Daylight saving time starts Sunday. Why gaining an extra hour of sunlight matters
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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:
- Daylight saving time starts Sunday.
- How a law to ban homeless encampments threw a California city into chaos.
- This Midcentury Hollywood motel may soon become a historic monument — a first in Los Angeles.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
Lose an hour of sleep, gain an hour of evening sunlight
Early Sunday morning, the United States — minus Hawaii and Arizona — will enter daylight saving time, the annual tradition of springing forward one hour.
Most Americans will lose an hour of sleep, but gain an extra hour of evening daylight.
The country has been divided on daylight saving time ever since Congress passed a law mandating it in March 1918. Back then, the U.S. was trying to conserve fuel and energy for World War I and shifted clocks to make use of natural evening sunlight.
There were no consistent rules for the practice until the Uniform Time Act was implemented by Congress in 1966, setting common start and ending dates for daylight saving time across the country.
In recent years, some lawmakers have advocated for eliminating daylight saving time while others have introduced bills to make it permanent.
Here’s more on the pros and cons of daylight saving time and why it’s probably not going away anytime soon.
More people can make use of evening light than morning light
For the first weeks of daylight saving time, sleep schedules may be thrown off. But for eight months, most people will have much more sun in their lives. With an extra hour of light, residents in Southern California can go horseback riding in Catalina, hiking ambitious trails or biking along L.A.’s coast.
Crime is also down during this time. A 2015 Brookings Institute study found that daylight saving time reduced the number of evening robberies. The study also said that robbery rates didn’t increase in the morning, even though those hours were darker.
Sleep experts say standard time is the healthier choice
While daylight saving time provides more sunlight and reduces crime, it also disrupts sleep patterns and raises the likelihood of collisions.
“The increased morning darkness, particularly in winter if daylight saving time were permanent, would create additional challenges, such as unsafe conditions for commuters and children heading to school,” according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Standard time, the academy notes, aligns more closely with our body’s natural circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep-wake cycles. More sunlight in the morning helps people wake up and feel more alert, while less sunlight exposure in the evening signals to our bodies that it’s time to wind down.
Daylight saving time isn’t going away anytime soon
While all but two states in the U.S. continue to observe daylight saving time, there is still disagreement about whether the practice should be eliminated or made permanent.
Twenty states have passed legislation or resolutions in the last seven years supporting year-round daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
California is not among them. State Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) has unsuccessfully introduced legislation over the years to eliminate daylight saving time and establish standard time year-round. He reintroduced the bill this year.
In December, President Trump said Republicans would push to eliminate daylight saving time, calling it “inconvenient” and “costly.” This week, Trump said he won’t push for eliminating daylight saving time or making it permanent, as “it’s a 50/50 issue.”
The week’s biggest stories
How Trump’s agenda is playing out in California
- President Trump’s on-again, off-again threat of U.S. tariffs on goods from Mexico could result in price increases — especially in California, one of the nation’s largest consumers of Mexican avocados, tequila and beer.
- In Los Angeles, the city’s housing authority stopped accepting new Section 8 applicants, citing budget uncertainty in Washington.
- California joined seven Democrat-led states that sued to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in federal cuts to teacher training programs.
- Meanwhile, Trump’s Interior secretary, Doug Burgum, wants to review and possibly alter national monuments as part of a push to expand U.S. energy production.
- And here’s what to know about Trump’s plans for a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.”
Newsom’s comments on transgender athletes draws swift criticism from other Democrats
- Gov. Gavin Newsom this week called transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports “deeply unfair.”
- His comments came during an hourlong interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, a loyal supporter of President Trump, in the governor’s new podcast.
A law to ban homeless encampments threw a California city into chaos
- Like many Bay Area cities, Fremont has invested generously in support services for homeless people. Last month, local leaders decided it’s time to be less welcoming.
- In related news, the mayor of San José proposed jailing homeless people who repeatedly refuse shelter.
- In Los Angeles County, the number of deaths of homeless people appears to be leveling off but still averages nearly seven per day.
The Los Angeles fires are taking a traumatic toll on kids
- Children are experiencing meltdowns, sleep issues and separation anxiety two months since the fires. For the youngest fire victims, this can include returning to earlier stages in their development.
- The impact of the fires on the L.A region’s children cannot be underestimated and may portend long-term difficulties, child development experts say.
More big stories
- The Justice Department launched an investigation into allegations of antisemitism at the University of California.
- Should babies get a “bonus dose” of the measles vaccine? Doctors say it depends.
- Low salmon numbers in California could prompt a shutdown of fishing for a record third straight year.
- Friends of slain Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi provide a glimpse into her “controlling” marriage. Her wife, a suspect in the killing, has fled to Mexico, authorities say.
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This week’s must reads
Justin Baldoni’s tumultuous road to the center of a Hollywood scandal: The actor-director built a career blending his Bahai values and storytelling. Now allegations involving Blake Lively and “It Ends With Us” threaten his image.
More great reads
- Korean Americans are finding themselves on the hook for service in the South Korean military — all because a rapper dodged it.
- A popular dancer at an East Hollywood strip bar has published a new cookbook that, she says, is “for the girls.”
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your weekend
Going out
- 🧘 Here are 11 relaxing ways to live like a “White Lotus” character in Los Angeles — sans the snakes and murder.
- 🥾 Looking for a hike that provides amazing views and a bit of history? Check out this trail to a fire lookout.
- 🏨 This Midcentury Hollywood motel may soon become a historic monument — a first in Los Angeles.
- 📿 Corita Kent made waves as the “Pop-Art nun” in the ’60s. A new center honors her legacy.
- 🍿 In “Mickey 17,” director Bong Joon Ho recycles Robert Pattinson and his old ideas.
Staying in
- 🎞️ A new documentary about Charles Manson is available on Netflix and presents alternative theories about the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders.
- 🏥 Could “Grey’s Anatomy” continue without Ellen Pompeo? The show’s boss hopes it doesn’t come to that.
- 🍸 Here’s a recipe for the perfect martini, according to our restaurant critic.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.
How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.
What species of patriotic raptor are Jackie and Shadow, the webcam-famous Big Bear birds who welcomed their first hatchling Monday night? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
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