LAist

LAist is #hiring! We're looking for a temporary reporter excited to connect educators and caregivers of children ages 0–5 in L.A. County with resources and people working to effect positive change in early childhood. Learning starts long before kids step foot in a classroom, but not every California family has the same opportunities or support. We want to reveal what’s working and what’s not. You’ll join a team of education reporters covering child development and learning, from birth to higher education. TO APPLY: https://ow.ly/Knyk50UanmQ

The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now live, meaning current and incoming college students can apply to get the money they need to pay for tuition, room and board, and other expenses. ?? https://ow.ly/3LFg50Ucmgw ?? Julia Barajas

Nearly 30 of California's community colleges offer bachelor's degree programs. Here's our guide with tips, history, research, and student and other expert voices. A brief history: In 2014, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that allowed community colleges a few years to try out bachelor degrees programs. A 2021 assembly bill extended the programs indefinitely and allowed colleges to offer an additional 30 bachelor’s programs per year. Why it matters: The application process for the bachelor’s degrees at community colleges, while simpler than UC and CSU applications, still require effort and planning. Some programs can get competitive, as most colleges try to maintain a 25-student cohort size. ?? https://ow.ly/xjJS50Ucie8 ?? Cassandra Nava

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing to wage a legal war against President-elect Donald Trump, convening a special legislative session next month to try to “Trump-proof” the state. But it appears Newsom and California legislators won’t initially include artificial intelligence safeguards in that fight, even though AI regulations were a major preoccupation of the Legislature this year. Why now? Trump has promised to immediately rescind President Joe Biden’s executive order that had imposed voluntary AI guardrails on tech companies and federal agencies. The president-elect’s administration could also, immigrant advocates say, use AI tools to assist the mass deportation he has pledged to implement. The context: While California adopted a number of AI regulations earlier this year, other issues are likely to take priority in Newsom’s special session, legislators told CalMatters. There are signs, though, that AI could — in the not-so-distant future — go from abstract concern to prominent political cudgel between the Trump administration and California’s Democratic leaders. It could be another high-profile way to challenge Trump and his newfound tech allies, some of whom have gleefully proclaimed a new, deregulated era for artificial intelligence products. ?? https://ow.ly/3cn850Uci3U ?? Alex Shultz | CalMatters ?? John Moore/Getty Images

If you, like me, get stressed out by the "what should we do today?" question when you have family in town, then hopefully this list will give you a head start on planning. ?? https://ow.ly/59PX50UchVI ?? Laura Hertzfeld

Today's headlines: https://ow.ly/GTX350Uc6mY - Attorneys for former L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will try to get his fraud and bribery convictions reversed. - O.C. health officials are out with a warning after seven people in the community of Westminster were diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease. - A longtime voice behind The Simpsons is calling it quits after 35 years and nearly 700 episodes

Know people who love to eat and love to cook? Bring smiles to their faces with a whole range of unusual food-related gifts to satisfy mind, body and spirit. But mostly body. ?? https://ow.ly/I5mF50UbbsS ?? Gab Chabrán

A ballot proposition to raise California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour has been rejected by voters, even as the state continues to grapple with its high cost of living. Why now? The Associated Press called the race Tuesday after two weeks of ballot counting. Nearly 51% of voters said “no” in a rejection that opponents on Monday called “historic.” The context: Proposition 32 would have raised the state minimum wage to $17 for the rest of the year, and then $18 in January for large employers. Smaller employers — those with 25 or fewer workers — would have been required to pay at least $17 in January and at least $18 in January 2026. The state’s minimum wage is already tied to inflation: The lowest-paid workers will still get a 50-cent raise to $16.50 in January. For a full-time worker, that’s a little more than $34,000 a year. ?? https://ow.ly/5s8v50UbaA2 ?? Jeanne Kuang | CalMatters ?? Rahul Lal for CalMatters

Today's headlines: https://ow.ly/px9650Ub9Ka - L.A. adopts a sanctuary city ordinance ahead of Trump's presidency. - A new audit finds serious problems with how L.A.'s homelessness agency is spending the millions of dollars they oversee. - We'll check in on the state of side dishes ahead of Thanksgiving.

It’s been said that the Earth laughs in flowers and this rings especially true for plant people — our friends who really do take time to stop and smell the roses, and the jasmine, orange blossoms, and sage. Below, we have curated a short list of gift ideas aimed at inspiring joy for the nature lovers in your life. ?? https://ow.ly/H6nk50UayOP ?? Bonnie McCarthy