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
Ag Market Outlook is More Optimistic
The USDA’s Food and Ag Policy Research Institute says the Market Outlook Report is uncertain, but it’s more optimistic than it was a few months ago. The most recent baseline projections for agricultural and biofuel markets were prepared using market information available as of January 2021. The agency says commodity markets will continue to…… MORE
Cities, Groups Aim to Stop Ohio’s Push for Early Census Data
UNDATED (AP) – A coalition of local governments and civil rights groups sued the U.S. Census Bureau last year to stop it from ending the 2020 census early out of fear it would undercount minority communities. Now, that coalition is attempting to block Ohio from trying to force the bureau into releasing data used for…… MORE
Newsom Says Recall is Unjustified
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged mistakes in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, but insists the recall effort against him has more to do with politics than the public health crisis. Newsom made his most direct comments yet about the push to unseat him during an interview Friday with KQED, saying his…… MORE
The Joy of Music Returns for Grammy Winners & Performers
It was an historical night at the Grammys for Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish – and women in general. Their happiness seemed overshadowed by the sheer joy of making music again after a year largely sidelined by the pandemic. Dozens of creators took to the stage for a Zoom-less evening made more intimate by…… MORE
