Dying to Play the Wii

Staff / Truthdig Jan 16, 2007 A mother of three in California has died of water intoxication after participating in a local radio station contest. Participants competed by drinking large quantities of water without urinating in an effort to win a Nintendo Wii video game system. If ever there was confirmation that America's consumerism is out of control, this is it. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Universal Healthcare — Sort of — for California

Staff / Truthdig Jan 9, 2007 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced details of his healthcare plan on Monday, continuing a leftward swing that began shortly before the election. Under the plan, all Californians would be required to have health insurance, with costs spread across the private and public sectors. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Good News for Election Integrity

Staff / Truthdig Jan 6, 2007 California's incoming secretary of state, Debra Bowen, says her office will conduct "a top to bottom review of every voting system in use anywhere in California." What's more, Bowen has indicated she is willing to decertify machines approved by her predecessor, Bruce McPherson. We can only hope Bowen's investigation will spark a national trend. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

United Farm Workers Cleared of Wrongdoing

Staff / Truthdig Dec 28, 2006 The California state attorney general's office has found no wrongdoing in the United Farm Workers Union's handling of its affiliated charities. The probe was launched in response to allegations raised by a series of articles published in the Los Angeles Times. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Golden State’s Green Law

Staff / Truthdig Dec 25, 2006 California's Global Warming Solutions Act requires the state to cut emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Industrialists and environmentalists alike are watching intently as the world's seventh-largest economy prepares to meet that goal -- assuming the landmark law survives numerous court challenges. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Truthdig Podcast: Schwarzenegger, Kerry, the Election and More

Staff / Truthdig Nov 3, 2006 Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer sounds off on Schwarzenegger's hold on California, Kerry's spine, election voting woes, and reader commentary. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

John Burton on California Before Arnold

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Oct 25, 2006 Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer does a career-spanning interview with the "blue-collar liberal" who helped rule California politics as both a congressman and leader of the state legislature over the last 30 years. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Schwarzenegger Pumps Up Campaign

Staff / Truthdig Oct 22, 2006 Despite a consistent lead in the polls and a war chest twice the size of his opponent's, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger just gave his campaign $3.5 million of his own money, leaving some strategists scratching their heads. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Schwarzenegger Defies GOP on Emissions Cap

Staff / Truthdig Aug 31, 2006 California will become the first state to cap greenhouse gas emissions, should a deal reached between Gov. Schwarzenegger and state Democrats pass the Legislature. The deal is seen as a betrayal by Republicans, who oppose a state cap on emissions. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

California Legislators Challenge Hemp Ban

Staff / Truthdig Aug 28, 2006 California legislators have sent a bill to Gov. Schwarzenegger that would legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp, setting up a direct confrontation with federal drug authorities. The plant, which contains none of the hallucinogenic properties of marijuana, is considered a kind of miracle crop by farmers and entrepreneurs who seek to exploit its fast growth and myriad uses. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Heat Wave Kills 140 Californians

Staff / Truthdig Aug 11, 2006 About 140 Californians died last month from a severe heat wave, the most casualties since 1955, when air conditioning became widespread. Officials were left scrambling to explain the inordinately high number of deaths, unusual for a place where people are used to the summer heat. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

California Heat Wave Kills More Than 130

Staff / Truthdig Jul 31, 2006 California?s recent heat wave has caused the deaths of more than 130 people, officials believe. Though temperatures have been cooling, they hovered around 115 degrees in some parts of the state earlier in the week. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )