More heat waves, more AC demand: How can CA power grid handle it?

A woman fans herself at home to cool off. In LA, one-fifth of homes don’t have air conditioning, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

A woman fans herself at home to cool off. In LA, one-fifth of homes don’t have air conditioning, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Photo by Shutterstock.

As a heat wave continues in California, policies about air conditioning access are distorted, says a USC professor. And 20% of LA households don’t have AC.

To quench thirst in this heat, Good Food’s Evan Kleiman recommends agua fresca, an iced drink made of water and minced or pureed fruit or vegetables, sweetened with sugar, and seasoned with lime or lemon juice.

Due to drought, vital agricultural products — corn, wheat and tomatoes — are seeing the lowest yields in years. What does this mean for California farmers and consumers?

The FAST Recovery Act, recently signed by Gov. Newsom, will set up a state-appointed council to protect fast food workers, and could help boost their wages to $22 an hour.

A Politico writer spent 10 straight hours sampling podcasts from Ted Cruz, Al Franken, Matt Gaetz, and Pete Buttigieg. But this medium isn’t a fit for politicians, he learned.

From this Episode:

Credits

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser, Marcelle Hutchins