Economy

Lawmakers have agreed to pay off $2 billion of Californians' utilities debt, but haven’t extended the shutoff moratoria past Sept. 30. One family's experience of surviving a heat wave without water or power reveals what’s at stake.

Small business owners are still dealing with the consequences of the pandemic, with marginalized groups facing additional obstacles to loans

Insurance companies want to factor climate change in calculating wildfire coverage, but consumer watchdogs worry California homeowners will end up with higher premiums. Lawmakers from fire-damaged districts say they are open to change because their constituents are already losing coverage.

A state effort to create green jobs after the Great Recession fell short. Will new California job training programs do any better coming out of the pandemic?

As California drops capacity and social distancing rules, experts are tempering expectations on a full rebound of the state’s tourism industry. Domestic travel won’t recover fully until 2023 and international visitors remain half of pre-pandemic levels. Still, state and local tourism officials express optimism.

With California's budget surplus and federal stimulus up to $100 billion, a game lets you decide how to spend it. Who and what get the money?

Even as the state prepares to lift coronavirus restrictions on June 15, some changes such as outdoor dining and to-go drinks will likely remain in many California cities. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced pandemic extensions through Dec. 31.

The air board unanimously adopted a rule that aims to cut greenhouse gases from ride-hailing companies. The big question is: Who will pay for the cleaner vehicles?

Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to use federal relief money and California’s record-setting tax revenue from the wealthy to send $600 stimulus checks to four out of five tax filers, pay down back rent for tenants and help millions catch up on utility bills.

As harvest season approached, growers begged county officials to vaccinate their workers. But the state and counties didn’t prioritize vaccine doses for farmworkers in February. So the growers and doctors stepped in and set up their own clinics.