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Volkswagen prevails towards US counties’ diesel emissions claims

Daily SF News — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 23:59:52 +0000

By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) – A federal judge has ruled in favor of Volkswagen in lawsuits brought by two U.S. counties against the automaker over its diesel emissions cheating scandal.

US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco ruled Thursday that Salt Lake County, Utah, and Hillsborough County, Florida, cannot prove Volkswagen violated their rules against tampering with vehicle emissions control systems. Districts can still appeal to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Robert Giuffra, an attorney for Volkswagen, said the decision brings the company “close to the end of the US diesel dispute.” The company reached an $85 million settlement in May with Texas, the last remaining state to sue the company, though that deal isn’t final yet.

Attorneys for the two counties did not immediately respond to inquiries or comments.

Volkswagen announced in 2015 that it had cheated emissions tests by installing so-called “defeat devices” and sophisticated software in 11 million vehicles worldwide that allowed them to reduce emissions only during emissions tests.

The company previously agreed to pay more than $20 billion in criminal and civil penalties and settlements to US federal regulators, states, dealers and owners. A total of more than US$30 billion has been paid out worldwide.

The 9th Circuit ruled in 2020 that state and local governments cannot sue over the defeat devices and software originally sold with the vehicles because the federal Clean Air Act leaves that to the US Environmental Protection Agency. However, it allowed them to sue against updates to the software that were later installed during maintenance.

Breyer dismissed the counties’ claims regarding these updates because he said there was no evidence that they worsened emissions.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York and David Shepardson in Washington, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Alistair Bell)

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The right way to stand up to $5,000 to improve your own home’s HVAC in Madera, Fresno counties

Daily SF News — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 06:10:58 +0000

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — The Valley Air District announced Wednesday that it can provide up to $5,000 to certain residents who are upgrading their home heating and air conditioning systems.

The county is offering residents of Madera County, Fresno County, or the Valley Air Basin portion of Kern County up to $5,000 for a new home heating and cooling system if they decommission their fireplace and install an electric heat pump system – with access to pipelines natural gas.

The county’s Fireplace and Wood Stove Conversion Program incentivizes residents to reduce emissions from their wood stove or fireplace by replacing their appliance with an electric heat pump or gas appliance.

The decision to replace or remove wood-burning fireplaces is an important part of our collective effort to reduce air pollution and improve the quality of life in our communities. We are pleased to be able to offer our residents increased financial support, with the top grants going to residents who are switching to electric heat pumps to heat their homes.

Jaime Holt, District Chief Communications Officer

To participate, residents must work with a county-approved retailer or HVAC company that participates in the participating program. Businesses can also participate by calling (559) 230-5800, residents at www.valleyair.org/change-out.

According to the Valley Air District, a heat pump heats and cools homes and serves as a combined heating and air conditioning system. These pumps provide highly efficient heating and cooling for California homes, are energy efficient and environmentally friendly when coupled with cleaner power sources such as solar power.

Click here for more information on electric heat pumps.

According to the Valley Air District, the federal Inflation Reduction Act grants applicants a tax credit equal to 30% of the total cost of installing a heat pump. Click here for more info.

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Conservative Oregon counties look to shift state boundaries and be a part of reliably Republican Idaho

Daily SF News — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 22:08:28 +0000

Chimney sweep Grant Darrow was a major supporter of the Greater Idaho movement.Nathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail

When people describe the differences between eastern and western Oregon, they often speak in colors.

The rainy green of the coast contrasts sharply with the dunes of an arid interior and its expanses of sun-bleached wheat. Then there are the political shades: the blue to the west that has kept the Democrats in office for nearly 40 years, while east of the Cascade Mountains the Republican red runs so deep that in some counties four out of five voters backed Donald Trump a year 2020

Such geographic and political divisions are rife in the US, generating a resentment and disenchantment that have fueled frustrated undercurrents from the Tea Party to Trumpism.

In eastern Oregon, a group says they have a solution: Join Idaho, one of the US’s most dependable red states, by pushing the state line far west — a sort of extreme maneuver that would redraw the national map to include the Separate citizens by their political beliefs. The Greater Idaho Movement, as it is known, proposes taking over nearly two-thirds of Oregon’s land and bringing it under Boise’s rule.

Breakaway Counties in Oregon

In eastern Oregon, 11 counties have already voted to commit to joining Idaho

counties that voted

for joining Idaho

Counties voting next

about joining Idaho

The Globe and Mail, source: majoridaho.org

Breakaway Counties in Oregon

In eastern Oregon, 11 counties have already voted to commit to joining Idaho

counties that voted

for joining Idaho

Counties voting next

about joining Idaho

The Globe and Mail, source: majoridaho.org

Breakaway Counties in Oregon

In eastern Oregon, 11 counties have already voted to commit to joining Idaho

counties that voted

for joining Idaho

Counties voting next

about joining Idaho

The Globe and Mail, source: majoridaho.org

The concept, seductive to conservatives, is among the most palpable expressions of the ill will that permeates modern US politics, even if critics dismiss it as absurd. “I’m 76 years old and if I don’t die by the time I’m 111, it won’t be done,” said Susan Roberts, a Wallowa County councilwoman who has been in politics for 40 years. “If you want to move to Idaho or Kentucky or anywhere, you can do that.”

Some in eastern Oregon counter: Why uproot yourself when you can bring Idaho to you?

The idea caught on. Eleven rural Oregon counties have already voted to begin discussions about joining Idaho. Politicians in Oregon and Idaho have prepared legislation to kick-start negotiations. Polls in both states show high levels of public support for the idea, and money is being raised to hire lobbyists.

“Time to split or succumb,” as Grant Darrow put it in a 2015 letter to the editor that helped spark the current movement. Mr. Darrow is a chimney sweep from eastern Oregon whose job once took him into homes in an area the size of New Jersey. Conversations in those living rooms, he says, prompted him to propose a change.

Matt McCaw, spokesman for the Greater Idaho movement, outside his home in Powell Butte.Nathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail

“Everyone was upset about what was going on in Salem,” he said in the Oregon capital. “People were just angry.” The split from the Coastal Liberals just seemed to make sense.

“They don’t want us. We don’t want to be here,” he said. “And the people of Idaho agree with our cause.”

Idaho Republicans see the prospect of additional resources and a voting bloc that would cement their grip on an already conservative stronghold.

“We’re looking at this huge landmass over there in Oregon. Check out their resources, from water to wood to minerals. Why wouldn’t we at least have a chat?” said Barbara Ehardt, an Idaho representative who intends to draft a bill proposing a discussion about moving the state line.

In eastern Oregon, 11 counties have already voted to support a move to Idaho, pledging local commissioners to meet regularly to discuss the idea. These meetings are typically sparsely attended, and a recent drive through the region – with its wind-sculpted landscapes, mountain ranges and narrow river gorges – showed few signs of roadside support.

But complaints are widespread. People have resented elements of the state’s progressive policies, including minimum wage increases, climate-related measures, decriminalizing drug possession and more recently Measure 114, which will require new permits to buy a gun and ban the possession of magazines containing more than 10 rounds. (The measure is challenged by a lawsuit filed by Harney County, one of the 11 who voted for Greater Idaho.)

“We believe almost nothing like it on the West Side,” said Matt McCaw, a small business owner who is now a spokesman for Greater Idaho. He called state borders an imaginary line established at a very different time in history.

In 2015, Grant Darrow sent a letter to the editor proposing breaking off portions of Oregon, a notion that has become the Greater Idaho Movement today. Mr Darrow keeps the letter framed at his home in Cove.Nathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail

Today, “where the state line runs makes no sense in this state. Because it’s not where the cultural, political and economic divide is.”

The pandemic in particular has roused dissatisfaction. “People in eastern Oregon didn’t like the lockdown,” McCaw said. “And it was forced upon us by the west side of the state.”

History, supporters say, is on their side. Other borders have been shifted, albeit slightly, in recent decades following an agreement between two states. The US Congress must approve such a change.

Still, no one needs to have a precise idea of what Greater Idaho might cost just yet. Critics have suggested that Idaho would have to pay many billions of dollars in compensation. Proponents say the state’s eastern counties are home to 9 percent of the population, and therefore Idaho could be expected to shoulder 9 percent of the state’s debt.

Nonetheless, they say it’s much more viable than other self-government concepts like Jefferson State, an idea to create an entirely new West Coast state.

And the 11 county votes should be taken seriously, said Dennis Linthicum, an Oregon state senator.

“King George III. probably should have given it serious thought when 13 colonies pleaded for their freedom,” said Mr. Linthicum, who recently proposed legislation to open negotiations in the greater Idaho area. He calls Alberta’s recently passed sovereignty law “a bit inspiring”.

But even for him, actually redrawing the map isn’t a top priority.

“We get some conversation started and that’s the main thing,” he said. “Is it really pushing the line and that’s the be-all and end-all? I don’t believe.”

But for others, Greater Idaho’s very existence reflects a grim modern reality. Oregon author and commentator Robert Leo Heilman accuses leaders who have tracked social fractures for their own political gain.

“I blame the angry people less than the people who intentionally piss them off,” he said.

“In Dante’s Inferno, the discordants occupy the eighth ring of Hell. Just off the ground,” he added. “Hell, the lechers are on the second ring. Choose your sins wisely.”

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How Many Folks Have been Really Laid Off So Far in California? The Counties & Firms with the Largest Layoffs

Daily SF News — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 19:00:41 +0000

Still not many layoffs but focused on the San Francisco Bay Area. Workers quickly found new jobs, and employment in California continued to rise.

By Wolf Richter for WOLF STREET.

Amidst all of these breathless layoff announcements from tech and social media companies, I’ll keep an eye on actual layoffs in California as disclosed in the WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) reports. The big tech and social media companies are global companies and the layoff announcements are global and they’re just announcements and only some of them are happening in the US and they’re scattered across the US.

How many layoffs in California since July 1st?

In total, 54,679 layoffs across California have been announced in the WARN reports in the seven and a half months since July 1st, when this layoff tango began. This includes a variety of companies, from hospitals to Google, each for their own reasons.

But over the July 1-December period, employment rose by 229,000, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (latest available), showing laid-off workers are generally being absorbed by other employers fairly quickly, and job growth continued .

Many employers, outbid for talent by tech and social media overstaffing and overpay frenzy, finally have a chance to hire staff on their terms.

The 15 counties with the most layoffs.

The table below shows the 15 counties with the most layoffs since July 1. However, here are some key points that complicate the picture:

The angel is the largest county in California with almost 10 million inhabitants. Over a quarter of California’s population lives in LA County. Many other counties are small. This is an important consideration since LA County had the most layoffs since July 1 (9,379), but was small given the size of the massive county.

But San Franciscowhich has less than 1/10 of the population (834,000), had 6,971 layoffs — even that’s a relatively small number given the size of San Francisco’s job market, but it was by far the largest layoff-per-population ratio in the state.

marine, a small-by-population county across the Golden Gate Bridge, has 578 layoffs from just one company, Autodesk, which is closing its Marin County headquarters and moving its headquarters to San Francisco. Most of its employees work hybrid from home. But it also reported 61 layoffs at its San Francisco office. The company announced in early February that it would lay off 250 of its global workforce. So it appears that Autodesk filed the WARN filing because it has permanently closed a facility, while most of the workers assigned to the Marin office will be assigned to the San Francisco office and will keep their jobs.

San Benitoa rural county south of Silicon Valley with a population of just 64,000 is at risk of losing its only hospital, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, which may file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy and reports 741 layoffs effective Feb. 18. Rural hospitals in the US are in trouble.

The top three counties with significant numbers of layoffs relative to their populations are San Francisco, Santa Clara (southern part of Silicon Valley), and San Mateo (northern part of Silicon Valley):

	District:	redundancies	% of layoffs in CA	Pop. in 1,000	Layoffs % of pop.
1	The angel	9,379	17.2%	9,861	0.1%
2	Santa Clara	7,069	12.9%	1,936	0.4%
3	san francisco	6,971	12.7%	834	0.8%
4	San Diego	5,533	10.1%	3,298	0.2%
5	alameda	4,705	8.6%	1,682	0.3%
6	Saint Matthew	4,330	7.9%	764	0.6%
7	Orange	3,594	6.6%	3.186	0.1%
8th	Sacramento	1,553	2.8%	1,585	0.1%
9	San Bernardino	2,086	3.8%	2.181	0.1%
10	River bank	1,595	2.9%	2,418	0.1%
11	core	1,039	1.9%	909	0.1%
12	San Benito	789	1.4%	64	1.2%
13	Against coast	689	1.3%	1.165	0.1%
14	marine	682	1.2%	262	0.3%
15	Ventura	634	1.2%	843	0.1%
	In total	50,648	92.6%	30,988	0.2%

In the US, even in good times, 1.8 million layoffs and layoffs a month.

Companies lay off workers for a variety of reasons, including company-specific issues. And companies are laying off workers for all sorts of reasons. This is part of the regular churn. Nobody writes about it because it happens all the time. These workers are absorbed relatively quickly by other employers and unemployment remains low.

Across the US as a whole, between 1.6 million and 1.8 million workers were laid off or laid off each month during the good times before the pandemic. And they found jobs relatively quickly.

But in the bad times, suddenly there are 2.5 million layoffs and layoffs a month, month after month, just as employers have stopped hiring and the number of unemployed looking for jobs surges as companies shut the hatches .

But that’s exactly what we don’t see yet. The total number of layoffs and layoffs in the US rose to 1.48 million in December from record lows a year ago, but remains well below the lows of the pre-pandemic good times, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Not released yet.

The WARN report also shows that some layoffs have an “effective date” in March or April and therefore those layoffs have not even happened yet, such as B. at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Wayfair and many others, including Gallo Vertriebsgesellschaft (Winzer Gallo closed his in-house wine distribution and outsourced this business to another company).

Other dismissals in the WARN report have an effective date later in 2023 and some as far as 2024.

California’s WARN Act requires employers with 75 or more employees to give advance notice to employees affected by plant closures and layoffs. With sufficient severance pay, employers may fire employees with immediate effect, but must report such layoffs to WARN.

WARN reports do not reflect layoffs at small businesses with fewer than 75 employees.

The 61 companies with over 200 layoffs in California since July 1st.

Of the 54,679 layoffs reported by several hundred companies in the WARN reports since July 1, 55% or 30,863 layoffs were reported by just 61 companies, each reporting 200 or more layoffs during that time.

Among these 61 companies are a number of hospitals, other healthcare providers and insurers.

The 10 largest layoff companies accounted for 24% of all layoffs in California. But wait…

Temporary layoffs. No. 4 on that list, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, reported “temporary” layoffs of 1,213 employees in November as it closed parts of its facilities to shift production to new facilities. Those laid-off employees returned to work in December.

Jabil (No. 3) also indicated that some of the layoffs were temporary. There are several other minor “temporary” layoffs in the WARN report and list below (displayed). The WARN report does not specify when workers will return to work.

	Pursue	redundancies
1	Meta Platforms, Inc.	2,726
2	Smithfield distribution	1,876
3	Jabil	1,661
4	Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream (temporarily)	1,213
5	Foreclosure	1,010
6	Twitter	997
7	Google	953
8th	Cepheids	948
9	Amazon	890
10	Community Hospital Madera	772
11	San Benito Health Care District dba Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital	741
12	intel	721
13	Cisco	673
14	Autodesk	639
15	cue health	557
16	snap inc	485
17	Sciolex Corporation	461
18	ABM Industry Groups, LLC dba-Meta	434
19	Blue Shield of California	429
20	American Airlines	417
21	first student	406
22	Lam Research	400
23	DHL supply chain	394
24	door line	386
25	PayPal	378
26	Infineon Technologies Americas Corp.	375
27	Crest Beverages, LLC	372
28	Brown & Toland Physician Services Org.	364
29	Elk Grove Auto Group	355
30	Gallo Sales Co.	355
31	Nutrition Corp, dba Fresh & Lean	353
32	Rivian	351
33	ThermoFisher Scientific	335
34	Amy’s kitchen	331
35	Löws Hotels & Co	321
36	destiny therapy	315
37	amgen	307
38	Teva Parental Medicines, Inc.	305
39	Tesla	298
40	Layer Technologies Inc.	296
41	TAP Manufacturing LLC and TAP Worldwide LLC dba 4 Wheel Parts	293
42	Zymergen Inc.	293
43	HCI, LLC	281
44	Wilhelm LLC	274
45	Nuro, Inc.	269
46	Bristol Myers Squibb	261
47	United Furniture Industries, Inc.	261
48	Argo AI, LLC	257
49	Western digital	251
50	Seanager, Inc.	234
51	Enlightenment	232
52	Lyft, Inc.	227
53	carbon health	226
54	Triple canopy	226
55	Owen Corning	225
56	Personnel service providers in the healthcare sector	224
57	Aseptic Solutions USA Ventures LLC	211
58	Athas Capital Group, Inc.	211
59	Terre du Soleil dba Auberge du Soleil	206
60	American Advisory Group	204
61	oracle	201
62	Labor Day, Inc.	196
	In total	30,863

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Tri Counties Financial institution and FHLBank San Francisco Award Over $2.1 Million in Grants In direction of Reasonably priced Housing

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 23:51:27 +0000

CHICO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tri Counties Bank announced today awards totaling more than $2.1 million in grants to three organizations that qualified for the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s (FHLBank San Francisco) Affordable Housing Program General Fund (AHP).

AHP grants are awarded annually to FHLBank San Francisco members working in partnership with affordable housing developers and community organizations. Tri Counties Bank successfully nominated three organizations to be considered for the grants: Collier Avenue (Nice, Calif.), Piper Way Senior Housing (Redding, Calif.), and Siskiyou Crossroads (Yreka, Calif.).

AHP awards are highly competitive, ranked based on an extensive scoring process and granted to the highest-ranking projects. Basic eligibility requirements include projects demonstrating a need for subsidy and both developmental and operational feasibility. Further, rental housing projects must reserve at least 20% of units for households at or below 50% of the HUD area median income (AMI) while owner-occupied housing projects must serve households at or below 80% AMI.

“We congratulate Tri Counties Bank for submitting successful AHP applications for these very important affordable housing developments,” said Marietta Núñez, Senior Vice President and Community Investment Officer at FHLBank San Francisco. “We are proud to partner with members – like Tri Counties Bank – to support organizations on the ground who are working to address pressing affordable housing needs in local communities.”

These organizations will utilize the AHP grants to help create 149 units of affordable housing to those earning less than 60% AMI, including previously unhoused veterans, extremely low-income seniors, and low-income families and individuals.

“We are fortunate to have FHLBank San Francisco as a partner in our efforts to improve the availability of affordable housing across our communities. These grants, along with the dedicated efforts and partnership of local organizations, continue to make an important and positive difference in the lives of veterans and seniors,” said Rick Smith, President and CEO of Tri Counties Bank.

About Tri Counties Bank

Established in 1975, Tri Counties Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK) headquartered in Chico, California, with assets of over $10 billion and more than 45 years of financial stability. Tri Counties Bank provides a unique brand of Service With Solutions® for communities throughout California with a breadth of personal, small business and commercial banking services, plus an extensive branch network, more than 37,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, and advanced online and mobile banking . Tri Counties Bank participates in the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund’s BankOn program that seeks to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable financial products and services. Visit TriCountiesBank.com to learn more. Member FDIC.

About FHL Bank San Francisco

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions foster homeownership, expand access to quality housing, seed or sustain small businesses, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Each year, the Bank contributes 10% of net income to the Affordable Housing Program, which provides grants to support the acquisition, construction, or preservation of housing affordable to low- to moderate-income families and individuals. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient.

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Tri Counties Financial institution and FHLBank San Francisco Donate $200,000 to Black Homeownership for Nationwide Homeownership Month

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 17:36:26 +0000

CHICO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tri Counties Bank announced today, in conjunction with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco), a $200,000 donation to promote Black homeownership as part of the FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program.

The recently launched program is a key component of Tri Counties Bank and FHLBank San Francisco’s commitment to advancing racial equity in homeownership and narrowing the Black homeownership and wealth gaps. Through this new program, FHLBank San Francisco’s member financial institutions can request dollar-for-dollar matching grants, up to a total matching amount of $125,000, for their donations to approved housing counseling agencies.

“We are fortunate to have FHLBank San Francisco as a partner in our efforts to increase Black homeownership across our footprint,” said Rick Smith, President & CEO of Tri Counties Bank. “There is no better time to kick off this program than in June, both for National Homeownership Month and in appreciation of Juneteenth.”

FHLBank San Francisco matched Tri Counties Bank’s $100,000 donation for a total of $200,000, which will be distributed in $50,000 grants to four Housing Counseling Agencies (HCAs) throughout Tri Counties Bank’s footprint: Greater Sacramento Urban League, Self Help Enterprises, Community Housing Development Corporation, and San Francisco Housing Development Corporation.

“Pre- and post-homeownership counseling can be the key to sustainable homeownership, and we are thrilled that Tri Counties Bank is using our new Empowering Black Homeownership program to support four different HCAs,” said Marietta Núñez, Senior Vice President and Community Investment Officer at FHL Bank San Francisco. “The Bank’s match of Tri Counties Bank’s donations to these HCAs will magnify their impact and enable the agencies to serve more aspiring and at-risk homeowners in communities where Tri Counties Bank does business.”

Greater Sacramento Urban League

Greater Sacramento Urban League (GSUL) has been aiding youths and adults from underrepresented communities throughout Sacramento County for over 50 years, providing comprehensive housing counseling, education, job training and placement opportunities to achieve economic self-reliance.

The organization plans to use their grant from Tri Counties Bank and FHLBank San Francisco to assist with their Housing Counseling Program, which is HUD approved and offered to the public at no cost. The program offers counseling in areas such as homelessness, rental assistance, first-time home buyer, credit and budgeting, and refinancing.

“Sacramento County has the lowest Black home ownership rate in California. Far too many have lost hope in the American dream of home ownership,” said Dwayne Crenshaw, JD, President and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League. “With this critical grant funding, the Greater Sacramento Urban League will strive to restore hope to families we reach by offering them personalized financial planning services to help get their families on a realistic path to actually achieving the dream.”

Self Help Enterprises

Self-Help Enterprises (SHE), located in Visalia, California, was founded in 1965 with the mission to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. SHE serves eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus and Tulare counties. Although this area is known as a top agricultural production region, the San Joaquin Valley has among the highest poverty rates in the State of California.

The organization will use the grant to link opportunities to enhance and create outreach campaigns in Black communities to promote the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program. Participants will be served with customized homeownership resources, educational, and home counseling needs. SHE will implement alliances and collaboration strategies with partners to pursue shared goals to raise and strengthen Black homeownership.

“We are grateful for Tri Counties Bank’s Black Homeownership Grant as it will enable us to continue to provide accessible housing opportunities for the underserved members of our community,” said Tom Collishaw, President and CEO of SHE. “This grant will help create a direct path toward sustainable homeownership for the Valley’s Black families and will empower them to build wealth for generations to come.”

Community Housing Development Corp

Community Housing Development Corporation, located in Richmond, California, provides a broad range of affordable housing opportunities and services throughout the Bay Area to enable low/moderate income residents to gain better housing and financial stability.

The organization plans to use their grant to fund the Black Wealth Initiative (BWI), which helps to close the Black wealth gap through encouraging and helping black people in the Bay Area to become homeowners. The BWI assists with both homebuying education and down payment and/or closing costs. While the program is still in its infancy, the organization has already assisted one homeowner with closing the purchase of a home and three more are already on the way towards homeownership.

“The Black Wealth Initiative (BWI) focuses on one of the leading causes of the black wealth gap, and that is the disparate number of black homeowners compared to white homeowners,” said Don Gilmore, Executive Director of the Community Housing Development Corporation. “CHDC and Tri Counties Bank hope to close that gap by helping more black families and individuals to purchase homes in the Bay Area, which will also help to build generational wealth for years to come.”

San Francisco Housing Development Corporation

San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC) was founded in 1988 with the mission to foster financial stability through the development of affordable housing, the facilitation of homeownership and the economic empowerment and revitalization of San Francisco’s communities of color.

The Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant will support SFHDC’s Housing Counseling & Financial Empowerment Program, which provides renters, aspiring homebuyers and existing homeowners with the skills, knowledge and information they need to obtain, stabilize and maintain affordable housing, whether it’s a rental or home purchase . The program supports 1,500 clients a year, with over 80% of them individuals of color.

“Since our founding in 1988, SFHDC has focused on empowering Black San Franciscans to achieve homeownership, and providing them with other economic stability and mobility strategies to create wealth,” said David Sobel, SFHDC’s Chief Executive Officer. “The generous support of FHLBank and Tri Counties Bank will enable us to continue this urgently needed work amidst soaring housing prices, and address racial disparities within the arena of both home purchase and homeownership retention.”

About Tri Counties Bank

Established in 1975, Tri Counties Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK) headquartered in Chico, California, with assets of over $10 billion and more than 45 years of financial stability. Tri Counties Bank provides a unique brand of Service With Solutions® for communities throughout California with a breadth of personal, small business and commercial banking services, plus an extensive branch network, more than 37,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, and advanced online and mobile banking . Visit TriCountiesBank.com to learn more. Member FDIC.

About Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California and Nevada strengthen communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies and community development financial institutions — promote homeownership, expand access to quality housing and boost economic development. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant, equitable and resilient.

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Tri Counties Financial institution and FHLBank San Francisco Donate $200,000 to Black Homeownership for Nationwide Homeownership Month | Information

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 01:29:55 +0000

CHICO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun 16, 2022–

Tri Counties Bank announced today, in conjunction with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco), a $200,000 donation to promote Black homeownership as part of the FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program.

Greater Sacramento Urban League

Self Help Enterprises

Community Housing Development Corp

San Francisco Housing Development Corporation

About Tri Counties Bank

Established in 1975, Tri Counties Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK) headquartered in Chico, California, with assets of over $10 billion and more than 45 years of financial stability. Tri Counties Bank provides a unique brand of Service With Solutions® for communities throughout California with a breadth of personal, small business and commercial banking services, plus an extensive branch network, more than 37,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, and advanced online and mobile banking . Visit TriCountiesBank.com to learn more. Member FDIC.

About Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220616005302/en/

CONTACT: Megan Sheehan, Community Engagement Manager

megansheehan@tcbk.com

(530) 332-2330

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOCIAL SERVICES BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PHILANTHROPY FOUNDATION BUSINESS

SOURCE: Tri Counties Bank

PUB: 06/16/2022 12:30 PM / DISC: 06/16/2022 12:32 PM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220616005302/en

The post Tri Counties Financial institution and FHLBank San Francisco Donate $200,000 to Black Homeownership for Nationwide Homeownership Month | Information appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Tri Counties Financial institution and FHLBank San Francisco Donate $200,000 to Black Homeownership for Nationwide Homeownership Month

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 17:25:28 +0000

CHICO, Calif., June 16, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tri Counties Bank announced today, in conjunction with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco), a $200,000 donation to promote Black homeownership as part of the FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program.

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Greater Sacramento Urban League

Self Help Enterprises

Community Housing Development Corp

San Francisco Housing Development Corporation

About Tri Counties Bank

Established in 1975, Tri Counties Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK) headquartered in Chico, California, with assets of over $10 billion and more than 45 years of financial stability. Tri Counties Bank provides a unique brand of Service With Solutions® for communities throughout California with a breadth of personal, small business and commercial banking services, plus an extensive branch network, more than 37,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, and advanced online and mobile banking . Visit TriCountiesBank.com to learn more. Member FDIC.

About Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220616005302/en/

Contacts

Megan Sheehan, Community Engagement Manager
megansheehan@tcbk.com
(530) 332-2330

The post Tri Counties Financial institution and FHLBank San Francisco Donate $200,000 to Black Homeownership for Nationwide Homeownership Month appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

These Are The Counties In The San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Space The place COVID-19 Is Rising The Slowest

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:55:10 +0000

2021-12-13

After adding over 700,000 new cases throughout the last week, the US now has more than 48.9 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. There have been more than 780,000 COVID-19-related deaths — the highest death toll of any country.

New cases continue to rise at a faster rate. In the past week, there were an average of 1,508.3 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 Americans — an increase from the week prior, when there were an average of 0.8 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.

While COVID-19 has spread to nearly every part of the country, cities continue to be the sites of major outbreaks. Experts agree that the virus is more likely to spread in group settings where large numbers of people routinely have close contact with one another, such as colleges, nursing homes, bars, and restaurants. Metropolitan areas with a high degree of connectivity between different neighborhoods and a large population may be particularly at-risk.

The San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA, metro area consists of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Francisco County, and two other counties. In the past week, there were an average of 0.3 new coronavirus cases every day per 100,000 San Francisco residents, less than the national figure. The metro area’s average daily case growth in the most recent week is essentially unchanged from the week prior, when there were an average of 0.1 daily new cases per 100,000 San Francisco residents.

The spread of coronavirus depends on a variety of factors and can vary even between neighboring counties. Within the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area, COVID-19 is growing the slowest in San Francisco County. There were an average of 661.2 new cases per day per 100,000 residents in San Francisco County during the past week, the least of the five counties in San Francisco with available data.

Case growth in the San Francisco metro area is relatively uniform at the county level. In Contra Costa County, for example, there were an average of 936.5 new cases per day per 100,000 residents in the past week — the most of any county in San Francisco yet relatively in line with the case growth rate in San Francisco County.

Just as San Francisco County has the slowest case growth in the San Francisco area, it also has the lowest incidence of cases overall. As of December 9, there were a total of 6,566.9 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents in San Francisco County, the fewest of the five counties in the metro area. For comparison, the US has so far reported 15,085.6 cases per 100,000 Americans nationwide.

The post These Are The Counties In The San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Space The place COVID-19 Is Rising The Slowest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

These Are The Counties In The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Metro Space With The Least COVID-19

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 05:51:24 +0000

2022-01-05

As the omicron variant spreads, new daily cases of COVID-19 have hit new highs in the United States. To date, 53,506,483 Americans have been infected with the virus — and 816,686 have died as a result. On a per capita basis, the US has one of the highest known infection rates in the world.

In the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area, located in California, a total of 389,364 COVID-19 cases have been reported to date. Adjusted for population, there have been 8,332 reported infections for every 100,000 people in the area — below the national rate of 16,354 cases per 100,000 people.

The lower than average per capita COVID-19 infection rate across San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward is being driven by one area in particular.

The broader San Francisco metro area comprises five counties or county equivalents — and of them, San Francisco County in California has the fewest COVID-19 cases per capita. So far, there have been a total of 64,830 infections in San Francisco County, or 7,451 for every 100,000 people.

Not only does San Francisco County have the lowest per capita infection rate in the San Francisco metro area, it also has a relatively low per capita fatality rate.

There have been a total of 78 coronavirus-related deaths for every 100,000 people in San Francisco County, below the 89 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 across the entire San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metro area.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of Jan. 3, 2022.

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