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By Chris Neklason
Published Sep 02, 2024

A relaxing nap can be a good way to spend the holiday which honors workers.
A relaxing nap can be a good way to spend the holiday which honors workers.
Image credit: Wikipediuh   CC BY-SA 4.0

Happy Labor Day to All Who Celebrate

We give thanks to all the people who worked over the three day weekend taking care of the rest of us loafers.

And special thanks to organized labor, which has brought us the five day work-week, safer workplaces, fair pay and continues to fight for worker rights in general. Their work is never done.

In this week's newsletter we're also taking a break, and will be back in action next week with a look at the unusual number of city council elections being cancelled for want of candidates running against incumbents,  and a reflection on how California is burning oil to make water.

In the meantime, enjoy the recipe of the week and catch up on all the news and government announcements from last week, below.


Recipe of the Week

Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.

See more recipes in their Taste Summer! cookbook.


Cookies and lemonade made special with herbs

Shortbread and lemonade are an excellent treat any time. Use herbs to give them a special touch.
New! Lemon verbena shortbread, lavender lemonade from the Herb Team


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Recent Statewide News

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Health Care in California: How the State Made Almost Everyone Eligible for Coverage
Almost everyone in California has health insurance. That trend reflects about a decade and a half of policymaking designed to expand access to health care. The state’s average uninsured rate has dropped from nearly one in four Californians in 2009 to less than one in ten today.
(09/03/2024) CalMatters
CalFire Deploys New Air Tanker
CalFire received the first of five planes promised by the federal government, a former Coast Guard C-130 Hercules air tanker.
(09/02/2024) https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article291844345.html
California’s Economy Lags Behind Other States, Here’s Why It’s So Sluggish
California’s unemployment rate, 5.2% of its labor force in July, is no longer the nation’s highest after months of having that dubious distinction.
(09/02/2024) CalMatters
Gavin Newsom Calls Special Session on Gas Prices
Unable to jam through bills he says will lower California gas prices, Gov. Newsom calls the Legislature back into session.
(08/31/2024) CalMatters
More Affordable Housing Funds Could Come With New Labor Requirements
The Legislature is willing to guarantee $500 million annually to affordable housing developers, but with a caveat.
(08/30/2024) CalMatters
California’s Inequality Hotspots
A large apartment complex in San Rafael’s majority-Latino Canal neighborhood. Latino families in Marin County are far more likely than white families to have trouble making ends meet, a new report finds.
(08/30/2024) CalMatters
California Emergency Alerts Warn You About Fires and Extreme Weather. How to Sign Up in Your County
Early warning systems save lives during disasters, but a recent FEMA survey found that only a third of people are signed up. Use this resource to find your county’s emergency alert sign-up page.
(08/29/2024) CalMatters
From Inmate Release to Immigrant Housing Aid, California Bills Spur End-of-Session Fireworks
Some Democrats are pushing bills that could put their colleagues on the hot seat in an election year. The authors say they’re representing their constituents and there’s never a perfect time for votes.
(08/28/2024) CalMatters
1 in 6 CHP Jobs Are Vacant — Despite Historic Raises and Newsom’s Hiring Campaign
California Highway Patrol officers received historically high raises in 2022 and 2023, but it continues to face a high vacancy rate of 16%.
(08/28/2024) CalMatters
These Middlemen Say They Keep Drug Prices Low. California Lawmakers Don’t Buy It
Pharmacy benefit managers attempt to negotiate cost savings for insurers. California is considering new rules that would require them to pass their discounts on to consumers.
(08/27/2024) CalMatters
Lawmakers Say Newsom Staff ‘Inflated’ Cost of Failed Health Care Bills
A trio of California Democratic lawmakers say they’re frustrated by high cost estimates that helped kill their health care legislation. Did the Newsom administration inflate the numbers to quietly kill the bills?
(08/26/2024) CalMatters
Millions of Californians Have Medical Debt. It Wouldn’t Hurt Your Credit Under Proposed Rules
About 4 in 10 Californians are carrying medical debt. Lawmakers are advancing a bill that would prevent that debt from affecting credit scores.
(08/26/2024) CalMatters
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Government Announcements

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Image of United States seal. Hickory Hollow Jerky Recalls Ready-To-Eat Jerky Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2024 - Hickory Hollow Jerky, a Eufaula, Ala., establishment, is recalling approximately 6,229 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection...
United States   (08/30/2024)
Image of United States seal. FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported From the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were...
United States   (08/16/2024)
Image of United States seal. Perdue Foods LLC, Recalls Frozen, Ready-To-Eat Chicken Breast Nugget and Tender Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated...
United States   (08/16/2024)
Image of United States seal. FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were...
United States   (08/16/2024)
Image of United States seal. Perdue Foods LLC, Recalls Frozen, Ready-To-Eat Chicken Breast Nugget and Tender Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated...
United States   (08/16/2024)
Image of United States seal. Metro Produce Distributors Inc. Recalls Fresh Guacamole Because of Possible Health Risk
Metro Produce Distributors Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is voluntarily recalling all Lunds & Byerlys fresh guacamole products with a use-by date of August 2, 2024, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fat
United States   (08/01/2024)
Image of United States seal. Colonna Brothers, Inc. Issues an Updated Voluntary Recall for "1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon" Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Elevated Lead Levels
Colonna Brothers of North Bergen, NJ is voluntarily recalling its 1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon because of a possible health risk due to elevated lead levels. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that in
United States   (07/30/2024)
Image of United States seal. Boar's Head Provisions Co. Expands Recall for Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 - Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products that may be adulterated with...
United States   (07/30/2024)
Image of United States seal. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream of Brooklyn, NY is voluntarily recalling its Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Lot 24V094 pints sold at the 81 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY location. These pints contain an undeclared allergen, peanuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious
United States   (07/29/2024)
Image of United States seal. Advance Food International Inc. Recalls Shahzada Brand Cinnamon Powder 7oz Because of Possible Health Risk
Advance Food International, Inc. of Maspeth, NY is recalling Shahzada brand Cinnamon Powder in 7oz packing, because it has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that increased blood l
United States   (07/29/2024)