Caltrain, which runs from San Francisco down the peninsula past San Jose to Gilroy, transports thousands of riders each day, many of them commuters. They are facing a severe budget shortfall, and say they need to convert to a modern electric-powered system which would be faster, with more frequent service.

The California state Senate has voted unanimously to repeal legislation which allowed county jail inmates a chance at an earlier release than otherwise would be permitted.

“People above politics”.  This is the headline that greets visitors to Governor Charlie Crist’s campaign site. Crist, the governor of Florida, recently surprised many with his decision last week to leave the Republican Party and run for US Senate as an independent.

The American Lung Association 2010 State of the Air Report brings the unsettling news that despite major progress in improving air quality, California has some of the unhealthiest air in the nation.

A leaked government report indicates that nearly 23,000 people have died in Mexico's violent drug wars in the last three years alone. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Any economist armed with basic microeconomic theory could explain how U.S. drug policies create the perverse incentives that have fueled the violence- and how to fix these policies to end the carnage.

In the face of economic uncertainty, ever-increasing attempts to make both governmental and economic activity predictable have been making their way to the ballot box, whether by means of tax freezes, spending freezes, or comparable fiscal strategies aimed at decreasing the level of risk and danger in the market.