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California Dreamin'

Started by S Goldstein; Last updated Feb 24, 08 10:02 PM CST by K Schwartz | View history

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California Dreamin'

"I have seen purer liquors, better segars, finer tobacco, truer guns and pistols, larger dirks and bowie knives, and prettier courtesans here in San Francisco than in any other place I have ever visited; and it is my unbiased opinion that California can and does furnish the best bad things that are available in America." - Hilton Helper

California, the state where fortunes are made and lost in a weekend, muscle-bound movie stars become governors, and box office takes carry as much weight as football scores. Lesser regions may affect to snub the Golden State, but with the largest GDP in the country and the eighth largest in the world, California doesn't care.

Stories

Stories 41 - 60 of 219

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July 2008
- Methodist Ministers Defy Ban on Marrying Gays
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 17, 08 11:02 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Methodist ministers in California are revolting against religious edicts that forbid them from performing same-sex marriages, the Los Angeles Times reports, in a struggle that many consider "the civil rights cause of their generation." Dozens of Methodist pastors have officiated at gay and lesbian weddings since they were legalized in California, and 82 retired ministers signed a statement offering to stand in for ministers who don't want to put their careers at risk. More »
- Calif. Court Leaves Gay Marriage Ban on the Ballot
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 17, 08 9:38 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A voter initiative to ban gay marriage is staying on California’s ballot this November, the state’s supreme court ruled unanimously yesterday, setting the stage for a bitter November battle. Gay rights groups had argued that the proposition was an illegal constitutional revision, and that petitions for the initiative had been misleading. The vote is expected to be a close one. More »
- Social Responsibility Costs Calif. Pension Funds Billions
  
  BusinessWeek | Jul 15, 08 7:21 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - California's plan to put state pension funds in socially responsible investments means those funds are worth billions less than they would be if they'd been allowed to invest in tobacco companies and emerging markets, BusinessWeek reports. The initiative, launched in 2000, also pushed investment in California real estate—where the funds are on the hook for some big losses in a down market. More »
- Calif. Mulls Pay-as-You-Drive Insurance to Cut Costs, Miles
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 15, 08 1:48 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - An alliance of insurance companies and environmentalists are pushing to bring pay-as-you-drive auto-insurance, available from a handful of companies in other states, to California in a big way, the Los Angeles Times reports. The system, which charges premiums based on mileage, as recorded by a GPS tracking device, gives drivers financial incentives to conserve, and has multiple benefits on roadways and for the environment. More »
- Calif. Pol Aims to Burst Balloons
  
  Wall Street Journal | Jul 15, 08 8:55 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A California lawmaker is pushing to ban helium-filled foil balloons, blaming the globe-shaped menaces for flying into power lines and causing more than 800 blackouts in the state last year. The bill easily passed the state's senate, but it’s facing an uproar from balloon artists and balloon lovers alike as it awaits an assembly vote, the Wall Street Journal reports. More »
- San Francisco Pioneers Smart Parking Spots
  
  New York Times | Jul 12, 08 7:48 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The streets of San Francisco will be getting smarter this fall, reports the New York Times . The city is pioneering a program to add sensors to thousands of parking spaces; drivers will be alerted to empty spaces through displays on street signs or via their smartphones. City officials hope the experiment will help clear Frisco's clogged traffic by cutting down on drivers circling to look for a place to park. More »
- Celebs Face Off in Green Arms Race
  
  Associated Press | Jul 10, 08 2:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - It could only happen in California—a pair of celebrity neighbors, actor Ed Begley Jr. and "Science Guy" Bill Nye, are involved in a contest of environmental one-upsmanship, the AP reports. Since Nye moved onto Begley’s block in Studio City 2 years ago, the two have been competing to see whose house can leave a smaller carbon footprint. More »
- San Diego Vows to Dress Down SoCal Nudists
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 5, 08 5:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Officials in San Diego County are drawing battle lines over those who give up tan lines. For years, naturists have flocked to San Onofre State Beach to skinny dip in seclusion—but after Labor Day, park rangers will issue citations to nudists at the iconic getaway, which even Richard Nixon praised, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »
- Firefighters Face 'Critical' Day
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 5, 08 1:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Today will be “critical” for battling the Goleta fire, one of more than 330 still raging across California, a fire commander told the Los Angeles Times . The blaze has already scorched 8,300 acres, sparked more than 2,500 evacuations, and razed four buildings—but it is now 24% contained. "We want to be vigilant, we want to stay persistent," the commander said. "Our hope is to close this off." More »
- Wind Keeps Wildfires Spreading Throughout Calif.
  
  Associated Press | Jul 4, 08 4:15 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - A pair of out-of-control wildfires roared along California's central coast today, chewing through opposite ends of a parched forest and threatening a total of more than 4,500 homes. While flames from the stubborn fire inched closer to Big Sur's historic vacation retreats, state emergency officials said hot winds had caused a newer blaze 200 miles south in Santa Barbara County to double in size overnight. More »
- Fires, Spiking Gas Aside, Calif. Tourism Still Sunny
  
  San Jose Mercury News | Jul 3, 08 4:25 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Near-continuous wildfires and soaring gas prices don’t seem to have made much of a dent in California’s tourism industry, the San Jose Mercury News reports. California's AAA reports only an 0.8% drop in Fourth of July domestic tourism, and a jump in visitors from abroad more than makes up the difference, travel officials say. More »
- Sticker Shock: Calif. Puts Emissions Rating on '09 Cars
  
  San Jose Mercury News | Jul 2, 08 7:45 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A state-mandated sticker showing vehicles' global-warming rating is starting to show up in California showrooms, the San Jose Mercury News reports. "We are forced by the nature of our economy to drive vehicles to work and play. This gives people a tool to lessen their carbon footprint," a state spokesman said of the label showing autos' 1-10 rating on greenhouse gas emissions. More »
- SF Mayor Exploring Bid For Governor
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 2, 08 5:10 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is exploring a bid for governor of California in 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports. Arnold Schwarzenegger is prevented from running again by term limits, making for the state's first open governor's race in 12 years. Newsom has made a name for himself as a high-profile champion of issues like same-sex marriage and health care. More »
- Celluloid's Sexiest Swimsuits
  
  Entertainment Weekly | Jul 2, 08 12:50 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Break out the coconut oil, it’s National Bikini Month. From Alba to Andress, Entertainment Weekly offers a cinematic retrospective of Hollywood’s splashiest swimsuits. Halle Berry, Die Another Day Ursula Andress, Dr. No Jessica Alba, Into the Blue More »
- Hands-Free Phones Still Dangerous Driver Overload
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 1, 08 7:33 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - California motorists are now banned from using cell phones, but scientists say the move won't make the freeways any safer, reports the Los Angeles Times . Research shows that it is the lack of attention rather than occupied hands that impacts safety, and that drivers chatting on phones with both hands on the wheel may be just as much of a hazard. More »