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California in Focus — News
California in Focus

The podcast bringing you the most important stories out of California from TheCenterSquare.com. Join us as we dive into the top headlines and provide insightful commentary and analysis.

Copyright: © America's Talking Network

Latest Episodes:

Storm Collapses Santa Cruz Wharf After Activists Resist Upgrades for Nearly a Decade Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

(The Center Square) - A winter storm carried off the end of the Santa Cruz wharf two days before Christmas, indefinitely shutting down the tourist attraction that houses 17 stores and restaurants. City records show a successful environmental lawsuit from local residents to block repairs and upgrades to the over 100-year-old, half-mile long pier may have been the deciding factor in the wharf’s collapse. The pier, dating back to 1914, sits on over 4,000 aging wood pilings that need to be frequently replaced or repaired. By the start of 2024, the city estimated the pier had accumulated an over $14 million backlog of necessary repairs.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_bb2fc7f6-c473-11ef-a5a8-33bbaa579e06.html

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EPA Approves Waiver for California and 12 States to Ban New Gas Cars by 2035 Dec 21, 2024

Show notes

(The Center Square) - The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a waiver to allow California and the twelve other states that have adopted its emissions standards to ban gas-powered cars in 2035. Starting in model year 2026, which for most car manufacturers begins halfway through 2025, 35% of passenger vehicles sold in California and the states that have adopted California air regulation standards for passenger vehicles. These twelve states, including Washington, D.C., cover nearly half of America’s new light-duty vehicle and over a quarter of its heavy-duty vehicle market.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_9bb5aac2-bd5b-11ef-be65-1322f8962652.html

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Newsom Claims Job Growth, Feds Say State Lost 156,300 Jobs in First Half of 2024 Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

(The Center Square) - California lost 156,300 jobs in the first six months of 2024, according to new federal quarterly payroll data, contradicting California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claims about job growth in the state. Politicians nationwide often cite optimistic preliminary jobs survey data, which is often significantly revised downward once more accurate payroll information is finalized. Adjusted California payroll data for June counted 17,881,600 jobs, while January counted 18,037,900 jobs, meaning the state lost 156,300 jobs in the first six months of 2024, the most recent time for which quarterly payroll data covering 95% of jobs is available.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_4edad3b4-bcb4-11ef-9963-af0a6ca94415.html

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San Francisco Supermarket Closing Due to ‘Safety’ and ‘Theft’ as City Explores ‘Free’ Stores Dec 14, 2024

Show notes

(The Center Square) - Safeway is shutting down its grocery store in San Francisco’s Fillmore District, in part citing “ongoing concerns about associate and customer safety." One year ago, Safeway announced it would be shutting down the location as part of a deal with a developer to turn the store into a mixed-use development with housing and commercial spaces — which could mean space for another grocery store in the future. San Francisco Mayor London Breed agreed to send more police to the store to keep it open longer, saying, “Longtime Fillmore customers and residents have also expressed concerns with public safety in the area. As part of the site’s extension of services, Mayor Breed has directed the San Francisco Police Department to commit additional resources at this location.”

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_f666d742-b82f-11ef-8e47-a7372eb67854.html

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Los Angeles Audit Finds Quarter of Shelter Beds Empty Each Night: $218M Loss Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

(The Center Square) — A quarter of the homeless shelter beds in the City of Los Angeles are empty each night, causing a loss of $218 million from 2019 to 2023, according to a new report from the city controller. The report also notes the city has tripled its homeless shelter capacity since 2019, which led to a reduction in the city’s unsheltered homeless population at the start of 2024. The report also said the number of individuals placed into “permanent” housing, including permanently “free” supportive housing paid for by taxpayers that the report supports, has only increased by 21% since 2019.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_eff5afcc-b817-11ef-bd1c-f395ced5f0a0.html

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Challenging Trump, California to Pay for Migrant Deportation Defense Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., reiterated the state’s commitment to continued funding for the deportation defense of migrants and undocumented immigrants. President-elect Donald Trump’s promised mass deportations could have a major impact on California, which hosts approximately 2.7 million undocumented immigrants. “If it’s legal assistance, legal advice, legal support, that’s just the California way,” Padilla said when asked if the state would fund legal defenses of undocumented immigrants facing deportation. “We embrace our diversity. Our diversity has made our communities thrive and our economy thrive.”

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_06dcfade-b0d3-11ef-850b-a31f65b0a900.html

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Report: California Payroll Taxes Need 2117% Hike to Cover Insolvent Unemployment Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office now says unemployment insurance taxes on businesses must rise by 2117% nearly a year after declaring the state’s unemployment benefits program “structurally insolvent.” The LAO’s new report explains that the state’s unemployment fund runs a structural deficit of $2 billion per year, beyond the $20 billion debt and $1 billion in annual interest payments to the federal government to help cover $55 billion in fraudulent COVID lockdown-era benefits payments. These interest payments are paid by the state’s general fund, while the existence of unemployment benefits debt to the federal government triggers automatic tax increases of $21 per employee per year after two years of unpaid debt.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_e84ab5ea-b260-11ef-8acd-5b9973b3ac0b.html

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Newsom Wants CA Consumers to Pay to Replace $7,500 Federal EV Credit, Tesla Excluded Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state. This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_93376a9e-ab80-11ef-bcb4-07aafecb40b0.html

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FEMA Has Spent at Least $159 Million on Migrant Services in California Since 2023 Nov 23, 2024

Show notes

The federal government has allocated $159 million in FEMA funding to “provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants” in California since 2023, according to federal grants reviewed by The Center Square. California has been a sanctuary state since 2017, and recently enacted a new law allowing individuals convicted of crimes that could impact immigration proceedings to petition for resentencing. The state has an estimated 1.9 million illegal immigrants, according to Pew. Given president-elect Donald Trump’s opposition to funding services for undocumented immigrants, and California’s limited fiscal capacity, it’s unclear if these programs will persist.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_e45ad614-a5f3-11ef-8b50-334b0fe35eb7.html

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California Says ‘No Capacity’ for New Spending, Annual Deficits Rising to $30B Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

California’s nonpartisan state analysis agency warned the state has “no capacity for new commitments,” and faces annual deficits of $20 billion or more starting in 2026 as spending growth outpaces weak sales tax revenue. For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state faces a $2 billion shortfall — assuming the Trump administration does not withhold any federal funding in response to California’s sanctuary state policies regarding undocumented immigrants. About half the $161 billion budget for Medi-Cal, the state’s taxpayer-funded healthcare system that covers one-third of Californians, comes from the federal government. This spending includes about $5 billion for covering undocumented immigrants, according to the California Department of Health and Human Services.

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Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_dff26146-a797-11ef-8806-1758912f94a3.html

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