Tag: coronavirus

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Tuesday to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour for federal contractors, providing a pay bump to hundreds of thousands of workers.

The United States opened more distance between itself and much of the rest of the world on Thursday, nearing the 200 millionth vaccine administered in a months-long race to protect the population against COVID-19, even as other countries, rich and poor, struggle with stubbornly high infection rates and deaths.

There’s no question that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Golden State’s seniors hard. Californians age 65 and up make up just 15.6% of the state’s overall population, but state data indicates they account for 74% of coronavirus-related deaths. The statistics are even more stark for the very oldest residents — those 80 and up. That group makes up less than 4% of the population but accounts for nearly 40% of fatalities linked to COVID-19.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco school board is poised to reverse a much-criticized decision to purge 44 schools of names it said were linked to racism, sexism or other injustices, a turnaround aimed at avoiding costly litigation and toning down outrage at what critics denounced as ill-timed activism.

California’s Latinos, who have borne the brunt of coronavirus deaths and the pandemic’s economic toll in the state, are a critical voting bloc for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he fights for his political life in a likely recall election driven by criticism of his handling of the health crisis.