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☆ Oklahoma Was a Legal Marijuana Utopia. Then Came the Mass Murder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Matt Stroud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

Fourteen months after the murders, the garage of the abandoned marijuana farm on prairie tableland northwest of Oklahoma City sits frozen and dark. Broadway Avenue in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, about 30 miles south of where Wu Chen, 47, executed four people at a marijuana farm. When Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana, the only real requirement was that Oklahoma residents had to be involved in marijuana growing and selling. But Oklahoma required 75% of any marijuana business to be owned by an Oklahoma resident. Deputies from the Kingfisher County Sheriff's Office were the first to arrive at the scene of a quadruple homicide at an abandoned marijuana farm.

Persons: Wu Chen, Mike Simons, Kevin Stitt, Sean Hannity's, Dan Newhouse, Liu, Chen, Yi Fei Lin, Mark Woodward, —, OBN, Adria Berry, BI Adria Berry, I'm, Barb Miuccio, Jeremy Grable, Jeremy, Barb, she's, Barbara Miuccio, Treez, Matt Stacy, Stacy, Stitt, Jeremy they'd, he'd, OMMA, didn't, Barb didn't, Barbara, Stacy —, she'd, Stacy hadn't, BI Jonathan Riedlinger, Riedlinger, Lin, Qirong Lin, Hechun Chen, Qiang Chen, Fang Lee —, Wenbo Lin, Wu Chen —, Wenbo Lin didn't, Reidlinger, Jed Green, Matthew Alan Stacy, Barb —, — he's, He'd, Woodward, Helen Carillo, He's, Kevin Pham, Pham, BI Pham, ProPublica, recriminations, Green, It's, they're, I'd, Ken Thompson, Thompson, Chen didn't, He'll, Jonathan Riedlinger, Kiki, I've Organizations: Oklahoma City, Broadway, BI, Marijuana, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, Republican, Sean Hannity's Fox, Fox News, Chen Inc, Narcotics, BI Adria, Oklahoma's Army National Guard, OBN, Business, Oklahoma State Bureau of, Sheriff's, Prosecutors, CSI Accounting Services, Whitney Economics, NBC, Cannabis, Virginia Slim, Florida . Police Locations: Oklahoma, Kingfisher County , Oklahoma, Ames , Oklahoma, Kingfisher , Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, California, Arkansas, Republican Washington, China, Kingfisher County, Dallas, Moore , Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, He's, Moore, Kingfisher, Hennessey , Oklahoma, OMMA, Mexico, Edmond, Tulsa, Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Steakhouse, Virginia, Florida, Miami Beach, Miami

☆ Snowflake is doubling down on data clean room tech as it forges deeper ties with the ad industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Our expectation in the next year is that people will be talking less about the tech and actually understand the value," of Snowflake's data clean room, Stratton said. The clean room space is competitive and marketers intend to spend more on the techUltimately a data clean room is only as valuable as the customers who share data within it — even when it's being offered for free. "Clean rooms are no longer competing against other clean rooms only," said Wayne Blodwell, the CEO of the programmatic advertising company Impact Media. AdvertisementThe global data clean room market has accelerated in the last two years. The report found that these companies, on average, spent $879,000 on data clean room tech in 2022.

Persons: —, influencers, Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Samooha, AdExchanger, Sivaramakrishnan, Snowflake, Bill Stratton, Snowflake's, Time Warner, Stratton, it's, Wayne Blodwell, Sridhar Ramaswamy Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Snowflake Ventures, LinkedIn, Google, Time, Impact Media, Deloitte Digital Locations: Snowflake, Samooha

☆ Fast-food restaurants in California are laying off workers to prepare for the $20 minimum wage hike
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Californian fast-food restaurants are cutting workers to prepare for the $20 minimum wage. AdvertisementFast-food restaurants in California are laying off hundreds of workers to cut back on costs as they prepare for the state's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers that comes into force in April, a new report by The Wall Street Journal details. Franchisees are worried about higher prices spooking dinersCalifornia is raising the state's minimum wage for workers at limited-service restaurants to $20 an hour from April 1 — 25% higher than its general minimum wage. AdvertisementThe franchisees generally set prices, and some are concerned that higher prices could scare off diners. "I can't charge $20 for Happy Meals," Scott Rodrick, owner of 18 McDonald's restaurants in Northern California, told the Journal.

Persons: —, Alexander Johnson, Anne's, Scott Rodrick, Brian Hom, He's, Hom, Roy Gilad Organizations: Pizza, Service, Wall, Southern California Pizza Company, Business, KTLA Locations: California, Southern, West, Northern California, Los Angeles, San Jose

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s former Controller Betty Yee announced Wednesday she will run for governor in 2026, vying to succeed outgoing Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is Black, and outgoing state Senate leader Toni Atkins, a lesbian lawmaker, have all announced their candidacies. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesYee served as the budget director for Democratic Gov. She was then elected as a member of the California State Board of Equalization and then as state controller. California controller is responsible for disbursing state funds, auditing government agencies and serving on more than 70 boards and commissions.

Persons: —, Betty Yee, Gavin Newsom, Yee, ” Yee, Newsom, Gov, Eleni Kounalakis, Tony Thurmond, Toni Atkins, Rob Bonta, Gray Davis Organizations: Democratic, California Democratic Party, Democratic Gov, California State, of Equalization Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, San Francisco, Sacramento, California

The Murrieta Police Department has been using Lego heads and emojis to cover people's faces in posts on social sites since at least early 2023. “Why the covered faces?” the department wrote March 18 in an Instagram post that featured five people in a lineup, their faces covered by Lego heads with varying expressions. The post went on to reference a California law that took effect Jan. 1, limiting departments in sharing mugshots on social media. The California law’s primary sponsor, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, said that while the Lego heads protect people's privacy, he wonders how Murrieta residents see it. “Do they want people, who are being paid with their tax dollars, be paid to put Lego faces on people so it can be shown on social media?

Persons: “, Jeremy Durrant, ” Durrant, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, ” Jackson, “ That’s, Jackson, ” Organizations: ANGELES, Murrieta Police Department, Associated Press, Department of Justice Locations: Southern California, California

☆ I'm a winemaker for The Dreaming Tree, the label owned by Dave Matthews. Here's what goes into making a celebrity wine.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Grayson Stewart, the winemaker for The Dreaming Tree from Sanger, California. AdvertisementI've been the full-time winemaker for The Dreaming Tree, the wine label of Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band, since March 2022. I jumped at the opportunity to work with Dave and his labelDave Matthews with The Dreaming Tree wine. Here's how we make our sustainable wineThe Dreaming Tree is now fully sustainable, from the wine inside the bottle to the bottle itself. My friends send me pictures of The Dreaming Tree on store shelves, letting me know that they're trying the wine, which is really cool.

Persons: Grayson Stewart, I've, Dave Matthews, Dave, Dave Matthews Band's, We've, we're, Dave Stewart, Matthews Organizations: Service, Business, Wine, Dave Locations: Sanger , California, Central, Napa, California, There's, Nature

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jane Fonda joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom and environmental advocates in Los Angeles on Friday to launch a campaign to keep a 2022 law banning new oil and gas wells near homes, schools and hospitals. It hasn't taken effect after the oil industry qualified a referendum to ask voters to overturn it in November. She has since worked to fight against the health impacts of the oil industry and wants voters to keep the law limiting the location of new oil and gas wells. “The oil industry has no place in our backyards, in our democracy or in our future,” she said.

Persons: — Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jane Fonda, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, ” Newsom, “, ”, Nalleli Cobo, ___ Sophie Austin, @sophieadanna Organizations: ANGELES, Calif, California Gov, California Independent Petroleum Association, Lawmakers, Senate, Sacramento ., Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Los Angeles, California, United States, Sacramento, Sacramento . Austin

☆ EV charging for the U.S. freight trucking market is starting to scale
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Einride plans to open many EV charging stations for freight trucking on the West and East coasts, though California is the only state in which there are any EV freight charging stations of scale today. Voltera, which develops, owns and operates EV infrastructure, said the site was permitted, built, electrified and operational in under 18 months. "In the world of charging infrastructure, that's pretty remarkable," its CEO Matt Horton said in a statement. One of the first EV charging stations of scale for freight trucks is opening near the major ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, as the trucking market takes some limited, but significant steps to build the infrastructure required for a long-term transition to EV trucking and net-zero shipping. Additional EV charging projects at ports in New York and New Jersey, as well as the Pacific Northwest, are planned.

Persons: NFI, Matt Horton, Robert Falck, Einride, Moller, Erik Neandross, —, Neandross Organizations: EV, West, Volvo, Southern California Edison, Maersk, CNBC, Pepsi, Walmart, U.S, California Air Resources Board, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Locations: East, California, Lynwood, America, Southern California, Ontario , California, U.S, Sweden, Einride, Los Angeles, Long Beach , California, Government, New York, New Jersey, Pacific Northwest, Shanghai, Chicago

☆ A California McDonald's franchisee says fast food would be 'unaffordable' if she raised prices enough to cover the new $20 minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"You can't raise prices enough," the Los Angeles franchisee told KTLA 5 News. From April, California's minimum wage for fast-food workers will be 25% higher than the general one. AdvertisementA McDonald's franchisee in Los Angeles says that if she wanted to raise her prices to fully offset California's incoming $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers, her burgers and fries would be unaffordable. AdvertisementThe minimum wage for fast-food workers in California is going up to $20 an hour starting April 1 — 25% more than the state's general minimum wage. Correction: March 21, 2024 — An earlier version of this story incorrectly described two places in Los Angeles County.

Persons: —, Kerri Harper, Howie, Harper, who'll Organizations: Los Angeles, KTLA, Service, Food, Harper Locations: Los Angeles, California, Inglewood , California, Los Angeles County, Inglewood, Compton

☆ We moved from California to Iowa and thought it would be way cheaper. We stayed less than 2 years before returning to California's sunny weather.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Wendy and Kurt Meyer moved from Mission Viejo, California, to Washington, Iowa, in 2021. The couple moved back to Mission Viejo in December 2023 and they never want to leave again. They stayed 20 months before moving back to Mission Viejo in December 2022. My parents were from Iowa and moved me to Iowa when I was in high school. We lived in Mission Viejo in Orange County.

Persons: Wendy, Kurt Meyer, Hawkeye, —, I'm, Kurt, We'll, grandkids, Wendy Meyer, Wendy Meyer Kurt, They're, It's, We've Organizations: Service, That's, Air Force, The University of Iowa Hospital, Wendy, Gas, Costco Locations: Mission Viejo , California, Washington , Iowa, Mission Viejo, Los Angeles, Iowa, California, Germany, Long Beach, Orange County, She's, Iowa City

☆ I went car-free in the suburbs when my vehicle needed repairs. I'm happier and healthier, and wish I did it sooner.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Michael Kavate | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 10-minute walk took me past a row of colorful houses and apartments, red-and-yellow nasturtiums poking from their yards. The train ride, too, gave me precious time to read. It turned out swapping the train for two wheels took a bit more sweat, but no more time at all. My route took me under freeways, but most of the streets I took were so quiet that I could hear birds singing. AdvertisementGiving up my car has made me healthier, happier, and more connected to my neighbors than before.

Persons: I'd, California's, I've Organizations: Service, Oakland Locations: Los Angeles, America, South Berkeley, Oakland, Berkeley, Chance

☆ OpenAI denies Elon Musk lawsuit claim that there ever was founding agreement
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI has challenged a foundational claim Tesla CEO Elon Musk made in the lawsuit he filed against the startup earlier this month. "There is no Founding Agreement, or any agreement at all with Musk, as the complaint itself makes clear," OpenAI said in a document on file with California's superior court for San Francisco County. "The Founding Agreement is instead a fiction Musk has conjured to lay unearned claim to the fruits of an enterprise he initially supported, then abandoned, then watched succeed without him." Musk quoted OpenAI's 2015 certificate of incorporation with the Delaware secretary of state, asserting that it "memorialized" the founding agreement. "Seeing the remarkable technological advances OpenAI has achieved, Musk now wants that success for himself," OpenAI said in its filing.

Persons: Elon Musk, Giorgia Meloni's, OpenAI, Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Brockman, Altman, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: Tesla Inc, New York Times, San, Microsoft Locations: Rome, Italy, San Francisco County, Delaware

☆ Adam Schiff gambled on elevating a Republican Dodgers legend to close out fellow Democrat Katie Porter in California's Senate race. It worked.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Adam Schiff is projected to be the top Democrat in the running to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The real headline is that Schiff was able to use a shrewd strategy to close out other Democrats. As a result, Schiff's other opponent will be Dodgers legend Steve Garvey. NBC News projects Schiff to be the top Democrat coming out of Tuesday's California dual Senate primaries. Schiff's strategy was to elevate Garvey as a Trump conservative in the overwhelmingly Democratic state, thus foreclosing fellow Rep. Katie Porter from making it to the general election.

Persons: Adam Schiff, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Schiff, Steve Garvey, —, Donald Trump's, Garvey, Katie Porter Organizations: Dodgers, Service, NBC, Democrat, GOP, Republican, Trump, Democratic, Business Locations: California

☆ AI deepfakes are poised to enter court proceedings at time of low trust in legal system
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Rachel Curry | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"The chances of someone abusing this technology today is likely already happening," said Jay Madheswaran, CEO and co-founder of AI legal case assistant Eve. This is a threat to the judicial system around the world. The risk of alteration in the judicial processIn addition to the risk of altered evidence, streamlining court reporting with AI opens up the doors to alteration. Traditional court reports take an oath of accuracy and impartiality, something that could be lost with AI without appropriate legislation. According to the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020, AI can "make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments."

Persons: Sora, Jay Madheswaran, Sarah Thompson, Thompson, Kristin Anderson, Melissa Buchman, Madheswaran, deepfakes Organizations: National Court Reporters Association, Los Angeles San, Los Angeles San Francisco Daily Journal, Stanford University, Federal, MIT, Northwestern, National Artificial Intelligence, deepfakes, Pew Research Center Locations: Judicial, Denton County , Texas, California, Los Angeles San Francisco, American

☆ With Super Tuesday over, China and Xi may be praying for Trump to beat Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With Super Tuesday setting the US up for a Biden-Trump rematch, it looks like China has no good choices. But a rising perspective among experts on China posits that Beijing has good reason to hope Trump retakes the White House. Both President Joe Biden and Trump are expected to continue their aggression toward China, with Biden locking away US tech exports and Trump more recently threatening a 60% tariff on Chinese goods. Whichever way Beijing is betting, it's hard to say which man its preferred pick would be. AdvertisementWith close-to-clean sweeps across the board on Super Tuesday, both Biden and Trump are now all but confirmed to be their respective parties' nominees.

Persons: Trump, —, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Chengxin, Pan, MAGA, skittish, Stanley Rosen, Agathe Demarais, Demarais, shelve, China that's, it's, Ian Ja Chong, they're Organizations: Biden, Trump, Service, China, Associated Press, University of Macau, University of Southern California's China Institute, geoeconomics, European Council, Foreign Relations, Foreign Policy, National University of Singapore, White Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, Ukraine, Russia, New York

☆ Super Tuesday live updates: Trump looks to finish off Haley as Biden shifts to general election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger Dan Mangan Brian Schwartz Rebecca Picciotto Chelsey Cox | Kevin Breuninger | Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As a result, Tuesday's outcomes in the presidential primaries are less about predicting who will be the eventual nominee, and more about gauging general election momentum eight months out from November. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump hold commanding leads in the polls of their parties' voters. Perhaps even more exciting than the presidential primaries are several competitive down-ballot races with major implications for national politics. Primaries in California's Senate race and North Carolina's gubernatorial contest are two that merit special attention. In California, the battle to fill the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat is already the most expensive Senate race in the state's history.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Nikki Haley, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein's, Adam Schiff, Roy Cooper Organizations: Biden, Republican, South Carolina Gov, California's Senate, North, Democratic, Gov, Democrats Locations: California's, California, North Carolina

☆ Here's what might happen after California raises fast-food wages to $20, from higher burger and pizza prices to better wages for retail workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementBurgers, tacos, and pizzas will get more expensiveDiners should expect to pay more as fast-food restaurants put menu prices up to offset higher wages. But restaurants already paying workers higher wages will feel less of an impact from the new legislation. Jon Tower, an analyst at Citi, said the higher prices could be hard for some diners to accept. However, higher wages at McDonald's, Subway, and Burger King will likely prompt other employers to offer higher pay so they can compete for labor. AdvertisementPeople will have more money to dine outAs fast-food workers' wages increase, they'll actually have more disposable income to spend dining out.

Persons: —, Gavin Newsom, It's, Jack, Sharon Zackfia, William Blair, Andy Barish, Sara Senatore, Chris Kempczinski, they're, Jon Tower, Barish, Zackfia, Burger, Danilo Gargiulo, Bernstein, Matt Clark Organizations: Service, Golden State, Gov, Jefferies, Bank of America, Citi, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: California, McDonald's

☆ Former Twitter execs sue Musk and X for more than $128 million in severance
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Twitter executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, head of legal Vijaya Gadde and General Counsel Sean Edgett filed a new lawsuit against Elon Musk and X Corp. in federal court arguing that they are owed $128 million in unpaid severance. The ex-Twitter executives' lawyers argue, "These statements were not the mere rantings of a self-centered billionaire surrounded by enablers unwilling to confront him with the legal consequences of his own choices. Musk bragged to Isaacson specifically how he planned to cheat Twitter's executives out of their severance benefits in order to save himself $200 million." The suit, Agrawal et al v. Musk et al, was filed in California's Northern District and follows news that settlement talks between X Corp. and ex-Twitter managers broke down in a related case in Delaware, Woodfield v. Twitter Inc., where $500 million in unpaid severance to former Twitter managers and engineers is in dispute. Representatives for X Corp. and Elon Musk did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Persons: Parag Agrawal, Ned Segal, Vijaya Gadde, Sean Edgett, Elon Musk, Musk, Walter Isaacson, Isaacson, Agrawal Organizations: Twitter, Elon, X Corp, Twitter Inc Locations: Delaware

☆ China might have a friendlier face now, but it's not giving up on its aggressive Wolf Warrior diplomacy, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The move has also fueled speculation about the end of Wolf Warrior diplomacy. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesChina is also aware that the shock value of Wolf Warrior diplomacy brings diminishing returns. "I think the limits of wolf warrior diplomacy are apparent," Loh said. The Wolf Warrior will be backThat said, Wolf Warrior diplomacy will return, depending on the issue at hand, said Loh. LEAH MILLIS/Getty ImagesSo why did Liu tell reporters and academics in New York that Wolf Warrior diplomacy would never return?

Persons: —, Liu Jianchao, Liu, China's, Antony Blinken, ROBERTO SCHMIDT, Ian Ja Chong, Chong, Zhao Lijian, Zhao, Rather, Stanley Rosen, Rosen, you'll, Zhao dismissively, Nancy Pelosi's, Anthony Kwan, Pan Chengxin, Donald Trump's, Pan, Dylan Loh, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Loh, Qin Gang, LEAH MILLIS Organizations: Service, Communist Party's International Department, of Foreign, Business, US, AFP, Getty, National University of Singapore, Foreign Ministry, University of Southern, China Institute, U.S . House, Deakin University, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, Getty Images, Chinese Foreign Locations: New York, China, West . China, Beijing, University of Southern California's US, Maryland, Ukraine, Weibo, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, Gaza, AFP, Getty Images China, West

☆ Panera is exempt from California's fast-food wage increase. A billionaire franchisee previously donated to Gov. Newsom.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Ana Altchek | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewCalifornia's minimum wage increase from $16 to $20 an hour for fast-food restaurant workers, set to go into effect in April, caused a stir among fast-food chains — but not Panera. He owns 12 Panera locations in California. When asked last year about the bread exemption that baffled many, Newsom said, "That's part of the sausage-making," declining to elaborate further. Flynn, in a conversation with Bloomberg, denied having a hand in the bread exemption. A few smaller brands appear to benefit from the carve-out, including Paris Baguette and Great Harvest Bread Co, Bloomberg reported.

Persons: —, Gavin Newsom, Greg Flynn —, Flynn, Taco Bell, Flynn Group's, Newsom, Panera, Paris Baguette Organizations: Service, Flynn Group, Business, Bloomberg, San Francisco Chronicle, Flynn Properties Inc, US Food and Drug Administration, Co Locations: California, Paris

☆ Conservative activists are taking another swing at trying to recall Gavin Newsom, arguing that he's 'abandoned' California to 'advance his presidential ambitions'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The organizers of the group, Rescue California, will present the recall petition papers to Newsom's office on Monday, kicking off what will be a lengthy and likely grueling drive to qualify the recall for the ballot. "Gavin Newsom has abandoned the state to advance his presidential ambitions, leaving behind a $73 billion budget deficit and a public safety, immigration and education crisis," Rescue California campaign director Anne Dunsmore told Politico. Newsom because he is out there defending democracy and fighting for the reelection of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris." Last week, the California Legislative Analyst's Office projected the state's budget shortfall for the 2024-2025 fiscal year at $73 billion.

Persons: —, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, California's COVID, should've, Larry Elder, Joe Biden's, Anne Dunsmore, Nathan Click, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Democracy's, he's, Biden Organizations: Service, Democratic, Rescue, Business, Politico, White, Trump Republicans, California Legislative, Office Locations: California, Rescue California, Los Angeles, San Francisco

☆ These are the best scenic family road trips for families, from a parent and travel expert who's been to all 50 states.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Taryn White | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Road trips are the ultimate symbol of freedom, discovery, and the boundless beauty of the US. As a travel expert, I believe these three incredible routes are the best if you're looking to go on an amazing road trip experience with your own family. AdvertisementTake a road trip through ArizonaFrom majestic mountains to captivating canyons, Arizona's glorious scenery cannot be fully realized by visiting just one destination. For a rush of adrenaline, set out on a whitewater rafting excursion with companies like Advantage Grand Canyon. Families can also take a boat cruise on Lake Powell and visit the Glen Canyon Dam.

Persons: I've, Dana Point, Battery, Taryn White, Coyote, Lake Powell Organizations: Business, Santa Barbara Zoo, San Luis Obispo, Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, Roanoke Star, Biltmore Estate, River Arts, Asheville Museum of Science, North Carolina Arboretum, Biltmore, Asheville Glamping, Railway Locations: California, Dana, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Ellwood, San Luis, Big, Carmel, Monterey, Golden, Battery Spencer, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina ., Shenandoah, Smoky, Crabtree Falls . Roanoke, Mountain, Meadows, Dan ,, Asheville, River Arts District, Bohemian, Arizona, Phoenix, Sedona, Boynton Canyon, Grand, El Tovar, Williams, Bend, Lake Powell

☆ There was a Vision Pro party in San Francisco — complete with people dancing and pinching the air
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's the latest example of people using the Vision Pro in public. Apple released the Vision Pro on February 2, billing it as an immersive "spatial computing" experience with both productivity and entertainment applications — and a $3,499 price tag. AdvertisementThe AI collective Cerebral Valley hosted an event to celebrate the release of the Vision Pro. AdvertisementNick Linck, founder of the Residency, a live-in fellowship for startup founders, shared a post on X showing two guests at a crowded dinner party wearing the Vision Pro. Reibman told The Standard that he has also seen people wearing the Vision Pro at several recent dinners.

Persons: It's, —, San Francisco aren't, partygoers, haven't, they've, Insider's Jordan Hart, Nick Linck, Linck, Reibman Organizations: Service, Apple, San Francisco Standard, Vision, Twitter Locations: San Francisco, California's, San Diego

☆ California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers could make burgers and chicken so expensive that people just buy more groceries instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some diners could be put off eating out when fast-food prices in California go up in the spring. The state is raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour, prompting restaurants to hike menu prices. California is putting up the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour on April 1 — and it could make restaurant prices so unpalatable that people buy more groceries to cook at home instead. The state's current general minimum wage is $16 an hour, compared to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 . But the new statewide legislation, AB 1228, will only create a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers.

Persons: Jon Tower, Jack, Darin Harris, Jonathan Knowles, –, Harris, Matt Clark, Clark Organizations: Citi, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: California

☆ Walmart and Amazon face legal trouble for using a points system to track and fire employees over absences: lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

AdvertisementWalmart would not provide details on its points-based attendance system to Business Insider. AdvertisementSimilar to Walmart's policy, Amazon uses a points-based attendance system that could land employees in hot water if they hit eight points in a rolling 60-day period, according to the company. Many companies, including mid-size ones, have started to implement a points-based system to track lateness and absences, Zambrano noted. Amazon disputed the description of its points-based attendance system as totally "automated." "The attendance system works very similar to a standard time clock system," Stephenson, Amazon's spokesperson, told Business Insider.

Persons: Ron Zambrano, Zambrano, Lizzo, Nick Yasman, Yasman, Kelly Hellbusch, Hellbusch, Julio Cortez, Sam Stephenson, Stephenson, There's, Patricia Caputo, " Caputo, Caputo, Artur Widak, Amazon, Caputo wasn't, Mekaliah Torres, Torres, David Wagner, Wagner, Larreon Murphy, Murphy, they're, Elizabeth Gedmark, Gedmark Organizations: Walmart, Trial, Amazon, Business, West Coast, Lawyers, Employees, West Coast Trial, AP, United, Zambrano , West, California's Kern County Superior Court, Superior Court, California's Riverside County Superior Court, California's Sacramento County Superior Court Locations: California, Amazon, New York, Zambrano ,, California's Kern County, California's Fresno, California's Riverside County, California's Sacramento County

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