California News

People Moves: Baum to Succeed Swedlow as President of CWCI

The board of directors of the California Workers’ Compensation Institute named the institute’s chief operating officer, Gideon L. Baum, as its next president. Baum will succeed Alex Swedlow when Swedlow retires next summer. Swedlow announced in November he planed to …

California’s Lemon Law Is Changing and Car Buyers Have Fewer Protections

The year 2025 is shaping up to be a confusing one for Californians unlucky enough to buy a new or used car that turns out to be a clunker. Starting Jan. 1, car buyers who purchase a faulty vehicle will …

California Milk Output Down 9% in November on Bird Flu Outbreak

California’s milk production in November plummeted as a bird flu outbreak spreads rapidly among herds in the country’s biggest dairy state. The state produced just under three billion pounds of milk in November, down 9.2% from the same month last …

Listeria Outbreak Tied to Yu Shang Food Leaves California Infant Dead, 10 People Sick

A California infant has died and at least 10 other people have been sickened in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that include chicken feet, duck neck, beef shank and pork hock, federal …

More Logging Proposed to Help Curb Wildfires in Pacific Northwest

U.S. officials would allow increased logging on federal lands across the Pacific Northwest in the name of fighting wildfires and boosting rural economies under proposed changes to a sweeping forest management plan that’s been in place for three decades. The …

Fire Crews on Both US Coasts Battle Wildfires; 1 Death in New York-New Jersey Fire

Fire crews on both coasts of the United States continued battling wildfires on Sunday, including a blaze in New York and New Jersey that killed a parks employee and another in Southern California that destroyed more than 130 structures and …

Should California’s Minimum Wage Be $18? Voters Will Soon Decide

Voters will decide in November whether California should raise its hourly minimum wage to $18 by 2026 and pay workers what would be the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. That would be on par with Hawaii, where workers …

Suit Filed by California Vineyard Owner Fined $120K for Giving Free Housing to Employee

A California vineyard owner is suing Santa Clara County after officials fined him for allowing his longtime employee to live in an RV on his property for years. Michael Ballard, whose family owns Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards in a town south of …

California Wildfires Have Burned 1M Acres So Far This Year. Heat Wave Poses More Risk

The total acres burned in California this year surpassed 1 million as spiking temperatures this week added to the challenges facing firefighters struggling to contain a stubborn blaze in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles that flared up over the …

Hollywood Car Stunts Turn Into Real Crimes With Street Takeovers

California, the birthplace of hot rod culture and televised police chases, is cracking down on a surge in deadly street takeovers. Often organized through social media, these chaotic events — also known as sideshows — have transformed quiet streets into …