Business

Business

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank: A one-off calamity, or sign of more trouble for California?

March 13, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank’s failure is a sign of weakness in the tech industry, and that could spell trouble for the state of California.

State Government

California lawmakers take aim at ‘junk fees’ for ticket sales, hotel stays and more

March 7, 2023 | Nicole Nixon

A handful of bills introduced this year aim to crack down on hidden fees on concert tickets, hotel stays, car rentals, small business loans and more.

Business

Sacramento Starbucks stores file to unionize, following broader wave of national organizing

February 27, 2023 | Janelle Salanga

Workers at the two stores — one in midtown and the other in the Downtown Commons area — say they’re hoping unionization will push the company to respond to safety concerns, low pay and understaffing at both locations.

State Government

Newsom’s oil profit penalty plan could face tough slog in Legislature

February 22, 2023 | Nicole Nixon

A proposal from Governor Gavin Newsom to impose a “price-gouging penalty” on oil companies received a skeptical reception from state lawmakers during its first hearing.

Business

Sacramento City Council OKs cannabis dispensary, denying appeal by nearby detox center

February 22, 2023 | Kristin Lam

Those opposed to the dispensary argued it would disturb the recovery of patients at a substance rehabilitation facility less than 600 feet away. Supporters argued that other businesses in the same vicinity sell tobacco and alcohol.

Business

North Davis store becomes first Peet's Coffee in the country to form a union

January 31, 2023 | Janelle Salanga

The north Davis location is the first of Peet’s 336 nationwide locations to unionize. Other locations in Northern California have approached SEIU 1021 about following suit.

Business

A fight over seats could define the future of an iconic San Francisco movie theater

December 10, 2022

Conservationists' objections to proposed renovation plans for the 100-year-old Castro Theatre in San Francisco illustrate an ongoing debate about the future of historic theaters.

Race and Equity

Sacramento revamps cannabis enforcement system after facing dozens of lawsuits, racism allegations

October 3, 2022 | Scott Rodd

The city has issued over $100 million in fines against property owners, but the vast majority have challenged the penalties.

State Government

California lawmakers approve first-in-the-nation bill to let fast food workers organize

August 29, 2022 | Nicole Nixon

The bill would create a Fast Food Sector Council to set minimum workplace wages, hours and standards. It could drastically change the fast food and franchising industries in California.

State Government

California’s fast food bill could link chains to wage theft and other workplace violations

August 21, 2022

Proponents say AB 257 could curb wage theft, but restaurateurs say it could raise costs and prices and fundamentally change relationships with fast food chains.

Business

Inflation soars to an over 40-year high. These are the ways Americans are coping

June 10, 2022

Consumers are watching their pennies at the gas station and grocery store as consumer prices surged 8.6% in May, pushing the annual inflation rate to its highest in over 40 years.

Business

A billion pounds of California almonds could be stuck in warehouses instead of being exported

May 9, 2022 | Rich Ibarra

Shipping companies are finding more profit bringing back empty containers than filling them with almonds and other American exports. Growers statewide are looking at hundreds of millions of pounds on hand.

Business

Sacramento housing prices surge in February, setting new records

March 14, 2022

Experts say it’s starting to look like a repeat of 2021, which was the most aggressive housing market in the region’s history.

State Government

Here’s how state lawmakers want to help Californians facing high gas prices

March 13, 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed pausing tax increase on gas sellers and Republican state lawmakers have pushed for suspending the tax entirely in the short term. Those plans would likely reduce the price of gas, but it’s not clear by how much.

Health Care

Workplace rights for California workers navigating the omicron surge

January 25, 2022 | Janelle Salanga

Workers, regardless of immigration status, are protected by California labor laws. Here’s what to know about those protections and available benefits at this stage of the pandemic.

Business Journal: Despite Pandemic, Large Sports Bar Plans To Open In Sacramento’s Downtown Commons This Fall

February 27, 2021

It marks a sign of optimism for downtown Sacramento after a year of pandemic-related challenges.

Business Journal: New Industrial Development Coming Soon To North Natomas

February 12, 2021

As the coronavirus pandemic has kept people indoors, many have turned to shopping online as a way to stay safe. According to the Sacramento Business Journal, the industrial sector is booming in Sacramento.

Business Journal: Sears Is Closing In Arden Fair Mall. What’s Next? It’s Still Unclear

February 5, 2021

In their announcement, Arden Fair representatives said they've known this day was coming for more than five years.

Business Journal: The Future Of Office Space In Sacramento In A Post-Coronavirus World

January 29, 2021

Sacramento’s market for office space has declined for the first year in nearly a decade as the coronavirus pandemic has radically changed the way people work.

Business Journal: Some Sacramento-Area Restaurants Are Surviving The Pandemic

January 22, 2021

With the shifting coronavirus restrictions in California, many local restaurants have had to make the hard decision to close over the past year. But some have survived due to support from the community.