California Connected Newsroom

The Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News report today on the epic political battle to reform the Los Angeles Unified School District. The Times reports that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has selected a five-member team to implement his administration’s reform measures. Most experts applauded his choices but the general counsel for the […]

Producer Angela Shelley returns to San Pasqual Academy to shoot a half-hour special that includes updates on the students and grandparents, a memorable graduation ceremony, and much more. Watch this special episode of California Connected on December 22nd.
Here are some photos from our second shoot during graduation at San Pasqual Academy in Escondido. The crew […]

The Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News and Orange County Register report that immigrants hoping to become Americans will face a tougher exam next year, one that not only test their grasp of facts but also their understanding of the nation’s ideals and history. “The goal is to make it more meaningful,” says Emilio […]

The Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters reports on Governor Schwarzenegger’s keen interest in reviving the San Joaquin Valley, arguing that his commitment to the region could be one for the history books. “The governor’s interest has helped local leaders overcome a long-standing vacuum in regional leadership and cooperation and the effort seems to be paying off,” […]

The Los Angeles Times reports that the National Park Service has recorded a steady decline in visits and overnight camping. In the last ten years, camping fell by 24 percent. A lack of new young and minority visitors are thought to be the biggest contributing factors to the decline. At the same time, the Internet […]

The Los Angeles Times reports that while police officers on six UC campuses carry Taser guns, UCLA seems to allow its officers more leeway in using them to stun noncombatives. The controversy over Taser guns at UCLA errupted last week when student Mostafa Tabatabainejad refused to show his student ID card to campus police. Tabatabainejad […]

The Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Daily News and Oakland Tribune report that the University of California regents have set tougher guidelines for executive pay and compensation. The regents will also review the UC systems’ annual operating budget in detail. Increased oversight comes on the heels of last year’s controversy that involved […]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Bay Area’s leading economic forum has released a 161-page report on the growing importance of business and cultural relationships with Greater China. “We can’t walk around San Francisco or drive around Silicon Valley without meeting people who are doing really interesting things in China,’’ says Sean Randolph, President […]

The Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News all report today that a prediction of a $5.5 billion state deficit next year may require a smaller budget and tighter spending. “At this advanced stage of the economic expansion, one would expect states would be running operating […]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports today that a new study concludes that highly skilled immigrants and foreign students play a vital role in the U.S. economy, generating about $500 billion in domestic jobs, assets and revenues over the last 15 years.
In high tech, the numbers are even more impressive: Forty percent of venture-backed public […]