State California Financial News

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—For years, this kingdom’s Islamic clerics waged a war on videogames, banning popular titles such as “Pokémon" for promoting blasphemy, violence and laziness. Now, Saudi Arabia is pouring $40 billion into a bid to become a world leader in a videogame industry beloved by its booming youth population.

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released on Thursday, it foresees a reduction in battery costs by half during this decade, declining from $151 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2022 to a range of $60 to $90 per kWh. This cost decrease is expected to make electric vehicles cost-competitive with petrol cars in all markets by 2030, not only in terms of purchase price but also in running costs. Reportedly, batteries constitute a significant expense, making up approximately 40% of the total cost of an electric vehicle (EV).

Huntington Beach, Calif., arrested a minor on Tuesday for a string of “intentional hit-and-run incidents” that left one dead and two injured.The spree of hit and runs took place over the course of an hour on Sunday night, according to a press release from the Huntington Beach Police Department.The “male juvenile,” who wasn’t named by police, allegedly drove into a cyclist at the crosswalk of Warner Avenue and Edwards Street at around 10 p.m. before fleeing the scene.

Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal firearms charges, the latest and weightiest step yet in a long-running investigation into the U.S. president’s son.

Regional health officials in France say a 32-year-old woman is dead and a dozen people have been hospitalized after an apparent botulism outbreak

Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden on Thursday was criminally charged of deceiving a gun dealer into selling him a firearm. He is charged with three criminal counts related to lying about the fact he was using illegal drugs at that time, which would have banned him under the law from owning a firearm. The was filed at the U.S.

Hollywood's writers strike are set to resume next week, studios said on Thursday. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry's studios, streaming services and production companies in union negotiations, said in a statement that they had reached out to the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week. Leaders are still working out the details, the statement said, and no further specifics were provided. «Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike,» the statement said. There are no talks yet planned to settle the actors strike. Writers have been on strike for 4 1/2 months over issues including pay, job security and regulating the use of artificial intelligence. A previous attempt to restart talks fell flat.

Google will pay California $93 million to resolve a lawsuit accusing the search engine company of misleading consumers about its location tracking practices. The settlement announced on Thursday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta resolves claims that the Alphabet Inc unit deceived people into believing they maintained control over how Google collected and used their personal data.

Environmental groups are calling on federal regulators to immediately shut down one of two reactors at California’s last nuclear power plant

Instacart in 2021, the grocery delivery startup's growth was cratering as its pandemic boom ebbed. The board of directors asked her to find new ways for the company to earn money. Simo, a former executive at Meta with experience in advertising, played to her strengths. She aggressively expanded Instacart's advertising business, begun in 2019, which allows food brands to pay for better placement in the company's app. Brands had questioned whether the ads were helping, so Simo commissioned studies demonstrating their efficacy, two people familiar with the company said.

By Diane Bartz

(Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet X owner Elon Musk on Monday in Silicon Valley, an official in Netanyahu's office said on Thursday, and Musk said their talks would focus on artificial intelligence technology.

Adam Sandler will embark on his tour 'I Missed You' on October 12, 2023, and wrap it up on December 12, 2023. He will tour across the United States and Canada and present stand-up comedy shows in big cities, including, Vancouver, Las Vegas, and Denver. He will take his tour as a follow-up to the previous tour this year across the US. This tour will coincide with the release of his next Netflix movie 'Leo' in November. The trailer of the film has already been released.

Amazon says it’s boosting pay for contracted drivers who deliver millions of packages to customers every day

Efforts by the Biden administration to limit tailpipe pollution from automobiles face a crucial test as legal challenges brought by Republican-led states head to a federal appeals court

The U.S. Justice Department is pressing ahead with its antitrust case against Google

When natural or manmade disasters happen, renters insurance can mean the difference between catastrophe and stability

A Californian lawmaker has introduced a bill to protect actors, artists, and entertainers from artificial intelligence, by mandating employment contracts to include informed consent when it comes to digital replicates.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, has been released from federal custody. Coronel Aispuro, who was convicted for aiding her husband in running his multibillion-dollar criminal empire, reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in 2021. Her charges included money laundering conspiracy and engaging in transactions with a foreign narcotics trafficker. Coronel was released following 27 months of incarceration. Currently, she is subject to supervised release.

Olivia Rodrigo will launch her 'Guts' World Tour in North America and Europe in February 2024 and it will come to an end in August. The tour will go across North America for six weeks before moving to Europe. It will return to North America in May before concluding in Rodrigo’s hometown of Los Angeles. The tour will feature opening acts, performed by young women. British dance-pop singer PinkPantheress, Los Angeles-based pop singer Chappell Roan, and California pop-rock singer Remi Wolf will produce the opening acts. Ex-Pixies singer Kim Deal will lead the Breeders band which will produce a string of radio and video hits. The American singer made her VMA debut in 2021 as she performed her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit 'Good 4 U.'

Google parent company Alphabet announced Wednesday that it is laying off employees from its global recruiting team as the tech giant continues to slow hiring, the Reuters reported. The decision to let go of a few hundred of positions is not part of a wide-scale layoff and will retain a significant majority of the team for hiring critical roles, the report said.