I'm sorry James Franco canceled at the last minute. I'm even sorrier that you wound up getting me as your substitute commencement speaker, but I was offered gas money plus a free ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Joe Mathews, Dan Morain,

The Buzz - 12:00 am
By all accounts, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is having a dream month. He is winning credit for securing his city's basketball team. People are talking about retiring his jersey or building a statue. Rich Pedroncelli Associated Press Gov. ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: California Teachers Association, Kevin Johnson, Dan Morain, Michelle Rhee, Dean Vogel,

- 12:00 am
The California Air Resources Board has fined Mex-Cal Truckline Inc. of Otay Mesa $300,000 for violating state air pollution laws by dispatching noncompliant vehicles serving regulated intermodal railyards in 2011 and 2012. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Air Resources Board, Dan Morain,

- 12:00 am
A $14.6 million piece of Gov. Jerry Brown's budget highlights a classic government tension: the benefits of transparency vs. the consequences of being transparent. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: John Chiang, Legislative Analyst's Office, Dan Morain,

- May 22, 6:14 pm
Nearly 40 years after the last shots of the Vietnam War were fired in Saigon, South Vietnam, Daniel Williams, 74, still remembers vividly the battles he fought in rice fields during the conflict. Vietnam veteran George Martin of Fair Oaks looks ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Marc Johnson, Dan Morain, Dan Walters,

- 1:07 pm
Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to save money by lifting certain requirements of the California Public Records Act is getting some pushback from at least one corner of the Legislature. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Terry Francke, Legislature,

- 9:31 am
The state's largest health insurers, including Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente, will be among 13 plans competing for policies from millions of Californians who are expected to purchase coverage through the state's new health ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Patrick Johnston, Peter Lee, Darrel Ng, Barack Obama,

Opinion - 12:00 am
We're witnessing the emergence of a court-sanctioned right: the right to not be offended. »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - May 22, 5:50 pm
Solitary confinement of children is antiquated and barbaric. »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - May 22, 5:48 pm
Taxing sugary drinks because a few cannot control themselves is not a solution to obesity. »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - May 22, 5:30 pm
San Diego and Britain enjoy military, business bonds. »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - May 22, 5:00 pm
Proposed legislation would address the gap between the number of patients and the number of available doctors. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Ed Hernandez, Legislature,

Opinion - May 22, 5:00 pm
Readers discuss the Benghazi inquiry, border air pollution, unemployment and more. »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - May 22, 5:00 pm
The Obama administration is assaulting our civil liberties. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: George W. Bush,

Opinion - May 22, 5:00 pm
The city of Carlsbad is smart to consider selling naming rights to all or part of Alga Norte Community Park, the long-awaited swim and recreation complex now under construction at Poinsettia Lane and Alicante Road just east of El Camino Real. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Lorena Gonzalez,

Opinion - May 22, 5:00 pm
The Justice Department’s secret review of Associated Press phone records (“Government secretly obtained journalists’ phone records,” May 14) is a serious abuse of power, but it is definitely not an isolated incident. »Read  »E-mail story

Opinion - May 22, 5:00 pm
So said the plaque that famously sat atop President Harry S. Truman’s desk in the White House. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Hillary Clinton,

Politics Blog - 12:55 pm
San Francisco State University Professor Joe Tuman assigned a final project for his communications students: Write a campaign ad for one of two candidates, an imaginary pro-gun control black Republican in the Central Valley or someone real. Tuman ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Fair Political Practices Commission, Mike Honda, Carla Marinucci,

- 3:40 am
Super Bowl L could be just the beginning Ever since the Bay Area made a bid for the Super Bowl, people have been saying: Over the years, the Super Bowl game has almost become secondary to the parties and events in the preceding days. By ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Nathan Ballard, David Chiu, Ed Lee,

Editorials - 1:26 pm
The Obama Administration's decision to investment in clean tech got a vindicating boost with Tesla's announcement this week that it would pay off its $465 million loan early. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: George W. Bush, greenhouse gas, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney,

- 1:18 pm
California Gov. Jerry Brown helped showcase scientists' new call to urgent action on climate change, but critics say he's diverting money away from that goal for the next year. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Jerry Brown, global warming, greenhouse gas, Bill Magavern, Kathryn Phillips, renewable energy, water, Evan Westrup,

Editorials - 11:49 am
Republicans and Democrats in Congress are demanding better service for veterans who wait months, and sometimes years, for help they've been promised -- but it's up to them, and President Obama, to take action. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Chuck Hagel, Barack Obama,

Opinion - 10:13 am
Thousands of law school graduates can't find jobs in California »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Roger Dickinson, Joseph Dunn, Dan Walters,
Bills: AB 888,

Opinion - 10:13 am
Government is now so huge, powerful, and callous that citizens risk becoming virtual serfs, lacking the freedoms guaranteed by the Founders. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Hillary Clinton, Victor Davis Hanson,

- 8:56 am
A multi agency strike task force on Thursday morning inspected passenger transportation vehicles like taxis, buses and shuttle vans to make sure they meet safety standards and drivers are properly licensed. A similar one was done Wednesday at San ... »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Air Resources Board, Ron Cowan,

- 8:48 am
'At one tasting, I didn't spit out my wine. Walking through the parking lot I felt I clearly could not safely drive.' »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Jerry Brown, Legislature, Mike Thompson,

- 5:38 am
California Gov. Jerry Brown, who once had a frosty relationship with the business folks who ran the traditional Sacramento Host breakfast, had them rolling in laughter Wednesday with one quip after another in a 30-minute address. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Jerry Brown, water,

- May 22, 9:21 pm
An East Palo Alto man turned the tables on two suspects during a home invasion robbery Wednesday afternoon. »Read  »E-mail story

In this article: Ron Davis,