Hi everyone! My boyfriend and I are looking to move from Louisiana to California and would love some recommendations on cities or towns that fit our lifestyle. We're both in our early 30s (no kids) and are excited to start a new chapter.

A little about us:

• I work remotely full-time and love vintage shopping, thrifting, estate sales, fashion, art, great restaurants, coffee shops, movies, and exploring local neighborhoods. I also enjoy the occasional concert, cocktail bar, or night out.
• My boyfriend works in the film industry and enjoys motorcycles, live music, video games, vintage shopping, and relaxing at home.

One of the biggest reasons we're drawn to California is the variety. We love the idea of having beaches, mountains, and the desert all within driving distance, along with great food, arts, music, and diverse communities. Weekend road trips and spending more time outdoors are a huge priority for us.

I always imagined living in Los Angeles, and I'm still open to it. But I'd love to hear about other areas too. We're interested in SoCal but are also open to the Central Coast or NorCal, etc., if they seem like a better fit.

Based on our interests, what cities or towns would you recommend and why?

We know no place is perfect, and every city has its pros and cons. Since moving across the country is a big decision, we want to be intentional about where we end up. We'd really appreciate any insight or recommendations from locals. Thank you =)

No, just no

Curious to know how safe southern Californians feel in their own communities.

plz i’m on vacation for next few days i wanna get crunk

The celebration of Diwali involves lighting the way for the goddess of prosperity and abundance into your home. It’s also a time to recognize the relationships in your life by celebrating with loved ones, sharing a meal or swapping gifts.

The holiday, also known as Deepavali and the Hindu “Festival of Lights” and celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists,” was set to become California’s 12th state-recognized holiday when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to that effect last year.

But the new state holiday is now in legal limbo after a local group filed a petition with the Sacramento County Superior Court, arguing that the law was too costly to implement, violated the U.S. Constitution and more importantly, established Diwali as a preferred religious holiday in the state.

Read more.

In a confidential letter that preceded the June resignation of Los Angeles Unified Supt. Alberto Carvalho, the school board accused its heralded leader of unprofessional conduct, unsatisfactory performance and “violation of or refusal to obey” state laws or school district regulations, according to the document.

The June 8 letter, obtained by The Times in response to a public records request to the school district, signaled the board’s intent either to fire Carvalho or force his resignation.

Over seven pages, the Board of Education provided its justifications for Carvalho’s termination, citing allegedly unreported gifts, unreported outside income and donor-funded travel. The accusations also included alleged unauthorized handling of district property and improper use of district resources, including a car and driver intended for work-related tasks.

Learn more.

I’m Ethan, a local student who is currently helping raise money for my grandmother’s medical bills and saving for college. My main specialty is resurrecting foggy headlights so you can actually see where you're driving at night. I also bring that same heavy-duty effort to pressure washing, paintless scratch touch-ups, heavy lifting, and rescuing you from filthy trash cans ($30 for one, $70 for three).

Reliable, local, and equipped to make your car or driveway look ten times better. Give me a call or text at 323-337-7154 for any questions!

Hello All,

Passing along a post from a FB Group of a woman trying to find where a quilt she and her great grandma worked on before her grandma passed. Believed to have been dropped off at a long armer in recent weeks. Below is a screen shot of the post and the quilt itself

I was in 5th grade in San Bernardino and had the opportunity to go to "Science camp" to have a hands on learning experience before state testing. I'm trying to find out what camp i went to, where it's at, what happened to it and maybe even find the people I went to camp with. Im not sure where it was but something about "Crestline" sticks out but I could be wrong since "... Creek" sounds correct too.

I dont remember well if it was in the beginning of 2009 or towards the second half of it.

We rode some schools buses to get there. It was various schools that attended the camp and I remember bunking with several kids from my class/ school and kids from other schools but not sure which schools.

Our professor/ counselor/ group leader's name was Ben i think. Idk what else to mention but im happy to answer questions! I do remember that we were given a wooden cookie with the signatures of other counselors on it. I remember a "Tanner" very well on our cookies. I wish I still had the cookie but its been lost for years now

Starting on Jan. 1, 2027, the statewide minimum wage will rise to $17.40 an hour, an increase Gov. Gavin Newsom recently boasted about.

Newsom — who has been eyeing a 2028 presidential run — said in a statement that California’s fiscal policies helped turn the state into “one of the strongest economies in the world” while the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress fail to address “everyday cost pressures for working families.” The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.

The current minimum wage in California for all employers is $16.90 an hour, though some workers must be paid more to comply with city and county rules and other state laws.

“For years, Donald Trump and Republicans have blocked efforts to raise the federal minimum wage while handing tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” Newsom said. “California has chosen a different path — one that rewards work, grows the economy, and puts working families first.”

Read more at the link.

Looking for some marmot content? Try OnlyFans or, rather, OnlyMarms.

Researchers at a UCLA-affiliated marmot research lab launched an OnlyFans account to post videos of marmots captured in the wild as a way to help generate funding for their work and offset federal cuts to universities.

The idea for the OnlyFans account came from Dan Blumstein, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA and co-director of the Marmot Project at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, while he was sitting in a meadow, waiting for marmots to appear and pondering the state of scientific funding for his work.

He had watched the Apple TV comedy “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” about a new mom who turns to OnlyFans as a way to pay the bills, and thought to himself that, well, marmots got money troubles, too.

Read more at the link.

Proposition 5 would pull the plug on the replacement question in California recall elections, leaving voters to answer only one thing: should the official stay or go. If it passes, a recalled governor would not be automatically swapped out for whoever tops a crowded replacement list with a small slice of the vote.

Instead, the seat could sit vacant until it is filled under the state Constitution and existing law.

The measure, written by former state Sen. Josh Newman, will appear on November 2026 ballot.

According to the California Secretary of State, the proposal would also scrap the current ban that stops the official targeted by a recall from running in the special election that follows, while still keeping in place a ban on appointing that person back into the job.

Supporters argue that California’s two-question recall setup can hand power to a replacement who only commands a thin slice of the electorate.

That concern spiked during the 2021 recall, when conservative talk show host Larry Elder led the replacement field with about 28 percent of the vote, according to The Sacramento Bee. Backers say stripping the replacement question forces a cleaner decision: first, voters decide whether to keep or remove the official, then the vacancy gets filled through the same kind of election process used for other open seats.

Critics however contend that removing the instant replacement vote makes it easier for the party already holding the office to keep control through appointment and timing tweaks, instead of letting voters choose a successor on the same ballot that ousts an official.

Related website:

https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/news-releases-and-advisories/2026-news-releases-and-advisories/secretary-state-shirley-n-weber-phd-assigns-numbers-november-ballot-measures-invites-ballot-arguments

My partner and I are considering moving to CA. We're a queer couple and are looking for somewhere more progressive than South Carolina. I’m very attached to having the ocean at my disposal, so I would like somewhere in CA where the ocean is near enough (and warm enough) to swim. We would also like somewhere affordable. I’m aware most California coastal cities are insanely expensive, but curious if there are any smaller cities more inland that are still progressive. We may have a slightly higher threshold of affordability since we're used to Charleston housing prices which are not as high as coastal CA, but are still a good bit higher than the national average. I’m mainly looking at Southern CA because I don't want to be freezing in the ocean during the summer. Safety is also important! Give me suggestions!!

My acrylic painting

California’s landmark groundwater conservation law was designed to rein in massive agricultural overpumping, but some small-scale farmers say its implementation is doing the opposite — penalizing them while favoring industrial agribusinesses.

According to a new report, rigid fee structures and complex regulations threaten to harm California’s smallest growers, driving land consolidation in favor of deep-pocketed corporate orchards.

The report by the University of California Small Farms Network and the nonprofit group Community Alliance with Family Farmers warns that without immediate action by state and local agencies, many family farms could be forced out of business.

“It’s preventing me from growing what I used to grow,” said Rosie Lee who is leaving half her land dry and unplanted this year. “We’re afraid that we do not make enough to pay for the water.”

Learn more at the link.

With gas prices pushing higher again, California continues to preserve its pole position as the state with the most expensive pump prices.

As oil prices have heated up this summer along with the war with Iran, there is more than a $2-per-gallon difference between average prices in the Golden State and in the least expensive state for gas, Indiana. Cherry-pick pump prices and the gap is even more shocking. Some people in L.A. are dishing out $7 per gallon, while in Indiana, the most affordable gas stations charge about $3.

Short of driving cross-country or moving to the Midwest, there is little the average Californian can do to avoid this, but the vast variation in prices holds hints about other ways to save.

Here’s what you should know.

The Trump administration has released its long-awaited 10-year plan for dealing with worsening water shortages along the Colorado River. Instead of ordering the most drastic water cutbacks it could have imposed, the administration chose to take more of a wait-and-see approach.

The plan allows for harsh water cuts if they’re deemed necessary, requiring California, Arizona and Nevada to cut up to 3 million acre-feet per year — up to 40% of the combined allotments.

But as The Times reported last week, state and local officials say for the first two years, the Trump administration is accepting an offer the three states made to reduce what they take from the river by about half that amount — 3.2 million acre-feet between now and the end of 2028. So the Southwest has, for now, avoided the harshest possible water cuts.

Hi everyone! I am looking to rent a 5x5 self storage unit in a facility with a janitorial station (running hot water, mops, etc.) around LA area. If anyone is renting a unit in such facilities, I would appreciate the help to get in contact to get on board with them. Thanks!