CA commits $2.5 billion to Los Angeles fire relief

With President Donald Trump today for Los Angeles and once again threatening to freeze aid to wildfires to California unless the state complies with its water policyGov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills Thursday to provide $2.5 billion in state funding for wildfire response and preparednesswrites CalMatters’ Sameya Kamal.

• Newsom, at a press conference in Pasadena: “People feel helpless, but not everyone feels hopeless. This is about distilling a sense of hope.

State and local agencies can use the money for a variety of recovery efforts, such as providing shelters, removing hazardous waste and testing air quality. It also includes:

• $4 million for the Department of Housing and Community Development to help local governments speed up the issuance of building permits;
• 1 million dollars to rebuild the schools;
• $250,000 for the State Architect’s Department;
• $750,000 for the Office of Public School Construction.

Funds for the relief package will be drawn from the state’s economic uncertainty reserve fund, which had about $8.3 billion as of Jan. 10, according to a spokesman for the California Department of the Treasury. State officials say $2.5 billion must be reimbursed by the federal government.

Hours before receiving the governor’s signature, the bills passed the legislature unanimously in both chambers. The mood was somber, and while lawmakers acknowledged the urgency of the issue, some also stressed that the state must carefully monitor where the money will go and that vulnerable communities should be prioritized.

• Sen. Lola Smallud-CuevasLos Angeles Democrat: “Fire doesn’t discriminate. But what can discriminate is how we restore. … It is extremely important that this is done ethically and fairly.”

The wildfires that broke out earlier this month have killed at least 27 people and displaced tens of thousands of others. New fires continue to burn in Southern California this week, inclusive 10,000 acre Hughes Fire in Los Angeles County, which began Wednesday.

Also Thursday, Newsom’s office was left scrambling to figure out the details of Trump’s planned visit to the fire zone — and the White House seemed fine with leaving the governor hanging. It’s unclear whether the two, whose relationship is frosty at best, will appear together, as presidents and governors typically do at disaster scenes. CalMatters’ Alexey Kosev visualizes what an uncomfortable day in LA can be like in this story.

Forest Fire Bulletin: CalMatters has partnered with PBS SoCal, LAist and KCRW to offer a free newsletter that provides new and accurate information about the fires in Southern California. Read on edition and subscribe.

OpenAI’s intentions to transition from a non-profit to a for-profit corporation are raising a few eyebrows. This includes those from the California Attorney General’s Office, which has launched an investigation into a possible restructuring of the business.

Like CalMatters Harry Johnson explains, the California-based creator of ChatGPT started in 2015. originally as a non-profit organization. But in December, it confirmed it was considering a plan to create a for-profit corporation for the public benefit. Although the AI ​​company currently has a for-profit arm, profits from that sector are limited, creating a barrier to fundraising and conflict between its for-profit and for-profit arms.

Critics of the proposal, including tech rival Metaalso argue that it could set a dangerous precedent that allows start-ups to take advantage of the tax advantages of non-profit organizations while intending to become highly profitable businesses.

Read more here.

“We’re not going to do anything about the wind.”

At his inauguration on Monday, Trump repeated his promise to end of the US offshore wind industryand an executive order quickly followed banning the leasing of new offshore wind installationsreports CalMatters’ Julie Card.

The ban does not take effect immediately plans already underway for large wind farms located in two areas off the coast of California. But they could be in jeopardy in the near future as Trump also ordered a “comprehensive review” of the “termination or modification” of offshore wind leases.

Industry representatives and environmentalists say Trump’s order is a major blow to an industry that is just starting to gain momentum. Offshore wind is also key to the country’s goal of electrifying its grid and becoming carbon neutral by 2045.

But Trump is not the only critic: Many residents and local officials in Morro Bay, where one of the two major wind farm projects will be located, have expressed concern that the turbines will harm the environment and the economy of their community.

Read more here.

Compared to 2020 Trump made small gains in the November election not only among California’s general electorate but also among voters aged 18 to 29. Find out why from Jun Hsu on CalMatters’ College Journalism Network.