Joe Mathews

Greater Fresno, with 1.1 million people and growing, is in the process of becoming California’s next big metropolitan area (it’s already fifth—after L.A.,…

Can you imagine Southern California without Hollywood? Or the Bay Area without Silicon Valley?No? History suggests that the identities of cities and…

Fresno regularly ranks as one of the poorest metro areas in the United States. So why do people keep moving there?The short, if incomplete, answer: Fresno…

Editor's note: Zocalo Public Square is publishing a series of articles this week about the Monterey County community of Salinas and the challenges…

I am a California dairy cow. Mmmm—oo.Surprised to hear from me? In normal times, I wouldn’t be inclined to cooperate with the anthropomorphic scheme of a…

It’s not clear if Governor Jerry Brown and his challenger Neel Kashkari will debate each other this fall. But if they do, there should be no doubt about…

I’m not talking about secession or flying Sarah Palin down from Alaska but about what may be the most important California arts event most Californians…

I miss the days when Thanksgiving felt as big as all of California.When I was growing up in Pasadena, we’d drive out to my great grandmother’s place in…

At the moment of my birth—a moment that occurred only last week—I was the most valuable child in the history of California.That’s not merely the opinion…

This week on Valley Edition FM89's Ezra Romero reports on payday lenders and why a Fresno faith based groups says the lenders practices are immoral. Also…