Ming Luong started Ming’s Recycling in 1987, less than a decade after the Luong family arrived in the U.S. They were among the millions of people who fled Vietnam following the fall of Saigon, riding a fishing boat to a refugee camp in Malaysia before a church group sponsored their relocation to Laramie, Wyoming.

Here are a few highlights from the Slow Wine Coalition’s panels, and takeaways that may inform the Capital Region’s small winemakers.

Purple Door Finders is a platform for seniors to connect with communities directly, eliminating the hassle of sales solicitations and the costs of referral fees paid by the communities. The Folsom-based startup is a software company that provides real-time information on vacancies, pricing, move-in incentives, services, amenities, community events and more.

If you’re looking for groveling — well, that’s a problem on your side too. Let’s break this down.

For 175 years, from California’s admission into the U.S. until now, it sits as the fourth largest economy in the world. More than 220 attempts have been made to divide our state into two, three and even six states. The various reasons have included its sheer size and its presumed ungovernability.

CalMatters: Social Security and Medicare benefits will keep flowing in a government shutdown, but federal employees will be working without pay and delays likely will occur across many services.

I just spent a week in Washington, D.C., attending a National Press Foundation fellowship on local small business reporting. What I learned is that the Capital Region’s problems are not unique; small and mid-size cities around the U.S. are experiencing much of the same challenges and problems that we have here.

Sacramento State’s sports teams have endured many lean years. But the institution, which debuted its original sports — basketball, baseball and tennis — in 1948, has embraced a controversial change.

Following an uncomfortable pause after the officiant asked if anyone knew a reason why these two shouldn’t be joined in matrimony, Monty, a comedian, stood up and loudly objected. Once the giggling started, the entire crowd realized we were in for another performance.

CalMatters: Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill to roll back taxes on recreational weed in an effort to give some relief to an industry that has struggled to supersede its illicit counterpart since voters legalized marijuana almost 10 years ago.