by jpitney | Jan 1, 2026 | Budget, California Politics
Yue Stella Yu at CalMatters: The deficit is projected to reach nearly $18 billion next year, mostly because the state is expected to spend so much money that it would offset, if not eclipse, the strong tax revenues driven by an AI boom, said the nonpartisan...
by jpitney | Dec 31, 2025 | California Politics, Journalism, Journalists, Los Angeles, Newspapers
Peter Weinberger at The Claremont Courier: Local newspapers continued disappearing at a pace similar to — or worse than — 2024. More than 130 local news outlets closed this year, averaging over two per week. This trend has expanded news deserts with little to no local...
by jpitney | Dec 30, 2025 | California Politics, Economic Policy, Education, Environment, Homelessness, Poverty, State Government, Taxes, Transportation
Jim Geraghty at NRO: As I wrote earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report ranks each state on a wide variety of categories. In the most recent assessment, California ranked dead last in opportunity, dead last in affordability, 47th in employment, 47th in energy...
by jpitney | Dec 29, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence, Internet, Journalism, Journalists, Mass Media, Newspapers
Sipho Kings at the Nieman Lab: This moment feels like rock bottom. And in this crisis, there ought to be so much opportunity. But we’re not learning from the past. Instead, we’re approaching this new era of generative AI much like we did platforms. Big Western...
by jpitney | Dec 28, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives, Senate
Paul Kane at WP: With fewer than 40 bills signed into law as of Monday, the House and Senate set a modern record for lowest legislative output in the first year of a new presidency, according to data maintained by C-SPAN and Purdue University. Despite that lack of...
by jpitney | Dec 27, 2025 | Civility, Congress, House of Representatives
Annie Grayer, Molly English, and Alex Leeds Matthews at CNN: Rep. Michael McCaul — who is retiring after two decades in the House, where he has served as chairman of the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees — told CNN that Congress has changed for the...
by jpitney | Dec 26, 2025 | Business, California Politics, Coronavirus, Taxes
Ashley Zavala at KCRA-TV: Businesses large and small across California are paying even more on their payroll taxes to the federal government this year because of spending decisions the state’s Legislature and governor made within the last few years. ...
by jpitney | Dec 25, 2025 | California Politics, Local Government, Los Angeles
Alene Tchekmedyian and Paul Pringle at LAT: For months after the Palisades fire, many who had lost their homes eagerly awaited the Los Angeles Fire Department’s after-action report, which was expected to provide a frank evaluation of the agency’s handling of the...
by jpitney | Dec 24, 2025 | California Politics, Crime, Law
Anat Rubin at CalMatters: Nearly half of California counties pay private lawyers and firms to represent poor people in criminal cases, and most of them, like San Benito, do it through what’s known as a “flat-fee” contract, meaning they pay a fixed amount, regardless...
by jpitney | Dec 23, 2025 | California Politics, Dreier, Los Angeles
At The Wrap, Michael Calderone discusses a new initiative by Claremont McKenna College alumni David Dreier and Scott Woolley/. With nearly 10 million people living in Los Angeles County, there will always be stories untold. Even the Times at its most robust, with a...
