Harmful chemicals in plastics cost U.S. healthcare $250 billion a year, researchers say
LA Times, SUSANNE RUST: "They are used to give plastic products their distinctive durability, bendability and sleek, nonstick surface.
Yet some of these chemical additives have been tied to maladies such as breast and prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as problems with children’s brain development and adult fertility."
El Niño might finally be taking control of California's Weather. Here's what it means
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "Statewide rain is expected across California this weekend, and El Niño’s fingerprints are all over the upcoming weather pattern.
Despite El Niño winters often favoring Central and Southern California for above-normal precipitation, the wet season has generally been off to a slow start across the state."
California could face more atmospheric river ‘super-sequences,’ study finds
The Chronicle, JACK LEE: "Relentless storms over a three-week period in early 2023 created chaos across California, causing extensive flood damage and landslides in the East Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains.
The rains were fueled by nine atmospheric rivers from late December through mid-January. Bands of tropical moisture juiced up storm after storm, giving communities little time to recover between downpours. The series of storms was historic — but not the first time that back-to-back atmospheric rivers have had big impacts in California."
5 major candidates want to be California’s new U.S. senator. Where they stand on the economy, crime and the border
CALMatters, YUE STELLA YU: "The main contenders to become California’s new U.S. senator want voters to see them in a certain light:
Rep. Adam Schiff as a defender of democracy; Rep. Katie Porter as an anti-corruption crusader; Rep. Barbara Lee as a courageous progressive; Eric Early as a champion for the “forgotten Americans;” and Steve Garvey as a commonsense consensus builder."
Voters say California’s budget deficit is an ‘extremely serious’ problem, poll finds
LA Times, TARYN LUNA: "Half of California registered voters consider the state budget deficit an “extremely serious” problem and 57% believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.
The survey was conducted days before Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled an outline of his $291.5-billion spending plan for the next fiscal year and plans to address the $37.9-billion deficit projected by his administration. However grim, Newsom’s shortfall estimate is rosier than a December projection from the Legislative Analyst’s Office of a $68-billion budget hole."
‘Disheartening’ scorecard shows dip in California lawmaker support for abortion rights
ANDREW SHEELER, SacBee: "2022 was a banner year for California abortion rights advocates. 2023 was not. Proposition 1 in 2022 enshrined the right to an abortion in the state constitution and lawmakers passed a slate of bills aimed at shoring up reproductive freedoms in the Golden State.
2023 saw a dip in support from lawmakers, at least according to the legislative scorecard released Thursday by Reproductive Freedom for All California, formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice California.
Interview: California’s newest senator, Laphonza Butler, on Trump, Gaza and her future
LA Times, ERIN B. LOGAN: "Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), whom Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed last year to fill the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein, has been in Congress for just over 100 days. Ahead of her first formal speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, she spoke with The Times about what she hopes to accomplish before she leaves office early next year.
Butler, who has said she will not run for reelection, discussed the 2024 presidential race, why she has not called for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, California’s waning power in Congress and what her political future might look like after she leaves the Senate."
Amid rise in polls, California Republican Steve Garvey makes homeless-related visit to Sacramento
Sacramento Bee, STEPHEN HOBBS:"Wearing a suit, tie and sneakers, former professional baseball player Steve Garvey walked past tents, tarps and trash bags Wednesday afternoon near downtown Sacramento.
Garvey, a Republican candidate for one of California’s U.S. Senate seats, was on a tour of 12th Street, by a Salvation Army, with former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness."
Rising Stars: Emma Manoukian Chung, Bicker, Castillo, Fairbanks & Spitz Public Affairs
Capitol Weekly, MOLLY JACOBY: "If anyone is up for a good challenge, it’s Emma Manoukian Chung. At 23 years old, Manoukian Chung had her sights set on a job at Bicker, Castillo, Fairbanks & Spitz Public Affairs (BCFS). Sure enough, they weren’t hiring. Undeterred, she pitched herself to the team, and before long, she was working on some of California’s most high profile ballot measures.
Now, at 25, Manoukian Chung has earned two promotions at BCFS. Just before the New Year, she was promoted to Account Supervisor."
Arnold Schwarzenegger detained over luxury watch at German airport
The Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was detained at a German airport for several hours on Wednesday and will face criminal proceedings for not declaring a luxury watch at customs.
The “Terminator” star turned politician was held by authorities at Munich International Airport after they discovered a custom-made Swiss brand Audemars Piguet wristwatch worth approximately $21,000 in his suitcase, according to a report from the German news outlet Bild."
Despite California exodus, the well-off and well-educated still flock here. Will they stay?
LA Times, TERRY CASTLEMAN, ASHLEY AHN: "Thomas Kowal knew living expenses in Los Angeles would be steep. But he was surprised at how steep.
Kowal, 25, had lived on the East Coast for most of his life, but he applied to UCLA for a toxicology PhD program because, he said, he wanted a change of pace and scenery, and he hoped to earn the kind of salary after graduation that would let him afford the California lifestyle."
This is one way Californians end up ‘incredibly vulnerable’ to homelessness, new study reveals
LA Times, MAGGIE ANGST: "Thousands of women sleeping in shelters or encampments across California likely ended up there after fleeing domestic violence, according to new research that looks at how abuse can drive homelessness.
A new report from UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative found that experiencing domestic violence increases the risk of homelessness for survivors, specifically for women who have very little financial means."
Homelessness is on the California ballot this March. Will conditions change on the street?
CALMatters, MARISA KENDALL: "How much difference will a March ballot measure make when it comes to fighting California’s massive homelessness crisis? That’s the question before voters as they weigh in on Proposition 1, which has been touted as California’s chance to finally do something about the epidemic on the streets.
Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing."
Judge tells Beverly Hills homeowners no housing improvements without more affordable housing
LA Times, LIAM DILLON: "Projects that cross the transom of the Beverly Hills building department include the extravagant — pool grottoes and bowling alleys — as well as the more quotidian kitchen and living room upgrades.
In recent months, the city approved a $100,000 basement spa in the $125-million mega-mansion owned by WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, exterior upgrades for an $80,000-a-month rental and a $130,000 kitchen and bathroom remodel in a home purchased a week before for $6.7 million."
New data shows grim tally for S.F.’s worst year for overdose deaths. These groups were hit hardest
The Chronicle, MAGGIE ANGST: "San Francisco recorded 806 accidental drug overdose deaths last year, the highest level the city has ever seen and a sign that officials are still struggling to confront the fentanyl crisis despite huge public pressure to rein in the epidemic.
The proliferation of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, remains at the center of the crisis. The powerful opioid was found in 4 out of 5 overdose victims last year, most cases in combination with other dangerous drugs."
