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☆ Los Angeles Has Promised a ‘Car-Free’ Olympics in 2028. Can It Do It?
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Jill Cowan | Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In their winning bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles leaders pledged that the city’s version of the Games would be the greenest ever — a goal they planned to achieve in large part by making access to the event “car-free.”It was a bold statement because, well, it’s Los Angeles. Could America’s capital of car culture, where traffic shapes daily life more than the weather, really pull that off? Now that the Paris Olympics have ended, the clock is ticking. Los Angeles must complete much-needed upgrades to the region’s transit system to handle an influx of athletes and visitors without bringing car traffic to a standstill. “I’m optimistic,” said Eli Lipmen, the executive director of Move L.A., an organization that advocates for the expansion of public transit in the region.

Persons: ”, Eli Lipmen Organizations: Los Angeles, Paris Locations: Los, Los Angeles, Angeles

☆ Southern California Fire Destroys Homes and Forces Evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | More About Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A fast-moving brush fire burned homes and forced evacuations in the inland California city of San Bernardino on Monday afternoon. Shocking views of the fire tearing across a residential hillside stoked fears that an already dangerous fire season could threaten the more populated parts of the state. The fire in the Southern California city, about 60 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, has grown to 100 acres and burned multiple buildings, said Eric Sherwin, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Residents of dozens of homes in the Shandin Hills neighborhood are under evacuation orders, and the county has set up an evacuation center at a nearby elementary school. Multiple suburban houses with tile roofs could be seen on live TV engulfed in flames on Monday afternoon.

Persons: Eric Sherwin Organizations: San Bernardino, Monday, San, San Bernardino County Fire Department, Residents Locations: California, San, Southern California, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Shandin

☆ California City Leaders End Cloud-Brightening Test, Overruling Staff
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Elected leaders in Alameda, Calif., voted early on Wednesday to stop scientists from testing a device that might one day be used to artificially cool the planet, overruling city staff members who had found the experiment posed no danger. The test involved spraying tiny sea-salt particles across the flight deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Versions of that device could eventually be used to spray the material skyward, making clouds brighter so that they reflect more sunlight away from Earth. Scientists say that could help to cool the planet and to fight the effects of global warming. That has pushed the idea of deliberately intervening in climate systems closer to reality.

Locations: Alameda , Calif, Alameda, San Francisco Bay

On Thursday morning, the campus at the University of California, Los Angeles, reflected the aftermath of a protest in defeat. Littered across the lawn was a mass of trampled tents, sleeping bags, pizza boxes, blankets and poles. About 200 people were arrested and booked after a standoff with the authorities, according to Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Most were charged with misdemeanors such as unlawful assembly, she said, and the majority had been released by midmorning. About 300 protesters left voluntarily, according to the university.

Persons: Nicole Nishida Organizations: University of California, Los, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, midmorning Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Biden family business associate had no contact with Joe Biden, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

House Republicans interviewed a former business associate of Hunter and James Biden on Thursday who told Congress ahead of the interview he had “no contact” with President Joe Biden, according to a letter obtained by CNN. “He never heard mention of President Biden with respect to any of the transactions pursued by Hudson West III and is unaware of any involvement President Biden may have had with his son’s business pursuits,” Dayananda added. As a result, Dayananda wrote, “Mr. He has had no professional contact or communication with President Biden at any time,” Dayananda wrote in May to Comer. Hunter Biden began to “investigate potential infrastructure projects” with the Chinese-backed energy company, CEFC, in 2015, when Joe Biden was vice president, according to the recent indictment in the federal tax case against the president’s son.

Persons: Hunter, James Biden, Joe Biden, James Comer, Mervyn Yan, Yan, Biden, ” Yan, Soumya Dayananda, Comer, “, ” Dayananda, Dayananda, “ Mr, Biden’s, ”, Hunter Biden, Gongwen Dong, “ Mervyn Yan, Mervyn Yan’s, ” Comer, Jamie Raskin Organizations: Republicans, CNN, Republican, Hudson West, Hudson, ” Republicans, Yan Locations: United States, Kentucky, American, III

☆ Cal State Professors Reach Tentative Deal to End Strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | More About Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The California State University system and the union representing thousands of professors and lecturers reached a tentative deal on Monday to raise wages, ending what was the largest strike by university faculty members in U.S. history. The deal, announced by both sides on Monday night, came just hours after the California Faculty Association, the union that represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches, began what was planned as a five-day walkout across the 23 C.S.U. campuses, which serve nearly 460,000 students. The tentative deal means that faculty at the nation’s largest four-year public university system will return to work on Tuesday, union officials said. “This deal immensely improves working conditions for faculty and strengthens learning conditions for students.”

Persons: ”, Antonio Gallo Organizations: California State University, California Faculty Association

☆ The Best Books About California
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Looking for your next absorbing read? Today I’m updating our California Reading List, a project of this newsletter that’s intended to guide anyone looking to learn more about the Golden State through adeptly written prose. Readers have sent in hundreds of wonderful recommendations, and I’ve been sorting through them for weeks. Please keep emailing your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com, and include your full name and the community where you live. (If you have recommendations for the best local spots to read, send those, too.)

Persons: Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s, Carey, Octavia Butler’s unsettlingly, Joan Didion, “, Joan Didion’s ‘, Jim Morrison, Charles Manson, ”, Christine Tse Kuecherer Organizations: Reading, Golden State Locations: Golden, “ California, Burbank

WHY WE’RE HEREWe’re exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. On a California island, residents and preservationists are feuding over how to protect the habitat for future generations. Plump quails and miniature foxes unique to the island scurry across the dirt roads that wind through scrubby hillsides. Thick pillows of fog roll onshore and coat the leaves of rare plants with dew. But the habitat is suffering because much of the native flora has been ravaged by animals shipped here over the past century for ranching, hunting and filming movies.

Persons: critters Organizations: Channel Locations: California, Catalina, Southern California

A jury on Thursday convicted David DePape of federal crimes for breaking into the San Francisco home of Nancy Pelosi and beating her husband with a hammer in an attack last year that raised fears of political violence ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. The jury reached its decision after deliberating for roughly eight hours following a trial that lasted four days. Mr. DePape’s lawyers did not contest the evidence against him, which included police body camera video of the attack on Paul Pelosi and Mr. DePape’s own admissions to the police and on the witness stand. Mr. DePape, 43, faces a possible sentence of life in prison. Defense lawyers had argued to the jury that Mr. DePape’s bludgeoning of Mr. Pelosi, 83, while on a mission to kidnap his wife — then the speaker of the House and second in line to the presidency — did not amount to federal crimes.

Persons: David DePape, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, DePape’s, DePape, Mr, Pelosi, — Organizations: San Locations: San Francisco

The storm has put the migrant population in Tijuana in an even more vulnerable position, since most of the camps and shelters lack the basic conditions to withstand even light rain. While waiting for an asylum appointment in the border city of Tijuana, Mr. Torres found himself not only escaping violence but also a life-threatening tropical storm on Friday. Image People at a makeshift shelter in Tijuana as Tropical Storm Hilary hit Mexico on Sunday. The migrants crossed the heavily polluted Tijuana River into U.S. territory, and waited to be processed in the rain. At the Ambassadors of Jesus Church, a migrant shelter housing some 1,600 people, water had completely surrounded the building, said Father Gustavo Banda, who operates the shelter.

Persons: José de Jesús Torres, Torres, Areli, ”, Hilary, Gustavo Banda, Enrique Lucero Organizations: Tropical, Sunday ., Reuters, Sunday, U.S . Border Patrol, of Jesus Church Locations: Michoacán, Mexico, U.S, United States, Tijuana, Colombian, California

The 5.1-magnitude earthquake centered near Ojai, Calif., was unlikely to have caused serious damage. But residents in Los Angeles, 60 miles southeast of the epicenter, felt swaying that lasted long enough to take notice. A 3.5-magnitude earthquake often feels like a quick jolt, as if someone just bumped into your desk. The Ojai earthquake was slightly more significant than that and may have caused some minor cracking in walls, according to Jana Pursley, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Though the earthquake was felt in much of Santa Barbara County, just 15 miles from Ojai, there haven’t been reports of damage so far, said Jackie Ruiz, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.

Persons: Jana Pursley, haven’t, Jackie Ruiz Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, Santa, Santa Barbara County, Emergency Management Locations: Oregon, Ojai, Calif, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara

☆ What’s in Our Queue? ‘Past Lives’ and More
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

You’d think a documentary show about couples going to therapy would be a downer. But I found this Showtime series, all three seasons of which I devoured in a few weeks, hopeful because of how much people were willing to work to make their relationships go the distance.

☆ How to Think About Rising Covid Cases in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | More About Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s been several months since I last wrote about it in this newsletter, and almost as long since I gave it serious consideration. The rate of spread has been relatively low this year, and Covid hospitalizations in California were lower last month than at any time since the pandemic took hold. New Covid cases have been rising this month in California and across the country. While experts say the trend isn’t a cause for alarm, they do agree it’s something to monitor if you’re hoping to avoid infection. “I’m sure many of you are anecdotally both hearing about friends and family and colleagues, as well as seeing more or hearing more about some more circulating Covid.”

Persons: It’s, Covid, Erica Pan, “, ” Locations: California

☆ Trump Jan. 6 Indictment Relies Heavily on House Panel’s Work
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Luke Broadwater | More About Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In taking the monumental step of charging a former president with attempting to steal an American election, Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel, relied on an extraordinary narrative, but one the country knew well. For a year and a half, the special House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol introduced Americans to a sprawling cast of characters and laid out in painstaking detail the many ways in which former President Donald J. Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election. In doing so, it provided a road map of sorts for the 45-page indictment Mr. Smith released on Tuesday. “In a lot of ways, the committee’s work provided this path,” said Soumya Dayananda, who served as a senior investigator for the House Jan. 6 panel. “The committee served as educating the country about what the former president did, and this is finally accountability.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald J, Trump, Smith, “, ”, Soumya Dayananda, wasn’t, ” Mr Organizations: Justice Department, Capitol, Department of Justice

☆ India is said to be an 'oasis' in the desert. Here are some sectors to watch for
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Major economies were hit by higher inflation during the Covid-19 pandemic, but India's inflation was already elevated. In June, India's inflation rate was 4.81%, which remains within the Reserve Bank of India's tolerance band of 2% to 6%. There is a paradigm shift and flight of capital from Indian households savings to equity to contribute to the India growth story," Azeez told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" last week. "So whichever way one looks at the economic numbers, India appears as an oasis in the global desert," he added. watch nowHowever, Matthew Asia's Mittal said that instead of buying into pharmaceutical companies, upstream companies such as Syngene will be a good investment opportunity.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Darren Robb, Feroze Azeez, Anand, Azeez, CNBC's, Nifty, it'll, Soumya Rajan, Peeyush Mittal, Nilesh Shah, Shah, Financials, Rajan, Waterfield's Rajan, We've, we've, Hindenburg, Matthews, Mittal, India's, Nestle, Kotak's Shah, Punit Paranjpe, Matthew Asia's Mittal Organizations: Bank, Getty, Wealth, Reserve Bank, Monetary Fund, Waterfield, Matthews Asia, CNBC, Mahindra Asset Management, IDFC, IDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank, Housing Development Finance Corporation, India's HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra Finance, Nestle, World Bank, Nurphoto, Hindustan Unilever, Britannia Industries, Manufacturing Global, Godrej Aerospace, Afp Locations: India, United Kingdom, Japan, Mumbai, China, Nestle India, LuLu, Lulu, Kerala

☆ Need Some Coastal Escape? Got Gold Rush Fever? Explore These State Parks.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | More About Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kids are out of school, the weather is balmy in much of the state and the days are long — it’s time for summer travel. Today, I have a new round of recommendations for the best state parks to visit this summer, whether you’re planning a day trip, a weekend getaway or something longer. California’s state park system includes 280 parks: If the options feel overwhelming, it’s in the best way. So make sure to check the weather forecast before you head out, bring plenty of water and stay safe. Cool down along the Sonoma CoastAbout two and a half hours north of San Francisco, Salt Point State Park can offer a foggy reprieve when California’s inland areas are baking.

Locations: California, Sonoma Coast, San Francisco, Salt Point

In this article HDFCBANK-IN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA HDFC Bank branch in Mumbai, India, on Friday, April 14, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIndia's largest private lender HDFC Bank has completed its merger with Housing Development Finance Corporation , the country's biggest mortgage lender, in a deal that pits the new entity against the world's largest banks. HDFC shareholders will receive 42 shares of HDFC Bank for every 25 shares they own, and HDFC will cease operations on the Indian stock market on 13 July. In a presentation to HDFC investors, the mortgage lender outlined synergies including access to lower funding costs, operational efficiencies and a wider distribution network for HDFC. There will also be cross-selling opportunities as 70% of HDFC's customers do not have a banking account with HDFC Bank, according to the presentation.

Persons: Soumya Rajan, Nilesh Shah, HDFC, Rajan, Shah Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, HDFC Bank, Housing Development Finance Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Bank of America, Waterfield Advisors, Mahindra Asset Management, Reliance Industries, CNBC Locations: Mumbai, India, HDFC

☆ With Commuters Staying Home, Transit Agencies Try to Reinvent Themselves
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rush hour is now anything but at the Montgomery Street station in the heart of San Francisco. Three years after the pandemic began, remote work endures as a way of life for many office workers, and few major transit systems in the United States have suffered worse than Bay Area Rapid Transit. The 131-mile network depends heavily on suburban residents who commute daily into San Francisco and less than other transit systems on local passengers trying to get across town. Weekday ridership on BART is down to 32 percent of what it was before the pandemic began, punctuating a desperate moment for San Francisco. Without daily foot traffic, major retailers are abandoning downtown, and analysts believe the city core has yet to bottom out.

Persons: punctuating Organizations: Rapid Transit, BART Locations: Montgomery, San Francisco, United States, Francisco

Officials in border cities were facing uncertainty as well, as they tried to anticipate how the policy changes would play out. Oscar Leeser, the mayor of El Paso, told reporters on Friday that about 1,800 migrants had entered the border city on Thursday. “We saw a lot of people coming into our area in the last week,” he said. But since the lifting of Title 42 overnight, he said, “we have not seen any big numbers.”Shelter operators reported that it was too soon to tell what could unfold in coming days, since most people who crossed were still being processed by the U.S. government. But they, too, said that the largest spikes in crossings might have passed.

But there was little sign of chaos, only of crowds, at the church on Friday morning. Jan Carlo, a 47-year-old from Venezuela, had just turned himself in to the border authorities to be entered into the immigration system. While still in Mexico, he had tried for days to get an interview appointment through the government smartphone app but eventually gave up in frustration. He crossed into the United States undetected about 10 days ago, he said, and had been sleeping outside the church since then. “So I’d better stay out here, because I have more security,” with police officers stationed close by, he said.

☆ What to Know About California’s Reparations Efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last year, the state task force voted that any reparations should be based on lineage — basically, any descendant of an enslaved African American or a free Black person living in the United States before the end of the 19th century would qualify. How exactly people will prove that lineage has not been completely determined, and would be worked out through any legislation. The panel considered awarding reparations in the form of tuition or housing grants, but ultimately landed on direct payments instead. These are preliminary estimates, and all of this falls on state lawmakers in Sacramento to create and pass legislation. The task force will present its report to the Legislature ahead of a July 1 deadline, and from there, it’s up to lawmakers to get to work.

☆ The Population of California Declined, Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even after three years of decline, though, California remains by far the nation’s most populous state, home to one in eight U.S. residents. Palmer, spokesman for the California Department of Finance. The primary driver of the state’s population loss has been Californians moving to other states, like Texas, Nevada, Idaho or Oregon, according to Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. Between July 2021 and July 2022, the net movement out of California was a record 407,000 people, he said. California has been losing residents to other states for decades, though that was usually offset by arriving immigrants, whose numbers plummeted in 2020.

☆ A top Unilever exec breaks down the CPG giant's investments in e-commerce advertising and why it's pushing for retailers to adopt better measurement standards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A top Unilever ad exec told Insider the CPG giant is looking for new ways to measure digital ads. She said that the brand is also structured to account for bigger ad budgets moving to retail media. Unilever, one of the biggest spenders on e-commerce ads, is pushing for retailers to adhere to the same measurement standards. Donkada said such specifications for Unilever's retail media ads would likely look similar to standards Unilever created for brand safety and also take into account privacy. The ads team manages both national and retail media spend, meaning that one Unilever team can tweak retail media budgets to be higher or lower.

☆ Seeking an Oasis in the Palm Springs Desert With $350,000 to Spend. Which Home Did He Choose?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Soumya Karlamangla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He returned to Santa Cruz in 2019 to be closer to family, and then to ride out Covid lockdowns. Like San Francisco, Palm Springs offered a thriving gay community, with a more relaxed vibe and much more affordable housing. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]In March, Mr. Andrade contacted Kevin Koerner, a friend who was a broker with Compass, to help him sift through properties. Palm Springs, historically, has been a destination for buyers “looking for places to get away for the weekend, or a week, or to come here in the winter,” he said. Mr. Andrade set a budget of about $350,000 and began looking for a home with two bedrooms, so friends and family could comfortably visit.

☆ Analysis: Fall in India nominal GDP growth in FY24 to challenge fiscal math
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Ira Dugal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At least four leading economists expect nominal GDP growth to come in between 8% and 11% as inflation slows and real GDP growth eases from an estimated 7% this year, when pandemic-related distortions and pent-up demand pushed up growth rates. Das said he expects nominal GDP growth of 8%-9% in FY24, with inflation and real GDP growth seen declining. A growth of 8-9% would bring that number close to the 7.6% nominal growth seen in 2019/20, before the Covid crisis hit. State Bank of India and rating agency ICRA estimate the nominal GDP growth at around 10% for next financial year. "Higher-than-budgeted nominal GDP growth,(will help) to keep fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP at 6.4%, with downside risks," it said.

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