California Dolphin

California could become the first state in the country to give workers a “right to disconnect” under a new bill. Assembly Bill 2751, introduced by Asm. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) on Monday, would guarantee workers in the Golden State the ability to have uninterrupted personal and family time by giving them the ability to disengage from emails, texts and calls during non-work hours. “Work has changed drastically compared to what it was just 10 years ago. Smartphones have blurred the boundaries between work and home life,”  Haney said in a statement. “Workers shouldn’t be punished for not being available 24/7 if they’re not being paid for 24 hours of work.” With the proposed changes, both public and private employers would be required to establish a right-to-disconnect policy for their workplace, permitting them to ignore communications when they are off the clock. Exceptions for emergencies or discussions of scheduling during off-hours are included in the bill. Unionized workers who have a bargaining agreement with their employer are also excluded from the bill’s provisions. Industries with traditionally late, erratic hours or those that require workers to be

After a comparatively dry fall in Southern California, there was a point last December when it seemed like the fears of a strong, wet El Niño winter may have been overblown. So much for that. In a matter of weeks, a succession of powerful storms flipped the script, dumping a stream of record-setting, intense rainfall across California, much of it on the state’s southwestern region. That wet pattern has continued as winter has given way to spring, with this past weekend’s storm dumping up to 4 inches of rain in some areas — pushing Los Angeles to a new two-year rain total not seen since the late 1800s and forestalling any hope for a quick end to the rainy season. As of Monday morning, downtown Los Angeles had received 52.46 inches of rain in the latest two water years, the second-highest amount in recorded history. The only other two-year October-through-September period — the period for the so-called water year — that saw more rain was from 1888 through 1890, according to the National Weather Service. “When you consider the records since 1877 in downtown L.A.

Russell Westbrook does not like it when his name is disrespected. The Clippers point guard has made himself perfectly clear on the matter. Perhaps opposing fans just haven’t been paying attention. Or, much more likely, they have and are using that information in an attempt to get inside the former league MVP’s head. During halftime of the Clippers’ game in Charlotte on Sunday, Westbrook confronted a man sitting near courtside wearing a Hornets jersey and a light-blue balloon hat. ESPN Charlotte reporter Jeremy Grandison tweeted a video of Westbrook giving the man a tongue-lashing (warning: the video contains profanity). “I got kids, don’t disrespect my name,” Westbrook can be heard telling the fan, who Grandison reported had been “chirping” at the player during the first half. Westbrook contributed 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes off the bench during the Clippers’ 130-118 win over the Hornets. It was at least the fourth time this season Westbrook has taken part in some sort of verbal sparring with members of the crowd. After one of those incidents — which occurred during a November game

Arnel Management Co. has agreed to settle allegations it illegally withheld security deposits, the California attorney general announced Friday. The move came nearly eight years after a Times story detailed reports from tenants who alleged that the major Orange County landlord deducted hundreds of dollars for unneeded cleaning and repairs even when residents left their units spotless. “For many renters, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, affording a security deposit entails a great deal of sacrifice,” Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said in a statement. “We are holding Arnel accountable.” Arnel has 19 apartment complexes in Southern California, with all but one in Orange County. The other is in Los Angeles County. In 2016, the company — then owned by billionaire political power broker George Argyros — was the fifth-largest landlord in Orange County. It’s unclear what Argyros’ current role is with Arnel. The company and its attorney did not return messages seeking comment. Under California law, landlords cannot withhold a deposit to clean an apartment left in the same condition as when a tenant moved in, or to pay for fixing ordinary wear and tear. According

Tourists and locals alike found themselves stranded overnight in Big Sur on Easter weekend after Caltrans shut down a portion of Highway 1 that was falling into the ocean. It was merely the latest time that the outdoor tourist hot spot was nearly cut off from the outside world. Officials discovered a slip-out on the southbound lane early Saturday evening and quickly closed the road to further vehicle travel to assess damage. With the 1.4-mile stretch shut down, there were no other exit roads and about 1,600 people were forced to seek accommodations for the night. Day tripper Eric Adams, a hobbyist landscape photographer and resident of Monterey County, unexpectedly found himself having to sleep in his car. “There were a few moments of people being a little distressed by the prospect of an extended stay without accommodation for food,” Adams said. But the following Sunday morning, Caltrans deemed the northbound lane safe enough to travel and began escorting people out in caravans at the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. “In general everyone was very friendly and making the best of a bad

I’ve been covering women’s sports on and off for more than 20 years — and not just Venus and Serena. Opinion Columnist LZ Granderson LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports and navigating life in America. When boxer Katie Taylor defended her lightweight titles in front of Conor McGregor at TD Garden in Boston back in 2018, I was there. When a new women’s professional football team, the Atlanta Xplosion, had its first season in 2003, I wrote about it. And in 2007, when the NCAA-history-making basketball star was Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris — and not Iowa’s Caitlin Clark — I wrote this about her: “She’s strong and athletic and confident, and she and others like her make a lot of people feel uncomfortable. Particularly men. Consequently magazines, including the one I write for, will always hesitate to put her on the cover even during the height of basketball season despite the fact she’s the best college basketball player in the country. “This is March madness.” I’m glad that 17 years later, as Clark is having her moment, even more people are tuning in. This season

Looking for a career change? If the answer is yes (and you don’t have any nut allergies), Planters wants you to come work for them alongside the famed Mr. Peanut. Planters is searching for three people to join its team on a one-year detail chauffeuring Mr. Peanut around the country, bringing nuts to events and festivals, in the one-of-a-kind “NUTmobile.” Applications are now being accepted to join Mr. Peanut as a member of the Peanutter team that will travel across the country and represent the company at community gatherings and media events. The company says it’s looking for crewmembers, aka Peanutters, who are fun, creative and carefree and who are in search of “life’s next nutty adventure.” “From being the grand marshals of parades to making appearances at community events and grand openings, our Peanutters are fun-loving ambassadors of the iconic Planters brand,” said Patrick Horbas, the company’s director of marketing. This is the third “class” of Peanutters, Horbas said, and this year’s crop will be tasked with “bringing smiles and joy to millions of people they meet every year.” The Planters brand team is in

Two Jan. 6 defendants request remote sentencing, arguing they can’t travel to D.C. – CBS News Watch CBS News Two Jan. 6 defendants, one from Florida and the other from Kentucky, asked to appear in court by video because their Jan. 6 cases have put them on no-fly lists. The Justice Department says the requests should be denied. CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane has more on the case. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Officials celebrated the grand opening of the Antelope Valley’s first county-operated, youth-centered mental health program Monday at its new offices in Palmdale. Theion Perkins, the senior deputy director of Outpatient Care Services for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Services, and Anders Corey, health deputy for Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the 5th District, gave remarks and toured the facilities, alongside program leadership. According to the county, the Antelope Valley Child and Adolescent Program is open to patients up to 21 years of age, providing them and their families with mental health services. The program offers individual, group and family therapy; crisis evaluation and intervention; case management and community linkage; medication evaluation and support; and psychological testing. “Expanding our well-being resources and programs in the Antelope Valley allows us to continue our mission of bringing hope and healing to our youngest residents and their families,” LACDMH Director Lisa H. Wong said in a statement. “We look forward to enhancing our services and supporting the needs of those who call Palmdale and the surrounding communities home.” The facility, located at 2323 E. Palmdale Blvd.

Fast-food workers across the state were celebrating a boost to their minimum wage Monday thanks to a new California law taking effect, but some large chains were considering hiking prices on their menu to cover the costs. The minimum wage jumped to $20 an hour for fast-food workers effective Monday. Backers of the measure — including Gov. Gavin Newsom — have called it essential to provide workers with a livable wage, but restaurant industry officials warned that it could lead to increased prices for consumers, or an increase in the use of technology that could impact jobs. During a virtual Monday morning news conference, representatives of Service Employees International Union, which represents about 2 million workers in healthcare, public sector and property services, and the New York-based Roosevelt Institute think tank insisted that restaurant chains can absorb the increased labor cost without need for raising prices or eliminating positions. The institute issued a report last week concluding that higher wages do not have to translate to higher prices and fewer jobs. “There is one big reason why that is, we actually point to it in

Local News By Jessica Albert , Christian Olaniran , Rohan Mattu , Adam Thompson Updated on: April 1, 2024 / 5:58 PM EDT / CBS Baltimore State leaders describe challenging task of removing bridge from collapse site State leaders describe challenging task of removing bridge from collapse site 03:18 BALTIMORE — A path has been cleared to get ships past the mangled wreckage at the Key Bridge collapse site to the Port of Baltimore. The emergency passageway will allow essential vessels to pass along the Patapsco River near the disaster site.  U.S. Coast Guard Captain David O’Connell, the federal on-scene coordinator for the Unified Response to the bridge collapse, said in an exclusive interview with CBS News that two auxiliary channels are planned to open: one along the northeast section of the channel and one running along the south.  The north side would accommodate boats requiring 10 feet of water or less to operate, while the south side would accommodate boats requiring up to 14 feet. There’s pre-existing debris along the south side of the channel that the Coast Guard is working to remove.  “We’re