News

California lawmakers are expected to approve on an on-time Democratic spending plan that includes a historic change in the school funding system to help poor and minority students. Lawmakers are expected to begin voting Friday on a new $96.3 billion budget negotiated by Governor Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers. It benefits from California’s recovering economy

Thirty dogs and a cat locked inside a squalid Jurupa Valley home were rescued today by Riverside County Department of Animal Services personnel, who said the abandoned pets seemed to be doing well. The animals were discovered in a single-story residence in the 5500block of Tilton Avenue, officials said. Most of the dogs were Chihuahua

Police are looking for a shooting suspect this morning following an attack in a Cathedral City neighborhood. The victim is in critical condition after he was shot multiple times on the 34 thousand block of Eagle Canyon Drive around 9 p.m. on Thursday. Upon arrival, police found the man, between 20-30 years old, lying in

Dozens of protesters rallied outside the Western Riverside Council of Government’s General Assembly at Casino Morongo Thursday. Their target — keynote speaker former president George W. Bush. “We’re here to give the message about the war crimes committed by George W. Bush. There’s no open discussion,” said protest organizer Matthew Snyder. Shining light on Bush’s

A membership-only airline has begun service between Southern California and the San Francisco Bay area. Surf Air made its first flight Wednesday between Burbank and San Carlos, south of San Francisco. The Los Angeles Times says the airline offers members unlimited flights up and down the state for a monthly fee of $1,650. Santa Monica-based

A wealth of talent is in Cathedral City this weekend for the art, music, film and more festival, also known as the AMFM Fest. Veteran festival producers Film 4 Change are launching the event in Cathedral City at the UltraStar Mary Pickford Theater and Town Square as well as other desert venues. Organizers have a

The Hathaway Fire near Banning has grown to 3,520 acres with 43 percent containment. While the fire is in a remote area, smoke continues to billow out of the San Gorgonio wilderness and into neighboring communities. Several helicopters perform water drops to try and get a handle on the blaze. More than 1,400 firefighters are

A research firm says California home prices posted a 15th straight annual increase last month. DataQuick said Thursday that the median price for new and existing houses and condominiums reached $340,000 in May, up 26 percent from the same period last year. The median rose by $16,000 from April to its highest level since April

Tonight, Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) will suit up in a Coachella Valley High School replica jersey for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. The game will be held at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals baseball team. “Baseball is our nation’s favorite pastime and a tradition that binds generations of families and

A federal railroad oversight board has given approval to the California High-Speed Rail Authority to start construction in the Central Valley. The Surface Transportation Board ruled Thursday that the California project could start building the first 65 miles of the project from Merced to Fresno, as planned. The STB previously ruled that it has oversight

The Pew Research Center is releasing one of the largest and most detailed surveys ever conducted among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. According to the findings, LGBT adults overwhelmingly report greater acceptance by the general public. Yet they are less happy than other U.S. adults, and many report instances of rejection and harassment. Thirty-nine

A parolee who led police on a chase through Riversidethat triggered three crashes — including one involving a patrol car — pleadedguilty today to felony and misdemeanor charges. Stanley Niles Head, 29, of Riverside was arrested on Feb. 26 after aroughly half-hour pursuit that began in Moreno Valley and ended near UCRiverside. A preliminary hearing

The Living Desert and the Palm Springs Art Museumwill offer free admission to each other’s venues through Labor Day, it wasannounced Thursday. Members of each organization must show their membership cards to receivefree entry to the other destination. The offer applies to both of themuseum’s locations — Palm Desert and Palm Springs — according to

Fila, the official apparel and footwear sponsor of the BNP Paribas Open, has donated approximately $48,000 in fitness and lifestyle apparel and footwear to the Armed Services YMCA Twentynine Palms, a non-profit beneficiary of The Champions Volunteer Foundation (TCVF). TCVF is the primary beneficiary of the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament and raises funds for

It seems parking spots aren’t immune from the recent surge in San Francisco real estate prices. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Thursday that a spot in the city’s trendy South Beach neighborhood sold last week for $82,000. The 8- by 12-foot parking space is in an enclosed garage in a condominium building. While it

Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage will reopen tothe public today after being closed for about two weeks for President BarackObama’s meeting with China’s president. Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at Sunnylands June 7-8.Sunnylands will be open through June 30 and closed July and August. The estateopened to the public last year. The estate

Wildlife experts have taken another leap forward in their efforts to save an endangered California frog. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says 100 mountain yellow-legged frogs were released Thursday at a reserve in the San Jacinto Mountains, 100 miles east of Los Angeles. The juvenile frogs were released into a creek at the University

A wildfire burning northeast of Colorado Springs has destroyed at least 360 homes, making it the most destructive in state history. El Paso County sheriff Terry Maketa said Thursday that deputies still haven’t been able to verify the condition of 79 homes as the wildfire continues to burn. So it’s possible the figure could rise

Weekly tickets for the 2014 Humana Challenge golftournament are still available. Tickets are being sold at a discount for Hope’s birthday — $55 — viawww.humanachallenge.com. The Humana Challenge, scheduled for Jan. 16-19, willcelebrate its 55th anniversary next year, according to tournament officials. Grounds tickets are good Wednesday through Sunday and will be sold for$55 through

Animal control officers say renters evicted from a Riverside County home left behind at least 30 dogs. The Riverside Press-Enterprise says the dogs, mostly Chihuahua mixes, were found Wednesday at a urine- and feces-littered home in Jurupa Valley. One dog was giving birth in a closet. The renters already had left but the owners have