WASCO, Calif. (AP) – A union official says a group of about 50 farm workers at a California pistachio farm have gone on strike, demanding free face coverings, gloves and information from the farm’s owner. A United Farm Workers official said workers were picketing Thursday outside Primex Farms in the central California city of Wasco…… MORE
Assembly to Cast Final Vote on Calif. Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The California Assembly is set to approve a state spending plan that closes an estimated $54.3 billion deficit. The $202.1 billion budget includes cuts to the court system, public colleges and universities and state employee salaries. The state Senate approved the budget on Thursday. That vote came hours after Gov. Gavin…… MORE
Illegal Meat Seized at California Ports
Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports it has intercepted 19,500 pounds of prohibited pork, chicken, beef and duck products arriving from China. The products were intercepted at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. According to an official statement, most of the animal products were mixed in boxes of headphones,…… MORE
Mail-In Ballots Thrust U.S. Postal Service Into Presidential Election
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service’s famous motto – “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers” – is being tested like never before, by challenges well beyond the weather. Its finances have been devastated by the coronavirus. The Trump administration may attach big strings to federal bailouts. And…… MORE
Veteran, Ex-Cop Killed in California Police Shooting
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say a San Diego man fatally shot during a gun battle with police in California was a former U.S. Marine and ex-police officer. Dramatic video released Tuesday shows Lloyd Nelson Jr. firing his gun May 8 at police after his car crashed head-on into a police vehicle during a pursuit…… MORE
Applications for Jobless Aid Fall to Still-High 1.48 Million
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of laid-off workers who applied for unemployment benefits fell to 1.48 million last week, the 12th straight drop and a sign that layoffs are slowing but are still at a painfully high level. The steady decline in claims suggests that the job market has begun to heal from the pandemic,…… MORE
Report: State, Local Aid Needed to Avert 4 Million Layoffs
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new private sector report is warning anew of continuing damage to the economy if Washington doesn’t deliver several hundred billion dollars in budget relief to states and local governments amid the coronavirus pandemic. But Wednesday’s report by Moody’s Analytics, a private sector economic research firm, could also help illustrate a path…… MORE
‘Faces of the Conquerors’: President’s Trip to Rushmore Draws Fire
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – President Donald Trump’s plans to kick off Independence Day with a showy display at Mount Rushmore are drawing sharp criticism from Native Americans who view the monument as a desecration of land violently stolen from them. Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump’s July 3…… MORE
Newsom Uses Funding as Threat Over COVID-19 Mandates
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he could withhold up to $2.5 billion in the upcoming state budget from local governments that fail to comply with mandates intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The funding threat comes as California sees a worrisome rise in the number of virus cases and…… MORE
CA Schools Chief: Officers Needed on Some Campuses
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California’s top schools official says he is working to re-imagine the role of police officers at the state’s 10,000 public schools. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday that some schools would still need officers on campus to protect students from serious dangers, including shootings or bomb threats. Thurmond, the…… MORE
