State GovernmentLawmakers attack governor’s plan to streamline Delta tunnelMay 21, 2025Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers representing the Delta say Newsom is trying to upend existing water rights and land acquisition laws, while the governor says “we’re done with barriers.”
EnvironmentWhat to know about the US Senate's effort to block vehicle-emission rules in CaliforniaMay 21, 2025The move targets proposals banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, phasing out diesel-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and curbing smog-forming pollution from trucks.
EnvironmentShould California’s climate budget pay for high speed rail and firefighters? Newsom’s new plan triggers fiery debateMay 19, 2025Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to extend California’s landmark cap and trade program through 2045. But earmarking half of this year’s funds to the beleaguered rail project and Cal Fire would leave too little for other climate projects, critics say.
Sacramento RegionDo not underestimate the dangers of local waterways, experts warnMay 12, 2025 | Tyler WebbWater temperatures in the region remain cold until mid-summer, putting swimmers at risk for hypothermia. And when temperatures are safer, experts say there are still risks of strong currents and the ever-changing terrain of river beds. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
EnvironmentWhy a contentious project to raise California’s Shasta Dam could move forward under TrumpMay 12, 2025Enlarging the dam would deliver more Sacramento River water to Central Valley farmers but a tribe could lose sacred sites and endangered salmon could lose habitat in wet years.
State GovernmentHazard maps, air tankers and funding: Cal Fire prepares for longer, more unpredictable wildfire seasonMay 9, 2025 | Sarit Laschinsky | Chris NicholsState Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant outlines how Cal Fire is preparing for the peak of California’s increasingly long and unpredictable wildfire season, as millions of residents find themselves living in higher-hazard areas.
EnvironmentThree years after reintroduction, condors continue to soar over Northern CaliforniaApril 29, 2025 | Vicki Gonzalez | Sarit LaschinskyThree years ago, the California condor returned to the skies over Humboldt County for the first time in over a century. The Yurok Tribe, for whom the bird is a sacred symbol, has now released over a dozen more birds.
EnvironmentCalifornia could lose another major oil refineryApril 18, 2025 | Laura FitzgeraldExperts warn the move by Valero would disrupt gasoline supply and lead to major price spikes.
EnvironmentHow labor killed a bill to let California wildfire victims sue Big Oil for climate changeApril 17, 2025The Senate Judiciary Committee spiked a bill to let wildfire victims sue oil companies over climate change. Labor unions, not Big Oil, led the opposition.
EnvironmentCommercial salmon season is shut down — again. Will California’s iconic fish ever recover?April 16, 2025While it’s an unprecedented third year in a row for no commercially caught salmon, brief windows will be allowed for sportsfishing in California.
