State

LOS ANGELES—Governor Jerry Brown released a statement on Tuesday, April 27 proposing a new maximum penalty of $10,000 to individuals wasting water. Brown also advocated for more efficient processing of water conservation proposals -- a response to floating criticisms that there’s too much rigidity surrounding the current process. The proposed $10,000 fine is a significant increase from the current $500...

CALIFORNIA—After a slow start this year, the price of California homes and condos have reached a new high. With steady job growth and the incline of the economy over the past year, more potential buyers are feeling optimistic about the housing market. In Southern California, where homes are pricey, the bids are coming in well over the asking price. Sales in Los...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, April 21, the San Francisco Sheriff's Department announced that deputies working as jail guards at the San Francisco County Jail 4 will start wearing body cameras this year. The department requested funds from the city budget for the cameras, but the request was denied. The department is expect to find its own funds to equip deputies with...

CALIFORNIA—State Assemblyman Tom Lackey is proposing a new bill that would allow law enforcement to use new devices to test questionable drivers for various drugs. Assembly Bill 1356, would provide officers with a new drug breathalyzer device to test on motorists suspected to be under the influence. The device, Alere DDS2, tests for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, opiates and benzodiazepines....

CALIFORNIA—In the city of Los Angeles there are 200 miles of various streets and paths that combine bike routes and driving lanes. With an estimated 1700 miles slated for the Los Angeles streets by 2035, lawmakers in the state are stepping up efforts to increase safety as the entire state of California works to meet the demand for cyclists. Bill SB-192,...

INDIO—Held in the desert city of Indio, California, Coachella is arguably California's most popular and best attended music festival spanning over two consecutive weekends. Highlights from the first weekend included an expected all-star performance with encores by old-school rockers AC/DC, spot-on deliveries from acts such as Tame Impala and Azaelia Banks, a soulful dance party given by Charles Bradley, and...

WESTWOOD—On April 10, UCLA faculty voted by overwhelming majority to require future undergraduate students to fulfill a diversity requirement as part of their lower-division course load. The Faculty Senate passed the proposed requirement by a vote of 916 to 487, a policy that affects incoming freshmen in the College of Letters and Science beginning in the fall 2015. Beginning in...

SAN FRANCISCO—United States Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden have left the Capital for a quick visit to the Bay Area. The couple is attending a number of gatherings across the Bay Area. Last night, the Vice President attended a private fundraiser in San Francisco, while his wife gave a speech at Cupertino's De Anza College concerning the...

CALIFORNIA—A citywide search for the missing 19-year-old UC Berkley soccer player ended when officials confirmed he was found dead blocks away from where he was last seen. In the early hours on Satuday, March 28, Eloi Vasquez attended a party at USC’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house located on the 600 block of West 28th Street. At some point during the party,...

SACRAMENTO—California Governor Jerry Brown has made the state's first-ever executive order mandating the reduction of water use. The order is a response to the state's prolonged and historic four-year drought, one that has brought California to a near-crisis situation. In the order, Brown demanded the State Water Resources Control impose a 25 percent reduction on California's water supply agencies, facilities that serve nature's...