California

Banc of California Courts Startups

Published

2 years ago

June 3, 2024

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Brentwood-based Banc of California last month launched a new service targeting startups in early stages.

Dubbed Build@Banc, this program looks to lure startups at seed and early-stage funding rounds.

The details remain scant, but the bank said this program will aid entrepreneurs from initial investments to initial public offerings.

“We want companies to start with us, stay with us and grow with us – from inception to IPO and beyond,” said Sean Lynden, president of venture banking at Banc of California.

Lynden led Pacwest’s expansive venture banking division prior to its merger with Banc of California last year. Its portfolio of high-growth startups included Picsart, Navitas Semiconductor and MomentFeed.

Banc of California’s service launch comes after the broader financial industry heightened its scrutiny on both startups and venture capital firms following the dramatic collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last year.

Financial institutions with venture capital arms have continued to fund startups, but investment criteria now weigh the economic resiliency of innovations in addition to disruption capability.

Citi Ventures, one of the largest players in corporate venture capital, has homed in on cash flow, burn rates and paths to profitability in its investment thesis.

Capitol One Ventures is now focused on startups that can offer strategic advantages to Capitol One’s other business lines — a push towards practical over unconventional risk.

Jared Wolff, chief executive Banc of California, previously said the valuation correction following sharp interest rate hikes hasn’t necessarily hurt the bank’s business.

Banc of California provides bridge capital – essentially loans between rounds of capital raises that offer liquidity as companies meet with investors.

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Related Topics:Banc of California Featured Jared Wolff Seed funding startups

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California

California warns against Fresno company’s raw cheddar after multistate E. coli outbreak

Published

3 hours ago

March 21, 2026

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California warns against Fresno company’s raw cheddar after multistate E. coli outbreak

Saturday, March 21, 2026 11:35PM

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The California Department of Public Health is advising consumers and businesses not to eat, serve, or sell raw cheddar cheese manufactured and distributed by Fresno-based company ‘RAW FARM.’

The products involved are “RAW FARM” block and shredded varieties from the facility located on Jameson Avenue.

The Food and Drug Administration says at least seven people total have gotten sick in Texas, California, and Florida. More than half of the illnesses are in children.

The FDA has suggested that the farm remove its raw cheese products from the market. The CDC is suggesting people consider not eating the cheese.

However, the company has declined, while also refusing to comply with a mandatory recall.

More information on the outbreak can be found on the FDA’s and CDC’s websites.

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California

I booked a bedroom and a roomette on the same overnight Amtrak train. The bedroom is worth the splurge for longer rides.

Published

15 hours ago

March 21, 2026

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I booked a bedroom and a roomette on the same overnight Amtrak train. The bedroom is worth the splurge for longer rides.

If you’re traveling somewhere between Chicago and San Francisco, I highly suggest making a trip of it by taking the California Zephyr, an incredibly scenic overnight Amtrak train through the American West.

I’ve ridden it twice. In January 2025, I took a 15-hour leg of the route from Denver to Salt Lake City and booked a roomette for $400. Then, in February 2026, I took the entire 53-hour journey from Chicago to Emeryville, California, and booked a bedroom for $2,200.

If you’re wondering if the bedroom was worth the upgrade, I think it depends on how long your trip is. But I’ll give you all the details so you can decide for yourself.

I’ve taken two overnight train trips aboard the California Zephyr.

A parked double-decker Amtrak train on a platform with a mountain in the background — The California Zephyr stopped at a platform in Colorado.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The California Zephyr is a double-decker Amtrak Superliner train that runs between Chicago and Emeryville, California.

The train has coach cars with regular seating and sleeper cars with private cabin accommodations — roomettes (the lowest tier), bedrooms, and bedroom suites (two joined bedrooms). There are also larger, family-sized bedrooms and accessible bedrooms.

First, I stayed in a roomette for a 15-hour trip from Colorado to Utah.

The author sits with her feet up in an Amtrak roomette looking out a window to the left — The author relaxes in a roomette on the California Zephyr.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

For the shorter journey from Denver to Salt Lake City, I booked a roomette for $400. With two seats and two beds, the roomette sleeps up to two passengers, though I was traveling alone.

Then I booked a bedroom for a 53-hour trip from Illinois to California.

The author standing smiling in the Amtrak bedroom with a bunk bed in the background — The author enjoys a bedroom in the California Zephyr.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I booked a bedroom for the full journey from Chicago to Emeryville for $2,200. The bedroom is roughly twice the size of a roomette and also includes a full bathroom. The bedroom also sleeps two, but again, I was traveling solo.

At 50 square feet, the bedroom was more than twice the size of the roomette.

Inside an Amtrak bedroom with two seats across from eachother in front of a wide window — Inside the bedroom accommodation.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The bedroom had a couch and a seat facing each other, with a table between them. I appreciated having a couch for the longer trip because I could stretch out and relax during the day.

I also liked that there was a bit more floor space in the bedroom.

In the roomette, the two chairs folded down to form a lower bunk.

A composite image of two train seats converted into a bed with a blue blanket — Seats in the roomette folded down into a bed.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The bed was cushy and wide enough to snuggle up comfortably.

In the bedroom, the couch folded down to form a cot that appeared to be slightly wider than the roomette bunk.

A composite image of the bottom bunk in the Amtrak bedroom with sheets and a blue blanket on top, and the author lying in bed looking out the window — The author rests in the lower bunk in the bedroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The lower bunk in the bedroom felt more spacious than the one in the roomette.

Both rooms also had a top bunk that pulled down from the ceiling.

The author lays on the top bunk in an Amtrak bedroom. There's a couch below and a ladder on the left — The author relaxes in the bedroom’s top bunk.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Since I had two nights in the bedroom, I spent one night in each bunk.

The bedroom had a full en suite bathroom.

A composite image of a toilet behind a shower and a sink and vanity with a storage cabinet on the right in an Amtrak bedroom — The bathroom inside the bedroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Inside the bedroom, there was a sink and vanity with a built-in cabinet where I found hand towels, soaps, toilet paper, and space to store my own toiletries. The toilet and shower were in a tiny space separated by a door.

For two nights on a train, I was thankful to have my own shower.

Roomette passengers shared a bathroom and a shower with other sleeper cabin passengers.

A composite image of a glass shower door with a skyline etching on it and the inside of the shower — The shared shower in the sleeper car.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Since I only spent 15 hours in the roomette, I didn’t mind not having a bathroom in my room. I didn’t use the shared shower; instead, I washed up once I arrived at my destination.

The bedroom had more storage space than the roomette.

A composite image of luggage storage in the roomette and bedroom — Storage in the roomette (left) and bedroom (right).

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Each room had a mini closet with two hangers inside, as well as a shelf that appeared to be for storing luggage. In the roomette, the shelf was only large enough for my backpack, but in the bedroom, it held my carry-on suitcase.

On both trips, I also had access to shared luggage storage space in the train car.

The bedroom also had a larger mirror.

A composite image of the author in mirrors in the roomette and bedroom — The mirror in the roomette (left) and the bedroom (right).

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Both rooms had mirrors, but the roomette mirror was shorter and thinner. So I appreciated the wide, full-length mirror in the bedroom. It wasn’t just convenient for getting ready — it also made the space feel larger.

Both bookings included meals.

Inside an empty train dining car with blue booths — Inside the dining car on the California Zephyr.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Passengers had the option of eating in the dining car or in their rooms.

I think I booked the right room for each trip.

A composite image of the author sitting in a seat inside an Amtrak train's roomette accommodation, looking out a window on the left, and the inside of an Amtrak bedroom with a sofa and closet on the left, a sink on the right, and a sliding door with a curtain in the middle — The author in the roomette (left) and a peek inside the bedroom (right).

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The bedroom served me well for the two-night journey, and I would splurge on it for any Amtrak trip 24 hours or longer. I think it’s worth the added price for the extra space and full bathroom.

At the same time, I’m glad I booked the roomette for the 15-hour journey. It was a short trip compared to other overnight rides, so sacrificing some comforts and privacy to save money was a good move for me.

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California

Two California Powerhouse Football Programs Will Clash For First Time Since 2015

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

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Two California Powerhouse Football Programs Will Clash For First Time Since 2015

Two of California’s most storied high school football programs are set to clash this upcoming 2026 season.

Concord De La Salle will host Corona Centennial on September 25 this upcoming fall in a supreme NorCal versus SoCal matchup. It will be the first time the two programs play against each other since they met in the 2015 state championship. De La Salle won 28-21.

De La Salle (12-1 in 2025) is coming off another championship season after winning the North Coast Section Open Division title with a 24-17 win over Pittsburg.

Centennial (11-2) didn’t take home any silverware, but had one of the program’s most successful seasons after beating Mater Dei twice and earning its way to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final.

WHAT MAKES THE MATCHUP LEGENDARY?

When considering the winning tradition and history of each program, it’s not hard to dial this game up as a marquee matchup. It will certainly be labeled the ‘Game of the Week’ locally and regionally, and maybe even nationally.

De La Salle is most notably known for its historic 151-game winning streak from 1992 to 2004. The program has won 40 CIF North Coast Section titles, 18 CIF State titles, and six national championships, according to the school’s website.

Centennial has won 10 CIF Southern Section championships, all under coach Matt Logan. The Huskies won a CIF State title in 2008, and that win came over De La Salle led by NFL linebacker

COACHING PEDIGREE

The coaching matchup makes this game special, too. But there’s where Centennial might have the edge with Matt Logan, who has more than 300 wins in his career along with 10 CIF titles.

Logan became just the 15th coach in California history to reach the 300-win mark this past October. Simi Valley’s Jim Benkert, who currently sits at 314, is the only other active coach, according to history records kept by CalHiSports. Logan started at Centennial in 1997.

De La Salle’s Justin Alumbaugh will enter his 14th season at the helm this coming fall. He’s won the top division in the North Coast Section every year since he’s been at the controls. Alumbaugh holds a career coaching record of 148-21.