Newsletter: California’s storm outages expose the power grid’s vulnerabilities

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Jan. 14.

Here’s a look at the top stories of the last week

Mass storm outages expose the power grid’s vulnerabilities. Since New Year’s Eve, hundreds of thousands of Californians have lost power — many multiple times — as a string of severe winter storms has provided the latest glimpse into how extreme weather tied to climate change is challenging California’s power grid in unprecedented ways.

As the latest storm moves into Northern California, flooding remains a concern in Monterey. Officials are concerned that the water could rise over some crucial roadways, possibly stranding the Monterey Peninsula.

What is causing the parade of storms battering California? The jet stream pattern this winter is very unusual for current La Niña conditions, said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass declares a local state of emergency over the storms. The city is expecting another storm to move in by today, raising not only the possibility of more damage from the rain, but hindering officials’ ability to address the damage already caused.

A drive to Tahoe for the long weekend could be “pretty rough,” the weather service warns. The area is expected to get 3 to 6 feet of snow between Friday and Monday.

The National Guard joins in the search for a 5-year-old swept away by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County. Kyle Doan is 4 feet tall and 52 pounds, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He has short dark blond hair and hazel eyes; he was wearing blue jeans, a black puffer jacket with red lining and blue-and-gray Nike sneakers.

Drenched Californians get an extra month to file their tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service said taxpayers in any county covered by a federal emergency declaration would have until May 15 to file their income tax returns for 2022.

California ski resorts have received more than 300 inches of snow so far this season. At Palisades Tahoe, the resort has received more than 8½ feet of snow since Jan. 1, and more is on the way.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget includes naloxone for middle and high schools while largely avoiding cuts. The overall budget proposal for K-12 school systems was one of general stability in ongoing funds — although local officials are worried about the wind-down of one-time COVID-relief dollars, the effect of inflation and declining revenues from a weakened economy.

Newsom proposes cuts to climate change programs amid cloudy economic outlook. His $297-billion budget plan for 2023-24 relies on delaying multiyear investments and shifting funding to bonds to offset the shortfall.

Rep. Katie Porter announces her bid for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat. The Irvine attorney is running for the California seat widely expected to be vacated by Democrat Feinstein.

Amid concerns over three deaths, LAPD releases the video. In one, police fatally shot a man in South L.A. who had been throwing objects at passing cars and, according to an LAPD account, was holding a sharp piece of metal when confronted by police.

Four deals Kevin McCarthy made to become speaker, explained. Here’s a rundown of the most important concessions McCarthy made — including but not limited to key changes to House rules.

Oil companies sue L.A. over its ban on drilling. The lawsuit by Warren Resources, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, says the city failed to do a required environmental study of the effects of stopping oil extraction.

Why natural gas prices — and bills — are soaring in Southern California. Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric have issued stark warnings to customers that their January natural gas bills could double.

Big Bear’s famous bald eagle, Jackie, might soon be a mom — again. Jackie, whose venture into motherhood has been caught on a live camera since 2017, on Wednesday laid her first egg of 2023.

In-N-Out Burger is coming to Tennessee. The new fast-food restaurants in Tennessee are expected to first open in the Nashville area, though not until 2026, according to the family-owned company.

Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean to headline Coachella 2023. Further down the bill, Spanish experimentalist Rosalía, Afrobeats titan Burna Boy and K-pop star Jackson Wang have prominent slots.

ICYMI, here are this week’s great reads

The curious case of OCMA’s sort-of-complete building: What works and all that doesn’t. New building, who dis? Too soon to say: The Orange County Museum of Art is closing for finishing touches, but its new digs mark a new chapter for the O.C.

Challenges loom for the gondola to Dodger Stadium planned for the 2028 Summer Olympics. The seven-minute lift that its promoters promise would ferry up to 5,000 people an hour is facing legal challenges, and just lost one of its biggest backers: former Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Geneticists are advancing the cause of conservation with a new breed of sanctuary. The idea is so novel it could be called a grandiose 21st century experiment in advanced genetics: Identify and protect regions that harbor populations of plants and animals with healthy, high levels of genetic diversity.

Film and TV production is stressful. Some sets are turning to therapy. Regardless of the subject matter, film and TV sets can be stressful and dangerous places to work. As a result, more producers are considering offering therapy services, both on set and virtually, to help film workers cope with on-the-job stress.

Today’s week-in-review newsletter was curated by Elvia Limón. Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.