Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation Wednesday to adopt a ban on plastic bags at supermarket checkout lines, handing a major victory to clean-water advocates who sought to reduce the amount of trash clogging landfills, the region’s waterways and the ocean. Egged on by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an array of environmental groups, the City Council voted 13 to 1 to phase out plastic bags over the next 12 months at an estimated 7,500 stores. Councilman Bernard Parks cast the lone no vote. "Let’s get the message to Sacramento that it’s time to go statewide," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who has focused on efforts to revitalize the Los Angeles River. Council members quietly backed away from a more controversial plan to also ... Continue reading →

A new analysis of the 2010 census shows that the once-a-decade head count was highly accurate, but that it undercounted several groups that have often been hard for government enumerators to tally effectively, including blacks, Latinos, young men and renters. All told, the Census Bureau says the survey overcounted the U.S. population by about 36,000 people, or 0.01%. That compares to an overcount of 0.49% for the 2000 census and an undercount of 1.61% in 1990. Officials say the analysis will not change the official U.S. population of 308.7 million, or affect the federal government's census-based distribution of more than $400 billion to the states for schools, roads and other programs. Census Director Robert Groves said that despite new outreach by the bureau, some traditionally ... Continue reading →