The Sacramento Bee
UFW’s legislative clout in CA is tested by Chavez revelations
Long before findings that Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and minors for years, the California-based labor union he co-founded had already endured a long and painful decline in its organizing power. At its peak in the early 1970s, United Farm...
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Not all war deaths are heroic. All are remembered
Jim Gines wasn’t sure what led his brother to a second voluntary stint in the Vietnam War or, nearly 60 years after it happened, the exact circumstances of his death. Gines’ brother Manuel Gines, a United States Army Specialist Fourth Class from...
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Sacramento considers pop-up strategy for vacant stores
Sacramento City Council, looking to fill vacant storefronts and energize struggling commercial corridors, may borrow a page from San Francisco’s downtown playbook. Civic leaders across the country have struggled for years to revitalize office-heavy,...
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Family, friends identify 2 teen girls killed in fiery crash
The two high school students killed in a fiery crash Sunday near Rancho Murieta in southeastern Sacramento County were identified by family and friends on social media ahead of a planned community vigil. Social media posts identified the victims as...
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Camron Lee arrested in Angelica Bravo killing case
Lee is in custody in a San Diego jail and will face murder and weapons charges in Sacramento as early as Thursday in the killing of Sacramento mother Angelica Bravo. The two children the fugitive father spirited away to Mexico after Bravo’s slaying...
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5 dead, including shooters, in attack on SD’s Islamic center
Three people were fatally shot at an Islamic center in a San Diego neighborhood on Monday morning, including an armed security guard who confronted two gunmen, authorities said. The two suspected shooters were later found dead from self-inflicted...
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Tax auction bargains can come with boarded doors and secrets
Diane Hill was deciding if it was worth it to her to clean the mess at 8932 Florin Road. The south Sacramento property, which sold at tax auction in May 2025, was in a foul state as of March. Trash was strewn about the nearly 1-acre property. Inside a...
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Ex-Newsom aide admits to bank fraud, false tax return
former top aide to Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded guilty in Sacramento federal court Thursday to bank fraud, filing a false tax return and lying to the FBI in a corruption scandal that rattled California politics last fall and still threatens to upend the...
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Homeless count increases 13% from 2024, report shows
There were more people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County than in 2024, but fewer than in 2022, according to a new survey released Wednesday. The federally-mandated Point-in-Time count, which officials released Wednesday, found there are...
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Becerra surges in polls, draws cheers at hometown event
Six weeks ago, Democrat Xavier Becerra’s campaign for governor was running on fumes, struggling to raise money or stand out in a crowded field. All of that felt like a distant memory on Monday night, when Becerra, now the leading Democrat ahead of the...
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Matsui says she opposes any funding for ICE. What does her record say?
Over the last several months, as immigration debates have intensified across the country, Rep. Doris Matsui has repeatedly told Sacramento-area voters that she opposes giving any money to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Take Matsui’s post on...
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Passengers begin evacuating cruise ship hit by hantavirus
Groups of passengers and crew disembarked Sunday from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak to be evacuated to their respective countries in a process overseen by global health officials and expected to last until Monday. The passengers, none of...
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Sacramento nonprofits raise millions on Big Day of Giving
region nonprofits had raised more than $9.5 million on the Big Day of Giving by Thursday afternoon. The annual event, a Sacramento region tradition launched by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation in 2013, has raised more than $117 million since...
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Rivals target Becerra in combative CNN debate for governor
The debate knives were out for Democrat Xavier Becerra Tuesday night as four Democrats and two Republicans attempted to chip away at the former state attorney general’s momentum in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. Moderated by CNN...
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Whiter, wealthier primary voters may shape governor’s race
Californians began voting Monday in this year’s primary election. The race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom remains unsettled, but is beginning to consolidate. With no clear frontrunner — and with primary turnout typically far lower than in November — the...
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Ceremony honors California’s fallen peace officers
California’s law enforcement community gathered near the state Capitol on Monday to hold a sober ceremony enrolling new names of fallen officers on the California Peace Officers’ Memorial. This year’s ceremony remembered 12 officers who died in the...
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Supporters rally to save parent participation preschool
Amanda Chapman stood before the Sacramento City Unified school board on Thursday and said the situation at the preschool she teaches at was dire. “I’m hanging on by a thread,” Chapman told the board. “But I refuse to give up.” It might not be enough....
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Trump signs bill to fund DHS after lengthy shutdown
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed into law legislation funding Department of Homeland Security agencies including the Secret Service and Transportation Security Adminlegislation istration, ending a partial shutdown that has gripped DHS...
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City Council approves new joint homelessness authority
Residents could soon see Sacramento County’s elected officials discuss the homeless crisis in one place after the Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to create a new, unified government structure to oversee the issue. The Sacramento City Council...
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Trump welcomes King Charles at White House for state visit
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed King Charles III to the White House for a visit rife with doubt about the future of Britain’s so-called special relationship with America and fresh security concerns in the wake of the shooting at the White House...
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Authorities nab suspect in 1991 Placer murder of kidnapped mom
Cinthia “Cindi” Wanner was cleaning her sister’s Placer County home 34 years ago when someone kidnapped her, taking the 35-year-old mother and leaving behind her 11month-old daughter in a high chair where she was found later crying and alone. Wanner...
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Investigators seek motive in shooting at Washington dinner
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that investigators had collected details and other evidence about a suspect in a shooting that sent Secret Service agents rushing President Donald Trump from the stage at the White House correspondents’...
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K Street murder trial begins four years after mass shooting
Prosecutors showed video of the chaos in the immediate aftermath of the worst mass shooting in Sacramento history. Images of hundreds fleeing the roar of gunfire punctuated the desperate scene. At its center, prosecutors said, two groups of men,...
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Democrats eye broader battlefield to capture Congress
As the mule-drawn floats and carts lined up for the annual Mule Day parade in Columbia, Tennessee, Mayor Chaz Molder, a Democratic donkey in conservative country, was bantering with Republican officials when one official called out, “With as much money...
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Iran sends mixed signals on talks after US seizes ship
Iran on Monday sharpened its threats to retaliate after the United States attacked and seized an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on the fragile ceasefire set to expire this week. Iranian officials have been sending mixed...
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Illicit cannabis market still dominates decade after Prop. 64’s passage
It’s been nearly a decade since California voters legalized recreational cannabis, but production and sales remain outlawed in most of the state – and the black market dominates. In fact, eight times more marijuana is cultivated illegally than through...
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Bail denied for ex-sheriff’s lieutenant in fireworks case
The former Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant at the center of the ferocious Esparto fireworks warehouse explosion that killed seven workers last July pleaded not guilty in Woodland to murder and explosives charges in the deadly blast. Samuel Machado...
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Villaraigosa targets Becerra in governor’s race
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa amped up attacks of former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra even as both men poll in the low-to-mid single digits as candidates in the governor’s race. The two Democrats are hardly household...
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US and Iran trade proposals on nuclear restrictions
United States and Iran have traded proposals for a suspension of Iranian nuclear activities but remain far apart on the duration of any agreement, according to Iranian and U.S. officials. In the Strait of Hormuz, a sticking point in the week-old...
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US begins naval blockade in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said Iran had reached out about another round of negotiations Monday, a few hours after the start of a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz threatened the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United...
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US, Iran fail to reach deal after marathon talks, Vance says
The U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement after marathon talks in Pakistan, raising doubts about whether they can find a lasting resolution to a six-week war that has killed thousands and disrupted energy supplies across the globe. Vice President...
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Coming home may be the most dangerous part of Artemis II
The Artemis II heat shield, NASA agrees, is flawed. The heat shield is the critical layer at the bottom of a spacecraft that protects it – and the astronauts inside – from searing temperatures upon reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. If the shield...
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Man shot by ICE was acquitted in El Salvador, lawyer says
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, the man shot by ICE on Tuesday when he allegedly weaponized his SUV while attempting to flee, was acquitted of homicide in El Salvador, his attorney said. Documents by the Salvadorian government confirm he was accused of...
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ICE shooting in Patterson sends person to hospital
and Customs Enforcement officers shot a man in Patterson on Tuesday morning, describing him as a wanted gang member who tried to run over an officer during a traffic stop. The subject was taken to a Modesto hospital, and as of early afternoon there was...
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Mother deported under Trump returns to Sacramento in 40 days
immigration officers arrested her six weeks ago, through tears and a rushed goodbye, Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez had a request for her daughter. “Call Nick.” Neeraj Paul, who goes by Nick, had known her for nearly 20 years. He first hired Estrada...
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Social media star, Sacramento pig unites family, wins record
“You don’t see a pig on a leash every day with a hat on,” Mina Alali said as her potbelly pig wearing a colorful propeller hat tugged at her skirt, hoping to receive a handful of oats. The propeller hat has become a signature look for the pig — a...
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Social media makes it hard for SD-based warships to hide
Warships from San Diego and elsewhere have found it next to impossible in recent weeks to keep their location quiet as they headed for the Middle East and the war between the U.S. and Iran. The March 18 departure of the San Diego-based USS Boxer...
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Artemis II’s lunar quartet of astronauts break Apollo mold
single person who has flown to the moon has been a man. All of them have been white. Each one has been an American. That’s about to change. NASA on Wednesday successfully launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending...
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DACA mother reunited at border with daughter after deportation
When her best friend finally appeared from the doorway, Damaris Bello didn’t say words. She simply opened her arms. Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez didn’t hesitate. Estrada Juarez collapsed into her daughter’s embrace. For the next 20 minutes, they...
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Trump warns Iran of escalation as US troops arrive in region
President Donald Trump repeated threats to destroy Iranian energy assets if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened soon, raising fears of a further escalation in the war after American troops arrived in the region. The U.S. “is in serious discussions”...
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SACRAMENTO TO SAY GOODBYE TO MARCH MADNESS
Cocky, the South Carolina Gamecocks mascot, entertains the crowd Saturday during a timeout against the Oklahoma Sooners in a women’s basketball Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center. The NCAA’s four-day Sacramento Regional concludes Monday night with the...
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Israel kills Iranian naval commander; Trump raises pressure
An Israeli airstrike killed an Iranian naval commander who played a pivotal role in shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, Israel said Thursday, as President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure on Iran to accept his proposal to end the war. Trump, in a...
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Historic state office building renovated for $169M
Van Acker stood near the recently restored Capitol fountain, minutes before the ribbon cutting for the major renovation of the Jesse M. Unruh Building. He and his wife Ellie Van Acker, who are members of Preservation Sacramento, fought to save the...
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Sacramento sued for destroying property in homeless sweep
Elizabeth Williams could not understand why the city threw away her tent, her laptop and all her medications — twice. Now, the meticulous receiptsaver is suing Sacramento for $12,239.43 in small claims court. Trashing her belongings, she argued in...
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ICE agents fan out at airports across the US
Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement began to be deployed at airports across the country Monday morning, but it was unclear whether their presence was helping or exacerbating long security lines. Between 100 and 150 ICE officers were sent...
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Sacramento’s $514M high-rise courthouse set to open in weeks
The latest addition to the Sacramento skyline may also be its most anticipated: a gleaming 18-story courthouse with 53 courtrooms and 540,000 square feet of real estate to replace an aging downtown courthouse long regarded as undersized, unsafe,...
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Rivas announces push to rename Chavez Day for farmworkers
The California Legislature will move to change the name of state holiday Cesar Chavez Day following allegations of rape against the legendary labor leader, including from two women who said the assaults occurred when they were minors. Assembly Speaker...
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City officials back renaming downtown plaza after allegations
A majority of the Sacramento City Council declared support for renaming Cesar E. Chavez Plaza after allegations of sexual abuse were published Wednesday against the civil rights leader. Mayor Kevin McCarty and Council members Karina Talamantes, Phil...
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Events honoring Chavez canceled amid ‘troubling’ allegations
The United Farm Workers union said it would not participate in events honoring its founder, Cesar Chavez, citing what it described as “troubling allegations” against the iconic Chicano labor leader. The union, in a statement released Tuesday, did not...
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STUDENTS WALK OUT IN SUPPORT OF NATOMAS TEACHERS STRIKE
Helen Ayala Olivares, 17, a senior at Natomas High School, holds a sign as she walks out of school to join a teachers strike on Monday. Natomas Unified teachers have been on strike since March 10 seeking raises, fully paid health benefits and classroom...
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California lawmakers ask USDA for $9M peach grower relief
Congressional lawmakers from California have urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to subsidize Central Valley peach growers still reeling from the collapse of Del Monte Foods and the closure of its Modesto cannery. In a letter sent Friday to USDA...
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Striking teachers unions join forces for Capitol Mall march
Thousands of striking Sacramento-area educators and their supporters from two school districts converged Thursday morning to call on local leaders to meet their demands for pay raises, improved health care coverage and staffing increases. The joint...
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US at fault in Iran school strike, preliminary inquiry says
An ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings. The Feb. 28...
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Natomas teachers go on strike for ‘safe and stable schools’
Teachers from Natomas Unified School District went on strike Tuesday, becoming the second group of Sacramentoarea teachers in a week to take to picket lines. Hundreds of people demonstrated and marched near campuses while classes continued with...
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Iran signals no letup in war as Khamenei’s son made leader
chose Mojtaba Khamenei, the hardline son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as its new supreme leader, signaling Tehran won’t back down in a war now raging across the Middle East and causing a surge in energy prices. The choice was quickly...
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Iran may name new leader soon; attacks on infrastructure grow
Fuel depots near Iran’s capital, Tehran, were engulfed in flames early Sunday after U.S. and Israeli forces expanded their attacks, while Iran tried to project stability by announcing that top clerics were finalizing their decision for a new supreme...
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25,000 Twin Rivers students go without regular teachers
For Brittoni Ward, seeing teachers at a rally Thursday near a Twin Rivers Unified School District office at McClellan Park was emotional. “It is really just a testament to how strong our union is, how much they care about their students, that they’re...
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Yuba River, Englebright Lake nearly clear of oil, debris
The tow boat pushed a barge stacked with what looked like orange logs through a narrow canyon toward the spilling dam. Navigating the subtle bends of the lake behind Englebright Dam, the vessel chugged across the otherwise still water, the late...
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Trump claims he ‘forced’ Israel into war, contradicting Rubio
President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered a much different explanation for how the United States and Israel opted to launch a surprise war with Iran, contending he pushed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the conflict. The U.S. commander in chief...
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US sending more forces as Mideast conflict widens
U.S. military officials said Monday that their operation against Iran was in its early stages, with more forces headed to the Middle East, as widening attacks claimed more lives, rattled global markets and risked spiraling into a fullblown regional...
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Iran retaliates against Israel and US allies
Iran targeted Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf on Sunday in retaliatory strikes over the killing of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the United States and Israel pressed on with a high-risk military campaign that analysts say could lead...
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Black-owned restaurants highlight culinary diversity
U.S. foodies, Sacramento is well-known as an upand-coming dining hotspot. That’s, in part, thanks to topnotch breweries, fast-casual bites and upscale date night spots owned and operated by Black Sacramentans. Black-owned restaurants are spread across...
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Trump defends policies during State of the Union address
President Donald Trump on Tuesday night used his State of the Union address to repeatedly attack congressional Democrats as they objected to his immigration policies, while also arguing that his policies were putting more money in the pockets of...
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Mother with legal permission to live in US deported in a day
Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez confidently walked to her green card appointment in downtown Sacramento on Wednesday morning. She had seen the reports of other immigrants arrested at similar check-ins. Estrada Juato rez believed her case would be...
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Mountain residents pay tribute to avalanche victims in Truckee
As the last daylight faded Sunday, the sound of “Amazing Grace” rose toward the peaks that cup this mountain town. Holding candles, hundreds of residents of this and other Tahoe-area communities sang the hymn in soft unison as they gathered to honor...
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State Dems pass on endorsing any candidate for governor
The California Democratic Party declined to endorse any candidate for governor at its 2026 state convention on Sunday, as the filing deadline remains two weeks away and party members are far apart on who to support in the race to succeed outgoing Gov....
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102-year-old keeps history of internment camp resisters alive
Jim Tanimoto remembers a lot from his 102 years of life, but not who took the photograph blown up on his office wall. The black-and-white picture shows 28 men of Japanese descent, American citizens, lined up on wooden stairs leading to a mess hall at...
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DEADLIEST SLIDE
Under a high avalanche warning in the Sierra, a slope near Lake Tahoe collapsed and buried a group of 15 skiers, killing at least eight people in the deadliest avalanche disaster in California history. The slide struck around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday near...
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Influential civil rights icon, 84, twice sought presidency
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the Chicago-based Baptist minister, political figure and two-time presidential candidate whose soaring oratory and knack for capturing media attention made him a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement and national...
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RAIN RETURNS TO SACRAMENTO REGION
David Kukesh and his daughter Emma find cover under their umbrella as they cross J Street after touring Old Sacramento in the rain on Monday. The storm delivered more than an inch of precipitation to communities throughout the Sacramento region.
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Long-vacant school could become community center
one had used the old North Sacramento School for some time, this much was clear on a crisp February day. At a rear door, a man removed boarding to allow access to the building, which was constructed in stages between 1915 and 1947 and appears to have...
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State workers petition lawmakers to protect telework
you didn’t know better, the groups milling around the Capitol Swing Space on Wednesday could have passed for any other cadre of suited lobbyists hoping for a minute of California lawmakers’ time. But those weren’t paid advocates. They were state...
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Lawmakers question Bondi over DOJ under her watch
Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to apologize to survivors of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein who were seated in the House Judiciary Committee room on Wednesday – and instead demanded that Democrats apologize to President Donald...
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DHS shutdown nears amid stalemate on immigration agent curbs
Bipartisan talks over curbing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown remained stalemated in Congress on Tuesday, threatening a shuttion down of the Department of Homeland Security this weekend as time ran short for a deal. Senate Democrats...
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Greenland, 1941: Capital woman’s granddad makes a bold move
President Trump threatened to annex Greenland last month, a woman in Sacramento thought of her grandfather, whose audacious move 85 years ago inadvertently opened the door to U.S. aggression that startled her and the world. The first time Bettina...
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