California Today: L.A. County Expects $2 Billion in Fire Costs, Adding to Budget Woes

Today's top stories from California.

April 15, 2025, 9:30 a.m. Eastern time Good morning. Here are the top stories from across California. Today's Top Story Mark Abramson for The New York Times L.A. County Expects $2 Billion in Fire Costs, Adding to Budget Woes County leaders said that layoffs of public workers were so far unlikely, but that the region's financial challenges multiplied after the wildfires in January. Read more More California News How Museums in Los Angeles Survived the Fires — and Have Prepared for the Quakes Despite rumors that the Getty Villa had been destroyed by the fires in January, it survived. Officials credit that to their planning and preparations that can serve as models to other institutions. Saving Art from Climate Disasters As storms and fires are on the rise, experts are under pressure to do more to protect collections in museums, galleries and even private homes from destruction. Worth Thousands on the Black Market, Lego Kits Are Now a Target of Thieves Some Lego sets have skyrocketed in value but behind the eye-popping price tags is a dark side: an underground market that fuels brazen thefts. Eating Frog Legs During Charli XCX's Coachella Set Outstanding in the Field offers an unexpected festival experience, hosting a four-course dinner as the bands play. Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay on Pink Elephants and Gardening Enter the L.A. Home They Have Turned Into a Gallery A Congressional Outsider Becomes the Establishment Pick for Oakland Mayor Former Representative Barbara Lee entered the campaign for mayor of the Bay Area city as the favorite. But her main challenger has gained traction after positioning himself as the change candidate. Newsom Tries to Understand 'Bro Culture.' Will It Change Him in the Process? California's governor has diagnosed one problem for Democrats — connecting with young men — and he sees his podcast as a way to address that. Other Democrats aren't so sure. After L.A. Fires, Edison Wants to Bury Power Lines in Altadena and Malibu Southern California Edison is echoing calls from homeowners to move spark-prone electrical equipment underground. Company officials estimated the cost at more than $650 million. Local Conditions Look up the heat index in your area using The Times's heat tracker. See active fires using The Times's wildfire tracker. Today's Recipe Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Monica Pierini. Chicken Katsu By Kay Chun 2,426 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Take a break, play a game Wordle → Connections → Strands → Spelling Bee → Crossword → Mini → Wordle → Connections → Strands → Spelling Bee → Crossword → Mini → Sign up for Your Places: Extreme Weather. Get notified about extreme weather before it happens with custom alerts for places in the U.S. you choose. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times. To stop receiving California Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018