SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Researchers say the number of western monarch butterflies wintering along the California coast has plummeted to a record low, putting the orange-and-black insects closer to extinction. An annual winter count by an environmental group recorded fewer than 2,000 butterflies. That’s a massive decline from the tens of thousands tallied in recent…… MORE
Calif. Guard Pleads Guilty to Lies in Inmate’s Death
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A former California correctional officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to submitting a false report in a federal civil rights investigation into the death of an inmate at a Sacramento-area prison. Ashley Marie Aurich lied about seeing another another former correctional officer, Arturo Pacheco, reach down and pull the legs out from under…… MORE
Newsom Sets New Tone for CA, White House Partnership
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is ready for a more productive and friendlier relationship with the White House under Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. The Democratic governor sent a letter Tuesday to Biden outlining places where the state and federal government can find common ground, including on immigration and climate change. It comes…… MORE
Vice President Harris: A New Chapter Opens in US Politics
WASHINGTON (AP) – The inauguration of Kamala Harris as vice president will mark an expansion of what’s possible in American politics. When Harris takes the oath of office on Wednesday, she will be the first female vice president in the nation’s history, as well as the first Black woman and first person of South Asian…… MORE
Capitol Photos, Videos Lead to Controversial CA Doctor’s Arrest
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A Beverly Hills, California, doctor and coronavirus vaccine critic has been arrested in connection with her alleged role storming the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. Simone Gold was arrested Monday and is facing charges of entering a restricted building or grounds, violent entry and disorderly conduct. Attempts to reach her attorney…… MORE
More Banking Services for Calif. Pot Firms
LOS ANGELES (AP) – An agreement in California could open the way for more marijuana companies to access checking and other banking services. Broad legal pot sales got underway in California in 2018, but many banks remain reluctant to handle cannabis industry money. They fear it could expose them to legal trouble from the federal…… MORE
9 Lawsuits by Calif. Mark Trump’s Final Day in Office
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California filed nine lawsuits against the Trump administration on the president’s final full day in office. The lawsuits target several environmental rule changes the administration approved in recent days. They include rules that state Attorney General Xavier Becerra says would weaken protections for migratory birds and loosen the regulation of greenhouse…… MORE
USDA Offers Additional CFAP Help
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says the USDA will provide additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The agency will be expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities and updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied to the program. Producers who are now eligible and those who need to modify…… MORE
Biden Picks Transgender as Assistant Health Secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health, leaving her poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate. Levine is a pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general and was appointed to her current post by Democratic…… MORE
Calif. Becomes First State to Top 3 Million COVID-19 Cases
LOS ANGELES (AP) – California has become the first state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections. That’s according to a tally Monday by Johns Hopkins University. The grim milestone wasn’t entirely unexpected in a state with 40 million residents but its speed was stunning. The state only reached 2 million reported cases…… MORE
