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explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health. That spring, mid-70s weather is fading away this week as our region warms up.
Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties will see elevated fire weather conditions Monday and Tuesday. That’s because of temperatures reaching into the 90s in the valleys, low humidities and some wind. Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told LAist there will be some elevated risk of small grass fires as fuels bake in the sun. The biggest fire risk will come Tuesday, with elevated winds in the forecast, Wofford said.
On Tuesday, gusts could get up to 45 mph in some areas. President Donald Trump says he wants the gas tax to be temporarily suspended as the war in Iran extends into its 11th week and keeps oil prices elevated. Monday morning he wants the tax suspended"for a period of time" and would want it reintroduced"when gas goes down.
" Asked by reporters in the Oval Office later in the day how long the gas tax would be suspended, the president responded,"'Til it's appropriate. "on average before the U.S. bombed Iran. Now, the average cost per gallon has soared by more than 50 percent toA cost reduction of 18.4 cents would lower that average gasoline cost by around 4 percent. It would bring the cost of a 12-gallon fill-up down by $2.21.
President Donald Trump says he wants the gas tax to be temporarily suspended as the war in Iran extends into its 11th week and keeps oil prices elevated. Asked by reporters in the Oval Office later in the day how long the gas tax would be suspended, the president responded,"'Til it's appropriate.
"on average before the U.S. bombed Iran. Now, the average cost per gallon has soared by more than 50 percent to A cost reduction of 18.4 cents would lower that average gasoline cost by around 4 percent. It would bring the cost of a 12-gallon fill-up down by $2.21. Blockades imposed during the Iran war have stalled the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, causing gas prices to spike.
Around one-fifth of the world's crude oil usually travels through that strait. The potential suspension of the gas tax is a tacit acknowledgment from the White House of the toll that high gas prices have taken on American consumers.
Eight in ten Americans say gas prices are straining their budgets, including overwhelming majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike, according to In addition, 63 percent of Americans say they blame Trump"a great deal" or"a good amount" for those higher gas prices. That includes more than 6 in 10 independents and nearly one-third of Republicans.
Seventeen U.S. cruise passengers returned to the U.S. early Monday, after weeks aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of a deadly, the Associated Press reported. The Americans disembarked the cruise in the Canary Islands on Sunday and boarded a medical repatriation flight, arranged by the U.S. government, bound for Nebraska. The Dutch-flagged cruise ship departed from southern Argentina on April 1, and followed an itinerary across the South Atlantic with multiple stops in remote islands.
Three of the passengers have died since the outbreak began. Seventeen U.S. cruise passengers returned to the U.S. early Monday, after weeks aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of a deadly, the Associated Press reported. The Americans disembarked the cruise in the Canary Islands on Sunday and boarded a medical repatriation flight, arranged by the U.S. government, bound for Nebraska.
The Dutch-flagged cruise ship departed from southern Argentina on April 1, and followed an itinerary across the South Atlantic with multiple stops in remote islands. Three of the passengers have died since the outbreak began. Also on Monday, a French woman tested positive for hantavirus, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said. The woman was among five French passengers repatriated Sunday to Paris.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"For the passengers getting off the ship, I'd say, 'Welcome to Nebraska.
' You are coming to the premier facility in the United States, if not the world, to take care of you," says Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the College of Public Health at UNMC.who were on the ship from 23 different countries. They've endured in the midst of a hantavirus outbreak which has caused at least eight cases, including three deaths, according to thein their cruise cabins.
They will now be monitored for several more weeks, U.S. health officials said in a media call on Saturday. Most of the passengers are arriving at America's only federally funded quarantine unit, which also received cruise passengers from a different outbreak — the Diamond Princess Cruise, in early 2020 — which was one of the first known superspreading events of the COVID-19 pandemic. — and specifically the Andes variant which caused this outbreak — for decades.
"We do know that you can get small clusters of disease, but in 30 years we've never seen any large outbreaks," says Khan,"so this is unlikely to become a pandemic. " This strain of hantavirus can be deadly, but it isn't very contagious between people. It tends to take prolonged, close contact with someone who's showing symptoms.
"It's appropriate to be cautious," Khan says,"To monitor these people for 42 days they don't get sick. And if they do get sick during those 42 days, to make sure to put them into isolation.
" Health officials said the U.S. passengers would all be assessed clinically upon arrival, though they would not be officially quarantined. They suggested that some passengers could continue monitoring at home, with daily check-ins from their health departments. Lawrence Gostin, professor of global health law at Georgetown University, says the U.S. response has been fragmented, disjointed, and delayed for weeks, but it's finally coming together.
"The CDC was missing in action for quite a long time," he says. "Better late than never — but it is very late. " In response to a request for comment from NPR, Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services:"These claims are completely inaccurate. The U.S. government is conducting a coordinated, interagency response led by the Department of State.
HHS, through ASPR and CDC, is supporting efforts to protect the health and safety of U.S. citizens, including repatriation, medical evaluation, and public health guidance.
" She further described CDC's response activities, including setting up its Emergency Operations Center, deploying teams to the Canary Islands and Nebraska, and notifying state health departments of returning U.S. travelers. Many of these activities have come recently, and Gostin agrees that the U.S. government is now taking active measures to ensure that the passengers, their families, and the communities they're returning to are safe.
But health officials got lucky this time: the Andes virus is not very contagious, and health officials say this outbreak will likely be contained. The way the U.S. has handled this episode shows glaring gaps in its pandemic preparedness, Gostin says:"If this was a highly transmissible virus, you could imagine what chaos we would be facing now.
"If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. General Motors agreed to pay $12.75 million in civil penalties for selling driving data of hundreds of thousands of California motorists to data brokers, allegedly without their consent.
The settlement, announced Friday, is the largest ever for violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act, a 2018 law that requires companies to tell consumers about how their data is shared and to respect requests to stop the sharing. It stemmed from an investigation by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, several county district attorneys, and the California Privacy Protection Agency, which enforces the privacy act.
They said General Motors misled drivers who paid for the emergency roadside and navigation service OnStar and made approximately $20 million from the unlawful sale of their data between 2020 and 2024. The information included names, location information, driving behavior, and contact information, Bonta said, which went to the data brokers LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk Analytics.
General Motors agreed to pay $12.75 million in civil penalties for selling driving data of hundreds of thousands of California motorists to data brokers, allegedly without their consent. The settlement, announced Friday, is the largest ever for violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act, a 2018 law that requires companies to tell consumers about how their data is shared and to respect requests to stop the sharing.
It stemmed from an investigation by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, several county district attorneys, and the California Privacy Protection Agency, which enforces the privacy act. They said General Motors misled drivers who paid for the emergency roadside and navigation service OnStar and made approximately $20 million from the unlawful sale of their data between 2020 and 2024.
The information included names, location information, driving behavior, and contact information, Bonta said, which went to the data brokers LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk Analytics.
“This trove of information included precise and personal location data that could identify the everyday habits and movements of Californians,” Bonta said in a press release. The settlement also requires GM to stop selling data to any consumer reporting agencies for five years and submit privacy assessments to the state,2024 New York Times investigation found GM collected data about millions of drivers nationwide and sold it to insurance companies in order to charge the drivers higher premiums.
Californians were not impacted by those premium hikes because a state law prohibits insurers from using driving data to set insurance rates, Bonta said. Bonta told CalMatters at a press conference Friday that it’s unclear if location data collected by General Motors was used by other companies to make predictions about the prices people are willing to pay for goods. That practice is better known asfrom San Diego County’s district attorney over its alleged use of location for the technique.
Bonta’s office began an investigation into the surveillance pricing practices of businesses in January.
“I understand that there could be some overlap and maybe we'll discover something in our investigation in surveillance pricing, but that wasn't the focus of this case,” he said. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the case started with one person finding location data in a report they requested about the data collected on them.
That discovery, he added, led to investigations by journalists, prosecutors, and regulators.that General Motors made last year , Hochman called it an indication that companies should expect higher penalties in the future. California reached a privacy law violation settlement with Disney in February for $2.75 million, previously the largest of its kind.
In a statement shared with CalMatters, General Motors spokesperson Charlotte McCoy said, “This agreement addresses Smart Driver, a product we discontinued in 2024, and reinforces steps we’ve taken to strengthen our privacy practices. Vehicle connectivity is central to a modern and safe driving experience, which is why we’re committed to being clear and transparent with our customers about our practices and the choices and control they have over their information.
” Californians will soon have a new protection against companies that use their data without their consent. Starting August 1, the more than 500 data brokers registered with the state must comply with requests California residents can make usingPublished May 11, 2026 5:00 AM Potential young voters get information at an outreach event at Cal State Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, ahead of the 2024 US presidential elections.
Californians can’t cast a ballot until they turn 18, but for the last decade 16- and 17-year-olds have been able to pre-register to vote and be automatically added to the rolls on their 18th birthday. However, LAist reviewed state data and found that participation in the program cratered during the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to recover.cast a ballot compared to 62% of overall turnout. Romero said this deficit has been consistent over time.
Research shows that pre-registration is associated withThe number of pre-registered teens peaked in January 2020 at 163,000 — then fell to a record low, about 113,000, in February 2021. About 119,000 California 16- and 17-year-olds are pre-registered to vote as of April 3, per theCalifornians can’t cast a ballot until they turn 18, but for the past decade 16- and 17-year-olds have been able to pre-register to vote and be automatically added to the rolls on their 18th birthday.
“Teens get to get a head start on the access to voting,” said Daphné Rottenberg, a 17-year-old Venice High School student who pre-registered last year. “I think that it's a very important thing for younger people to learn about their rights, their voting rights and ultimately their ability to decide what policies and politicians become their leaders.
” Nearly 1.5 million students have pre-registered since the program started in 2016 and more than 1.1 million became eligible voters, according to a spokesperson for the California Secretary of State. However, LAist reviewed state data and found that participation in the program cratered during the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to recover.
A nonprofit that promotes youth voting found California’s pre-registration totals represent “California is not doing a good job implementing pre-registration,” said Laura Brill, who lives in Los Angeles and is the founder and CEO of.
“It's a very nice law that lets you do it, but it has not been widely adopted by high schools. ” The unrealized promise of the program is to jumpstart the civic lives of young voters, who’ve been historically underrepresented at the polls.
“The process of signing up creates conversations, dialogue that can educate young people and hopefully encourage them ,” said Mindy Romero, director of theat USC. “If they vote at 18, they're much more likely to continue to vote through the life course. But you've got to get them when they're young.
”Rottenberg, who describes herself as “pretty involved in the political scene,” didn’t know about pre-registration until she connected with The Civics Center through a teacher to hold a voter registration drive at her school.
“Every youth vote is valuable and important, but the numbers should be higher,” Romero said. “It's really on our society and we shouldn't be blaming young people for that. ” “I think young people really struggle with particularly coming of age in this polarized environment,” Romero said.
“They feel really disconnected from the political process. They care about the world and issues, but they don't see necessarily how voting is an actionable step on what they care about. ” It's a very important thing for younger people to learn about their rights, their voting rights, and ultimately their ability to decide what policies and politicians become their leaders.
“We somewhere along the line disconnected the notion of high schools and K through 12 schools as like, bedrocks of teaching democracy and democratic practice,” said Joel Snyder, a social studies teacher at a charter school in the Florence-Firestone neighborhood. “I think a lot of that nationally is a real fear of folks looking or feeling like they're being partisan.
” Even Snyder, who's been a teacher for more than two decades, paused during our interview to consider whether to share that as part of his class, students register to vote. California 16-year-olds became eligible for pre-registration in fall 2016.
“Studies have shown that the earlier people are introduced to voting, the more likely they are to become life-long participants in democracy,” Jackson wrote. Not currently serving a state and federal prison term for a felony conviction or found mentally incompetent to vote by a courtto your county elections office— this option does not require a California-issued driver’s license or identification card number I'm looking forward to when I can vote, to being able to actually get closer to those things, to not just tell other people why they're important, but I can actually do something.
The number of pre-registered teens peaked in January 2020 at 163,000 — then fell to a record low, about 113,000, in February 2021. Romero hasn’t analyzed the program’s outcomes, but offered a “likely” set of factors contributing to the stagnating participation.
“You can't just offer it and then expect a high sign-up rate,” Romero said. “There needs to be conversations around why it's important, what the nuts and bolts of registration are, what the nuts and bolts are of voting so kids feel confident. ”for AB 2724, a 2024 bill that would have required schools to provide students information about pre-registration before the end of their junior year, Newsom wrote he was concerned about creating another school mandate.
“Schools already have the ability to fulfill the requirements of this bill without creating a new mandate,” Newsom said. “Civics in schools is under-taught, right, and under-resourced, and teachers are burdened, they have lots of different competing requirements,” Romero said. “So you have to be really committed to wanna talk to young people about this.
”Brill, with The Civics Center, said there are other changes that could help make it easier for teens to pre-register, including removing the requirement to have a driver’s license to sign up online. AboutHer organization holds trainings and created a toolkit for students and educators to host voter registration drives at their schools. Brill said more than 100 are planned for this spring, including at Venice High School.
“It really bothers me when people think that they're not being heard and so they completely disengage,” said Sage Smith, who is organizing the drive with several other students, including Rottenberg. “Instead of tuning everything out, I, we are able to bring people in so that they actually get involved. ” Smith said more than 300 of her peers pre-registered to vote during last year’s drive, which targeted seniors.
“There's an idea that, you know, younger people are uninvolved, but when they're presented with the information, everyone cared, everyone was quick to sign up,” Smith said.
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