California

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS – Tom Gerbier, a French National of Fontenay-sous-Bois, France, and pilot for Air France, was reported missing when he didn’t show up for his return flight. He started his hike from Whitney Portal early Tuesday morning, October 17, via the Mountaineering Route and was due back on a flight on […]

SAN FRANCISCO, October 20, 2023 — A lone puma’s journey across the diverse landscapes of Central California is the focus of a new graphic novel that will be released on Oct. 24. Written by Center for Biological Diversity scientist Tiffany Yap, D.Env./Ph.D. and illustrated by Seattle-based artist Meital Smith, “Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma’s […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, joined by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), today urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject a proposal from TC Energy for a major expansion of methane gas infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest, as FERC is scheduled to take up […]

As California works to meet climate and air quality goals, a key to the transition will come from biomass, which is renewable organic material from plants and animals. New research from the University of California, Davis, published in the journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, examines the good and bad uses of biomass and the best […]

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted California’s request for a stay of a district court decision striking down the state’s large-capacity magazine ban. Large-capacity magazines are firearm magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The en banc court’s order, which […]

Sacramento – CAL FIRE is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention WeekTM (FPW) campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire preventionTM.” The campaign provides an opportunity to educate everyone about the simple but important actions individuals can take to keep themselves and those […]

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 9, 2023 – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today issued a staff proposal that seeks CPUC Commissioner approval for a $45 million penalty against Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in connection with the 2021 Dixie Fire.  Proposed Penalty Breakdown  Under the proposed Administrative Consent Order (ACO) and Agreement, PG&E would […]

Video provided courtesy of SFGovTV.

FRESNO, Calif. — Vance Franklin Myers, 35, of Oakhurst, was sentenced for unauthorized digging and removal of archeological resources from public lands. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Ana De Alba on Thursday, September 7, 2023.   Myers violated the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (APRA) by illegally excavating a sacred archaeological site. Myers, who pled […]

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is celebrating the arrival of some ravioli-sized newborn Big Skates. For now, the babies will be raised in the nursery habitat in the Hall of Fishes as well as behind the scenes. As they continue to grow, they will be moved to other locations in the […]

SACRAMENTO – (Tuesday, October 3, 2023) – The California Labor Federation representing over 1,200 affiliate unions and over 2.2 million workers has officially granted statewide strike sanction to the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions—which includes SEIU-UHW, SEIU 121RN, OPEIU Local 29, OPEIU Local 30, and IFPTE Local 20. With the granting of strike sanction, all picket […]

In an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire, Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and students have embarked on a three-year study to investigate tree health. The research team, which includes two graduate and five undergraduate students, received $497,000 from PG&E for their study. Geography Professor Rosemary Sherriff, Forestry Professor Lucy Kerhoulas, Environmental Science & Management […]

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a request from the operators of Twitchell Dam to avoid protecting the endangered Southern California Steelhead in the Santa Maria River system. This is a big win for steelhead, for the watershed, and for our local communities.  Today’s decision leaves in place last year’s ruling by the […]

SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the selection of Laphonza Butler — the President of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY’s List — to complete the United States Senate term of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, which runs through 2024.  Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, labor […]

SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom released the following statement after the passing of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein: “Dianne Feinstein was many things — a powerful, trailblazing U.S. Senator; an early voice for gun control; a leader in times of tragedy and chaos. But to me, she was a dear friend, a lifelong mentor, and […]

Sacramento – Homeowners in six California counties will soon begin receiving home retrofits with ignition resistant materials to California’s most vulnerable populations as part of the California Wildfire Mitigation Program. The pilot home hardening initiative provides funding for defensible space and ignition resistant retrofits to harden approximately 2,500 homes in six counties over the next […]

The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission is able to measure ocean features, like El Niño, closer to a coastline than previous space-based missions. Warm ocean waters from the developing El Niño are shifting north along coastlines in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Along the coast of California, these warm waters are interacting with a […]

OAKLAND — Joined by California Governor Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the filing of a lawsuit against five of the largest oil and gas companies in the world — Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and BP — and the American Petroleum Institute (API) for allegedly engaging in a decades-long campaign of deception and creating statewide climate change-related […]

Santa Catalina Island, Calif. – California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is investigating a potential oil spill from a sinking 62-foot fishing vessel that occurred at the back side of Santa Catalina Island this morning. OSPR personnel are enroute. The team will assess the status of the vessel […]

Burbank, California, September 15, 2023 — Today, California Congressman Adam Schiff, who is running for the U.S. Senate, released a statement commemorating the start of Hispanic Heritage Month and emphasizing his commitment to being a champion for California’s Latino community. Latino leaders from across California also released statements honoring Hispanic Heritage Month and highlighting why Adam […]