California is looking for new commissioners to draw its redistricting maps, the maps that define who votes for California’s representatives in Congress, its state Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization members. The deadline is coming up fast to apply for the job, which pays up to $300 per day. ... read more »

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $214.8 billion state spending plan he and legislative leaders are calling “the Affordability Budget” for the 2019-20 fiscal year. It took effect July 1 after the governor hashed out differences with the Assembly and Senate. ... read more »

Investigators from the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force circulated a photo of a YouTube rapper charged with pimping and pandering an 18-year-old woman and said they suspect there are additional victims. ... read more »

    Homelessness in Los Angeles County spiked by 12% over the past year to reach an estimated 58,936 people, according to figures released today, with the region’s housing costs outpacing wages and forcing people onto the streets faster than authorities can find them shelter. ... read more »

The five elected officials who govern Los Angeles County today approved $460 million in Measure H spending on homelessness, increasing their commitment to the problem in the face of a widely anticipated rise in the numbers of people without a permanent home. ... read more »

Sixty-three percent of the 2019 seniors will be first-generation college students ... read more »

Long Beach State University is ranked the ninth best public college in the western United States by U.S. News & World Report, the fifth most applied to university in the nation and ranked high for matriculating students who graduate with the least amount of debt. Forbes ranks CSULB as one of America’s best-value colleges because of its great return on investment. ... read more »

The South Coast Air Quality Management District today awarded $47.4 million to 26 businesses, organizations, universities, government agencies and utility companies in the South Coast Basin and Coachella Valley to help them purchase and upgrade their equipment with cleaner and energy efficient technologies.  Much of the funding will be directed at environmental justice communities that are close to industrial areas and are some of the hardest hit by air pollution.  The projects are located in all four counties in SCAQMD’s jurisdiction.    ... read more »

The seasonal air pollution prevention program extends from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28, 2019. During this four-month period, residents living in the South Coast Air Basin, including all of Orange County and the non-desert areas of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, are asked to help improve Southern California’s air quality by not burning firewood on No-Burn Days. ... read more »

The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Refinery Committee today directed agency staff to develop a regulation by May 2019 to better mitigate the risk from – or possibly phase out -- the use of a highly toxic chemical used at two Southland refineries. ... read more »

Former President Barack Obama says the November midterm elections will give Americans "a chance to restore some sanity in our politics,'' taking another swipe at his successor as he raises his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House.  ... read more »

  Rarely have we seen former president Barack Obama involved in any US politics since leaving office, but with so much to lose he’s hitting the campaign trial. ... read more »

Culminating September’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services will hold its 20th Annual Alive & Running 5K Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention on Sunday, September 30, 2018 beginning at 7:00 a.m. at West 88th Street & La Tijera Boulevard just north of LAX. (Schedule of Events is listed below).  Actor/filmmaker Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy) will serve as Emcee of the event, which also marks the 60th year that the Suicide Prevention Center has been saving lives. ... read more »

Revelations  by Alvin Ailey is his classic American story about the Black experience in the South in the 1950’s and 60’s. The sections are historical and take us back to the Black churches of the South, to a people’s faith in God and a willingness to die for their devout beliefs.    ... read more »

Sheriff's deputies and public works crews descended on Orange County's largest homeless encampment along the Santa Ana riverbed . ... read more »