The New Brown Budget: How Much to Save?
This week, Jerry Brown did something no California governor has done for over a decade. He unveiled a new state budget with a multi-billion dollar surplus. The governor is adding back billions of dollars to education and shoring up Medi-Cal. But he also wants to use $11 billion to pay down debt and another $1.6 billion for a rainy day fund. We chew over Brown's budget blueprint with Sacramento Bureau Chief Scott Detrow.
New Law Gives Midwives More Rights, Allows Home Birth for Low-Income Women
Midwives in California are taking advantage of a new state law that took effect January 1. It gives them independence to work without the supervision of a doctor, and covers home births for low-income women.
As Delta Water Plan Inches Ahead, Could Funding Run Dry?
With California's snow pack at just 17 percent of normal, Governor Brown is under growing pressure to declare an official statewide drought. As he noted this week, "governors can't make it rain." But governors can propose massive public works projects -- and the Brown administration is pushing a $25 billion water plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Officials say it would help secure the state?s water supply. But even in a dry year with little rain, finding the money for it is no sure thing.
PAWS Sanctuary a Paradise for Performing Elephants
Far into the foothills of California's gold country, you'll find a group of animals that may seem a little out of place. The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in San Andreas houses eight Asian and African elephants rescued from circuses and zoos. Before they got here, the pachyderms didn't really know how to live like elephants.
California Songs: Afrolicious' 'California Dreaming'
"California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas is perhaps the best-known song about longing for the Golden State. Its dreamy picture of the West Coast was also an inspiration for the San Francisco-based collective, Afrolicious. For our occasional series on California Songs, we spoke with one of the band's founders, Joe McGuire, about their new take on the idea of "California Dreaming."