Category: Sacramento

The hopes of California tenants that a wave of apartment construction might provide more rent relief may be fizzling in early 2024. Construction plans for multifamily housing plunged to a 10-year low, my trusty spreadsheet found after peeking at quarterly California building permit patterns from the Census Bureau complied by the St. Louis Fed. Multifamily housing is primarily apartments plus certain ownership condos or townhomes. California permits approved for multifamily housing in the first quarter fell 22% below 2023’s start to 8,972 units in this year’s first three months. That’s the slowest quarter for multifamily plans since the start of 2014. California developers cooled their building plans as interest rates soared, the economy slowed and folks no longer felt the pandemic-fueled need for larger living spaces. And let’s not forget that California rents have flattened as vacancies increased. No amount of legislation or nudging will get developers to build when economic conditions aren’t near-perfect. Sadly, the year’s slow start contrasts sharply with a previously swift pace of multifamily housing construction in California. The first quarter’s permitting ran 32% below the 2021-23 pace. In those three

By DANICA COTO (Associated Press) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Ariel Henry resigned Thursday as prime minister of Haiti, leaving the way clear for a new government to be formed in the Caribbean country, which has been wracked by gang violence that killed or injured more than 2,500 people from January to March. Henry presented his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles, dated April 24, and released on Thursday by his office on the same day that a council tasked with choosing a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti was sworn in. Henry’s remaining Cabinet meanwhile chose Economy and Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert as the interim prime minister. It was not immediately clear when the transitional council would select its own interim prime minister. The council was installed more than a month after Caribbean leaders announced its creation following an emergency meeting to tackle Haiti’s spiraling crisis. Henry had pledged to resign once the council is installed. The nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, is also expected to help set the agenda of a new Cabinet. It will also appoint

SANTA CLARA — It isn’t necessarily a bad thing Thursday night if the 49ers end up taking someone only serious draft geeks have heard of at No. 31 of the NFL Draft or trading out of the first round altogether and doing their serious work on Friday and Saturday. Taking the big swing hasn’t been a strength since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived in 2017, with some of their biggest roster additions coming from selections that brought blank stares. The real drama will involve wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a former first-round pick himself who may or may not have priced himself out of the 49ers’ immediate future. The 49ers were faced with a similar dilemma once before in 2020, and they made the decision to trade defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis and then draft his replacement in Javon Kinlaw. Buckner has remained a mainstay with the Colts. Kinlaw, taken at No. 14, never ascended to his draft status mostly because of knee trouble and signed this offseason with the New York Jets after four seasons, with the 49ers declining his

Interest rates are elevated, but there are still affordable lending options to consider if you need to borrow money.

Find out how and when to watch Game 3 of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers NBA Playoffs series tomorrow.

Are you a senior considering long-term care insurance? Here are three strategic moves to make before you’re 75.

Here’s how and when to watch Game 3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic NBA playoff series tonight.

The Shenzhou 18 crew will replace three taikonauts aboard the Chinese space station who are wrapping up a six-month stay.

About 53 million people in the U.S. are unpaid caregivers, and many of them are simultaneously raising young kids and taking care of a parent, earning them the title “Sandwich Generation.” CBS News contributor Lisa Ling, who is a member of this generation, recently shared her personal experience by taking us into her family home. She also introduced us to another family who faced the tough choice of placing their loved one in a nursing home. Today, she shares the story of a caregiver who is determined to keep her mom at home.

To stop the virus from spreading, dairy cows will be tested for bird flu more closely. This comes after the FDA reported finding fragments of the bird flu virus in pasteurized grocery store milk. Regulators say there is little risk to humans.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and DAVE COLLINS (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein ’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case. “We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s 4-3 decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.” The state Court of Appeals ruling reopens a painful chapter in America’s reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures — an era that began in 2017 with a flood of allegations against Weinstein. His accusers could again be forced to retell their stories on the witness stand. The court’s majority said “it is an abuse of judicial discretion to permit untested allegations of nothing more than bad behavior that destroys a defendant’s character but sheds no light on their credibility as related to the criminal charges lodged against

Delayed rate cuts translate to continued favorable yields on deposit accounts and Treasury bills.

WASHINGTON — On the left and right, Supreme Court justices seem to agree on a basic truth about the American system of government: No one is above the law, not even the president. “The law applies equally to all persons, including a person who happens for a period of time to occupy the Presidency,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in 2020. Less than a year earlier, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, then a federal trial judge, wrote, “Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings.” But former President Donald Trump and his legal team are putting that foundational belief to the test on Thursday when the high court takes up the Republican’s bid to avoid prosecution over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. RELATED: What to listen for during Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump and presidential immunity Trump’s lawyers argue that former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity for their official acts. Otherwise, they say, politically motivated prosecutions of former occupants of the Oval Office would become routine

NEW YORK — Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is set to return to the witness stand in Manhattan on Thursday to continue his testimony about an alleged conspiracy with Donald Trump to identify and kill negative stories about the then-presidential candidate ahead of the 2016 election. Earlier this week, Pecker told jurors that he became Trump’s “eyes and ears” during the election, allegedly transforming a supermarket tabloid into an extension of Trump’s presidential campaign by spending thousands of dollars to kill negative stories about Trump. “I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment it would have to the campaign,” Pecker testified on Tuesday about a $30,000 payment for a disproven story that Trump had an illegitimate child. His testimony on Thursday is expected to touch on his involvement with a $130,000 alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen; the documents related to Trump’s reimbursement to Cohen became the basis for the Manhattan district attorney’s 34-count criminal indictment against the former president. Trump had pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing. RELATED: Top 4

Sen. Bernie Sanders is taking aim at the high prices of the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The Vermont senator, an independent who has long called out drug manufacturers for their costly products, is launching an investigation into the “outrageously high prices” Novo Nordisk charges for the drugs. “The scientists at Novo Nordisk deserve great credit for developing these drugs that have the potential to be a game changer for millions of Americans struggling with type 2 diabetes and obesity. As important as these drugs are, they will not do any good for the millions of patients who cannot afford them,” Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, wrote Wednesday in a letter to the drugmaker’s CEO. “Further, if the prices for these products are not substantially reduced, they also have the potential to bankrupt Medicare, Medicaid, and our entire health care system.” SEE ALSO: Doctors speak out amid weight loss drug shortages | What it means for patients Sanders is asking Novo Nordisk to answer whether it will “substantially reduce” the prices of the medications as well as to

Boston Police arrested more than 100 people as they cleared out pro-Palestinian protesters and their encampment from Emerson College early Thursday morning.

Professional chefs have sous chefs to do all the hard work and ensure that meals arrive at the table on time. While I wouldn’t characterize myself as a chef, I do have a home kitchen assistant, and quite frankly, I just don’t know what I’d do without her. Three or four mornings a week, I hastily give her my dinner plans and head to the office. She oversees the meal, does all the hard work while I’m gone, and always has that meal ready to go when it’s time for dinner. Even better, she never complains and costs me less than 2 cents an hour. Perhaps you’ve already figured out my assistant is my trusty slow cooker. While she’s a good worker, her results are only as good as the techniques I follow and the recipes I assign to her. Like these for example, both using a 6-quart or larger slow cooker: CHINESE CHICKEN Ingredients: 3 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken thighs 1/4 cup hoisin sauce* 1/4 cup plum chutney or plum sauce* 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce One medium piece (about 2 inches) fresh ginger

RED BLUFF — Cannon will again roar for Civil War Days at Cone Grove County Park. This cherished tradition, steeped in historical significance, will commence on Friday with a school day, graced by the presence of approximately 500 to 600 local eighth-grade history students. During the weekend, the event is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours of the camps, demonstrations of 19th-century military and civilian life during the American Civil War, and two North vs. South battles on Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. and one on Sunday at 1 p.m. The event, especially the battles on Saturday and Sunday, is put on by some 100 reenactors, including infantry, cavalry, artillery and civilians, wearing authentic uniforms and carrying authentic Civil War weapons. While authenticity is essential, organizers say public and reenactor safety is paramount at this family-friendly event. While most reenactors are local from Tehama, Shasta and Butte counties, a few came from clubs as far away as southern Oregon and the San Francisco Bay Area to participate. According to organizers, last year’s Friday School Day served over 600 local

CORNING —The City Council closed out its COVID-19 substance payment relief program Tuesday night, which proved to be a success in helping residents during the pandemic. The city was allocated $200,000 in funding and decided to use that money for residents. Silk Consulting Group assisted in the city running this program.  CEO Suzi Kochems was on hand to discuss the program’s highlights. From February 2023 to January 31, 2024, the city helped 78 households and 149 individuals with their rent, mortgage or utilities for $174,000. Of the 149 people helped, more were single adults, and many were senior citizens living on a fixed income. “I do not need to tell you guys that if they do not own their home, paying rent in this day and age on $1000 or $1,200 a month on Social Security is impossible,” Kochems said. “I got a lot of tears for people and they are very thankful to you for applying for these funds.” Regarding ethnicity, 62 people were Hispanic or Latino, 8 were white, 2 were African American households and 16 were multiracial. The demographics for the class

Establishing a mature garden for most people takes years to accomplish.  It does involve some planning before planting. Fortunately for all new gardeners, the information tags included with the purchase of individual plants provide most of the information you need. If not, your cell phones and computers can provide instant information so there are no excuses for inappropriate planting. There are four “musts” you need to understand before beginning. First, you need to know whether your plant needs sun, shade, or both to grow. Second, you need to know how large it will grow. Third, you need to have healthy soil. Last but not least, we live in USDA zone 9. This means our temperatures year-round fluctuate between 20 degrees in winter and can reach 115 degrees in the summer. Because our high temps can be extreme, it is essential to provide adequate water. Once all this is established, you are on your own and will be surprised how quickly you will learn. Joining a local garden club, I might add, would also be a plus. I walk my gardens almost daily. After being on

More than two years after jet fuel leaked into the system supplying water to almost 93,000 people in Hawaii, families impacted are taking the U.S. government to trial.