AltWeeklies Wire
Those Who Know Him Best Say Gavin Newsom's Got the Wrong Stuffnew
As San Francisco's mayor gears up for his gubernatorial campaign, former supporters say he's "narcissistic," "thin-skinned," "disloyal," and "friendless."
The Water Wars: San Francisco Bay and the Delta Are Dying and It Might Get Worsenew
Years of massive water diversions are putting the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary at risk. Massive projects that take freshwater from the delta appear linked to declines in bay and delta fisheries, threatening not just endangered species but California's salmon fishing industry, which lost more than $250 million last year as a result of declining salmon runs.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Rebecca Bowe |
09-02-2009 |
Environment
Altered State: Legalization, Cannabis Clubs and California's Marijuana Sea Changenew
Legalization and pot clubs in California grow increasingly popular, but law enforcement and government officials still can't think outside of the box.
Sacramento News & Review |
Nick Miller |
08-27-2009 |
Drugs
Wildfire's Legacy Worries Santa Cruz Winemakersnew
For Santa Cruz Mountain winegrowers, the Lockheed fire that burned 7,800 acres of wild lands above Bonny Doon recently came at exactly the wrong time. Of course there’s never a good time for a wildfire, but the grapes in local vineyards are starting to ripen, a developmental stage called veraison, and they’re particularly vulnerable to “smoke taint.”
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Stett Holbrook |
08-27-2009 |
Food+Drink
Cancer: A New Front in the War Against Pot?new

A California panel concludes that cannabis causes cancer. But the research is still young, the industry seems undeterred and pro-legalization advocates don't seem fazed by the ruling or its potential consequences -- which they contend will not deter marijuana usage.
East Bay Express |
Paula Lehman |
08-26-2009 |
Drugs
Every Wildfire Brings its Own Financial Storm With Itnew
"California has developed a 'seven points of light' agreement that says if anybody breaks a fire, the departments will send resources," says Cal Fire spokesman Mike Mohler. Yet with so little money to burn, it's hard not to wonder who's getting stuck with the mounting bill.
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Jessica Lussenhop |
08-21-2009 |
Disasters
In California, Advocates Push for Reform of Parole Process to Ease Prison Strainnew

California's Board of Parole Hearings grants parole to less than one percent of eligible lifers. Now, as the state's prison system is packed to 200 percent capacity, some are arguing for reform to the parole system that's keeping lifers doing life.
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Curtis Cartier |
08-20-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Marijuana Decriminalization Moves Forward on Several Fronts in Californianew

Reform advocates are making an intriguing argument: if state or local governments legalize and tax even a fraction of marijuana sales, the state could see billions of dollars in new annual revenue and reduced enforcement costs.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Sarah Phelan |
08-19-2009 |
Drugs
Meet the Father of Proposition 8new

As an auxiliary bishop in San Diego, Salvatore Cordileone played an indispensable role in conceiving, funding, organizing, and ultimately winning the campaign to pass Proposition 8. Shortly after the law passed, he was installed as the new Catholic bishop in Oakland.
East Bay Express |
Chris Thompson |
08-12-2009 |
LGBT
Pacific Pride Foundation is One of Many California Orgs Reeling from $52M in AIDS Funding Cutsnew
With a stroke of his pen, Governor Schwarzenegger slashed $52 million from critical AIDS services funding through the state's Office of AIDS. That shoves California back to pre-1985 levels of funding, essentially the dark ages of HIV/AIDS awareness and treatment.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Penny Patterson |
08-10-2009 |
Politics
Cleaning the Air Around the Portsnew

The shipping industry hopes to undo California's newest clean-air rule.
East Bay Express |
Eric Klein |
08-05-2009 |
Environment
California Budget Cuts Squeeze Inmates Out of Prisonsnew
The budget upon which the governor and the Legislature recently agreed included a $1.2-billion cut in prison funding, and in order to save that much money, thousands of inmates would likely have to be released early.
San Diego CityBeat |
David Rolland |
08-05-2009 |
Crime & Justice
State Budget Debacle: California Descendingnew
Some experts predict the state budget will quickly become unbalanced again, thanks to a persistently bad economy. But that didn't stop self-congratulations and posturing by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Democratic majority leaders Karen Bass and Darrell Steinberg, and Republican minority leaders Dennis Hollingsworth and Sam Blakeslee, the so-called "big five" who worked out this latest budget.
L.A. Weekly |
Jill Stewart |
07-31-2009 |
Politics
California Republicans Don't Really Care if the State Goes Bankruptnew
The Republicans largely carried the day because they had all the power: they could block any budget deal, they refused to raise any taxes, and they don't really care if the state goes bankrupt. In fact, Gov. Schwarzenegger was happy to draw the crisis out as long as necessary -- it helped his poll rating.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Editorial |
07-29-2009 |
Commentary
The California Budget: Cuts, Theft and Accounting Gimmicksnew
I get the picture. Times are tough; everybody has to sacrifice. In this context, I can accept a serious shave and a haircut, even one with scalp burns. But a self-inflicted lobotomy? I don't think so.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Nick Welsh |
07-27-2009 |
Commentary