Three stories to watch in 2024, according to the L.A. Times deputy managing editor

Good morning. It’s Friday, Jan. 5. I’m Shelby Grad, the L.A. Times’ deputy managing editor for daily news. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• The three biggest stories to watch in 2024
• Colder temperatures are coming to SoCal this weekend
• 7 exceptional places to try nonalcoholic cocktails in L.A.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Three things that will dominate California news in 2024

As deputy managing editor overseeing the daily news operation at the L.A. Times, I am always thinking and planning ahead. Here are the three big things we all should be keeping an eye on in 2024.

The stakes of the 2024 election are high, even in deep-blue California

There is little drama over who will win deep blue California’s 54 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential race. Still, the stakes of the political season are high.

One place to look is the “purple” districts of California — areas of Orange County, the Central Valley and Inland Empire that were once reliably Republican but were remade by the “blue wave” a few cycles ago. The GOP reversed some losses in the last election, and President Joe Biden’s bad poll numbers — even among Democrats according to a recent poll of California voters — could help Republicans more. But will Trump 2.0, along with the abortion issue, alienate suburban voters from the GOP?

Another question is whether Trump and the GOP can make inroads among Latino and Asian voters in California. Both groups heavily lean Democrat, but there have been signs of a right-leaning shift in recent elections. They are expected to be key in 2024 battleground contests.

California will struggle to adapt to extreme weather

California experienced one of its wettest years on record in 2023. It was a grim reminder that extreme climate change is not just about heat and fires.

The state was slammed by flooding, coastal erosion and the revival of Tulare Lake. The early betting was for another wet 2024. But there are growing concerns California’s water gains will be short-lived, especially when it comes to snow accumulation (aka known as a “snow drought”).

California is still fighting to be a leader in the shift to electric over fossil fuels, with Los Angeles saying it can lead the way. Californians are embracing electric cars at an astonishing rate. But declines on mass transit ridership represent a significant setback. Will 2024 see a rebound?

Last year marked a rare fire season bust, thanks to all the rain. But it’s likely going to be a short reprieve. Homeowners across California are paying a big price for the rising fire danger, with insurance companies pulling out of the state.

Officials are trying to stabilize the fire insurance market. But even if people living in high-risk areas can get coverage it will cost them.

Los Angeles’s future depends on some big unknowns

If all goes well, the city will make history as the long-awaited, much-delayed people-mover system opens at Los Angeles International Airport. L.A. is the rare major city not to have an airport rail link, and officials hope the people mover will help generate more riders across L.A.’s fast-growing but not exactly packed rail network (the Wilshire subway to the Westside will supposedly open in 2025).

The homeless crisis in L.A. got worse in 2023, with the annual count showing a 10% rise. Mayor Karen Bass pointed to some wins in her first year in office. But getting people off the streets temporarily has once again proven much easier than finding them permanent housing. And on Skid Row, the housing network for L.A.’s neediest all but collapsed.

But the biggest unknown for L.A. might be in the future of its signature industry. Seismic changes that have rocked Hollywood for years may lead to a reckoning in 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery (among others) could buy struggling Paramount, with massive job losses to follow. But few think it will end there.

Today’s top stories

Riverside County animal control officer Harvey Beck wields a can of pepper spray while investigating a report of unleashed dogs mauling another dog in Aguanga in December.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Climate and environment

• In a remote corner of California, roaming dog packs leave a trail of blood and terror.
• Wind gusts blow through Southern California, with colder temperatures coming this weekend.

Sports

• ESPN used its exclusive negotiating window to reach an eight-year, $920-million deal with the NCAA on Thursday.
• UCLA gymnastics raising the bar in the vault could lift them into NCAA title contention.

Courts and crime

• A Los Angeles man was denied a green card over his tattoos. The Supreme Court might take up his case.
• Parenting classes are routinely ordered in child abuse cases. California isn’t ensuring they work.
• Ruben’s Bakery survived the pandemic and the L.A. riots only to be ransacked during a street takeover.

More big stories

• Queen Mary, once a sinking white elephant, shows signs of remarkable revival.
• New categories. New voters. New network. Even a new trophy. As the Golden Globes turn the page on an existential crisis, a battered Hollywood is eager to welcome the awards back to the fold.
• The four questions that will decide who wins Biden vs. Trump — Part II.
• R.I.P. Shaunzi. The second elephant in about a year dies at L.A. Zoo.
• Palestinians rebuild in West Bank’s Jenin — only to watch Israel destroy it again and again.

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Commentary and opinions

• Michael Hiltzik: The truth about the Harvard president’s ouster.
• Jackie Calmes: 2023 was the year of the do-nothing House Republicans. In 2024, they’ll do worse than nothing.
• Editorial: Early decision admissions for college unfairly favor wealthy students.
• Opinion: California just banned ‘crime-free’ housing. Here’s why other states should too.
• Sammy Roth: It’s 2024. Time to start acting like climate change actually matters.

Today’s great reads

(Jess Hutchison / Los Angeles Times)

Remote workers actually aren’t more productive. Will bosses finally call them back in this year? New research seems to support the idea that working from home leads to less productivity. But are employers measuring remote work results by the right metrics?

Other great reads

• A Spanish cover of ‘One Day at a Time’ brought me comfort after my father’s cancer diagnosis.
• A study’s surprise finding: Most workers want to be in the office more often.
• I stopped driving on L.A.’s chaotic freeways. How do I get over this painful anxiety?
• Peloton instructor Camila Ramón and her fan club are changing how Latinas view fitness.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your downtime

An Amazake Swizzle, left, and a Mandarin Garibaldi, both nonalcoholic cocktails, are on the menu at Kato restaurant in Los Angeles.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• 🍸 A new nonalcoholic cocktail revolution? L.A. leads the way.
• 🍹 7 exceptional places to try nonalcoholic cocktails in Los Angeles.
• 🍹 This L.A. restaurant is leading the evolution in nonalcoholic beverages.

Staying in

• 📖 Why Dean Koontz’s new book is his favorite.
• 🍹 Here’s a recipe for nonalcoholic drink Mandarin Garibaldi.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

And finally ... a great 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.

Ariana Chomitz works on her computer in a common space at ChowNow in Los Angeles.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Dania Maxwell. As employers struggle to get workers back to the office, some are experimenting with setting up multiple places to work that don’t feel like conventional offices. Pictured is Ariana Chomitz, who works on her computer in a common space at ChowNow in Culver City.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Shelby Grad, deputy managing editor
Elvia Limón, multiplatform editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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