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San Joaquin County Business, Economy & Jobs Digest



Advice From Former Superintendents on Retaining Those Still on the Job

01/30/2024

Five former California superintendents shared potential solutions for reducing the increasing turnover rate in their profession.

Should State Government Jobs Require a College Degree? Why California Is Rethinking Its Rules

01/30/2024

California is removing degree requirements from jobs, but state leaders differ about the right approach.

Will More Outdoor Drinking Give CA Economy a Buzz?

01/29/2024

State Sen. Scott Wiener wants to allow California cities and counties to designate “entertainment zones” where bars and restaurants could serve alcoholic drinks that people can consume on public streets and sidewalks.

California Gave Fast Food Workers a Seat at the Table. What Comes Next?

01/28/2024

A first-in-the-nation council will set work rules in the state’s fast food industry, but can labor and business agree?

Disneyland’s New Vision Includes Up to $2.5-billion Investment and Plan to Take Over City Streets

01/26/2024

Disneyland’s plan to reimagine the theme park into a more “immersive” experience may require up to $2.5 billion and a plan to privatize some Anaheim streets.

Nearly 200,000 Teslas Recalled Over Backup Camera Issue

01/26/2024

Tesla is recalling nearly 200,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a software glitch that can cause the backup camera to go dark.

County Planners Approve Cannabis Greenhouses in Tracy

01/26/2024

The San Joaquin County Planning Commission granted unanimous approval for a local cannabis cultivation business on Bird Road.

Levi’s Announces Cuts to Global Workforce

01/26/2024

Levi Strauss & Co. announced that its global corporate workforce is being cut by 10 percent to 15 percent in the coming months.

Collapse of California’s News Industry Is So Severe It’ll Require Taxpayer Support to Rebuild

01/25/2024

A combination of tax credits, revenue sharing and coupons could bring stability, writes Steven Waldman, president of Rebuild Local News.

UC Rejects Proposal to Allow Campuses to Hire Undocumented Students

01/25/2024

The University of California suspended for a year its plan to allow undocumented students to acquire campus jobs, crushing a student-led movement more than a year in the making.

San Joaquin County Supervisors Punt on Selecting Committee to Set Salaries

01/24/2024

A new committee tasked with reviewing and determining supervisor salaries won’t be formed for at least another year, as the Board of Supervisors has tabled any action on a salary review committee until 2025.

Education Department Says It Will Fix Its $1.8 Billion FAFSA Mistake

01/24/2024

Families have a lot of questions right now about how much help they’ll get paying for college—questions that financial aid offices can’t yet answer.

Invasive Flies Are Inching Closer Toward Ruining California’s Economy

01/24/2024

For months, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has been waging war on the oriental fruit fly, a voracious pest that can attack hundreds of types of fruits and vegetables.

Will $20 Minimum Wage Crush Fast Food in California?

01/22/2024

Fast food lives in a consumer sweet spot: demand, convenience and relative affordability. And this pay hike—equal to minimum wage increases during the past five years—will create grand economic unknowns.

How California Budget Rules Can Prevent Saving for a Rainy Day—and Why Newsom Wants to Change That

01/21/2024

The swing from a $100 billion surplus to a deficit somewhere between $38 and $68 billion in just two years illustrates the volatility of California’s tax system.

Stamps Set for Price Increase on Sunday

01/19/2024

Sending mail will get more expensive next week.

A Glimpse of the Future of Farming in the Tech-Driven Era

01/17/2024

Agtech is not just redefining farming in the San Joaquin Valley, it’s reshaping our approach to the land. Drones, sensors, and data analytics have become indispensable, driving efficiency and economic vitality across the fields.

Deficit DĂ©jĂ  Vu: Structural Problems of California School Finance

01/15/2024

We need to have a serious discussion about supporting our education investments with stable revenue.

With AI, a ‘Spirit of Optimism’ Returns to San Francisco Start-Ups

01/15/2024

Bucking the “doom loop” narrative, many tech entrepreneurs say San Francisco is still the “it city” for innovation—especially with the rise of AI.

Dispensary Attracts Crowd for Grand Opening

01/12/2024

Even though Tracy’s second retail cannabis storefront had been open for a couple of weeks, a grand opening celebration at Embarc Tracy on Pavilion Parkway drew a large crowd.

Planners OK Use Permit Extension for Downtown Tracy Cannabis Shop

01/12/2024

The Tracy Planning Commission agreed to extend a conditional use permit for a downtown cannabis dispensary until March 3.

Fourth Graders Might Lose Free Access to California State Parks

01/12/2024

California’s projected budget deficit of close to $38 billion likely means some cuts are coming. Among them, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed ending the California State Park Adventure Pass, which offers free access to some state parks for fourth graders.

Newsom Talks Projected $37.9 Billion Deficit

01/10/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that lawmakers tap a rainy day reserve and that a minimum wage increase for health care workers be delayed to help the state fight a $37.9 billion deficit. This projection is more than double what Newsom and other officials had anticipated last year.

Iconic California Restaurant Closes Without Warning

01/10/2024

Pea Soup Andersen’s, a Buellton, Calif., restaurant just shy of its 100th birthday, closed suddenly. The restaurant's other location, near Interstate 5 in Santa Nella, remains open.

State Trying to Use Generative AI to Reduce Traffic

01/08/2024

Caltrans has set a Jan. 25 deadline for tech companies to show how generative artificial intelligence might reduce traffic congestion in the state. This follows an executive order that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September related to this type of AI.

Audacy Bankruptcy Could Impact Six Bay Area Radio Stations

01/08/2024

Philadelphia-based Audacy, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $1.9 billion in debts, owns six radio stations in the Bay Area. These include 95.7 The Game, KCBS and 102.1 Jams.

San Diego County Schools Face Post-Pandemic Funding Woes

01/04/2024

San Diego Unified School District has received more than $700 million in federal and state relief funds since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with these funds ending, some schools could be facing serious deficits.

Sacramento Councilman Under Federal Indictment Resigns from Office

01/04/2024

Sean Loloee, a first-term Sacramento councilmember, has resigned from office—a move that came weeks after he was federally indicted on charges related to his business Viva Supermarkets.

Faraday Future at Risk of Being Delisted From Nasdaq

01/04/2024

Faraday Future, the luxury electric vehicle company that has a manufacturing plant in Hanford, could soon be off the Nasdaq exchange.

Personal Cups Now Allowed at Starbucks for Drive-Thru and App Orders

01/03/2024

The move aims to reduce the waste generated from the coffee chain’s disposable cups.

Monterey County Hospitals are So Expensive Even Fully Insured Patients Avoid Them

01/03/2024


High prices at hospitals in Monterey County are “an anomaly even among the most expensive” communities in California. One insurance plan there saves money by paying for members’ travel to other counties for procedures.

Featured

Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
Though life expectancy has declined in recent years, Californians still live longer than most Americans.
Want to Live a Long, Healthy Life? Move to California
Californians live longer than people in all but three states, but not all counties are equal.
They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country
California, a state known for high-tech and show business glitz, is also America’s farming powerhouse.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
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