What are Californians’ hopes for 2024? Readers shared with us
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Jan. 2. Happy New Year! Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Readers share their hopes and goals for 2024
- The 135th Rose Parade kicked off the new year in L.A.
- Mountains of holiday waste are clogging landfills
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
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Readers share their hopes for 2024
It’s Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. That always feels weird to write out for a week or so, right? But, yes, it’s the new year!
Our blue marble’s new circuit around the sun brings opportunity for reflection and a chance to aspire to something new and exciting. That’s why we asked readers for their reflections, which we’re sharing with you now:
What readers found memorable about 2023
There were a few commonalities in readers’ responses. Angelenos Greg Suber and Merissa Weiland appreciated the rain that defined those early months of 2023.
“I would step outside sometimes and just let the rain fall on me,” Merissa wrote. “It was glorious, beautiful, peaceful and just so so needed!”
Others recounted traveling around California and beyond, like William Barnes of Sunnyvale, who visited L.A.’s Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, celebrated Pride in Pasadena, road tripped to Albuquerque and visited family in Orlando.
For Ventura resident Lisa Mirisola, it was a sailing trip to Catalina and the anticipation of more sailing and exploring this year.
What readers are looking forward to in 2024
Readers shared hopes to slow down, be more creative and savor life in the moment.
Tricia Cochée of Los Angeles is excited for “all the outdoor music concerts” coming up at the Hollywood Bowl and other open-air venues around L.A.
Skylar Blue of Hydesville, Calif., noticed that people “have been kinder and more tolerant than I have seen in 20 years” and “hopes to see more of that in 2024.”
Here’s more of what readers say they’re looking forward to this year:
“Getting back to life and starting fresh for my newest stage of being. I want to make a difference for those around me.”
Colleen McAllister, Burbank
“I look forward to the calls for fossil fuel divestment and phaseout being further amplified by low-income and working class communities of color. These communities in California and throughout the nation have historically and disproportionately been at the frontlines of fossil fuel pollution and its negative health impacts!”
Luis Martinez, Northridge
“The fact that we’ll only be four years away from the Olympics coming! They were last here the year I was born, so I just missed existing in a time of Olympics hoopla … now’s my chance to celebrate, the moment Paris passes the torch! I’m also looking forward to a full year with no writer/actor strikes, thank goodness!”
Merissa Weiland, Los Angeles
“I am hopeful that California will continue to be a beacon of light regarding tolerance of all citizens and that we Californians will spend our resources to assist those who suffer from homelessness and despair.”
Bill Lowman, Coronado
Your Golden State resolutions
Our request for Golden State resolutions also generated some common themes, too, namely a desire for more affordable housing to address the homelessness crisis and policies to tackle income inequality.
“I am very grateful to live comfortably in California and am aware of so many people who are facing hardships,” wrote Glendale resident Sophie Lafferty. “I hope the homeless situation can be resolved, but I know it’s complicated and difficult.”
Here’s a few more reader resolutions for themselves and California in 2024:
“That we do everything possible to put an end to gun violence in the state.”
John Pusey, Forestville
“Be nice to homeless people. Show some respect and empathy for your fellow neighbors. A lot of people don’t realize that they are one bad luck event away from becoming homeless. Volunteer at a shelter. Make toiletry bags and have them handy in the car to pass out to those in need. Think big and focus love outward to reap the biggest rewards. Get my children involved. Show my children how to love by watching me love on strangers.”
Delmy Perez, Burbank
“That all Californians have a safe, dignified, affordable home to live in.”
Tara Barauskas, Playa del Rey
“It took decades for homelessness to become a crisis and I know we won’t fix it in a year, but we need everyone to pitch in and help however they can. We need to track progress and keep more people from becoming homeless.”
Lisa Mirisola, Ventura
“I will be kinder and patient to all around me and help to create a more tolerant California. I absolutely love California! It is a beautiful state.”
Skylar Blue, Hydesville
Thanks as always for taking time to share your insights and pieces of your lives with us. We’re excited to bring you more essential news and unique stories from the Golden State in 2024.
Today’s top stories
Rose Bowl and Parade
- The 135th Rose Parade kicked off Monday as the world ushered in the start of 2024.
- John Madden’s grandson gets his Rose Bowl moment.
- Growing up in Italy, Naomi Stillitano didn’t know a thing about the Rose Parade until she moved to California. Meet this year’s queen.
- Eighty straight Rose Bowl games? Meet the fan who pulled it off.
- See the photos from the event here.
- Workers at two Pasadena hotels went on strike Sunday, picketing for better wages and increased staffing, as preparations were underway for the Rose Parade.
Environment and weather
- A magnitude 4.1 earthquake off the Los Angeles County coast brought weak shaking throughout Southern California on Monday.
- The first week of 2024 is expected to be a cold and wet one in Los Angeles, according to the National Weather Service.
- Water is increasingly at the center of conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East.
Health
- California’s hospitals are getting busier with more COVID-19 and flu patients, some who are suffering from both viruses at the same time.
Politics
- While California lawmakers feel pressure to address concerns about retail crime, the murky and sometimes contradictory evidence of an increase in lawlessness has put legislators in a bind.
- A legal battle over California’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines shows a nation divided.
- Hundreds of new laws take effect in California on Jan. 1. Here are some that could affect you at home, at work, at school and on the road.
More big stories
- Planes catch fire after a collision at Japan’s Haneda airport, killing five. Hundreds were evacuated safely.
- Traffic scofflaws, beware: Speed cameras will go up later this year in Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach.
- Mass shootings in Mexico have become an issue in the country’s presidential race.
- Legendary stand-up comedian Shecky Greene — known for several headlining runs in Las Vegas and his constant presence on the late-night talk show scene — died at his home in Las Vegas on Sunday at 97.
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Commentary and opinions
- Opinion: 2024 could be the year America fends off dictatorship, or invites it in.
- Jean Guerrero: How to have a meaningful conversation with your MAGA dad.
- Jenn Harris: Let’s kill “girl dinner” and other food trends I hope die in 2024.
- Opinion: Forget new habits in the new year. Find joy in rituals with others.
- J. Brady McCollough: Michigan proves it’s not the creation of a super spy in thrilling Rose Bowl win.
Today’s great reads
Mountains of holiday food and packing waste are clogging landfills. Is there a better way? The holiday season provides a visible and tangible surge in trash, including food, wrapping paper, aluminum and shipping boxes.
Other great reads
- 12/31/23: This “magical” date sparked a Las Vegas wedding bonanza on New Year’s Eve.
- When famous people get lost behind the look of their character, the Oscars tend to notice.
- Zenyatta is 20 years old. Her legend in horse racing still shines bright.
- Facing extreme weather, dangerous loneliness, Wrightwood youth connect with elderly neighbors.
- Election deepfakes and high-profile bankruptcies: Here’s what AI will bring in 2024.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 🍴 As the holiday fog clears, here are the best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers.
- 🎬 If the movies were back in 2023, things are really looking up for 2024. Here are 17 movies we’re looking forward to this year.
Staying in
- 📽️ Try watching these 12 Latino movies you might have missed last year.
- 📺 Get ready for the 14 TV shows we’re most excited about in 2024.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for chipotle-braised chicken with tomatillo bean salad to start your month.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... a powerful photo
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Brian van der Brug, who followed an army of volunteers as they assembled floats for Monday’s Rose Parade. You can see more of the process of building these elaborate pieces of art here.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Laura Blasey, assistant editor
Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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