Offshore wind farms are coming to California

Good morning, and good luck on your finals. Here are the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

The federal government is auctioning the rights to build the West Coast’s first offshore wind farms. The turbines, which will float on the deep ocean along California’s coastline, could one day power 1.5 million homes.

Nadia Lopez / CalMatters

LA County is facing another COVID surge. Cases — which are likely underreported — nearly doubled over Thanksgiving and have translated to more hospitalizations as the county already struggles to contend with RSV and the flu.

Luke Money and Rong-Gong Lin II / Los Angeles Times

The LA City Council banned the sale and distribution of Styrofoam products, effective April 2023 for businesses with more than 26 employees and April 2024 for those with fewer. Styrofoam, which is not biodegradable or easily recyclable, has been classified as a possible carcinogen.

Eric He / City News Service

The California snowpack is off to a good start this winter. A pair of storms dumped several feet of snow on the mountains and doused low-elevation regions with rain, but experts warn that the good news will likely mean little in the face of the state’s fourth consecutive year of drought.

Diana Leonard / The Washington Post

The San Diego City Council green-lit a plan to transform the largely car-dependent neighborhood of Mira Mesa into a more walkable and dense urban area. The effort aims to remedy the city’s housing crisis and make one of its largest neighborhoods a more attractive place to live.

David Garrick / The San Diego Union-Tribune

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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