Ina Jaffe archive

November 23, 2009 California roads once were the envy of the world. But like a lot of things in the Golden State these days, they’re not what they used to be. Federal Highway Administration data show that of the 20 major urban areas with the worst roadway conditions, eight are in California, with 64 percent in "poor condition."

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October 30, 2009 Not everyone who has been put away for 25 years to life under California's three strikes law has committed a violent crime, including two people convicted of stealing. Both challenged the law — and while one was released, the other wasn't as lucky.

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October 29, 2009 Under California's three strikes sentencing law, criminals' fate may depend as much on where they're arrested as on what they're arrested for. Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, who supports the law, almost never charges a nonviolent offense as a third strike. But 100 miles north in Kern County, District Attorney Ed Jagels almost always does.

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October 28, 2009 California voters passed the nation's strictest three strikes law in 1994. The "third strike" carries a mandatory 25 years to life. Mike Reynolds, whose daughter was murdered in 1992, brought the ballot initiative and has fought to uphold it since. But Sue Reams, whose son is in prison because of it, is working for change.

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September 28, 2009 California may become the first state to regulate how much energy flat screen TVs use. If the new rules are approved in November as expected, many flat screens sold in California in 2011 will have to use a third less energy than they do now. Some retailers have banded together to oppose the regulations.

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September 18, 2009 California's prison system is the largest in the country. In fact, the inmate population is so big, it's violating a federal court ruling and costing the state millions more than it can afford. But the state has found it's not so easy just to open the doors and set prisoners free.

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September 3, 2009 California's ambitious 800-mile high-speed-rail network is 13 years in the works, making it a leading contender in the race to win federal funding. But some critics question the need for the project, which could cost close to $45 billion.

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August 27, 2009 For the dead and famous, arguably no neighborhood is more desirable than the mausoleum at the Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery in Los Angeles. Among the many stars resting there is the iconic Marilyn Monroe. The crypt directly above her was recently auctioned on eBay, but there's a problem closing the deal.

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July 31, 2009 Scores of children have been sent home from summer camps across the nation this summer with flulike symptoms. The outbreaks have raised concerns about what schools may face this fall.

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July 21, 2009 California's unprecedented fiscal meltdown has a growing number of people looking for new options. Fixing the dysfunction is the goal of new bipartisan groups looking at possible solutions, including a major overhaul of the state's often-amended constitution.

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