JULY 8, 2024
Last Fourth of July, volunteers collected 6,318 pounds of trash from Zephyr Shoals—making up almost three-quarters of the 8,598 pounds found lake-wide. Although the amount of trash collected was still slightly above the average collected during July 5 cleanups, the 1,866 pounds of trash found lake-wide paled compared to 2023.
Read MoreJULY 8, 2024
Do restaurants fall under the FTC’s proposed rule to ban hidden mandatory fees? California recently said no, but restaurants across the country are bracing for more confusion.
Read MoreJULY 8, 2024
A West Coast heat wave that began last week led to a scorching Independence Day and, for many, an even hotter weekend. The heat wave began last Tuesday and is expected to persist through this week, with temperatures 15 to 30 degrees above normal for this time of year.
Read MoreJULY 3, 2024
Last Wednesday, The Los Angeles City Council moved forward on a $54 million proposal for the initial work to modernize and expand the downtown Convention Center in preparation for the 2028 Olympics. New construction would connect some of the facility’s buildings, adding 190,000 square feet to exhibit hall space; 55,000 square feet of meeting room space; and 95,000 square feet of multipurpose space.
Read MoreJUNE 28, 2024
California voters will decide whether to increase punishments for drug possession and theft after Democratic lawmakers failed to reach a compromise with district attorneys to withdraw an initiative that would roll back parts of Proposition 47. Supporters of the law say it has saved the state money by keeping low-level criminals out of jail, but opponents say it has emboldened thieves.
JUNE 28, 2024
Governor Newsom announced last week that business and labor groups in California had reached a deal to preserve and reform the Labor Code Private Attorneys’ General Act of 2004 (PAGA). The bills preserve key labor protections for workers while mitigating abuse of the statute, which can provide a vehicle to extract inflated settlements and attorneys’ fees at the expense of businesses and employees.
Read MoreJUNE 28, 2024
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court granted cities more flexibility to address the homelessness crisis. In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the court sided with Grants Pass in a 6-3 decision, ruling that an ordinance passed by the Oregon city that made it illegal for homeless residents to camp on all public property was not unconstitutional.
Read MoreJUNE 27, 2024
SB 1524 (Dodd), an urgency measure exempting restaurants and other food service providers from new regulations on the display of fees and menu prices that go into effect July 1, passed the legislature and is now waiting on Governor Newsom's signature.
Read MoreJUNE 25, 2024
A coalition of California prosecutors, lawyers, and retailers previously teamed up to qualify a ballot initiative that would reform Prop 47 by enhancing penalties for repeat thieves and drug traffickers. But negotiations around the conflicting solutions have now effectively broken down.
Read MoreJUNE 22, 2024
California’s summer kicked off with a fiery start last week, with several blazes stretching firefighting resources thin, forcing evacuations, and scorching homes, businesses, and dry hillsides. Through the last full day of spring last Wednesday, wildfires had burned almost 90,000 acres in California, compared to only 5,863 acres last year and a five-year average of about 17,000.
Read MoreJUNE 22, 2024
After weeks of disagreement over spending priorities, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers have finally reached a budget deal to close a roughly $47 billion shortfall. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, and Gov. Newsom have been far apart on a handful of major issues—and both sides had to compromise in order to reach a deal.
Read MoreJUNE 21, 2024
Last week, the Supreme Court of California removed an anti-tax measure from the November ballot. Opponents argued that the measure attempted to illegally revise the state constitution and would drastically change how California government works.
Read MoreJUNE 18, 2024
Last week, California Chamber of Commerce and the California Labor Federation announced a deal to amend the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which allows workers to sue their bosses over alleged workplace violations and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in employer penalties for the state. The deal would reduce monetary penalties for employers who are notified of such suits if they agree to fix the problems, with a specific path provided for smaller employers to address violations.
Read MoreJUNE 18, 2024
Last week, Cedar Fair announced that it expects its planned merger with Six Flags to be complete by July 1. The company also announced the senior management team that will lead the new amusement park company—and it looks a lot like Cedar Fair’s current management team.
Read MoreJUNE 17, 2024
Though international tourist arrivals are finally set to reach pre-pandemic levels this year, the global travel industry remains in a tenuous spot due to inflation, climate change, and geopolitical tensions. Coming in at the top of the list was the United States, which received high scores for its robust infrastructure, ease of travel between cities, diverse natural and cultural destinations, and traveler-friendly resources—such as guides to cities, parks, and other attractions.
Read MoreJUNE 12, 2024
Earlier this month, California regulators disclosed which areas of the state insurers will have to cover if they want to take advantage of financial incentives intended to resolve the homeowners’ insurance crisis. The regulations released this month detail how that goal would be achieved via an approach that aims to maximize coverage and account for the state’s geographic diversity.
Read MoreJUNE 10, 2024
California officials will formally open the state’s 281st state park tomorrow, and it’s an unusual one. Dos Rios is a riverfront oasis in the San Joaquin Valley that offers a glimpse into what the region was like before it was transformed into an agricultural powerhouse.
Read MoreJUNE 10, 2024
The California Legislature has until June 27 to make deals with proponents to pull initiatives off the November ballot. One measure that is the subject of intense negotiations is a business-backed push to repeal PAGA—the California law allowing workers to sue their bosses, using private lawyers on the state’s behalf. Another measure on the November ballot would overhaul Proposition 47, approved by voters in 2014 and blamed by some for retail thefts.
Read MoreJUNE 10, 2024
The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) recently released an educational guide on how travelers can responsibly visit Native Nations and communities across the United States. The new guide—prepared by AIANTA and Leave No Trace—serves as an educational entry point for non-Indigenous guests.
Read MoreJUNE 6, 2024
In late April, California restaurant owners were outraged to hear that a new California law banning “junk fees” would apply to restaurant surcharges. But now, just weeks before SB 478 is set to go into effect, California legislators have introduced a new bill that would exempt restaurants from the surcharge ban.
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