We asked you, our Essential California readers, to tell us what you like about daylight saving time. Only one person responded positively to the seasonal time change.“More time to do my work and to enjoy life,” Paul C. wrote. You’re reading the Essential California newsletter Sign up to start every day with California’s most important stories. By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads. The question was inspired by The Times’ reporting this month about daylight saving time and whether lawmakers would pass legislation to make it permanent.If Congress were to adopt permanent daylight saving time year-round, Los Angeles would see its latest sunrise of the year at 8 a.m., my colleague Rong-Gong Lin II writes.Sacramento and San Francisco would see sunrise as late as 8:24 a.m. and 8:25 a.m., respectively. For Crescent City, on the northwestern tip of the state? A sunrise at 8:44 a.m.That means, for many, commuting to work and driving to school in the morning darkness.Unlike Paul C., most readers who responded to our question don’t like daylight saving time and would be against a permanent change.Here are a few of their responses.“While DST all year might be better than switching back and forth, it is still less healthy for humans (and probably wildlife too) than using Standard Time all year. Humans have been bred to a standard time, 24-hour circadian clock for as long as we have existed. Even for a night owl like me, standard time is the better option. DST also makes commutes to both school and work less safe as it would still be dark out if the sunrise is as late as 8 a.m. That is not good for kids in particular. Permanent DST is yet another instance of our health being ignored and held hostage to the greediness of business.” – Jean W.“What do I like about Daylight Saving Time? NOTHING. I wish we could go back to standard time year-round — or at least for a full six months out of the year instead of four.” – Susan H.“We are ‘wired’ to sun time, aka ‘standard time.’ If kids are going/coming to school in the dark, or people must drive to/from work in the dark, perhaps the scheduling of those and other events need to be changed, not the entire country’s schedule.“In the Olden Days (boomer here) school was 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., kindergarten was two sessions, the morning half and the afternoon half. Hospital shifts have always been at the crack of daylight, afternoon, and middle of night.“As far as I can tell, the only benefit to daylight saving is for those staring at screens all day who want ‘an extra hour’ after work to be outside. And then there are those who actually believe that an ‘extra hour’ is literally magicked into the day. It’s always been a stupid idea.” – Diane G.“I’m not sure I like anything about daylight saving time. I do, however, love standard time. I love being more in sync with the natural tilt of the earth, having darkness in the evening to tell my body it’s time to unwind, and light when I wake up to start the day.” – Gaby D.Daylight saving time versus standard timeSurrendering an hour of sunlight in the morning means getting it back in the evenings. The sun sets behind the L.A. skyline as seen from Azusa. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) The benefit of year-round daylight saving time would be 5:44 p.m. sunsets shortly after Thanksgiving for Los Angeles — a delight for Angelenos unhappy with 4:44 p.m. sunsets as winter approaches. San Francisco would see its earliest sunsets at 5:51 p.m. in late November and early December, where it’s now 4:51 p.m. on standard time.Keeping California on permanent standard time, which is allowed under federal law, would mean saying farewell to daylight during the state’s late summer days.Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-San Pedro) said in a statement that she planned to vote against the bill because “medical experts have warned that permanent daylight saving time is bad for our health.”She supports a different proposal, the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, which seeks to make permanent standard time the default nationwide but gives states the ability to opt out. The bill has been endorsed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.If you haven’t already, let us know where you stand on the daylight saving time debate.Today’s top stories Signs sit atop chairs at the Billionaire Tax Now rally where Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was spoke in February in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) The hidden fight behind California’s billionaire tax proposalA one-time tax on California billionaires, Proposition 40, is pitched as a $100-billion fix for Trump-era healthcare cuts, but dogged by allegations it was intended as a union bargaining chip.Sources told The Times that Dave Regan, the president of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, asked for union contracts with two hospitals in San Diego and Fresno and a clinic in Imperial County, among a list of sweeping demands to grow his union, in exchange for rescinding the measure. Regan called the allegations “categorically false.”Why Paramount’s Warner Bros. deal suddenly looks less certainParamount’s $111-billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, once touted as a sure thing, has been abruptly delayed as California and other states mount an aggressive antitrust challenge.The prolonged fight entangles Hollywood power players, Middle Eastern royals, writers unions and Washington, raising fresh questions about media consolidation ahead of pivotal midterm elections.A plan to filter bacteria from the Arroyo Seco faces fierce oppositionResidents, tribal leaders and advocates say the shaded, overgrown site is a vital urban refuge and cultural landscape.Officials say the project, with nearly $15 million in funds, is one of the few chances to clean a failing waterway, reduce fines and create safer, more accessible parkland.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning’s must-readAnother must-readFor your downtime Rooftop bar and restaurant Sushi Samba in West Hollywood. (Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times) Going outStaying inAnd finally … your photo of the day Wendi Weger at home. Her delightful fusion of art and fashion is behind the Curatorial Dept. a vintage and designer resale shop in Atwater Village. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Today’s photo is from Times photographer Myung J. Chun inside the maximalist apartment of Silver Lake stylist Wendi Weger.Have a great day, from the Essential California teamHailey Branson-Potts, staff writerHugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break deskKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, weekend writerKarim Doumar, head of newslettersHow can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
