Eleni Kounalakis

Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis became the first woman to sign a piece of legislation into law in California’s history when she signed AB 2179 Thursday, extending eviction protections for Californians in rental assistance programs.

On Thursday, the UC Board of Regents’ last public meeting of the month largely focused on the promotion of equity and innovation, as it was dominated by discussions of supporting affirmative action and investing in UC research and ideas.

On July 25, several statewide officeholders endorsed California state Sen. Scott Wiener's More HOMES Act, or SB 50, according to a press release from California YIMBY, an organization whose name stands for “Yes In My Back Yard.”

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis visited the UC Berkeley campus Friday and spoke with campus students and officials as part of her statewide “listening tour” of public universities.

The results of Election Day perpetuated a series of flips and changes on the local, state and national stages. Among the highlights — a national flip in the House of Representatives, a state rejection of the expansion of rent control and a contentious Berkeley City Council District 1 race.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is projected to win the race for California governor, while former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis is leading in the lieutenant governor race as of press time at 12:23 a.m. Wednesday.

This November, Berkeley voters have the opportunity to bring their city new representation at the state level. There are several critical seats up for election, including governor, secretary of state and state Assembly member in the 15th District — and Californians must to do their civic duty by showing up to the polls.

California’s candidates for lieutenant governor — state Senator Ed Hernandez and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis — spoke about college affordability, capacity and access at a moderated interview hosted by the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Tuesday night.

Many candidates were political newcomers, running for elected office for the first time. This crowded race included four Democrats, four Republicans, one Libertarian and two independent candidates.

Kounalakis said she decided to run because she was concerned about the direction of the country after the 2016 elections and believed California should lead the way to a better future.