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California lawmakers vote to ban 'reusable' plastic bags from grocery stores
California lawmakers have voted to do away with reusable plastic bags after the elimination of single-use plastic bags failed to reduce plastic pollution.
“California’s original ban on plastic bags hasn’t worked out as planned, and sadly, the state’s plastic bag waste has increased dramatically since it went into effect,” said Sen. Catherine Blakespear, the bill’s author, in a statement. “California must do its part to eliminate this scourge that is contaminating our environment.”
On Tuesday, California lawmakers in the State Senate and the State Assembly voted to approve two identical bills which would restrict grocery stores and retailers from offering thicker, “reusable” bags made out of plastic film to customers.
California lawmakers voted to approve two identical bills which would restrict grocery stores from offering thicker, “reusable” bags made out of plastic film to customers. (Jeff Greenberg / Contributor)
BLUE STATE’S BAG BAN MEANT TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT BACKFIRES AT STAGGERING RATE: STUDY
SB 1053 and AB 2236 would permit grocery stores to sell other types of reusable bags made of cloth, woven textile or other washable textile that can carry at least 22 pounds for at least 300 uses. It also allows for paper bags with at least 50% recycled paper content to be sold for at least 10 cents apiece to customers.
California implemented a ban on single-use plastic bags in 2016, but the law included an exception that allowed retailers to use plastic bags with a slightly thicker film coating, able to have more than 125 uses and carry a weight of up to 22 pounds over a distance of 175 feet.
However, the move to reduce plastic pollution failed, as customers treated the thicker “reusable” plastic bags as disposable. California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) reported a roughly 47% jump in plastic bag waste tonnage since 2014, despite the ban on single-use shopping bags.
CalRecycle has observed a roughly 47% jump in plastic bag waste tonnage since 2014, despite the ban on single-use shopping bags. (Getty Images)
“California’s current bag ban law, which allows businesses to replace thin plastic bags with supposedly reusable ones at checkout, clearly is not working,” Jenn Engstrom, state director of CALPIRG, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Plastic companies mass-producing thicker bags circumvent the law’s intent,” she continued. “Then, inevitably, discarded bags pollute our communities and environment. We’re thankful the state legislature is taking action to finally ban plastic grocery bags once and for all.”
The bills will be reconciled between the houses and then sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. If signed, the reusable plastic bag ban would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
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The Utah Jazz are in the market to add a new center to their roster following their decision to ship out Walker Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers.
They’ve already made a few moves to bolster their five spot in the first few days of free agency. Utah signed former Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes to a two-year deal, and re-signed a veteran of their own in Jusuf Nurkic that gives them at least some depth to lean on. But their work still might not be done trying to replace their defensive anchor in the middle.
Perhaps they could bring in another name off of free agency––or just maybe, they could look towards the trade market to address their hole at center, where there also might be a few intriguing veterans to target and fill their biggest need at the moment.
With that in mind, let’s look into three potential trade scenarios that the Jazz could consider to do just that:
Utah Provides Orlando With Bench Scoring
A simple one-for-one swap of guys on expiring deals; this could be an easy way for the Jazz to add another depth big man in the form of Bitadze, while sending Sensabaugh to a team that desperately needs another layer of shooting and scoring upside.
Bitadze has been a reliable rotational big since arriving in Orlando in 2023, posting an average of 6.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a night in around 17 minutes a night. It’s easy to imagine him filling into a similar, defensive-focused role within Utah’s second unit.
Considering the Magic now have Wendell Carter Jr., newly-signed Nikola Vucevic, and Bitadze on top of it, it feels like one of the existing pieces from this frontcourt could be on the move. It sets up a perfect opportunity for the Jazz to strike and get ahead of Sensabaugh’s extension situation.
Utah Adds a New Starting Center Via Dallas
The most appealing center who could be on the block within this list: Daniel Gafford has been someone already placed into various trade rumors during the past few weeks of this offseason. That’s great news for the Jazz, who make perfect sense as a suitor to host him as a starting center for next season.
Gafford’s most recent time in Dallas has been the best stretch of his career in terms of statistics: he’s logged averages of 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds a night while shooting an impressive 70% from the field. He’s not someone to expand his game much further than inside the arc, but as a lob threat and interior presence, there’s a lot to work with.
Utah would have to give up a bit of a bigger package in this one compared to what someone like Bitadze might command from Orlando. But Gafford’s locked in under contract for multiple years, and a more capable threat on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. So he’s worth the investment.
Utah Lands More Future Assets From Denver
A deal like this certainly wouldn’t be groundbreaking by any means. Someone of Zeke Nnaji’s caliber might even slot below Jaxson Hayes on the depth chart, and the returning draft picks for Utah tell you the type of asset he is on the trade market.
But the Nuggets are in a position to prioritize adding defense, shedding big men from their roster, and lessening their cap burden. This deal does just that, and only requires them to relinquish their two seconds received in their draft trade down from last month’s draft to do so.
Maybe the Jazz can unlock something from Nnaji’s game this coming season as a reserve big man––considering he’s averaged less than four points per game in the last three years––and if not, they get compensated with future draft picks to add him to their roster.
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July 4 weekend is a quiet one for new indie releases, leaving the field to Angel Studios’ PG-13 wide release Young Washington on 2,700 screens.
From Angel and Wonder Project, the film, timed to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S., stars British actor William Franklyn-Miller as the young man who would go on to become the nation’s first president.
Directed by Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine, Jesus Revolution), with Mary-Louise Parker as George’s mother, Ben Kingsley as Virginia Gov. Robert Dinwiddie, and Kelsey Grammer as wealthy nobleman Lord Fairfax. See Deadline review.
Synopsis: “Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive. A single misstep thrusts young George Washington into the center of a global conflict, testing his honor, loyalty, and courage. As alliances crumble and the frontier erupts into war, he must confront not only his enemies but the man he’s becoming.”
The action is set in the 1750s with Washington as a young man eager to fight, initially as a British officer in a period of complex loyalties. He enlists at 23 and leads a disastrous campaign against the French in Ohio but fights brilliantly and his career takes off.
Elsewhere this frame, Music Box Films is out with a 4K restoration of Ross McElwee’s Sherman’s March July 3-9 at Film Forum. It will lead into Venice award-winning Remake, McElwee’s new documentary, which premieres at the NYC art house July 10.
Sherman’s March, which won the Grand Jury prize at the 1986 Sundance Film Festival, was ranked as one of the highest-grossing documentary films of all time until the mid-1990s. In it, McElwee sets out to make a movie about Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea towards the end of the American Civil War, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life. He’ll appear in-person for post-screening Q&As on July 8-9.
Kino Lorber opens Sasha Waters’ Mary Oliver: Saved By the Beauty of the World, on the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, at the IFC Center in New York today, expanding to select theaters nationwide in the coming weeks. The documentary includes new recitations of her work by fans as varied as Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi and Oprah Winfrey and Helena Bonham Carter alongside stories from longtime friends like John Waters.
World premiered in March at the True/False festival in Columbia, MO, screened at DOC NYC Spring Selects, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival and the Miami Film Festival. Waters gained access to Oliver’s personal archives to make the film.
Citizen Kane is also back via Fathom Entertainment at about 900 theaters on July 5 and July 8. It’s for the 85th anniversary of the 1941 classic directed by and starring Orson Welles as publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane. The rerelease includes exclusive insight from Leonard Maltin.
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