The Golden State raised minimum wage to $16.90. California cost of living runs about 40% above national average. Some California cities pay higher rates than the new minimum wage. As the cost of ...

On a recent December day, Mark Latino and a handful of his workers spun sheets of vinyl into tinsel for Christmas tree branches. They worked on a custom-made machine that's nearly a century old, ...

Around 8 in 10 households will be putting up Christmas decorations this year, and it's not just the imported artificial trees that will be costing them more. If decorating for the holidays feels more ...

Wide-ranging tariffs implemented by the current presidential administration may be hitting homes in an unexpected way this holiday season: the Christmas tree. Specifically artificial trees, which are ...

Server Clyde Papas waited on a table of customers at the Waipio Big City Diner on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. “It’s slow,” Philips said. “Businesses are not hiring because the economy’s not working. Its ...