Time running out on the ‘one opportunity’ for a climate bill
WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden went to Capitol Hill in October to arm-twist for his signature environmental and economic legislation, many Democrats remained hopeful the bill’s climate provisions would survive.
But Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., was worried. If the bill failed, Congress might not get another shot for years.
“We’ve never done that before — really reduce emissions,” Lowenthal said in an interview. “This is the one opportunity. If we don’t do this now, if we don’t really begin to lower emissions, this planet has no chance. … We have a few years left and that’s it.”
He paused. “The planet is dying.”
Seven months later, Washington’s focus has moved to the war raging in Ukraine; midterm elections threaten the Democrats’ thin majority on Capitol Hill; emissions have roared back following pandemic lockdowns; and the likelihood of Congress passing legislation to match the scale of the climate crisis appears slim.
—CQ-Roll Call
Vast swath of US is at risk of summer blackouts, regulator warns
A vast swath of North America from the Great Lakes to the West Coast is at risk of blackouts this summer as heat, drought, shuttered power plants and supply chain woes strain the electric grid. Power supplies in much of the U.S. and part of Canada will be stretched, with demand growing again after two years of pandemic disruptions, according to an annual report. It’s among the most dire assessments yet from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a regulatory body that oversees grid stability.
Climate change is partly to blame. A historic drought is covering the western U.S., limiting supplies of hydroelectric power, and forecasts call for a hotter-than-average summer. But the fight against global warming poses its own risks as older coal-fired plants close faster than wind farms, solar facilities and batteries can replace them.
Supply chain snags, meanwhile, are delaying Southwest solar projects and Texas transmission lines, while coal plants are having trouble obtaining fuel amid increased exports. And power grids face a growing threat of cyberattacks because of U.S. support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion, according to NERC.
Electricity supplies will be particularly tight in the Midwest. Across the region, enough older plants have shut down to cut generation capacity 2.3% since last summer. Demand, however, is expected to grow.
—Bloomberg News
LAUSD expects enrollment to plummet by an 'alarming' 30% in the next decade
LOS ANGELES — Enrollment in Los Angeles public schools is expected to plunge by nearly 30% over the next decade, leading to tough choices ahead about academic programs, campus closures, jobs and employee benefits — and forcing, over that time, a dramatic remake of the nation's second-largest school system.
The predicted steep drop, which was outlined Tuesday in a presentation to the Board of Education, comes as school officials contemplate the future of Los Angeles Unified School District on several crucial fronts — including contract negotiations with the teachers union, which is seeking a 20% raise over the next two years.
District leaders also are trying to plan for the best use of historically high education funding that some experts warn is likely to be short-lived.
"There are a number of unsustainable trends," said Supt. Alberto Carvalho, referring to declining enrollment and unstable funding. "The perfect storm is brewing.
"Los Angeles Unified is facing an alarming convergence and acceleration of enrollment decline and the expiration of one-time state and federal dollars, as well as ongoing and increasing financial liabilities."
—Los Angeles Times
California shooting highlights growing tensions between Taiwan and China
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The man accused of opening fire inside a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California, on Sunday is believed to have been driven by hatred for Taiwanese people and the political belief that Taiwan is a part of China, highlighting the increasingly fraught geopolitical situation in the Taiwan Strait.
David Wenwei Chou, a 68-year-old man from Las Vegas, is accused of shooting six people and killing one of them at the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Monday that the attack appeared to be a “politically motivated hate incident,” and that Chou had left notes in his car stating he did not believe Taiwan should be independent from China.
Cross-strait relations have grown strained in recent years, as Beijing has ramped up calls for unification, while more Taiwanese oppose the mainland’s aggression and influence. Officials from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles — Taiwan’s de facto consulate — said Chou was born in Taiwan and was a “second generation waishengren,” meaning his parents were from mainland China.
—Los Angeles Times
