Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/526023
BySueManning The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Their cat tails wagging and whis- kers twitching, feline fans, some in shirts emblazoned with "Check Meowt," chat- tered about their "purrfect" pets as they waited in line for hours for a selfie with a kitty celebrity. No one was as serious as Laura E. Mart of Los Ange- les, who donned a ball gown she crafted from a patch- work of 300 fabric cat pho- tos, its skirt several feet wide. She also wore a tall, furry hat, complete with a long tail she swung about. "If I see a cat, I have to pick it up and pet it. I was afraid I was going to be a cat lady, so this is my way of having all the cats I want," she said of the dress. The first-ever CatConLA brought the cat craze popu- larized online to life in a big, costumed way last weekend. It tapped into the Internet memes and clickable videos that have spread on social media as people share their love of cats' antics and help create stars, including ever- downtrodden Grumpy Cat and eternally tongue-wag- ging Lil Bub. More than 12,000 peo- ple dusted off old Hallow- een costumes or cat-pat- terned clothing to become the most visible part of the cat lovers' version of Com- icCon, the comic book fest that attracts flocks of cos- tumed fans. Famous feline Lil Bub rubbed up to cat enthusi- asts Mayim Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory" and Jack McBrayer of "30 Rock" as panelists entertained and vendors peddled products. The huge turnout over- whelmed some of the 100- plus sellers. Olivia Mew — seemingly destined for cat commodities — said that by Saturday afternoon, she had sold all 150 shirts, totes, bags and art prints she brought with her from Montreal. The Beauty Bar ran out of cat stickers that mani- curists pressed on people's fingernails. Even the food truck fare ran low. But the crunch didn't faze the flocks of feline fans. Long lines at booths, auto- graph signings and semi- nars at The Reef in down- town Los Angeles just gave them a chance to meet more cat lovers. Wearing a "Mayim is Purr-fect" T-shirt, one woman waited in line for 2½ hours to be the first to get an autograph and photo of the actress and neurosci- entist. "I am always surprised when anybody wants to take a picture with me," Bialik said, laughing. "But I thanked her for waiting that long." The adoptable cats and kittens drew a steady line of more than 100 people. Best Friends Animal So- ciety helped place 74 from several Los Angeles shelters, said Candi Crawford, man- ager of the no-kill rescue. At the Lil Bub souvenir booth, blankets and tow- els quickly sold out. The cat became an online sen- sation with her big eyes and a tongue that's always stick- ing out, which stems from dwarfism that left her with- out teeth. At one of two sold-out meet-and-greets benefiting animal charities, owner Mike Bridavsky talked about his special relation- ship with Bub and their ex- hausting work. Then, the crowd, limited to 75 people who spent $150 each, got to pet Bub. "The people who will pay $150 to meet Bub are some of the most wonder- ful people you'd ever meet," Bridavsky said. "They are very sweet and protective of her and have this deep love for her." Other seminars featured syndicated "Sally Forth" cartoonist and author Fran- cesco Marciuliano, blogger and author Angie Bailey and animator Simon To- field, who started "Simon's Cat," a YouTube series about a mischievous fat cat and his owner Simon. CatConLA, which will be back next year, raised more than $20,000 for FixNation, a nonprofit spay-and-neuter clinic for feral cats in LA, organizer Susan Michals said. 'PURFECT' PETS Felinefansprovewho'sthecat'smeow JAEC.HONG—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Celebrity cat Lil Bub poses for photos with attendees at the CatConLA in Los Angeles. Organizers say CatCon 2016will return and Lil Bub will be back to headline the show. By Felicia Fonseca The Associated Press FLAGSTAFF,ARIZ. Summer- time in Arizona's higher ter- rain means an increased risk of residents and tour- ists coming into contact with rodents that carry the plague. Health officials spend months monitoring squirrels, mice and prai- rie dogs for the rare but sometimes fatal disease. They also warn the public to avoid contact with wild- life and recommend that pets have flea collars or be sprayed routinely. Here are five things to know about plague in Ari- zona: WHAT MAKES PLAGUE EN- DEMICINPARTSOFARIZONA? Experts say plague has adapted to specific ecolog- ical conditions through- out Arizona, namely those above 4,500 feet in ele- vation, and the western United States. The combi- nation of the elevation and the temperature in areas like Flagstaff and the rim of the Grand Canyon allow fleas to transmit the bac- teria to rodents, whereas the hotter temperatures in Phoenix or colder tempera- tures in the highest moun- tain terrain aren't suitable habitat for fleas. HOW DO HEALTH OFFICIALS TRACK THE PLAGUE? Coconino County health officials constantly are on the lookout for massive die- offs in prairie dog colonies or other rodent populations that could indicate the presence of plague and rely heavily on the public for tips. The county will apply pesticides to an area where animals could be infected that doesn't harm them but will kill fleas. Earlier this year, the county treated ro- dent burrows with a dust insecticide at a popular hiking area in northeast Flagstaff after fleas tested positive for plague. At the Grand Canyon, health offi- cials are trapping squirrels at the South Rim and comb- ing the animals' fur for fleas that are tested for the plague. In 2014, 33 rodents were trapped and 267 fleas collected, all which tested negative for the plague, said Martin Stephens, the park's public health consul- tant. The monitoring will continue through Septem- ber and beyond if needed. HOWDOHUMANSCONTRACT THE PLAGUE? Once known as the Black Death, plague is primarily a disease of animals but can be spread to humans through bites from in- fected fleas or contact with infected animals. Arizona has recorded 64 human cases of the plague since 1950, 10 of which were fa- tal. The most recent fatal- ity was Eric York, a wild- life biologist who had per- formed a necropsy on a mountain lion in 2007 that died of the plague. A Na- tional Park Service review board found that he wasn't wearing gloves or a protec- tive respirator. WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF THE PLAGUE? Symptoms that include fever, weakness, nausea and swelling of lymph glands generally appear between two and six days after hu- mans are exposed to the plague. The disease can be cured with antibiotics if di- agnosed and treated early. Health officials advise peo- ple to avoid contact with sick or dead animals, set up campsites away from ro- dent burrows and wear in- sect repellent to keep fleas away. WHY MONITOR THE GRAND CANYON? Millions of people visit the Grand Canyon each year, most of them sight- seeing at the South Rim. The 2007 death of York sparked a lot of discus- sion about monitoring the national park for indica- tions of the plague. Signs at the entrance to the two most popular trails, Bright Angel and South Kaibab, warn hikers not to feed the squirrels that can carry the plague. Health officials plan to trap squirrels and collect fleas at those trail- heads. STAYING SAFE Officials monitoring rodents for plague at Grand Canyon MARE SCHUMACHER — COCONINO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES DISTRICT An environmental specialist for the Coconino County Public Health Services District treats prairie dog burrows with a pesticide in the Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve in Arizona a er fleas tested positive for plague. By Julia Horowitz The Associated Press SACRAMENTO After tak- ing a significant recession- era hit, California's econ- omy has bounced back up to the seventh largest in the world as the state's gross domestic product reached $2.3 trillion in 2014, show figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bu- reau of Economic Analysis. That was enough for California to edge past Brazil's 2014 GDP of $2.2 trillion, but still below the sixth-place United King- dom. California had slipped in the ranks since 2002, when it last claimed the No. 6 spot. The state bot- tomed out at ninth in 2010 after a harsh drop in eco- nomic output after the 2008 financial crisis. Multiplefronts But 2014 saw statewide economic growth on mul- tiple fronts, particularly in professional and technical services, which includes jobs spanning from IT con- sulting to construction-re- lated engineering and ar- chitecture, as well as in manufacturing. The agri- cultural sector also grew in 2014 despite an ongo- ing drought. "People see us as Sili- con Valley, where comput- ers are made, and Los An- geles, where movies are made, but we're doing a lot more than that," said Rob- ert Kleinhenz, chief econ- omist at the Los Angeles County Economic Devel- opment Corp. Kleinhenz cautioned against taking the sta- tistic "seventh largest" at face value, however, noting the figure does not take ex- change rates into consid- eration. "The appreciation of the dollar will just by it- self improve the ranking of the state of California," he said. Still, Gov. Jerry Brown has reasons for optimism. 'Challenges' "California certainly has its share of challenges, but these figures reaffirm the strength and diversity of our economy," Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said in an email. "We aren't competing with Texas or Florida, we're challenging world economies like Bra- zil and Germany." California's economic resurgence has embold- ened Democratic lawmak- ers who are pushing for a 2015-16 spending plan that's roughly $2 billion higher than the Demo- cratic governor's $115 bil- lion proposal. Most of the money would go to social pro- grams for the poor, namely health care, welfare, child care and higher education. Despite its booming econ- omy, California has one of highest poverty rates in the country. BETWEEN UK, BRAZIL St at e' s ec on om y returns to No. 7 position in world NOTICEOFPACIFICGASANDELECTRICCOMPANY'SREQUEST TO CHANGE RATES FOR ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION IN 2016 AND THE RETURN OF REVENUES FROM THE SALE OF GREENHOUSE GAS ALLOWANCES (A.15-06-001) Summary OnJune1,2015,PacificGasandElectric(PG&E)CompanyfiledanapplicationwiththeCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommission (CPUC) requesting approval for the forecasted funding required in 2016 to obtain electricity on behalf of its customers. In addition, PG&E also requests approval of forecasted revenues from the sale of emissions allowances associated with California's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction program.This application is referred to as the 2016 Energy Resource Recovery Account and Generation Non-bypassable Charges Forecast and Greenhouse Gas Forecast Revenue and Reconciliation (Application 15-06-001). If approved, this application will change electrical rates and customers' electric bills effective January 2016. PG&E's application primarily includes requests for approval of: 1.The forecasted recovery of $4.77 billion in electricity costs. These costs are associated with the fuel needed to produce electricity as well as the costs of buying electricity from third parties, such as renewable energy producers 2.The forecast spending of $0.8 million for administrative and outreach expenses associated with California's GHG reduction program 3.The return of $311 million to eligible customers from the sale of emissions allowances The use of all funds collected and the exact amounts of returned revenues from the GHG program may change and are subject to CPUC regulatory approval. About the filing The CPUC regulates and oversees all requests for any rate changes. PG&E would not profit from any of the requests in this application. The cost of energy is passed directly to PG&E's customers without any markup. If the CPUC approves the application,PG&E will begin to recover its costs in electric rates,effective January 1,2016.At the same time,PG&E will apply eligible GHG allowance revenue to rates because PG&E is required to pass the revenue received from the sale of allowances on to its customers. This is done through rates and with California Climate Credits. The revenue will be returned to PG&E's residential, small business customers and some industrial customers, based on legislative and CPUC determined methods. The GHG allowance revenue bill credits reduce the electric rate impacts of the GHG costs. At the end of 2016, to ensure all funds are used on the customers' behalf, PG&E will compare the actual costs to produce and purchase energy against revenues collected from customers and will incorporate any differences in next year's application. How will PG&E's application affect me? PG&E's request would result in a rate decrease for most customers.Altogether, PG&E proposes to reduce revenues collected from bundled service customers, those who receive electrical production, as well as transmission and distribution service from PG&E, by $322 million. A table presenting a more illustrative description of the impact of this application was included in a bill insert announcing this filing that was sent directly to customers in the June 2015 billing cycle. PG&E estimates that a typical residential customer using 500 kWh per month would see no change in the average bill of $89.30. Individual customers' bill will differ.Eligible residential customers will receive a California Climate Credit twice a year in April and October on their electricity bills of approximately $20.94. How will PG&E's application affect non-bundled customers? Direct Access (DA) and Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) customers only receive electric transmission and distribution service from PG&E. Since PG&E does not obtain energy for these customers, PG&E's application addresses the cost responsibility of DA customers and CCA customers that purchase electricity from another provider but transport it through PG&E's electrical system. Eligible DA and CCA customers will receive GHG revenues. The net impact of PG&E's application on DA and CCA customers is $63 million, or an average increase of 6.9 percent. Another category of non-bundled customers is Departing Load (DL) customers. These customers do not receive electric generation, transmission or distribution services from PG&E for their departing load. However, like DA and CCA customers, they are required to pay certain non-bypassable charges as required by law or Commission decision. The net impact on DL customers is -$0.4 million, or an average decrease of 1.4 percent. How do I find out more about PG&E's proposals? If you have questions about PG&E's application, please contact PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. For TDD/TTY (speech-hearing impaired), call 1-800-652-4712. Para más detalles llame al 1-800-660-6789 • 詳情請致電 1-800-893-9555. If you would like a copy of PG&E's filing and exhibits, please write to PG&E at the address below: Pacific Gas and Electric Company 2016 ERRA & GHG P.O. Box 7442 San Francisco, CA 94120 A copy of PG&E's filing and exhibits are also available for review at the CPUC, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–noon. PG&E's application (without exhibits) is available on the CPUC's website at www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc. CPUC process This application will be assigned to an Administrative Law Judge (Judge) who will determine how to receive evidence and other related documents, necessary for the CPUC to establish a record upon which to base its decision. Evidentiary hearings may be held where parties of record will present their testimony and may be subject to cross-examination by other parties. These evidentiary hearings are open to the public, but only those who are parties of record can participate. After considering all proposals and evidence presented during the formal hearing process, the assigned Judge will issue a proposed decision which may adopt PG&E's proposal,modify it or deny it.Any CPUC Commissioner may sponsor an alternate decision.The proposed decision, and any alternate decisions, will be discussed and voted upon at a scheduled CPUC Voting Meeting. As a party of record, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) will review this application. ORA is the independent consumer advocate within the CPUC with a legislative mandate to represent investor-owned utility customers to obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. ORA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. Other parties of record will also participate in the CPUC's proceeding to consider this application. For more information about ORA, please call 1-415-703-1584, email ora@cpuc.ca.gov or visit ORA's website at http://ora.ca.gov/default.aspx. Stay informed If you would like to follow this proceeding, or any other issue before the CPUC, you may use the CPUC's free subscription service. Sign up at: http://subscribecpuc.cpuc.ca.gov/. If you would like to learn how you can participate in the proceeding, or if you have informal comments about the application, or questions about the CPUC processes, you may access the CPUC's Public Advisor Office (PAO) webpage at www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc and click on "Public Advisor" from the CPUC Information Menu.You may also contact the PAO as follows: Email: public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov Mail: Public Advisor's Office 505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103 San Francisco, CA 94102 Call: 1-866-849-8390 (toll-free) or 1-415-703-2074 TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll-free) or 1-415-703-5282 If you are writing or emailing the Public Advisor's Office, please include the proceeding number (ERRA & GHG, A.15-06-001). All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners,the assigned Judge and appropriate CPUC staff,and will become public record. 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