Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

California Shakes Up State Gov’t to Better Tackle Housing Crisis, Homelessness
In a major shake-up of state bureaucracy, Gov. Gavin Newsom has approved the creation of two new agencies to address California’s housing crisis and strengthen consumer oversight. The move, which Newsom announced last week, establishes the...

California's Minimum Wage Hike Cost 18,000 Fast-Food Jobs as Employment Ticked Up in Other States
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1228 into law in September 2023, which established a Fast Food Council within California's Department of Industrial Relations and increased the minimum wage for 500,000 fast food workers from...

California Wine Fest returns to SB this weekend | About Town
California Wine Fest returns to SB this weekend California Wine Festival returns to Santa Barbara this weekend for two days of wine tasting, gourmet food, and beachfront celebration. The California Wine Festival is bringing together 200 of...

Trump rescinds US$4 billion in US funding for California High-Speed Rail project
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (Jul 16) the Transportation Department is rescinding US$4 billion in US government funding for California's High-Speed Rail project. "This project was severely overpriced,...

Governor Jared Polis on health insurance increases, paying to fight wildfires and immigration enforcement
Governor Jared Polis said Congressional Republicans are to blame for estimated health insurance costs that might rise by as much as 28 percent for individuals in 2026. That’s according to figures released Wednesday by the state. “These increases...

House Republican Says Trump Is ‘Gonna Crash the Economy’ if Mass Deportations Continue
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) sounded the alarm on President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, stating that if the administration tries to deport every undocumented immigrant, the economy will crash. Since taking...

California Department of Rehabilitation seeks firm for marcomms strategy
SACRAMENTO, CA: The California Department of Rehabilitation is seeking a PR firm to run communications and marketing for one year with a contract worth $375,000, according to solicitation documents from the state. Bids are due on July 28 and the...

Report warns AB 566 may harm economy and small businesses
Jennifer Barrera President and Chief Executive Officer at California Chamber of Commerce | Official websiteJennifer Barrera President and Chief Executive Officer at California Chamber of Commerce | Official website A recent report by Capitol...

California Farmers Identify a Hot New Cash Crop
Imagine that you own a small, 20-acre farm in California’s Central Valley. You and your family have cultivated this land for decades, but drought, increasing costs and decreasing water availability are making each year more difficult. Now imagine...

Trump administration pulls $4B in federal funding for Californias bullet train project
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Trump administration revoked federal funding for California's high-speed rail project on Wednesday, intensifying uncertainty about how the state will make good on its long-delayed promise of building a bullet train to...

Trump announces end to federal funding for California high-speed rail project
President Donald Trump announced that his administration will no longer provide federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project, calling it “a total waste of taxpayer money.” “To the law abiding, tax paying, hardworking citizens of the...

Trump Cancels All Funding For ‘Incompetent Governor’ Gavin Newsom’s High-Speed ‘Train To Nowhere’
On Wednesday afternoon, President Trump took the long-overdue step to cancel federal funds intended for the California bullet train championed by California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom. Late last December, one month before President Trump was...

Trump rescinds $4bn in US funding for California high-speed rail project
Donald Trump said on Wednesday the transportation department is rescinding $4bn in US government funding for California’s high-speed rail project. The department said there was no viable path forward for California’s high-speed rail project and it...

President Trump Goes Off on Governor “Newscum,” Cancels Funding for California’s Failed $130 Billion “High Speed Train to Nowhere”
President Trump went off on California Governor Gavin “Newscum” and announced he is officially canceled funding for the state’s “failed” high speed railroad to nowhere. “To the Law abiding, Tax paying, Hardworking Citizens of the United States of...

Trump administration pulls $4B in federal funding for California's high-speed rail
FRESNO, Calif. -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced the Federal Railroad Administration will terminate approximately $4 billion in federal funding for California's High Speed Rail. It comes a month after the Trump...

California to provide LGBTQ suicide prevention hotline after Trump administration axes it
California will partner with the Trevor Project to provide suicide prevention support to LGBTQ+ youth, state officials announced Wednesday. The announcement comes weeks after the Trump administration said it will no longer provide national suicide...

California Democrats Are Using Wildfires As Cover for a Land Grab
Wildfire victims thought help was coming — but Sacramento arrived with a blueprint for a land grab, not a recovery plan. In places like Pacific Palisades and Altadena, voters elected leaders they believed would fight to rebuild after the January...
US citizen says he was jailed for three days after California immigration raid
By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) -A U.S. citizen and Army veteran who works as a security guard at a California cannabis farm said on Wednesday that U.S. officials arrested him during an immigration raid last week and held him for three days without...

Washington State Budget Triggers Higher Business, Capital Gains and Estate Taxes in 2025
Starting in 2025, taxes are going up in the state of Washington. This is particularly true for large service businesses, estates and individuals earning capital gains. There is also an important change to the tax classification for certain service...

Rhode Island Legislative Update: New Laws Create Burdensome Requirements on Businesses with Rhode Island Employees
It is that time of year again, when the Rhode Island legislature ends its session and passes a number of laws that affect businesses with Rhode Island employees. Unfortunately, this year the legislature has passed multiple laws that will increase...