It’s Thursday evening. You pack up your things at work and hit the road. Maybe you’re thinking about a lunch plan you’ve got with a friend or a show you plan to binge. But you’re not thinking about clocking in tomorrow: You’ve got a three-day weekend. All your weekends, in fact, are three-day weekends. It’s […]
economy
Posted inNews
Court Upholds California Prop. 22 in Big Win for Gig Firms Like Lyft and Uber
In the winding story of California’s gig worker laws, another chapter has come to a close. Justices in a California court of appeals ruled Monday that Proposition 22 — a 2020 ballot measure that allowed Uber, Lyft, and other platforms to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees – is largely constitutional, but […]
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More than 12,000 Californians are Getting Cash from Guaranteed Income Experiments
Four years after Stockton conducted a nationally-watched experiment, giving 125 households $500 a month with no strings attached, dozens of programs throughout California are testing the idea of a guaranteed income. CalMatters identified more than 40 similar pilot programs that have run, are operating or are planning to launch around the state. They are sending […]
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Some Seniors and Disabled People Will Miss Out on New California State Payments
Some 23 million Californians’ bank accounts will get a boost of $200 to $1,050, thanks to a new round of payments approved by state lawmakers. But the payments, aimed at mitigating higher prices for gas and other goods, will leave out lots of low-income Californians. Among those passed over are some seniors, many living on […]
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Here’s How State Lawmakers Want to Help Californians with High Gas Prices
There’s a collective groan, rippling across California, as drivers pull into gas stations and see prices above $5. Gas prices per gallon are getting higher across the U.S., but prices in California are soaring higher than any other state according to the American Automobile Association. Thursday, the average price of gas in California was $5.69 […]
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Here’s What’s Ahead for California Businesses in 2022
Clogged supply chains. Hiring struggles. New mask rules. A virus that trampled right over return-to-work schedules. Last year was chaotic for many businesses across California. What does 2022 hold? Layered on top of pandemic uncertainty is the question of what policymakers might do for — and to — businesses. “2022 is going to be a […]
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Most Californians say Economic Inequality is Getting Worse, New Survey Shows
Seven in 10 Californians say the gap between rich and poor is getting larger, according to a statewide survey released Tuesday. The survey, conducted last month by the nonpartisan think tank, Public Policy Institute of California, polled 2,292 adult Californians about their opinions on the state’s economic outlook, financial security, job security, among other topics. […]
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How Much Do Wildfires Really Cost California’s Economy?
Not a single structure burned down in the city of South Lake Tahoe. And yet, the threat of the fast approaching Caldor Fire cost surrounding El Dorado County tens of millions of dollars, if not more. In South Lake Tahoe, Domi Chavarria, co-owner of Verde Mexican Rotisserie, felt the devastation of the Caldor Fire even […]
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Huffman Votes to Pass ‘Historic’ $1.9 Stimulus Bill
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman joined a majority of his colleagues today in passing the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, sending the landmark legislation on to President Joe Biden’s desk. According to a press release from Huffman’s office, the package — if signed into law, as is expected — will […]
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Exclusive: More Than 1,600 Californians Evicted During Pandemic
Like any parent, Jamie Burson didn’t want her 11-year-old son to discover how frightened she really was about the novel coronavirus. But it’s hard to mask anxiety when you’re living and sleeping together in the same car. After Burson was evicted from her two bedroom apartment in Vacaville the second week of April, she heeded […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Community Responsibility
A friend of the Journal recently said that opening one part of the country — or one part of the state — amid the COVID-19 pandemic is akin to having a peeing section in a public swimming pool. The analogy is crude but accurate. We were reminded of this July 13 when, faced with soaring […]
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State Clarifies What Businesses Can Open Friday, How They Must Operate
The state of California has issued guidelines detailing what retail businesses, including the companies that provide them logistical and manufacturing support, need to do in order to re-open for curbside and delivery services Friday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The businesses must have all of the following provisions in place: requiring facial coverings for all employees […]