FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — The CA State Bar has sent for review to the California Supreme Court the first significant overhaul in 3 decades, of ethics rules for lawyers. The proposal includes 70 new or modified Rules of Professional Conduct. Among the most notable: banning intimacy between attorneys and clients, unless there was a prior consensual…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Gov. Jerry Brown ended the state’s official drought emergency on Friday, amid another storm and unprecedented water conservation. However, drought conditions remain in Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Tuolumne counties. The governor says emergency drinking water projects will continue in valley, given the diminished groundwater supplies. In addition, the state will keep addressing…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — A California Appeals Court panel has upheld the state’s controversial fee for carbon emissions, a key piece of legislation aimed at combating climate change. A coalition of businesses filed a lawsuit in 2012, alleging that the State Air Resources Board lacks authority to impose fees on polluters. The suit also led to…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — U.S. employers slashed more than 43,000 jobs in March, according to a new, private Challenger, Gray & Christmas report. That’s up 17 percent from February, but is 2 percent below the figure from March of 2016. The sector with the most cuts was retail, followed by telecommunications. But, job cuts for the…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Federal agents raided the office of the California Investment Immigration Fund in San Gabriel on Wednesday, amid an investigation into fraudulent activity. Investigators say the fund cheated a U.S. government visa program, to obtain green cards for wealthy Chinese investors. Under the program, foreign investors who commit at least $500,000 to job-creating…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Taxpayers in the Golden State bear the 10th largest burden in the nation, according to a new WalletHub assessment based on several factors. When it comes to the individual income tax burden, California has the 5th heaviest. The total sales and excise tax burden is the country’s 26th biggest, while the property…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Legislation calling for the elimination of so-called “money bail” has cleared its initial hurdle in Sacramento. The Senate Public Safety Committee approved the bill Tuesday, which would replace county bail schedules with “pretrial services,” to determine whether a defendant’s release is a threat to the public. Proponents of the measure believe too…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — One-third of drivers are unable to pay for an unexpected car repair without taking on debt, according to a new AAA survey, which says 64 million motorists fail to adequately estimate the price of owning a vehicle, which averages $8,500 a year. The survey comes as Gov. Jerry Brown and top Democratic…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — The Golden State has joined 8 others, along with the City of New York, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, in suing the Trump Administration’s Department of Energy. The suit accuses the department of obstructing the implementation of energy efficiency standards, that apply to common consumer and commercial devices. Those electronics…… MORE
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — For the first time in 12 years, the University of California has experienced a drop, in the number of applications from international students. Applications from Mexico are down by 30 percent, while those from countries with large Muslim populations, have fallen by 10 percent. The decline is being attributed by some educators…… MORE
