Former GOP Rep. Doug Ose Enters Calif. Recall Election

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Former Republican congressman Doug Ose says he’s entering the California recall election aimed at ousting Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ose becomes the third established Republican to enter the race, joining former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox. Ose is a businessman from the Sacramento area who says he’s…MORE

Safe Line Speeds Reintroduced

  Congressional Democrats have reintroduced the Safe Line Speeds During COVID-19 Act. The lawmakers say the bill will protect worker, consumer, and animal safety by suspending all current and future USDA waivers and regulations that allow companies to increase production line speeds at meatpacking plants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Democrat Corey Booker, along with…MORE

Anxiety, Confusion, Terror, Relief: Giving Birth in a Pandemic

NEW YORK (AP) – Pregnancy, birth and life with a newborn in the middle of a pandemic has been a lot for new moms to handle over the past year. They’ve battled high anxiety, ever-shifting hospital protocols and intense isolation. Demographers are studying the varied reasons for an anticipated pandemic baby bust. Women who have…MORE

OxyContin Maker Purdue Proposes $10B Plan to Exit Bankruptcy

(AP) — The company that makes the prescription painkiller OxyContin would be transformed into a new entity that would funnel profits into combatting the U.S. opioid crisis under a $10 billion plan submitted to a federal bankruptcy judge late Monday. Members of the Sackler family who own Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma would pay more than $4…MORE

Calif. Mulls Relaxing Rules About Ballot Signatures

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California’s Democratic-controlled state Legislature is considering making it more difficult for local election officials to disqualify ballots. Voters who cast ballots by mail must now sign their ballot. Election officials then compare that signature to the one in the voter’s file. Officials can reject ballots when the signatures don’t match. Temporary…MORE

CA Ethnic Studies Debate: Whose Stories Get Told?

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Race and ethnicity can be tricky topics to discuss, especially in the classroom. But the California Department of Education had no idea how heated the debate would get when it set out to draft a model ethnic studies curriculum for high schools across the state. After several years and nearly 100,000…MORE

Newsom Will Appoint Black Woman if Feinstein Retires Early

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’ll appoint a Black woman to the U.S. Senate if Sen. Dianne Feinstein retires before her term ends in 2024. He made the commitment Monday when asked on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” and says he has multiple names in mind. Feinstein is the chamber’s oldest member at…MORE

As Signature Collection Ends, Calif. Heads Toward Recall

ROCKLIN, Calif. (AP) – Organizers behind a proposed recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom face a Wednesday deadline to submit nearly 1.5 million petition signatures to qualify the proposal for the ballot. Supporters say they have collected over 2 million, though hundreds of thousands remain unverified by election officials. A months-long review gets underway to…MORE

3 Killed by Car in Downtown San Diego

[vemba-video id=”us/2021/03/15/san-diego-pedestrian-deaths-elam-nr-vpx.cnn”] At least three people have died and six others were injured after being struck by a vehicle that veered onto a sidewalk in downtown San Diego, according to Fire Chief Colin Stowell. The 71-year old driver of the vehicle, a Volvo station wagon, attempted to render aid and identified himself to officers. He…MORE

‘Big Burden’ for Schools Trying to Give Kids Internet Access

(AP) — Schools had to figure out quickly how to get kids online after the coronavirus pandemic shut them down. They had to work with a patchwork approach born of desperation due to the federal failure to get all Americans connected. They scrounged wireless hot spots, struck deals with cable companies and even created networks…MORE