Latest Stories By Chris Nichols

California’s recall election will determine whether Gov. Gavin Newsom remains in office or is removed and replaced by another candidate. As voters make their choice, they may encounter misinformation or confusion about how the recall process works.  To help sort through the facts, PolitiFact California debunked false claims about the election and demystified how it […]

Recall candidate Kevin Faulconer says his record on homelessness as San Diego’s mayor is a model for how he would tackle California’s crisis as governor.  Faulconer, a moderate Republican who was mayor from 2014 through 2020, claims on his campaign website that he “transformed San Diego into the only big city in California where outdoor […]

California Gov. Gavin Newsom attacked the leaders of the recall campaign against him in a national TV blitz this week, alleging they’re anti-immigrant, connected to far right militias and embrace QAnon conspiracy theories.  The Democratic governor’s high-profile push back was his most forceful yet against the effort to remove him from office. It took place […]

For years, California state lawmakers have pushed ideas that would allow developers to build small apartment buildings, duplexes and triplexes in neighborhoods zoned almost exclusively for single family homes.  These bills, meant to address the state’s severe housing shortage and create more inclusive communities, have gained some traction. But following strong opposition, they ultimately failed […]

A California state lawmaker from San Diego County and a Santa Clara County GOP party official are among Republicans nationwide who justified pro-Trump extremists violently attacking the U.S. Capitol last week. Asm. Randy Voepel, who represents communities in eastern San Diego County, defended the insurrection as an effort to push back “against tyranny,” before later […]

Several days after President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Nevada, conservative groups continue to make unproven claims about voter fraud, even suggesting that votes from Californians helped Biden win in the Silver State. The Associated Press and other media organizations declared Biden the winner on Saturday. His margin has steadily increased to 36,000, with 97% of […]

Millions of Californians have already cast their ballot by mail, but millions more are expected to show up to the polls for early voting this weekend and on Election Day. They’ll do this amid concerns about voter intimidation, social unrest and a statewide spike in coronavirus cases. To answer questions about how to vote this […]

California voters are returning their mail-in ballots at a record pace, with more than 5 million already returned as of Oct. 22. With two weeks left until Election Day, that’s nearly one quarter of the 21.5 million ballots sent out to all active, registered voters in the state at the beginning of the month. But […]

One day after the Trump administration rejected California’s request for federal assistance for several September wildfires, citing damage that wasn’t “severe” enough, the administration reversed course and approved the relief.  “Just got off phone with @realDonaldTrump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted early Friday afternoon. “Grateful for his quick […]

President Donald Trump this week called on his supporters to monitor voting locations during the election. “I am urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully,” Trump said at Tuesday’s presidential debate with Joe Biden in Cleveland. “Because that’s what has to happen. I am urging them to do it.”  The […]

Scientists, and many Californians enduring this summer’s smoky and sweltering heat, wish President Donald Trump’s latest prediction — that “it’ll start getting cooler, just watch” — would come true. The problem? There’s nothing to back it up.  “We have very clear evidence that California is warming,” Stanford University climate scientist Noah Diffenbaugh said Monday in […]

A postcard sent out nationwide this week by the United States Postal Service created confusion among some who plan to vote by mail in California, leading state and county election officials to set the record straight.  The postcard urges Americans who plan to vote by mail in the general election to “plan ahead.” Specifically, it […]