Morning Brief: Composting Bills, LA’s Mental Health Money, County Worker Strike Vote

Good morning, L.A. It’s April 20.

“[Composting] Bills, Bills, Bills.”

That’s technically the title of a 1999 Destiny’s Child song (a total jam). It’s also what’s facing cities, landlords and residents trying to meet mandates in California’s new composting law.

“From educating residents about how to properly separate food scraps, to building out large-scale composting infrastructure, to negotiating new contracts with trash companies, cities have a lot to figure out—and pay for,” writes my colleague Erin Stone.

The science behind the why is rock steady. Methane is one of the main culprits behind the greenhouse gas effect and landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions in the state.

Reducing methane emissions by turning compostable refuse into earth is not cost-neutral.

“Before we could just say, ‘this is a good thing to do for the planet,’” said Alexa Kielty, the residential coordinator for San Francisco’s curbside food scrap collection program. “But now it’s the law — this is the way California is gonna operate. And throwing things in a hole is always going to be cheaper than composting.”

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Today, 55,000 L.A. County workers could vote to strike. Here’s who they are and what they’re demanding in a new contract.
• Museums and art galleries don’t like it when you touch the paintings, trust me. But a new exhibition in La Cañada Flintridge isn’t like most, encouraging the attendee to interact with the artwork.
• The Pan African Film and Arts Festival is turning 30. After a 2-year pandemic hiatus, the Baldwin Hills event is returning in robust fashion with a slate of over 100 films.
• Single-use plastic water bottles are history at the L.A. Convention Center. The venue is encouraging visitors to bring their own reusable bottles next time they come through.
• We got an early look at plans for an Armenian American Museum scheduled to open here in 2024.
• Now that some major airlines have dropped masking requirements, you may be wondering how much protection you get if you keep masking anyway.
• The original Disneyland, of course, is here in Southern California. Across the country in Florida, Disney World may lose its special status with the legislature due to tensions over the controversial state law opponents call “Don’t Say Gay.” 

Before You Go...A Victory For The Embattled Student Loan Borrower

College graduation cap and gown made of $100 bill

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LA Johnson

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NPR

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Am I grateful for my college education? Absolutely. Do I wish that my alma mater charged less than $51,000 a year for tuition? Absolutely.

Graduating with about $30,000 in student debt, thanks to a houseboat’s worth of scholarships and a casino riverboat’s worth of financial aid, made me one of the relatively lucky ones. I knew some people who emerged from college with student loan debts north of $100,000.

A sum which you could use to, say, buy one nice houseboat or go to a casino riverboat, win a round of roulette, and buy two nice houseboats.

Many student loan borrowers opt for the income-driven repayment (IDR) plans for their debts, hooked in by the promises of periodically low, low payments and the potential of full forgiveness after a couple of decades. However, tens of thousands of IDR plan payers were swindled, and, after an NPR investigation, are set to be made whole for the “inexcusable” mismanagement of the plans by the U.S. Department of Education.