
Stimulus check: Californians will get up to $1,050 in "inflation relief" checks
CBSN
About 23 million California residents will receive "inflation relief" checks of up to $1,050 after Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a $308 billion state budget that includes the payments.
The checks are part of a $17 billion relief package that will also suspend the state's sales tax on diesel fuel and provide additional aid to help people with rent and utility bills, Newsom said in a statement. The inflation-relief checks are tax refunds that will send a total of $9.5 billion back to state residents.
The agreement comes as California drivers face the highest gasoline prices in the U.S., with the average price for a gallon of gas in the state at $6.27 on Friday — or about 29% higher than the national average. Earlier this year, Newsom had proposed sending stimulus checks of $400 per vehicle to state residents, with a cap of two vehicles. But other lawmakers had pushed for a plan that would provide bigger checks to people who earn less.

WASHINGTON — An American intelligence assessment of the Ecuadorian presidential election, set for Sunday, concluded that a reelection of the incumbent president would better serve U.S. national security interests over the challenger. The assessment comes as the Trump administration mulls establishing a permanent U.S. military presence in the South American country, once known as the "island of peace," to help battle violent gangs, CBS News has learned.