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California lawmakers pass $300 billion budget, but haggling continues on gas relief

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California lawmakers pass 0 billion budget, but haggling continues on gas relief


The California Legislature handed a large $300 billion price range on Monday, however negotiations over key sticking factors with Gov. Gavin Newsom – together with billions of {dollars} in monetary reduction payouts – are nonetheless on the heart of heated negotiations.

Monday’s vote approves a placeholder price range typically derided as a “sham” price range, which permits the Legislature to satisfy a June 15 deadline and hold getting paid as they hammer out the thorniest appropriation points forward of the July 1 fiscal yr.

The price range blueprint overwhelmingly permitted by Democratic supermajorities within the Senate and Meeting is predicted to be amended within the coming weeks to achieve a compromise with Newsom, who can veto any merchandise he doesn’t like.

“We’re nonetheless negotiating all elements of the price range,” Phil Ting of San Francisco, who chair’s the Meeting’s price range committee stated in a cellphone name. “I anticipate having a price range that’s going to get signed within the coming weeks.”

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Among the many divisions between lawmakers and Gov. Newsom is how finest to spend the state’s file price range surplus – with over $49 billion below Sacramento’s discretion – and assist Californians with skyrocketing gasoline costs, which reached a statewide common of $6.44 a gallon on Monday.

Democrats, who maintain a supermajority within the Legislature, wish to ship $8 billion again to taxpayers within the type of $200 checks to individuals at decrease and middle-income ranges with a further $200 for every dependent. A household of 5 that meets the revenue necessities would get $1,000.

Nonetheless, Newsom has his personal plan. The governor desires to provide Californians $400 again for every automobile they personal, capped at $800 for 2 automobiles, totaling $11 billion in rebates. For individuals who don’t personal automobiles, Newsom desires to spend $750 million to pay at no cost rides on public transit for 3 months.

However the state’s Democratic leaders within the Senate and Meeting oppose the governor’s plan as a result of it excludes individuals with out automobiles from receiving funds and in addition sends a reimbursement to rich Californians.

Scott Graves, analysis director on the California Funds & Coverage Middle, stated gasoline reduction funds look like the foremost subject holding up the price range. “‘It’s a troublesome one to compromise on as a result of they’re very completely different concepts,” stated Graves. “Anyone has to provide, proper?”

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Republicans, who’ve little energy to manage the state’s purse strings, slammed the price range as “kabuki political theatre” saying Sacramento ought to droop the state’s 51-cent per gallon gasoline tax and dedicate more cash to water storage and the state’s rainy-day fund.

“Gasoline costs are crashing household budgets,” stated Republican Vince Phong, who sits on the Meeting’s price range committee. “There’s nothing in as we speak’s proposal to deliver quick reduction for Californians.”

Gasoline reduction will not be the one excellent subject.

One of many largest mysteries of the price range proposal is how lawmakers would spend $21 billion to fight local weather change. The Legislature’s plan commits to spending that quantity, however says the small print are “topic to negotiations.” Lawmakers are additionally seeking to enhance funding for inexpensive housing growth and set up a brand new program subsidizing down funds for first-time homebuyers, in response to the non-partisan Legislative Analysts’ Workplace,

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Whereas Democratic leaders and Newsom have key variations, their budgets additionally discover loads of widespread floor. Each side are proposing an unprecedented $128 billion for public colleges and neighborhood faculties and seeking to allocate tens of tens of millions of {dollars} to assist abortion seekers from out of state.

The specter of a recession additionally looms over negotiations as worries that authorities largess – backed by surging tax income from rich Californians – will run dry through the inventory market downturn. Each side wish to dedicate the overwhelming majority of the excess to one-time funds, so the state will not be on the hook for future funds throughout a recession.

The Related Press contributed to this report. 



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California

Bird Flu Virus Identified In Raw Milk Sold In California

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Bird Flu Virus Identified In Raw Milk Sold In California


The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has detected the avian influenza or “bird flu” virus in a sample of a raw milk product. The product which was for sale at retailers at the time of the testing has now been recalled by the producer after the state of California requested it’s withdrawal from sale.

The affected product is cream top, whole raw milk produced and packaged by Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County with lot code 2024110. The best buy date of the batch is 11. Nov, 2024 meaning consumers could still have it in their homes. No illnesses have currently been reported from this batch of milk, but people can take several days to develop bird flu after exposure. According to the World Health Organization, most people develop symptoms within 2-5 days, but can take up to 17 days to develop.

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According to the CDC, bird flu symptoms may include fever or feeling feverish or chills, eye redness or irritation, and respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and tiredness.

Customers should not consume any product matching the description above and should return the product to stores or dispose of it. The CDPH is also in the process of informing re also in the process of informing retailers about the infected product to notify them to remove it from their shelves. The CDPH has since visited both locations of the company’s farms and has found no further evidence of bird flu. The CDPH will continue to test the farm’s milk twice a week.

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The CDPH stresses that there is no risk of consuming pasteurized milk as the milk is heated to temperatures which inactivate bacteria and viruses. However raw milk does not go through this process, meaning any bacteria or viruses in the milk can be transferred to the consumer. Public health departments, as well as the CDC have long warned against the dangers of consuming raw milk, which has been responsible for outbreaks of Listeria, E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella, among other microbes.

California has been hit with bird flu outbreaks in both dairy cow herds and poultry farms with over 400 dairy herds affected as of 22. November. Twenty-nine human cases have also been recorded in the state, mostly individuals who have had close contact with infected livestock. The numbers of infected individuals are likely to be under reported and very little is known about the severity of disease in humans so far. Just two days ago, the CDC confirmed a case of H5N1 bird flu in a child in California with no known contact with livestock.



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Heavy Rain And Flooding Turn Deadly In California – Videos from The Weather Channel

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Heavy Rain And Flooding Turn Deadly In California – Videos from The Weather Channel




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SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites from California (photos)

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SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites from California (photos)


SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit early Sunday morning (Nov. 24).

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink spacecraft — 13 of which are capable of beaming service directly to smartphones — lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday at 12:25 a.m. EST (0525 GMT; 9:25 p.m. on Nov. 23 local California time). 

The Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff as planned, touching down on the SpaceX droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean.

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The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rests on the deck of a droneship shortly after launching 20 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 24, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX)

It was the 15th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. Twelve of those flights have been Starlink missions.

The Falcon 9’s upper stage hauled the 20 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, deploying them there about an hour after liftoff as planned, SpaceX reported in a post on X.

Sunday’s launch was the 115th Falcon 9 flight of the year. Nearly 70% of those liftoffs have been devoted to building out Starlink, the largest satellite constellation ever assembled.

The megaconstellation currently consists of more than 6,600 active satellites, and, as Sunday’s mission shows, it’s growing all the time.



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