I used to consider myself healthy. I have never had a surgery and never really been sick, aside from the occasional common cold. I try to eat well, and I exercise often. However, this year, my health took a turn for the worse.
Decades ago saying I am a native Californian ignited some sort of admiration from my out-of-state relatives. I truly wish that still rang true. I was reading the other day about our once-beloved state that has got itself into generational debt. One of the main culprits was the theft of hundr…
Joe Biden said he wanted to be a one-term transitional stabilizing president. We鈥檝e all watched him succeed on any number of fronts to bring the nation back from a pandemic that threw the world into existential and economic panic, shutdown and self-isolation. We recovered. Our nation recover…
Reckon congratulations are in order ... to the Democratic Party! Who knows, maybe the U.S. will have its first woman president just like Pakistan, Chile, South Korea, Mali, Malawi, Argentina, Vietnam, Philippines, Malta, India, Haiti, Lithuania, Ireland, Poland, Bangladesh, France, Turkey, C…
Central Valley Rep. David Valadao is fighting to squeeze inefficiency out of our drug approval process for patients in need.
What follows here assumes that Kamala Harris carries out her stated intention to "earn the nomination" and not pretend that the crown is only in the shop. This gives her an opportunity to craft her image as a centrist with a spine, the sort of Democrat who can win national elections.
Now that President Biden has existed the campaign for the presidency and has endorsed Vice President Harris, Americans have a chance to vote for a very successful minority who has accomplished a lot through the toils of coming from a multicultural family, her dad Black and her mom Asian.
President Joe Biden's time in the White House is mercifully coming to an end. He's now officially a lame duck with six months to go.
Improving health for everyone is possible. It begins by redefining health, reimagining the system, and strengthening our communities. The physical aspects of health have traditionally been the focus and the priority for healthcare. However, unique life circumstances and experiences impact ev…
He鈥檚 off to a good start.
Regarding Froma Harrop's opinion on July 18: She must live in the land of butterflies and unicorns to be able to defend this economy. I just paid $369.56 for one month of groceries.
I鈥檓 your great-, great-grandchild that you have never met. My parents and grandparents tell me about you and I wish we had spent some time together.
The hard-line pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime has been protesting against, of all people, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Where did the New York congresswoman and Vermont senator go astray? Didn't they denounce Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide"? Didn't t…
The Verdugo Wash is a flood-control channel that starts rain water on a 35-mile journey from the foothills above L.A. to the Pacific Ocean.
The power and critical importance of local journalism shows in Steven Mayer鈥檚 recent article covering the death of a much-loved former Bakersfield resident. Since Bernie Herman came to this town, he and his wife, Joan, shared kindness to so many whether participating in local commerce, the n…
Having read the "apology" from Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr., I鈥檓 not impressed. I worked at Stria for 14 years prior to the company鈥檚 acquisition by Bitwise Industries, and over that time, we built a company to be proud of. That included making the necessary tough decisions when times we…
Mineral supply chains are reshaping how we think about energy security. Supplies of lithium, graphite, copper and rare earths 鈥 among many other essential metals 鈥 are already dictating the speed of energy technology deployment and creating new global centers of industrial strength. Converse…
Critics could not wait a moment to attack President Trump after he gave a positive and uplifting speech to all the country as he accepted the nomination for the November election. They claimed that it was the "same old aggressive Trump" with the "same old mean message" even with the calls fo…
California鈥檚 workplace safety board recently approved an indoor heat protection standard and urged Cal/OSHA to put it into full effect as quickly as possible. Nearly two decades after the state鈥檚 outdoor workers won heat protections, millions of California鈥檚 indoor workers will finally also …
My husband, Gary, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma in 2019, at the age of 57. Gary was a vegan, an artist and graphic designer and an avid hiker. He loved life, and we did everything we could to extend it after his devastating diagnosis.
I got this! President Joe, in his feeble state, is doing his best to convince his party that "I got this." There is no need for me to state the many times President Biden has shown his lack of cogitative awareness.
Trees are a valuable resource. For many reasons. Healthy tree canopies provide shade, which is appreciated and enjoyed by families and children in parks 鈥 and by bicyclists and walkers along the Kern River Parkway. Trees clean the air, filter our water, reduce energy use and naturally captur…
Bernie Herman was very much a leader in our community. Some more highlights of that leadership include: Ppresident of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield 1994, Chair of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, member of the Facilitation Team of Greater Bakersfield Vision 2020, chair of the 鈥淒…
I agree with Kristie Coons鈥 opinion letter in The Californian ("Unite around the national anthem," July 18). I have often thought the national anthem at the beginning of baseball should be sung by the crowd 鈥 not just one individual.
I agree with Cathy Abernathy; words matter and have consequences. Words matter whether you mean them or not; they matter whether you鈥檙e being sarcastic or pushing peoples鈥 buttons. There are listeners who take your words at face value and respond.
I have a pet peeve. Recently there was a very unfortunate rendition of our national anthem by the guest artist at a baseball game. It wasn鈥檛 the first such performance and it won鈥檛 be the last!
Predictably, supporters are claiming divine intervention was involved in saving Trump from assassination. One pastor said: 鈥淚 see this as God鈥檚 protection.鈥 Marco Rubio of Florida exclaimed: 鈥淕od protected President Trump.鈥
I unequivocally condemn political violence. However, after nearly eight years of Donald Trump stoking division and threats against opponents, judges, lawyers, jurors and fellow politicians, it鈥檚 hard not to see his recent assassination attempt as a result of his own actions. Trump has foster…
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is an absolute reprehensible act of political violence, no doubt. In Tuesday's Californian, several local political figures were asked to comment on the shooting.
It sadly appears that President Trump now has another thing in common with the average American, or "Joe Six-Pack" citizen. He, along with his family and community, were impacted by gun violence.
I read Cathy Abernathy's opinion in Tuesday's Californian and I have a few questions. First, she criticized President Biden for calling Donald Trump "... every name in the book" and that we can "... judge a person who uses words to push hate, not issues."
In overseeing the American economy, President Joe Biden has shown himself to be an amazing manager. It's all there in the numbers, especially when placed next to those of his predecessor. And should Biden win a second term and show himself to be not as sharp as he was four years ago, small m…
In the complex legal landscape surrounding artificial intelligence and creativity, California is at crossroads with the proposed聽AB 1836.聽If enacted, this bill would amend existing post-mortem publicity statutes, granting rights over digital replicas of deceased personalities. While aimed at…
Joe Biden is being transformed before our eyes, at least in how he's portrayed in progressive circles and the media.
President Biden should quit the presidential race, but not because he is too old.
Since the fireworks are over, I'd like to make a suggestion. When the city or county grants permits for the fireworks stands, they should also add a sizable fee to be donated to the SPCA. Anyone caught with, or using, illegal fireworks, be given a substantial fine, and a large donation to the SPCA.
Talk about entertaining television. The former president should hold a program akin to the Miss America pageant in selecting his new vice-president. Different sections for various talents to be on exhibition.
In a recent letter to the editor ("How can we be united like this?" July 7), the writer blames diverse groups for creating division in society by forming diverse chamber of commerce organizations to better serve the needs of Hispanic, Black, Asian and gay communities and businesses that they…
I鈥檓 no mathematical whiz. I mean, I can usually balance my checkbook, but the numbers presented in the article about the 50-unit apartment complex just don鈥檛 add up to me.
I hope everybody read the piece in the Monday paper concerning scammers. I feel so sorry for the victims who lost money, particularly ones whose retirement funds were wiped out.
The Kern Young Farmers and Ranchers is eagerly anticipating its 9th Annual Charity Farmers Market on Saturday, July 20. Every year we put together this wonderful event for the community. I often get asked if the market is offered more than just once a year 鈥 I wish we could! It鈥檚 a team effo…
It shouldn鈥檛 be this hard to get money into the hands of parents struggling to feed their children. But in California, where even the simple can get real complicated, hundreds of millions of federal dollars meant for hungry kids have slipped away unspent.
Growing up in El Salvador, I was certain that coming to the United States would be my ticket to economic opportunity. But the reality in California and elsewhere is that traditional pathways to higher-wage employment, like training or a four-year degree, are out of reach for many young job-s…
Community Voices: Celebrate the forethought of past, current elected officials who embrace libraries
On July 11, the Kern County Library system turned 113 years old. Thanks to the city of Bakersfield, we are on track for another 113 years of literacy, job training, children鈥檚 programming and other library resources Bakersfield needs. In January, the city of Bakersfield鈥檚 collaborated with t…
Try as he might, Donald Trump can't blur the hard reality he forced upon American women. He vowed in 2016 to get rid of Roe v. Wade and succeeded. As a result, American women lost a half-century right to end an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy.
In today's political climate, the government is often viewed as an evil entity, an adversary rather than an ally. This sentiment has fostered deep cynicism and mistrust, overshadowing the profound and positive impact that government can have on our lives. The problem lies not with the concep…
After reading Robert Price鈥檚 July 7 front-page column in The Californian, 鈥淭hose inverted July 4th flags overlooked the most grievous outrage,鈥 along with Elizabeth Keranen鈥檚 July 8 鈥淯S is in good shape with Democrats,鈥 I set about inverting an American flag I own.
The Democratic Party is divided.
Walking through Roger Williams Park in Providence, R.I., I came upon a moss-covered monolith listing the Ten Commandments. This was some time ago, but knowing the objections then being made to placing religious artifacts in public places, I thought, "This stone won't be here for long."
I would like to offer a different perspective on Joe Biden鈥檚 recent performance and current health concerns. There is a saying I grew up with, 鈥淯ntil the wheels fall off.鈥
