California
Rubio’s closing 48 California locations due to ‘rising cost of doing business’
(The Center Square) – San-Diego based Mexican fast food chain Rubio’s Coastal Grill is shutting down 48 California locations, citing the “rising cost of doing business” as a factor in its rationale. Business leaders point to the state’s $20 per hour fast food minimum wage, which took effect in April, as a major new pressure point for businesses operating in the state.
“Rubio’s Coastal Grill…after a thorough review of its operations and the current business climate, has decided to close 48 underperforming locations in California as of May 31, while keeping 86 stores in California, Arizona, and Nevada open,” said the privately-owned chain in a statement.
California’s $20 per hour fast food minimum wage took effect on April 1, and is blamed for 9,500 lost jobs through the end of April, representing a 1.3% decrease since September 2023. In addition to layoffs, fast food chains are utilizing greater automation and price increases to offset higher labor costs.
Because fast food is such a large, visible sector of minimum wage employment, small businesses say they also face pressure to raise wages to compete for the same pool of minimum wage workers.
“We need to start calling out our state’s role more often as a contributing reason ‘underperforming’ fast-food franchises are being closed by their parent companies,” said National Federation of Independent Business California Director John Kabateck to The Center Square.
“We now have a crazy quilt of minimum-wage laws that make it impossible to hire with any certainty sales will match expenses, paid leave proposals making the retention of employees more and more difficult, and higher unemployment insurance taxes, all of which make throwing in the towel more appealing than trying to stay open for business.”
California currently has the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 5.3%.
CHICO, Calif. — A shooting at a library in Northern California on Monday left two people dead and a suspect is in custody, according to police.
Police responded to a 911 call soon after 5 p.m. in which the sounds of gun shots and people screaming could be heard coming from inside the Chico branch of the Butte County Library, Billy Aldridge, the city’s chief of police, said during a news conference.
Once officers were inside the library, the suspect fled out of the back, he said. Additional law enforcement behind the library took the suspect into custody, according to Aldridge.
“The incident this evening was obviously very sad, traumatic for a lot of people. Very traumatic for our community,” he said.
The streets around the library were closed temporarily and a family reunification center was set up for the people who were inside the building.
A child was also taken to the hospital with a minor injury.
Aldridge said there is no serious threat to the public and law enforcement are investigating the shooting.
The police didn’t release the suspect’s name nor details on what prompted the shooting. Law enforcement said they believe the shooter acted alone.
Law enforcement are also not releasing the names of the people killed until next of kin have been notified.
The county urged the public to avoid the area and said all Butte County library branches will be closed Tuesday.
The county in a post on Facebook offered “deepest condolences to everyone affected, including the victims, their loved ones, library staff, and all those impacted by this heartbreaking incident.”
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — A 12-year-old boy is dead and another child was hospitalized after two unleashed dogs attacked a group of children at Central Park in California City on Friday, June 18.
California City Mayor Edwin Hawkins said police responded to the scene after reports that four children had been mauled.
Fernando Torres Moreno, 12, jumped into a nearby lake to escape the charging dogs. Officers pulled Fernando from the water, and he was taken to the hospital, where he died the next day.
A second child suffered serious, though non-life-threatening, dog bite wounds and has since been released from the hospital. Two additional children were shaken but did not require medical treatment.
Authorities say the dogs, both mixed breed, were off-leash but in the presence of their owner when the attack unfolded.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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California’s high school baseball season may be over, but that means football season is on the horizon.
In just a matter of weeks, California’s top programs will return to the field looking to make their mark in one of the nation’s most competitive high school football landscapes.
The 2025 season delivered plenty of memorable moments, from Santa Margarita’s CIF Open Division State Championship Bowl Game title and a No. 3 spot in USA TODAY Sports’ Super 25 football rankings to major offseason roster moves. Now, a new stage is set as teams look to earn their way to the top stages in high school football.
When do teams return to action for the 2026 season? Here are all the dates to know:
California high school football season start dates: CIF
First practice date: July 27, 2026
Date of first games: Aug. 21, 2026
High school football practices for teams competing within the CIF in “Week 0” games get underway on July 27, 2026, with the date of the first games set for Aug. 21. Teams who have a bye in their schedule will play on this timeline.
Teams that do not have a bye in their schedule, and therefore do not have a “Week 0” game, will kick off on Aug. 28 with their first practice date set for Aug. 3.
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