‘A box, not a list’: California weighs adding Jewish ethnicity to demographic data
Aug. 28, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
California lawmakers are weighing whether to include an ethnic category for Jewish identity on state demographic forms — an effort supporters say would give the state a clearer picture of a population that can be difficult to capture in government data.
California bill bars some sex offenders from public office. Some argue it’s too narrow
Aug. 27, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
California lawmakers have approved legislation by Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, to permanently bar people convicted of certain felony sex crimes and human trafficking from running for state or local elected office. The measure now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Whistleblower who exposed mass dog grave asks AG to intervene
Aug. 26, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
Months after investigators uncovered the remains of more than 100 dogs at a Northern California animal rescue, the whistleblower who helped expose the mass grave is asking Attorney General Rob Bonta to intervene.
California to sue Trump administration again over mail-in voting restrictions
Aug. 24, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California intends to sue the Trump administration again over President Donald Trump’s efforts to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterms.
California lawmaker fears ICE officers may ‘jump ship’ to local police after Trump
Aug. 24, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-Panorama City, worries that when a new administration takes the White House in 2028, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers hired during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown might try to “jump ship” to local law enforcement.
Kiley, Pan clash in 6th District Congressional Debate
Aug. 18, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
In their first general election debate Monday evening, U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Rocklin, and former state Sen. Richard Pan offered competing explanations for the problems facing voters in California’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District. Kiley pointed to Sacramento, while Pan pointed to Washington.
At Padilla roundtable, California nonprofits warn of federal funding uncertainty
Aug. 18, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., joined leaders from California nonprofits, universities and community organizations in Sacramento Tuesday to hear how federal funding cuts and policy changes are playing out on the ground.
Cockfighting crackdown fails after drawing hundreds of opponents to Capitol
Aug. 14, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
After hundreds of Californians protested a bill aimed at curbing cockfighting by limiting the number of movement-restricted roosters a person could keep, the measure was halted in committee, effectively killing it.
California’s ‘Fair Share’ proposal could lead to unfair hiring, advocates warn
Aug. 12, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
Labor unions, health access and immigrant advocacy organizations celebrated when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Share from Big Corporations Act into law last month. But some policy analysts worry the effort to make companies pay more toward their workers’ healthcare could unintentionally shift who and how they hire.
How a stalemate with Home Depot reached the Capitol
Aug. 11, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
After immigration raids swept across Southern California Home Depot parking lots last summer, advocates hoped they could work with the retailer to address the fear that had taken hold among day laborers who gathered outside the stores looking for work.
Newsom blasts FCC decision to eliminate TV station ownership cap
Aug. 6, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the Federal Communications Commission Thursday after the agency voted to loosen longstanding limits on television station ownership, arguing the move would accelerate media consolidation and threaten the independence of local news.
CSU names Sac State President Luke Wood as tribal relations advisor
July 30, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento State opened the Wileety Native American College last fall, becoming the first campus in the California State University system to open a college dedicated to Native American students and Indigenous knowledge.
Rep. Mike Thompson points to Davis as model for safer cycling nationwide
July 29, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
As dozens of children buckled their helmets outside the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis for a morning bike ride Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson was inside making the case for legislation aimed at making bicycling safer and more accessible nationwide.
California joins Harvard’s fight with Trump over research funds
July 23, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is backing Harvard University in its legal fight over frozen federal research funding, arguing the Trump administration’s actions could ultimately threaten California’s public universities and the state’s research economy.
California lawmakers seek more transparency on data center water use
July 15, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
As artificial intelligence fuels a new wave of data center development across California, lawmakers are grappling with how to support the growing industry while protecting the state’s limited water supplies.
Illinois schools grapple with AI cyberbullying, deepfakes as new law takes effect
July 3, 2026 | Capitol News Illinois
Earlier this year, administrators at Lake Zurich High School confronted a growing challenge facing schools nationwide: students using artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of their classmates.
Republican-aligned PACs continue funding Kiley’s congressional campaign
June 27, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
Rep. Kevin Kiley has nearly $2 million in cash on hand as he heads into the general election, aided in part by support from Republican-aligned groups even after leaving the GOP earlier this year.
Immunology research initiative qualifies for November ballot
June 25, 2026 | The Sacramento Bee
An initiative seeking to fund immunology and immunotherapy research through an $8.4 billion state bond qualified Tuesday for the November ballot.
Illinois bets on biodiesel: Expanding the market for domestic soybeans
June 16, 2026 | NPR Illinois
At Incobrasa Industries, one of four soybean processing and biodiesel manufacturing companies in Illinois, a construction project is expected to roughly double the company’s production capacity by mid-June.
Stalled surveillance bill highlights tension between privacy and public safety
May 18, 2026 | Capitol News Illinois
Backers of a bill aimed at limiting law enforcement’s use of biometric surveillance say they’re not looking to move the measure this legislative session.
Pro-Israel conservatives confront antisemitic factions in their coalition
Nov. 19, 2025 | Medill News Service
The National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, a conservative-led initiative previously housed at the Heritage Foundation, met Tuesday to confront what members say can no longer be ignored: antisemitism within the conservative coalition.
ROAD to Housing Act awaits House amid shutdown
Oct. 22, 2025 | Medill News Service
As the federal government enters its second-longest shutdown in the nation’s history this week, the House of Representatives faces a growing workload when it is brought back in session — including consideration of the Senate-approved “ROAD to Housing Act,” a bipartisan package hailed as the most significant housing reform in a decade.
How Pope Leo Is Challenging American Catholics on Immigration
Oct. 14, 2025 | Sojourners
As President Donald Trump ordered federal troops into Chicago to assist with deportation efforts, immigrants and their advocates found an ally in Pope Leo XIV. A native of the city, the new pope urged U.S. bishops to confront the government’s escalating targeting of migrants.
Democrats refute claim they want “Health care for Illegals”
Oct. 3, 2025 | Medill News Service
The White House on Wednesday accused Democrats of forcing a government shutdown over “free health care for illegal aliens,” echoing Republican lawmakers. But the Affordable Care Act subsidies at issue have never been available to undocumented immigrants, and Democrats rejected the claim that immigration is driving the standoff.
Kings Mountain Art Fair returns for 62nd year
Aug. 28, 2025 | San Mateo Daily Journal
Beneath the redwood canopy between San Mateo County’s coastal and urban centers, the residents of Kings Mountain are preparing to host their 62nd annual art fair over Labor Day weekend.
Northwestern’s U.S. News & World Report ranking, by category
June 9, 2025 | The Daily Northwestern
Alongside the usual back-to-school excitement, Northwestern undergraduate students had extra reason to celebrate on the first day of classes last September. Their University reached its highest-ever spot — number six — in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings.
NU Libraries, Data Rescue Project host training to preserve disappearing federal data
Apr. 24, 2025 | The Daily Northwestern
To the average person, “data recovery” might sound like something best left to hackers in basements or thriller movies. But in an age when public information is quietly vanishing from government websites, some organizations are mobilizing the public to help safeguard it.
Israeli and Palestinian peace activists describe growing up amidst conflict
Nov. 15, 2024 | The Daily Northwestern
Living in a small town outside Tel Aviv, Israel, during the Second Intifada, Israeli peace activist Rotem Levin had only ever heard the word “Palestinian” next to “suicide bomber.” To Palestinian peace activist Osama Iliwat, who grew up in Jericho, Judaism was represented only by fully armed soldiers.
Innocent until proven guilty: Cook County Jail expands pretrial voter access
Oct. 30, 2024 | The Daily Northwestern
The 2024 presidential election has been charged with rhetoric around the criminal justice system, especially as Kamala Harris’ campaign has attempted to leverage a “prosecutor versus felon” narrative against her opponent.
‘My prison cell became my university’: Benard McKinley’s journey to civil rights law
Apr. 3, 2024 | The Daily Northwestern
In 2004, a judge told then 19-year-old Benard McKinley he would spend his next 97 birthdays behind bars. Last month, however, McKinley turned 39 as a free man and opened a hard-won birthday gift: an acceptance letter from Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law.
Illinois’ ban on book bans may infringe literary freedom, advocates say
Feb. 28, 2024 | The Daily Northwestern
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a ban on book bans into law last June to protect libraries’ freedom in choosing their own materials. But, some advocates of literary freedom have since raised concerns about possible unintended consequences surrounding the First Amendment and librarian safety.
