California

California has approved a first-time contract with 40,000 childcare providers under a new collective bargaining agreement. It acted at a time when labor unions are struggling across the United States. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill that ratifies the contact with Child Care Providers United and increases wage rates.

Officials announced Monday that the new rules will take effect next month. There are at least 238,000 state employees. Health officials couldn’t immediately provide an estimate on size of the health care workforce in the nation’s most populated state.

Comic-Con returns with another virtual convention due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of California system implements a new series of tuition increases, and the environmental cost of electric car batteries.

Firefighters are trying to become smarter in how they prepare for the drought- and wind-driven wildfires that have become more dangerous across the American West in recent years. They’re using new technology and better positioning of resources in a bid to keep small blazes from erupting into mega-fires like the nation’s biggest wildfire that has charred a section of Oregon half the size of Rhode Island.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law aimed at curbing organized retail theft as violent smash-and-grab shoplifting costs state businesses millions of dollars every year.

University of California regents have approved a multiyear plan to raise tuition and fees at the system’s 10 campuses.

Pacific Gas & Electric plans to bury 10,000 miles of its power lines in an effort to prevent its fraying grid from sparking wildfires when electrical equipment collides with millions of trees and other vegetation.

A judge Wednesday denied former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer's request to be labeled as the city's retired mayor on the ballot in this year's gubernatorial recall election.

State law requires Coronado to plan for nearly 1,000 new homes to accommodate its workforce. But city officials have refused to comply, and low-wage workers are caught in the middle.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration has announced a former federal prosecutor will help investigate unemployment benefits fraud. State officials on Tuesday named McGregor W. Scott as a fraud special counsel.