SCOTUS seeks DOJ’s views on interstate coal terminal dispute
By Annie Snider 10/05/2020 12:21 PM EDT Supreme Court justices asked the federal government to weigh in as they contemplate whether to take up an interstate dispute over a proposed massive coal export terminal — a sign justices could be interested in the case. The details: On the first day of its new term, the Supreme Court invited […]
CDC says coronavirus is airborne, but weakens language from earlier warning
By Brianna Ehley 10/05/2020 02:51 PM EDT The CDC on Monday confirmed that the coronavirus is airborne and may be able to infect people who are more than six feet apart, especially indoors with poor ventilation. The agency first said last month that the virus spreads mainly through “aerosols, produced when an infected person coughs, […]
Newsom appoints first openly gay justice — and 3rd African American man — to California Supreme Court
By Carla Marinucci 10/05/2020 03:01 PM EDT OAKLAND — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is appointing Martin Jenkins to the California Supreme Court, the first openly gay justice and third African American man nominated for the state’s highest court. Jenkins, 66, currently serves as Newsom’s judicial appointments secretary. A native of San Francisco and the son […]
California has first million-acre megafire as devastating season sets new records
By Colby Bermel 10/05/2020 05:06 PM EDT SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The August Complex of wildfires surpassed the grim milestone Monday of over 1 million acres burned, the first blaze in recorded California history to reach seven figures of acreage. The update by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on the August Complex in […]
Trump campaign looks to small victories on trade to win the farmer vote
By Ximena Bustillo , Sabrina Rodriguez10/04/2020 07:00 AM EDT Updated: 10/04/2020 07:31 AM EDT President Donald Trump has notched few big wins on trade, but he has scored some incremental victories that help key swing-state constituencies — from Maine lobstermen to Wisconsin dairy farmers and Florida produce growers. And with the election just a month […]
SoCalGas charged customer account to stymie efficiency standards, new document shows
By Colby Bermel 10/02/2020 08:07 PM EDT Southern California Gas charged a ratepayer account from 2014 through 2017 to pay for lobbying work against stronger energy efficiency standards, according to a new document published Friday. Impact: A joint statement of stipulated facts was posted by the company, environmentalists and state consumer watchdogs but is not an admission of […]
Mnuchin: Administration will simplify small business loan forgiveness
By Zachary Warmbrodt 10/02/2020 04:27 PM EDT The Trump administration will streamline the process for converting coronavirus payroll protection loans into grants, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday, amid growing concern about the small business rescue. In a virtual fireside chat hosted by Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Mnuchin said officials were “working on a solution” for Paycheck Protection Program […]
Census Bureau says count will continue through end of October
By Zach Montellaro 10/02/2020 08:35 PM EDT The Census Bureau said Friday that its count will continue through Oct. 31, yielding after a back-and-forth battle with a federal judge in California. Late last month, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh ruled that the decennial count must continue, ordering that the schedule the Census Bureau’s attempt to wrap […]
Californians hang on to health coverage, but low Medi-Cal enrollment remains a mystery
By Victoria Colliver 10/02/2020 03:01 AM EDT A new report finds Californians largely held on to their job-based health insurance through the early stages of the pandemic, a finding that may partially explain why the state’s Medicaid enrollment figures have remained remarkably flat during the public health crisis. While about 2.6 million Californians lost their […]
California fires back at ‘politically motivated’ EPA letter
By Alex Guillén 10/02/2020 10:05 AM EDT Updated: 10/02/2020 12:32 PM EDT California officials on Thursday sent a scathing response to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s criticisms of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s electric car executive order, saying the agency has engaged in “baseless mistruths” and accusing it of abdicating its responsibilities to humanity. Background: Newsom’s order issued last week would ban the […]
