Southern California’s Lengthy Seaside and Los Angeles ports transfer thousands and thousands of tons of cargo a yr, dealing with 40% of the nation’s imports and exports. They shuffle items together with produce, electronics and prescription drugs, and are essential to the state and nationwide economies, writes CalMatters’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde.
However with diesel vans, trains, ships and cargo gear coming out and in, they’re additionally the area’s largest single sources of air air pollution — chargeable for a few fifth of the area’s nitrogen oxides, which assist type smog.
Native air high quality regulators try to restrict emissions and different pollution comparable to soot, that are linked to respiratory sicknesses. The South Coast Air High quality Administration District drafted a proposal requiring the 2 ports to develop a plan by 2027 to affect vans, vessels and diesel gear by constructing charging and fueling stations.
The proposal aligns with objectives set in 2017, when the ports aimed to transform all of their 60-foot cranes, tractors and different gear to zero emissions by 2030. Altering the Port of Lengthy Seaside alone is estimated to value not less than $1 billion.
However environmentalists say the plan doesn’t go far sufficient. They argue the air district must develop extra enforceable targets to scale back different sources of port air pollution, and deadlines should be sped up for vans and gear to transform to zero emissions — particularly since cargo volumes are projected to double on the ports by 2040.
Even when the ports reached their objectives, nonetheless, the ports’ smog-forming emissions can be lowered solely by 14%, in response to air high quality officers. Additionally complicating issues: In January California’s state regulators walked away from their plan to part out diesel vans statewideciting opposition from President Donald Trump’s administration.
CalMatters occasions: Be part of us April 16 for “How are the kids? A dive into what’s stressing young Californians and the state’s plan to help.” This half-day symposium in downtown Los Angeles will look at youth psychological well being points and contains lunch. Register in the present day.
Different Tales You Ought to Know
Ideas for future AI coverage
With the Legislature contemplating not less than 30 payments this session associated to regulating synthetic intelligencea brand new set of suggestions issued by main AI specialists is more likely to have a main affect on shaping AI-related measures in California.
As CalMatters’ Khari Johnson explains, after vetoing a high-profile AI invoice final yr on the grounds that it might curtail innovation, Gov. Gavin Newsom fashioned a gaggle final fall referred to as the Joint California Coverage Working Group on AI Frontier Fashions. Tasked with growing a framework to control AI “frontier models” — probably the most cutting-edge types of AI — the group issued a draft report Tuesday to assist lawmakers convey higher transparency to AI growth. Some key solutions embrace:
- Have an impartial occasion consider superior AI fashions;
- Take into account passing legal guidelines that defend whistleblowers;
- Look into a possible system that flags the federal government when personal firms develop harmful AI instruments.
State Sen. Scott Wienerthe San Francisco Democrat who authored the invoice Newsom vetoed, praised the report and mentioned he’s contemplating incorporating its suggestions right into a narrower model of his proposal, now referred to as Senate Invoice 53.
The report is predicted to be finalized this summer time after a interval of public remark that ends April 8.
Standout faculties in a small CA city
Years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculties throughout the nation, together with in California, proceed to wrestle with persistent absenteeism, sluggish features in standardized take a look at scores, persistent trainer turnover and excessive charges of nervousness and despair amongst college students.
However faculties in a single small Kern County city seem like the exceptionexperiences CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones. In Delano, its elementary college district is one in all not less than 100 districts within the nation the place scholar math and studying scores have rebounded from the pandemic. Its price of persistent absenteeism can be among the many state’s lowest.
At Delano’s Cesar E. Chavez Excessive Faculty, its commencement price, attendance price and proportion of scholars assembly the course necessities for admission to the College of California and California State College all exceed the state common. The college was additionally chosen by the state’s schooling division as a nationwide “distinguished school.”
In contrast to many nationally acclaimed faculties, nonetheless, Delano faculties aren’t rich or elite. Situated within the San Joaquin Valley, it teaches principally low-income, Latino or Filipino college students whose dad and mom are farmworkers. At some faculties, half are English learners.
Learn the way Delano faculties recovered from the pandemic.
And lastly: Massive Oil lawsuits, ‘bandit’ tow firms
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Sacramento firm will make near $10M for cleansing up homeless encampments // The Sacramento Bee
Hollywood creatives urge authorities to defend copyright legal guidelines in opposition to AI // Los Angeles Occasions
