Labor
Opinion: Jon & Vinny’s defense of 18% ‘service fee’ makes no sense to readers
Los Angeles Times 7/1
In a week where the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, ruled that wedding website designers can turn away same-sex couples and scuttled the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program, the issue that has drawn some of the most impassioned responses from readers has been … restaurant service fees?
The bizarre revival of the Industrial Welfare Commission
The Orange County Register 6/30
This year, lawmakers have used the budget process to sabotage a referendum that will appear on the November 2024 ballot. That measure will offer voters the opportunity to decide the fate of Assembly Bill 257, a law passed last year that creates a “Fast Food Council” within the state Department of Industrial Relations.
Food Industry Policy
California bacon law takes effect but pork from farms using cages will still be on shelves
Associated Press 6/30
A California law approved by voters that promises to get breeding pigs out of narrow cages that prevent them from standing or turning will finally take effect Saturday, after years of delays and warnings that the rules could lead to price spikes and pork shortages.
Court ruling puts natural gas bans in the San Diego Area on hold
The San Diego Union-Tribune 7/1
Two years ago, city officials in Encinitas passed a sweeping ordinance that banned natural gas hookups in all new construction, including homes, within its city limits. But in the wake of a recent federal appellate court ruling in the Bay Area, Encinitas has suspended its prohibition for now, and city governments in other parts of the San Diego area who were poised to adopt similar measures have put their plans on hold.
On the Side
20-plus new restaurants open around Sacramento. Here’s where to find your next meal
The Sacramento Bee 7/3
June brought 21 new restaurants around Sacramento, with the majority of them opening in communities surrounding the capital city.
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers
Los Angeles Times 7/1
Now that sunny skies appear here to stay, we’re taking advantage of the city’s green spaces for grilling and outdoor feasts. Bricia Lopez, restaurateur and co-author of the cookbook “Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling,” with L.A. Taco editor Javier Cabral, schooled us in her carne asada traditions at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, inviting L.A. Times Food general manager Laurie Ochoa and other friends to join in the fun, with recipes.
