Southern California

Policies prohibiting any new offshore oil drilling and affiliated infrastructure construction within California state waters were adopted as Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills on Sept. 8, which symbolize an effort against the recent oil drilling expansion plan proposed by the federal government. SB 834 requires that the State Lands Commision and a local trustee […]

More than one million people are expected to visit the Los Angeles County Fair this year from Aug. 31 to Sept. 23 at the Pomona Fairplex. The 2018 fair has a theme for the very first time, which celebrates Route 66 with the slogan “Get Your Kicks…at the LA County Fair.” “All of our attractions, […]

A bill that requires California to achieve 100 percent renewable or zero-carbon energy by 2045 was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in Sacramento on Sept. 10. The new law makes California the second state in America after Hawaii to legislate the abandonment of fossil fuels. The Golden State was previously aiming at a target of 50 percent electricity […]

Since Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for governor of California, proposed free health insurance for illegal immigrants, the state’s gubernatorial election has quickly become a referendum on its sanctuary policies. “I did universal health care when I was mayor [of San Francisco], fully implemented regardless of pre-existing conditions, ability to pay, and regardless of your immigration […]

LOS ANGELES—U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who committed suicide in June at age 61, posthumously earned a pair of Emmy Awards on Sept. 9, for his work on the popular CNN food-and-travel show he hosted, “Parts Unknown.” Bourdain was awarded one of the Emmys, the U.S. television industry’s highest honor, for outstanding writing of a […]

A bill banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics has passed the California Senate and Assembly and is waiting for Governor Jerry Brown’s signature before it becomes law, starting Jan. 1, 2020. California would be the first state to pass such a law. It could have a significant impact on the U.S. and international cosmetic market, since […]

A one-year pilot program that sets a cap on how many dockless electric scooters each company can operate in the City of Los Angeles was approved unanimously by all 13 city council members on Sep. 4. Starting within 120 days after the Tuesday meeting, the program limits each company to deploy no more than 3,000 […]

The bills seeking to create a voluntary drinking water tax on California residents and a mandatory tax on dairy producers and fertilizer manufacturers lost its chance to make it through the state legislature as the Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced a stop to pushing the bill forward on Aug. 31. “The Assembly is committed to identifying […]

A bill that prohibits California police from withholding public access to their body camera footage longer than 45 days has passed the state legislature as of Aug. 31 and has now been sent to Gov. Jerry Brown. Assembly Bill 748 requires “the release of video or audio within 45 days of a critical incident, which […]

LOS ANGELES—Eight people were shot at a San Bernardino, California apartment complex, including a 17-year-old boy who was in critical condition, police said on Monday. Police in the Southern California city were unsure what motivated the shooting late on Nov. 2, in an outdoor common area where a group of people had gathered, said San Bernardino police spokesman Captain Richard […]

DAVIS, California—University of California researchers are feeding seaweed to dairy cows in an attempt to reduce the cattle’s effect on climate change. UC Davis is studying whether adding small amounts of seaweed to cattle feed can help reduce their emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that’s released when cattle burp, pass gas or make manure. […]

Some people began calling for a boycott of the popular fast-food restaurant In-N-Out after it was discovered on Aug. 27, that the company donated $25,000 to the California Republican Party. Journalist Gabe Schneider found the public filing of the company’s contribution and posted a photo of it on his Twitter page on Aug. 29. Eric […]

A motorcade and dozens of police officers lined the entrance of Citrus Elementary School in Upland, California, to welcome the son of a slain officer on his first day of kindergarten on Aug. 29. Over 70 officers from Pomona, Upland, and Ontario police departments, as well as the California Highway Patrol, came to show their […]

A bill setting up a goal to achieve 100% clean energy for California’s power grid by 2045 passed the California legislature on Wednesday (Aug. 29) and is waiting to be sent to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 100 was introduced by Sen. Kevin de León, who says it’s going to ensure California as […]

A Utah firefighter stepped up to adopt a German Shepherd just weeks after he found the dog, dirty and matted, near a California wildfire. “We didn’t go to California looking for a dog,” said Patrick Cullen. Cullen was part of a small group from Utah that was sent to help fight the Mendocino Complex Fire, […]

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill gave a shout out on Twitter to a 10-year-old California boy who ended up in the emergency room after he refused to fight against a bully at school. Aiden Vasquez, who is a fifth grader at Two Bunch Palms Elementary School, was called names, punched in the face, and his backpack […]

LOS ANGELES—California will become the first U.S. state to eliminate the cash bail system for people awaiting criminal trial, under a bill signed on Aug. 28 by Gov. Jerry Brown that will take effect in October 2019. “Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly,” Brown, a Democrat, […]

The Huntington Library broke ground on a major expansion to its Chinese Garden, also known as “Liu Fang Yuan,” the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, on Aug. 28, 2018. The new features will include a stargazing tower, a new terrace, an orchid pavilion, the “Flowery Brush Library,” and a pavilion encircled by jade. “The new features […]

Greg Conlon, the Republican candidate for California state treasurer, is pushing for changes to the public employee pension system in order to try to save California’s credit rating. “We [California] have the fourth-worst credit rating in the United States, while we are the wealthiest state in the Union,” Conlon told The Epoch Times. “It is […]

Five bills aimed at tightening controls over firearm purchase and possession are at their final stages in the California Legislature or waiting for the approval from the governor. In the wake of the deadly school shooting that happened in Florida six months ago, some California lawmakers said these bills are actions that move forward gun control […]