OAKLAND — A former African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church bishop pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for transferring church property deeds to an entity he created then using them to obtain loans, prosecutors said. Staccato Powell, a 65-year-old resident of Wake Forest, North Carolina, agreed
Top California Democrats say they’ve averted a worst-case scenario for struggling Bay Area transit agencies — but only for now. Tucked into the $320 billion state budget agreement that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last week is a $750 million loan for four local transit agencies to keep operating while they face massive deficits. The loan
Despite the financial stress of Golden State life, Californians are relatively good at paying bills compared with the rest of the nation. Take student loans. In the first quarter of 2025, 18% of California student loans were late. That may seem like a stunningly high rate of skipped payments, but it’s the 10th lowest delinquency