In this or any other decade, travel has never been cheap—or easy. Many people enlist the services of a professional to make their arrangements. This collaboration enables travelers to get the best value with the added bonus of expert advice on flights, accommodations and experiences—making a vacation feel more like…
Government
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10 minutes of your time mean a decade of difference for your community Ten minutes of your time can create 10 years of impact: That’s what your U.S. Census answers mean. By participating in the Census, your answers to nine basic questions will help guide lawmakers, business owners, and many…
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DCA NewsGovernment
New Law Encourages More Californians to Serve on Public Boards, Bureaus, and Commissions
SB 225 promotes civic participation by state residents, regardless of U.S. citizenship or immigration status The Department of Consumer Affairs’ (DCA) boards and bureaus work to ensure all California residents receive safe, licensed, and regulated professional services. And thanks to a new law, more California residents can help uphold that…
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BeautyGovernment
Self-Acceptance: The Mane Reason to Add Hair Love to Your Life
by June Vargasby June VargasSix minutes and 47 seconds. That’s the running time of Hair Love, Karen Rupert Toliver and Matthew A. Cherry’s animated film that took home the Oscar for Best Animated Short at the 2020 Academy Awards. It might have been a short, but the message was big. And multifaceted. And very…
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The first tax season under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is in full swing, and some filers have been surprised to see smaller than expected refunds. According to the IRS, the average refund as of February 8 is $1949, down $186 from the same time last year. The…
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As the new year approaches, so do new laws that will affect the lives of Californians. Here’s a sampling of legislation signed in 2018 by Gov. Jerry Brown (laws not taking effect Jan. 1 are noted): Doctor Disclosures—SB 1448 (Hill): When doctors in California are placed on probation for things…
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The 2018 California Legislative session saw more than 1000 bills signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on topics ranging from net neutrality to gender discrimination, climate change to plastic straws, and, of course… cannabis. Cannabis-related legislation was a cornerstone of the legislative session. Some new laws offered minor language…
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Tired of the jolt to your system when you “spring forward” and “fall back” because of time changes? California voters will have the chance to make daylight saving time year-round when they go to the polls in November. Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 807 in June to put the…
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More than 1.2 million Californians have claimed the California Earned Income Tax Credit (Cal EITC) in 2018—nearly tripling the number of claims from the previous year. The Cal EITC is available to qualified, low-income tax filers, who may be eligible for as much as $6,000—money that can be used to…
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Millions of working Californians are leaving money on the table at tax time. One of the most effective tools for lifting families out of poverty, the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) put nearly $200 million directly into the hands of 400,000 working Californians last year. Qualified tax filers are…