Author: Amanda Kusumowidagdo

California Governor Gavin Newsom has the latest budget proposal on his hands, filled with yet another attempt to close the gaping deficit caused by inflation and a drop in tax revenue from the 1%. What does this budget proposal look like? It proposes to slash 10,000 unfilled jobs from the state’s roster and slash tens of billions of dollars in spending. But can it work? More Efficient, Leaner and Modern Source: CAGovernor/X The governor’s latest proposal offers to cut $32.8 billion from the budget, including an almost 8% reduction to state operations through the next two fiscal years. Newsom’s office…

The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants might be toxic enough to deter anyone from taking its title, even if it’s a legitimate “handover” of titles.  After the Miss Teen USA winner stepped down, the runner-up refused the crown. Stephanie Skinner, formerly Miss Teen New York, wrote in her Instagram, “I believe this is the right decision to make.” Rejecting the Runner-Up Duty Source: thestephanieskinner/Instagram/Miss Teen USA/The New York Post In many beauty pageants, the runner-up’s duty is to step up when the titleholder is unavailable or resigns. Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia Srivastava, has stepped down, and her crown…

The former head of product launches at Tesla, Rich Otto, said he’d resigned last week. His departure is the latest in a series of resignations by senior-level Tesla executives in recent weeks. The executive said the company’s morale is poor due to the massive layoffs. It has thrown Tesla “out of balance.” Customers are right to question what Elon Musk is going to do now. Goodbye Message Source: pressfoto/Freepik According to Otto’s LinkedIn profile, he’s worked for Tesla for over six years. Following his resignation, he posted a message on the website about how he would miss many things about…

California Governor Gavin Newsom has the latest budget proposal on his hands, filled with yet another attempt to close the gaping deficit caused by inflation and a drop in tax revenue from the 1%. What does this budget proposal look like? It proposes to slash 10,000 unfilled jobs from the state’s roster and slash tens of billions of dollars in spending. But can it work? More Efficient, Leaner and Modern Source: CAGovernor/X The governor’s latest proposal offers to cut $32.8 billion from the budget, including an almost 8% reduction to state operations through the next two fiscal years. Newsom’s office…

On July 1, California restaurants must change the way they bill customers. They’ll be unable to add service charges or other surcharges to the customers’ final bill. But this move is worrying a lot of restaurant owners, who see the ban on “junk fees” as problematic. If their businesses lose money over this, they may have to start laying off workers. Senate Bill 478 Source: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels Senate Bill 478 (SB 478), signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2023, aims to crack down on “junk fees”—surcharges most often associated with hotel, car rental and ticket sale companies.…

A gigantic reservoir project, dubbed the Sites Reservoir, has been 45 years in the making. It’s hoped to be the perfect response to the threat of drought in the Golden State. However, the project will displace some people from the Antelope Valley, where the reservoir will be located. Dozens of homes may be flattened by the construction. Will this project go through until completion? Solving the Water Crisis Source: cottonbro studio/Pexels Officials are hoping the enormous Californian reservoir will help solve the area’s water crisis. Although water has been plentiful in the last few years, a drought is a disaster…

Student loan debt has already been making the news lately. Debt is a deterrent for many young people seeking a higher education in colleges and universities. But their woes are not over yet. The cost of borrowing money to pay for college studies is going to soar to the highest point in 16 years. With an interest rate that is so high, can anyone even afford college anymore? Let’s find out. Highest Level Since 2008 Source: Freepik The current interest rate of a new student loan is 5.5%. But in July this year, the federal undergraduate loan interest rate is…

Climate change is on everybody’s mind today, not just because it’s happening everywhere, but because pundits keep mentioning it in the news. It’s also a hot topic because the climate remains Joe Biden’s political platform in this election year. But Steve Forbes, politician and chief editor of Forbes magazine, thinks that announcing a climate crisis would wreak havoc on the nation’s economy. Here’s what he said and why Biden should tread carefully. Forbes’ Reason Source: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons Forbes, who was a two-time Republican presidential candidate, was responding to rumors about the current POTUS’ top advisers having started talking about…

California has always had a long history of conflicts when it comes to taxations. Ever since California’s voters passed Proposition 13—the famous property tax limit—the state’s always had a problem over how much tax money the governments need (and who should pay up for it). This battle is seemingly reaching its climax under a ballot measure this fall. But CA Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature are asking the California Supreme Court to remove it from the ballot. And so the battle begins. The Ballot Measure Source: Element5 Digital/Pexels The ballot measure in contention is backed by the California Business…

Starbucks is dealing with a lot right now. There’s an ongoing unionization effort nationwide that’s accused Starbucks’ way of handling labor issues as “broken” and “flawed.” But there’s also the quarterly net revenue that fell below the shareholder expectations. The coffee giant’s revenue slipped to $8.6 billion, a 2% drop that’s nonetheless worrisome for many, including former CEO Howard Schultz. Starbucks’ Problems Source: Dinkun Chen/Wikimedia Commons The diminishing sales figures can be blamed on a few factors. Visits from the occasional customers have declined, for one. Another is the peak morning rush that leaves mobile phone orders incomplete and lowers…