Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

California Senate environmental committee approves landmark bill to protect schoolkids from harmful UPF
SACRAMENTO – In a win for children’s health, today the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee passed a bipartisan bill that would, if enacted, phase out certain ultra-processed food, or UPF, from meals served in public schools. UPF are...

California funds solution to literacy crisis
In another significant milestone for California’s students, AB 1454 was approved last week by the Senate Education Committee with a 7-0 vote, advancing the evidence-based literacy instruction bill one step closer to a full Senate vote. The Senate...

California man gets 15 years for selling meth, fentanyl in Bozeman
MISSOULA — A California man who distributed meth and fentanyl in Bozeman beginning in 2022 was sentenced to 180 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced Wednesday. Shante Maurice...

California Allocates $11 million to Support Job Training for People Left Out of Workforce
California is awarding nearly $11 million in grants to six organizations aimed at improving job training and employment opportunities for adults facing barriers to the workforce. The funding, provided by the California Employment Development...

California Shakes Up State Gov’t to Better Tackle Housing Crisis, Homelessness
In a major shake-up of state bureaucracy, Gov. Gavin Newsom has approved the creation of two new agencies to address California’s housing crisis and strengthen consumer oversight. The move, which Newsom announced last week, establishes the...

California's Minimum Wage Hike Cost 18,000 Fast-Food Jobs as Employment Ticked Up in Other States
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1228 into law in September 2023, which established a Fast Food Council within California's Department of Industrial Relations and increased the minimum wage for 500,000 fast food workers from...

Snaky Gavin Newsom Lies Again About California's Population Decline
California has lost more residents than any other state PublishedJuly 16, 2025 10:01 PM EDT•UpdatedJuly 16, 2025 10:02 PM EDT Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link Gavin Newsom can't help himself. The disgraced Governor of California, who's spent much...

California Wine Fest returns to SB this weekend | About Town
California Wine Fest returns to SB this weekend California Wine Festival returns to Santa Barbara this weekend for two days of wine tasting, gourmet food, and beachfront celebration. The California Wine Festival is bringing together 200 of...

Want AI to Boost Your Local Economy? It’s Time to Strategize
There’s little doubt that artificial intelligence is poised to transform the economy, likely sooner than we think. State and local governments are scrambling to position themselves to benefit from AI, and some are succeeding (at least so far). But...

“One Big Beautiful Bill” blows hole in California’s budget
Pres. Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law on July 4, is already reshaping California’s 2025–26 state budget. With $1.6 to $2 trillion in projected federal spending cuts over the next decade, the law slashes Medicaid, food...

Trump rescinds US$4 billion in US funding for California High-Speed Rail project
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (Jul 16) the Transportation Department is rescinding US$4 billion in US government funding for California's High-Speed Rail project. "This project was severely overpriced,...

House Republican Says Trump Is ‘Gonna Crash the Economy’ if Mass Deportations Continue
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) sounded the alarm on President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, stating that if the administration tries to deport every undocumented immigrant, the economy will crash. Since taking...

'High speed train to nowhere': Trump pulls $4B for California high-speed rail project
The Trump administration has cut $4 billion in funding for California's high-speed rail project. CALIFORNIA, USA — The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it terminated $4 billion in federal funding for California's high-speed rail...

Trump Defunds California’s Bullet Train as Newsom War Rages
President Donald Trump is pulling federal funding for one of California’s most ambitious—and controversial—projects as his feud with the state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, rages on. Trump announced that he had “officially freed” American...

Trump Announces New Tariffs Effect On Economy Hard To Predict
Cargo vessels brimming with shipping containers from across the globe are stuck at the San Pedro Port Complex near Long Beach, California. (Photo by Jude Binkley/Cronkite News) On July 7, the White House made the following announcement: “KEEPING...

US citizen and Army veteran spent three days in jail after being arrested in California immigration raid
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Governor Jared Polis on health insurance increases, paying to fight wildfires and immigration enforcement
Governor Jared Polis said Congressional Republicans are to blame for estimated health insurance costs that might rise by as much as 28 percent for individuals in 2026. That’s according to figures released Wednesday by the state. “These increases...

Report warns AB 566 may harm economy and small businesses
Jennifer Barrera President and Chief Executive Officer at California Chamber of Commerce | Official websiteJennifer Barrera President and Chief Executive Officer at California Chamber of Commerce | Official website A recent report by Capitol...

Trump administration pulls $4B in federal funding for Californias bullet train project
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Trump administration revoked federal funding for California's high-speed rail project on Wednesday, intensifying uncertainty about how the state will make good on its long-delayed promise of building a bullet train to...

Trump announces end to federal funding for California high-speed rail project
President Donald Trump announced that his administration will no longer provide federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project, calling it “a total waste of taxpayer money.” “To the law abiding, tax paying, hardworking citizens of the...