When the state's foie gras ban goes into effect in July of 2012, California restaurants will have to pull the luxurious (yet allegedly cruel) item from their menus. Although producers claim it doesn't hurt the birds -- producers who make anywhere up to $15 million a year for the savory treat -- foie gras is made by force feeding ducks and geese to fatten their liver. When the ban goes into effect, the item will most likely turn into an underground treat for the artisan set. more ›

Sweet payback for each time an East Coaster lambasted Californians for losing it over the slightest chill in the air, reactions to today's earthquake have ranged from the humorous to the bizarre. Especially for those of us who suffered through Loma Prieta or Northridge. For example, Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi tweeted that the end was nigh, saying, "2012 is near, I knew it! I hope everyones okay!!!" more ›

While hate crimes against blacks, gays, and Jewish folks dropped in 2010, the California Attorney General's reports a jarring 47 increase in hate crimes committed against Latinos last year. SF Weekly reports that "hate crimes against Latinos increased from 81 in 2009 to 119 in 2010, a 46.9-percent jump." While the glaring rise in crimes committed against California Latinos cannot be explained -- "We just compile the reports, we don't really opine," said a spokesperson for the attorney general's office -- feel free to give us your thoughts in the comments. [SFW] more ›

A new law requiring online retailers to collect California sales tax from shoppers has stirred up controversy, and now Amazon.com Inc. is saying they are looking for voters to take the matter to the ballot. more ›

Hot on the heels of news that San Francisco USD will be laying off 139 educators at the end of the school year, comes a report from Sacramento that over two dozen teachers were arrested at the Capitol last night after they refused to leave the building as part of a demonstration against education cuts in the state budget. California Teacher's Association President David Sanchez, who led the group, told the press he was willing to be arrested, "to let the public understand the seriousness, the state of emergency that California public schools are under right now." more ›

California park officials today announced the closure of 70 parks, including Tomales Bay, due to the state's harrowing budget deficit. Sacramento Bee reports: "Gov. Jerry Brown's January budget plan proposed reducing the state parks budget by $22 million. The Legislature in March approved $11 million in cuts to state parks and $10 million in cuts to off highway vehicle parks in the next fiscal year, with $22 million in cuts to state parks in future years." The closures are expected to happen in September. Also added to the list? The governor's mansion. more ›

Much to no one's surprise, Governor Jerry Brown admitted this morning that he might not reach a budget deal by Thursday, "his self-imposed 60-day deadline," even though floor votes in the Legislature are expected this week. Why? Well, according to Sacto Bee, the GOP has been threatening lawmakers. Brown allegedly fears "some Republicans who might be willing to support putting tax extensions on the ballot have been threatened with reprisals from within the GOP." [Sacto Bee] more ›

For his third executive order since taking office in January, Governor Jerry Brown has ordered all state agencies to "freeze hiring" in an effort to reduce further spending. "We have a $25 billion deficit, and we must do everything possible to save money and make government leaner and more efficient," Brown said in a statement. more ›

If the San Francisco Eats exhibit at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library has whetted your appetite for more than food, do yourself an instructive favor and spend a few minutes poking around the California Ephemera Project, a fascinating, searchable stockpile of all things inventively printed and inadvertently collectible from the city’s archives since roughly 1850. more ›

In a national survey released yesterday, schools in California received an overall grade of a 76.2 out of 100, putting the quality of education in the Golden State just below the national average of 76.3. The annual Quality Counts survey, conducted by the folks behind the non-profit Education Week magazine, ranks California schools 30th in the nation based on six criteria including "Chance for Success", "K-12 Achievement" and "Standards, Assessment & Accountability". more ›

Call him Governor Viola Swamp if you must, because Jerry Brown just ordered an astounding 48,000 government-paid cell phones - that's around half of those used by government employees - be returned by June 1. Hrumph. Yes, the texting party is over for an estimated 96,000 cell phone users whose bills are fronted by state taxpayers. more ›

Though somewhat boring and dry (save the marble walls, which are appropriately stunning), watch the Proposition 8 sponsors appeal U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling right here. more ›

Falling between Italy and Brazil, the glorious state of California has, once again, ranked as the world's 8th largest economy. A report released yesterday by the Palo Alto-based Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy "looked at 2009 U.S. Commerce Department estimates for gross domestic product, which valued all goods and services produced in the state at $1.9 trillion," reports Business Week. "When compared to data compiled by the World Bank, California falls behind Italy's $2.1 trillion GDP but ahead of Brazil's $1.6 trillion economy." When compared to other states, Texas was the next largest state with a $1.1 trillion economy, "followed closely behind by New York." [BW] more ›

Well, now this is interesting - The LA Times reported yesterday that over $69 million worth of California welfare money has been drawn out of state. If you're unfamiliar, the cash benefits are loaded on to state-issued cards not unlike the way an undergrad's parents might load cash on to a debit card, which can then be used to draw funds in more or less the same manner. Of course, like any good nanny state, California has been keeping tabs on where the cards are being used, but doesn't necessarily have the resources to follow up on the data. Luckily, the LA Times' piece gleaned some interesting facts from the data: more ›

Did you know that San Francisco is one of the skinniest counties in the state, along with equi-pinko Marin, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz counties? According to a recent report in California Watch, it's true. CW reports: "Overlaying voter registration statistics from the Secretary of State, we find that of the five counties in California where skinny people are most prevalent, four are Democrat (San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma* and Santa Cruz) and one is Republican (Orange)." more ›

Second verse, same as the first: San Francisco's unemployment rate skipped from 9.6 percent in June to 9.7 percent last month. Although, as SF Weekly reports, we're not the worst in the state, bot by the longest shot. "San Francisco County's unemployment rate of 9.7 percent is the sixth-lowest of the state's 58 counties (The state rate is 12.8 percent; the best-off county is Marin at 8.6 percent; and the hardest-up locale is Imperial at a Gaza-like 30.3 percent)." Read all about it. more ›

According to a new Field Poll (pdf), California voter give Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger "the lowest rating for a sitting governor in more than 50 years," trumping Gray Davis as one of California's worst governors. A scant 22 percent of voters approve of Schwarzenegger's job performance, while 70 percent disapprove. Four out of five voters, it seems, say the state "is on the wrong track." But the onetime movie star turned politician isn't the only one with Death Valley-like low approval ratings. CBS 5 reports, "Just 16 percent of respondents approve of the way the Legislature is doing its job." Ouch. more ›

Assemblyman John Pérez of Los Angeles, a former union leader and a cousin of LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, was unanimously chosen yesterday by his Democratic colleagues to succeed Karen Bass as the 68th speaker of the California State Assembly. Pérez rose to power quickly in the Assembly, and was endorsed by Bass as her successor because of his leadership qualities and negotiating expertise. Equality California head Geoff Kors is more than pleased with Pérez's ascension: "To have an openly gay Latino heading the largest legislative body, that represents the most people in the country, in and of itself is going to have a significant impact on advancing LGBT rights." more ›

California State Parks director Ruth Coleman said that the agency faces a total of about $39 million in cuts after the new budget, which directly states a $14.2 million cut, was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today. Additionally, $2.4 million was siphoned from a cigarette tax fund because less people are smoking. Furloughs and salary cuts round out the large number (Note: a full budget fact sheet is embedded below). more ›

Oversized wristwatch connoisseur, former Hollywood thespian, and Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has some news: "@Schwarzenegger: Budget passed. Thanks to the legislature for the hard work last night and today. Plan to sign next week." But wait, there's more! "@Schwarzenegger: I will be going live @ www.gov.ca.gov in a few minutes to discuss the budget. Tune in!" more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and your legislative leaders came to a tentative agreement this evening to (finally!) "balance California's $26 billion deficit by cutting broadly across state government, shifting costs into the future and capturing funds from cities and counties." According to goes on to explain, "includes spending cuts to programs ranging from schools to welfare-to-work to prisons. It takes money from local governments, including borrowing $2 billion that the state will repay starting in 2013 and taking gas taxes that normally go toward local road projects." By the numbers: 6 billion in cuts to education, 3 billion slashed to higher education, and 1.2 billion pruned from prisons. (Cuts to prison funding, however, will not mean that prisoners would get released early.) Some things that were spared? Cal Grants and most state parks. Please standby for fallout. more ›

The endearingly batshit auteur who brought us Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and most recently, Inland Empire, is up to something new: a web-based series of interviews that appears to be a kind of video portrait of America, maybe in a Walker Evans or Diane Arbus vein. In the 'About' video, Lynch gives little elaboration about Interview Project, and deadpans things like, "The people who were interviewed each was different." The first episode, which premiered yesterday, is an interview with Jess, a wizened old dude who was just sitting by the road in Needles, California waiting for his trailer to be repaired. We're imagining more Lynchian characters like him, straight out of a non-sequitor moment from one of his films, but this project is being helmed by Austin Lynch, David's 26-year-old son and maybe will take on bigger themes as it progresses. It was shot over 70 days and 20,000 miles as the team went across the country and back again, and there will be a new episode up on the site every three days. more ›

KRON4 has this coverage from earlier this morning of protesters at the ready outside the court where the Prop 8 announcement is set to be announced in just over an hour. They also have a separate video from last night's telecast featuring a quick talk with former SF Assistant D.A., Jim Hammer. Over at the Chron, they're pulling at heartstrings with the story of John Callaway, who was married to his husband of 25 years last summer and whose marriage is one of 18,000 that may face invalidation by the court today -- though likely will not. more ›

Last night, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom "officially kicked off his campaign" for governor of California 2010. That is to say, you'll see even less of Newsom over the next year or so. If that's even possible. Which is fine with us. Because "Mayor Nathan Ballard" has a nice ring to it. Oh, come now. Ballard is a funny guy. Period. And a smartypants too. And that's good enough for us. more ›

Yesterday in Sacramento, the State of California returned three paintings to the heirs of Jakob and Rosa Oppenheimer, which were recently discovered to have been the subject of a “judenauktionen,” a coerced sale of Jewish assets by the Nazis, in 1935. more ›

It is done. (Well, almost done.) By 7 a.m., both houses of the Legislature passed the shiny budget plan. The 33 bills include "$15 billion in spending cuts, $11.4 billion in borrowing, $12.8 billion in taxes and about $2 billion of federal funds from the federal stimulus package that President Obama signed on Tuesday." Also, a 1-cent on the dollar sales tax, vehicle license fee, and an increase in the state income tax are tacked on for good measure. more ›

The above image -- showing just how large scale Saturday's national Prop 8 protest will look -- is from the flyer used to promote the big event. All of the demonstrations start at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow unless noted otherwise. more ›

According to a handy zip-code-searching tool at the Chron, about 200 San Franciscans have stuck their noses into their neighbors' marriages by giving money to the anti-marriage campaign. Voting to end your neighbor's marriage? That's messed up. But here's what's even messier: less than 9,000 San Franciscans have donated to No On 8. Seriously, folks? How much easier could it be, especially now that they're matching donations? more ›

While Sarah Palin held her own last night during last night's debate, more or less, and Joe Biden shed an effeminate tear that touched millions, both team McCain-Palin and team Barack-Biden bit it hard when it came to human rights. Take, for example, their stances against same-sex marriage, which both candidates, it seems, are 100% against. (But Palin doesn't mind the queers doing her hair and makeup; she's very "tolerant" of people, you see. All of them.) more ›

Hey gay couples! You're in terrible danger. Fortunately, we can help. Well, not exactly -- SFist_Matt, to be specific, has taken a break from writing stern emails to Muni, and is now working on a really neat online video project to protect marriage equality. more ›