Posts Tagged ‘california’
The strange boundary line that divides California in two
On county maps of California, an oddly straight horizontal line bisects the state about 30 miles north of Bakersfield. In perennial debates over where Southern California ends and Northern California begins, no official answer exists and opinions vary widely. But it was based upon this line — comprising the northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo, Kern, and…
Read MoreThe 12 flags of California
Texas has embraced the slogan “Six flags over Texas” in recognition of the six sovereign countries that once presided over the state, incorporating their emblems into malls, official buildings, and the namesake theme park Six Flags. If California did the same, it would need a lot more flagpoles. All told, at least 12 flags have flown over the…
Read MoreThe daredevils who posed at Yosemite’s cliff edges in days of yore
This month, a selfie video showing a man dangling his legs from an overhang at Yosemite’s Half Dome made the rounds on social media, with many viewers aghast at the apparent risk involved. The danger is real. According to Michael Ghiglieri, co-author of “Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite,” of about 1,200 deaths at Yosemite National Park…
Read MoreLos Angeles County’s oldest home in hidden inside a mobile home park
The oldest house in Los Angeles County is encircled by a ring of aging mobile homes just off the 5 Freeway in the working-class city of Bell Gardens. Concealed from view and largely blocked off to the public, Casa de Rancho San Antonio contains the story of California. As historians tell it, the adobe structure was built…
Read MoreElizabeth Weil on California’s relationship with fire
Elizabeth Weil has had a 25-year relationship with California. She’s written about it for years, and her most recent piece, “” appeared recently in the New York Times Magazine. She’s lived through many California disasters, including fires,…
Read MoreDan Walters’ post-pandemic biopsy of California
Dan Walters, the dean of state capital journalists, joined us in the first week of the pandemic lockdown, back in March of 2020. After twenty months, he joins us once again to offer a post-pandemic view of California’s future. He opines on politicians…
Read MoreLizzie Johnson on how Paradise portends a future written in flames
Lizzie Johnson, a former San Francisco Chronicle reporter, covered fifteen of California’s deadliest fires. However, none reached the level of death and destruction that she witnessed in Paradise on Nov. 8, 2018. Within two hours of the fire’s…
Read MoreMizgon Zahir Darby on California’s Afghan diaspora
Mizgon Zahir Darby, a longtime leader in the Bay Area’s Afghan community, helps give voice to the large diaspora of Afghans living in California. She says they are in mourning over recent events. Families may never be able to go home again, and they…
Read MoreColleen McCain Nelson now leads our capital city’s newspaper
In January, Colleen McCain Nelson was named executive editor of the Sacramento Bee and the regional editor for McClatchy’s California news outlets, including the Fresno Bee, the Modesto Bee, the Tribune in San Luis Obispo, and the Merced Sun-Star. A…
Read MoreMick LaSalle takes California to the movies
Mick LaSalle, author of his new book “,” shows how movies have historically captured the essence of California. For almost a century, the movies have defined the California dream and projected it out to the world. The long-time film critic for the San…
Read MoreJoe Mathews on how L.A. is failing California
Joe Mathews, a long-time California journalist, thinks that the state has a big problem, and the problem’s name is Los Angeles. Mathews argues that Los Angeles County, home to 25% of the state’s population, undermines the state and holds back its…
Read MoreTess Taylor and her poetry of California
Tess Taylor, in her books of award-winning , captures the fragility, fear, and fault lines of California, and examines Dorothea Lange’s enduring influence on our unsteady times.
Read MoreJoan Didion talks about California
Upon the occasion of the publication of a new collection of works by Joan Didion, “,” I share a conversation I had with her in 2016 about California, its history, and its many crises. Because of her deep and broad vision, it’s as relevant today as…
Read MoreChronicle journalists on Propositions 22 and 19
Carolyn Said and Kathleen Pender, both San Francisco Chronicle journalists, look at the real world impacts of Proposition 22, which classifies app-based drivers as as independent contractors, and Proposition 19, which would alter property taxes. …
Read MoreDavie Pina and Johnny White: Inside their personal firefight
Davie Pina and Johnny White, vineyard managers in the Napa Valley, say that every fire teaches them something new. With firefighting resources spread thin, they and their colleagues have had to take on more personal responsibility for fighting fires….
Read MoreLeon Panetta: A life of public service born in California
Leon Panetta ascended to the highest of jobs in Washington, but he never lost sight of his California roots. The former congressman, Office of Management and Budget director, White House chief of staff, CIA director, and defense secretary reminisces…
Read MoreEloy Ortiz Oakley on the future of California Community Colleges
Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the chancellor of California’s community college system oversees the largest education system in the country with more than 2.1 million students and 115 colleges. That puts Oakley on the front line of many of the social and policy…
Read MoreAlex Padilla on the challenges of the November election
California’s chief election officer, Secretary of State Alex Padilla brings the background of a long-time politician and his training as an engineer to the challenge of ensuring safe and secure voting. From mail-in ballots to recruiting a whole new…
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