The State of California

California Assembly - Representative of the People or Special Interests Big Money, Bigger Influence: Political Donors Shape California’s 2024 Legislative Races Sacramento, CA — A staggering $100 million has already been poured into California’s 2024 legislative races by corporate- and labor-backed political action committees (PACs), with the financial battle intensifying in recent months. The unrestricted spending by these independent expenditure groups is reshaping the electoral landscape, often overshadowing candidates’ own fundraising efforts. Key players include tech giant Uber, which has emerged as the largest single spender, contributing over $7 million. Much of Uber’s spending has been directed toward supporting pro-business candidates like Democrat Sade Elhawary and opposing figures such as Kathryn Lybarger, who lost her bid in the March primary. The company’s outsized influence follows its historic $200 million push to pass Proposition 22 in 2020, which preserved...

  U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie dismissed a class action lawsuit against USAA that alleged discrimination against enlisted military personnel in auto insurance practices. Judge Rules in Favor of USAA in Discrimination Lawsuit: Plaintiffs Vow to Appeal San Diego, CA – In a closely watched case, a federal judge in California has granted summary judgment in favor of United Services Automobile Association (USAA), effectively dismissing a class-action lawsuit that alleged systemic discrimination against enlisted military personnel in their insurance practices. Plaintiffs Eileen-Gayle Coleman and Robert Castro, both veterans, spearheaded the legal challenge, accusing USAA of relegating enlisted members to a subsidiary with higher insurance rates and fewer benefits compared to offerings available to officers. Allegations of Discrimination The plaintiffs claimed that USAA violated California’s insurance laws and anti-discrimination statutes by ...

Massive Fire at Moss Landing Battery Facility Highlights Challenges in California’s Energy Transition Moss Landing, Calif. (Jan. 17, 2025) — A fire at Vistra Corp's Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility, one of the world’s largest battery energy storage systems, has sparked concerns about the reliability and safety of battery technology as California accelerates its transition to renewable energy. The blaze, which erupted Thursday and continued smoldering through Friday, forced nearby evacuations and drew attention to the state’s ambitious clean energy goals. The Moss Landing facility, located in Monterey County, plays a crucial role in California's energy grid. With a capacity of 750 megawatts and 3,000 megawatt-hours, it stores power generated by intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind and releases it during peak demand periods. This capability is integral to California’s plan to achieve 52,000 MW of battery storage by 2045 to co...

Can Seawater Fight Fires in SoCal | Why No Water | Fireboats | Damage From Seawater - YouTube In this video, Sal Mercogliano —a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) longtime firefighter, and former merchant mariner — discusses the use of seawater and how it can be utilized to fight the wildfires in southern California. I'll provide a summary of this video discussing the use of seawater for fighting fires in Los Angeles. Sal, who has experience as both a Merchant Mariner and a 25-year firefighter, addresses four main concerns about using seawater to fight fires: 1. Water Shortage Context: -           Los Angeles is experiencing water shortages during firefighting due to: Evacuated homes with water lines left on, causing system-wide drainage - when you evacuate your house during a wildfire turn off the utilities (water, gas, and electricity) Water towers being unable to refill fast enough during high demand Insuffi...