California Connected Newsroom

The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle report that the third-largest supplier of electronic voting machines, Sequoia Voting Systems, asked the federal government to investigate its purchase by foreigners to debunk allegations that it has ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The renewed focus on the security of electronic elections just […]

The Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register take a look at the possible consequences of Proposition 83, a sex-offender initiative that critics say would make children less safe. The Times looks at a similar law that is failing in Iowa. The Register highlights the lack of prison treatment programs.
The Sacramento Bee’s Daniel […]

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a new study says methamphetamine use in the county is rising and recommends aggressive funding of prevention and treatment programs. Between 2000 and 2005, the pecentage of locally jailed men and women who tested positive for meth jumped from 28 percent to 44 percent for men and from 29 […]

The Los Angeles Times reports on a rise in violent crime in Koreatown and increased anxiety among residents who fear a negative impact on local businesses and real estate. The densely populated, culturally diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles’ historic mid-town area has struggled with crime in the past, but recently has enjoyed big foreign investments, […]

While San Francisco continues to refine its robust Care Not Cash housing program for the homeless, the Los Angeles Daily News reports today that the City of Angels is far from adequately addressing its own homeless problem. A month-long police crackdown on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles has fanned transients across the city. Councilwoman […]

Audio-slideshows and photos of two homeless survivors helps retell their journeys.
The San Francisco Chronicle completed a three-part series today on homelessness, documenting the successes and challenges of San Francisco’s Care Not Cash program. The series is remarkable because of its in-depth profiles of two transients, bringing these tired, forgotten souls into our lives through compassionate […]

The Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that an estimated $550 million had been raised for the state’s various campaigns, easily beating a previous 1998 record high.
“A half-billion dollars hasn’t gotten California any closer to solving any of its challenges,” said Ned Wigglesworth of California Common Cause. “It has been a great investment in […]

The Associated Press and The New York Times report on a voting machine firm that is owned by Venezuelan software company Smartmatic Corporation. The Times reports that Smartmatic, which merged in 1995 with Oakland-based Sequoia Voting Systems, Inc., has links to the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez. Sequoia’s voting machines are now being used […]

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, now minority leader of the House, could become the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history if Democrats win big on November 7th. The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times report today on the California politician’s personality and history as she becomes the focus of greater national attention. […]

The New York Times’ Andrew C. Revkin filed an in-depth story today on scientists’ call for more aggressive renewable energy research, greater political leadership, and the need to commit to a long-term, systematic approach to climate change. And while the story acknowledges current excitement over alternative fuel technologies, Revkin’s reporting raises the spector of a […]