News

California’s insurance commissioner wants to exclude Anthem Blue Cross from the state’s new health exchange for small businesses, saying it’s made excessive rate hikes. Dave Jones says three increases this year – including one of nearly 18 percent – were unreasonable. However, under state law he couldn’t block them. The state-run exchange stems from the

The state Senate has passed a $96.3 billion Democratic spending plan amid sharp party divisions over whether it will lead to future problems for California’s budget. The Legislature has until midnight Saturday to send the governor a balanced budget, but the plan was expected to get majority votes in both houses on Friday. It passed

Homeless people in Indio received much needed supplies Friday, thanks to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission’s “90 days of Summer Relief Campaign.” Workers handed out water, shirts, hats, shoes and sunscreen out on the streets.As volunteer Fransisca Ochoa told us, it’s an effort to encourage homeless people to visit the mission and get the help

Boder Patrol agents near the Salton Sea seized 6.7 pounds of methamphetamine Thursday after they discovered the drug tucked away under the rear seat of a Chevy Silverado. The suspect, an unnamed man, was trying to pass through the Highway 86 checkpoint when a drug dog sniffed out his truck for inspection. During a search

The chairman of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee has apologized for referring to the black character “Stepin Fetchit,” who is considered by many to be a racist caricature. The Riverside Press-Enterprise says Howard Katz has apologized for the comment he made during a central committee gathering in Moreno Valley on Monday. His wife was

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