West
California entrepreneur who led minimum wage measure 'disappointed' by defeat, vows to fight for working class
Joe Sanberg, the entrepreneur and anti-poverty advocate who spearheaded a recently defeated state ballot measure to raise California’s minimum wage, said he felt “frustrated and disappointed” by the loss, but vowed to continue advocating for struggling Californians.
Proposition 32, which would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $16 to $18 per hour by 2026, narrowly failed at the ballot box 50.8% to 49.2%.
The measure was pushed by Sanberg, a progressive business leader, investor and co-founder of the socially-conscious financial firm Aspiration.
OPPONENTS OF FAILED CALIFORNIA MEASURE TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGE SAY VOTERS ‘MADE THE RIGHT CALL’
Joe Sanberg spearheaded Proposition 32 in an effort to raise California’s minimum wage to $18 per hour. (Fox News Digital)
“I thought it was going to pass by a narrow margin,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’m frustrated and disappointed that we lost by a narrow margin. I also recognize that… people are very angry and frustrated about inflation, and they don’t know who and where to blame.”
“We should all be able to agree that if you work full-time, you should be able to afford life’s basic needs,” he added. “And there are millions of Californians for whom that is not the case.”
Advocates of Prop 32 said roughly 2 million workers, including hotel and grocery store employees, stood to benefit from the measure, The Associated Press reported.
In recent years, California has raised its minimum wage in an effort to offset increased costs for housing, gas and other necessities. In April, fast-food restaurants in the state with 60 or more locations were mandated to start paying their employees at least $20 per hour.
Business groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce, California Restaurant Association and California Grocers Association, opposed Prop 32, saying high labor costs would hurt small businesses, as well as lead to an increase in prices for customers.
“It’s understandable that policymakers, and even many Californians, might be allured and attracted to the concept of a few extra dollars in someone’s pocket, but unfortunately, they did not seem to understand the economic fallout of that kind of concept,” John Kabateck, the California director for the National Federation of Independent Business, told Fox News Digital.
GAVIN NEWSOM: CRITICS SAID CALIFORNIA’S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE WOULD BE A JOB-KILLER. THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED
Proposition 32, which would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $16 to $18 per hour by 2026, narrowly failed at the ballot box 50.8% to 49.2%. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Opponents also argued that raising the minimum wage too fast would result in job losses.
“When a worker loses a job, or the company goes out of business, the wage is ZERO DOLLARS PER HOUR,” business leaders wrote in their official ballot argument.
Sanberg has spent years advocating for anti-poverty legislation and raising awareness about California’s tax credit that helps lift people out of financial uncertainty. Despite the loss at the ballot box, Sanberg said he remained optimistic.
He noted that in Imperial County, which sits east of San Diego on the California-Mexico border, President-elect Trump made significant gains with voters, despite Vice President Kamala Harris winning the overall vote count there.
“It’s clear that working-class voters are in favor of raising the minimum wage. To me, that sends a message about how we can get both parties working toward making work pay better,” Sanberg said.
Moving forward, Sanberg, who grew up with a single parent who struggled financially, said he plans to keep advocating for better pay for workers so they can at least afford the basics.
“I’m open to every approach to get us to that outcome. But that’s the outcome that we ought to pursue. I just can’t imagine that we can be satisfied with anything less than that,” he said. “What is more American than the idea of working full-time and knowing that you can afford your house, your transportation, your food and your health care?”
“That is not some aspiration. That’s a basic covenant that I think all Americans are taught to believe that we have with each other,” he added. “I think that covenant has been broken now for some time for tens of millions of working-class people around the country.”
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Alaska
Gargantuan Rockfish Pulled From The Depths Of Alaska Ocean By Florida Man Is Older Than Your Grandmother
Ryan Izquierdo is a prominent figure in the fishing community with millions of followers social media. His most recent catch, a yelloweye rockfish, is not only the most orange fish you have ever seen, it is (probably) older than your grandmother.
He pulled the dinosaur-sized aquatic creature from the depths of the Pacific Ocean in Alaska.
For someone who has done a lot of fishing in remote locations all over the world to get this excited about a new catch should tell you everything you need to know. It is extremely difficult to catch this specific fish at this size!
Who is Ryan Izquierdo?
If you are a member of the angler community, you might already be familiar with ‘Ryan Iz.’ I compare him to a modern-day Jeremy Wade because he also catches prehistoric-looking fish on a rod and reel and documents his adventures on video.
Instead of a TV show that airs on Animal Planet or Discover Channel, Izquierdo posts on social media. He has more than three million followers on TikTok, 350,000 followers on Instagram and one million subscribers on YouTube.
Ryan Izquierdo travels all over the world to hunt monsters. He spent seven days hunting the world’s fiercest fish in the Amazonian jungle.
He caught some of the biggest golden dorado you will ever see in Argentina.
His recent trip to Texas with Field and Stream saw him catch a literal dinosaur.
However, most of Izquierdo’s time is spent in South Florida. The Sunshine State is home base.
Wherever he goes, big fish follow. Or maybe it’s the other way around?
A yelloweye rockfish caught in Alaska is older than your grandma.
Ryan Izquierdo’s latest fishing trip brought him out to Sitka, Alaska with ‘Cast Alaska’ Charters and Lodge. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Fishing in the most scenic places I’ve ever seen that hold true sea monsters. Every drop feels like it could connect you to a true giant hiding on the bottom. It could take hours, minutes, or not come at all. But when you do connect.. it’s epic!”
Sitka is located in the southernmost region of the state on the Pacific Ocean next to British Columbia near Juneau. The fish were biting!
Izquierdo caught his first Alaskan halibut.
He also reeled in a few different kinds of rockfish. The quillback rockfish absolutely crushed his jig.
The highlight was a yelloweye rockfish— also known as the Pacific red snapper, red rock cod or the Alaskan goldfish. It was over 90 years old and covered in spines. It was the most orange fish Ryan Izquierdo had ever seen.
He mentioned at the end of the video that the yelloweye rockfish was throwing up her stomach. That is because of a phenomenon known as “barotrauma,” which happens because of rapid decompression. These fish live in such deep water where the pressure keeps its organs in place. The air inside its swim bladder rapidly expands as it nears the surface, which pushes other organs like the stomach out of the mouth.
I don’t know whether or not Izquierdo kept this specific fish for his own consumption, because yelloweye rockfish is a highly sought-after table fare, but there is a way to release deep-sea fish back into the water safely. A device called a ‘SeaQualizer’ is used to compress the fish’s air bladder upon release, which allows them to regain neutral buoyancy and swim away.
GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Multiple people have been shot at a popular entertainment spot in Glendale, according to officials with the city’s police department. No suspect or suspects have been caught, police said.
Officers responded to the Westgate Entertainment District, near Glendale and 91st avenues, around 9 p.m. for reports of a shooting.
Police said they believe the injuries are not life-threatening.
Police said the individuals involved may have known one another and this was an isolated incident. No other information was given.
This is a developing story.
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RYE, Colo. (KOAA) — Bishop Castle faces an uncertain, but hopeful, future as the Aspen Acres wildfire burns nearby and its caretaker recovers in the hospital following a fall.
Daniel Bishop, who cares for Bishop Castle — the landmark his father built brick by brick — was admitted to the hospital more than a week ago after a fall. Soon after, evacuation orders came, putting the beloved structure in the Aspen Acres wildfire red zone.
“The whole backdrop of my life just changing from one drastic nightmare to the next,” Daniel said.
His wife, Sage Bishop, described the toll the back-to-back crises have taken on the family.
“We’re used to being in the mountains and working with our hands and doing things and our lives have been turned upside down,” Sage said.
And while recovering, Bishop says he didn’t know what would come of the iconic Colorado landmark.
“By the time the whole scene was printed, it was a nightmare,” Daniel said.
Many people online have been asking whether Bishop Castle survived the fire. The Bishop Castle Facebook page posted that, according to the incident management team, Bishop Castle is still standing.
For Daniel, that news brings only partial relief.
“I generally don’t celebrate until I really know it’s time to celebrate. Until I lay my eyes on the property and know exactly what’s happened,” Daniel said.
He also said fires can be unpredictable, so getting excited about the condition of the castle feels too soon.
“The truth is the fire is still burning, and fires are very predictable, and it could turn around and come back from the other direction,” said Daniel.
But he did say there is some reassuring news on the ground.
“There are actual fire crews there doing their job to protect the castle, there are actually people in there. Boots on the ground and helping out,” Daniel said.
He said he still worries for the many people whose homes are nearby. People who continue to support the family.
“God bless the first responders for every piece of structure, everybody’s property that they managed to save, because we are the fortunate ones in all of this right now. There are so many that have lost everything they had,” Daniel said.
Even with the uncertainty, the family is definitely certain about one thing… Sage said the outpouring of concern from the public has meant a great deal to the family.
“The support from people that care about us is amazing,” Sage said.
The family says Daniel is progressing very well and appreciates the support and kind words from the community. He said he couldn’t get through this without those at Encompass Health Rehabilitation.
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47,000 Acres, 0% Containment, and New Evacuations
The Aspen Acres Fire continues to rage out of control, growing to over 47,000 acres with zero containment. New mandatory evacuations have been issued for the Red Creek area as the fire threatens thousands of structures across multiple counties.
47,000 Acres, 0% Containment, and New Evacuations
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