Two humpback whales nearly swallowed two scuba divers Saturday near Morro Bay. [KCOY] The divers had just completed a dive and surfaced when two humpbacks leapt out of the water with mouths wide open, narrowly missing the humans. A cameraman... (Continue reading)
The Obama administration’s penchant for massive spying operations aimed at American citizens has cost him dearly in California support, a recent Field Poll shows. (San Jose Mercury News) Obama dropped 10 percent in favorability — from 62 percent to 52... (Continue reading)
The U.S. Air Force is considering leasing portions of Vandenberg Air Force Base to private oil companies for extraction of offshore oil and gas with land-based drills. [LATimes] If approved, it will be the first new offshore lease in state... (Continue reading)
California will be one of the first states to meet its federally-mandated health-care renovation requirements, the State Auditor’s office has reported in a new study. The insurance exchange was one of the earliest in the nation to be be formed,... (Continue reading)
Implementation of the Affordable Care Act will significantly augment this state’s ability to provide mental health benefits for millions of people, a new study by the nonprofit California HealthCare Foundation suggests. (Los Angeles Times) According to details presented in the... (Continue reading)
A bill providing the Coastal Commission with authority to issue fines for the first time in its 37-year history is moving through the state legislature. The 1976 law that set up the commission permits the agency only tocollect money from... (Continue reading)
California school officials have largely disregarded the Obama Administration’s direction for education, marking a rare state departure from adherence to federal policy. (Los Angeles Times) At issue is the practice of grading performances of teachers, and rewarding or punishing individuals... (Continue reading)
Plans to curtail commercial recreational vendors in Yosemite National Park, proposed as a possible solution to federal environmental mandates, are being reconsidered by parks officials after a huge public outcry. (San Jose Mercury News) Parks Director Jon Jarvis said his... (Continue reading)
By DANIEL BLACKBURN One of the nation’s most controversial and wealthiest farm operators has quietly acquired a sprawling 742-acre parcel of prime ranch and agricultural property adjacent to the southeast edge of the Paso Robles city limits — causing some... (Continue reading)
Janet Napolitano, the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona, has been selected as the next president of the University of California system. [LATimes] Napolitano’s appointment is the first time in its 145-year history the 10-campus system... (Continue reading)