For a state that's supposed to be a progressive leader, California sure does like to build prisons, lots of them too. Thirteen prison and jail expansion projects are currently in progress, with more coming, all due to AB 900 in 2007 which authorized over $7.4 billion for construction and expansion in California's extensive penal system.

Americans across the political spectrum still give higher marks to their state and local governments compared to the federal government- reflecting a possible libertarian sentiment that could become a factor in the near future.

This is one of those unfathomable stories where you wonder if we're all living on the same planet or if anything can be gleaned from it to ensure that it never happens again. Shannon Palmer

A large majority of voters across the political spectrum continues to believe that term limits should be imposed upon members of Congress. The poll numbers serve as yet another indication that the political system needs an injection of fresh competition.

From 2008 to 2010, the Great Recession has disproportionately impacted the Phoenix area causing one of the most dramatic declines in employment rates among the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas. As of last summer, only nine other metro areas had a lower share of their population holding jobs.