California
California State Assembly honors Freedom to Choose Project with award
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The California State Assembly is honoring the Freedom to Choose Project with an award for its 20 years of service to the community.
In recognition of 20 years of its vital role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism for individuals in the state of California, Assemblyman Gregg Hart, on behalf of the California State Assembly, formally honored the Freedom to Choose Project (FTC) with a resolution acknowledging the organization’s impact on transforming lives.
For over 20 years, the Freedom to Choose Project has been a beacon of hope, empowering nearly 10,000 incarcerated people through its programs. The Santa Barbara-based non-profit has delivered over 218,700 hours of in-person education and engaged nearly 1,000 volunteers who have collectively contributed over 100,000 hours of volunteer service. Their curriculum has been pivotal in fostering rehabilitation in every state prison across California.
Forrest Leichtberg, Executive Director, expressed his gratitude for this recognition: “Receiving this resolution is an honor and a testament to the dedication of our founders, alumni, volunteers, and staff. For over 20 years, we have witnessed the power of our programs. This formal acknowledgment affirms our commitment to continue supporting even more individuals on their journey of healing and rehabilitation.”
The Freedom to Choose Project equips participants with essential life skills, including conflict resolution, nonviolent communication, emotional intelligence, social intelligence, positive choice-making, and self-awareness. These programs significantly reduce recidivism rates and support participants in overcoming challenges such as educational deficits, substance abuse, and emotional health issues.
Assembly Member Gregg Hart, who sponsored the resolution, states: “Our entire community is proud to recognize Freedom to Choose for their outstanding work in helping incarcerated individuals become better neighbors through education, mentorship, and support. Freedom to Choose transforms lives.”
FTC founders, Drs. Bonnie and David Paul, state: “We are delighted by this recognition from the State of California, acknowledging our 20 years of impact, and excited to expand into additional prisons and new sectors as we foster a more compassionate society.”
The curriculum is delivered through three impactful program areas: 1. In-person workshops; 2. Small study groups to facilitate self-directed learning and peer mentorship; 3. A correspondence program that extends educational opportunities through written assignments.
As the Freedom to Choose Project celebrates this milestone, it is poised to expand to additional facilities across California and into other states and countries.
Founded in 2004 in Santa Barbara, California, by Drs. Bonnie and David Paul, the Freedom to Choose Project’s mission is to transform the lives of individuals impacted by incarceration through compassionate experiential education. For more information, visit www.freedomtochooseproject.org or contact info@freedomtochooseproject.org.
Freedom to Choose Project
California
California Now Offers Free Passes to State Historic Parks (Just Don’t Miss the Deadline) | KQED
An annual pass that’s usually $50 is free in honor of Juneteenth — and to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Historical buildings are visible at Sonoma State Historic Park, Sonoma, California, May 31, 2026. Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)
“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history – in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom wrote.
Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. The pass gives free entry to state historic parks for up to four people.
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The Historian Passport grants entry to more than 30 state historic parks, including parks like Olompali and Malakoff Diggins which, rather than just providing outdoor recreation, also have an educational emphasis on the state’s history.
Many of these parks tell the story of the state’s cultural or indigenous history, from missions and museums to temples and the site that sparked the California Gold Rush.
Newsom made a similar move to make state parks free for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in response to Trump’s decision to eliminate the holiday from the list of fee-free days at national parks across the country, replacing it with his birthday on Flag Day.
How to get your free Historian Passport for up to four people
You must make an account with the state’s reservation site ReserveCalifornia.com to obtain a Historian Pass. Then, visit the site’s Advance Passes page and select “Special Edition Historian Passport” from the dropdown menu, which will show as costing $0. No payment information is required.
After checking out, you’ll receive an email with an attached PDF version of your Historian Passport.
The state recommends you print off this PDF to present at any California state historic park for free entry, although you may just be able to show the image on your phone too.
Bear in mind that cellphone service may be poor at many state historic parks, so it’s worth screenshotting the PDF to save it as an image on your phone in case you’re unable to search your email.
Looking for free entry to other state parks that aren’t included in the Historian Passport? Consider checking out a parks pass from your local library, which provides these passes as part of the California State Library Parks Pass program.
Northern California State Historic Parks to visit for free this year with a Historian Passport
Bay Area
Sacramento area
Sierra foothills
KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this report.
A 33-year-old Northern California man was sentenced to three years in prison after he was found passed out drunk behind the wheel in the drive-thru of an In-N-Out Burger, marking his seventh arrest and conviction for driving under the influence.
According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol officers were alerted to the June 2025 situation by a store employee.
Responding officers approached the vehicle and reported smelling urine and vomit, along with the odor of alcohol inside the car, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Officers arrested the man, identified as Carlos Alvarez of Salinas, on suspicion of felony DUI.
This was his fourth DUI conviction in the past 10 years, The Times reported.
It was not immediately clear what sentences were imposed in Alvarez’s prior DUI convictions or whether he has previously served jail time for any of the other felony convictions.
Two college students died after being swept out to sea from a Santa Cruz beach as massive waves and dangerous rip currents inundated the California coastline in recent days.
Authorities confirmed this week that Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were killed after the sudden swell at a Santa Cruz beach last Wednesday. Nair died last week while Sran died in a local hospital on Sunday.
The incident came a day after a five-year-old girl in southern California was killed when turbulent waters swept the child, who was walking with her mother and brother, out to sea from the shore of Treasure Island Beach in Orange county.
Authorities have urged people to take precautions while visiting beaches throughout the state as the coast faced treacherous conditions with the continuing king tides, a non-scientific term describing the highest tides of the year.
On 10 June, local authorities in Santa Cruz responded to a beach for an ocean rescue of two women who had been pulled into the water. A team of about eight rescue swimmers helped pull Nair and Sran from the water, and they were taken to local hospitals by ambulance and helicopters.
It was the fifth rescue firefighters had undertaken on that mile-long portion of coastline from Yellow Bank Beach to Bonny Doon Beach, the San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit of Cal Fire said in a statement online.
Kyle Breton, a Santa Cruz county volunteer fire captain, said in a video that officials believed the two friends were napping near a rock archway between two beaches when the water came in and swept them out.
Sran was a student at San Jose State University and Nair attended the University of California, Berkeley, the universities confirmed to media outlets.
In an obituary, Nair’s family remembered her as a “cherished sister, granddaughter and a treasured friend” who “always found a way to lift others up”.
“Harshita was truly full of life – radiating energy, warmth and joy wherever she went. She had a deep love for adventure and embraced every moment with enthusiasm and courage. Her spirit was contagious, her laughter uplifting and her presence comforting.”
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