From CalMatters...
California Limits Junk Fees: New Law Blocks Fines for Declined ATM Withdrawals
12/23/2024A new California law will prohibit state-chartered banks from charging fees for withdrawals that are instantaneously declined.
From The Mercury News...
California Has a Nutria Response Team?
12/23/2024The invasive South American housecat-sized semi-aquatic rodent is making the bay area a new home, and that's a problem. Read on to learn what wildlife officials are doing about it.
From CalMatters...
12/20/2024New operating rules for massive Delta systems will increase water deliveries to Southern California cities and some growers. Salmon numbers could drop, especially in dry years.
From Los Angeles Times...
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Operation Extended
12/19/2024Learn more about how a deal from 2022 to extend operations of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant and a recent California Public Utilities Commission decision are leading to higher electricity bills across the state.
From California Healthline...
How America Lost Control of the Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic
12/19/2024Keith Poulsen's jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. A livestock veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin, Poulsen had seen sick cows before, with their noses dripping and udders slack.
From CalMatters...
CA Nurses Demand Changes to Addiction Recovery Program
12/19/2024For California nurses seeking help with alcohol or drug abuse, the road to recovery through a program managed by their licensing board can be fraught, writes CalMatters health reporter Kristen Hwang.
From Local News Matters...
Cal Fire Opens Applications for Free Summer Firefighter Camp for Young Californian Women
12/18/2024Cal Fire is taking applications for Camp Cinder, a free four-day, three-night immersive firefighter camp for young women ages 15-17. The program, led by women firefighters and offered June 23-26 in Shasta and San Luis Obispo, will teach rope skills, water rescues, hose movement, leadership and more,
From CalMatters...
New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain
12/18/2024Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decree that by 2035 all new cars sold in California must be powered by batteries or other zero-emission systems has received a double dose of legal and political support.
From CalMatters...
A California Recovery Program Keeps Watch on Addicted Health Workers — But Not Doctors
12/18/2024California doctors are asking the state to create a ‘safe harbor’ program for addiction recovery. They say the current system discourages doctors from participating because they regard it as punitive.
From CalMatters...
Why Income and Tense Politics Are Limiting Access to Civics Classes in California
12/18/2024All high school students are required to take civics, but a lack of money can limit opportunities. And in some communities, parent objections pressure teachers to avoid certain topics.
From CapPublicRadio...
California Declares Bird Flu Emergency
12/18/2024As the first serious case of bird flu in a human is reported and more dairy herds across the state are infected, California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency. Read on to learn what that entails.
From YubaNet...
National Center for Atmospheric Research Explains: Atmospheric Rivers
12/17/2024Use this explainer by the National Science Foundation-sponsored National Center for Atmospheric Research to understand atmospheric rivers and how they'll change as the climate warms.
From CalMatters...
California Workforce Fund Targets Programs Solving Problems
12/17/2024Child care centers throughout California struggled to find people with the right credentials to look after their babies, toddlers and preschoolers. At the same time, many people who wanted to become early childhood educators faced difficulties in earning the credentials.
From CalMatters...
Biden Administration Approves California Electric Car Mandate. Will Trump Try to Revoke It?
12/17/2024The US EPA granted California’s waiver, which the incoming Trump administration is likely to try to overturn in the courts. The state’s zero-emission vehicle mandates have been the driving force behind California’s progress in cleaning up dangerous air pollutants.
From CalMatters...
Here’s How California Plans to Get Millions of Adults Without College Degrees Into Better Jobs
12/16/2024Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “Master Plan for Career Education” seeks to help the nearly 7 million adults in California who lack college degrees by giving them college credit for their work experience and by changing the requirements on some state jobs.
From CalMatters...
Can New State Regulations Resolve California’s Existential Insurance Crisis?
12/16/2024There’s no law requiring California property owners to carry insurance, but the vast majority buy it to protect themselves from fire and other perils, or are required to do so by their mortgage lenders.
From CalMatters...
A New California Law Bans Your Boss From Ordering You to Attend Anti-Union Meetings
12/16/2024Gov. Newsom and legislative Democrats pushed through a law that bans employers from requiring workers to attend ‘captive audience meetings.’ It was the latest victory for the labor movement at the state Capitol.
From CalMatters...
California’s Jail Population Will Rise Thanks to Prop. 36. So Will Inmate Deaths, Advocates Say
12/16/2024California recorded historically high numbers of deaths in county jails for the past six years. Now, counties expect to house more prisoners as Prop. 36 takes effect.
From CalMatters...
California Lawmakers Want to Cut Red Tape to Ramp Up Clean Energy but Rural Communities Push Back
12/13/2024Some rural California communities are resisting efforts to streamline permitting for wind and solar farms and battery storage for environmental or safety reasons.
From CalMatters...
Supreme Court to Weigh in on Case Involving California’s Power to Clean Its Air
12/13/2024The Supreme Court justices agreed to review whether oil companies have standing to try to overturn a federal waiver for a California clean-car rule that ramped up electric car sales. The standards are the cornerstone of California’s efforts to clean its air and combat climate change.