Environment

In three rulings the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a body blow to the federal bureaucracy. From healthcare to climate to workers’ rights, California’s rules often go farther.

Heat waves have killed hundreds of Californians and cost billions of dollars in the past decade, according to a new report from the state insurance department.

The measures are substantially weaker than a previous proposal after an onslaught of criticism. But they will still save enough water through 2050 to supply the state’s entire population for a year, at a cost of $4.7 billion.

Nearly every major environmental group in California opposed the bill, which would have modified the state’s signature environmental law to speed up upgrades to power lines. Supporters said it would have helped free the state from fossil fuels and make the grid more reliable, but opponents feared it would damage state parks.

The oil industry's decision will mean that state rules protecting homes and schools near oil and gas wells will go into effect. The companies instead will fight them in court.

Even when suicidal, California firefighters struggle to find medical help and navigate the workers’ comp morass to pay for it. A 2021 analysis showed their claims were more likely to involve PTSD — and were denied more often.

Therapists wait years to be paid, and some won’t accept complex PTSD cases from firefighters and others because of workers' comp red tape.

Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

Die-offs from algae blooms in San Francisco and Delta water diversions have left a giant, shark-like, prehistoric creature at risk. State wildlife officials approved white sturgeon as a candidate for listing, which triggers protection.

The dam repairs would store more water and protect the public, but legislators and the governor, facing a huge deficit, cut $50 million.