Alameda to distribute $1,000 monthly stipends to low-income families
Beginning in the spring or summer in 2023, 150 low-income households will receive a monthly stipend of $1,000 a month over the span of two years, East Bay Times reports.
The guaranteed basic income program was approved by the Alameda City Council 3-2 vote with the goal of helping those in need and doesn’t place any restrictions on how the stipend is spent.
Low-income in Alameda is defined as a household of four that earns less than $106,000 a year or an individual who earns less than $74,200 annually.
“During the pandemic we learned that while in many ways we were all in it together, certainly some individuals and groups were impacted more heavily than others,” said Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft in an interview, noting that one of those groups are people of color.
The pilot program is expected to cost $4.6 million. Alameda is financing the program through the funds it received from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was implemented to help cities offset the financial impact caused by the pandemic.
Alameda received a total of $28.68 million in relief funds in 2021. Oakland and San Francisco implemented similar programs, providing low-income 600 families $500 a month over 18 months.
Netflix lays off 150 workers amid revenue slump
Netflix has cut 150 jobs as revenue slumps amid a mass loss of subscribers as competition ramps up in its primary market, East Bay Times reports.
The eliminated positions represent 2% of the company’s worldwide workforce, with 106 of those jobs located at the Los Angeles office.
“The mass layoff is expected to be permanent,” Netflix said in a statement filed with the Employment Development Department. The employees do not have bumping rights and are not represented by a union or other bargaining unit representative.”
Netflix told the EDD that the layoffs took effect on May 17 but the filing indicates that some layoffs took place in late April.
Netflix saw a loss of 200,000 subscribers between the months of December and March from 221.84 million subscribers down to 221.64 and predicted a total loss of 2 million users by the end of June 2022.
The 50th annual Oakland Greek Festival returns Friday
The Greek Festival is returning to Oakland this weekend after putting the event on pause for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event kicks off on Friday, and will feature authentic Greek food and wine, various musicians and dancers, speakers, lessons on Greek history and more.
The event will be hosted at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension at 4700 Lincoln Avenue, in the Oakland Hills near Highway 13.
The festival will take place beginning Friday at 4 p.m to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission to the event is $5 and kids 12 and under are free.
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