The general manager of a small public agency under fire for delivering brown, smelly water to parts of Compton and Willowbrook has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately, the water district board’s attorney announced Thursday night. Maria Rachelle Garza’s suspension comes days after The Times reported allegations that the embattled Sativa Los Angeles County […]
Much of the discussion around the proposed deal to remove an initiative requiring a two-thirds vote on all local taxes centers on the motives of the soda industry to avoid taxes on soda but there is another side to that coin that has received little attention. Local governments and unions opposed to the initiative want […]
Los Angeles has spent soaring amounts in recent years to end legal disputes over dangerous roads, police misconduct and other alleged wrongdoing, depriving the city of money that could fund other pressing needs. Last budget year, the city paid out more than $200 million in legal settlements and court judgments — a record amount that […]
California businesses buy credits under the state’s program, which allows them to release carbon emissions. Sixty percent of the money the state collects from those businesses gets spent automatically. The high-speed rail project receives a quarter of the dollars. Lawmakers must decide how to allocate the other 40 percent. This year, they’re directing more money […]
Given Elon Musk’s dubious track record for hitting his goals, it may be a roll of the dice whether the Tesla CEO delivers a profit later this year. Fittingly, his success will depend partly on money from Nevada casinos. Since 2015, Tesla has boosted its bottom line by selling tax credits to casinos such as […]
The electric-vehicle (EV) revolution is ushering in a golden age for battery raw materials, best reflected by a dramatic increase in price for two key battery commodities, lithium and cobalt, over the past 24 months. In addition, the growing need for energy storage, e-bikes, electrification of tools, and other battery-intense applications is increasing the interest […]
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has even more bad news for climate alarmists: a recent report reveals global carbon dioxide emissions surged to record levels in 2017. According to IEA, energy-related emissions climbed 1.4 percent in 2017, equivalent to adding 170 million cars to the roads. Worldwide demand for energy increased 2.1 percent in 2017, […]
From the end of the Second World War until a few years ago, when it cooled off, productivity surged across the U.S. economy, giving rise to what’s often called the “productivity miracle.” From manufacturing to agriculture to retail, industry after industry became cheaper, faster, more mechanized, and more efficient. But the same can’t be said […]
In a major win for the local movie and TV production industries, California has extended the state’s film tax incentive program to 2025, adding five years to the program that has helped stem the tide of runaway productions to states including Georgia, Louisiana and New York. The measure, which was part of Gov. Jerry Brown’s […]
On weekdays, bus driver Adan Miranda hauls people across Silicon Valley. But his own roughly 100-mile commute home to a Sacramento suburb nearly killed him, so 15 years ago he decided to start sleeping in a San Jose parking lot four nights a week. It’s a choice that’s becoming more common for people who want […]
The federal government is well aware of the steep prices Bay Area residents pay when it comes to just getting by. For four-person households in San Mateo, Marin and San Francisco counties, the threshold for “low” income housing bumped up to $117,400 per year according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s latest […]
The Oakland Athletics are asking California lawmakers to pass a bill that would effectively shield the organization from potential environmental lawsuits over construction of a new stadium. While the A’s would still be required to complete a full environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the bill provides an exemption that allows […]
The Clippers are asking the Legislature for special treatment on environmental regulations so they can build a new basketball arena faster. They’ll get it. And they probably should. Why not? Special regulatory deals for major league sports teams are being handed out in Sacramento like free bobbleheads. The Oakland A’s also are seeking legislation to […]
Today, over 1 billion people worldwide have no electricity. Almost 40 percent of humanity – nearly 3 billion people – still use biomass, animal dung or other fuels that are dangerous for indoor cooking and heating, no different than was done hundreds of years ago. Living in energy poverty is not simply an inconvenience; it’s […]
A federal judge on Monday dismissed lawsuits by the cities of San Francisco and Oakland alleging that five of the world’s largest oil companies should pay to protect the cities’ residents from the impacts of climate change. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a motion by the companies— BP PLC, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Exxon […]
