California

Torrential rains wreaking havoc on California communities proving beneficial for state’s forests

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2023

Torrential rains wreaking havoc on California communities proving beneficial for state’s forests

California’s treasured timber are receiving a much-needed reprieve from the acute drought situations they’ve been experiencing for a number of many years.

The identical atmospheric river storm system that’s bringing devastating flooding to communities throughout California is offering aid to the state’s forests, in response to consultants.

Knowledge launched final week by the U.S. Drought Monitor exhibits that areas in California and Nevada that have been beforehand in “distinctive drought” standing the week earlier than — the very best stage of concern — have been alleviated because of the rounds of heavy rain which were walloping the coast. The plethora of additional moisture is prone to stave off a mass die-off of timber within the West, Jim Randerson, a professor of earth system science on the College of California Irvine, advised ABC Information.

This can be very necessary for the well being of forests that water to seep deep into the bottom, even into the weathered bedrock, Nate Stephenson, a scientist emeritus on the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Analysis Middle, advised ABC Information.

A camper gazes on the destruction at a campsite attributable to flash flooding in Los Padres Nationwide Forest on Jan. 10, 2023, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire

The roots can go down anyplace from 5 to 10 meters, or almost 33 toes, means into the crumbly bedrock, Randerson mentioned.

“However throughout among the extreme drought we have had, lots of that has been depleted of water,” Stephenson mentioned.

Even the southern Sierra Nevada, which has skilled widespread die-offs between 2013 and 2016 in locations just like the San Bernardino and Cleveland Nationwide Forests, is experiencing above-average snowfall — about 114% of the entire for the entire season, Randerson mentioned.

“Which means that there’s going to be a very good water provide that is infiltrating the soil,” he mentioned. “It is shifting into the foundation zone.”

PHOTO: In this May 7, 2015, file photo, dead and dying trees are seen in a forest stressed by historic drought conditions in Los Padres National Forest, near Frazier Park, Calif. — On this Could 7, 2015, file picture, useless and dying timber are seen in a forest harassed by historic drought situations in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, close to Frazier Park, Calif.
David McNew/Getty Photos, FILE

Snowfall is preferable to rainfall to replenish the soil, Randerson mentioned. Because it slowly melts as spring approaches, extra moisture is absorbed by the bottom and in addition later contributes to the “water financial institution” for the spring and summer time, Stephenson mentioned.

On the decrease elevations, the precipitation is coming down, as rain in lots of fire-burned areas that don’t comprise sufficient vegetation to soak up the moisture, are prone to get washed to sea as runoff or create probably devastating mudslides, Stephenson mentioned.

The whiplash between drought and flood might probably weaken soils in some areas, which might then trigger timber to fall over — particularly if they’re diseased or have suffered extreme fireplace harm, Stephenson mentioned. A few of the bigger timber with extreme burn scars — even from previous fires from centuries in the past — might proceed to weaken with every subsequent fireplace after which succumb to the moist soil and heavy winds, he added.

However total, the outpour of moisture can have a constructive impact on forest well being and to cut back forest mortality, Randerson mentioned. There’s probably not a scenario through which the forests can have “an excessive amount of water,” until the roots are utterly saturated deeply for a protracted time period, which is unlikely to occur, Stephenson mentioned.

Hotter international temperatures will ultimately result in extra frequency in atmospheric river occasions on the West Coast, consultants say, however it is going to seemingly take years of those patterns to make up for the megadrought that has been plaguing the West for many years.

Local weather change is anticipated to accentuate drought situations throughout longer and hotter summers, and create extra alternatives for downpours of rain in different seasons, Randerson mentioned, including that timber are particularly thirst-stressed on the finish of September, earlier than the October rains come.

The consultants additionally emphasised that the rainfall has been “devastating” on communities and infrastructure.

Many areas in California don’t have a “hydrologically intact” water cycle panorama — largely attributable to human growth, Erin Axelrod, mission director for Timber for Local weather Well being, a nonprofit advised ABC Information.

Municipalities might want to take into account rebuilding and repairing the ecological relationships between landscapes and cityscapes to stop the extreme flooding that a number of communities alongside the West Coast have skilled up to now weeks, Axelrod mentioned.

Options embrace reestablishing tree cowl and oak woodland to absorb the inundations of water, in addition to different practices that improve the well being of ecosystems, akin to putting in permeable gardens in faculties, Axelrod mentioned

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California

10 of 15 Southern California industries slow their hiring pace

Published

2 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Press Room

10 of 15 Southern California industries slow their hiring pace

Southern California’s bosses added 80,700 workers in the past year to a record 8.06 million jobs – but that hiring pace is roughly half of the pre-pandemic job market’s gains.

My trusty spreadsheet – filled with state job figures for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties – compared employment changes for the region and 15 industries in the year ended in October with the average yearly hiring pace before coronavirus upended the economy.

Yes, there have never been more Southern Californians employed. However, the recent hirings that created the all-time high staffing are far below the average job creation of 159,600 a year in 2015-19.

This is one of many signals of cooler business trends. It’s a chill significantly tied to the Federal Reserve’s attempts to slow what was once an overheated economy.

But Southern California bosses have another challenge – a shortage of workers. The region’s workforce, a measure of labor supply, is basically flat comparing 2024 to 2015-19. Fewer choices of workers have added difficulty for local businesses trying to meet their staffing needs.

Think of that when you learn that among the 15 Southern California business sectors tracked – hiring in 10 industries is below pre-pandemic years compared with five industries with improvements.

The downs

First, contemplate the 10 industries where the hiring pace has weakened, ranked by the size of the decline …

Professional-business services: 1.14 million workers in October – down 4,600 in a year vs. 24,100 annual gains in 2015-19. This net downturn of 28,700 jobs is unnerving because this white-collar work typically pays above-average salaries.

Construction: 378,700 workers – down 3,100 in a year vs. 16,200 annual gains in 2015-19. A building slowdown due to lofty mortgage rates created this 19,300 reversal.

Logistics-utilities: 820,800 workers – up 6,800 in a year vs. 25,800 annual gains in 2015-19. What’s at least a temporary oversupply of warehouses in the region may be behind this 19,000 slowdown.

Manufacturing: 558,400 workers – down 15,300 in a year vs. 4,100 annual cuts in 2015-19. This 11,200 drop is continued losses of local factory work tied to high cost of doing business in the region.

Fast-food restaurants: 359,400 workers – up 3,400 in a year vs. 12,400 annual gains in 2015-19. Weaker consumer spending and a hike in the industry’s minimum wage contribute to this 9,000 drop.

Hotels/entertainment/recreation: 268,300 workers – up 3,400 in a year vs. 9,600 annual gains in 2015-19. This 6,200 cooling reflects worker shortages.

Full-service eateries/food service: 339,100 workers – up 1,600 in a year vs. 6,600 annual gains in 2015-19. Inflation making shoppers pickier is part of this 5,000 cooling.

Information: 214,200 workers – down 100 in a year vs. 3,700 annual gains in 2015-19. Weakness in tech businesses and Hollywood productions created the 3,800 net downturn.

Personal services: 266,600 workers – up 500 in a year vs. 3,200 annual gains in 2015-19. Again, it is hard to find people to do this work. Thus, a 2,700 cooling.

Government: 1.03 million workers – up 11,600 in a year vs. 12,500 annual gains in 2015-19. This 900 dip is status quo.

The ups

Ponder the five industries where the hiring pace rose in the past year, ranked by the size of the gains …

Social assistance: 512,300 workers – up 28,200 in a year vs. 18,300 annual gains in 2015-19. The 9,900 addition comes as more folks need help at home for healthcare and child care.

Healthcare: 836,700 workers – up 30,100 in a year vs. 20,900 annual gains in 2015-19. The 9,200 growth parallels the region’s aging population and its need for medical services.

Retailing: 748,300 workers – up 8,300 in a year vs. 300 annual cuts in 2015-19. This somewhat surprising 8,600 improvement may be consumers tiring of online commerce and wanting to get out to shop.

Financial: 364,100 workers – up 4,400 in a year vs. 3,900 annual gains in 2015-19. The minor 500 improvement is a return to normalcy. Super-heated hiring came in the pandemic days thanks to a brief drop in mortgage rates to historic lows.

Private education: 215,700 workers – up 5,500 in a year vs. 5,100 annual gains in 2015-19. This 400 uptick reflects the growing interest in alternatives to public schooling.

Bottom line

While it’s rare for all industries to be growing at the same time – minus, say, just after an economic downturn – this 2024 edition of the winners vs. losers list raises an important issue.

It appears much of the past year’s job creation is coming from industries that historically pay meager wages. That’s an especially worrisome trend in high-cost Southern California.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

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California

California Lottery Powerball, Daily 3 Midday winning numbers for Nov. 27, 2024

Published

10 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Press Room

The California Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 27, 2024, results for each game:

Powerball

01-06-07-13-40, Powerball: 05, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Daily 3

Midday: 7-1-0

Evening: 4-9-6

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Daily Derby

1st:11 Money Bags-2nd:3 Hot Shot-3rd:8 Gorgeous George, Race Time: 1:47.44

Check Daily Derby payouts and previous drawings here.

Fantasy 5

03-10-12-29-33

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Daily 4

6-1-3-2

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

SuperLotto Plus

03-05-15-16-42, Mega Ball: 24

Check SuperLotto Plus payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Desert Sun producer. You can send feedback using this form.

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California

Democrat Derek Tran ousts Republican rival in key California House seat

Published

18 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Democrat Derek Tran ousts Republican rival in key California House seat

Democrat Derek Tran ousted Republican Michelle Steel in a southern California House district Wednesday that was specifically drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice on Capitol Hill.

Steel said in a statement: “Like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin.” When she captured the seat in 2020, Steel joined Washington state Democrat Marilyn Strickland and California Republican Young Kim as the first Korean American women elected to Congress.

Tran, a lawyer and worker rights advocate and the son of Vietnamese refugees, declared victory earlier this week. He said his win “is a testament to the spirit and resilience of our community. As the son of Vietnamese refugees, I understand firsthand the journey and sacrifices many families in our district have made for a better life.”

The contest is one of the last to be decided this year, with Republicans now holding 220 seats in the House, with Democrats at 214. The Associated Press has not declared a winner in California’s 13th district, where Democrat Adam Gray was leading Republican John Duarte by a couple of hundred votes.

Steel held an early edge after election day, but late-counted ballots pushed Tran over the top.

Steel filed a statement of candidacy on Monday with federal regulators, which would allow her to continue raising funds. It wasn’t immediately clear if she planned to seek a return to Congress.

In the campaign, Tran warned of Republican threats to abortion rights. Steel opposes abortion with exceptions for rape, incest or to save the life of the pregnant woman, while not going so far as to support a federal ban. Tran also warned that Donald Trump’s return to the White House would put democracy at risk.

On Capitol Hill, Steel has been outspoken in resisting tax increases and says she stands strongly with Israel in its war with Hamas. “As our greatest ally in the Middle East, the United States must always stand with Israel,” she said. She advocates for more police funding and has spotlighted her efforts on domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The largest demographic in the district, which is anchored in Orange county, south-east of Los Angeles, is Asian Americans, and it includes the nation’s biggest Vietnamese community. Democrats hold a four-point registration edge.

Incomplete returns showed that Steel was winning in Orange county, the bulk of the district. Tran’s winning margin came from a small slice of the district in Los Angeles county, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly two to one.

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