A San Francisco lawmaker wants California to become the first state in the nation to enact a law to give employees the right to ignore work-related communications outside of work hours. Assembly Bill 2751, introduced in February and amended in March by Democratic Assemblyman Matt Haney, would allow employees to ignore calls and texts received […]

A federal judge questioned a lack of evidence provided by attorneys representing President Joe Biden’s son Hunter during a hearing in Los Angeles March 27 as they sought to have several tax-related charges dropped. Judge Mark Scarsi (CQ) heard arguments from Mr. Biden’s lawyers for several hours about their eight motions filed to dismiss the […]

A Los Angeles federal judge decided Alexander Smirnov must remain in detention while he awaits trial on charges of lying to federal agents and falsifying records about the alleged business dealings of President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Mr. Smirnov asked the judge in downtown Los Angeles to grant him bail, but U.S. District […]

LOS ANGELES—President Joe Biden’s son on Jan. 11 pleaded not guilty to nine tax charges, in an arraignment in federal court. Hunter Biden, 53, appeared about a month after a grand jury indicted him on tax evasion and eight other counts. Court papers say Mr. Biden failed to pay at least $1.4 million in federal […]

A man who died on Interstate 105 in Lynwood, California, near South Los Angeles, on Nov. 19, used a taser on a responding officer who then shot him, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). A video shared on social media shows a CHP officer struggling to restrain the homeless man, who was identified as […]

A California farm has recalled peaches, plums, and nectarines in several states after nearly a dozen people became sick from eating the fruit, the Food and Drug Administration announced Nov. 17. HMC Farms, located in Kingsburg, California, about 90 miles north of Bakersfield, has voluntarily recalled its fruit sold in retail stores between May 1 […]

Authorities are continuing to investigate whether the man arrested for the death of Paul Kessler at a dual protest between Israel and Palestine supporters earlier this month will be charged with a hate crime, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced Nov. 17. “We have not ruled out a hate crime,” Mr. Nasarenko said during […]

A Moorpark man was arrested Nov. 16 for the death of 69-year-old Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who was killed as a result of an altercation Nov. 5 in Thousand Oaks, California, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has announced. Loay Alnaji, 50, a computer science teacher at Moorpark College, was arrested on suspicion of involuntary […]

A 69-year-old man demonstrating in support of Israel died Nov. 6 after sustaining a head injury during a fight with a pro-Palestinian protester at a weekend rally in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The Ventura County medical examiner has ruled Paul Kessler’s death a homicide, and the county sheriff’s office has […]

A new law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom Oct. 7 will eliminate “junk fees” added to the cost of tickets, hotels, or other purchases. State Attorney General Rob Bonta and Democratic state Sens. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) sponsored Senate Bill (SB) 478—called the False Advertising Law—which will go into effect July […]

A coalition of states has filed a lawsuit seeking a review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to grant waivers to California that allows the state to ban new diesel-powered heavy-duty truck sales in 2035. Iowa’s Attorney General Brenna Bird led the group of 19 states that filed the legal action on June 5 […]

Officials at California pregnancy centers are speaking out against accusations made by a Democratic state lawmaker who depicted the clinics as “fake health care centers.” The Santa Clarita Valley Pregnancy Center in Santa Clarita, California, held a press conference on May 24 to call out pro-abortion Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth), who said the state’s pregnancy […]

California is home to eight of the 16 largest U.S. cities where families can earn $100,000 and still be broke, according to a new study by Lending Tree. San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley, ranked first as the most expensive city in the nation, according to the report, issued April 24. A family […]

The law enforcement agencies in Bakersfield, California, are wondering how the city was ranked worst in the nation by a national insurance company. A study recently released by Insurify claims Bakersfield’s per-capita burglary rate was 847 per 100,000 residents, ranking the city at the top of the nation, but the outcome was reached using crime […]

California adopted new rules on April 27 to reduce emissions created by locomotives, becoming the first state to do so in the United States. “Locomotives are a key part of California’s transportation network, and it’s time that they are part of the solution to tackle pollution and clean our air,” California Air Resources Board (CARB) […]

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill March 28 that plans to target oil companies with a windfall-profits penalty law, after it was rushed through both chambers of the Legislature in a week. The law will create new regulations and extensive oversight for oil companies and allows an appointed commission to issue fines and penalties […]

Gov. Gavin Newsom ended his use of COVID emergency powers Feb. 28, three years after the virus first appeared in California. The milestone ended 1,090 days of operating under special powers that allowed Newsom to make unilateral decisions about the state’s response to the pandemic. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been guided by the science and […]

Californians might have to choose between higher gas prices or scaling back the state’s climate agenda, state regulators told legislators at a recent special state Senate hearing on a proposed oil industry windfall profits penalty. Gov. Gavin Newsom called the special session of the Legislature on Feb. 22 to consider imposing penalties on oil companies […]

California Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) has recused herself from overseeing discussions from matters involving her husband, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, and the state Department of Justice’s budget after coming under intense scrutiny amid questions about a possible conflict of interest. She issued a statement on Feb. 19 removing herself as chair of a budget subcommittee […]

A California bill proposed this week could make it illegal for anyone under 21 to use a cell phone while driving. Motorists under 18 are currently forbidden from using a cell phone while driving, regardless of whether it is operated using hands-free devices. Assembly Bill (AB) 276, introduced Jan. 23, would expand that age group. […]

California’s last operating nuclear power plant was given another funding boost Nov. 21 as operators seek to keep it running for another eight years. The U.S. Energy Department awarded Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant $1.1 billion from the Civil Nuclear Credit Program funded by an infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021. “This is a […]

A Northern California sheriff’s department will suspend all daytime patrols starting Nov. 20 amid a “catastrophic staffing shortage,” according to department officials. The small sheriff’s office headquartered in Red Bluff, Tehama County, has had difficulties recruiting and retaining employees, Sheriff Dave Hencratt said in a statement Nov. 7. “A drastic rise in attrition, coupled with […]

LOS ANGELES—President Joe Biden declared his top economic priority was “fighting inflation” June 10 and blamed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for causing the higher prices as he stood in front of semi-trucks clearing cargo containers at the Port of Los Angeles. “I understand Americans are anxious and they’re anxious for good reason,” Biden […]