High-Speed Rail Fight in the Central Valley
Construction will begin on the middle leg of the high-speed rail route between L.A. and San Francisco as soon as next year, in the Central Valley. Some are excited by the prospect of an economic boost from the project -- but others are hoping to derail the whole thing.
Farmers May Lose Conservation Program
For more than four decades, much of California's ranchland has been protected by a state conservation program known as the Williamson Act. But thanks to the state's huge budget deficit, it's on the chopping block.
The Death and Life of Monterey Bay
Today, Monterey Bay is a shining jewel. But it wasn't always that way. In the 1930s and 40s, the Bay was slowly dying. In their new book "The Death and Life of Monterey Bay," biologist Stephen Palumbi and co-author Carolyn Sotka describe how the Bay was rescued.
California Songs: Vienna Teng's 'City Hall'
This week, the California Supreme Court waded back into a controversy over Prop. 8, the same-sex marriage ban voters approved in 2008. The issue can be traced back to 2004, when gay and lesbian couples lined up outside San Francisco City Hall to marry, until the courts stopped it. Those hundreds of marriages inspired musician Vienna Teng to write the song, "City Hall."
Charles Bukowski's Literary Legacy
The writings and art of Los Angeles poet Charles Bukowski now have a permanent home at the Huntington Library near Pasadena. The stately Huntington recently hosted an exhibit featuring some of the hard-living writer's manuscripts, letters and paintings. There's also a move to make Bukowski's home, complete with dirty ashtrays and beer bottles, a museum.