LA Times Today: New desalination technology being tested in California could lower costs of tapping seawater
Californians could soon be drinking water from the Pacific Ocean. A new company is testing deep sea desalination technology that can turn saltwater to drinking water without the harmful effects to the environment.
L.A. Times water reporter Ian James brought Lisa McRee the story.
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Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business Wire
Biocom California's 2025 Economic Impact Report Highlights Importance of the State's Life Science Industry -- One of the Top Industries in the Fourth Largest Economy in the World
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. & LOS ANGELES & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biocom California, the association representing the California life science industry, today released its 2025 Life Science Economic Impact Report, providing the most comprehensive report to date of the industry's economic footprint, innovation output and national leadership. 'California's life science industry remains a cornerstone of economic vitality and a global leader in health innovation." According to the report, the life science industry in California generated $396 billion in total business output, supported approximately 1.15 million jobs and played a central role in the development of at least 12 novel therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2024—more than any other state. 'California's life science industry remains a cornerstone of economic vitality and a global leader in health innovation,' said Tim Scott, president and CEO of Biocom California. 'Even amid economic tightening and political uncertainty, our sector continues to drive the discovery and delivery of life-changing treatments, medical devices and diagnostics around the world.' Scott continued: 'In a second consecutive year of economic headwinds, California's life science entrepreneurs remain a force of unstoppable resilience. They continue to advance bold science, build new ventures and deliver innovation that improves lives around the world. We are honored to champion their work at every stage. From policy advocacy and capital connections to workforce development, group purchasing, and strategic partnerships, our commitment to supporting our members has never been stronger.' This year's report features stories that highlight the medicines born in California and the scientific visionaries behind them. It is a tribute to the scientists, founders and teams across the state whose work delivers hope and health to patients worldwide. Key Findings from Biocom California's 2025 Life Science Economic Impact Report: California's life science industry generated $396 billion in total business output and directly employed more than 452,000 Californians in 2024, with a broader economic footprint supporting approximately 1.15 million jobs in the state. The state's life science ecosystem contributed directly to at least 12 of the 50 novel therapies approved by the U.S. F.D.A. in 2024 including medicines to treat cancer, rare diseases, mental health disorders, infectious diseases and more. The state leads the nation in biomanufacturing, providing over 141,000 direct life science manufacturing jobs, representing 31.2% of California's life science payroll employment. California research institutions received $5.7 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2024—the highest of any U.S. state. The state attracted $63.1 billion in private capital, including major venture and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, despite headwinds in the capital markets. Life-Saving Therapies Nurtured by Public and Private Investment California is the most productive hub for the development of innovative treatments of disease, many of which are supported by public investment. In 2024, California researchers received a total of $5.7 billion in federal funding from the NIH and NSF, more than any other U.S. state. These grants supported a range of health-related areas of research, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, stimulants, pain management, Lyme and tick-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, universal flu vaccine, mental health research and others. Also critical to the health of the life science industry is private investment in the form of venture capital and corporate M&A transactions. Total 2024 private sector investment in California came to $63.1 billion, which includes private equity and funding realized through the initial public offering process. Venture investment, typically raised by earlier stage companies, is important to establish early data showing the potential of new therapeutic approaches, which often originate in academia. M&A investment is frequently necessary to fully realize the potential of those new therapeutic approaches, as venture-funded companies frequently lack the resources to execute large, late-stage clinical studies and the corporate infrastructure necessary for commercialization of innovative technologies. California is the Biomanufacturing Leader Biocom California's Economic Impact Report found that 31.2% of life science payroll jobs in 2024 were in biomanufacturing, for a total of 141,000 jobs. Robust manufacturing capabilities are vital for global health impact, emergency preparedness, compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements. Such capabilities tend to have an out-sized impact on local economies due to labor-intensive processes, supply chain complexity and high-value raw material inputs. Importantly, biomanufacturing offers a pathway to living-wage careers, averaging $135,147 per year in California, for individuals with associate's degrees. In fact, 42% of life science degrees awarded in the state in 2024 were at the associate's level. 'The life science industry provides valuable jobs to Californians from a wide range of educational backgrounds,' said Scott. 'The prevalence of jobs specifically in manufacturing demonstrates a robust path into the life science industry for California residents from all economic backgrounds, and many community colleges are partnering with industry leaders to develop educational curricula to meet the needs of biomanufacturing companies.' California Brings Life-Saving Medicines to Patients In 2024, 50 unique novel drugs were approved by the U.S. FDA, and at least 12 of those came from California-headquartered companies addressing disease areas such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, heart disease and more. 'Patients from all over the world benefit from the innovation driven by the life science ecosystem in California, and citizens of the state benefit from the direct jobs and the overall economic impact,' concluded Mr. Scott. 'We invite the public as well as state and federal legislators and municipalities to learn more about the industry, its life-saving therapies and its economic impact. The California life science industry is a force behind the world's fourth largest economy and a source of pride for Californians.' To access the full report, visit About Biocom California Biocom California is the leader and advocate for California's life science sector. We work on behalf of our members to drive public policy, build an enviable network of industry leaders, create access to capital, introduce cutting-edge STEM education programs and create robust value-driven purchasing programs. Founded in 1995 in San Diego, Biocom California provides the strongest public voice to research institutions and companies that fuel the local and state-wide economy. Our goal is simple: to help our members produce novel solutions that improve the human condition. In addition to our San Diego headquarters, Biocom California operates core offices in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, with satellite offices in Sacramento, Washington, D.C. and Tokyo. Our broad membership benefits apply to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies of all sizes, as well as to research universities and institutes, clinical research organizations, investors and service providers. For more information on Biocom California, please visit our website at Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: Proposed Zone 0 fire-safety regulation needs more scrutiny
To the editor: The Los Angeles Times has seen fit to print an article about an insurance industry-sponsored 'test' purporting to show the effectiveness of California's proposed Zone 0 regulation ('In a test, one home burns, the other is unscathed. A lesson for fire-proofing L.A.?,' June 11). This would require homeowners to remove all vegetation within five feet of homes. There are several facts that this article ignores about the 'test' and Zone 0: The test failed to consider science showing that mature, healthy vegetation can provide protection to homes in urban wildfires, as an opinion piece in the L.A. Times pointed out recently. What if this experiment had included a fire-hardened home surrounded by healthy vegetation? What if this experiment included a Zone 0-compliant home subjected to flying embers and winds of 60-80 mph? The insurance industry stands to benefit significantly by Zone 0 regulation because it potentially hands them yet another reason to cancel California homeowners' policies. All it takes is a drone flyover for insurers to know what's growing on your lot. The regulation is profoundly regressive. Homeowners with the least resources will pay disproportionately more to come into compliance with Zone 0. Homeowners with small lots will have disproportionately less green space where their children can play. Lastly, the article fails to mention the grave impact on California's environment that the wholesale removal of millions of plants and mature trees would have. Defensible space is critical to fire prevention. I hope future reporting will explore the motives of Zone 0 advocates and the science behind more nuanced approaches. Susan Woolley, Altadena
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Is there a rocket launch today? Upcoming SpaceX liftoff should be visible in California
The third rocket launch of June from California could be about a day away, and (as usual) it should be widely visible across southern portions of the state. SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on the latest Starlink satellite delivery from the West Coast. The Starlink missions have become by far the most frequent and common rocket launches from Southern California – having comprised all six spaceflight missions in May from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The two-stage 230-foot-tall rocket, one of the world's most active, has become crucial in regularly deploying batches of internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what's called low-Earth orbit – an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. The good news for Californians is, they have plenty of opportunities to see the Falcon 9 rocket soaring after it gets off the ground. But it's important to keep in mind that rocket launches can be – and often are – scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. Check back with the VC Star for any updates on the impending rocket launch. Here's what to know about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as well as when and where to watch it: California rocket launches: Here's a look at the upcoming schedule from Vandenberg A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests SpaceX is targeting the launch for as early as Friday, June 13, with backup opportunities Saturday, June 14. However, multiple websites that track rocket launches suggest the launch window could open at 6:46 p.m. PT Thursday, June 12. Neither the Vandenberg Space Force Base, nor SpaceX have yet officially confirmed the launch. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. Residents of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County could hear sonic booms, according to an alert from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Sonic booms are brief, thunder-like noises that are often heard from the ground when a spacecraft or aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound. SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X, which Elon Musk also owns. Because Vandenberg is an active military base, the launch complex does not host public viewings of launches. But if conditions are clear, rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base can be viewed from several locations as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Space Launch Schedule, a website dedicated to tracking upcoming rocket launches, provided a list of places in California to catch the launch in person: 13th Street and Arguello Boulevard, the public site with the closest views of SpaceX launches Floradale Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, officially designated as the 'viewing site for SLC-6' (space launch complex-6) Renwick Avenue and West Ocean Avenue, another intersection close to the base where spectators can park Santa Lucia Canyon Road and Victory Road, provides a partial view of Complex 4 Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue, the only location where the public can view the ignition and liftoff of rockets from Complex 4. Public access is at the Amtrak Surf Station parking area, but the area is closed in the case of back-to-back launches. The city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County is filled with places to catch a rocket launch. The city's tourism bureau, Explore Lompoc, even maintains this list with additional viewing locations: , 6851 Ocean Park Road, which, while it doesn't have a view of the launch pad itself, is located only four miles from the launch site and provides a good vantage to see rockets get off the ground. Parking is limited, and law enforcement will close the road to the beach once parking is full. , 1 Hancock Drive, a community college located nine miles from the launch site where both the launch pad and rocket's tip can be seen before liftoff. , N A Street and McLaughlin Road, located within 10 miles of the launch site, is filled with large fields for activities or for spectators to set up chairs. Elon Musk, the world's richest man, founded SpaceX in 2002. The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city. SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from both California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately-funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon. The most recent of SpaceX's private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024. SpaceX also benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. The Vandenberg Space Force Base is a rocket launch site in Santa Barbara County in Southern California. Established in 1941, the site was previously known as the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Though it's a military base, the site also hosts both civil and commercial space launches for entities like NASA and SpaceX. Space Launch Delta 30, a unit of Space Force, is responsible for managing the launch operations at Vandenberg, as well as the missile tests that take place at the base. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 7,000 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from both Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: California rocket launch today: Where to see SpaceX Falcon 9 lift off
