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| Why California's milk cartons may lose their coveted recycling symbol - Los Angeles Times | | In a letter Dec. 15, Waste Management, one of the nation’s largest waste companies, told the state the company would no longer sort cartons out of the waste stream for recycling at its Sacramento facility. Instead, it will send the milk- and food-encrusted packaging to the landfill.
Marcus Nettz, Waste Management’s director of recycling for Northern California and Nevada, cited concerns from buyers and overseas regulators that cartons — even in small amounts — could contaminate valuable material, such as paper, leading them to reject the imports.
The company decision means the number of Californians with access to beverage carton recycling falls below the threshold in the state’s “Truth in Recycling” law, or Senate Bill 343.
And according to the law, that means the label has to come off. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | Appeals court affirms federal judge's order to build housing on the VA's West Los Angeles campus - Los Angeles Times | | The U.S. 9th Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court order requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build more than 2,500 units of housing on its West Los Angeles campus and invalidating a prestigious private school’s lease there.
In a complex decision issued Tuesday, a three-judge panel affirmed most of U.S. District Judge David O. Carter’s orders, finding in favor of veterans’ claims of discrimination by not having access to housing on the 388-acre campus. It overruled the judge’s order invalidating UCLA’s lease of a portion of the VA grounds for its baseball stadium.
Citing President Lincoln’s “promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors,” Circuit Judge Ana de Alba opened the panel’s opinion with a rebuke of the VA’s posture in the case.
”This class action lawsuit, and its numerous appeals, demonstrates just how far the VA has strayed from its mission,” De Alba wrote. “There are now scores of unhoused veterans trying to survive in and around the greater Los Angeles area despite the acres of land deeded to the VA for their care. Rather than use the West Los Angeles VA Grounds as President Lincoln intended, the VA has leased the land to third party commercial interests that do little to benefit the veterans.” [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | How the Trump administration sold out public lands in 2025 - Los Angeles Times | | Last February, I climbed into a Jeep and rumbled up a rocky shelf road that took me high above a breathtaking corner of the Mojave National Preserve. At the top was an old gold mine where an Australian company had recently restarted activities, looking for rare earth minerals.
The National Park Service had been embroiled in a years-long dispute with the company, Dateline Resources Ltd., alleging that it was operating the Colosseum Mine without authorization and had damaged the surrounding landscape with heavy equipment. Dateline said it had the right to work the mine under a plan its prior operators had submitted to the Bureau of Land Management decades before.
President Trump had taken office just weeks before my visit. Environmentalists told me the conflict posed an early test of how his administration would handle the corporate exploitation of public lands.
At the time, observers weren’t sure how things would shake out. Conserving public lands is one of the rare issues that’s popular on both sides of the political aisle, they pointed out.
Almost a year later, it’s clear that the Trump administration has sided with the corporations.
Trump directed the Department of Interior to inventory mineral deposits on federal lands and prioritize mining as the primary use of those lands. He instructed officials to dramatically fast-track permitting and environmental reviews for certain types of energy and critical minerals projects — and designated metallurgical coal a critical mineral, enabling companies that mine it to qualify for a lucrative tax credit.
His budget bill lowered the royalty rates companies must pay the government to extract coal, oil or gas from public lands and provided other financial incentives for such projects while reducing the authority of federal land managers to deny them.
Under the president’s direction, the DOI has opened up millions of acres of federal land to new coal leasing and moved to rescind both the 2021 Roadless Rule, which protects swaths of national forest lands from extractive activities by barring most new road construction, and the 2024 Public Lands Rule, which puts conservation and restoration on par with other uses of BLM land like mining, drilling and grazing.
The administration is seeking to roll back limitations on mining and drilling for specific pieces of public land, including portions of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, the watershed feeding the Boundary Waters in Minnesota and a buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers overturned management plans limiting energy development on certain BLM lands in Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.
Altogether, the Trump administration and its legislative allies have taken steps to reduce or eliminate protections for nearly 90 million acres of public land, according to the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank. That figure rises to more than 175 million acres if you include the habitat protections diminished by the administration’s moves to weaken the Endangered Species Act, the organization notes. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | Author of LAFD Palisades fire report declined to endorse final version, called it 'highly unprofessional' - Los Angeles Times | | The author of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s after-action report on the Palisades fire declined to endorse it because of substantial deletions that altered his findings, calling the edited version “highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.”
Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook emailed then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva and other LAFD officials with the subject line “Palisades AARR Non-Endorsement,” about an hour after the highly anticipated report was made public Oct. 8.
“Having reviewed the revised version submitted by your office, I must respectfully decline to endorse it in its current form,” Cook wrote in the email obtained by The Times. “The document has undergone substantial modifications and contains significant deletions of information that, in some instances, alter the conclusions originally presented.” [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | ICE tore apart families. The community brought back some Christmas joy - Los Angeles Times | | The steady drizzle tested the limits of the string of tarps stretched across the backyard of a Maywood home. Beneath them, dozens of boxes, overflowing with clothes, shoes and toys, lay scattered across the pavement.
Each gift was destined for one of more than 50 Southern California homes whose families have been caught in the growing immigration enforcement crackdown.
This was not charity bestowed from afar, but mutual aid. The organizers are a group of immigrant women who have endured their own struggles and face similar risks as the people they are helping. Five of them asked to use only their second last names because of fears of being targeted by ICE.
The same drive that has guided them through their own harrowing journeys is what motivated them to form Barrio Power.
One of the leaders, Cruz, grew up working in the fields with her family in Oaxaca, Mexico, and spoke only their indigenous language, Chinanteco, as a child. Determined to learn Spanish, she would sneak out to the local school and eventually began teaching others in her town. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | 9 public safety issues raised by Eaton, Palisades fires – and what’s been done about them – Daily News | | Several factors affected how first responders battled the Palisades and Eaton fires, two of the most devastating wildfires in California history. Such factors ranged from the amount of staff deployed to basic communication among agencies and to the public. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2025-12-29 | | | | State launches catch-all website linking to fire recovery rebuilding resources - Los Angeles Times | | In an attempt to help residents who are at the early stages of rebuilding after the Eaton and Palisades fires, the state launched a new website Tuesday that links to contractors and designers that have been reviewed by “trusted community” partners.
The tool from the governor’s office and the public-private LA Rises wildfire recovery initiative comes nearly a year after the January inferno. It lays out a rebuild path based on preference — modular or factory built homes, pre-designed homes, semi-custom homes and custom homes — and features more than 15 builders and vendors for those looking to duplicate their lost homes or take a pre-fab approach to expedite work.
The site serves as a catch-all for various state, L.A. County and nonprofit resources for mortgage relief, building estimates and overviews on the process.
“Recovery takes time, but every day counts for families working to rebuild,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “As we near the one-year mark of this tragedy, we know the pain hasn’t faded. The job isn’t finished, and we’ll keep showing up to speed progress, support and resources these communities deserve.” [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | Redding Rescue Mission plan to help homeless clients with addiction | | The North State's homeless population has increased 45.9% over the past decade, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. The most recent count placed Shasta County's homeless population at 1,082, up nearly 7% from where it was in 2023.
This proliferation has led a number of organizations to implement potential solutions to assist homeless in the area, one such organization being the Good News Rescue Mission.
The nonprofit recently received a boost from the county, finally allowing them to put into motion a seven-step plan to rehabilitate the estimated 700 homeless individuals with substance use disorder in Shasta County.
The plan, which incrementally addresses the homeless' needs at each step of the rehabilitation process, begins by building trust through street outreach, followed by housing the homeless as they make their way through drug rehabilitation and life skills programs, with the goal of helping them beat their addiction and eventually live entirely independently.
Most of the elements of this plan are already operational. The Rescue Mission is just waiting on the completion of a day resource center — set to open September 2026 — the construction of a substance use disorder residential treatment facility — set to break ground in March 2026 and open in 2027 — and the implementation of an outpatient substance use disorder treatment program — slated to roll out sometime before the treatment facility opens.
The Record Searchlight spoke with the Director of Community Partnership & Development Justin Wandro to get a more in-depth look at the Rescue Mission's seven-step plan. [Article] | | by , Redding Record Searchlight. 2025-12-29 | | | | It was a big, bold year in housing policy changes. Here's what that means for SoCal | LAist | | Housing policy in California had a big year. [Article] | | by , . 2025-12-29 | | | | Arizona could limit groundwater pumping where Saudi company farms hay - Los Angeles Times | | VICKSBURG, Ariz. — Lush green fields of alfalfa spread across thousands of acres in a desert valley in western Arizona, where a dairy company from Saudi Arabia grows the thirsty crop by pulling up groundwater from dozens of wells.
The company, Fondomonte, is the largest water user in the Ranegras Plain groundwater basin, shipping hay overseas to feed its cows in the Middle East. Like other landowners in the area, it has been allowed to pump unlimited amounts from the aquifer, even as water levels have declined.
That soon could change, as Arizona officials are considering a plan to start regulating groundwater pumping in the rural area 100 miles west of Phoenix.
Misha Melehes, who lives near the rural town of Bouse, Ariz., speaks during a hearing held by the Arizona Department of Water Resources at an RV park in the community of Brenda.
At a meeting in mid-December, more than 150 residents of La Paz County sat listening in folding chairs as state officials underlined the severity of the declines in groundwater levels by showing graphs with lines sloping steeply downward. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | Edison neglected maintenance of its aging transmission lines before the Jan. 7 fires. Now it’s trying to catch up - Los Angeles Times | | Southern California Edison did not spend hundreds of millions of dollars on maintenance of its aging transmission lines that it told regulators was necessary and began billing to customers in the four years before the Jan. 7 wildfires, according to a Times review of regulatory filings.
Edison told state regulators in its 2023 wildfire prevention plan that it believed its giant, high-voltage transmission lines, which carry bulk power across its territory, “generally have a lower risk of ignition” than its smaller distribution wires, which deliver power to neighborhoods. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | Flu season hits California early. Doctors worry it'll be hard on kids - Los Angeles Times | | Fueled by a new viral strain, flu is hitting California early — and doctors are warning they expect the season may be particularly tough on young children.
Concentrations of flu detected in wastewater have surged in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the test positivity rate is rising in Los Angeles County and Orange County, according to state and county data. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits for flu are also rising in L.A. and Orange counties. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | Unhoused veterans win crucial ruling with appeals court decision on West LA VA | LAist | | A federal appeals court has upheld a court order requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to build more than 2,500 housing units on its West Los Angeles campus. [Article] | | by , . 2025-12-29 | | | | A year after LA community colleges gave hundreds of students $1,000 a month, how are they faring? | LAist | | It’s been a challenging year for Adriana Orea, the L.A. City College pre-nursing student recently told LAist, as she took a walk to give herself a break from studying for finals. [Article] | | by , . 2025-12-29 | | | | After a year of insults, raids, arrests and exile, a celebration of the California immigrant - Los Angeles Times | | What comes next is a mystery, but I’d like to share a note of appreciation as 2025 fades into history.
If you came to Greater Los Angeles from Mexico, by way of Calexico, Feliz Navidad.
If you once lived in Syria, and settled in Hesperia, welcome.
If you were born in what once was Bombay, but raised a family in L.A., happy new year.
I’m spreading a bit of holiday cheer because for immigrants, on the whole, this has been a horrible year. [Article] | | by Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | California has lost more than a quarter of its immigration judges this year - Los Angeles Times | | WASHINGTON — More than a quarter of federal immigration judges in California have been fired, retired or quit since the start of the Trump administration.
The reduction follows a trend in immigration courts nationwide and constitutes, critics say, an attack on the rule of law that will lead to yet more delays in an overburdened court system.
The reduction in immigration judges has come as the administration scaled up efforts to deport immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Trump administration officials have described the immigration court process, in which proceedings can take years amid a backlog of millions of cases, as an impediment to their goals. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | More than $11 million for homeless prevention coming to L.A. County - Los Angeles Times | | The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency on Wednesday approved nearly $11.5 million in homeless prevention funds, the largest single allocation yet for the new agency.
The approval comes as other government entities cut back on some programs to fight homelessness, sparking concerns more people could make their way onto the streets and into shelters.
“We are in a place to deploy new dollars at a moment where dollars are scarce,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who serves as chair of LACAHSA’s board, said in an interview. “Help is on the way.”
In a unanimous vote, the LACAHSA board of directors signed off on more than $7.6 million in direct rental subsidies and flexible financial assistance to people at risk of homelessness. An additional $3.8 million in administrative funds was approved to run the effort.
Research has shown it is difficult to identify who is actually at risk of becoming homeless, and it is impossible to know if someone who received homeless prevention help would have lost their housing without it, but there is evidence that financial support can help keep at least some people off the streets.
The money approved Wednesday comes from Measure A, the sales tax increase voters approved last year to tackle the homelessness crisis across the county.
A portion of those dollars goes to LACAHSA to build affordable housing and fund homeless prevention efforts such as rental subsidies. The county receives most of the remaining dollars to fund traditional homeless services such as outreach and shelters. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | How investors stand to profit from L.A. County sex abuse settlements - Los Angeles Times | | Walking out of a Skid Row market, Harold Cook, 42, decides to play a game.
How long after opening YouTube will it take for him to see an ad asking him to join the latest wave of sex abuse litigation against Los Angeles County?
“I can literally turn my phone on right now, something’s going to pop up,” said Cook, opening the app.
Within a few seconds, a message blares: “They thought you’d never speak up. They figured you was too young, too scared, too Black, too brown, too alone. ... L.A. County already had to cough up $4 billion to settle these cases. So why not you?”
Since the historic April payout to resolve thousands of claims of sex abuse in county-run facilities, law firms have saturated L.A.’s airwaves and social media with campaigns seeking new clients. For months, government officials have quietly questioned who is financing the wall-to-wall marketing blitz. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | She goes to police calls in a Prius. It’s part of a new approach to mental health emergencies - Los Angeles Times | | Briana Fair, a mental health clinician with the San Mateo Police Department, received a dozen voicemails from the same distressed caller over a single weekend this month. She knew the voice. It was her client, saying that a celebrity has been hacking her phone, that she needed help moving into a different apartment and why was the process taking so long?
“Normally, she won’t call like this unless she’s starting to get towards a crisis,” Fair said. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | | | A return to a past Sierra wildfire to see the future of a recent one - Los Angeles Times | | GOLDEN TROUT WILDERNESS, Calif. — The first two miles were pleasant enough. The grade was mild, the forest serene. It was what lay ahead that worried me:
A 2,500-foot descent to Jordan Hot Springs, a spot in California’s High Sierra backcountry that has long had a hold on my imagination — an idyllic meadow with rock-dammed bathtub-hot pools.
Given my age and lack of recent high-altitude exertion, I could easily need a helicopter to get out.
But that was a secondary concern. I was most anxious about what I might see along the way. Would it be an affirmation of nature’s power of renewal or an omen of irreversible decline?
I was retracing my steps of 20 years earlier to a scene of mass death I had never been able to erase from my mind. At a small plateau alongside Ninemile Creek in the Golden Trout Wilderness Area, I had stood in a forest of black sticks standing on both sides of a steep canyon like whiskers on a beast too large to comprehend. [Article] | | by , Los Angeles Times. 2025-12-29 | | |
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