Buckle up, California — the 2024 election season is underway. While the presidential contest will surely garner the most attention, many important state and local races and measures are also on the ballot. We also will make recommendations in the Los Angeles Superior Court judicial races, which are often the most baffling because the candidates are unfamiliar to most voters.

Tobacco manufacturers and retailers, including R.J. Reynolds, argued the state law conflicts with the federal Tobacco Control Act, which gives the US Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the sale of cigarettes, but stops short of allowing states to outright ban certain products as they see fit.

The ground-floor courtrooms of the Figueroa Division building could be closed for months, Superior Court staff say.

(Subscription required) The Compton Courthouse will remain closed at least through Jan. 12 due to flooding from a burst pipe over New Year’s weekend that rendered significant portions of the building inoperable, Los Angeles County Superior Court officials announced on Friday. It will tentatively reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 16.