• California passed AB 5 reclassifying independent contractors to employees across broad swaths of businesses. The law is confusing and prohibits economic recovery. Uber and Lyft have filed Prop 22 in November exempting ride-sharing services and have asked for a moratorium on enforcement until then, or they may halt CA services. OCBC supports Prop 22. Link to article.

• Howard Schultz, chairman emeritus of Starbucks, spearheaded a letter to Congress, signed by top executives of Disney, Starbucks, Microsoft, and more than 100 other companies and trade groups stressing the urgent need for a meaningful federal assistance package to small business. The package must include federally guaranteed loans, flexibility in how money is used, and at least partial loan forgiveness for the hardest-hit companies, flowing to all small businesses in need. OCBC supports this outreach and urges Congress to ACT NOW. 

• Anaheim City Council has voted to allocate funds for rent assistance, community aid through nonprofits, public health spending, and small-business assistance. Learn more.

• Anaheim Convention Center will host drive-through COVID-19 testing for OC elementary schools who seek to hold in-person classes.

• Join OC Human Relations for a three-part series discussion on the history of civil rights and hate crimes in OC and a special screening of the Emmy winning documentary, Mendez V. Westminster: For All the Children with filmmaker Sandra Robbie. Register today!

• Visit City of Hope Orange County on Monday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City of Hope Newport Beach, 1601 Avocado Avenue in Newport Beach. Make an appointment today!

• John Wayne Airport will house ACI Jet, Clay Lacy Aviation and Jay Aircraft Maintenance for a 35-year lease to upgrade full-service facilities for hobby planes, business jets, and non-commercial aircraft.  

• Join OCBC on September 22 at 9 a.m. for the release of the 2020-21 Orange County Community Indicators Report, which will provide critical insight into the local impact of COVID-19 and how industry sectors have been affected. Register today!

• Capture insights into business resilience during extraordinary times as heard from OC's leading heath care experts! Register today!

• OCBC voiced business positions on five crucial bills in Assembly and Senate committees. OCBC opposes AB 196 and AB 664, burdening certain employers with unnecessary, substantial costs by assuming employees who test positive for COVID-19 contracted the virus in their workplace. These overly broad bills reshape the workers’ compensation system. OCBC supports AB 3279, which makes improvements to the CEQA process and reduces delays in housing construction, and SB 902, which streamlines the zoning process for housing in certain areas. OCBC also supports AB 323, which exempts newspapers from AB 5 regulations for an additional two years. All five bills passed their respective committees.

• On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) orders streamlining small cell deployment in a significant victory for the rollout of 5G wireless services in cities nationwide. OCBC and business leaders across the country urged the FCC to remove barriers for 5G deployments, which the FCC voted to do in September 2018. The court’s ruling ensures that Orange County consumers and businesses can experience faster, more reliable wireless service at a time when connectivity is more crucial than ever. To learn more about FCC policies supporting 5G networks, click HERE.

• OneHB Small Business Grant Program will provide $5,000 grants to be used for payroll, rent/lease payments, utilities, inventory, PPE purchases, and more to business located in the Downtown Business Improvement District. Apply today!

• Join the Economic Census Webinar: Geographic Area Series Data for the Mining, Construction, and Manufacturing Sectors on Sept. 30, 2020 to hear up-to-date key findings for these sectors and how to access this data for your business. Register here.

• Join the Orange Chamber of Commerce for its business networking group to interact and receive updates from local businesses and expand your network circle. Register here.

• Minority-owned businesses enrich the economy with over $1.4 trillion in annual gross receipts. In efforts to continue the advancements of these businesses, 10 organizations and government agencies are available to provide business guidance, financial assistance, and networking opportunities. View resource list here.

• Small Business Development Center
• SBDC Resources for Small Businesses
• Go-BIZ FAQ for Small Businesses
• UCI Free Small Business Toolkit

• AeroNabs is a once a day, self-administrated nasal spray or inhaler developed by UC San Francisco scientists to block COVID-19 from infecting cells. Commercial distribution and clinical testing is in development. 

• OC supervisors unanimously voted to honor the late philanthropist and Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant on Aug. 24 with “Kobe Bryant Day”. 

• On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Steve Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International discusses Goodwill’s positive impact across the country and how Goodwill has adapted to COVID-19. Listen here.

• A select group of physicians from CHOC Health Alliance has been honored for excellence by the America’s Physician Groups. The Standards of Excellence Program evaluates physician groups for excellent care management practices, patient-centered care, information technology, group support of advanced primary care, accountability and transparency, and administrative and financial capability. 

• When TCA was formed in the 1980s, an exploding population in the region, worsening traffic congestion and shrinking transportation funds were the reality. With fewer tax dollars available to fund transportation projects, a new approach was taken enabling TCA to plan, finance, construct and operate the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads. Instead of government dollars, the roads were financed through non-recourse toll revenue bonds backed only by tolls and Development Impact Fees (DIFs). The approach and plan recognized the extensive capital investment and future long-term revenue stream that accompanies tolled roads and bridges the world over. Continue reading!

• Anaheim Convention Center Test Site: Appointments Required.
• Testing Basics: COVID-19 Test Options.*
• Free testing in OC: How to access.
• DO IT! Where to get tested in OC: Find a testing site near you. 
• OC Testing Sites: Appointment & walk-in resources.
• Public & private sector testing: Contact your provider today.
• COVID-19 Hotline: For general questions & information call: (714)-834-2000.
• OC Health Care Agency: Data Dashboard featuring confirmed COVID-19 cases.