California governor race heats up in days before primary

Its crunch time in the primary for California governor, with candidates exploring creative strategies and benefiting from massive spending as they try to tear down - or lift up - their rivals in the race's final days. Six major candidates are vying to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown as leader of the nation's most populous state, a liberal stronghold that has taken an outsized role in combating President Donald Trump and his policies on immigration, climate change and more.

Walters: Supreme Court bolsters doctrine California is using to…

When the U.S. Supreme Court set aside a federal law prohibiting states from legalizing gambling on sports, it elated pro-gambling interests and ignited a storm of media speculation about potential impacts on amateur and professional athletics. Get editorials, opinion columns, letters to the editor and more in your inbox weekday mornings.

CALmatters Commentary: Conservative Supreme Court helps blue California

When the U.S. Supreme Court set aside a federal law prohibiting states from legalizing gambling on sports, it elated pro-gambling interests and ignited a storm of media speculation about potential impacts on amateur and professional athletics. However, the decision , authored by the court's most conservative member, Samuel Alito Jr., and supported in whole or part by six other justices, could have a much broader effect by bolstering the "anti-commandeering" doctrine contained in the Constitution's 10th amendment, to wit: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, not prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

Governor candidates promise more spending on higher education

All of the top Democrats running for California governor are calling for major new investments to make the state's public universities more affordable and relieve crushing student debt, suggesting they'd be more willing than Gov. Jerry Brown to open state purse strings and give students a hand up. The proposals focus on helping Californians afford college as the Golden State struggles to preserve a public higher education system that was once the envy of the world.

Follow the Money: Parsons Corporation promotes Delta Tunnels behind the scenes

A review of federal election campaign contributions by Restore the Delta reveals that the Parsons Corporation, an international infrastructure contractor, has contributed to campaign coffers of Riverside Republican House member Ken Calvert and House majority leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican from Bakersfield. "Follow the money," a catchphrase popularized by the 1976 drama-documentary motion picture All The President's Men that suggests a money trail or corruption scheme within high office, definitely applies to the current rush by the state and federal governments to construct Governor Jerry Brown's environmentally destructive Delta Tunnels even though the project makes no scientific, economic or financial sense.

Court Upholds Ruling Against California’s Assisted Suicide Law

An appeals court has let stand a lower court ruling overturning a California law that allows physicians to prescribe life-ending drugs to the terminally ill. California's Fourth District Court of Appeals on Wednesday refused to stay last week's decision by the Riverside County Superior Court, which ruled that state lawmakers should not have passed the law during a special session on health care funding.

Brown faces California budget fight as surplus grows

California Gov. Jerry Brown faces a bruising fight with the Legislature over funding for welfare, health care and higher education after producing a revised budget proposal that shows a lot more money but not a lot more spending. The state's budget surplus has ballooned to nearly $9 billion, the largest in at least 18 years, at a time when California is facing serious challenges like rising homelessness and growing inequality.

Gathering aims to relaunch Minuteman project, fortify border, in response to Central American caravan

Minutemen and border security supporters gather before heading to the U.S.-Mexico border on Saturday. Pledging to report unauthorized entries into the United States - and shame any state leaders who welcome them - about 20 border security supporters assembled Saturday morning near Jamul.

California sues over plan to scrap car emission standards

Eighteen states Tuesday sued President Donald Trump's administration over its push to "reconsider" greenhouse gas-emission rules for the nation's auto fleet, launching a legal battle over one of former President Barack Obama's most significant efforts to address climate change. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt in April said he would revisit the Obama-era rules, which aim to raise efficiency requirements to about 50 miles per gallon by 2025.

Petition to repeal gas tax increase submitted, organizers expect it will qualify for November ballot

Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox, front, and congressional candidate Diane Harkey, in yellow, carry boxes of signatures into the office of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox, front, and congressional candidate Diane Harkey, in yellow, carry boxes of signatures into the office of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

President Trump blasts Democrats, James Comey and the media in campaign-style rally

The president, who snubbed the White House Correspondents' dinner for the second year in a row in favor a rally, took shots elected officials from California to Michigan, the former FBI director, and journalists who cover his administration. He told the crowd in Washington, Michigan, that California Democrats -- like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Jerry Brown -- are soft on crime and immigration, and don't support the military.

With economic ties, Adelanto will pen letter opposing California immigration policy

Elected officials instructed City Attorney Ruben Duran on Wednesday to draft a letter opposing the state's controversial immigration policy limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal authorities. The Council unanimously directed Duran to express support for the U.S. Department of Justice in its lawsuit against California over Senate Bill 54 and address the letter to Gov. Jerry Brown and the judge overseeing the legal matter.

Gov. Jerry Brown says agreement reached on California guard deployment

California Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that he would join President Donald Trump's border mission by contributing up to 400 National Guard troops, announcing a deal after a week of uncertainty about how to accomplish a deployment that focuses largely on illegal immigration and honor the governor's insistence that troops avoid immigration-related work. Brown said the Guard's duties include fighting transnational criminal gangs and drug and gun smugglers in an order that reiterates his initial positions that the Guard cannot handle custody duties for anyone accused of immigration violations, build border barriers or have anything to do with immigration enforcement.

US says California rejects proposed border duties for troops new

The Trump administration said Monday that California Gov. Jerry Brown rejected terms of the National Guard's initial deployment to the Mexican border, but a state official said nothing was decided. "The governor determined that what we asked for is unsupportable, but we will have other iterations," Ronald Vitiello, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's acting deputy commissioner, told reporters in Washington.