SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued the broadest loosening of his stay-at-home order so far, allowing some retailers to reopen but not have customers in stores. The announcement was the result of improvement in battling the coronavirus and it moves California into the second phase of a methodical...
California Doom: Staggering $54 Billion Budget Deficit Looms
SACRAMENTO — California will have a budget shortfall of $54.3 billion because of the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration announced Thursday, a stunning reversal for a state that had a $21 billion surplus a year ago. The state has been under a mandatory stay-at-home order...
Newsom’s Order Protects All Workers. Can Employers Afford It?
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial executive order Wednesday triggering applause from labor and fears from employers that it will bury them in sky-high workers' compensation costs. “We want to keep workers healthy and we want to keep them safe,” Newsom said Wednesday at his daily briefing. “The worst thing...
Newsom to Reveal Guidelines for Reopening
SACRAMENTO — Business owners across California anxiously awaited new guidelines Thursday from Gov. Gavin Newsom that will outline the first widespread changes to a statewide stay-at-home order that shut most retail shops to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Newsom was expected allow businesses such as clothing stores, florists, bookstores...
California’s Billion-Dollar Mask Deal Hits Snag
SACRAMENTO — Millions of protective masks that were to arrive in California this week as part of the state's nearly $1 billion deal with a Chinese company have been delayed, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. The governor said the N95 masks made by BYD, an electric vehicle manufacturer with a...
Mall Reopens as Rural California Counties Defy Virus Order
YUBA CITY — Several dozen shoppers streamed into the first mall in California to reopen Wednesday, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's orders restricting businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Doors opened just before 11 a.m. at Yuba Sutter Mall in Yuba City, the county seat of rural Sutter County, which along...
Court Upholds California Ban on Church Services in Pandemic
LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gavin Newsom had the right to ban church assemblies in the interest of public health during the coronavirus outbreak, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Newsom's stay-at-home order did not violate the constitutional rights to free assembly and religion when the Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi...
Newsom Scolds Counties for Defying Virus Order by Reopening
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom scolded two rural counties Tuesday for allowing some businesses to reopen in defiance of his statewide coronavirus restrictions, calling it a “big mistake” and saying they are “putting their public at risk.” Restaurants, hair salons and many other businesses opened Monday in Yuba and Sutter...
Billions in COVID Aid Will Go to Farms. But Farmers Say It’s Not Enough.
Ryan Indart says he may have to kill off some of the sheep at his east Clovis ranch this fall. With restaurants shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic, he has no market for his animals. When a new flock arrives in October, he won’t have enough space in his pasture if...
Newsom Says Some Business Can Reopen This Week. Restaurants May Soon Follow.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state will move into the second phase of his reopening plan as early as Friday, allowing lower-risk workplaces to resume operations with modifications to help prevent spread of the coronavirus. The plan outlined Monday includes a range of retailers that would be permitted...