FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — The California Supreme Court has upheld former Gov. Jerry Brown’s rollback of a retirement benefit, that allowed public workers to pad their pensions. At issue in the decision was a provision of a 2012 pension reform law, which eliminated the ability of public workers to pay for more years of service, for…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — A federal judge is demanding that the Golden State pay $399,000 to 3 pro-life pregnancy centers and a law firm, after the Supreme Court deemed a state law promoting abortion unconstitutional. The law had required that “crisis pregnancy centers” offer information about how to obtain a tax-payer funded abortion. Centers who didn’t…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — 2018 was the worst year since the Great Recession for media companies in the U.S. According to new figures from Challenger, Gray and Christmas, media companies planned to cut nearly 15,500 jobs. Nearly 12,000 of those were in news organizations. Job cuts in the industry were up 281 percent from 2017.…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — A very wet winter is greatly reducing drought conditions in the Golden State. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that more than 34 percent of the state, including the Sierra Nevada, much of the Central Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area, is free of any significant dryness. The monitor says heavy…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Mendota has been ranked the worst city in which to live in the U.S., according to a new 24/7 Wall Street report. The city is home to the smallest share of college graduates, a 49.5 percent poverty rate, and low home values. Other valley cities listed as the nation’s worst include…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Appearance, personality, along with social and economic status, all play a role when it comes to dating. So does location. A new WalletHub report breaks down the best and worst states for singles looking for romance. California is the second-most dating-friendly state overall, with the most opportunity of any state in the…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — A coalition of public-interest groups has filed an antitrust lawsuit, against more than 20 companies and agents in the Golden State, alleging a conspiracy to keep premiums inflated. Among other things, the lawsuit filed in Alameda County claims that for at least 15 years, bail agents have been discouraged from offering discounts…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — The percentage of California workers belonging to a union is now at its lowest in at least 35 years, according to a new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. A mere 14.7 percent of the Golden State’s workforce was unionized last year, down from 15.5 percent in 2017. Over the…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Distracted driving is up significantly in the Golden State, despite laws aimed at combating it. A newly-released observational study, conducted by the Office of Traffic Safety and Fresno State, has found that at any moment, 4.5 percent of drivers are using their cell phones behind the wheel. That’s up from 3.6…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — California’s largest utility says a plan that would require an inspection of the entire electrical grid and the removal of dangerous trees is unrealistic. The embattled Pacific Gas and Electric Co., who’s bracing for bankruptcy, claims the plan that could cost between $75 and $150 billion, would generate rate hikes of more…… MORE
