Economy

California is getting old. Within a decade, more than 20% of the state’s residents will be seniors -- a higher proportion than currently resides in Florida, a state famous for its large population of snowbird retirees.

Susan Harman, California Public Banking Alliance, Oakland Dan Walters’ April 28 Commentary on Assemblyman David Chiu’s Assembly Bill 857, the local public bank bill, is a dumb comment on a very smart bill. In his commentary, Walters writes says that shifting local governmental funds away from the Wall Street banks they’re in now will have “virtually […]

Brett Garrett, Santa Cruz Cities such as Oakland and Los Angeles are eager to divest from large banks that invest in fossil fuels or engage in unethical business practices. These cities can benefit from Assemblyman David Chiu’s Assembly Bill 857, which will establish a framework for licensing public banks, owned by local or regional government entities. […]

Will the Trump administration be allowed to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census? If so, experts say, California could lose big.

With student debt soaring, consumer champion Seth Frotman has taken his federal fight against predatory lending to the state level in California.

California is getting grayer. Over the next two decades, as more Baby Boomers reach retirement age, the state’s senior population will double. We profile California seniors and look at how their experiences have been shaped by, and will continue to shape, the California Dream.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's strike team offered a provocative–and politically challenging–idea for easing utility wildfire liability that has already prompted PG&E to file for bankruptcy.

As the first Tax Day without unlimited state and local tax deduction approaches, an estimated 1 million California families will pay $12 billion more to Uncle Sam. In a progressive state with high taxes, many are discovering the bite the $10,000 SALT cap is taking out of their wallets.

So far, the worst-case scenario has not come to pass, and some products, such as pistachios, have dodged Trump’s trade-war bullet. But the damage has not been insignificant to California's economy.

A closely watched bill in the California Capitol to end the "tampon tax" is one of several efforts to get the state to remedy "period poverty" and “menstrual equity.” Advocates also want the state to ensure tampons and pads are provided as freely as toilet paper in public schools and universities, government buildings and prisons.