CA Employment Report reveals slow job growth, shrinking labor force

The California Center for Jobs & the Economy has just released their “California Employment Report” for April 2015. Among the most notable highlights from this report: CA’s unemployment rate declines to 6.3 percent, still 17 percent higher than the national rate:

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Davis bans sodas, juices as default drinks from kids’ meals

On Tuesday, the city of Davis passed an ordinance requiring restaurants to offer milk or water as default drinks with any children’s meal. Although the ordinance does not prohibit a restaurant’s ability to sell, or a customer’s ability to purchase,

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More than 100,000 households’ tax data stolen through IRS website

The Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday that identity thieves “used taxpayer-specific data acquired from non-IRS sources to gain unauthorized access to information on approximately 100,000 tax accounts through IRS’ ‘Get Transcript’ application.” Data acquired illegally, such as Social Security information, date of

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Ratification of new port contract adds stability to West Coast ports

According to a release from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, West Coast Longshore workers have voted 82 percent in favor of ratifying a new five-year contract with employers represented by the Pacific Maritime Association. “The negotiations for this contract

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San Diego stadium plan: Ingenious? Fair? A ripoff?

The San Diego stadium task force’s proposal to finance a $1.15 billion stadium project to keep the Chargers from fleeing to Los Angeles has been subject to close looks for more than a week now. There’s no consensus at all about

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L.A. Controller’s audit reveals overtime pay abuse

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin released an audit on Tuesday outlining excessive overtime use in the Department of Transportation. The controller’s office received an anonymous tip from its Fraud Waste & Abuse Hotline and was able to “identify four supervisors

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Bill to mandate vaccinations for day care workers clears State Senate

A measure to require vaccinations for day care center workers has been approved by the California State Senate on a bipartisan 34 to 3 vote. Senate Bill 792 is authored by Senator Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, and according to the text

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Cash for Grass rebates jumpstart CA drought-friendly landscaping

Californians are finding further incentives to switch out their water-thirsty lawns for more drought-tolerant landscapes. In 2014, Democratic Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles authored Assembly Bill 2434, a measure designed to “protect owners from being taxed on turf removal rebates.”

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DOI to invest $50 million in water conservation in CA and other states

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced in a press release that the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation “will invest nearly $50 million to improve water efficiency and conservation in California and 11 other western states.” “In a time of exceptional

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Oil pipeline spills up to 105,000 gallons along Santa Barbara coast

Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County in light of an oil spill near Refugio State Beach, reported on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. “This emergency proclamation cuts red tape and helps the state quickly mobilize

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