By Rudy Blalock Huntington Beach’s recently approved measure requiring voter ID in local elections has prompted a legal challenge from top California leaders. Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, the state’s chief elections official, announced the lawsuit at an April 15 news conference, challenging the city’s Measure A, which gives […]
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Posted inNational News
Price Hikes, Job Losses in Wake of California’s New Minimum Wage for Fast-Food Workers
By Travis Gillmore Though California’s new minimum wage for the fast-food industry puts more money into some workers’ pockets, it has ignited a firestorm of menu price hikes, mass layoffs, and reduced work hours across the state. After Assembly Bill 1228—signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023—took effect April 1, the minimum wage […]
Posted inNational News
California Stopped Tracking Billions in Homeless Spending, Audit Shows
By Beige Luciano-Adams Despite spending more than $24 billion to combat the crisis over the past five years, California has seen its homeless population continue to surge, in tandem with a deadly overdose epidemic and deteriorating public safety in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Now, according to results of a statewide audit, it […]
Posted inNational News
California’s Capital Declares Itself a Transgender Sanctuary City
By Brad Jones Dozens of transgender activists clashed with several parental rights protesters outside Sacramento City Hall on March 26 preceding public debate over a trans sanctuary city resolution, which the council unanimously passed. The resolution declaring Sacramento “a sanctuary city for transgender people,” effective immediately, supports Senate Bill 107, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed […]
Posted inNational News
Maine Pulls the Plug on California-Inspired Electric Car Mandates
By Alice Giordano Maine, a vastly rural state that mingles a traditional Yankee life of hunting, logging, lobstering, and living off the grid with an annual influx of 15 million tourists—most who arrive by car—will not be joining 12 other states in phasing out gas-powered cars in favor of electrical vehicles. In a 4 to […]
Posted inNational News
Federal Judge Strikes Down California’s One-Gun-a-Month Law
By Zachary Stieber A California law barring people from buying more than one gun a month has been struck down. In his March 11 ruling, a federal judge said that the one-gun-a-month (OGM) law does not adhere to requirements for gun restrictions outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court in a pivotal 2022 decision. “Defendants have […]
Posted inNational News
California Voters Report Ballot Mix-Ups, Share Concerns About Election Integrity
By Travis Gillmore Some California voters are questioning the electoral process after they received the wrong ballot leading up to the Primary Election March 5. One such voter said he is a lifelong registered Republican, but received a no-party preference ballot in the mail. He said he noticed there was an issue because he wanted […]
Posted inBusiness
Group of Businesses Sue California to Block New Climate Disclosure Laws
By Travis Gillmore Faced with new regulations that would require thousands of companies in California to calculate and disclose emissions, a group of businesses filed a lawsuit Jan. 30 in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to overturn the laws. At issue are Senate Bills 253 and 261, requiring comprehensive greenhouse gas disclosures for […]
Posted inNational News
Americans Flee New York and California in Droves Seeking Affordability, Quality of Life
By Mary Prenon Fed up with skyrocketing rents and home prices, high crime, a continual influx of migrants, and other quality-of-life issues, New Yorkers and Californians poured out of those states in record numbers over the past year. A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau named New York as the state with the highest population […]
Posted inEconomy
Billions of Dollars in Commercial Real Estate Debt Pressuring California Markets
By Travis Gillmore High interest rates and a shift to working from home continue to impact commercial real estate in California, specifically the office sector, with lingering high vacancy rates and impending loan due dates creating both risks and opportunities, according to experts. With approximately $21 billion in commercial mortgage-backed securities coming due in Los […]
Posted inNational News
Driverless Cars in California Immune from Traffic Tickets under Current Laws: Report
By Jill McLaughlin Autonomous cars driving city streets in California have run red lights, blocked emergency vehicles, and injured a pedestrian. But can they get tickets from police officers? Probably not, according to some experts. An investigative report by NBC Bay Area found the state’s law enforcement was unable to cite the driverless vehicles. In California, traffic […]
Posted inEconomy
Rite Aid to Close 31 California Stores, 154 Nationally
By Jill McLaughlin Rite Aid plans to close 31 California stores as part of a company-wide bankruptcy restructuring plan, according to a federal bankruptcy filing Oct. 16. All but seven of the state’s locations slated to close are in Southern California. The troubled retailer plans to close 154 of its 2,100 retail pharmacy outlets nationally. […]
