Photo by Jack K Thorne on Flickr
Sale of New Gas-Fueled Passenger Cars Banned in California Starting in 2035
Continuing the fight against climate change, Governor Newsom has issued an executive order that bans the sale of new gas-powered passenger cars in California beginning in the year 2035. This step toward zero-emission passenger vehicles has already been adopted by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Canada, India and Israel. The governor states that the ban could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% and nitrogen emissions by 80%. Existing vehicles and any new ones manufactured before 2035 will not be included in the ban. – Simone Snaith
Wildfires Threaten Cannabis Farms in Northern California with Potential Loss of Lives and Millions in Marijuana Revenue
The August Complex Fire, the largest of the 26 wildfires currently burning across California, is reported to be heading towards the Post Mountain and Trinity Pines areas in northwestern California, where dozens of legal and black market cannabis farms are located. Owners have refused to leave the area, despite warnings of the impending blaze by local law enforcement; some 40 legal farms, and according to “Newsweek,” 10 times that number in illegal farms and approximately 1,000 residents stand in the path of the fire. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Department has noted that the farms generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state, which has already seen a drop in excise, sales and cultivation taxes from the cannabis industry for the second quarter of 2020. A spokesperson for the federal incident command overseeing the northern section of the August Complex fire said that while they will continue to go door-to-door and alert residents of the danger, they will not risk the lives of their team to make sure that growers comply with evacuation orders. “The thing that we need to make clear is that we are not going to die to save people,” he said. – Paul Gaita
Protests Erupt Over the Kentucky Grand Jury’s Exoneration of Breonna Taylor’s Killers
A protest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery yesterday evening for Breonna Taylor involved two altercations with cars that drove through the crowd between Seward St. and Schrader Blvd, hitting one person and sparking violent attacks against the vehicles. The victim sustained minor injuries and the LAPD reports that everyone involved has been identified and an investigation is under way. Meanwhile a photo taken by WFPL reporter Ryan Van Velzer during protests in Louisville, KY has been shared widely online for the banner of civil rights icon Alberta Jones visible over the demonstrators and the National Guard. – Simone Snaith
Echo Park Rising Goes Virtual This Saturday, September 26, 2020
Fans of the Echo Park Rising festival can tune in via Mixcloud and elsewhere on Saturday, September 26, for a full schedule of virtual events. Among the many highlights is the Bands In A Barbershop performance list: The Birth Defects, Clit Kat, Speed Of Light, Jagged Baptist Club, Broken Baby, Chase Petra, Modpods, Skullcrack, Slaughterhouse, Fartbarf and Trap Girl. Also of note is Egg Drop Soup at Portia Street Studios. – Simone Snaith
Livestream Comedy Events with Maria Bamford and Doug Benson 9/26 and 10/3
Should you, like the entire world at this moment, find yourself in desperate need of a laugh, you have two upcoming livestream opportunities for such a mental reprieve. On Saturday, September 26, Maria Bamford will attempt to solve all your problems (or fail miserably) in five minutes or less with “Help Me, Help You, Help Me!” Audience members will also have the chance to be randomly selected to share the stage (virtually, of course), with Maria. You want help, don’t you? The show streams at 7 p.m. PT; tickets are $15.
The following week, comic/podcaster/cannabis enthusiast Doug Benson will host his own livestream event on October 3. “Doug Benson’s C0medy Sesh,” which kicks off at 4:20 p.m. PT (naturally), will feature appearances by comics Amy Miller, Geoff Tate, and Dustin Ybarra, and will be followed by what is billed as the “internet’s biggest smoke sesh.” Attendees will also be able to chat with Doug and other audience members during the event. Tickets are $15. – Paul Gaita
