Politics

Incumbent Supervisor Kevin Crye, challenger Richard Gallardo, and Redding City Councilmember Erin Resner squared off Wednesday night, April 15, 2026, in a League of Women Voters forum, laying out contrasting visions for Shasta County’s future as voters prepare for the June primary.

With Eric Swalwell now out of the California Governor's race, candidate Tom Steyer has risen to the top in the latest polling. Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate crusader, is still pitching himself as California’s affordability savior in the 2026 gubernatorial race. He vows to slash electricity bills by 25% through competition against utility monopolies and an aggressive push for renewables.

As California lawmakers in Sacramento push forward with ambitious new tax proposals to plug budget holes created by federal cuts and runaway spending, one inconvenient truth stands out: the state isn’t broke because it taxes too little. It’s hemorrhaging money through fraud, waste, mismanagement, and a bloated regulatory apparatus that strangles businesses and drives residents away.

A citizen-led ballot initiative that could wipe out property taxes for tens of thousands of California homeowners aged 60 and older is now circulating petitions across the state — including right here in Shasta County — with backers calling it long-overdue justice for seniors who built the Golden State.

Olympia, WA — On March 30, 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson gleefully signed Senate Bill 6346 into law, imposing a 9.9% income tax on Washington households earning more than $1 million a year. The so-called “Millionaire’s Tax” takes effect January 1, 2028.

In a stunning disclosure that is already sending shockwaves through Shasta County, former Shasta County Supervisor Patrick Jones has revealed that Sheriff Michael Johnson quietly retired from CalPERS in 2022 — right in the middle of his re-election year — and began collecting a full pension while continuing to draw his entire county salary as an elected official. The arrangement allegedly has allowed Johnson to pocket approximately $445,000 per year in take-home pay.

At the center of the controversy is a bigger question: Is it ever okay to protect individuals or organizations accused of committing high-level fraud and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers? When public money meant for daycare services, hospice care, or immigrant support is allegedly being pocketed while the programs appear empty or nonexistent, many Californians believe the public has a right to know. Critics of AB 2624 argue that shielding these programs

In a stunning one-two punch over the last 48 hours, East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell has suspended his bid for California governor and says he will resign his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The moves come amid a rapidly escalating scandal involving multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and assault from women, including former staffers.

Darin Hale, a candidate for California’s 1st Assembly District and Anderson Union High School District trustee, continues to spotlight what he calls a troubling shift in public education: the expansion of the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) into on-campus mental health and medical services that can bypass parents. Hale argues the program is creating “Medical, Behavioral, and Wellness Clinics on each school site,” with schools already treating stude

In the days since our report on Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and Flock Safety cameras in Redding and Shasta County, an overwhelming majority of readers have voiced strong opposition. Emails, comments, and messages poured in: many describe the systems as “passive surveillance monitors” that quietly track every vehicle on public roads, creating digital records of daily life without consent or probable cause.

The wheels are coming off Eric Swalwell’s once-dominant campaign for California governor. Just days after unverified social media rumors began circulating, the San Francisco Chronicle dropped a bombshell investigative report featuring the first on-the-record accuser: a former Swalwell staffer who says the longtime Democratic congressman sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions — once while she worked for him in 2019 and again in 2024 after she had left his office.

In the shadow of Mount Shasta, local law enforcement agencies are embracing Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to combat crime. While officials highlight significant successes, privacy advocates raise concerns that the systems enable warrantless mass surveillance of ordinary citizens.

New US Census Bureau and state data confirm that California’s long-running population outflow showed little sign of slowing in 2025, with Los Angeles County recording the nation’s largest numeric population decline and the Bay Area continuing to shed residents through domestic migration. While some stabilization appeared in U-Haul one-way moves, the broader trend—driven by high housing costs, taxes, and quality-of-life concerns—persists.

A federal judge has denied former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan’s request for a new trial or acquittal, upholding her felony conviction for obstructing federal immigration agents. The ruling, issued April 6, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, means Dugan’s December 2025 guilty verdict remains intact as she prepares for sentencing and vows to appeal further.

Are you one of the millions of Americans who can’t think of a single positive thing Trump has accomplished in his five years in office? Even though roughly half the country thinks he’s doing a good job, you may see things differently. You might even believe him to be flawed, reckless, or unfit for the role. While it’s conceivable that this media darling of yesteryear – once toasted by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Oprah Winfrey – suddenly became a Nazi, there’s another logi

President Donald Trump on Monday issued his “COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT” for Steve Hilton in the race for California governor, posting on Truth Social that he has "known and respected" the former Fox News host for many years. “Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job,” Trump wrote, criticizing high taxes, rising crime and the exodus of residents and businesses. “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him

Just five months after Abigail Spanberger made history as Virginia’s first female governor, a wave of high-profile murders allegedly committed by illegal immigrants has triggered sharp criticism of her immigration policies—and early signs of buyer’s remorse among the voters who handed her a landslide victory in November 2025.

In just 14 months as U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi oversaw one of the most sweeping and contentious overhauls of the Department of Justice in its 155-year history. Sworn in on February 5, 2025, after a 54-46 Senate confirmation, the former Florida attorney general and Trump loyalist moved quickly to align the DOJ with President Donald Trump’s priorities.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s decision to seize more than 650,000 ballots and election materials from the county Registrar of Voters following the November 2025 special election on Proposition 50 has ignited a fierce legal and political battle with California Attorney General Rob Bonta. At its core, the dispute raises a fundamental question about authority in American elections,

Just two days after a thunderous liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Artemis II mission is hurtling four astronauts toward the Moon on humanity’s first crewed voyage beyond low-Earth orbit in more than half a century. The successful launch of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft named Integrity on April 1 marks a pivotal milestone in NASA’s Artemis program