NEW YORK (AP) – A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than white Americans to have experienced job and other income losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those who have lost income are more likely to have found themselves in a…… MORE
Anti-Vaccine Accounts Thrive on Social Media
UNDATED (AP) – With vaccination against COVID-19 in full swing, social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter say they’ve stepped up their fight against misinformation that aims to undermine trust in vaccines. For years, those same platforms have allowed anti-vaccination propaganda to flourish, making it difficult to stamp out such sentiments now. A nd their…… MORE
Democrats Muscle Ahead with Biden’s Health Secretary Pick
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden’s nominee for health secretary has cleared a key hurdle. The Senate voted Thursday to move ahead with the nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York forced a vote to overcome Republican opposition…… MORE
CA Says Insurers Owe Drivers More Pandemic Refunds
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California’s insurance regulator says auto insurers shortchanged motorists on refunds ordered last year as crashes dropped during the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic plummeted after California imposed the nation’s first stay-home order a year ago to slow the spread of the coronavirus . But insurers say dangerous driving trends have worsened even as…… MORE
Former Stockton Mayor, Advocate of Guaranteed Income to Advise Newsom
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A former mayor in California who gained international attention for running a guaranteed income program is joining Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. Newsom named former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs a special advisor for economic mobility and opportunity on Thursday. The unpaid position will also make Tubbs a member of Newsom’s Council of…… MORE
Groups Sue Over Kern County’s Plan to Drill Oil Wells
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – Environmental and community groups have sued a California county after the prime oil-drilling region approved a plan to fast-track thousands of new wells. The Kern County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved a revised ordinance that could lead to approval of more than 40,000 new oil and gas wells over roughly…… MORE
Calif. Looks to Reopening, Pushing 1-Shot Vaccine
OS ANGELES (AP) – California officials are looking ahead to being able to phase out restrictions on activities because of the coronavirus as infection rates slow and more people are vaccinated. Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state is developing a “green tier” in its reopening plan that would allow fewer restrictions, something officials said this…… MORE
Farm Groups Welcome Death Tax Repeal
Legislation introduced in both the House and Senate would eliminate the estate tax. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act temporarily doubles the estate tax exemption to $11 million per person indexed for inflation through 2025. However, without congressional action, the estate tax exemption will revert to $5.5 million per person in 2026, putting…… MORE
Biden’s Speech Goals: Mourn Loss, Urge caution & Offer Hope
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden will use his first prime-time address since taking office to steer the nation toward hope in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s aim is to usher the nation into the “next phase” of the fight against a virus that has killed more than 529,000 Americans. Biden will honor…… MORE
Jobless Claims Fall To 712K As Pace Of Layoffs Eases
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 712,000, the lowest total since early November, evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs amid a decline in confirmed coronavirus cases and signs of an improving economy. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment aid dropped by 42,000 from…… MORE
