Features | Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, inc.

Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed

by Stefi Mar | Jan 13, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features | 0

News You Might Have Missed

Landlord Turns Away Section 8 Voucher Holders

by Stefi Mar | Jan 13, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features, Front Page, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

One of the biggest landlords in the region has been turning away people seeking apartments under the Section 8 housing assistance program in many of its buildings, in apparent violation of state law, a Capital & Main investigation found.

Historic First: Monique Limón Is Sworn in as California Senate’s First Latina Leader

by Stefi Mar | Jan 13, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features | 0

Sen. Monique Limón (D–Santa Barbara) was sworn in as the 50th president pro tempore of the California State Senate on Jan. 5 at the State Capitol, marking the occasion with a series of official and ceremonial events.

Gov. Gavin Newsom Delivers Final State of the State Address 

by Stefi Mar | Jan 13, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

Before a joint session of the California Senate and Assembly, Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered his final State of the State address on Jan. 8, fulfilling a requirement of the state Constitution that the governor report annually to the Legislature.

At Harvard, a Black Dean Falls as Trump’s War on Equity Tightens

by Stefi Mar | Jan 13, 2026 | African Americans, Bakersfield, Donald Trump, Features | 0

Harvard University now finds itself standing where politics, power, and punishment meet, as the removal of a Black dean unfolds alongside a renewed White House campaign aimed squarely at race, history, and who is allowed to speak plainly about both.

Advertisements Promising Patients a ‘Dream Body’ With Minimal Risk Get Little Scrutiny

by Stefi Mar | Jan 13, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features, Health, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

Lenia Watson-Burton, a 37-year-old U.S. Navy administrator, expected that cosmetic surgery would get rid of stubborn fat quickly and easily — just as the web advertising promised.

Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed

by Stefi Mar | Jan 6, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

News You Might Have Missed

New Postal Service Rule Could Quietly Void Ballots and Delay Healthcare

by Stefi Mar | Jan 6, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features, Health Care, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

Tom Brady stepped into the broadcast booth and, without saying a word, said everything. One glove. Not a gimmick. Not nostalgia cosplay. Just a quiet, unmistakable signal that even in a football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills, the most famous silhouette in modern culture still casts a shadow. Seventeen years after his death at 50, Michael Jackson remains unavoidable.

Asm. Sade Elhawary Wrote Bill Extending the Work of the Commission on the State of Hate

by Stefi Mar | Jan 6, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features, Los Angeles, Valleys | 0

Americans across nearly every region of the country are paying more to keep the lights on and the heat running, according to a new nationwide analysis that shows electric and natural gas rate increases spreading deeper into households from coast to coast.

New Data Shows Utility Costs Rising Across Nearly Every State

by Stefi Mar | Jan 6, 2026 | Bakersfield, Features | 0

Americans across nearly every region of the country are paying more to keep the lights on and the heat running, according to a new nationwide analysis that shows electric and natural gas rate increases spreading deeper into households from coast to coast.