The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

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The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

The attack happened in over the weekend in a neighborhood just north of Valley Medical Center. It is a neighborhood the owner did not think coyotes would visit.

The 10-year-old Chihuahua named “Boy” is recovering and on Monday was clearly in a lot of pain.

“Boy means the whole world to me. He’s like my baby,” owner Lupe said. “He goes everywhere with me.”

Lupe, who did not want to provide her last name, said the attack happened around 5:30 a.m. Saturday when Boy needed to go to the bathroom. She said she started to hear him barking form the backyard and that is when Lupe spotted three coyotes in her backyard.

Two were scared off by the dog’s bark, but the third was not.

“The coyote followed him and demolished him really bad,” Lupe said.

Lupe said she ultimately scared the animal off by throwing a rock at it, but not before a lot of damage was done.

Boy spent two days in the hospital getting surgery and a lot of stitches.

Lupe said she called us because she never would have thought she would see coyotes in her neighborhood.

State wildlife officials say while they have not received any reports of coyotes sightings in the area, the animals are showing up just about everywhere.

“There’s coyotes in pretty much every inch of California,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife public information officer Krysten Kellum said. “Even in populated areas.”

They say coyotes are typically out between dusk and dawn, and urge owners to keep their pets inside as much as possible during those times. Wildlife officials also said to avoid leaving any pet food outside.

“If you see a coyote make noise, get big, scare them off, teach them that they don’t want to be around humans,” Kellum said.

Residents can also report any coyote sightings on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.

Meanwhile, Lupe continues to try to nurse her four-legged family member back to health and hopes the incident will remind others to stay closer to their pets when letting them outdoors.

“Be careful,” she said. “That’s all I’m asking – to be careful.”

Akiva Grunewald, 46, pleaded guilty in February to one count of bribery for paying the then-police chief $20,000 in exchange for a badge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles federal court.

Anthony Reyes Vazquez, 52, former chief of the Manzanita Tribal Police Department, pleaded guilty to taking cash from the Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation as part of the scheme to sell police department membership to dozens of unqualified individuals. He was sentenced in San Diego federal court last week to a combination of 10 months of home confinement, 12 consecutive weekends in custody, and three years of probation.

Prosecutors said Vazquez and other tribal police officers recruited wealthy people from the Los Angeles area to become so-called officers. Despite having little to no law enforcement experience, those people paid anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 in “donations” to obtain police privileges including the right to concealed carry weapons permits.

More than $700,000 in “donations” were solicited throughout the scheme, with Vazquez keeping about $300,000 out of those payments, prosecutors said. He also paid kickbacks to recruiters and paid himself around $2,000 per month as reimbursement for travel expenses from his Oxnard home to the reservation.

The case led to federal charges against Grunewald and Colin Gilbert, 81, of Marina del Rey for buying or selling the phony badges.

In 2018, Grunewald gave Vazquez $20,000 to obtain a police badge, despite having no law enforcement training or experience. Prosecutors said he wanted the badge in order to carry concealed weapons.

After obtaining the badge, Grunewald — who admitted being a drug addict and unlawful user of oxycodone and other narcotics at the time — was pulled over by Culver City police after an officer saw him run across a busy street and enter a black Range Rover that was missing a front license plate, had tinted windows, and had a rear license plate that belonged to a different car.

During the traffic stop, Grunewald displayed his Manzanita PD badge and identified himself as a police officer, prosecutors said. Grunewald “was shaking visibly, sweating, and appeared extremely nervous,” his plea agreement states.

The police officer asked Grunewald to exit the vehicle after Grunewald said he was carrying a firearm on his right hip. During a search of the vehicle and Grunewald, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms, about 43 oxycodone pills, a police gun belt with handcuffs, a collapsible baton, a tactical vest, pepper spray, and numerous other badges and credentials associated with other law enforcement agencies, according to federal prosecutors.

Gilbert pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to making false statements and was sentenced in April to a year’s probation. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

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Don’t wait until a fire is near your home to come up with a Wildfire Action Plan, plan ahead. Here are the steps you should take to prepare for a wildfire:

Create a Plan for A Wildfire

The best way to prepare for a wildfire is to plan ahead. Tailor this plan to your household’s needs and make sure all family members are familiar with its details.

Here’s what your plan should include:

• Designate an emergency meeting location outside of your area.
• Find several different escape routes from your route and your community. Ready California suggests having three
• Have an evacuation plan for pets
• Designate an out-of-area contact, a friend or relative, in case local phone lines are clogged
• Create and post an emergency contact list near your phone and in each emergency supply kit
• Have a fire extinguisher on hand, check expiration dates and train your family on how to use them
• Show your family how to safely shut off gas, electricity and water in an emergency
• Download the AlertSanDiego emergency app and sign up for the reverse notifications.

Prepare Your Home For a Wildfire

There are certain steps you can take ahead of time that will help your family if an emergency arises. From putting together an emergency supply kit to creating defensible space around your home, here’s what you should do to prepare for a wildfire:

STEP 1: Create an Emergency Supply Kit

According to the American Red Cross, you should have an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. You may even want an additional kit for your car. And, each kit should include:

• A gallon of water per person/per day for at least three days
• Non-perishable foods (Don’t forget food for your pet!)
• A first-aid kit
• Chargers for electronics
• flashlight and a battery-powered radio
• An extra set of car keys, credit cards or cash
• Sanitation supplies
• Extra contact lenses or glasses
• Important family documents and contact numbers
• A map marked with evacuation routes
• Prescriptions or special medication
• If time allows, grab family photos, irreplaceable items and valuables
• If time allows, grab personal computers

The Red Cross suggests keeping each kit in a backpack and to store food and water separately in a cooler with wheels.

Sign up for San Diego County emergency alerts here

STEP 2: Create a Defensible Space

Cal Fire says you can dramatically increase the chances your home will survive a wildfire by creating a “defensible space,” a buffer created by removing weeds, brush and dry vegetation around your home. This is not something to do when a wildfire is at your door, but rather something that can be done with a little forethought to have a big impact for your home.

You can also “harden” your home by using fire-protective materials.

Cal Fire breaks down everything you need to know, and even gives you a tour of a home with good defensible space, in this brochure. And, you can take this quick survey to determine if your home is wildfire ready.

Creating a defensible space is required for homes in high-fire hazard severity zones in the state of California, and highly suggested for others. Once your home is prepared, you can schedule an inspection here.

What to Do When You Need to Evacuate From a Wildfire

If you’ve been told you need to evacuate, don’t wait. You’ve hopefully planned and prepared to allow you to leave quickly. Even if you haven’t been told to evacuate, if you’re ready, it may be safer to do so. You don’t want to be caught in fire, smoke or road congestion, Cal Fire says. “By leaving early, you give your family the best chance of surviving a wildfire.”

Here’s what to do when the fire is near:

• Evacuate as soon as you’re ready. Don’t delay, especially if you have children, older adults, people with access and functional needs or pets and livestock
• Alert family and neighbors
• Dress in cotton and work boots, have googles, a bandana or a mask handy
• Grab your emergency supply hit
• Inside your home:
  • Shut your windows and doors but keep them unlocked
  • Remove lightweight curtains
  • Move furniture away from the windows and doors
  • Shut off the gas meter and turn off pilot lights
  • Shut off the air conditioning
  • Leave your lights on
• Outside your home:
  • Gather flammable items and bring them inside: toys, door mats, patio furniture
  • Turn off propane tanks
  • Don’t leave any water running — this can affect firefighters water supply
  • leave outdoor lights on
  • Have a ladder available
  • Extinguish any small fires on your property until it’s time to leave
  • If time allows, seal the attic and ground vents

Once you’ve evacuated, mark yourself and your family on SafeAndWell.org, a Red Cross website and free tool that helps reunite loved ones during disasters, so your loved ones know you are safe.

What if you’re trapped?

Fires move quickly and it’s possible you don’t make it out in time. If that’s the case, Cal Fire provides these survival tips:

• Call 911
• Shelter away from outside walls
• Bring garden hoses inside so embers don’t destroy them
• Patrol inside your home for spot fires and extinguish them
• Wear long sleeves and long pants from natural fibers
• Stay hydrated
• Ensure you can exit your home, but remember if it’s hot inside, it’s four to five times hotter outside)
• Fill sinks and tubs for an emergency water supply.
• place wet towels under doors

If the fire has passed, you should:

• Check your roof and extinguish any fires, sparks or embers
• Check your attic for hidden embers
• Patrol your property and put out any small fires
• If there are larger fires you can’t extinguish, call 911

All of this information is available in Cal Fire’s Ready, Set, Go! evacuation plan. Get the brochure here and find more valuable resources on Cal Fire’s website, ReadyForWildfire.org.

If you were injured in a wildfire or your home has been damaged:

• Start the recovery process at listoscalifornia.org/recovery
• Check local, state and federal programs for available aid
• If you start to clean up yourself, take photos and document everything. Wear property safety equipment and avoid activities that can blow harmful particles back into the air
• If you have to hire someone to help repair your home, ensure they have a license from the Contractors State License Board. Look it up at cslb.ca.gov.

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Corgi Con was back at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. It only comes around twice a year as lots of people were excited to attend.

The corgis and their humans took part in doggy costume contests. While others cheered on pups in corgi races.

Sep 16, 2023

Corgi Con takes over Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton

The event also featured food vendors and local pet boutiques.

This was Corgi Con’s 10th year in the Bay and many attendees said they just can’t get enough of the little dogs.

For those who missed this year’s event, Corgi Con will return next summer and fall. People can also hang out with the short-legged pups at ”Stumpy Con” in April.

“We want people to be able to hold the beer with the label out, hoping people would ask about it. Previously, with nonalcoholic beer, everyone was like, ‘Man, I hope no one asks me what I’m drinking,'” Bill Shufelt, the company’s co-founder, told NBC 7.

Athletic started in Connecticut in 2018 and then expanded to San Diego two years later. The company is also opening a new facility next to its existing one in Miramar. When it becomes operational at the end of next year, Athletic will be able to double its brewing capacity.

The demand for Athletic’s beer has skyrocketed. It’s the No. 1 nonalcoholic beer brand in the U.S. and is now the No. 1 selling beer brand at Whole Foods, alcoholic or not, according to CNBC. This comes as about 40% of Americans say they are trying to drink less alcohol this year.

Getting the idea to start Athletic came about 11 years ago when Shufelt stopped drinking alcohol for lifestyle reasons. He found the options for nonalcoholic beer lacking, so he decided to make one that he would actually want to drink.

Getting it off the ground wasn’t easy. Shufelt said he was, “rejected by every brewer under the sun to be our co-founder” and that “raising money was impossible to build the first nonalcoholic brewery in the country.”

But Shufelt said he believed whole-heartedly in his idea because all his research and conversations with people told him the same thing: if nonalcoholic beer tasted good and didn’t come with a big stigma, they would love to drink a good nonalcoholic beer.

After hundreds of meetings with potential investors, Shufelt was finally able to secure financing to start Athletic. Then what he needed was a brewer. That’s when Athletic co-founder and award-winning brewmaster John Walker comes in.

“For the first time in nonalcoholic beer, you had this incredibly talented recipe maker and brewer and somebody who really approached things with an innovative mindset coming into nonalcoholic beer,” Shufelt said.

In 2018, the pair launched the country’s first nonalcoholic beer brewery in Connecticut but quickly outgrew the building.

“It took nine months to raise the money in 120 investor meetings, and we outgrew it in basically the same amount of time,” Shufelt said. “That’s when we found a great new home in San Diego.”

It’s not just jobs that Athletic has brought to San Diego. The company is also investing in our region’s environment with its Two for the Trails Program. Athletic has donated more than $4 million to trail and outdoor restoration projects.

Athletic also recently raised an additional $50 million in equity financing and just teamed up with Arsenal F. C. to become the English soccer team’s first nonalcoholic beer partner.

As for the future here, besides brewing more beer, an Athletic beer tap room in San Diego is a possibility. 

“We’re super excited so far with our investments in the community of San Diego and appreciate everyone’s support, and we plan to be here for a long time,” Shufelt said.

The Filipino American Law Enforcement Officers Association held a CrossFit fundraiser at NXPT Fitness Studio called the “5721 Fitness Throwdown.” Those numbers refer to the badge numbers of Officer Jonathan De Guzman, who was killed in 2016.

The annual event raises money for a scholarship fund named in De Guzman’s honor that helps high-performing, underrepresented high school seniors and college students, many of whom are from the South Bay. Proceeds from this year’s fundraiser will also go to the families of Officer Austin Machitar, who was killed in a fiery crash in Clairemont last month, and his partner that night, Officer Zach Martinez, who is still recovering from the crash.

“The proceeds that we raise for the family is going to go to help offset costs that may be surprises for them,” Christopher Cruz, president of the Filipino American Law Enforcement Officers Association in San Diego, said. “We just want to give as much as we can. So far, the community in San Diego has been generous with their donations.”

Thirty teams of two signed up to compete.

Dominic Banaga was one-half of “Team Transform.” The San Diego County Sheriff’s deputy said Machitar’s death hit close to home.

“It becomes surreal after somebody so close to you — as far as the law enforcement family — passes away like that,” Banaga said. “It makes you kind of rethink where you’re at, the safety mechanisms you’re putting in place to ensure your safety every day and just making sure you do the best job you can so you can come home safe to your family and protect whoever you’re serving.”

Banaga’s chiropractor, Daniel Meyer, signed him up for the challenge. Meyer said he wanted to support Banaga and his brothers and sisters in law enforcement.

“If they’re out there serving and protecting us, I feel a duty to really push myself, as well and see what we’re actually capable of,” Meyer said.

The crow is the first bird testing positive for the disease this year, and there have been no locally contracted cases of the virus in the county, but the danger of the contagion is still present.

The largely avian disease can be transferred to humans, where it can materialize in a headache, fever, fatigue, nausea, rash or swelling — and even serious illness or death. According to the county, in 2015, 44 San Diego County residents tested positive for West Nile virus and six died.

To avoid the mosquitoes which can carry the virus, guidelines from the county include finding and dumping out standing water, denying mosquitoes breeding grounds. Many items can hold stagnant water, such as old tires, buckets, toys, garbage cans, plant pots and wheelbarrows. Mosquito fish are available from the county for larger bodies of water.

Additionally, avoiding bites plays an important role in preventing the virus. Tips include using DEET insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants and securing windows and screens in your home.

If you see a stagnant pool or other mosquito breeding grounds — or see dead birds like hawks, jays, crows and owls — you are encouraged the contact the county Vector Control Program by calling 858-694-2888 or emailing vector@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Trump was in the Los Angeles area for a fundraiser Thursday and a speech Friday at his golf course in the coastal community of Rancho Palos Verdes. After the speech, Trump was asked whether he will endorse Garvey in the Senate race against U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff.

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“I don’t know much about Steve Garvey. I think he’s made a big mistake because he hasn’t reached out to MAGA,” Trump said. “If he doesn’t have MAGA, he has no chance.”  

The former major league baseball player has distanced himself from the Republican presidential nominee as he campaigns in deep blue California. 

“I’m hearing he wants the MAGA endorsement, but he’s got to call me. If he had the MAGA endorsement, he could win,” Trump added.

No Republican has won a statewide office in California since 2006. 

In a statement to NBC4, Steve Garvey said he’s only focused on the issues that matter most to Californians. 

“Since day one, I’ve ran a different type of campaign, I have not taken or asked for a single political endorsement, the only endorsements I want are from the law enforcement community and first responders,” Garvey said. 

Garvey will face Burbank Congressman Schiff in November, a vocal critic of Trump who helped lead the impeachment efforts against him. Trump used the opportunity Friday to rail against Schiff, calling him “one of the most disgusting human beings.” 

“You have one of the sleaziest politicians in history,” the former president said of Schiff. “And to think he’s going to be Senator, that’s why you need me as president.” 

In a social media post, Schiff responded to the attacks from Mr. Trump,  saying “I don’t think he likes me.” 

Earlier Friday, Trump spoke at Trump National Golf Course with the Pacific Ocean in the background. The seaside community has been plagued by landslides that forced people from their homes.

Trump briefly addressed the land movement and voiced support for residents. Local leaders were doing a “great job” of responding to the crisis, he said. About a dozen people gathered along the road leading into the golf club. Some held signs reading “Save Our Homes” and “Slip Sliding Away.” Other signs read “200+ Homes, No Gas, No Power, No Help.”

Trump, fresh off Tuesday’s debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, also met with RPV Mayor John Cruikshank.

“I want to express my support for all of the families affected by the landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes,” Trump said. “This area is very solid, but you go a couple of miles down, you’ll see something that’s pretty amazing. The mountain is moving. And it could be stopped but they need some help from the government. So I hope they get the help. And I’m sure John will have the help. And I want to thank the mayor for the great job he’s doing, and tell that to the people, what a great job he’s doing.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the seaside community earlier this month a day after more homes lost power due to the shifting land.

Trump also spent a lengthy amount of time disparaging his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump was expected to head to Woodside in Northern California for another fundraiser. He was scheduled to attend an evening reception Thursday for a fundraiser in the LA area, according to a post by the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. The location for the event, which comes just over 50 days ahead of Election Day, was not provided.

Attending the event cost a minimum of $3,300, according to City News Service.

The GOP presidential nominee was last in Southern California in June, when he attended a sold- out luncheon event in Newport Beach and an evening event in Beverly Hills. That visit was Trump’s first to Southern California since Sept. 29-30, when he spoke at the California Republican Party Fall Convention in Anaheim and a fundraiser in Costa Mesa and visited the Carvel Ice Cream shop in Westwood.

The Southern California visit follows a stop Thursday in Arizona for a rally in Tucson. Also Thursday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that there will not be another debate against his Democratic rival.

NBCLA’s Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

“They upped the rent, then they upped the rent again,” Sanford-Cobb said. “So every year basically they start upping the rent.”

California cities including San Francisco aren’t allowed to expand rent control to newer apartment buildings or single family homes because of the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Act, a state law that prohibited cities from enacting their own rent control ordinances.

Renters like Sanford-Cobb are pinning hopes Proposition 33 on the November ballot, which would repeal Costa-Hawkins, and allow cities to broaden rent control protections.

“I know corporate want to make money,” Sanford-Cobb said. “But we also want to stay in the building and not end up in the streets.”

Those challenges are familiar to housing advocates who have seen the impact to the state’s renters.

“We see everywhere across the state people being priced out of their homes, priced out of their units,” said Daniel Anderson of the Yes On 33 Campaign. “People can’t afford to stay in the communities they grew up in.”

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Tenant rights groups said the compounding of year-after-year rent increases of five or ten percent in non-rent controlled buildings across the state is driving more people out of their units.

Fred Sherburn-Zimmer, a tenant rights organizer with the San Francisco Housing Rights Committee stood on a corner in San Francisco’s Mission District and pointed out numerous modern buildings where tenants aren’t protected by rent control. She pointed out another large Mission Street building built in 1990 that also wasn’t protected.

“Cities need to be able to protect their residents,” said Sherburn-Zimmer. “And if you don’t have rent control in a city like San Francisco the rent is just going to jump and jump.”

If passed, Prop 33 would not automatically impose rent control statewide. But it would give local jurisdictions the power to expand rent control to more modern buildings and single family homes.

San Francisco Board of Supervisor and mayoral candidate Aaron Peskin signaled the board was already looking to pass an expanded rent control ordinance if Prop 33 passes.

But apartment owner groups across the state are opposed to Prop 33, saying it would create another challenge for building owners who are already struggling to make profits due to a myriad of restrictions. San Jose apartment owner Gustavo Gonzalez said expanding rent control would pose a big hit to landlords like him.

“We’ve saved our money and we’ve invested in an apartment building with the hopes that one day we could retire and have some income from that property,” said Gonzalez. “That’s not the way it’s working with all of these rules and regulations that cities have mandated upon us.”

San José Mayor Matt Mahan is also opposed to Prop 33 because he believes it would dissuade construction of new apartment buildings.

“Study after study has shown that while rent control can stabilize the folks who are lucky enough to be covered by it,” Mahan said, “it decreases investment in new housing which is the single greatest need we have when it comes to affordability.”

Similar rent control ordinances have failed in the state in recent years, as apartment organizations dumped large amounts of money to defeat those measures.

But Sanford-Cobb is hoping this time Prop 33 will prevail and offer more protections to renters like her who have watched the rent go up each year.

“You take like one step up,” Sanford-Cobb said, “and then you take three steps back.”

Now activists hoping to nullify Prop 8 once and for all are going to the November ballot with Prop 3, another constitutional measure that would officially scrub Prop 8 from the state books and declare same-sex marriage a fundamental right. 

“What we’re trying to do is to just take that dirty stain off the California constitution,” said Shay Franco-Clausen, political director with Equality California.

The Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage across the nation seemed to quell the tumultuous ride of same-sex marriage in California, which began in 2004 when then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom instructed the city to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which were voided six months later by the California Supreme Court.

But Franco-Clausen worries a change in national leadership could open the door for opponents of same-sex marriage to pounce. It’s why she is working to make sure Prop 3 passes. 

“Seeing what happened with Roe v. Wade, we’re just preparing California to be a safe haven for those people that are married so we make sure it’s legal here in California,” Franco-Clausen said.

Franco-Clausen and her wife Yolanda Franco-Clausen married in October 2013, not long after the Supreme Court issued its decision declaring the federal government can’t discriminate against married lesbian and gay couples. They had spent years on the sidelines of the same-sex marriage issue – supporting other couples and working politically to establish same-sex marriage rights – finally walking down the aisle themselves on the 10th anniversary of their relationship. 

“This commitment was about making sure that two people –it doesn’t matter their gender, doesn’t matter their race, doesn’t matter what they look like – can legally be together,” she said.

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A number of religious groups have spoken out in opposition to Prop 3, saying same-sex marriage goes against their beliefs. Jonathan Keller of the California Family Council said his concern revolved around Prop 3’s guarantee of a “fundamental right to marry.” which he believes is too ambiguous.  

“Prop 3 removes any boundaries on marriage,” Keller said. “There is no definition under Prop 3 on the genetic relationship between people who could get married, the age of people who could get married, or the number of people who could get married.” 

Franco-Clausen pointed out that in addition to the emotional aspect, marriage was also practical by entitling married couples to share insurance and to make medical or end-of-life decisions. 

“We’re actually not asking for anything additional,” she said. “We’re asking for the same rights as everyone else.”  

On Wednesday, Newsom traveled to Southern California and declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside counties.

Newsom had already declared a state of emergency due to the Line Fire on Saturday Sept. 7 in San Bernardino County.

According to a statement on his website, Newsom visited the site of the Line Fire in Highland on Wednesday. There, he was briefed on the fire and visited neighborhoods on the edge of the Line Fire. 

He was also briefed by CAL FIRE and emergency response officials on the ongoing response to the Bridge and Airport fires in Southern California, the site said. 

“California is deploying every available resource to combat these devastating fires, and we’ll continue to work in lockstep with federal and local partners in this herculean effort. We are deeply grateful to all the heroic firefighters and first responders on the ground working 24/7 to keep Californians safe,” Newsom said. 

The Bridge Fire, currently the largest active fire in California, continues to burn over 50,000 acres and is affecting Los Angeles and San Bernardino County. 

The Line Fire is burning over 37,000 acres and continues to affect San Bernardino County. As of Thursday, the fire was 18% contained.

The Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon is affecting Orange and Riverside counties, burning over 23,000 acres. The fire is only 5% contained as of Thursday.

Today, Governor @GavinNewsom proclaimed a state of emergency to support the ongoing response to the #BridgeFire & #AirportFire following federal assistance secured in the last 24hrs.

First responders have been working 24/7 to protect Riverside, Orange & LA mountain communities. pic.twitter.com/gacqSs32Qe

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 12, 2024

California Attorney General Rob Bonta cautioned executives at social media and other tech companies to work harder to protect voters from “deception, intimidation, and dissuasion,” ahead of the November election.

“Millions of Californians rely on social media and artificial intelligence services to obtain news and information about upcoming elections, and it is paramount that the platforms, products, and services offered by your companies not be misused to deceive voters about their constitutional right to vote,” Bonta wrote in a letter Wednesday to the CEOs of Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Reddit, TikTok, X and YouTube.

The letter reviewed sections of California law that prohibit interference with voting rights by misleading people about voting place and time and by using intimidation tactics.

California state law also “generally prohibits the distribution, within 60 days of an election, and with actual malice, of materially deceptive audio or visual media of a candidate appearing on the ballot in the election with the intent to injure the candidate’s reputation or to deceive a voter into voting for or against the candidate,” Bonta wrote.

The letter follows pop icon Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris for president on Tuesday night following the debate. Swift criticized those who had circulated AI-generated images falsely stating that she had endorsed Donald Trump.

Trump had shared a series of those images on his Truth Social platform. Separately, X owner Elon Musk recently shared an AI-generated image portraying Harris dressed as a communist dictator.

“Kamala vows to be a communist dictator on day one,” Musk, who has endorsed Trump, wrote in a post on X on Sept. 2 “Can you believe she wears that outfit!?”

Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s Dall-E and Chat GPT, Microsoft copilot and Grok, made by Musk’s xAI, allow users to rapidly generate images and text in response to prompts or questions. In August, an updated version of xAI’s product, Grok-2, appeared to carry few limitations on creating fake images of political figures.

WATCH: The generative AI trade

It would be impossible to add up all of the paintings that feature beaches; plein air portraits, pastel sketches, and impressionist fantasies have all found airy and artful inspiration in the tides, the sand, the play of fog and light, and the eternal splendor of the surf.

Beaches, of course, are real-world, utterly epic paintings you can visit, and keeping these salty, sunny, and spectacular works of art looking their best is important.

California Coastal Cleanup Day isn’t simply about appearances, however; when we clear our coasts of mounting clutter, the bits of debris that all too often litter the water and sand, we commit to helping the health of the ocean and the animals that call it home.

The annual volunteer event has spent four decades calling upon several water-y destinations around the Golden State, including inland lakes and rivers, all to give these natural gems a deep and much-needed cleaning courtesy of a cadre of can-do volunteers.

If you’d like to join the 2024 event on Sept. 21, choosing your cleanup spot from this map, then signing up, are the first steps.

Bolsa Chica State Beach, Upper Newport Bay, and Junipero Beach are just some of the Southern California locations; there are hundreds more dotting the California map.

Heal the Bay and LA Waterkeeper are organizing several regional cleanups; you can join one, or you might check in with another nature-championing nonprofit to see what organizers have planned for the day.

Wherever you land, just be sure to review the supplies you should arrive with and the details you’ll need to know in advance.

If you can’t make it, there are ways to support California Coastal Cleanup Day; t-shirts are for sale on the site, too.

The long-running volunteer event “… has successfully diverted millions of pounds of plastic debris from the ocean…” says the site, but California Coastal Cleanup Day has several pay-it-forward dividends, including informing and supporting policy efforts and creating a statewide community that gathers “… to accomplish something vital and worthy on behalf of the places we treasure.”

Finding the perfect painting you can step inside?

That’s as simple as visiting a beloved beach or riverbank. Help keep these real-world artworks in top form by joining this large-scale volunteer campaign now.

To determine where people living in America are the happiest, the personal finance website compared the 50 states across 30 metrics within three key categories:

1. Emotional and physical well-being
2. Work environment
3. Community and environment

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness.

“The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and high quality physical and mental health care to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather,” WalletHub analyst, Chip Lupo, stated in the report.

California and Florida, two states that are typically synonymous with good weather all year round and retirement, didn’t even rank in the top 10. The Golden State ranked No. 13 while the Sunshine State ranked No. 14.

Hawaii is the happiest state in America

Hawaii ranked as the No. 1 happiest state in the U.S. with an overall score of 68.71.

Though it ranked No. 31 for work and environment, it came in at No. 1 and No. 3 for emotional and physical well-being and community and environment, respectively.

According to WalletHub, Hawaii had the lowest depression rate in the U.S. and 86% of adults reported they are in good or better health. It also had one of the lowest unemployment rates and the second-highest share of households with an annual income above $75,000.

However, Hawaii is also one of the most expensive states to live in.

In CNBC’s 2024 America’s Top States for Business study, Hawaii tied with Massachusetts as one of the most expensive states to live in. The average home price in Honolulu is $1,674,195 and the monthly energy bill is $359.53, according to CNBC.

Only one in five households in the state can afford to buy a single-family home, according to a  May report from the University of Hawaii. 

The report also stated that the 2023 Maui wildfires and higher interest rates have made the housing situation in the Aloha state even worse. 

The 10 happiest states in America

1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. New Jersey
4. Utah
5. Delaware
6. Minnesota
7. Connecticut
8. Idaho
9. Nebraska
10. Massachusetts

Maryland moved up from No. 3 to the No. 2 spot on the list. The Old Line State had a total score of 64.67, according to WalletHub’s report.

The state ranked third in the emotional and physical well-being metric, tenth in the work environment and sixth in the community and environment rank.

Maryland’s capital city Annapolis is also known as the world’s sailing capital, according to the state government.

Annapolis is home to the Maryland State House, the oldest state capital still in continuous legislative use.

While Maryland is the No. 2 happiest state in the U.S., it’s important to note that the cost of living in Maryland is 16% higher than the national average, according to RentCafe. Housing is 44% higher than the national average, while utilities are 10% higher.

Want to master your money this fall? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course. We’ll teach you practical strategies to hack your budget, reduce your debt, and grow your wealth. Start today to feel more confident and successful. Use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off, now extended through September 30, 2024, for the back-to-school season.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

A video making the rounds on social media Wednesday shows a driver traveling erratically on a SoCal freeway then seemingly lose control of their vehicle and crash into another motorist.

The incident occurred at 3:18 p.m. Wednesday after the driver of a Subaru side-swept a big rig on the southbound 805 Freeway in San Diego, according to the California Highway Patrol. The video, which was posted to X, begins with the driver of a crossover traveling on a hill off the side of the freeway before entering the lanes.

After seemingly gaining control of the vehicle, the driver is then seen traveling onto the 163 south on-ramp. The driver is then seen losing control of the vehicle again, veering across the rest of the freeway before crashing into a Ford SUV and then rolling over near the Genesee Avenue exit.

The drivers of the Subaru and Ford were taken to a nearby hospital. The extent of their injuries is unclear.

It is unclear what caused the driver to crash. DUI is not a suspected factor in the incident, CHP said. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact CHP San Diego at 858-293-6000.

Election Day is two months away, but some important California election dates and deadlines are just around the corner.

One of the milestones on the path to Nov. 5 is in early October when county elections offices begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots. The voter registration deadline arrives later next month with vote centers open for early voting in the weeks prior to Election Day.

When it’s all over, some time after Nov. 5, voters will have decided statewide ballot propositions, county and city office races and who will be the next President of the United States.

Here are some important election dates and deadlines to know.

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Aug. 29: Voters can start using the My Voter Status tool to confirm their mailing address and voting status. Anyone planning to vote should verify and, if needed, update their voter registration. Re-registration is required if you’ve moved or changed your address, changed your name, or would like to change your political party affiliation.

Sept. 26 to Oct. 15: This is when the California Secretary of State and county election officials will mail voter information guides.

Oct. 7: County elections offices will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots. California mails every active registered voter in the state a vote-by-mail ballot, a practice that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can check on your ballot here.  Early voting sites also open.

Oct. 8: County elections officials will open ballot drop-off locations by this date. Find a location here. The locations will stay open through Election Day.

Oct. 21: The voter registration deadline for vote-by-mail. As of July 5, there were 26.8 millions eligible voters in California, 22.1 million of whom are registered to vote.

Oct. 22 to Nov. 5: Same day voter registration will be available, including on Election Day. Voters who choose this option are “conditionally” registered and cast a provisional ballot.

Oct. 26: Voter’s Choice Act counties open vote centers.

Nov. 5: Polls open throughout California from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

After Election Day 2024

The work is far from done for elections officials in California’s 58 counties on Election Day.

After polls close Nov. 5 at 8 p.m., county elections officials begin reporting results. The county offices conduct a semifinal official canvass of votes with totals reported to the California Secrety of State every two hours until the process is complete.

Nov. 12: Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by a county elections office to be counted.

Dec. 3: Counties send a statement of results in the race for U.S. President to the Secretary of State.

Dec. 5: This is the last day for county elections offices to certify election results.

Dec. 6: County elections officials send electronically a complete copy of the general election returns to the Secretary of State.

Dec. 7. This is the last day for the Secretary of State to analyze votes given for presidential electors and certify to the governor the names of the candidates having the highest number of votes.

Dec. 13: The statement of vote is certified by the Secretary of State.

Southern California county elections offices

Your county elections officer is the go-to source for information on voting in the 2024 General Election. Find a link to your county office below.

• Los Angeles County
• Orange County
• Riverside County
• San Bernardino County
• Ventura County
• All California county elections offices

In addition to losing thousands of dollars, the women said that important life events were also tainted.

It was supposed to be the biggest day of Paloma’s life, her quinceanera on her 15th birthday.

Sandra Rosas Campos, Paloma’s mom, said it’s not just any other birthday where you can celebrate at home. She paid “VIP Events” in San Jose more than $4,200 to book a hall and a photographer.

But the day before the party, Campos said the hall told her, she wasn’t booked there and they needed thousands more to guarantee the space. Receipts showed she paid a different hall almost $10,000 to book their place last minute.    

Campos said that she had lots of anger and stress after borrowing money so her daughter could have her dream event.

On the phone, another mom told NBC Bay Area that she had a similar experience with VIP Events and now, she has a court date to try to recoup her $2,500 deposit for a baptism celebration. She ended up having to hold her party at a park.

Maria Torres said she lost more than $10,000 for her daughter’s quinceanera and is now working weekends and overtime to pay for the event.

In all, the moms said at least 15 families have been victimized by VIP Events, which is owned by Juan Martin Barcenas Gaspar.

On the phone, Gaspar questioned some of the allegations. He told NBC Bay Area that his company will have to close because of financial problems. But Gaspar said the families will get their money back. When NBC Bay Area asked how, he said he’s still figuring that out.

The families said they’ve lost a lot of sleep over the entire ordeal, and hope to prevent more people from losing money on what is supposed to be a celebration.

The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

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The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

Prop 34 would require providers to spend 98% of that profit on direct patient care but only if the health care providers meet certain specifications. They must spend at least $100 million on expenses outside direct care, own and operate apartment buildings and have at least 500 severe health and safety violations from the last decade.

“The organizations that would be subject to this proposition, there’s only one. As far as anyone can tell, that’s the AIDS Healthcare Foundation,” said CalMatters Housing Reporter Ben Christopher.

You read that right: the proposition appears to be taking aim at one group, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has become a major player in the California housing politics game and is a driving force behind the rent control measure (Prop 33) that is also on the ballot this November.

“Proposition 34 is a revenge initiative that is targeted specifically at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and it’s primarily because AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been spearheading rent control initiatives,” said Susie Shannon, the No on 34 campaign manager, who also works with AHF.

The California Apartment Association is the landlord lobby pushing for Prop 34. The Yes on Prop 34 campaign argues a handful of “bad actor[s]” are using a “legal loophole” to spend money meant for patient care on building housing projects they say are “run like slums.”

In a statement, Yes on 34 wrote, “Prop 34 will prevent this abuse from occurring in California and requires discount drug program dollars generated in California to be used for their intended purpose: helping patients.”

“If you read the text of the prop, it seems to have everything to do with health care,” Christopher said. “But really, this is ultimately about housing politics in California.”

Politics, not policy.

“This is sort of another and maybe one of the more extreme examples of political interest groups using the proposition system to advance their very narrow goals,” Christopher said.

The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

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The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

The partnership between the blood bank and SeaWorld features 10,000 tickets — valued by the theme park at $920,000 — the largest in-kind donation San Diego Blood Bank has ever received, officials said.

“Through this valued partnership with SeaWorld San Diego, we hope to collect 10,000 pints of blood this year, which could potentially save more than 30,000 lives in our community and beyond,” said San Diego Blood Bank CEO Doug Morton. “This contribution to our September blood drives will make a major impact, saving and improving the quality of life for hospital patients across Southern California.”

The promotion applies to SDBB donation centers or mobile blood drives.

SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream runs Friday, Sept. 27 on select nights through Nov. 2.

“We appreciate and thank all the blood donors throughout the county, and we are honored to be partnering again with the San Diego Blood Bank to offer a special and fitting incentive for those giving blood this spooky season,” said Tyler Carter, SeaWorld San Diego Park president. “To show our gratitude for making a difference and saving lives, we’re providing an eerily fun night filled with thrills and chills at SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream.”

To be eligible to donate blood, people must be 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health.

A list of the blood drives can be found at SanDiegoBloodBank.org/seaworld.

Parts of California will swelter in temperatures well above normal this week during a late-summer heat wave that will likely mean increased electricity demand.

California’s power grid operator issued a Heat Bulletin over the weekend in anticipation of the string of sizzling September days. The agency said the state’s power grid is stable, but that power officials will be closely monitoring conditions as temperatures in many parts of the state soar into triple digits.

The warmest temperatures are expected Thursday and Friday.

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“At this time, the grid is stable and we continue to monitor conditions carefully,” Cal ISO said in the bulletin. “While no supply shortfalls are anticipated, it is important to emphasize that extreme heat that lingers for many consecutive days can overtax generators running at high outputs for long periods, increasing the risk of outages and reduced generation. Wildfires can also pose a threat to generators and transmission lines. And the hotter weather, since it is also expected to affect other Western states, could limit the potential for importing energy.”

There are several steps Cal ISO, the agency in charge of managing and maintaining reliability on the electric grid, can take in an energy emergency to prevent unplanned power outages when the heat intensifies over an extended period. Those include issuing a Flex Alert, which is a call to voluntarily reduce energy consumption.

California hasn’t had a Flex Alert since 2022.

After Flex Alerts, grid managers have several options before rotating power outages, such as tapping backup generators, buying more power from other states and using so-called demand response programs, where people are paid to use less energy. 

Here’s what to know about Flex Alerts and the steps leading to rotating power outages.

The California ISO has issued a Heat Bulletin in anticipation of above-normal heat and increased electricity demand in much of California and the West next week. The grid is stable, and we are monitoring conditions closely. https://t.co/yaLeWwlCDj pic.twitter.com/jWnQHhXrjm

— California ISO (@California_ISO) August 31, 2024

What can I do to help prevent rotating power outages?

CalISO offers the following power conservation tips when a Flex Alert is issued.

• Turning off unnecessary lights.
• Using major appliances before 3 p.m. and after 10 p.m.
• Setting air conditioner thermostats to 78 degrees or higher.
• Use fans and keep drapes drawn.

How will I know when there’s an urgent need to conserve power?

Cal ISO has a notifications page where you can sign up to receive updates. Check you local utility’s page for other alerts. You also can check California’s power forecast here.

What happens if Flex Alerts aren’t enough?

Californians are familiar with Flex Alerts — a call for voluntary power conservation issued by Cal ISO in anticipation of high power demand. They usually happen during widespread extreme heat. The system operator also may issue the following alerts if the voluntary calls to conserve do not appear to be working.

• Energy Emergency Alert 1: Real-time analysis shows all resources are in use or committed for use, and energy deficiencies are expected. Market participants are encouraged to offer supplemental energy and ancillary service bids. Consumers are encouraged to conserve energy.
• Energy Emergency Alert 2: Cal ISO requests emergency energy from all resources and has activated its emergency demand response program. Consumers are urged to conserve energy to help preserve grid reliability. 
• Energy Emergency Alert 3: ISO is unable to meet minimum Contingency Reserve requirements and controlled power curtailments are imminent or in progress according to each utility’s emergency plan. Maximum conservation by consumers requested.

In August 2020, Cal ISO issued a Flex Alert followed by its first Stage 3 Alert since 2001. Eventually, the grid stabilized and utilities began restoring electricity that had been taken out of service. Temperatures around the state hit triple digits in many areas, and air conditioning use increased. In addition, cloudy weather from the remnants of tropical weather system reduced power generation from solar plants.

What happens when rolling blackouts are ordered?

Rotating outages can be a significant inconvenience, but they are a controlled measure used to manage emergencies. Without them, a widespread and more prolonged power disruption might result.

The California Independent System Operator declares a Stage 3 power emergency and directs utilities around the state to shed their power loads. If your local utility determines a need to shut off power, the blackouts typically last about an hour.

After Cal ISO issues the power outages alert, it’s up to local utilities to manage load. In Southern California during the summer of 2020, SoCal Edison announced that it had been instructed to begin rotating, one-hour service interruptions. Pasadena Water and Power also warned residents about the one-hour outages, while Anaheim officials said their outages would not last more than 15 minutes. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said the rolling blackouts did not affect residents of the city during the 2020 heat wave.

“The investor-owned utilities are responsible for determining the location and duration of the rotating outage within their service areas,” according to Cal ISO. “Because the utilities are responsible for managing the rotating outages, consumers experiencing a power outage need to contact their electric power provider to learn when power will be restored.”

When rotating power outages are declared, residents should check timing with their local utility company.

How can I prepare for a power outage?

Below, you’ll find a few tips to get you through a power outage.

• Update your contact information with your local energy company.
• Have a back-up charging method for your phone and other devices.
• Keep hard copies of emergency numbers and other important information.
• Stock your emergency kit with flashlights, batteries, cash and first-aid supplies.
• Do you know how to manually open your garage door? Try it out. 
• Save operation of power-heavy appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, for early-morning and late-evening hours. 
• Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators.

The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

news Sep 16

Apple releases iOS 18 for iPhones, but it doesn't include Apple Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence Aug 26

Police officers are starting to use AI chatbots to write crime reports. Will they hold up in court?

The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

But many states have stepped in to fill “this gap left by federal inaction,” says Kaitlyn Henderson, senior researcher at Oxfam, passing their own laws to bolster worker wellbeing.

Oxfam recently released the 2024 edition of its Best and Worst States to Work in the U.S. report, tracking 27 different policies across three categories: wages, featuring metrics such as the ratio of the minimum wage to the cost of living for a family of four; worker protections, including legislation around paid family and medical leave; and rights to organize, including protection for collective bargaining.

The states at the top “have gone out of their way to really pass some of the most progressive policies in the United States as it relates to supporting and protecting especially low wage workers and working families,” says Henderson. For the purposes of its research, Oxfam included the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as states.

Here are the top five best states to work, including their overall score out of 100 and their scores for wages, worker protections and rights to organize.

Washington, D.C.

Overall: 85.67

Wages: 90.22

Worker protections: 70.24

Rights to organize: 100

“D.C. does lead all of these other states on the wage front,” says Yannet Lathrop, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. The nation’s capital’s minimum wage is currently $17.50 per hour. It’s also phasing out the tipped minimum wage, which is currently $2.13 per hour nationally and $10 per hour in D.C.

California

Overall: 85.11

Wages: 75.27

Worker protections: 85.71

Rights to organize: 100

“This is a state that is really setting the standard when it comes to protections at work,” says Henderson. “Whether it’s for farm workers or domestic workers, they have really been on the forefront of setting policies to protect workers.”

Oregon

Overall: 83.53

Wages: 65.07

Worker protections: 92.86

Rights to organize: 100

“Not all states have a lot of laws on the books with regards to scheduling,” says Henderson, like Oregon’s rule that certain workers must get a minimum 14-day written notice of their schedule. “Oregon is a wonderful example that has all four of the policies that we track.”

New York

Overall: 83.08

Wages: 70.19

Worker protections: 85.71

Rights to organize: 100

“New York was the first state in the United States to pass a domestic workers Bill of Rights,” says Henderson. It includes the right to overtime pay and a day off every seven days.

Washington

Overall: 75.75

Wages: 76.88

Worker protections: 71.43

Rights to organize: 80

Washington has “a warehouse worker protection bill,” says Henderson, which stipulates that employers must give workers written description of work quotas, any bonuses associated with meeting or exceeding their quotas, etc.

“If you’re a worker working in one of those states,” says Lathrop, “you’re going to be better off on both how much you earn and what type of benefits are there.” And the effects of these types of policies on worker well-being are clear.  

“We see certainly less prevalence of poverty, less prevalence of food insecurity,” says Henderson. “We see less prevalence of workplace injury, whether from heat illness or on the job in a warehouse.”

States on the bottom of the list include North Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia. North Carolina and Mississippi’s minimum wages match the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, while Georgia’s is $5.15 per hour for any employers who aren’t covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act. None have paid family leave or particularly strong (if any) rights to organize laws.

As for the laws in the top five states, “we can see very easily how these policies can be made to scale at the federal level,” Henderson says.

“We know they will work,” she says. “So when will they be passed?”

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Scientists and entrepreneurs are working on ways to make more cocoa that stretch well beyond the tropics, from Northern California to Israel.

California Cultured, a plant cell culture company, is growing cocoa from cell cultures at a facility in West Sacramento, California, with plans to start selling its products next year. It puts cocoa bean cells in a vat with sugar water so they reproduce quickly and reach maturity in a week rather than the six to eight months a traditional harvest takes, said Alan Perlstein, the company’s chief executive. The process also no longer requires as much water or arduous labor.

“We see just the demand of chocolate monstrously outstripping what is going to be available,” Perlstein said. “There’s really no other way that we see that the world could significantly increase the supply of cocoa or still keep it at affordable levels without extensive either environmental degradation or some significant other cost.”

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Cocoa trees grow about 20 degrees north and south of the equator in regions with warm weather and abundant rain, including West Africa and South America. Climate change is expected to dry out the land under the additional heat. So scientists, entrepreneurs and chocolate-lovers are coming up with ways to grow cocoa and make the crop more resilient and more resistant to pests — as well as craft chocolatey-tasting cocoa alternatives to meet demand.

The market for chocolate is massive with sales in the United States surpassing $25 billion in 2023, according to the National Confectioners Association. Many entrepreneurs are betting on demand growing faster than the supply of cocoa. Companies are looking at either bolstering the supply with cell-based cocoa or offering alternatives made from products ranging from oats to carob that are roasted and flavored to produce a chocolatey taste for chips or filling.

The price of cocoa soared earlier this year because of demand and troubles with the crop in West Africa due to plant disease and changes in weather. The region produces the bulk of the world’s cocoa.

“All of this contributes to a potential instability in supply, so it is attractive to these lab-grown or cocoa substitute companies to think of ways to replace that ingredient that we know of as chocolatey-flavored,” said Carla D. Martin, executive director of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute and a lecturer in African and African American Studies at Harvard University.

The innovation is largely driven by demand for chocolate in the U.S. and Europe, Martin said. While three-quarters of the world’s cocoa is grown in West and Central Africa, only 4% is consumed there, she said.

The push to produce cocoa indoors in the U.S. comes after other products, such as chicken meat, have already been grown in labs. It also comes as supermarket shelves fill with evolving snack options — something that developers of cocoa alternatives say shows people are ready to try what looks and tastes like a chocolate chip cookie even if the chip contains a cocoa substitute.

They said they also are hoping to tap into rising consciousness among consumers about where their food comes from and what it takes to grow it, particularly the use of child labor in the cocoa industry.

Planet A Foods in Planegg, Germany, contends the taste of mass market chocolate is derived largely from the fermentation and roasting in making it, not the cocoa bean itself. The company’s founders tested out ingredients ranging from olives to seaweed and settled on a mix of oats and sunflower seeds as the best tasting chocolate alternative, said Jessica Karch, a company spokesperson. They called it “ChoViva” and it can be subbed into baked goods, she said.

“The idea is not to replace the high quality, 80% dark chocolate, but really to have a lot of different products in the mass market,” Karch said.

Yet while some are seeking to create alternative cocoa sources and substitutes, others are trying to bolster the supply of cocoa where it naturally grows. Mars, which makes M&Ms and Snickers, has a research facility at University of California, Davis aimed at making cocoa plants more resilient, said Joanna Hwu, the company’s senior director of cocoa plant science. The facility hosts a living collection of cocoa trees so scientists can study what makes them disease-resistant to help farmers in producing countries and ensure a stable supply of beans.

“We see it as an opportunity, and our responsibility,” Hwu said.

In Israel, efforts to expand the supply of cocoa are also under way. Celleste Bio is taking cocoa bean cells and growing them indoors to produce cocoa powder and cocoa butter, said co-founder Hanne Volpin. In a few years, the company expects to be able to produce cocoa regardless of the impact of climate change and disease — an effort that has drawn interest from Mondelez, the maker of Cadbury chocolate.

“We only have a small field, but eventually, we will have a farm of bioreactors,” Volpin said.

That’s similar to the effort under way at California Cultured, which plans to seek permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to call its product chocolate, because, according to Perlstein, that’s what it is.

It might wind up being called brewery chocolate, or local chocolate, but chocolate no less, he said, because it’s genetically identical though not harvested from a tree.

“We basically see that we’re growing cocoa — just in a different way,” Perlstein said.

“Certainly having small earthquakes helps us understand the behavior of the fault, but it can not tell you anything about prediction, yet,” says Geoscientist and Civil Engineer Ignacio Sepulveda. 

Although the exact time, location, and magnitude of an earthquake remain unpredictable, Sepulveda explains that science and historical data can help assess the likelihood of future seismic activity, which is crucial for improving infrastructure.

“Because we know how frequent we can have earthquakes of a given magnitude, we can use that information to design our cities, because that information of recurrences can be translated to probabilities to have an earthquake. Those probabilities can be used to design buildings, to design ports …” Sepulveda added.

By applying this knowledge to urban planning, Sepulveda says we can better prepare for the realities of seismic risk.

”Here in San Diego, we need to understand that the last big earthquake that happened in southern San Andreas fault happened in 1680, that was an earthquake of magnitude of 7.8 … that area typically has an earthquake every 140-150 years, that means that place can trigger an earthquake at anytime and we need to be ready when that day comes,” Sepulveda explained.

Besides the long-overdue quake on the southern San Andreas Fault, San Diego County also has parallel faults that could be less powerful but potentially more destructive. 

“Those faults, while they can generate earthquakes between 6.0 or 6.5 magnitude, the problem is that they are very close to the city and therefore they can still create a lot of damage,” Sepulveda warned.

How to prepare for an earthquake

To prepare, Sepulveda advises, “Rather than getting worried, you need to act as always and try to get ready for an earthquake that can happen any time.”

You can prepare by having an emergency plan, stocking up on water and non-perishable food for at least three days, preparing an emergency kit, keeping cash on hand, establishing a family meeting point, and securing large furniture in your home.

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Authorities made about 54,000 arrests through Thursday, which, at the current rate, would bring the August total to about 58,000 when the month ends Saturday, according to two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that has not been publicly released.

The tally suggests that arrests could be bottoming out after being halved from a record 250,000 in December, a decline that U.S. officials largely attributed to Mexican authorities increasing enforcement within their borders. Arrests were more than halved again after Democratic President Joe Biden invoked authority to temporarily suspend asylum processing in June. Arrests plunged to 56,408 in July, a 46-month low that changed little in August.

Asked about the latest numbers, the Homeland Security Department released a statement by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on Congress to support failed legislation that would have suspended asylum processing when crossings reached certain thresholds, reshaped how asylum claims are decided to relieve bottlenecked immigration courts and added Border Patrol agents, among other things.

Republicans including presidential nominee Donald Trump opposed the bill, calling it insufficient.

“Thanks to action taken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the hard work of our DHS personnel and our partnerships with other countries in the region and around the world, we continue to see the lowest number of encounters at our Southwest border since September 2020,” Mayorkas said Saturday.

The steep drop from last year’s highs is welcome news for the White House and the Democrats’ White House nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, despite criticism from many immigration advocates that asylum restrictions go too far and from those favoring more enforcement who say Biden’s new and expanded legal paths to entry are far too generous.

More than 765,000 people entered the United States legally through the end of July using an online appointment app called CBP One and an additional 520,000 from four nationalities were allowed through airports with financial sponsors. The airport-based offer to people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — all nationalities that are difficult to deport — was briefly suspended in July to address concerns about fraud by U.S. financial sponsors.

San Diego again had the most arrests among the Border Patrol’s nine sectors on the Mexican border in August, followed by El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona, though the three busiest corridors were close, the officials said. Arrests of Colombians and Ecuadoreans fell, which officials attributed to deportation flights to those South American countries. Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras were the top three nationalities.

Newsom called the Legislature into the special session Saturday after Democrats in the Assembly pushed back on his efforts to pass the energy package that he unveiled this week. California must act now to “prevent price spikes next year and beyond,” he said.

“It should be common sense for gas refineries to plan ahead and backfill supplies when they go down for maintenance to avoid price spikes. But these price spikes are actually profit spikes for Big Oil, and they’re using the same old scare tactics to maintain the status quo,” he said in a statement.

Californians pay the highest rates at the pump in the nation at an average of $4.64 a gallon for regular unleaded, compared to the national average of $3.33, according to AAA. Electricity bills in the state have also nearly doubled in the last decade and are expected to keep outpacing inflation through 2027 as California races to transition away from fossil fuel.

The proposals and possibility of a special session have divided Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the Legislature.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said his members wanted the special session to allow for more time to consider the proposals and applauded Newsom’s decision to call a special session. But members of the Senate, including Republicans, opposed the idea of coming back to Sacramento for more work after the legislative deadline on Saturday.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire said in a statement responding to Newsom that the Senate “won’t be convening a special session this fall, but we look forward to continuing conversations with the Governor and Speaker about this critical issue in the days and weeks to come.” He instead wants the Legislature to pass the package Newsom is supporting Saturday.

It’s not immediately clear when the special session will start and how long it will last. With the Senate refusing to convene, it’s not clear how the Legislature would process. Veteran lobbyist Chris Micheli said there is no mechanism to force a chamber to convene a special session, but the governor could still take the Senate to court.

It’s not the first time Newsom has tried to apply pressure on the Legislature to pass oil and gas regulations. The Democrat called a special session in 2022 in an effort to pass a tax on oil company profits. He then said he wanted a penalty, not a tax. The law he ended up signing months later gave state regulators the power to penalize oil companies for making too much money.

At the center of the political fight is a bill to require oil refiners to maintain a minimum inventory of fuel, with a goal of avoiding gas price spikes.

Gas price starts to spike when companies have too little supply on hand, supporters said, and the measure could help save drivers millions of dollars. But Western States Petroleum Association said the bill would push refiners into withholding supplies and hurt consumers.

“When you withhold supplies, costs go up,” WSPA spokesperson Kevin Slagle said.

There were 63 days from June through October last year in which refiners in California maintained fewer than 15 days of gas supply, according to the California Energy Commission. That was up from 49 days during the same timespan in 2022 and 35 days in 2021.

Lawmakers also had concerns with a proposal to give households a one-time rebate for electricity bills and one to streamline renewable energy projects. They already sent Newsom a bill earlier this week to restore power to households that were previously not able to pay their electric bills.

Republican Sen. Kelly Seyarto said Newsom’s proposals “ridiculous” and supported McGuire’s decision to not convene for the special session.

The special session is needed, said Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur, who sits on the Utilities and Energy Committee. The proposal to address energy affordability will be brought back next session, he said.

The special session will focus on reducing gas price spikes at the pump.

“The entire Assembly caucus is committed to working with the governor to make sure that we’re lowering gas prices and addressing energy affordability in the state,” Zbur said. “It’s something we need to do urgently, but it also requires us to do it right.”

___

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna

But amid all the cheering and excitement, there is ongoing concern of concussions.

“We’re on alert every day,” said Mark Moreno, director of sports medicine at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose. “We’re on alert in full practices. We’re on alert in full hitting drills.”

Coaches across the state are constantly looking at concussion protocols. The idea is to protect student athletes from themselves.

Moreno said in every game there is a hit where a student athlete has to be checked for a possible concussion.

“Anyone who is suspected of having a concussion in a game or practice has to be removed immediately,” Moreno said.

The National Institutes of Health reports there are 300,000 sport-related injuries every year in the United States.

So by state law, high schools in California have to follow strict guidelines.

Any student who suffers a concussion cannot return to full sports activities for at least seven days.

At Bellarmine College Preparatory, once a doctor clears them to return to a team, there are still six to seven steps the student has to go through before getting a green light. And then there is the final critical step.

“Student athletes first,” Moreno said. “We want to make sure they do well in the classroom before they can participate in sports. So we run that in parallel.”

Dr. Gregory Jackson, a neuropsychologist who runs the concussion program at Mission Bay Sports Center for Kaiser Permanente, applauds the classroom aspect of the protocols.

“Any time you have a brain injury, it’s something serious that should be taken seriously,” Jackson said. “We want to reintroduce everything gradually. So we send them back to school on a part-time basis if they have symptoms, allowing them to take breaks if necessary.”

The bill, passed by the California legislature on Thursday, would prohibit foods and beverages containing synthetic colorings that have been tied to neurobehavioral problems in some children from being offered to students during regular school hours. It was introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and co-sponsored by both Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy health organization.

If Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signs the bill into law, California will become the first state to prohibit the additives from its school cafeterias. The legislation would go into effect in December 2027.

“California has a responsibility to protect our students from chemicals that harm children and that can interfere with their ability to learn,” Gabriel said in a statement Thursday. “This bill will empower schools to better protect the health and well-being of our kids and encourage manufacturers to stop using these harmful additives.”

Known as the California School Food Safety Act, Assembly Bill 2316 would ban Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3, which Gabriel has called “nonessential ingredients” that have natural alternatives — such as turmeric, beet juice or pomegranate juice. The bill would not ban any foods or drinks; instead, Gabriel said, it would require substitutions that could be as small as changing a single ingredient in the recipes.

The Food and Drug Administration has said it has not established a causal link between behavioral problems and synthetic dyes for children in the general population who haven’t been diagnosed with conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

But a comprehensive 2021 review by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment cited in the bill found that “synthetic food dyes are associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects, such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and restlessness in sensitive children,” and that evidence points to a link between food dye exposure and adverse behavioral outcomes in certain children “both with and without pre-existing behavioral disorders.”

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The bill comes as ADHD diagnoses have risen nationally in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

A spokesperson for the FDA told NBC News on Friday that assessing new data on the safety of food chemicals is a “priority” and that the agency had read the literature review cited in California’s bill.

“The totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them,” the spokesperson said in an email. “The FDA will continue to assess the emerging science and ensure the safety of approved color additives.” 

AB 2316 follows last year’s passage of the California Food Safety Act, which was also introduced by Gabriel and banned four food additives that have been tied to potential health problems from products sold statewide, beginning in January 2027. Among the chemicals it banned was brominated vegetable oil, which is often used as a stabilizer in citrus-flavored beverages. Last month, the FDA announced it had concluded that brominated vegetable oil was not safe for human consumption and it revoked authorization for its use in food and drinks nationwide.

The California Food Safety Act also banned potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red 3 from grocery shelves across the state. The additives have been associated with health problems ranging from hormone disruption to cancer. 

Melanie Benesh, the Environmental Working Group’s vice president for government affairs, said she applauded the latest move from California state legislators.

“This is a big win for schoolchildren and parents in California. The evidence is pretty compelling that some kids are really sensitive to these dyes, and they shouldn’t have to worry about exposure to those dyes impacting their ability to concentrate and their ability to learn in school,” she said. 

Benesh urged the FDA to reconsider allowing synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply.

“The FDA should be taking action and taking steps to make sure that all of our children are protected from what’s in their food,” Benesh said. “Many of these brightly colored food dyes are only in food to make that food more appealing to kids. It doesn’t add any nutritional value. So this is very achievable. It puts the onus back on the industry, and it’s making our schools healthier, safer places for our kids.”

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As the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit first reported last year, self-driving big rigs have already been tested in other states and internationally, but California banned the use of driverless vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds until it could establish rules for how to test and permit the vehicles.

On Friday, the state rolled out its initial plan for how to do just that, which would require companies to first test their self-driving trucks with human safety drivers riding along, who could take over the wheel if needed.

“The draft regulatory framework would allow for operation of autonomous commercial motor vehicles on roads where the posted speed limit is 50 miles per hour or greater and on frontage access roads — essentially allowing for long-hail deliveries along hub-to-hub routes and in less complex operational areas,” according to documents released by the DMV. “For safety reasons, certain commercial vehicle operations are also excluded from the draft regulatory framework, including household movers, commercial vehicles used to transport passengers, oversize loads, hazardous materials, and bulk liquids requiring a tank endorsement.”

Final approval on the proposed testing and permitting process, however, could still be a long road ahead.  The state first wants to get input on the proposed plan as part of a regulatory process that could take a year or even longer.

Recently approved legislation, however, could force the DMV to hit the brakes on its proposed program. Assembly Bill 2286, which received approval by legislators on Thursday, would prohibit the use of large self-driving trucks, weighing more than 10,000 pounds, on public roadways unless a human safety operators is physically present in the vehicle. The bill still requires approval from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who vetoed similar legislation last year. Newsom called the proposal “unnecessary” since current laws already allow the state to “create the appropriate regulatory framework.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of smaller self-driving vehicles continue to navigate roadways in California, mostly in San Francisco. Driverless cars first hit public roads in the state in 2014, which the DMV unveiled its initial testing program for the technology.

While Google’s sister company Waymo is the only driverless cars company currently selling rides to passengers, more than 30 other companies in the state, including Apple and Amazon’s Zoox, are in the process of testing their own driverless car technology.

Watch our entire investigative series

• Part 1: Driverless cars seek San Francisco expansion despite worries tech is unsafe
• Part 2: CPUC votes to expand driverless car operations in San Francisco
• Part 3: San Francisco city attorney files motion to pump the brakes on driverless cars
• Part 4: Google’s Waymo says insurance data shows its driverless cars are safer than humans
• Part 5: Hit-and-run driver strikes pedestrian, tossing her into path of Cruise car in San Francisco
• Part 6: Driverless trucks and robot deliveries promise fewer traffic jams than robotaxis
• Part 7: Cruise says its robotaxis can now better detect emergency vehicles
• Part 8: California DMV orders Cruise’s driverless cars off the road
• Part 9: Driverless cars immune from traffic tickets in California under current laws
• Part 10: GM’s Cruise lays off nearly 25% of its workforce
• Part 11: Waymo’s driverless cars surpass 7 million miles, but are they safer than human drivers?
• Part 12: Cruise probe blames poor internet, bad leadership, and “flawed” decisions for company’s woes
• Part 13: Driverless Cruise car accused of almost hitting 7 yr old after similar close call involving kids
• Part 14: Cruise offers to pay $112,500 in fines to settle claims driverless car company misled regulators
• Part 15: Uber Eats now uses Waymo Self-Driving cars to offer driverless deliveries
• Part 16: Bills aimed at closing traffic ticket loophole for driverless cars get initial green light
• Part 17: School crossing guards say they’ve had to dodge driverless cars to avoid being hit
• Part 18: Cruise ordered to pay $112,500 in penalties for withholding info from regulators
• Part 19: Waymo waitlist over in SF, all can hail driverless cars
• Part 20: SF Mayor vows to hold driverless car companies accountable after NBC Bay Area report
• Part 21: San Francisco govt. officials meet with Waymo to discuss safety concerns near schools
• Part 22: California DMV gears up to allow driverless trucking despite calls to restrict high-tech big rigs

In the agreement reached with students, the university will sell its corporate bond position in aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin, stock positions in Italian defense company Leonardo, and U.S.-based data analysis enterprise Palantir Technologies.  

The move shifted SFSU’s $163 million investment portfolio after pro-Palestinian student protesters made headways in meeting with university leaders to discuss demands. The university became the first in the county to hold public negotiations with students. 

Students at the university camped out and protested for three weeks in a nationwide call for universities to disclose and divest from what they categorized as companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and the war in Gaza. 

“Through the work of the many students involved in GUPS (General Union of Palestine Students) at SFSU and SFG (Students for Gaza), we have been able to successfully ensure our money is not funding GENOCIDE ‼️” read an Aug. 27 announcement on Instagram by Students for Gaza at San Francisco State. 

The university also screened construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar. The company has come under scrutiny by groups advocating divestment from Israel. Many groups claim that the company’s heavy equipment has been turned and used as weapons by the Israeli government in Palestinian territory.  

Students for Gaza SFSU proposed a revision to the university’s investment policy where its investment arm, SF State Foundation, will “strive not to invest in companies that consistently, knowingly and directly facilitate or enable severe violations of international law and human rights.”  The agreement reached also said the foundation will not invest in arms makers.  

The proposed policy change is slated for a final vote in December.  

“Obviously, there are no victories in genocide, but it sets a precedent sets an example for other schools that it is possible to divest and get these wins from prior to the encampment and the war when we started advocating,” said Mahmoud Ali, a third-year student at SFSU.  

Jeff Jackanicz, the president of the SF State Foundation, issued a statement last week thanking students who participated in the workgroup. In the campus-wide email, Jackanicz also outlined the proposed changes to the foundation’s environmental, social, and governance strategies. 

“We believe we have forged a region-neutral plan that strengthens our environmental, social, and governance investment strategy and will have broad-reaching positive impacts while continuing to provide critical support to our students,” Jackanicz wrote. “We have been lauded for being a leader in ESG investment before, and with credit to Students for Gaza, our revised policy affirms our leading role in values-driven advising,” Jackanicz wrote. 

The SF State Foundation raises private funding and manages SFSU’s endowment. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the foundation’s endowment spent close to $9 million across the university, according to records from the California State University system.  

This is not the first time the SF State Foundation has revised its investment criteria.  

In 2013, the foundation limited its direct investment in coal and tar sands amid feedback from student activists.  

“Looking ahead, the SF State Foundation has set an ambitious goal to divest fully from fossil fuels by 2025, reaffirming its dedication to a future shaped by sustainable and ethical investment practices,” read a letter to donors to the Cal State system. 

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If passed, California would become the first state to grant undocumented immigrants state-supported home-buying loans.

“The social and economic benefits of home ownership should be available to everyone regardless of immigration status,” Assemblymember Joaquin Arambulo, the bill’s author, said. 

AB 1840 would amend the “California Dream for All” program, which gives qualified applicants a 20% down payment or up to $150,000 for their first home, to include undocumented immigrants.

“Undocumented individuals have historically been removed from housing initiatives because of federal restrictions,” Arambulo said. “Ensuring universal access by all borrowers will contribute to the overall success and vitality of California.”

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Backlash has been swift from conservative news outlets and Republican lawmakers.

“For every dollar going to an illegal immigrant, that’s a dollar that isn’t going to a veteran or a legal California citizen that also qualify,” State Senator Brian Jones, the GOP Minority Leader, said. “There isn’t an unending amount of money the state has for these homebuyer program.”

Gov. Newsom has not said whether he will sign the bill, which could complicate the Democratic party’s messaging during election season on the volatile immigration issue.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has endorsed funding for the border.

Harris has also backed a modest federal home down payment grant proposal, which excludes undocumented immigrants. 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has already condemned the California legislation.

The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

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The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

Across California,  homeless encampments on city streets, in public parks and beneath highways have become among the most visible symbols of the state’s overwhelming challenges with affordable housing. Government officials are now using their newfound power to take on the problem.

In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3, with the conservative majority voting together, that cities are allowed to enforce fines and make arrests for public camping and sleeping outdoors, and to threaten jail time for those who repeatedly refuse to move indoors and accept assistance.

The decision overturned a 2022 ruling by an appeals court, which favored a group of homeless people in the small Oregon city of Grants Pass.

After the decision, California Governor Gavin Newsom applauded the clarity outlined in the ruling and put out an executive order in July pushing local governments to “develop their own policies to address encampments with compassion, care, and urgency.”

The order included guidance for cities and counties in a state that had more than 181,000 homeless people in 2023. Newsom said in a statement in June that the court’s decision “removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years and limited their ability to deliver on common-sense measures to protect the safety and well-being of our communities.”

On Tuesday, Newsom signed two new laws. One will make it easier for service providers to place unhoused people into privately owned hotels and motels for more than 30 days, and the other speeds up the process for local governments to construct junior accessory dwelling units for shelter.

California accounted for nearly one-third of the country’s unhoused population last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Over the past five years, the state has invested $27 billion to address the homelessness crisis, including $1 billion in encampment resolution funds.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who’s in the midst of a tight reelection campaign, has responded to the executive order with sweeps to clear encampments, and offered bus tickets out of town. Breed’s order cited data from this year’s Point-in-Time Count, which found that 40% of the homeless population in the city came from elsewhere in California or from out of state, up from 28% in 2019.

Breed’s challengers, including Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie and former interim Mayor Mark Farrell, have told CNBC about the need to increase safety on the streets and move away from public camping. Lurie said he would plan to build 1,500 shelter beds in his first six months of office. Farrell has called for an increase in police enforcement in areas struggling with both drugs and homelessness, and increased incentives for small businesses and affordable housing.

‘Real kick in the gut’

The changing approach has its share of critics.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the Supreme Court ruling “must not be used as an excuse for cities across the country to attempt to arrest their way out of this problem or hide the homelessness crisis in neighboring cities or in jail.”

Bass has publicly called for more housing and shelter beds for homeless individuals, coupled with supportive services, and said that criminalizing the actions or trying to push them away “is more expensive for taxpayers than actually solving the problem.”

Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the San Francisco-based Coalition on Homelessness, called the ruling “a real kick in the gut.”

Her group’s goal is to seek permanent solutions for homelessness via advocacy and ballot measures. Prior to the Supreme Court decision, unhoused public campers couldn’t be fined without the offer of shelter.

“This [was] a protection that at the very least there would be some attempt that the local municipalities had to do to try to offer them someplace to sleep,” Friedenbach said. “They literally have nowhere to go so when these operations happen, the [sweeps] typically exasperate homelessness and make it worse.”

Breed and Bass have both advocated for more access to affordable housing and shelter. In 2022, the California Department of Housing and Community Development found that by 2030, at least 2.5 million new homes need to be built, with at least 1 million of those going to lower-income families. 

Inaction has broad economic repercussions. The National Alliance to End Homelessness found in 2017 that a chronically homeless person costs the taxpayer an average of $35,578 per year, costs that are reduced by nearly half when the person is placed in supportive housing.

One solution is more interim housing, said Adrian Covert, senior vice president of public policy at the nonprofit Bay Area Council.

“We know that we cannot build permanent housing in California faster than the rate at which our broken housing market is creating homeless people through our housing shortage,” Covert told CNBC. “You have to have someplace for them to go so they don’t endure that trauma on the street. And that’s where interim housing comes into play.”

WATCH: California responds to Supreme Court ruling on encampments

The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

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The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

Earlier this month, NBC Bay Area’s SkyRanger caught some video of whale sightings near Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica.

This wasn’t just a one-day event. It happens often. There’s been a surge along the coast in San Mateo County and Monterey Bay.

It’s not unusual to see whales this time of year, but what is unusual is how close they are getting to us on the coast.

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NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai spoke to marine researcher Ted Cheeseman, co-founder and director of Happywhale — a website used to keep track of whales across the globe — for some insight.

Watch the full interview in the video player above.

The first fully operational C-130 Hercules airtanker was deployed Monday with six more of the four-engine turboprop planes, originally designed to serve as a military transport aircraft, set to join Cal Fire’s arsenal.

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The aircraft were added to the fleet with passage of the National Defense Authorization Act by Congress that was signed into law by President Biden in December 2023. The legislation authorized the transfer of the retired U.S. Coast Guard planes to the state of California.

The C-130Hs were then modified with a 4,000-gallon tank and fire retardant delivery system, to perform critical retardant drops on wildfires. Cal Fire’s S-2T airtanker has a 1,200-gallon tank with a loaded range of 500 miles.

The first C-130H went into service at McClellan Airtanker Base outside of Sacramento, making California the first state to deploy the aircraft for firefighting missions.

The colossal aircraft with a gross weight of 155,000 pounds with a wingspan of 133 feet is powered by four Allison turboprop engines, each of which puts out 4,300 horsepower.

Capable of flying 800 miles with its payload of 4,000 gallons of fire retardant, the C130H has the greatest range of Cal Fire’s aerial fleet. The aircraft has a range of 3,000 miles without its payload.

“As wildfire frequency and severity increase across California, the introduction of this aircraft will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping us achieve our initial attack goals, particularly in our efforts to keep 95% of fires at 10 acres or less,” said Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler in a statement.

The seven C130Hs will be located at air bases throughout the state.

Apple announced it will hold a press event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Monday, Sept. 9, where the company is expected to announce new iPhones and Apple Watch models.

The launch event will be streamed on Apple’s website and YouTube. Apple has launched products through pre-recorded videos since 2020.

Apple typically releases new iPhones and Apple Watches at its fall launches ahead of the critical holiday shopping season.

This year’s iPhone models, which could be called the iPhone 16, could include bigger screens on the high-end devices, a redesigned camera bump and a new color, according to analysts and Bloomberg. Apple’s wearables are expected to get a new faster chip.

Apple also typically announces the release data of the newest version of the iPhone software for all users alongside the new models.

This year’s version is called iOS 18, and will eventually include Apple Intelligence, a collection of artificial intelligence features for daily usage such as summarizing messages and generating cute images. However, Apple’s recent developer preview signaled that Apple Intelligence features will likely launch shortly after Apple’s hardware launch.

This year’s invites include the tagline “It’s Glowtime,” a reference to Apple’s new redesign of its Siri interface.

Parts of Highway 89 through Lassen Volcanic National Park in California were shut down after an estimated 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of snow fell overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Photos posted by the agency and local authorities showed a high-elevation blanket of white on Mount Rainier in Washington along with a dusting of snow at Minaret Vista, a lookout point southeast of Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada.

Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich said it was “definitely unexpected” to see snow at Minaret Vista in August.

“It’s not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer,” he said in a statement. “It made for a day I won’t soon forget, and a unique reminder of why I love serving in this area. It’s just one of those moments that makes working up here so special.”

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In northern Nevada, rain fell in the runup to the annual Burning Man festival, prompting organizers to close the entrance gate for most of Saturday before reopening. Torrential rains upended last year’s festival, turning the celebration and its temporary city into a muddy quagmire.

It also snowed overnight on Mammoth Mountain, a ski destination in California, with the National Weather Service warning hikers and campers to prepare for slick roads.

Record rainfall moved through Redding, Red Bluff and Stockton in Northern California on Saturday, the weather service said, and rain showers south of Lake Oroville were expected to continue into the evening.

A dusting of snow fell overnight on the crest of the Sierra Nevada around Tioga Pass, the weather service said. August snow has not occurred there since 2003, forecasters said.

Tioga Pass rises to more than 9,900 feet (3,017 meters) and serves as the eastern entryway to Yosemite. But it is usually closed much of each year by winter snow that can take one or two months to clear.

While the start of ski season is at least several months away, the hint of winter was welcomed by resorts.

“It’s a cool and blustery August day here at Palisades Tahoe, as a storm that could bring our first snowfall of the season moves in this afternoon!” the resort said in a social media post Friday.

The “anomalous cool conditions” will spread over much of the western U.S. by Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Despite the expected precipitation, forecasters also warned of fire danger because of gusty winds associated with the passage of the cold front.

At the same time, a flash flood watch was issued for the burn scar of California’s largest wildfire so far this year from Friday morning through Saturday morning.

The Park Fire roared across more than 671 square miles (1,748 square kilometers) after it erupted in late July near the Central Valley city of Chico and climbed up the western slope of the Sierra.

The fire became California’s fourth-largest on record, but it has been substantially tamed recently. Islands of vegetation continue to burn within its existing perimeter, but evacuation orders have been canceled.

The state’s wildfire season got off to an intense start amid extreme July heat. Blazes fed on dried-out vegetation that grew during back-to-back wet years. Fire activity has recently fallen into a relative lull.

Forecasts call for a rapid return of summer heat as the cold front departs.

According to the state agency, the largest jackpot was a Scratchers ticket, California State Riches, worth $5 million. The ticket was purchased at the ARCO gas station located on Winchester Road in Temecula.

The winner of that ticket was identified by the Lottery office as John Green.

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Three other players joined the millionaire club after winning $2 million with the Instant Prize Crossword ticket.

• Monica Mazariegos purchased the ticket at Code 66 Smoke Shop in Fullerton.
• Mamikon Zakaryan bought the ticket at Dales Jr. Liquors in Hollywood.
• Foad Ishak picked up his lucky ticket from Copper Lamp Liquor in Monrovia.

There are currently more than 50 Scratchers tickets available, according to the California Lottery website. Tickets may range from $1 to $30

Three of the latest winners purchased the popular Instant Prize Crossword ticket, which sells for $20. The top prize is $2,000,000.

The ticket worth $5,000,000 purchased in Temecula, California State Riches, also sells for $20.

You can check out all the tickets here.

Jessie Marie Peterson had been suffering from Type 1 diabetes when she was admitted to Mercy San Juan Medical Center on April 6 last year, according to allegations made in a Sacramento County Superior Court lawsuit filed earlier this month by the patient’s family.

Days after she was admitted, Peterson’s mother Ginger Congi called Mercy San Juan to check on her daughter was told the patient had been discharged, according to the complaint.

The family filed a missing person’s report with the county sheriff’s department, posted notices around town and even interviewed local homeless people in hopes someone had seen Peterson.

“The family searched and searched for Jessie. It was not until April 12, 2024, that the Sacramento County Detective’s Office notified Jessie’s family that she was found deceased at Mercy San Juan hospital,” according to the lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs’ attorney Marc Greenberg.

“At this point, Jessie’s body was so decomposed that an open casket funeral was not feasible, and Jessie’s fingerprints were not even obtainable for any keepsake.”

The decomposition also made it impossible for an autopsy to determine “whether medical malpractice played any role” in Peterson’s death, the lawsuit said.

The family eventually found out Peterson died on April 8 last year, but it took until April 4 of this year for a death certificate to be signed by Dr. Nadeem Mukhtar.

For almost all this time, Peterson’s body had been kept shelf No. Red 22A in an off-site cold storage unit, according to hospital records obtained by the family.

The family is asking for $25 million for the hospital’s alleged negligence.

A representative for Dignity Health, the corporate umbrella for the hospital, could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.

“Mercy San Juan hospital advertises that ‘at our care facilities, we take pride in treating all people with dignity and respect.’ In this case, there was no dignity and no respect,” Greenberg said.

“Mercy San Juan hospital failed in its most fundamental duty to notify Jessie’s family of her death. Mercy San Juan stored Jessie in an off-site warehouse and she was left to decompose for nearly a year while her family relentlessly inquired about her whereabouts.” 

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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Under the first-in-the-nation agreement, the state and tech companies would collectively pay roughly $250 million over five years to support California-based news organization and create an AI research program. The initiatives are set to kick in in 2025 with $100 million the first year, and the majority of the money would go to news organizations, said Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who brokered the deal.

“This agreement represents a major breakthrough in ensuring the survival of newsrooms and bolstering local journalism across California — leveraging substantial tech industry resources without imposing new taxes on Californians,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “The deal not only provides funding to support hundreds of new journalists but helps rebuild a robust and dynamic California press corps for years to come, reinforcing the vital role of journalism in our democracy.”

Wicks’ office didn’t immediately answer questions about specifics on how much funding would come from the state, which news organizations would be eligible and how much money would go to the AI research program.

The deal effectively marks the end of a yearlong fight between tech giants and lawmakers over Wicks’ proposal to require companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft to pay a certain percentage of advertising revenue to media companies for linking to their content.

The bill, modeled after a legislation in Canada aiming at providing financial help to local news organizations, faced intense backlash from the tech industry, which launched ads over the summer to attack the bill. Google also tried to pressure lawmakers to drop the bill by temporarily removing news websites from some people’s search results in April.

“This partnership represents a cross-sector commitment to supporting a free and vibrant press, empowering local news outlets up and down the state to continue in their essential work,” Wicks said in a statement. “This is just the beginning.”

California has tried different ways to stop the loss of journalism jobs, which have been disappearing rapidly as legacy media companies have struggled to profit in the digital age. More than 2,500 newspapers have closed in the U.S. since 2005, according to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. California has lost more than 100 news organizations in the past decade, according to Wicks’ office.

The Wednesday agreement is supported by California News Publishers Association, which represents more than 700 news organizations, Google’s corporate parent Alphabet and OpenAI. But journalists, including those in Media Guild of the West, slammed the deal and said it would hurt California news organizations.

State Sen. Steve Glazer, who authored a bill to provide news organizations a tax credit for hiring full-time journalists, said the agreement “seriously undercuts our work toward a long term solution to rescue independent journalism.”

State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire also said the deal doesn’t go far enough to address the dire situation in California.

“Newsrooms have been hollowed out across this state while tech platforms have seen multi-billion dollar profits,” he said in a statement. “We have concerns that this proposal lacks sufficient funding for newspapers and local media, and doesn’t fully address the inequities facing the industry.”

“As the 2024-25 academic year begins on our campuses over the next few days and weeks, I want to share a few updates about our work this summer to ensure a safe, inclusive campus climate that fosters a free exchange of ideas across the University of California,” UC president Michael V. Drake said in the letter.

“We make every effort to nurture free expression, and we provide countless opportunities and venues for our students, faculty, other academic appointees, and staff to safely and lawfully share their diverse viewpoints and beliefs. While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not.”

The message comes as the UC system prepares for a new academic year and tries to prevent more protests like the ones at UCLA in the spring.

Last week, a federal judge ruled that the university has an obligation to prevent anti-semetic zones after encampments barred Jewish students and faculty from accessing critical parts of campus.

The UC president said each university must protect free expression and the rights of all UC community members.

Instead, Starbucks says Niccol can live in his home in Newport Beach, California, and commute to Starbucks’ head office 1,000 miles away on a corporate jet, according to the new CEO’s offer letter, which was made public in an SEC filing last week.

In his new role, Niccol, 50, will be paid a base salary of $1.6 million annually and has the opportunity to earn an annual cash bonus that could range from $3.6 million to $7.2 million depending on his performance. He will also be eligible for annual equity awards worth up to $23 million.

Niccol successfully negotiated a similar deal when he became the CEO of Chipotle in 2018. 

At the time, the fast-casual chain was headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and Niccol — who served as CEO of Taco Bell before his stint at Chipotle — lived in Newport Beach, a 15-minute drive from Taco Bell’s main office in Irvine, California. Chipotle moved its headquarters from Denver to Newport Beach three months after announcing Niccol’s appointment.

In the offer letter, Starbucks also notes that it will set up a remote office for Niccol in Newport Beach along with an assistant of his choosing. 

When he is not traveling for work, however, Niccol will still be expected to work from the Seattle office at least three days a week in alignment with Starbucks’ hybrid work policies, a company spokesperson tells CNBC Make It.

“Brian’s primary office and a majority of his time will be spent in our Seattle Support Center or out visiting partners and customers in our stores, roasteries, roasting facilities and offices around the world,” the spokesperson added. “His schedule will exceed the hybrid work guidelines and workplace expectations we have for all partners.”

Starbucks employees have been required to work from the office at least three days a week since early 2023.

Niccol’s arrangement underscores the gulf in bargaining power between high-ranking executives and the average employee in terms of flexibility.

The supercommuting CEO is becoming ‘increasingly common’

While rank-and-file employees might not be able to demand the flexibility to work remotely from a different state, companies make exceptions for senior-level employees to attract and retain top talent, says Raj Choudhury, a professor at Harvard Business School who studies remote work.

Choudhury says there is a growing number of CEOs who are “working from anywhere,” though there is no comprehensive research on the topic. 

“It’s becoming increasingly common because we’re still in a competitive labor market,” he explains. “Executives aren’t accepting job offers if flexibility isn’t on the table.” 

Victoria’s Secret made a similar concession last week when it hired Hillary Super from Fenty x Savage, Rihanna’s lingerie brand, as its new CEO. 

When Super starts in September, she will work from the retailer’s New York City offices instead of its headquarters near Columbus, Ohio, traveling to Columbus as needed, according to her employee agreement.

Despite these recent instances, it’s still hard to draw any definitive conclusions about CEOs’ remote work preferences.

Although some CEOS — including Amazon’s Andy Jassy and JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon — are drawing a hard line on return-to-office policies, other research has indicated that bosses aren’t thrilled with the loss of remote work.

Choudhury sees Niccol’s arrangement at Starbucks as an example of a company taking a “smart risk” to snag a star executive. 

The coffee giant’s performance has struggled this year, hurt by weak sales in the U.S. and China, its two largest markets, CNBC reports. Starbucks shares have fallen 21% during its current CEO Laxman Narasimhan’s tenure. 

Niccol has a strong track record of turning around troubled companies: As CEO of Chipotle, he helped the chain rebound from its foodborne illness scandal and led its restaurants through the pandemic. During his time at the restaurant chain, its stock soared 773%, CNBC reports.

“Starbucks based its process of selection on this person’s prior record of boosting restaurant-based companies, not their location,” says Choudhury. “I expect more companies will take notice and follow suit: If you want to attract and retain the best talent, you have to be open to flexible work arrangements.”

Such an emerging trend could have benefits for desk workers craving flexibility, Choudhury adds. 

“If more C-suite leaders start working remotely, middle managers might be inspired to start trying it, as culture changes start at the top,” he says. “This is a great opportunity for Starbucks to experiment with offering employees, wherever possible, the same degree of flexibility it’s giving its executives.”

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Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 10 new bills into law that aim to combat retail crime in the state.

The package, announced Friday, includes new laws that crack down on shoplifting, theft from a vehicle, organized theft, and online marketplaces where these stolen goods are sometimes resold. The new laws come after retailers have called on both local and federal governments to do more to combat retail theft, citing it as a growing challenge that’s impacted profits, customers and staff.

One of the bills in the package, SB 1416, establishes tougher penalties for middlemen in organized retail crime rings and was introduced in response to a CNBC investigation published in March, according to the office of state Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat, who introduced the bill.

“As author of the bill, I used examples of your reporting in each of the policy committee hearings at which I presented the bill, and I think it made real for my colleagues something that otherwise seemed kind of abstract. And it also, I think, encapsulated just how powerful the incentives are,” Newman told CNBC.

The law Newman authored establishes additional prison time and fines for the sale, exchange or return of stolen property — the bread and butter of retail resale crime rings. Prior to the law’s passage, those charged with being involved in organized retail crime rings could face up to three years in prison. Critics said that sentence and penalty were not enough of a deterrence.

Newman said the law was designed to go after middlemen like Michelle Mack — the organized retail crime “queenpin” who was exposed in CNBC’s investigation. Police say she made millions reselling stolen goods on Amazon at a fraction of their typical retail price.

“It’s necessary to account for just how easy it is to recruit people to go steal for you, and then just how easy and profitable it is to then clean this stuff up and sell it,” Newman said.

Mack was arrested in December and received a delayed sentence of five years and four months in state prison. Mack’s husband, Kenneth, received the same sentence and is already incarcerated. The couple was ordered to pay about $3 million in restitution to beauty retailer Ulta and another $13,000 to Sephora, a court official previously told CNBC.

Theft and organized retail crime rings like that of Mack’s “California Girls” have been cited by retailers as a reason for lower profits, difficulty in hiring and retaining staff, and the degradation of the in-store experience. Others have countered these claims, saying that retailers are overstating the impact of theft and downplaying the operational issues behind lower profits.

Commercial burglary and commercial robbery rates in California have been steadily rising over the past few years, according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California. Shoplifting, although still well below pre-pandemic levels, is seeing an increase as well.

Since January, the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has made 884 arrests and recovered more than 250,000 stolen items valued collectively at over $7.2 million, according to the press release announcing the new legislation.

Retailers have been urging Congress to crack down on organized retail crime nationally, with the retail lobby group National Retail Federation pushing to make it easier to prosecute theft as a federal felony.

With the 2024 presidential election looming, Democrats are also looking to appear tough on crime to address Republican criticism of the nation’s rising crime rates. However, critics of the push to combat retail crime fear the measures may disproportionately harm marginalized groups.

Another bill, SB 1144, also passed in the new package of laws aims to prevent the trafficking of stolen goods on online marketplaces like Amazon. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Democrat, builds on a previous California law by updating compliance criteria for high-volume, third-party sellers and making it easier for civil charges to be filed against online marketplaces selling stolen goods, among other measures.

— CNBC’s Gabrielle Fonrouge, Scott Zamost and Courtney Reagan contributed to this report.

The Department of Homeland Security already uses facial recognition with adults and teens, but is now exploring ways it could utilize the technology with children younger than 14, according to a report from MIT Technology Review.

The exploration of utilizing facial recognition on minors was first presented by John Boyd, assistant director of the DHS’s Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), during a presentation about emerging technology and theoretical aplication.

Boyd told the outlet facial recognition data is not yet being collected under the program but his team — which researchers and develops biometric identity services for the government — but his office is “funding” it, the outlet reported.

Seth Hall with San Diego Privacy, however, raised concerns.

“If this technology is going to scan a face — a certain percent of the time, it’s going to get that face scan wrong and it’s going to produce a result,” Hall said, “for example, at the border, where somebody is holding a small child and a decision is going to be made about that person’s safety based on this facial recognition technology that has errors and that is faulty. Sometimes that is going to have an enormous impact on that person’s life.”

Oftentimes, there’s no parent involved at all.

Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse’s (TRAC) most recent data from 2022 reports nearly 340,000 kids came to the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly half were by themselves.

Pedro Rios is a pro-migration advocate who has been working with families crossing the border for about 20 years. His main concerns with the government scanning kids’ faces are those power dynamics and the kids’ inability to give consent.

“This is a vulnerable population group that usually would not understand the power relationships of a border agent instructing them to place their face in a certain way for a pilot test,” Rios said. “It should not be happening.”

Hall has all of these same concerns, including a gap in security.

“We are coercing them into giving up their biographical information,” Hall said. “They don’t know how it’s going to be used against them. And they probably feel like they have no choice.”

DHS told MIT Technology Review that it ensures all of its technologies operate legally and are committed to protecting everyone’s privacy and civil rights.

“The Department of Homeland Security uses various forms of technology to execute its mission, including some biometric capabilities. DHS ensures all technologies, regardless of type, are operated under the established authorities and within the scope of the law. We are committed to protecting the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of all individuals who may be subject to the technology we use to keep the nation safe and secure,” the statement to the outlet read.

DHS told NBC 7 it does not collect facial recognition data from minors under 14 and “has no current plans to do so for either operational or research purposes.”

Hall said the DHS needs to prove it.

“The place and time for us to investigate these things and to demand accountability for them is where they are now, because they are only going to become more and more a part of your life and my life the longer we wait,” Hall said.

Since last year, CBP has been using a mobile app for migrants to submit selfies before they enter the United States. This is required to verify their identity, but users say the app has technical problems and not all migrants have a smartphone.

“As a Real Estate professional our contracts are changing a little bit,” Realtor Kristina Buckner told NBC 7.

Until now, home sellers traditionally paid the commission for both their agent and the buyer’s agent. The commission was typically in the 5% to 6% range. The commission was split among the buyer and seller’s agent when the sale was completed.

“Traditionally, sellers have paid for the buyers agent and they most likely in my opinion will continue to do so if the buyer can’t do that. The change in that is now that the buyer will be asking for that commission to be paid through closing costs,” Buckner said.

The new rules are the result of a $418 million settlement with the National Association of Realtors that leaves more room for home sellers to negotiate those fees down.

The change could result in savings for people in the homebuyers market, according to some experts.

“I think what it’ll do is it’ll have some impact on the price. Not necessarily the asking price on the house but effective price that is paid because there is a certain asking price of the house then the commission is factored in,” University of San Diego Economist, Alan Gin, said.

Now to ensure buyers are aware of the compensation that they may be responsible for, the National Association of Realtors is implementing another change requiring agents to enter into written agreements when showing a home.

The result of the settlement and the changes that followed are about transparency, according to market experts.

“If there’s any reason that a question comes up in regard to if you’re a buyer and you want to know how to get through this situation and if you’re responsible for the commissions, ask your Real Estate professional,” Buckner said.

Dr. Manuela Ippolito not only teaches fifth grade at Porter elementary School, she also teaches the kids to ride a skateboard. Ippolito started a skate club for students last school year. This week, the students returned from summer break so they’ll once again be able to skate around part of their school yard after school. She teaches them everything from standing on their boards to new tricks. Ippolito said this can give her kids confidence not only in their skateboarding, but in themselves as well.

“You set small goals to achieve, whether it’s a tic tacking or an ollie. And once you work hard at it and achieve it, there’s nothing like that feeling and those skills usually never go away,” Ippolito said.

“My teacher said that she’s going to like make a club and I was like, oh, maybe I should sign up. Something I could do outside, because my mom’s been complaining that I’ve been on my phone too much,” said Genesis, a Porter Elementary student.

Taking what the kids learn to a skate park is a big step in their learning progression, especially during the summer when there is no school skate club.

But the nearest skate park for these kids to practice what they’ve learned is over 2 miles away, Memorial Skate Park, which is almost an hour walk if they can’t find a ride.

Earlier this summer, the skate club members and Ippolito made signs and held a march for a skate park.

“Just trying to get the word out there that we need more skate parks in the area and all over San Diego, really,” Ippolito said.

“There’s a piece of land across the street from our school that would be perfect for a little skate park or a skate plaza,” she said.

While there are many skate parks these days around San Diego, building a new one can be time-consuming. Ippolito has been going to meetings all summer and met with District 4’s City Councilmember, Henry Foster III. We spoke with a skate park designer about what goes into getting one built.

“The process to get a skate park can vary in timelines,” said skate park designer, Kanten Russell. “Some projects we work on can be expedited and get work through with a lot of community input and support, but a lot of other projects do take a lot of time and I think I just encourage everyone who’s advocating for a skate park to just realize that you just have to have patience,” Russell said.

While the process of getting a new skate park built can be slow, just getting one built can bring benefits for its users beyond just the skateboarding.                                                                           

“They’re learning how to do things together with people they may never have been introduced to outside of skateboarding. So yeah, a lot of people have different socioeconomic backgrounds, different colors, different cultures. They’re all learning more about each other through skateboarding,” Russell said.

While the process of getting a skate park built for the kids is taking longer than Ippolito would like, she will continue to go to meetings, contact city officials and try to get a skate park built as she teaches her students about the sport she loves.