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Fun and Easy Fall Crafts for Kids
Fall is a magical season filled with vibrant colors, cozy sweaters, and the crisp scent of autumn leaves. It's also the perfect time to engage kids in fun, creative activities celebrating the seas...
Chest of Hope
Listed under: Community Service & Support Crime & Justice
San Joaquin County Election Results
From SFGate...
Fourth Graders Might Lose Free Access to California State Parks
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.
From Los Angeles Times...
LAPD Chief Announces Departure at End of February
Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, announced he will resign. The departure of Moore, who has been in the job since 2018, will spur the appointment of an interim chief and a nationwide search for his replacement, according to Mayor Karen Bass.
From Sacramento Bee...
Newsom Pitches Spending $22M to Fight Fruit Flies
California farmers face challenges posed by multiple types of fruit flies. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending just over $22 million to combat the spread of these flies.
From CalMatters...
Cal State Faculty Reject 'Final' Pay Offer, Set Strike For Jan. 22
After months of negotiations, university officials offer a 5% pay raise. The union is seeking 12 percent and plans to strike at the end of January.
From KQED...
Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Advances in San Francisco
A committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 to advance a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The vote came following a tense public hearing.
From LA Times...
State Trying to Use Generative AI to Reduce Traffic
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.
Newsom Sets March 19 Special Election to Fill McCarthy’s Seat
Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a March 19 primary to elect a replacement for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from Congress in December. If a candidate doesn’t win outright, a runoff will be held on May 21.
Kinder, Gentler Prison Guards Key to Newsom San Quentin Reform Plan
California correctional officers train like ‘they are going to war’ to work in state prisons. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to transform San Quentin could require a kinder approach.
Sacramento Councilman Under Federal Indictment Resigns from Office
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.
Repairing Sidewalks Can Cost Property Owners Big in California
California state law dictates that property owners are responsible for repairing damaged sidewalks. In Sacramento, this has left some owners facing bills of thousands of dollars or tax assessments from the city.
Why California Community Colleges Struggle to Create Diverse Faculties and Staff
“Progress remains slow,” according to a recent report on faculty diversity at California’s community colleges. For Nikia Chaney, the sole full-time Black faculty member at Cabrillo College, the experience is personal.
Monterey County Hospitals are So Expensive Even Fully Insured Patients Avoid Them
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.
Driverless Cars Can’t Be Ticketed in SF for Speeding or Running Red Lights
San Francisco police officers have been operating for more than a year with guidance from their chief that California’s vehicle code doesn’t provide authority for them to ticket driverless cars for infractions like speeding or running red lights. Officers are still encouraged to report relevant information about incidents.
California Assembly Shut Down By People Calling for Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
The first California Assembly session of 2024 was shut down by hundreds of protesters urging a ceasefire for the Israel-Hamas war. The demonstrators came from an assortment of Jewish groups.
Law Goes Into Effect Blocking Guns in Many California Public Places
A law passed by the California legislature in 2023 has gone into effect banning licensed gun holders from bringing their firearms to places like playgrounds, churches and casinos. The law faces an ongoing challenge in the federal court system.
From New York Times...
CA Minimum Wage Hits $16 an Hour
The dawn of 2024 meant that California’s minimum wage rose from $15.50 to $16 an hour. That puts the Golden State at the second-highest minimum wage for a U.S. state, trailing only Washington state at $16.28 an hour.
From CNN...
Gender-Neutral Toy Law Goes Into Effect
A 2021 law passed by the California legislature went into effect Jan. 1, requiring major retailers to maintain an aisle of toys marketed to people of either gender. The bill’s author, Evan Low, said the legislation will help kids “express themselves freely and without bias.”
Californians Can Now Save Money on Vasectomies, Other Birth Control
California adopted several laws to increase access to contraception and abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. The latest one eliminates out-of-pocket charges for birth control for millions of Californians.
Nursing Homes Must Inform Patients of Reasons for Forced Discharge
New law is meant to help nursing home residents understand the reasons for their discharge, and inform them of their rights to appeal.
A Step Forward for Free Speech in Kern County?
Kern County agrees to better protect free speech in a deal with the state Justice Department—inspired by the county’s’ 2020 squashing of COVID contracts to organizations that advocated defunding police.
American Graffiti is Back: Cruising Now Legal Again in California, But So Are Speed Cameras
Under new state laws, five cities will test cameras to catch speeding drivers and cruising bans will be lifted statewide. The first is supposed to improve road safety, but critics of the second say it will endanger the public.
Bosses Now Prohibited From Asking Most Employees About Pot Use
Under two new laws, employers in California can’t ask workers about their use of cannabis outside the workplace and can’t use hair or urine tests. Employees in construction are excluded, as are applicants for federal jobs with background checks.
From CapPublicRadio...
New California Laws That Might Affect Your 2024
This past year, more than 1,000 bills went into effect, and most will become new laws in 2024. Plus, there are bills from previous years that are also scheduled to take effect after Jan. 1.
They Lived in Their Home Almost 30 Years. But California’s ‘No Fault’ Eviction Law May Now Leave Them Homeless
María Vela’s family has lived in East L.A. nearly 30 years, but new owners of her duplex asked her family to vacate by Christmas. Most evictions are due to nonpayment of rent, but owner move-ins also cause family displacement.
California Presses Universities to Return Thousands of Native American Remains and Artifacts to Local Tribes
State audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades-old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections.
New Law Could Help Undocumented California College Students Get Financial Aid
The financial aid application for undocumented students is cumbersome and confusing, and many students aren’t completing the forms. A new law streamlines the process.
He Says He Was Abused in ICE Detention Even Though He is a Legal Resident of California. Now He’s Suing for $1 Million
The 33-year old Mexican-born man—who from toddler age has been a permanent legal resident of California—has reported abuse, unsanitary conditions and threats of force-feeding before his release from immigration detention in April.
California Law Enforcement Heads to Idaho for Retirement
Some firefighters and police officers who worked long enough in California to earn pensions are heading to more conservative destinations like Idaho in retirement. Some of these people even run for political office in these places.
Single Delta Tunnel Wins Approval from State
The California Department of Water Resources has approved building a tunnel between the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The approval could signal a new wave of legal challenges to the long-running and controversial project.
California Boosting Minimum Wage for Fast Food and Health Care Workers. Who’s Next For a Raise?
California fast-food workers will earn a $20 minimum wage in April. Other employers might have to raise their pay floor to recruit and retain staff.
From San Joaquin Valley Sun...
California Regulators Add 357 Overlay to 559 Area Code
The 559 area code in the central San Joaquin Valley will soon have company.
California Takes Big Step Toward New Source of Drinking Water—Sewage
Suppliers now have detailed steps to create a new source of drinking water. But it’s not really “toilet-to-tap.” Due to the cost, it’ll likely be only large suppliers.
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