California lost 156,300 jobs in the first half of 2024, according to the latest federal quarterly payroll data, contradicting Governor Gavin Newsom’s optimistic claims about job growth in the state. While Newsom’s office had highlighted preliminary job survey data, which often overestimates employment numbers, the finalized payroll data shows a starkly different picture. In January, California’s payroll data counted 18,037,900 jobs, but by June, that number had dropped to 17,881,600, reflecting a significant job loss.
President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the sentence of Rita Crundwell, the woman behind the largest municipal embezzlement scandal in U.S. history, has ignited outrage in the small community of Dixon, Illinois.
Mark Zuckerberg has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, the Wall Street Journal reports. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the donation but declined to provide an additional comment.
President Joe Biden issued 39 pardons and commuted nearly 1,500 sentences on Thursday, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in U.S. history. The move affects Americans convicted of non-violent crimes, with the White House citing rehabilitation and contributions to community safety as reasons for the clemency.
Democrat Todd Gloria has officially begun his second term as mayor of San Diego this week. Gloria, who was voted as the city's first person of color and first LGBTQ+ mayor, was sworn in during the City of San Diego’s 75th Inauguration Ceremony at the Jacobs Music Center at Copley Symphony Hall.
Joe Biden delivered remarks on his administration’s economic record Tuesday at the Brookings Institution, making the questionable assertion that President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a “strong economy.” Biden expressed hope that the incoming administration would “preserve and build” on his policies.
An illness called "Disease X" spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo has led to 31 deaths. There are more than 400 cases of the illness, according to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO).