In the News

(InMenlo) Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) announced on October 28th that his district office has launched an emergency food drive in response to the federal government shutdown, which could halt SNAP benefits as soon as November 1st. The loss of SNAP (also known as CalFresh) would leave over tens of thousands of people across Senate District 13 — including women, children, and seniors — without critical support to put food on the table.




(NBC Bay Area) The clock is ticking for many Bay Area residents who receive federal food assistance benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Barring a last-minute deal in Washington — or perhaps court intervention — SNAP distribution will be halted in less than 72 hours.

California is among two dozen states suing the Trump administration over the suspension of SNAP funding, and some Bay Area local entities are stepping up to help.




(San Mateo Daily Journal) State Sen. Josh Becker announced that his district office has launched an emergency food drive in response to the federal government shutdown, which could halt SNAP benefits as soon as Nov. 1.




(KCRC) The Select Committee on Economic Development and Technological Innovation held a meeting to examine the impact of artificial intelligence on the state's workforce last week.

“AI has the potential to increase productivity, improve job quality, and even create new categories of work. These are opportunities that if harnessed correctly can strengthen California’s competitiveness and broaden economic growth. Alongside these opportunities are very real risks," said Senator and Committee Commissioner Josh Becker.




(Tahoe Daily Tribune) California has become the first state in the U.S. to make sure your forgotten crypto doesn’t quietly disappear. Earlier this October, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 822, which now stops the automatic liquidation of unclaimed cryptocurrency. Despite this new law being a simple idea, it has a massive impact. If you’re left Ethereum, Bitcoin, or any other crypto token untouched for three years, the state can now keep these coins in their original form as opposed to converting them for cash.




(TCD) California lawmakers have passed a game-changing bill that could potentially save California residents up to $10 billion on energy costs over the next decade.




(The Mercury News) As insurance companies continue to hike rates and cancel coverage for thousands of homeowners across fire-prone parts of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is directing regulators to come up with new solutions to stabilize the state’s spiraling home insurance market.




(The Mercury News) California has an environmental problem.

Companies have built so many solar farms across the state that on many days — particularly in the spring months when sunshine is abundant but demand for air conditioning isn’t very high — they are producing more solar electricity than the state needs. Sometimes the farms have to be shut down because there isn’t enough demand.

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