Articles by Adam Beam

California Regulators Propose Higher Rates for PG&E Customers to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Power bills for about 16 million people in Northern California will likely increase after state regulators released two rate proposals for one of the nation`s largest utilities. The California Public Utilities Commission is finishing up its once-every-four- years review of …

California Fast Food Workers Getting $20 Minimum Wage Under Labor and Industry Deal

Most fast food workers in California would get a $20 minimum wage next year, a nearly $5 per hour raise, under a deal announced this week between labor unions and the industry that will avoid a costly referendum on the …

Truck Makers Complying with California Rules Phasing Out Gas-Powered Vehicles

Some of the nation`s largest truck makers pledged to stop selling new gas-powered vehicles in California by the middle of the next decade, part of an agreement with state regulators aimed at preventing lawsuits that threatened to delay or block …

California Unlikely to Run Short of Electricity This Summer Thanks to Storms, New Power Sources

California regulators say the state is unlikely to run out of electricity this summer because of a big increase in power storage and a wet winter that filled the state’s reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric power plants that were dormant …

California Companies Pay Higher Taxes for Unemployment Debt

One potential consequence of California’s ballooning budget deficit: Higher taxes for businesses, with increases possible every year for the next decade. Business owners pay a tax on each of their workers. The money goes into a fund that states use …

Thefts Prompt 17 States to Urge Recall of Kia, Hyundai Cars

Attorneys general in 17 states on Thursday urged the federal government to recall millions of Kia and Hyundai cars because they are too easy to steal, a response to a sharp increase in thefts fueled by a viral social media …

California May Punish Oil Companies for High Gas Prices

A first-in-the-nation bill to punish oil companies for profiting from price spikes at the pump breezed through the California Senate on Thursday at the urging of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, the first major vote in an effort to pass the …

California Regulators Could Decide Oil Profits Penalty

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wants state regulators to decide whether to impose the nation’s first penalty on oil companies for price gouging, pivoting after months of negotiations with legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement on a bill …

California Court Rules for Uber, Lyft in Ridesharing Case

App-based ride hailing and delivery companies like Uber and Lyft can continue to treat their California drivers as independent contractors, a state appeals court ruled Monday, allowing the tech giants to bypass other state laws requiring worker protections and benefits. …

California’s Final State Emergencies Winding Down 3 Years Into Pandemic

California’s coronavirus emergency officially ended Tuesday, nearly three years after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order and just days after the state reached the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths related to the virus. As California’s emergency …