Los Angeles Times

The Biden administration on Wednesday nominated California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su to be deputy secretary of Labor to help shape the president’s jobs agenda and economic recovery effort.

President Biden on Wednesday nominated California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su as the second in command at the U.S. Department of Labor, even as she faces criticism from some in her home state for ongoing troubles at the Employment Development Department, which has delayed approving unemployment benefits while paying out billions of dollars on fraudulent claims.

Sweeping new laws ramping up in 2021 will force California businesses to offer employees more help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, including measures on disclosure of workplace infections, on healthcare and wage replacement, and on job-protected leave to care for sick family members.

I’ve been struggling in recent days to come up with that one perfect example of how screwed up this nation’s priorities have become amid the worst public-health crisis most of us have ever — and hopefully will ever — experience.

A six-member board overseeing the safety of California’s workplaces on Thursday will consider imposing new rules intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has been surging across the state.

A Catholic social services agency urged the Supreme Court this week to rule that the agency can participate in the city of Philadelphia’s foster care program while refusing to work with same-sex couples.

After months of discussion, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health will move forward with emergency statewide standards to address what worker advocates have been calling “an occupational health emergency.”

Back in the pre-COVID-19 days, Mitchell Spearman didn’t talk to his staff much about their feelings.