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By Tomoki Chien & Claire Qiu

Good morning. It’s Monday, and we’re reading about how California is the most biodiverse state in the union. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Mayor Karen Bass wants to add 1,000 officers to the LA Police Department, seeking to reverse the outflow of personnel that’s reduced the department by nearly 10% since 2019. She’s sure to face pushback: The city council’s two newest members both campaigned on reducing the police force, and numerous activist groups are arguing to reallocate police funds to social services.

David Zahniser and Libor Jany / Los Angeles Times

2.

Federal officials approved a 732-mile transmission line capable of bringing power from Wyoming wind farms to Arizona, Nevada and California. Projects like the transmission line, which will bring enough electricity to power 2 million homes, are increasingly key to the country’s zero-emissions future. But the line’s two-decade permitting process underscores the bureaucratic land mines on the way there.

Gabriela Aoun Angueira / Grist

3.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing mounting pressure to appoint a Black woman to represent California in the Senate — if Sen. Dianne Feinstein is forced to retire early because of her health. Mayor Bass, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Rep. Barbara Lee, who’s already running for Feinstein’s seat, have all been floated as possible nominees.

Lara Korte and Rachel Bluth / Politico

4.

California’s three major power companies proposed a new billing system that would charge a fixed rate for basic electricity services based on household income. Southern California Edison estimated that bills would drop by 16%-21% for lower income customers and 33% per kilowatt hour for all residential customers overall.

Marc Sternfield / KTLA

5.

A bill that would’ve banned all tobacco sales in California quietly died in the Legislature, a perhaps puzzling outcome for a state that three years ago banned flavored tobacco products at the behest of advocacy groups whose end goal is to “create a tobacco-free future.” Some worried that the bill would push tobacco into the black market. Others thought efforts by local cities would be more effective. And yet more don’t want to lose dollars from the lucrative tobacco tax.

Alexei Koseff / CalMatters

You’re all caught up. Thanks for reading Morning, Trojan, and have a good day. Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter.

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