Los Angeles wildfire recovery package has strong bipartisan support ahead of lawmakers’ vote
Sac Bee's NICOLE NIXON: "Special session bill hearings on Wednesday were a rare show of bipartisanship as California lawmakers advanced $2.5 billion to expedite cleanup and recovery of the Los Angeles fires.
Gov. Gavin Newsom initially called the special session after the November election in an effort to help the state Department of Justice prepare for anticipated legal battles against the Trump administration. The governor later expanded the session to include the wildfire package after devastating wildfires near Los Angeles burned thousands of homes in just a few days."
New fires erupt around L.A. County as Thursday brings more dangerous weather
LAT's STAFF: "Southern California is facing another day of dangerous winds and dry conditions that sparked new blazes across a region in a month marked by unprecedented fire losses.
In the last day, hundreds of weary firefighters battled a massive blaze near Castaic and a smaller but unnerving one in the Sepulveda Pass in Brentwood and Bel-Air. Damage from the fires has been kept at bay due to aggressive water drops and winds that while strong did not match those seen during the Jan. 7 firestorm."
L.A. fires are bringing ash 100 miles offshore. Here’s how scientists think it could impact oceans
The Chronicle's JACK LEE: "The Eaton and Palisades fires have changed life for thousands of Los Angeles residents. Now, scientists are investigating how the blazes may also impact marine life some hundreds of miles offshore.
Scientists aboard a research vessel off the California coast were collecting samples when the fires broke out. Despite their distance from the blazes, smoke carried by intense Santa Ana winds scattered ash and debris atop the ocean surface."
California revamps its website for L.A. County fire recovery
LAT's CLARA HARTER: "The state unveiled its revamped fire relief website on Thursday, offering a one-stop shop to help Los Angeles County firestorm survivors access vital services.
Fire victims can use the website to find information on how to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief, file insurance claims, replace documents and return to their homes safely. It also offers assistance with accessing food, expense reimbursements and shelter, and provides real-time updates via fire maps, air quality information and road closure maps as well."
There’s no silver bullet for reducing carbon emissions in California (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly's FRANCISCO J. LEON: "California is right to be proud of its decades of environmental leadership. The state’s commitment to carbon management is unequalled in the U.S. While addressing climate change requires unprecedented effort from societies all around the world, Californians are admirably committed to making sure our state is at the forefront of tackling this generational challenge.
And it’s clear that California is making progress: by reducing industrial and commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, by incentivizing renewable energy development, and by increasing the number of electric vehicles on the roads. However, even all this is not enough."
Mayor Daniel Lurie proposes new fentanyl law and visits troubled S.F. street
The Chronicle's JD MORRIS: "Hours before he introduced legislation Tuesday to accelerate San Francisco’s response to fentanyl use and homelessness, Mayor Daniel Lurie took an impromptu walk down Sixth Street, one of the most troubled corridors in the city.
The South of Market commercial strip has been the focus of recent complaints from business owners and residents who have bemoaned an increase in people using fentanyl, loitering and selling goods on the sidewalk. Lurie is betting that his newly proposed ordinance — the opening political gambit of his administration — can help."
READ MORE -- She was homeless in S.F., hooked on cocaine and her body was failing. Then she got a heart transplant -- The Chronicle's MAGGIE ANGST
California snow forecast: Here’s where to expect flurries
The Chronicle's ANTHONY EDWARDS: "A long January dry spell across California will finally be interrupted this weekend as a cold low-pressure system brings snow showers to the lowest elevations so far this winter.
Thursday and Friday will be dry and warm across the state, but a big temperature swing is in store Saturday. The low-pressure system set to bring snow will drop from Canada straight toward California and draw in much colder air in its wake."
California is investigating OpenAI’s conversion to a for-profit company
CALMatters' KHARI JOHNSON: "As part of what it described as an ongoing investigation, the California attorney general’s office has sought answers from OpenAI about its reported plan to convert to a for-profit corporation and how it intends to transfer assets out of its existing nonprofit.
In a letter sent to the ChatGPT maker Dec. 6, deputy attorney general Christopher Lamerdin cited clauses in OpenAI’s articles of incorporation under which “OpenAI’s assets are irrevocably dedicated to its charitable purpose,” as Lamerdin put it, as well as the office’s “responsibility to protect assets held in charitable trust.” In addition to asking about asset transfers, it sought information on OpenAI’s restructuring plan and the value of its assets."
California wine is in crisis. But for consumers, it could be a ‘golden era’ of deals
The Chronicle's JESS LANDER: "There has never been a better time to buy wine, a trusted industry report says.
The 2025 Silicon Valley Bank State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report, released Thursday, predicts that while the wine industry is dealing with a historic downturn, consumers are about to enter a “golden era” of pricing due to a massive oversupply of wine."
How will Sacramento’s economy be in 2025? Experts take stock of forecast
Sacramento Bee's ANNIKA MERRILEES: "In 2025, Sacramento’s economy will likely enjoy a stable labor market, growth in the health care sector and some stabilization in the office real estate market, a group of regional experts said Wednesday.
Their predictions were made at an event hosted by the Sacramento Business Review and the Sacramento Business Journal, as the Review released its annual economic outlook."
‘Devastating’ layoff notices hit California disabled prison contractors after union dispute
CALMatters' JOE GARCIA: "Kathy Hart works five days a week inside the state prison at Vacaville. From 6:30 am to 3:30 pm Thursday through Monday, she cleans and maintains correctional officers’ workstations, vacated cells, and nursing areas. She’s trained to handle spilled blood, human waste, biohazardous materials — sometimes even the toxic aftermath of pepper spray incidents.
Not a glamorous job, but for the 57-year-old struggling daily with the on-and-off physical effects of lupus, her three years of stable employment at Vacaville’s California Medical Facility through nonprofit contractor PRIDE Industries means a great deal."
With Los Angeles in need of housing, downtown’s empty office towers have appeal
LAT's ROGER VINCENT: "The shimmering office towers of the downtown Los Angeles skyline conceal a hard truth — much of the space is empty.
In the years since the pandemic, which upended workplace norms and evaporated demand for office space, landlords downtown have watched in frustration as the value of their office buildings has plummeted. More than a few have faced foreclosure, leaving owners anxious about the need to get tenants back in their buildings or find another use for the millions of unused square feet."
With broken heaters, mold and fear of rats, these Sacramento County renters want laws to help
Sac Bee's CATHIE ANDERSON: "The Palms Apartments sits on a well-traveled stretch of Marconi Avenue in Sacramento County, a stone’s throw from the Arden Arcade branch of the Sacramento Public Library. On the west side of the complex, a boarded-up building is surrounded by a chain link fence.
Jacqueline Saffo, 71, lived in a unit there with her husband, Cory, until a fire last year forced them to make a hasty exit. They lost virtually all their possessions and would have been homeless, she said, if the American Red Cross had not provided shelter."