In California: Skiing turns back time. Walking super far adds it, suit alleges.
Two men are suing a ski resort for breach of contract and fraud after it started charging for plum parking. And you may want to get health insurance soon if you don't already have it or face state fines.
It's Arlene Martínez with news to take you into the weekend.
But first, Rage Against the Machine returns to Coachella, along with allll these acts.
In California is a roundup of stories from newsrooms across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Sign up for M-F delivery here!
Justice crusaders or entitled skiers? You decide.
Steven Kroll, 79, and Ronald Code, 77, are big ski enthusiasts. On the slopes, they are 19 again, unburdened by time. They were, like many skiers, unhappy with new parking charges at the most convenient lot at Northstar California Resort. But unlike the others who just muttered or cursed under their breath, they've taken their displeasure to the court of law.
Their goal is to force the resort's parent company to provide free parking in their preferred lot for the remainder of the season, money in excess of $200,000 in damages each and reimbursement for court costs. They argue Northstar planned to charge for parking but didn't reveal that information until after they'd bought their season passes.
Kroll and Code say the damages are necessary to deter Vail Resorts Inc., a company valued at nearly $10 billion, and other large corporations from using "their superior economic power to bully and defraud their customers."
Russell Carlton, a spokesman for Vail Resorts, declined to comment on the suit.
Holiday cards for Borderline survivors
Bake some "kookis." Play with a best friend. Know I'm with you. Those messages of support were in holiday cards kids across the country wrote to those hurt by the 2018 mass shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks.
The owner of a Hollywood props business that specialized in sci-fi calls it quits after 42 years.
The nation's coolest housing market in 2020 is this region in California. Here's a hint: The median home price is $1.4 million.
No health coverage? You could be fined for that
A new law that went into effect this week revived the requirement that people have health insurance — or pay a fine. An individual could be fined $695 or 2.5% of their gross income (whichever is higher), while a family of four could pay at least $2,085.
The state is levying the fines to help pay for more than $400 million in new insurance subsidies to help middle-income households sign up for the first time and offset costs for some of California's lowest earners.
Open enrollment for Covered California ends on Jan. 31 though if you're new to the state, just married or meet other requirements you'll get more time. Find an expert to help you enroll here.
What else we're talking about
A Macedonian beekeeper whose life carefully crafting honey faces extinction; an Icelandic "seer" who converses with elves and fairies about destructive construction; a Peruvian farmer battling a U.S. mining company: These are on the lineup of the 2020 Palm Springs International Film festival, which runs through Jan. 13.
Can I see the full film schedule? Of course! Times, dates and places are here.
A Japanese American artist imprisoned at Manzanar internment camp died after getting caught in a freak summer snowstorm while out for a hike, officials confirmed Friday. Hikers found his long-lost remains in October.
Four men accused in a November mass shooting that left four dead and 10 injured in Fresno were charged Thursday with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and related counts. Three others were scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
A private prison firm suing California for phasing out private prisons and immigration detention facilities says it will lose billions if the new law is allowed to stand.
The $100K pensioners club grows to over 80K
Nearly 80,000 California retirees collected pensions of more than $100,000 in 2018, according to recently released state data analyzed by the nonprofit Transparent California. That's a growth of more than 85% since 2013.
The spike in pension payouts is in big part driven by retirement packages for members of police and fire unions — career safety employees often earn 90% of their peak pay if they were hired before 2013. That virtually assures them of earning pensions of over $100,000. And many retire at age 50 or 55.
For comparison's sake, consider that the highest Social Security payment someone can collect is just over $45,000 per year and that's if they retire at age 70.
How does this affect me? The pension costs for many jurisdictions in the state are the fastest-increasing cost. That's money that might otherwise go to paving roads, hiring more police officers or keeping the library open. The state auditor recently found that nearly half of cities in California are at "high risk" of not being able to afford their pension costs without cutting services or adding new taxes.
See what those in your community get paid in retirement. You can also see salaries and benefits for those currently working.
Keeping tabs: Is your city ready for California’s next recession?
In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Contributing: Transparent California, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, CalMatters, AARP.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In California: Skiing turns back the hands of time. Walking super far adds it, suit alleges
