SACRAMENTO — California's unemployment rate held steady at the record low 3.9% in December, the state said Friday. California added 12,600 nonfarm payroll jobs during the month, the Employment Development Department said. Those gains extend California’s record job expansion to 118 months. The current expansion began in February 2010. The...
California Man Sentenced to Death for Killing Family of 4
LOS ANGELES — A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert. Charles “Chase” Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife,...
US Consumer Confidence Ticked Down in December
BALTIMORE — U.S. consumer confidence slipped ever so slightly in December, as expectations fell about economic growth over the next six months. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index edged down to 126.5 from November's reading of 126.8. Americans felt largely confident about business conditions this month...
New California Laws Help Animals, Fire Victims, Immigrants
SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of new California laws take effect with the start of the new year, including measures stemming from the devastating wildfires that have swept the state. Others address animal rights, criminal justice, businesses and health care. Among them: Wildfires — In a step to curb greenhouse gas emissions, California becomes...
AP Exclusive: Middleman Helped Saudi Give to Obama Inaugural
When President Barack Obama was reelected in 2012, a Saudi tycoon and his business associate sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to the U.S. to help pay for the inaugural celebration and get a picture with the president, according to court documents and an analysis of campaign finance records by...
US Consumer Confidence Dips Slightly in August
WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence dipped slightly in August after a big rebound in July. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index edged down to 135.1 in August, slightly below a July reading of 135.8, which had been the highest since November. Economists had...
US Consumer Confidence Dips Slightly in August
WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence dipped slightly in August after a big rebound in July. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index edged down to 135.1 in August, slightly below a July reading of 135.8, which had been the highest since November. Economists had...
US Consumer Confidence Dips Slightly in August
WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence dipped slightly in August after a big rebound in July. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index edged down to 135.1 in August, slightly below a July reading of 135.8, which had been the highest since November. Economists had...
District 2 Candidates Aim to Make Fresno More Business-Friendly
OK, let's have a show of hands: Is Fresno City Hall not sufficiently business-friendly? That was the question posed to four men who want to represent northwest Fresno on the city council. All four raised a hand at a July 31 candidate forum presented by GV Wire and CMAC. It's...
US Economy Slowed to 2.1% Growth in Second Quarter
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy slowed sharply in the April-June quarter even as consumers stepped up their spending. The gross domestic product, the economy's total output of goods and services, grew at a 2.1% annual rate last quarter, down from a 3.1% gain in the first quarter, the Commerce Department...