Wildfires

The "tort wars" that raged in the Capitol for decades over who and can sue whom are being reignited by conflicts over legal responsibility for wildfires and the sale of lead-based house paint.

California lawmakers added fuel to Elon Musk’s entrepreneurial fire last week when they cleared the way for sales of the investor’s newest—and probably hottest—product: personal flamethrowers. In the coming weeks, some 20,000 people could be walking around with the devices.

Good Monday morning, California. “He then slowly inhaled the Pineapple Thai. It was the first time he’d had cannabis, he said, since 1979. ‘Somebody said I’m overdue,’ he laughed.” — Leafly, quoting Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer at his West Hollywood fundraiser last week. The Los Angeles Democrat chairs the Assembly Public Safety Committee, which hears bills […]

Good morning, California. Local governments have set sights on taxing soda. Enter Californians for Accountability and Transparency in Government Spending, a campaign committee set up to promote a November initiative to ban local taxes and fees without approval of two-thirds of the voters. Top funder: Soda companies at $5 million-plus. Who should pay for wildfires? Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, center, […]

California utility companies worry they may be held liable for billions of dollars in damages from last year’s wildfires. State leaders may help them by changing liability rules.

Mother Nature doesn't follow California's emissions rules.

In the aftermath of California's recent wildfires, the effect of chemical retardant on carefully tended soil remains unknown.