Christopher Simmons
Christopher Simmons (aka Christopher Laird Simmons) has been a working journalist since his first magazine sale in 1984. He has since written for wide variety of print and online publications covering lifestyle, tech and entertainment. He is an award-winning author, designer, photographer, and musician. He is a member of ASCAP and PRSA. He is the founder and CEO of Neotrope®, based in Temecula, CA, USA.
Calif. Asm. Speaker Rendon Launches Speaker’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) today announced the launch of the Speaker’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education. The commission’s goal is to develop solutions to improve results for California’s youngest learners and their families.
Calif. Asm. Kevin McCarty Releases Statement in Response to Legislative Analyst Office Report on Debt Free College
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance released the following statement in response to the Legislative Analyst Office’s (LAO) report, “Creating a Debt Free College Program.”
California Federation of Teachers Opposes Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch
POLITICS: California Federation of Teachers (CFT) opposes 2017 SCOTUS Nominee. President Trump’s announcement of his Supreme Court nominee doubles down on the approach he has taken with his other selections, says CFT. Federal Appeals Court Judge Neil Gorsuch is a conservative disciple of the late Judge Scalia and a proponent of the Supreme Court as a defender of the original interpretation of the Constitution - a Constitution that was drafted to protect the interests of white slave owners.
Calif. State Assembly Elects Dr. Bryon G. Gustafson as Chief Sergeant-at-Arms
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The California State Assembly today unanimously elected Bryon G. Gustafson, Ph.D., to serve as the Assembly’s chief sergeant-at-arms. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) administered the oath of office to Dr. Gustafson shortly after the vote.
Calif. Asm. Cervantes Introduces Bill to Expedite Teacher Credentialing for Military Spouses
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) introduced a bill to help military families. The bill, Assembly Bill 226, would require the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing to give priority to applicants who are spouses of active United States Military service members.
Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza Introduces Resolution 5 Honoring India Republic Day
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On January 26, 2017, Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza presented Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 which observes January 26, 2017 as India Republic Day and also marks the 68th Anniversary of the day the Constitution of India was adopted.
Calif. Asm. Bocanegra Introduces Legislation to Bring Equity for Immigrants to California Criminal Justice Laws
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assemblymember Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) introduced legislation to bring equity to our criminal justice laws, by ensuring that use of false immigration documents carries the same penalties as use of a fake driver’s license. AB 222 would amend Section 114 of the California Penal Code, a provision enacted in 1994 as part of Proposition 187, a largely unconstitutional attempt to fight the perceived ills of illegal immigration and punish undocumented immigrants in California.
‘Chillennial’ by Comedian Feraz Ozel Debuts at No. 9 on Billboard Comedy Chart
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 25, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Uproar Entertainment is proud to announce that "Chillennial" by Feraz Ozel has debuted at #9 on The Billboard Comedy Chart in its first week of release. The Billboard Comedy Chart lists the week's top selling comedy albums ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music.
Calif. Gov. Brown Puts the New D.C. ‘Swamp’ on Notice with 2017 State of the State
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. delivered his State of the State address for 2017, departing with the traditional practice of listing every issue and restating every priority to focus on the "broader context of our country and its challenges."
Edutech Pro Joey D’Angelo named V.P. of Engineering at Utelogy Corporation
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Utelogy Corporation, creator of audio/visual control, management, and analytics software, announces Joey D'Angelo joins the company as Vice President of Engineering. D'Angelo will help drive Utelogy's growth velocity and product feature sets as the company continues on its mission to deliver true, non-proprietary Software-Defined AV solutions that can be virtualized or leveraged on any common data center and network infrastructure.
MCT and OpenClose Complete New Integration to Optimize Lender Loan Hedge Positions
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference - OpenClose(R) an enterprise-class, multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) provider, and Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing technology firm, jointly announced they developed an integration that eliminates manual intervention and streamlines the delivery of loan data to maximize hedging for lenders.
Monnie McGaffigan named President at 5 BARS in Irvine
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 BARS(R) announced today the appointment of Monnie McGaffigan as president of the wireless solutions firm. 5 Bars is a premier provider of master wireless plans and marketing agreements for cities and municipalities across the United States.
Animal rights advocates applaud new book, ‘Jeremy and the Crow Nation’ by Tatiana Strelkoff
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Rebecca House Publishing and To Love Children Educational Foundation International Inc., a 501(c)(3), announces the release of "Jeremy and the Crow Nation" (ISBN 978-0945522058) by Tatiana Strelkoff. "Jeremy" is the second book in "The Changer Trilogy."
Campaign for Cursive and AHAF Launch 2017 Cursive Writing Contest in US and Canada
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The annual Cursive is Cool(R) contests are presented by the Campaign for Cursive(R), a committee of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF) on National Handwriting Day. Each year, National Handwriting Day is celebrated on Jan. 23, the date associated with the birth of John Hancock.
Assemblymember Cervantes Introduces Bill to Restructure California Transportation Commission – AB179
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) has introduced a bill to restructure the California Transportation Commission. The bill, Assembly Bill 179, would impose certain additional expertise requirements on future appointments to the Commission.
Calif. Assembly Speaker Rendon Announces 2017 Assembly Committee Assignments
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) announced the members of Assembly committees. Among the changes this year, the number of women committee chairs has doubled under Speaker Rendon, and women hold membership on every committee.
California Assembly Democrats Issue #DearCalifornians Inauguration Day Letter
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Members of the Calif. Assembly Democratic Caucus today issued a letter and video addressed to all Californians, pledging to continue California’s history of leading the nation in producing policy that benefits all people.
ReverseVision Distributes Food to the Hungry with Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- ReverseVision Inc., the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, has teamed up with the San Diego Food Bank to help local residents in need. The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County.
U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas Joins Calif. Lawmakers Not Attending Trump Inauguration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) released the following statement on his decision not to attend the inauguration: “My humble and loving parents taught me to live by this saying, ‘Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.’ It means tell me who you hang out with, and I'll tell you who you are. My wife and I have lived this truth, and we have taught it to our children.
City of Millbrae California Awarded $200K for Millbrae Station Comprehensive Access Plan
MILLBRAE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- This past week, the City of Millbrae announced that it has been awarded $200,000 from the California High-Speed Rail Authority to support the development of a comprehensive, multi-agency, multi-modal access plan to the Millbrae Intermodal Transit Station.
New stand-up comedy CD ‘Chillennial’ by Feraz Ozel announced by Uproar Entertainment
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Feraz Ozel, a "brown" comedian, is a light-hearted performer driven by passion, and intelligence, says Uproar Entertainment. His is a diverse and energetic brand of insightful comedy that connects with people from all walks of life. He prides himself on putting on a show that will make you laugh till it hurts, think about a few new things, and remember that regardless of our vast differences, we can all come together for a night of comedy.
Laguna Art-A-Fair hosts 2017 Call for Artists Jury Day in Laguna Beach, Calif.
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Laguna Art-A-Fair announces a Call for Artists Jury Day on Sunday, February 12 with an opportunity to join one of California's premier summer fine art festivals. Artists and artisans may enter three pieces of their original artwork along with a jury fee from 8 - 11 a.m. at the Boys and Girls Club, 1085 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.
Millbrae Calif. School District Expands Synergy Solution to Include Online Registration and Assessment
MILLBRAE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Millbrae School District (MSD) to implement the company's Synergy Online Registration and Synergy Assessment solutions, and the Inspect(R) Item Bank from Key Data Systems that works seamlessly with Synergy Assessment. MSD is located in San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Calif. Assembly Special Committee Recommends Becerra Confirmation with Floor Vote Friday (with Audio)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Calif. Assembly Special Committee on the Office of the Attorney General today voted 6-3 to recommend that the full Assembly confirm Rep. Xavier Becerra as Attorney General of California.
Democratic Assemblymembers Respond to Gov. Brown 2017 California State Budget Proposal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Governor Brown released his proposal for the 2017-18 budget. Assemblymembers Raul Bocanegra, Sabrina Cervantes, and Kevin McCarty issued statements. As anticipated, the governor introduced a fiscally-conservative budget that forecasts lower revenues due to uncertainty at the national level.
Calif. Speaker Rendon Statement on Governor’s 2017 Budget Proposal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) today released the following statement after Gov. Jerry Brown released his initial budget proposal: “The Governor’s opening budget proposal is typically cautious, with some expected issues and also some areas of concern."
Calif. Democratic Majority Whip Announces Support for Rep. Xavier Becerra Attorney General Appointment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Los Angeles), the Assembly’s Democratic Majority Whip, announced his full-fledged support for Rep. Xavier Becerra’s (D-Los Angeles) appointment as California’s next Attorney General.
California Governor Brown Announces Proposed 2017-18 State Balanced Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. proposed a balanced state budget that eliminates a projected $2 billion deficit and bolsters the state's Rainy Day Fund while continuing to invest in education, health care expansion and other core programs.
Calif. Gov. Brown announces Appointments for Jan. 9, 2017 including to Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Monday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Michelle Baass, 42, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary of the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs at the California Health and Human Services Agency.
Cervantes Introduces California Bill to Make Riverside County Carpool Lanes More Flexible
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- This week, Calif. Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) introduced her first bill at the State Capitol. The bill, Assembly Bill 91, would help ease late-night traffic jams in Riverside County by allowing single-occupancy vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, commonly known as “carpool lanes,” during non-peak traffic hours.
Greg Steininger joins 5 BARS as National VP of 5 Bars Communities
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 Bars(TM) a leader in wireless technology solutions, announced the appointment of Greg Steininger as National Vice President, Communities. 5 Bars is a premier provider of wireless master plans and asset marketing for cities, counties and large-scale venues.
Hoge Fenton attorney Crystal N. Riggins has been elevated to shareholder, effective Jan. 1, 2017
SAN JOSE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Crystal Riggins, based in Hoge Fenton's Silicon Valley office, is a member of the Litigation, Intellectual Property, and Ethics & Professional Liability practice groups. Hoge Fenton is a multi-service law firm.
Banking Expert Rob Chrisman to Address Special Session at ReverseVision 2017 UserCon
SAN DIEGO, Calif., /California Newswire/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, today announced that mortgage industry expert Rob Chrisman will address attendees of RV UserCon 2017 as a special session speaker on February 9 in San Diego.
Calif. Legislative Leaders on Hiring Former U.S. Attorney General to deal with challenges from incoming Trump Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) released the following statement to announce they have hired outside legal counsel to deal with potential challenges from the incoming Trump Administration ....
Calif. Rep. Cardenas Won’t Back Down in New 2017 Congress
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Representative Tony Cardenas (CA-29), released the following statement to mark the beginning of the 115th Congress: "At the outset of this Congress, we are faced with more uncertainty than ever."
Medical Residency Bottleneck: The Everest Foundation is one of the only non-profits working to alleviate issue
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Everest Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has made it its core passion to help the Graduate Medical Education community. The foundation is renowned in circles of Medical Schools, Universities and Residency Programs. The foundation, in part, assists with funding of research, personnel, edu-initiatives, and residency training slots.
Calif. Assemblymember Ash Kalra Named Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California State Assemblymember Ash Kalra has been named Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging & Long-Term Care by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. It is relatively rare for a newly elected Assemblymember to be appointed as Chair and Kalra is one of only four newly elected legislators in the Assembly to be appointed Chair of a Standing Committee and one of only two who have never previously served in the Assembly to be appointed as a Committee Chair.
Calif. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty Named Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D – Paramount) today named Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D- Sacramento) Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. The Chairmanship oversees the largest component of California’s multi-billion dollar annual budget, which in 2016 spent $88.3 billion on K-12 education programs and $30 billion supporting California’s Community College, CSU and UC systems. McCarty previously served as Chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance in the 2015-16 legislative session.
Calif. Assemblymember O’Donnell Reappointed to Lead 2017 Assembly Education Committee
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D – Long Beach) was renamed as Chair of the Assembly Education Committee by Speaker Anthony Rendon. The committee is instrumental in shaping state policy impacting schools, students and teachers in California. Assemblymember O’Donnell issued the following statement on the appointment....
Calif. Assemblymember McCarty Applauds $20M in Grants to Help Classified School Workers Become Credentialed Teachers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty’s (D –Sacramento) efforts to diversify and increase the number of credentialed K-12 teachers in California received a multi-million dollar boost when the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing recently awarded $20 million (twenty million dollars) in grants to help 1,000 classified school employees become credentialed teachers.
California Speaker Rendon Announces 2017 State Leadership Team, Committee Chairs
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) announced committee chair and Democratic leadership appointments. The appointments are effective immediately.
The Mortgage Collaborative Releases Aggressive 2016 Growth Data with $150B in Origination Volume
SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the industry's premier mortgage cooperative, today released year-end data on its 2016 growth. "Adding 50 new lender members and 20 new Preferred Partners in 2016 met the aggressive goals established by our Board, and grew our aggregate origination volume to over $150 billion," said David G. Kittle, CMB, the Collaborative's President.
Calif. Speaker Rendon Reappoints Paul Fearer to Covered California Board, Reaffirms Commitment to Health Exchange
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) announced the reappointment of Paul E. Fearer to the board of the California Health Benefit Exchange. More than 2.8 million Californians have purchased health insurance through Covered California since the exchange opened its doors in 2014.
Utelogy Corporation Hires Rod Gummerman as Senior Developer for SDAV Solutions
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Utelogy Corporation, creator of software for control and management of audiovisual systems for business and education, brings Rod Gummerman on board as Senior Developer in the company's most recent hire.
Calif. Speaker Rendon Appoints Assembly Committee on the Office of the Attorney General
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- As part of the confirmation process for California Attorney General-designate Xavier Becerra, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) today announced he has appointed a Special committee on the Office of the Attorney General.
Venice California Arts Center, Beyond Baroque to Mark 50th Anniversary in 2018
VENICE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading independent Literary Arts Centers, is planning a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2018. Guided by the nonprofit's Executive Director, Richard Modiano, and council of prominent artist-curators, a program of activities commencing January 1, 2018, will take place at Beyond Baroque's Venice location and in venues throughout Los Angeles.
Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza Introduces ‘California Rebuild’ Infrastructure Proposal with SB4
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On December 5, 2016, Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza introduced Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), which would allocate $1.2 billion dollars to reduce emissions, health risks, and also to redevelop the infrastructure of California’s goods movement network. This measure would improve goods movement corridors which are vital to the state’s economy.
Legislation to Help Calif. Children Suffering from Trauma and Toxic Stress introduced by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Shortly after being sworn in to his second term in the California State Assembly, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) this week introduced Assembly Bill 11 (AB 11), which will create a child care early intervention partnership to help California infants and young children suffering from toxic stress.
Calif. State Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra Introduces Legislation to Establish Hate Crime Registry
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, on the first day of the 2017-18 California Legislative Session, Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-San Fernando Valley) introduced legislation to establish the California Hate Crimes Registry, which would make public the names of those criminals convicted of a hate crime and the crimes of which they were convicted, while protecting the confidentiality of the victims.
Speaker Rendon Strikes Defiant Tone for State as Calif. Assembly Reconvenes on Eve of Trump Presidency
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Shortly after being re-elected as leader of the Calif. Assembly, Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) stuck a defiant tone calling for the "protection of Californians against the incoming presidential administration" in his remarks to the newly sworn-in Assemblymembers.
