Page 5 - California

California voters reject raising minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour

Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state minimum wage to USD 18 per hour by 2026, the highest in the country. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said it would have increased costs, led to higher taxes and pushed businesses to cut jobs. "With the economy and costs top of mind for many voters this election, that message appears to have resonated," said Jennifer Barrera, the chamber's president and CEO. Proponents estimated that the measure would have benefited two million workers, including hotel and grocery employees. "Proposition 32's failure to pass is disappointing for all Californians who believe that everyone who works should earn enough to support their families," said Kathy Finn, president of UFCW 770, a Southern California union representing nearly 30,000 workers in various sectors. The current minimum wage rates are USD 16 per hour for most workers and USD 20 in the fast-food sector. The health care sector w

California Guv Newsom heads to DC to safeguard state policies from Trump

California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to meet with the Biden administration this week to discuss zero-emission vehicles and disaster relief issues that have been targeted in the past by President-elect Donald Trump. The Democratic governor is leaving for Washington on Monday and will return home Wednesday, his office said. Newsom will also meet with California's congressional delegation. He is seeking federal approval for state climate rules, a USD 5.2 billion reimbursement for emergency funding during the COVID-19 pandemic and updates to the state's Medicaid program, along with other priorities. The trip comes days after Newsom called for state lawmakers to convene a special session in December to protect California's liberal policies ahead of Trump's return to office in January. California won against most of the Trump administration's legal challenges over the state's environmental and other progressive policies during the Republican's first term, said Thad Kousser, a political ..

California Guv calls session to protect liberal policies from Trump admin

California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, on Thursday called for lawmakers to convene a special session later this year to safeguard the state's progressive policies on climate change, reproductive rights and immigration ahead of another Trump presidency. The move a day after the former president resoundingly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race effectively reignited California's resistance campaign against conservative policies that state Democratic leaders started during the first Trump administration. The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack and we won't sit idle, Newsom, who reportedly has ambitions on the national stage, said in a statement. California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared to fight in the courts, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive. Newsom and lawmakers sa

California voters weigh action on shoplifting, forced labour, minimum wage

California voters will decide on 10 ballot measures including one that would turn some nonviolent crimes, like shoplifting, into felonies again, and another that would make the state's minimum wage the highest in the nation. Here's a look at some of the most consequential propositions being put before voters: Proposition 36 This would make shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders and increase penalties for some drug charges, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl. It also would give judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges to get treatment. Proponents say the initiative is necessary to close loopholes that have made it challenging for law enforcement to punish shoplifters and drug dealers. The measure will also help the state address the homelessness and drug crises, they say. Opponents, including Democratic state leaders and social justice groups, say it would disproportionately imprison poor people and those with substance use issues rath

Over 36 Indian Americans running for state legislations, local bodies

Over three dozen Indian Americans are running for local bodies and state legislation elections across the country reflecting the growing interest among this small ethnic community to be part of political mainstream. If you are not at the table, you are on the menu, Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi comments at various Indian American gatherings motivating and encouraging community members to run for elections at all levels. Probably the largest number of Indian Americans running for local offices are in the state of California, which sends two members to the House of Representatives Ro Khanna and Dr Ami Bera in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris whose mother was from India. Those include Adlah Chisti who is running for County Supervisor for District 11, Aliya Chisti for City College Board San Francisco, Darshana Patel for State Assembly, Nicole Fernandez for San Mateo City Council, Nithya Raman for Los Angeles City Council, Richa Awasthi for Foster City Council

Musk loses bid to dismiss ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal's severance lawsuit

Elon Musk has been fighting legal claims for back pay by thousands of Twitter staff he laid off

Man serving 30 years for attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband gets life term

The man who was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attacking the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hammer in their California home was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a separate state trial. A San Francisco jury in June found David DePape guilty of charges including aggravated kidnapping, first-degree burglary and false imprisonment of an elder. Before issuing the sentence, Judge Harry Dorfman dismissed arguments from DePape's attorneys that he be granted a new trial for the 2022 attack against Paul Pelosi, who was 82 years old at the time. It's my intention that Mr. DePape will never get out of prison, he can never be paroled," Dorfman said while handing out the punishment. One of the defense attorneys, Adam Lipson, asked Dorfman before the sentence was handed down to consider DePape's mental health and isolation that made him susceptible to online propaganda. This is a man who has always been a peaceful,

Armed man arrested at checkpoint near Trump's weekend rally in California

A Nevada man with a shotgun, a loaded handgun and ammunition in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump's rally Saturday night in the Southern California desert, authorities said Sunday. The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving a black SUV that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. He was released Saturday on USD 5,000 bail. The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said. This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event, the statement said. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on January 2, 2025, according to online records. Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, gr

California to apologise for state's legacy of racism, slavery under new law

California will formally apologise for slavery and its lingering effects on Black Americans in the state under a new law Governor Gavin Newsom has signed. The legislation was part of a package of reparations bills introduced this year that seek to offer repair for decades of policies that drove racial disparities for African Americans. Newsom also approved on Thursday laws to improve protections against hair discrimination for athletes and increase oversight over the banning of books in state prisons. The State of California accepts responsibility for the role we played in promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities, the Democratic governor said in a statement. Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognising the grave injustices of the past - and making amends for the harms caused. Newsom signed the bills after vetoing a proposal Wednesday that

California sues Exxon over global plastic pollution, firm defends recycling

The investigation mirrors California's previous probes into the oil industry's alleged efforts to mislead the public about climate change, which the state is also suing over

California guv signs laws to crack down on AI-created election deepfakes

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills Tuesday to crack down on the use of artificial intelligence to create false images or videos in political ads ahead of the 2024 election. A new law, set to take effect immediately, makes it illegal to create and publish deepfakes related to elections 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. It also allows courts to stop distribution of the materials and impose civil penalties. "Safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it's critical that we ensure AI is not deployed to undermine the public's trust through disinformation - especially in today's fraught political climate," Newsom said in a statement. "These measures will help to combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content, one of several areas in which the state is being proactive to foster transparent and trustworthy AI." Large social media platforms are also required to remove the deceptive material under a ...

Musk's X wins appeal to block part of California content moderation law

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned a lower court judge's decision declining to pause enforcement of the new California law

Musk shows support for California bill requiring safety tests on AI models

California state lawmakers attempted to introduce 65 bills touching on AI this legislative season

California faces summer of extremes, from heat waves and wildfires to snow

An unusually cold weather system from the Gulf of Alaska interrupted summer along the West Coast on Saturday, bringing snow to Washington state's Mount Rainier and a national park in Northern California, causing authorities to close part of a highway that runs through the park. Parts of Highway 89 through Lassen Volcanic National Park in California were closed Saturday after an estimated three inches of snow fell overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Photos posted by the National Weather Service and local authorities showed a white-covered peak from Rainier and a dusting of snow at Minaret Vista, a lookout point southeast of Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada. Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich said it was definitely unexpected to see snow at Minaret Vista in August. It's not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer, he said in a statement. It made for a day I won't soon forget, and a ..

Starbucks CEO to travel 1,600 kms to work by corporate jet

Starbucks’ incoming CEO, Brian Niccol, will commute nearly 1,600 kms to work in Seattle from his home in California. Watch the video to know more.

Why does Big Tech oppose California AI bill if it wants it to be regulated?

The proposal would mandate safety testing for many of the most advanced AI models that cost more than $100 million to develop or those that require a defined amount of computing power

Starbucks' CEO Brian Niccol to commute 1,600 km to work via corporate jet

Brian Niccol's employment contract provides a corporate jet for his daily 1,600 km commute, requiring him to work from Starbucks' Seattle office at least three days a week

Two killed, 2 others injured in Oakland shooting after verbal altercation

Two people were shot dead and two others injured Saturday morning after a verbal altercation, San Francisco Bay Area police said. Officers were called to the 1600 block of 83rd Ave. in a residential part of East Oakland just after 9 am and found four victims with gunshot wounds, the Oakland Police Department said in a statement. Two of the victims died on site and two others were taken to a hospital, police said in the statement. Several people were engaged in a verbal altercation that became deadly when one of the individuals pulled out a firearm and fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene in a vehicle, police said. Police are withholding names of the victims until next of kin are notified. Oakland is a city of 400,000 that has struggled with crime and public safety. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao faces a recall election in November, as does the county's district attorney, Pamela Price. The home Thao shares with her partner and son was raided by the FBI in June as part of an .

New Starbucks CEO to make over $100 mn in 1st yr, not required to relocate

Incoming Starbucks CEO could make well in excess of $100 million in his first year with the company under an incentive-laden contract, and he will not be required to relocate from his home in California to Seattle, the home of the global coffee giant. Starbucks announced on Tuesday that Brian Niccol would become its chairman and CEO, taking over from Laxman Narasimhan, who stepped down abruptly after spending a little more than a year as the company's top executive. Niccol will become Starbucks' chairman and CEO on Sept 9. Niccol is among the mostly highly sought after corporate executives after establishing a track record of success in turning around companies that have hit a rough patch, including Taco Bell and, most recently, Chipotle. Niccol took the top job at the California chain in 2018 when Chipotle was being roiled by a series of foodborne illness outbreaks that had sickened more than 1,000 of its customers over several years. Revenue at Chipotle has nearly doubled since h

New Starbucks CEO Niccol to work 1,000 miles from company's headquarters

The incoming CEO agreed to commute to the coffee chain's base and travel as needed to do his job