Immigration and labor:
Stark proposes law helping immigrant foster kids get green cards -- Attempting to avoid situations in which undocumented foster children end up deported, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, proposed a new law this week that would help abused and neglected children get green cards. The bill by Stark and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, would not change federal immigration law, but would force states and local child welfare agencies to pay more attention to an existing law, on the books since 1990. Inside Bay Area 7/31/08
*Is U.S. losing its appeal for illegal immigrants? -- With a stagnating economy and hundreds of miles of new fences along the Mexican border, the United States - and California - may have become a less inviting destination for illegal immigrants from Latin America. Two key signals - an unprecedented slowdown in money sent by immigrants back to Mexico, and a new report that claims the nation's illegal immigrant population has dropped significantly since last summer - indicate a possible change. SJ Mercury 7/31/08
Bill would require paid sick days for most – A bill - AB2716 by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco - was modeled on the paid sick leave law that took effect last year in San Francisco. The bill passed the state Assembly in May and is scheduled for a hearing next week in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Business groups led by the California Chamber of Commerce oppose the sick leave bill, saying it is a complicated and costly mandate that could force companies to cut wages or lay off workers. SF Chronicle 7/31/08
*Sanctuary policy under review -- A call by Mayor Gavin Newsom to change how city departments interpret San Francisco’s Sanctuary City Ordinance was set against a clash outside of City Hall that ended with two arrests. The ordinance became the target of national ridicule after federal authorities learned that juvenile felons weren’t being reported to immigration authorities. Following an impassioned speech in his office Wednesday in which Newsom supported the spirit of the Sanctuary City Ordinance, the mayor said there would likely be changes in the way city departments interpret the ordinance. Examiner 7/31/08
Agriculture:
After 7 Years, Talks on Trade Collapse -- World trade talks collapsed here on Tuesday after seven years of on-again, off-again negotiations, in the latest sign of India’s and China’s growing might on the world stage and the decreasing ability of the United States to impose its will globally. After nine consecutive days of high-level talks, discussions reached an impasse when the United States, India and China refused to compromise over measures to protect farmers in developing countries from greater liberalization of trade. Supporters of the so-called Doha round of talks, which began in 2001, say a deal would have been a bulwark against protectionist sentiments that are likely to spread as economic growth falters in much of the world. NY Times 7/30/08
Food and nutrition:
Restaurant Chains Close as Diners Reduce Spending -- Several national restaurant chains were shuttered on Tuesday, possibly offering an early taste of what’s in store this year for businesses that depend on free-spending consumers whose budgets are now being squeezed. The restaurants are the latest casualties in the so-called casual dining sector, considered a cut above fast food. Soaring food costs and a surfeit of locations have hurt the companies’ bottom lines just as Americans are choosing to take more meals at home. NY Times 7/30/08
Analysts blame easy credit for restaurant woes -- Restaurant companies may have depended too much on easy-to-borrow money to back aggressive expansion plans, industry experts say a move that may lead to more bankrupt chains and fewer new eateries opening in the months to come. AP 7/31/08
Lunch money going online at Sacramento-area schools -- Starting this year in Elk Grove, in a trend spreading throughout the region, parents have a new option for making sure their children get fed at noontime: They can prepay online through a service called myLunchMoney.com. Instead of sending checks or cash to school, they can use debit or credit cards to make payments, and monitor online when accounts need replenishing. Students punch in personal identification numbers to trigger food purchases. Sacramento Bee 7/31/08
Health:
America on pace for 90 percent to be fat by 2030 -- A new study, based on national surveys done over the past three decades, warns that 9 out of ten Americans will be overweight or obese in less than 25 yearsif the nation's weight-gain trends since the 1970s continue until 2030. The research was carried out by scientists at John Hopkins University and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and published online in the journal Obesity. CC Times 7/31/08
West Nile found in Natomas 'sentinel' chicken -- A chicken in Natomas has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District has announced. The "sentinel" chicken is part of 15 six-bird flocks that are maintained in Sacramento and Yolo counties by the district to monitor possible spread of West Nile. The district collects and tests blood samples from the chickens each week. Sacramento Bee 7/31/08
Water:
*51% of Californians back offshore drilling -- A majority of Californians favor more oil drilling off the coast, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday, for the first time since oil prices spiked nearly three decades ago. The support by 51 percent of residents polled this month by the Public Policy Institute of California represents a shift caused by renewed Republican advocacy for drilling as well as motorists' reaction to soaring pump prices, according to the pollster. SF Chronicle 7/31/08
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