AUGUST 14, 2024
In 2016, California enacted a sweeping series of minimum hikes, ensuring the lowest-wage workers would earn at least $15 an hour by 2022. But this year's Prop. 32 wasn’t met with the same fanfare as the last wage hike, and that’s because a lot has changed since 2016.
Read MoreAUGUST 12, 2024
According to new research from Collinson International, sports and music tourism are growing at unprecedented rates and are forecast to represent a $1.5 trillion industry by 2032. Of 8,537 surveyed travelers from 17 countries, more than four in five (83%) have flown to a sporting event, while 71% have boarded a flight for a concert in the past three years, or plan to in the next 12 months.
Read MoreAUGUST 12, 2024
Los Angeles’ portion of the Paris Games’ closing ceremony on Sunday night was a global trailer for what International Olympic Committee and local officials hope is a blockbuster hit in 2028. Dozens of LA 28, Los Angeles city, county, and state officials spent the Games shadowing Paris 2024 in preparation for the 2028 Games, which will have a $6.8 billion budget.
Read MoreAUGUST 12, 2024
California’s Senate Bill 610 seeks to repeal a decades-old wildfire mapping system that classifies state and local lands into "moderate," "high," and "very high" fire hazard severity zones—a process that rates areas based on their probability of burning, which in turn influences development patterns and building safety standards. Supporters say it would create a more consistent standard with one process for approval, while critics argue it threatens to fundamentally reshape the state's fire and housing policies and increase development in fire-prone areas.
Read MoreAUGUST 12, 2024
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom warned counties that he would redirect money if he did not see “demonstrable results” over removing homeless encampments, describing the homelessness crisis as the “biggest scar in the reputation” of California. Some mayors have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, while others argue strategies that move people from one neighborhood to the next don’t work.
Read MoreAUGUST 12, 2024
To better understand why people move to California, the research team at USA TODAY Homefront analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the State of California Department of Finance, and other state resources. California’s natural beauty, culture, cost of living, and threats of natural disasters are a few things being considered by those moving to the Golden State.
Read MoreAUGUST 8, 2024
As part of its ongoing commitment to responsible tourism, Visit Oceanside has proudly announced the launch of Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back community impact program—becoming the first destination partner in San Diego County to join the initiative. Through this partnership, a portion of every guest stay with participating lodging partners in Oceanside will support local charities dedicated to ocean conservation and healthy food systems in Oceanside and the Greater San Diego area.
Read MoreJULY 25, 2024
At the end of July, the California Supreme Court upheld voter-approved Prop 22, which allows Uber and other gig-work companies to treat their drivers and delivery workers as independent contractors instead of employees—providing them with some benefits but not full worker protections. According to the industry’s latest estimates, more than 1.4 million Californians are app-based gig workers for companies such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart.
Read MoreJULY 22, 2024
As of yesterday, most airlines were returning to nearly normal levels of service disruptions following last week’s worldwide technology outage that stranded tens of thousands of passengers and drew unwanted attention from the federal government. The exception was Delta Air Lines, that said it would take a few more days before the worst is behind them, as they were still trying to restore a vital crew-scheduling program.
Read MoreJULY 22, 2024
Venues for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are approaching the finish line. Los Angeles will host several events in its existing venues, including the Coliseum, convention center, LA Live, Exposition Park, Riviera Country Club, and Crypto Arena.
Read MoreJULY 16, 2024
In order to meet the needs of the seven million electric cars expected on its roads in less than seven years, California will have to build public charging stations at an unprecedented pace. A lot is needed to amp up the pace of new charging stations, including billions of dollars in investments, streamlined city and county permitting processes, major power grid upgrades, and accelerated efforts by utilities to connect chargers to the grid.
Read MoreJULY 15, 2024
In the wake of the Paris Agreement, international focus on climate change increased, as did pressure on businesses to be more accountable for their climate and environmental policies. In September 2023, California passed legislation—known as SB 253—requiring large companies to file sustainability disclosures beginning in 2026. However, Governor Gavin Newsom questioned the feasibility of the implementation timeline at the time of bill signing.
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Read MoreJULY 14, 2024
The terms “sustainable travel” and “regenerative travel” have become popular in recent years, as experts emphasize going beyond reducing the negative effects of tourism, to positively impacting local communities. Taking a responsible approach to travel entails minimizing carbon footprints, water use, waste, or any impact on local species and ecosystems.
Read MoreJULY 11, 2024
In a promising economic development, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ June Consumer Price Index report shows a notable reduction in inflation overall, with travel-related costs leading the way. For the second consecutive month, the travel sector has experienced a more significant price drop than the overall economy.
Read MoreJULY 9, 2024
Los Angeles County and the Bay Area will be home to the FIFA World Cup in 2026. According to recent reports, the tournament is set to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to California and generate an estimated $1.2 billion for communities across the state—$594 million in Los Angeles and $630 million in the Bay Area.
Read MoreJULY 9, 2024
The state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) says private-sector jobs in California have declined since their post-pandemic peak, while public-sector employment has shown gains. California is heavily dependent on revenue from personal income taxes, so the type of jobs that it loses or gains is important.
Read MoreJULY 8, 2024
Exactly 3,013,413 flight passengers stepped through TSA checkpoints on Sunday, surpassing the previous record of 2.99 million set on June 23. Sunday was a one-day record, but TSA officials said 2024 has been a historic year all around, as nine of the 10 busiest days in TSA history have occurred this year.
Read MoreJULY 8, 2024
Yesterday, firefighters continued to battle several wildfires across the state, including the Lake fire which erupted in Santa Barbara County on Friday afternoon and grew to over 20,000 acres by Monday. An evacuation order was also put in place for the Mt. Baldy ski resort due to the Vista fire, which has burned over 115 acres near the San Bernardino National Forest.
Read MoreJULY 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.
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