Public News Service

The new, free IRS Direct File site offers access to live customer service reps who can answer tax questions. (MargJohnsonVA/Adobestock)

IRS promotes new program to file your taxes for free

This year Californians can file simple tax forms for free and save time to boot, thanks to a new pilot project from the Internal Revenue Service …

San Diego State University is one of 23 California State University campuses. A new grant will simplify the admissions process. (SDSU)

Cal State system wins $750K in Great Admissions Redesign challenge

In the next few years, big changes are coming to the Cal State University admissions process, thanks to a $750-thousand grant from Lumina …

AT&T also wants to give up its designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier, and no longer accept federal funds to provide high-quality, affordable telephone service in low-income areas. (New Africa/Adobestock)

CA to hold hearings on whether AT&T must continue to offer landline service

Time is running out for the public to weigh in on whether AT&T should be allowed to stop offering landline service across most of the Golden State…

Water flows through part of Dos Rios Ranch Preserve. The former farmland now acts as a storage area for floodwaters during wet years. (Cameron Nielsen/Grist)

How can California solve its water woes? By flooding its best farmland

By Jake Bittle for Grist.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration Th…

Waymo is currently offering a free introductory ride-share service in Los Angeles and uses a paid model in San Francisco. (Waymo)

Backlash after regulators permit robotaxis on LA, SF freeways

A bill to grant local cities the ability to regulate autonomous vehicles is getting a lot more attention after the California Public Utilities Commiss…

A report from the Public Policy Institute of California found that shoplifting rose more than 28% in 2022 after dipping during the pandemic, but remains 8% below its pre-pandemic level. (Mihail/Adobe Stock)

Hearing on CA retail theft draws diverse views

California lawmakers are considering a range of options to combat a rise over the last two years of felony retail theft - large-scale shoplifting - an…

Asian Health Services in Oakland, like many community health centers, tailors healthcare to their region, with culturally competent staff who speak multiple languages. (Asian Health Center)

Community health leaders press Congress for more stable funding

Community Health Center leaders are pleading with Congress to pass a budget deal by March 8 to avoid a partial government shutdown - arguing that the …

An online presentation for Safer Internet Day today will address topics such as artificial intelligence, media literacy, civility, cyberbullying, respect and the dangers of online predators. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

On Safer Internet Day, experts offer tips to protect your family

Today is Safer Internet Day, a day to focus on ways to help your family thrive in the digital age. The National Parent Teacher Association and a …

Millions expected to wear red today for start of 'American Heart Month'

Today is National Wear Red Day, part of American Heart Month in February. Lots of celebrities and news anchors will be wearing red, and many iconic …

Leaders at the Community Action Program of San Luis Obispo said they would like to have more Section 8 vouchers to be able to find permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. (CAPSLO)<br /><br />

Community leaders call for more housing to combat rising poverty

January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month and community action agencies across the state are working to change lives for the 5 million Ca…

The California Public Utilities Commission rejected a plan by So Cal Edison to help consumers buy new appliances, like electric heat pumps, arguing current state and federal programs are sufficient. (Arnt Brandseth/Wikimedia Commons)

CA Public Utilities Commission rejects electrification plan, draws criticism

The California Public Utilities Commission rejected Southern California Edison's plan to help families trade in their gas appliances for electric…

The Health4All coalition has pushed for many years for full-scope Medi-Cal for all income-eligible Californians regardless of immigration status. (Health4All Coalition)

Medi-Cal immigration status exclusion ends Monday

Starting Monday, California becomes the first state to cover health care for all income-eligible people regardless of their age or immigration status…

Una nueva encuesta revela que s�lo el 18% de los votantes que hab�an completado una directiva anticipada o testamento en vida la hab�an compartido tanto con su apoderado de atenci�n m�dica como con su m�dico. (WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

Encuesta revela discriminación rampante en la atención médica

Según una nueva encuesta." patrocinada por Compassion & Choices, el cual es un grupo de defensa para los cuidados al final de la vida, el 25% de …

A new poll finds that 45% of voters with an advance directive or living will have shared it with their healthcare proxy but just 18% have shared it with their doctor as well. (WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

Survey finds rampant discrimination in health care

In a new poll, 25% of voters say they have "personally experienced or witnessed discrimination in health care due to race, ethnicity, gender…

Around 28% of clients at community-development financial institutions across the United States are rural and 47% are women. (Luis G. Vergara/Adobestock)

Feds tighten rules on new community-development financial institutions

The federal government is increasing oversight on Community Development Financial Institutions, making the application process more rigorous to weed …

Congress is considering a bill to ease the tax burden on consumers who win a judgment in fraud cases. (Pakhnyushchyy/Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers propose bill to stop double taxation after fraud lawsuits

Democrats in Congress reintroduced legislation this week to protect consumers who win lawsuits against big corporations from being overtaxed by the In…

Los expertos en prevenci�n de fraudes aconsejan a las personas que verifiquen si est�n siendo manipulados o que compren tarjetas de regalo en l�nea directamente de la empresa. (Kenishirotie/Adobestock)

Expertos en fraude de AARP aconsejan cómo evitar estafas navideñas

Los estafadores navideños están mejorando su juego este año, según los expertos de AARP FraudWatch Network. Los malos actores …

Fraud-prevention experts advise people to check for tampering or buy gift cards online directly from the company. (Kenishirotie/Adobe Stock)

AARP fraud experts promote tips on avoiding holiday scams

Holiday scammers are upping their game this year, according to experts at the AARP FraudWatch Network. Bad actors bombard people with emails…

Last year Americans gave about $3.1 billion on Giving Tuesday, 15% more than in 2021. (DM/Adobe Stock)

On Giving Tuesday, tips to make sure scammers don't get your donation

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day when millions of Americans are expected to make charitable donations. But it can also be a field day for scammers…

The new California state budget made it possible to 'zero out' hospital deductibles in Silver plans for people with incomes under 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, saving people about $5,400 next year. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Open enrollment in CoveredCA health insurance marketplace begins today

If you do not have health insurance or if your employer-sponsored plan is too expensive, you may be in luck. Open enrollment starts today for the …

The Biden administration and the credit bureaus have announced a plan to clear an estimated 70% of negative medical debt from consumer credit reports. (Adobe Stock)

During Health Literacy Month, protect yourself from big hospital bills

October is Health Literacy Month and advocates are speaking out against big hospital bills. Studies show about two-thirds of bankruptcies in the U.S…

Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, speaks with Andy Naja-Riese of the Agricultural Institute of Marin at the Clement Street Farmer's Market in San Francisco. (Felice Thorpe)

Anti-hunger advocates seek federal funds, honor CA lawmaker

Groups that fight hunger are calling for a fair shake in the upcoming farm bill, which provides federal matching funds for programs that help low-…

A new report looks at best practices in artificial intelligence, which is used for myriad applications including facial recognition programs. (DedMityay/Adobestock)

Companies establish standards to build trust in artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is growing quickly, so companies such as Google, Amazon, Verizon, Microsoft and more have come together to establish best …

El gobernador Gavin Newsom tiene hasta el s�bado para firmar o vetar cualquier proyecto de ley, incluido uno que cambiar�a los l�mites de las demandas sobre veh�culos defectuosos. (Patcharanan/Adobe Stock)

Grupos de consumidores y seguridad automotriz urgen vetar ley para cambiar límites en demandas judiciales

Grupos que luchan por los consumidores y la seguridad automotriz llaman al gobernador Gavin Newsom a vetar un proyecto de ley que, según ellos…

Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Saturday to sign or veto any bill, including one that would change the limits on lawsuits over defective vehicles. (Patcharanan/Adobe Stock)

Consumer, auto safety groups urge veto on bill to change lawsuit limits

Groups that fight for consumers and auto safety are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to veto a bill that they say would make it harder for Californians wh…

Experts recommend checking into telehealth offerings when researching health plans ahead of the open-enrollment period. (Rido/Adobestock)

Health Care Open Enrollment Season is Here

It's open-enrollment season for most health-care plans - meaning within the next month and a half, you can make changes to your health plan. Open …

Cars under a federal safety recall with unrepaired defects are often listed for sale online, with a notice hidden on a secondary page warning that some cars may have unrepaired safety recalls. (Montira/Adobestock)

CA Advocates Call for Crackdown on Sales of Defective Cars

Car dealers regularly advertise cars with unrepaired safety recall defects in California, even though it is illegal for dealers to sell or even offer …

Los datos muestran que el 72 % de los ni�os inscritos en la cobertura de salud de Medi-Cal son ni�os de color. (Creativa Images/Adobestock)

Miles de niños de CA pierden cobertura de Medi-Cal cada mes

Durante el próximo año, se espera que alrededor de 2.3 millones de californianos, un millón de ellos niños, pierdan Medi-Cal…

Data show that 72% of kids enrolled in Medi-Cal health coverage are children of color. (Creativa Images/Adobestock)

Thousands of CA Children Losing Medi-Cal Each Month; Most Still Eligible

Over the coming year about 2.3 million Californians, a million of them children, are expected to lose Medi-Cal, which is health insurance coverage …

According to the Wireless Industry Association, in 2022 the United States had more than 142,000 cell towers and more than 450,000 outdoor small cell nodes. (Kinwun/Adobestock)

Advocates Criticize Proposal to Limit Local Control Over 5G Equipment

Consumer groups are fighting a proposal in Congress which would fast-track installation of 5G high-speed wireless internet equipment by limiting local…

The Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act caps Covered California premium costs at 8.5% of income. About one-fifth of those enrolled pay no premiums. (Utah51/Adobestock)

CA Announces More Health Plan Subsidies as 2024 Rates Rise

New health care subsidies for low-income families are expected to soften the impact of rising premiums. On Tuesday CoveredCA announced premiums will …

The average family of four in California could end up spending almost $1,300 per month on groceries, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Adobe Stock)

CA Works to Root Out Price Gouging on Groceries

Attorneys general from more than 30 states - including California - just announced a bipartisan effort to bring down costs and create more choices at …

Las autoridades afirman que los estudiantes universitarios de California sufren cada vez m�s ataques de phishing, donde los estafadores intentan enga�ar a un estudiante para que les d� dinero o sus datos de acceso. (rawpixel/Adobe stock)

Estudio: Universitarios cada vez más víctimas de phishing y ciberestafas

Estudios muestran que los estudiantes universitarios son cada vez más un objetivo de las estafas de phishing, y los profesionales de la …

Officials say California college students are increasingly under attack by phishing attacks, where scammers try to fool a student into giving them money or their login information. (rawpixel/Adobe stock)

Study: College Students Increasingly Victimized by Phishing, Cyberscams

Studies show that college students are a target for phishing scams, and cybersecurity professionals say swindlers are increasingly targeting …

El Tiny Caf� in Berkeley is one of many small businesses supported by a CDFI loan. (Working Solutions)

New System to Resell Small Business Loans Helps Women, People of Color

A new system of bundling and reselling small-business loans is funneling millions to companies owned by women, people of color, immigrants and others …

A study from Peterson-KFF found 73% of ambulance rides for people working for large employers include an out-of-network charge. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Proposal on 'Surprise' Ambulance Bills Moves through CA Legislature

Sometimes, patients who call an ambulance end up getting stuck with a big bill because the ambulance company does not have a contract with their …

The nonprofit Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety opposes Senate Bill 71, on the grounds it weakens protections for people who end up with a lemon car, and could limit attorney's fees and thus make it harder for harmed consumers to obtain representation.

Consumer Groups Oppose Changes to Court Rules in CA

Consumer groups in California are speaking out against a proposed bill which would change the amount you can sue or be sued over in limited-jurisdicti…

Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster General of the United States. (Duplessis/Wikimedia Commons)

USPS to Celebrate National Postal Worker Day Saturday

This Saturday is National Postal Worker Day and Postage Stamp Day, a time to appreciate the effort it takes to process millions of packages and …

Dairy farmers are proposing a nationwide incentive-based plan that balances milk production with market demand and pays a minimum to cover farmers' costs. (Freund)

Dairy Farmers Press for National Plan to Stabilize Milk Prices

Dairy farms have been going out of business left and right in California and across the country - in part, they say, because milk prices are so …

Los expertos advierten contra la transferencia de dinero o el env�o de tarjetas de regalo o criptomonedas a cualquiera que se ponga en contacto de la nada para exigir un pago. (Butsaya/Adobe Stock)

CA Expertos ofrecen consejos para prevenir abuso financiero a personas mayores

Los expertos dicen que uno de cada diez estadounidenses adultos mayores experimenta abuso, negligencia o explotación, y la categoría de m…

Experts warn against wiring money or sending gift cards or cryptocurrency to anyone who makes contact out of the blue to demand a payment. (Butsaya/Adobe Stock)

CA Experts Offer Tips to Prevent Elder Financial Abuse

Experts said one in 10 older Americans experiences abuse, neglect or exploitation, and the fastest-growing category is financial abuse. Rob Bonta…

Un caso ante la Corte Suprema del Estado de California analiza si una persona que ha sido nombrada agente de atenci�n m�dica en una instrucci�n anticipada tiene la capacidad legal para firmar un acuerdo de arbitraje solicitado por un centro de enfermer�a especializado. (Shishkin137/Adobe Stock)

Escritos de Amicus presentados en caso de arbitraje de abuso de personas de la tercera edad de CA

Esta semana, cuatro grupos de defensa han presentado un informe amicus curiae en un caso ante la Corte Suprema de California que involucra …

A case before the California State Supreme Court looks at whether a person who has been named a health care agent in an advance directive has the legal standing to sign an arbitration agreement requested by a skilled nursing facility. (Shishkin137/Adobe Stock)

Amicus Briefs Filed in CA Elder Abuse, Arbitration Case

This week, four advocacy groups have filed an amicus brief in a case before the California Supreme Court involving allegations of elder abuse and the …

A 2014 study predicted one million new homes will be built in very high wildfire severity zones between the years 2000 and 2050. (Sundry Photography/Adobestock)

Experts: Wildfire Risk Hurting CA Home Values, Increasing Insurance Costs

It is getting increasingly expensive to have a home on the edge of the woods in California, in terms of home value and insurance costs. A new study …

Los datos de los Centros para el Control y la Prevenci�n de Enfermedades muestran que en 2021, casi el 16 % de los estudiantes de secundaria informaron haber sido intimidados a trav�s de mensajes de texto o redes sociales. (myboys.me/Adobestock)

Sindicato de maestros pide investigación sobre redes sociales

Meta, la empresa matriz de Facebook e Instagram, está ignorando las solicitudes para investigar el efecto que tienen sus plataformas de redes …

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that in 2021, almost 16% of high school students reported being bullied through texting or social media. (myboys.me/Adobestock)

Teachers' Union Calls for Social Media Investigation

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is brushing off calls to investigate the effect its social media platforms have on children's …

A new petition calls on the FDA to analyze exposure to wireless radiation, especially children in modern classrooms equipped with routers and laptops. (Seventyfour/Adobeststock)

Advocates Call on FDA to Follow Law on Wireless Radiation

In 1968, Congress passed a law requiring the Food and Drug Administration to minimize people's exposure to wireless radiation, but the agency dropped …

Lawmakers have requested an analysis of the impact of an insurance mandate for kids' hearing aids from the California Health Benefits Review Program. The report is due June 7. (Peakstock/Adobestock)<br />

Calls Grow to Require Insurance Companies to Cover Kids’ Hearing Aids

Groups fighting for children's health are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers to require insurance companies to cover hearing aids and related …

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