Good evening! We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.
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We are heading into a stretch of dry and warm weather.
Winds will be offshore, so there will be a slight warmup into the weekend.
Beautiful weekend weather is ahead before another slight dip in temperatures next week.
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Today’s Big Stories
1. Newsom announces affordable insulin pen will soon be available
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that CalRx biosimilar insulin glargine pens will be available to consumers in California beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The launch comes amid the state’s ongoing effort to lower prescription drug prices and improve medication access statewide.
Through an agreement secured by Civica Rx — a nonprofit generic drug manufacturer — with Biocon Biologics, Californians will have access to an interchangeable biosimilar insulin glargine pen offered under the CalRx brand and pricing.
2. Kaiser Permanente workers in day 3 of 5-day strike
A five-day strike in California and Hawaii by thousands of unionized Kaiser Permanente registered nurses and other health professionals continued for a third day Thursday amid contract negotiations, but Kaiser officials said affected facilities will remain open with some adjustments.
Workers represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals began picketing at 7 a.m. Tuesday at locations across the region.
Participating workers include registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty health- care professionals, according to the union.
3. Newsom signs bill to establish reparations bureau in California; some critics say it falls short
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of reparations-related bills, including one that establishes a new state bureau to continue the work started by California’s landmark Reparations Task Force.
The Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, created through Senate Bill 518, will be housed within the state’s Civil Rights Department.
Supporters say it marks an important step toward building the infrastructure needed to carry out reparations programs in the future, but some longtime reparations activists argue the bill doesn’t go far enough.
“These bills delay reparations even further,” said Chris Lodgson, lead organizer with the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California.
(Spectrum News/Daniela Pardo)
4. ShakeAlert early warning gives people seconds to prepare for an earthquake
When an earthquake strikes, like the SoCal shaker in 2024, those few seconds before it hits can make all the difference.
The sound of ShakeAlert — California’s early warning system for earthquakes — aims to help.
And at the heart of this innovation is Caltech emeritus professor Thomas Heaton.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Daytime Emmy Awards
New Residential Construction – Housing Starts and Building Permits
Senate returns from Columbus Day State Work Period
In Case You Missed It
(Photo by Veronica Slavin)
“Hairspray” first burst onto Broadway like a confetti cannon in 2002, winning eight Tony awards including one for Best Actress, Marissa Jaret Winokur. Now she’s back in Baltimore (via Thousand Oaks) but this time she’s trading her signature ‘do for the director’s chair.
“It’s such a full-circle moment for me to actually get to direct the show that I feel like created me,” she said during a pause in a tech rehearsal..
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