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There's never been a better time in America for gun rights advocates. Starting in 2008 with the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Heller decision, continuing through 2010 with the McDonald case, and showing no signs of abating this Monday after the Woollard ruling was filed by a federal court in Maryland: in just a few short years the country has been swept with a wave of unprecedented court decisions that have amounted to nothing less than a revolution for gun rights and jurisprudence surrounding t

The Pentagon wants to “desegregate” national air space. A spokesman made the announcement last week at a robotic technology conference held in Washington, D.C. Military officials say that they are working with the FAA to integrate almost 7,500 remotely piloted drones, designed for military operations overseas, into the civilian fleet of manned aircraft here at home. The drones would be used by military and private agencies for surveillance and disaster relief purposes, raising privacy as well a

President Obama began his news conference today with a public service announcement for all American men, reminding them that today is Valentine's Day and telling them to “go big”. Possibly an underlying  message urging spending to boost the economy? On the campaign trail... Newt Gingrich (Republican): The Gingrich campaign created a new website highlighting liberal support for Mitt Romney. Titled “Liberals Love Romney”, Gingrich hopes to emphasize the problems Romney has had in gaining the tru

Although California has slipped from the top spot of providing the most cold-weather farmers' markets, USDA statistics reveal that the Golden State maintains its leading role in the local food movement by having the second highest number of winter markets for direct farm-to-consumer sales. According to the Agriculture Department’s updated National Farmers Market Directory, there are 7,222 U.S. farmers' markets. About 83 percent of these venues are only open during spring and summer months, but

Gov. Brown strongly endorsed and supported the Bay Delta Conservation Plan in his State of the State address. He says it will ensure water for 25 million Californians and agriculture, as well as protecting the Delta ecosystem and its abundant fish and wildlife. These often are contradictory goals. If water stays in the Delta, then it doesn't get sent to farmers or to that thirsty 800 lb. gorilla called southern California.  But if too much water is sent, then the Delta, with its commercial and r

Has Kazakhstan, the oil- and uranium-rich former Soviet bloc nation that borders both the Caspian and Aral Seas, emerged from the shadows of satiric infamy to become one of the great growth engines of the world? Does this ninth-largest nation on the planet have what it takes to move into first-world status and exceed the United States in terms of economic expansion? The world is of two minds about this country that was once savaged in the film Borat as a backwards hellhole. According to a fawni

The economy still trumps all other issues, but a recent statewide poll conducted by the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) reveals that 75% of registered voters are concerned about the state’s water supply and an even larger percentage (84%) say that investing in the state’s water storage and delivery system is necessary to ensure a reliable supply of water in the future. This is great news for farmers and the state’s largest farm water organization. "Even after two years of normal

There is no winter break for western farmers who cultivate land in mild-winter areas.  While other states' farm fields are staving off hard frosts or simply collecting snow this time of year, those in California and Arizona are churning  out produce. The following is a snapshot of current crop and livestock conditions for the two states. Data has been gleaned from National Agricultural Statistics Service field office crop weather reports for the week ending Dec. 11. In the way of field crops, A

What is the conference? The Independent Voter Project legislative exchange conference is an annual event that began in the 1980s. The goal of the conference is to bring together policy makers, policy experts, and business leaders to have the open and honest conversations.  These conversations are increasingly difficult to have around the capitol culture that rewards partisanship and punishes compromise. Each day, policy panels, presentations, and workshops are conducted at the conference. What

California is routinely the second highest cotton producing state in the U.S., behind Texas. As the San Joaquin Valley's (SJV) massive cotton crop opened up earlier this month, unseasonably cold and wet weather slowed the harvest. The rain managed to knock some cotton bolls to the ground, but growers remain optimistic. Industry insiders say that last season's “rare territory” prices aren't likely to be repeated this season, but cotton prices should remain strong for the 2011-12 marketing year.