| California lawmaker proposes income tax deduction for homeowners’ insurance – Orange County Register |
| Billed as an effort to tackle affordability issues in the state, a new proposal pitched last week by an Orange County legislator would offer a full state income tax deduction for homeowners insurance premiums. [Article] |
| by , Orange County Register. 2026-03-23 |
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| How LA County can fund High Speed Rail projects in the County with no new taxes |
| In new research, the Streets For All Data/Dev team finds LA County alone can use value capture to fund nearly all High Speed Rail projects inside the county while being net positive for the County General Fund.
With the recent abandonment of billions in federal grants, California is more dependent on internal funding than ever to build out High Speed Rail (HSR). Finding concrete local strategies to pay for construction is essential to building out California’s HSR network in a reasonable timeframe. The most recent High Speed Rail Authority draft business plan estimates a baseline cost of $16.8 billion to close the 50 mile gap between Palmdale and LA Union Station. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| California considers restrictions on social media for kids - Los Angeles Times |
| Meta, YouTube and Snapchat are already under scrutiny for risks they pose for young people. Now they are facing another hurdle in their home state.
California lawmakers are considering legislation to restrict social media use for teens and children under 16 years old. Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and others introduced a bipartisan bill that would bar social media platforms from allowing users under 16 years old from creating or maintaining accounts.
The legislation comes amid mounting concerns about how social networks impact the mental health of young people. Anxiety among parents and lawmakers has heightened as platforms and AI chatbots become more intertwined with people’s daily life.
Last month, tech executives, including Meta’s chief executive and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, testified in a landmark trial in Los Angeles over a lawsuit that alleges social media is addictive and harms children.
The trial centers on whether tech companies such as Instagram, which is owned by Meta, and YouTube can be held liable for allegedly promoting a harmful product and addicting users to their platforms.
California has passed legislation before aimed at making social media platforms and chatbots safer but faced pushback from tech industry groups that have sued to stop new laws from taking effect. Tech companies are have responded by releasing more parental controls and restrictions for young users. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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| Food is Medicine: Advancing Health and Nutrition in Los Angeles – Los Angeles Sentinel |
| National Nutrition Month each March is a powerful reminder that healthy communities begin with healthy food. In Los Angeles County, leaders across healthcare and community organizations are stepping up to address one of our region’s most pressing challenges: ensuring every family has access to nutritious food that supports long-term health [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| Data centers under scrutiny by California lawmakers as fears rise about health and energy impacts |
| IMPERIAL — Whenever the weather changes suddenly, or the skyline becomes shrouded in a windy haze, Fernanda Camarillo braces herself for an asthma attack.
Her condition has become more manageable, but the 27-year-old said it’s still scary when her chest tightens and she starts to wheeze. It was one of her first thoughts when she heard about plans to develop a massive data center next to her home in Imperial County, a farming community near the border of Mexico that struggles with poor air quality.
“A lot of people in the county are asthmatic,” she said, explaining that she worries the new center would add more pollution. “I’ve been anxious — so many of us are voicing our concerns.”
Data centers have existed for decades but are rapidly changing and expanding due to the worldwide boom in artificial intelligence, or AI as it’s known. States and communities nationwide have started pushing back, citing concerns that the projects could strain power grids, increase utility bills and have negative health and environmental impacts.
In California, state legislators are debating how to protect residents and natural resources without creating so much red tape that developers go elsewhere, taking their jobs and taxable earnings with them. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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| Cesar Chavez sex abuse scandal is a blow for many Latinos, immigrants and labor rights advocates – Daily News |
| For decades, civil rights leader Cesar Chavez represented honor and dignity, a symbol of hope and resilience for many in the Latino, immigrant and labor communities.
Although Chavez had his share of critics, including for what some viewed as an anti-immigrant stance, for those who grew up in households where the man was held in high regard, they were proud to have him represent their communities.
But the bombshell allegations that have surfaced in recent days — claims that Chavez sexually assaulted two underage girls in the 1970s and raped fellow labor rights advocate Dolores Huerta, with whom Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers union — have shattered this image of a hero for many who revered him. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-03-23 |
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| LA County Approves Mental Health Reform for Homeless |
| he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday to reform and better integrate mental health care within the county's homeless services system, with a focus on expanding field-based care for people with serious mental illness. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| California hospitals laying off thousands as funding cuts trickle down – Orange County Register |
| Over the past year, hospitals have felt the pain of thousands of layoffs — some even pushed into dire financial straits — as they have been stripped of billions of dollars in federal and state funding for health care. [Article] |
| by , Orange County Register. 2026-03-23 |
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| LA County Supervisors to consider erasing name, likeness of Chavez from streets, parks – San Gabriel Valley Tribune |
| Shaken by allegations that the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez raped women and girls as young as 12 during the 1970s, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will take up a motion today to remove his name and image from numerous places in the county.
Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath will ask the Chief Executive Office and the County Counsel to begin a process whereby parks, streets, monuments, civic art and other county programs will have Chavez’s name and likeness removed.
Places that honored Chavez bearing his name would be renamed, according to the motion. [Article] |
| by , San Gabriel Valley Tribune. 2026-03-23 |
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| Solutions to speed California vote count and make voting easy |
| SACRAMENTO — Every two years, elite athletes compete in the Olympics, biennial plants — like carrots and onions — produce seeds and people across America look on with consternation and mounting impatience as California counts its election ballots.
The prolonged tally has become as much a part of electioneering in the Golden State as wall-to-wall advertising, high-flown promises and overstuffed mailboxes groaning beneath the weight of endless campaign fliers.
The tabulation — which can last weeks past election day — is the product, in large part, of a commendable objective: Encouraging as many people as possible to vote.
California, which mails a ballot to every eligible voter, ranks near the top of states in the ease of its elections. That’s something to be celebrated. Voting is a way to help steer the direction of our state and nation and invest, as an active participant, in its future.
Yay, participatory democracy!
Unfortunately, the lag time between election day and the final results has led to all sorts of wild, unfounded claims, peddled mainly by Republicans seeking to curry favor with the sore-losing President Trump by parroting his conspiratorial gabbling.
“They hold the elections open for weeks after election day,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said recently, falsely suggesting that chicanery cost the GOP three House seats in California in 2024. “It looks on its face to be fraudulent.” [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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| LA’s main homelessness agency is at risk of blowing federal audit deadline, auditor warns | LAist |
| L.A.’s main homeless services agency is at risk of blowing a federal deadline to turn in a required audit of its financial records after executives were far behind schedule in providing necessary documents, according to the lead outside auditor. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| L.A. County CEO, who got $2-million settlement, is resigning - Los Angeles Times |
| Los Angeles County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport, who has been on medical leave since October, has announced that she will resign next month.
In a LinkedIn post, Davenport said she was leaving county service to “focus on my health and wellness.”
A notice to the Board of Supervisors provided to The Times on Saturday said she had decided to step down April 16 “based primarily on hereditary and ongoing health issues initially uncovered late last year, the risks of which have become clearer based on more recent medical testing and consultation with my doctors.”
She said the “extraordinary amount of time and energy” required of the chief executive played into her decision.
“Although I originally assumed that I would be able to return to my post, I now know that I would be unable to do the job as it deserves to be done while also prioritizing my health,” she told the supervisors.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a statement Saturday saying, “I’m disappointed by Fesia Davenport’s decision to step down. Her dedication and accomplishments over nearly three decades have left a lasting impact on Los Angeles County.”
Davenport, who was appointed to the county’s top job in 2021, received an undisclosed $2-million settlement last summer to compensate for damage to her “professional reputation” from Measure G, a voter-approved ballot measure that will soon eliminate her position. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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| On the Frontlines: State leaders come to DTLA for immigration enforcement hearings | News | ladowntownnews.com |
| Earlier this month, Mayor Karen Bass joined more than 20 mayors from across the region to lead a town hall and field hearing in Downtown Los Angeles titled “On the Frontlines: Confronting the Human Cost of ICE Deportations and Defending Our Communities.” [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| 15 hospices incorporated in a single day, in a single suite in Van Nuys – Daily News |
| A group operating out of a Friar Street office building in Van Nuys that advertises “virtual offices” incorporated 22 hospices and home care agencies in one year, including 15 hospices registered in one day to a single suite, according to an investigation by the Southern California News Group. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-03-23 |
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| Wilmington residents say it’s dangerous to walk to a new waterfront park. The solution is coming | LAist |
| Contractors are expected to get the green light Monday from the Port of L.A. to start transforming 12 acres of densely industrial land next to the Wilmington waterfront into a green space called the Avalon Bridge Project and Gateway.
Residents say the project can’t be done soon enough. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| A mosquito-control tool faces a hurdle: getting L.A. property owners to pay - Los Angeles Times |
| Residents were supposed to get a respite from the ankle-nipping mosquitoes that fueled a recent surge in dengue fever in Los Angeles County.
Typically, the invasive mosquitoes — called Aedes aegypti — essentially disappear from winter until early May in the region.
Instead, complaints to local agencies tasked with controlling the pests spiked recently.
“We have not seen them go away altogether like they have in previous years,” said Susanne Kluh, general manager for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
Their unusual presence adds to the urgency of work going on in a 40-foot shipping container tucked away in Pacoima. It’s about to transform into a bustling nursery for tens of thousands of mosquitoes.
This May, the district is set for the third year in a row to release legions of sterilized male mosquitoes — which don’t bite — into parts of Sunland-Tujunga.
The last two years were promising, with the female population in two treated neighborhoods plunging by an average of more than 80%.
Yet business owners have signaled they’re not willing to pay to expand it.
That’s thrown uncertainty into officials’ goal of eventually bringing the approach to their whole service area, spanning 36 cities and unincorporated communities.
“Unfortunately, that’s going to be a rather expensive endeavor,” said Steve Vetrone, an assistant general manager for the district. “I can tell you right now that’s not something that we can do with our current operating budget.” [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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| Pasadena Bank Finances Wave of Office-to-Housing Conversions Across L.A. County – Pasadena Now |
| East West Bank, the Pasadena-headquartered bank and lender that last month purchased a 270,000-square-foot office building on Colorado Boulevard for $98 million, is financing a series of projects to convert vacant office buildings into housing across Los Angeles County, the bank said in a company article published Wednesday. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| Ross Dress for Less and others expand as concerned consumers look for bargains. |
| As big malls and department stores close, bargain chains like Ross Dress for Less are rolling out new stores.
Economic anxiety and inflation are leading shoppers to spend less and search for savings. In this bombed-out retail landscape, some chains are thriving and opening new outlets.
At a new Ross in Alhambra, Liz Lopez was shopping for a designer purse. She is a big fan of the Dublin-based chain and thrilled to now have one just 10 blocks from her home.
“I come on Tuesdays for the senior discounts,” Lopez said, showing off her new black Dolce & Gabbana purse. “I always find good deals.”
The new store on East Valley Boulevard opened this month. One of its sister shops — dd’s Discounts, which is owned by the same parent company — opened in North Hollywood.
This year, the parent company, Ross Stores Inc., plans to open 110 new outlets across the country, after 90 last year.
Ross Chief Executive Jim Conroy said Ross is capturing market share by attracting customers away from other retail chains.
“The share shift is more from mainstream retail, department stores and other places like that,” he told analysts after announcing strong growth early this month.
Other discount outlets, including T.J. Maxx, Dollar General, Nordstrom Rack and Five Below, are also expanding to capitalize on tough times.
Retail data show shoppers are visiting a broader spectrum of destinations to find lower prices, said Placer.ai, which tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.
“Consumers have become increasingly selective and price-sensitive, actively pivoting away from traditional mid-market chains in favor of discount retailers and value-oriented brands,” Placer.ai said in a report this month. “Because affordability remains a core focus, average households are spreading their visits across a wider number of non-discretionary stores to hunt for deals.” [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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| Metro could finally bring rail to West Hollywood, but concerns from LA residents persist | LAist |
| At a rally in February, the mayor of West Hollywood said he’s advocated for direct rail access to the city for years. Each time a new line was built, Mayor John Heilman said he was told it wasn’t the city’s time.
“Now is our time,” he said at the rally. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-23 |
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| California water regulators reexamine why Mono Lake hasn't rebounded |
| More than three decades after a landmark decision called for Los Angeles to limit its taking of water to raise the level of Mono Lake, California regulators are reexamining why the lake still hasn’t rebounded and what should be done about it.
At the request of state water officials, UCLA climate scientists developed a new model to analyze why the lake remains far below its state-mandated target level. In a new report, they said that without L.A.’s use of water from creeks that feed the lake, its waters would be about 4 feet higher — closer to that required threshold.
“The way the exports are regulated, meeting lake level objectives is unlikely,” Alex Hall, a UCLA climate scientist, told members of the California State Water Resources Control Board at a meeting Tuesday.
While his UCLA team estimated that climate change has also played a role, keeping Mono Lake about 2.6 feet lower than it would otherwise be, the researchers concluded that halting L.A.’s water exports would roughly double the likelihood of the lake reaching its target level within the next 20 years.
In a 1994 decision, state water regulators required the L.A. Department of Water and Power to limit diversions and take steps to raise the lake level 17 feet. Mono Lake is now higher than it was then, but is still about 9 feet below the required level.
DWP managers said they have questions and want to vet the UCLA analysis.
Eric Tillemans, DWP’s interim aqueduct manager, told the state board that the city’s studies have found Mono Lake’s levels are “more dependent on precipitation, evaporation and runoff than any other factors.”
“It’s highly technical and a scientifically novel modeling effort, but it wasn’t developed through a facilitated process or expert peer-reviewed,” Tillemans said, adding that it “requires additional time to complete a thorough review.” [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-23 |
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