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New study says California’s farmland is shrinking due to years-long severe drought

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New study says California’s farmland is shrinking due to years-long severe drought


YUBA CITY — California’s farmland is shrinking as a result of a extreme three-year drought, in line with a brand new report ready for the California Division of Meals and Agriculture. 

The final three years have been the driest within the instrumental file and the multi-year deficits in precipitation have been compounded by “elevated crop evaporative calls for” in line with the report. Researchers on the report — which included authors from UC Merced, UC Davis, and the Public Coverage Institute of California — discovered that the state’s irrigated farmland shrunk by practically 10% which totals 752,000 acres of farmland. 

As for the roles, the acute drought circumstances have led to greater than 19,000 jobs misplaced between the meals processing and crop sectors in 2022. 

“Agriculture employs numerous individuals straight, and not directly, I discuss concerning the farm employee, however I might simply as nicely discuss concerning the individuals within the processing plant. There are tomato processing crops that simply aren’t going to make use of individuals lengthy into the 12 months as a result of it was a brief crop,” stated Daniel Sumner, one of many report’s authors and a professor of Agriculture Economics at UC Davis. 

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Sumner stated he is lengthy studied the financial impacts of agriculture, however this 12 months marks the primary time he has seen the scale drop in rice manufacturing as ever earlier than. The report discovered rice acreage was lower by half in 2022.

“It is stunning and by no means occurred earlier than,” stated Sumner. 

“It is all the time sudden. You can’t management all of those components that go in it. You sort of should assume, ‘Is there one thing else that we ought to be doing so we’re being profitable and never shedding cash?’ ” stated Desiree Silva, the vp of enterprise operations at California Valley Nut Firm. 

Silva stated their household enterprise in Yuba Metropolis, which has been round for greater than 100 years, hasn’t been as unhealthy off as different industries on the subject of water, nevertheless it’s nonetheless going to impression them subsequent 12 months. 

“It is an enormous consider something that grows. It’s a must to have water for something to develop. So if there’s not sufficient water, what do you do?” stated Silva. 

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The Silvas diversified their marketing strategy and just lately bought an agriculture spraying firm to maintain income in it doesn’t matter what the climate or water brings to their walnut orchards. 



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California firefighters confront alleged looters stealing Emmy Award during Eaton Fire: ‘You are not doing this’

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California firefighters confront alleged looters stealing Emmy Award during Eaton Fire: ‘You are not doing this’


A group of California firefighters stopped an alleged looter from robbing a burned-down house and jetting off with an Emmy Award that had miraculously survived the fiery carnage of the Eaton Fire.

Smoke eaters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department were working in a burned-down Altadena neighborhood on Thursday when they came across two suspicious people who were leaving one of the properties.

One of the firefighters confronted a woman – wearing a dark sweatshirt and skirt over sweatpants – carrying possessions from the home including the prestigious award.

A Los Angeles County Firefighter holds an Emmy Award allegedly stolen from a property in Altadena on Jan. 16, 2025. FOX 11

“There’s no way what?” the suspected looter asked the firefighter as he walked away from a white pickup truck with the award, according to LAFD Watchdog video obtained by Fox LA reporter Matthew Seedorff.

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“No way, you are not doing this,” the first responder argued.

“This was our house. We tried to save all these people. You are not stealing from them.”

The woman claimed she wasn’t stealing and was protecting her neighborhood.

The firefighter walked away but turned around when the woman and her friend attempted to get into the truck.

“You’re not going anywhere,” the firefighter ordered.

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The Emmy was awarded in the news and documentaries category in 2002, Fox LA reported.

Along with the Emmy, the woman allegedly stole another award, the Sharp Award from 2016. Both awards had the name of the rightful owner on it, who was not publically named.

The firefighter called for an engine to be parked in front of the suspect’s white pickup until police arrived.

The Eaton Fire burns several homes in Altadena on Jan. 8, 2025. AP
A National Guard member patrols Lake Avenue after the Eaton Fire on Jan. 17, 2025. AP

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office arrested the looters.

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Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman revealed nine more individuals charged with crimes related to the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires.

The charges included felony arson, felony possession of ammunition by a felon, felony looting during mandatory evacuations, and misdemeanor impersonation of a firefighter.

Nine people were originally charged with crimes before Hochman’s update Friday.

Over 40 out-of-town vultures were arrested by the Santa Monica police for allegedly preying on the thousands of homes left abandoned there and in the neighboring Pacific Palisades.

The suspected criminals took advantage of residents fleeing the devastating fires and allegedly burglarized the homes.

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A private firefighter from Oregon cuts up a tree that burned down during the Eaton Fire outside a destroyed home. Getty Images
The ruins of a destroyed home after the Eaton Fire in Altadena. London Entertainment for NY Post

“To anyone who believes they can use this disaster as a cover for criminal activity, let this be your warning: You will be caught, and you will be held accountable,” Hochman said. “The citizens of this county deserve safety and justice, especially in the wake of such unprecedented devastation, and I will not rest until we achieve both.”

The deadly fires killed 27 people and destroyed more than 11,000 structures after the raging infernos burned through over 40,000 acres since Jan. 7, 2025.





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California prisoner firefighter program draws harsh criticism

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California prisoner firefighter program draws harsh criticism


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A giant battery power plant is on fire in California

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A giant battery power plant is on fire in California


A fire broke out at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Central California Thursday. The battery power plant is the largest in the world according to the company, Vistra, that owns it.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for nearby residents and closed parts of Highway 1 in response. County Health officials have asked other residents to shelter indoors with windows and doors closed and to switch off ventilation systems.

The company will investigate the cause of the fire once it’s out, Vistra spokesperson Jenny Lyon told The Mercury News. Vistra did not immediately respond to an email from The Verge. It completed an expansion of the facility in 2023, adding more than 110,000 battery modules needed to store renewable energy. Energy storage facilities like this one are essential for power grids to be able to keep enough excess solar and wind energy so it’s available when the sun goes down and winds wane.

This isn’t the first battery fire in the area. A nearby Pacific Gas & Electric battery plant stocked with Tesla batteries caught fire back in 2022. The year prior, Vistra had to temporarily shut down its battery plant at Moss Landing after a malfunctioning smoke detector and heat-suppression system sprayed water on its batteries, Canary Media reported.

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