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Articles by Izzy Bloom
Ballot mistakes
The importance of your signature: When you’re done filling out your ballot, you must sign the envelope. Avoid two big mistakes people make with their signatures: remember to sign your ballot entirely and that your signature matches the one you had when you registered to vote. If you’re really worried about the signature on your envelope not matching the signature you’re registered to vote with, there are two good solutions. One: If it’s on or before Oct.
Should you mail in your midterm ballot? What California election officials say
A voter hands their mail-in ballot to USPS employee Elmer Padilla on Oct. 9, 2020. Credit: Beth LaBerge/KQED County election officials this week began mailing ballots to every registered California voter for the Nov. 3 midterm election, kicking off a monthlong vote-by-mail stretch — albeit one shadowed by a series of federal challenges to the system. All of our coverage: Learn who’s running for city council, rent board, school board and more. And learn about local ballot measures and how to vote.
All-gender bathrooms, ‘use-by’ dates, loud ads: the new California laws to know
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . With the start of the new fiscal year in California on Wednesday, dozens of laws took effect, including a zoning overhaul to boost denser housing development near transit, requirements for an all-gender bathroom in every school and streamlined rules for food labeling.
Civil rights data
Firefighters assess the remains of the Lineage warehouse that burned for a week and sent smoke into nearby communities. Read on... for more experiences and the response to the fire. Response: As the fire continued burning, city and county leaders began appearing side by side at press conferences, stressing that government agencies were working collaboratively. Later in the response, public messaging also appeared to shift.
New CA laws
A man surveys the charred remains of his home, destroyed in the Eaton Fire, on Jan. 8. Concerns over the exemption bill: Some pro-housing advocates and even some Altadena residents worry that the new bill, which supporters frame as a curb on out-of-town investors, could inadvertently make it harder for some fire survivors to rebuild and remain.
New California Laws Take Effect, Including All-Gender Bathrooms and Food ‘Use-by’ Dates
World News 3 hours ago Young Republican Activists Are Turning Against Trump The Atlantic - By Charlie Sabgir • 3h Conservative groups at colleges across the country want a far more radical GOP. In the 2024 election, no group swung harder toward Donald Trump than young men. Today, no group feels more betrayed than the activists who helped make that shift happen.
Democrat Eric Jones Set Up for Runoff Battle Against Longtime Napa Valley Congressman
News Home / Politics Jones, who moved into the No. 2 spot on Friday as more votes are counted, is on track to bring a progressive generational challenge to incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson. Jun 12, 2026 Eric Jones at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Placer County, on May 20, 2026. Jones is facing Rep. Mike Thompson, who is seeking his 15th term in the U.S. House of Representatives for California’s 4th District.
How Did the Generational Change Movement Do in California’s Election?
News Home / Politics Young Democratic challengers took on their party’s aging congressional representatives, but incumbents largely held on. Jun 10, 2026 Abby Delanoy wears an Eric Jones shirt at the Democratic candidate’s watch party at Three Mile Brewing in Davis on June 2, 2026.
How Did the Generational Change Movement Do in California’s Election?
Sacramento County 16 hours ago Sacramento Councilmember Mai Vang leads primary for CA’s Congressional District 7 sacbee.com - Mathew Miranda • 16h Sacramento Councilmember Mai Vang is moving on to the November election and could be poised to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui.
In Redrawn Napa Valley House Seat, Voters Appear to Stick With Incumbent They Know
News Home / Politics Rep. Mike Thompson is holding off a progressive challenger and a Republican in early returns in this Napa Valley district, suggesting voters here aren’t ready to trade in experience for a fresh face. Jun 2, 2026 Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee Signals She’ll Run for Full Term in November
News Home / Politics May 20, 2026 On her first anniversary in office, the former East Bay representative promised Oaklanders continued stability and growth. Mayor Barbara Lee speaks during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026.
Chad Bianco Pitches Deregulation and a Focus on Fraud at KQED Governor Town Hall
News Home / Politics May 19, 2026 Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco presented a gubernatorial agenda focused on shrinking government, rooting out fraud and ending California sanctuary policy. Gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco speaks with KQED politics reporter Marisa Lagos during a town hall at KQED in San Francisco on May 18, 2026.
Airport to housing?
Small aircraft are parked just off the runway at Santa Monica Airport. Read on… to learn why one Santa Monica hotel worker supports the measure, and why others say it’s just not the right location for thousands of apartments. Why it matters: The competing visions for the future of the Santa Monica Airport highlight tensions over creating more affordable housing in wealthy communities where thousands of people work, but can’t afford to live.
SD Islamic Center
California gubernatorial candidates during a debate hosted by CBS Bay Area and the San Francisco Examiner in San Francisco on May 14, 2026. Read on . . . for the history and controversy of CA's top two primary system. What it means for election 2026: This year, Democrats raised the alarm that two Republican gubernatorial candidates may move to the general election, locking out Democrats despite outnumbering Republican registered voters almost two to one.
What Is California's ‘Jungle Primary’ — and Why Does It Matter so Much for the Governor’s Race?
News Home / Guides and Explainers May 15, 2026 Save Article Failed to save article Please try again Email Matt Mahan, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, from left, Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, Chad Bianco, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California, Steve Hilton, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California, Tom Steyer, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, and Katie Porter, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for...
California Billionaire Tax Nears the November Ballot
News Home / California Apr 27, 2026 Save Article Failed to save article Please try again Email Health care workers and other supporters with the Billionaire Tax Now coalition hold placards during a media briefing in Los Angeles on April 27, 2026. If passed by voters, the 5% tax on California’s billionaires would go toward funding health care. But opponents are preparing a poison-pill measure designed to kill it. (Frederic J.
Betty Yee Becomes Latest Democrat to Exit California Governor’s Race
News Home / Politics Apr 20, 2026 Save Article Failed to save article Please try again Email Betty Yee, former California State Controller, speaks during a state gubernatorial forum at the UCSF Mission Bay campus in San Francisco on Jan. 26, 2026. The field of candidates to become California’s next governor narrowed again with the exit of Yee, who said she doesn’t have the resources to get to the finish line.
Oakley Drops Data Center Plans, Approves Massive Industrial Project
Mar 11, 2026 Failed to save article Please try again The Bridgehead Industrial Project would transform 164 acres near the San Joaquin River and Big Break Regional Shoreline into industrial buildings, potentially housing warehouses, logistics facilities and battery storage. Data center use has been eliminated from the project. (Courtesy of City of Oakley) In total, the project will exceed a whopping 7 million square feet, making it one of the largest of its kind in the Bay Area.
Los Gatos ‘Party Mom’ May See 30 Years in Prison After Guilty Verdict
Mar 4, 2026 Failed to save article Please try again Shannon O'Connor, the Los Gatos woman charged with throwing drunken and sex-filled parties for her son and local teens, attends an arraignment hearing with her attorney Sam Polverino in San José, California, on Oct. 20, 2021. A Santa Clara County jury found O’Connor guilty on most charges on Wednesday.
Rising SF Rents, a Progressive Rep in CA’s MAGA Corner, and Waymo’s Remote Workers
12 hours ago Recently, I asked Claude, an artificial-intelligence thingy at the center of a standoff with the Pentagon, if it could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Say, for example, hands that wanted to put a tight net of surveillance around every American citizen, monitoring our lives in real time to ensure …
Genocide survivor seized
San Croucher and her three daughters, Sithy Yi, Sithea San and Jennifer Diep at Kamput Refugee Camp, Thailand, in 1981. Photo was taken after the family fled genocide in Cambodia. Read on ... for more about Sithy Yi’s story and changes in how immigration enforcement agencies treat victims of crime, torture and human trafficking. LAist reached out to DHS and ICE, but have not received comment at the time of publication.
CA Trump voters
Trump voter concerns: The survey found that Californians name the cost of living and the economy as the most important issues facing the state today. KQED interviews with Trump voters across the state revealed general support for his “America First” platform, but they are also divided on whether the president’s actions fulfill that mandate. Several also criticized Trump’s rhetoric and tone.
1 Year In, California Trump Voters Take Stock of His Second Term
Jan 27, 2026 Failed to save article Please try again Ben Pino in his neighborhood in Los Angeles County on May 7, 2025. (Julie Leopo for LAist) They weigh in on a range of issues, including sweeping tariffs, immigration raids, National Guard deployments and a redistricting battle. While there is general support for his “America First” platform, they are divided on whether the president’s actions fulfill that mandate. Several also criticized Trump’s rhetoric and tone.
Puppy mills
State lawmakers Steve Bennett, Marc Berman and Tom Umberg celebrate the passage of new legislation to protect consumers and animals from deceptive practices in the pet industry. The backstory: In 2019, California led the nation in banning pet stores from selling dogs from commercial breeders, also called puppy mills, which prioritize profits over animals’ welfare. But the law did not cover online marketplaces, and resellers cropped up to take the place of pet stores.
2026 Rose Parade lineup
Read on ... for more about the symbol-rich float that is taking center stage today. Why now: The Rose Parade is a New Year's Day tradition for millions of viewers who tune in on TV to see the creative displays of Southern California's natural bounty roll through the streets of Pasadena. For locals, it has long been a point of pride to be included among the many float crews, marching bands, and equestrian performers that have participated in the event since the first Tournament of Roses in 1890.
California Cracks Down on the Puppy Mill Pipeline with New Laws
Dec 30, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again State lawmakers Steve Bennett, Marc Berman and Tom Umberg celebrate the passage of new legislation to protect consumers and animals from deceptive practices in the pet industry, close loopholes undermining California law and further protect consumers from fraudulent breeders. All three bills received overwhelming bi-partisan support in both the Assembly and the Senate, and the new laws will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Fairfax Recall of Mayor, Vice-Mayor Appears Poised to Fail, Early Returns Show
Nov 5, 2025 Updated 2:11 pm PT Failed to save article Please try again Signs for and against the recall of Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman sit outside a 7-Eleven in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. The blistering recall attempt centered around a proposed housing development in the small Marin County town.
The Latest Bay Area Recall Campaign Is Over a 6-Story Apartment Building
Oct 28, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again Kathy Flores wears a pin in support of the recall of Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. A special election is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2025, amid community tensions over proposed housing development and state housing mandates.
Medicaid Cuts Could Put Services for Disabled Californians At Risk
Oct 8, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again Art student Douglas Morales, left, works on a painting in the art studio at the Arc in San Francisco on Sept. 23, 2025. Medicaid helps pay for programs that allow disabled Californians to live and work in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions. But federal cuts might endanger those services.
Richmond Police Protest Reforms to Public Communications After Police Shootings
Sep 17, 2025 Updated 5:20 pm PT Failed to save article Please try again The Richmond Police Department in Richmond on Aug. 6, 2025. A Richmond City Council meeting erupted into a shouting match over demands for more transparency after police shootings. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED) At least a dozen police officers protested a Richmond City Council meeting on Tuesday, calling for the reinstatement of two officers involved in a fatal shooting last month and demanding more staffing and higher wages.
Trump Tariffs Could Cause Job Loss and Lower Incomes in SF
Sep 15, 2025 Failed to save article Please try again A view of the downtown San Francisco skyline on July 10, 2025. San Francisco and California will be better off than the rest of the country, but residents will still feel the sting of tariff-induced inflation. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) The report’s projections are based on the assumption that all of President Donald Trump’s tariffs remain in effect and do not include potential interventions by the Federal Reserve.
Federal funding cuts to food program impacts communities and farmers
SCOTT DETROW, HOST: Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it was cutting funds for a program that almost 8,000 food banks and communities have relied on for fresh, local food. For the Hoopa Valley Tribe in California, the funding had helped them provide meat, fruits and vegetables, and it created reliable income for their farmers. KQED's Izzy Bloom reports from Humboldt County.
Federal funding cuts to food program impacts communities and farmers
The Trump administration announced this spring it's ending a pandemic-era program that helped food banks and tribal governments buy fresh produce from local farmers.
Federal funding cuts to food program impacts communities and farmers
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