Golden State sued over oil and gas permit issues

I’m Winston Gieseke, philanthropy and particular sections editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, with the most recent headlines from this superb state.

In California brings you high Golden State tales and commentary from throughout the USA TODAY Network and past. Get it free, straight to your inbox.

Golden State sued over oil and gas permit issues

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit Wednesday towards California challenging the state’s approval of thousands of permits to drill for oil and gas. The environmental advocacy group has requested the courtroom to problem an injunction compelling the state to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act when allowing of oil and gas wells.

The group says the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), which regulates the state’s oil and gas trade, issues drilling approvals with no or incomplete environmental critiques and leans on inappropriate exemptions beneath the state’s central environmental regulation.

“It is completely unacceptable for Gov. (Gavin) Newsom to continue to ignore our flagship environmental law that’s meant to protect people from oil industry pollution,” stated Hollin Kretzmann, an legal professional on the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute, by way of assertion. “Newsom can’t protect our health and climate while giving thousands of illegal permits each year to this dirty and dangerous industry.”

In response, Jacob Roper, spokesperson for the Department of Conservation, of which CalGEM is a sub-agency, issued an announcement, saying: “CalGEM follows all state laws and regulations in approving permits. This administration has strengthened oversight, imposed more rigorous standards for permit review and institutionalized independent scientific and technical review of its processes.”

L.A. County important employees to get ‘hero’ pay

Two weeks in the past, The Desert Sun reported that the Southern California metropolis of Coachella was the primary within the nation to require sure agricultural operations — in addition to grocery shops, retail pharmacy shops and eating places — to provide an additional $4 per hour in hazard (or “hero”) pay to their frontline employees for at least 120 days.

Now, Los Angeles County is taking comparable motion. As reported by abc7.com, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday on an ordinance that can require nationwide grocery and drug retail employers in unincorporated areas of the county to pay their frontline employees a further $5 per hour in hero pay for the subsequent 120 days.

“Grocery and drug retail employees have continued to report to work and serve our communities, despite the ongoing hazards and dangers of being exposed to COVID-19,” stated Supervisor Hilda Solis, who co-authored the movement together with Holly Mitchell. “These workers, many of whom include older adults and single mothers, have put their lives on the line since the beginning of the pandemic to keep our food supply chain running and provide access to medicine our families need.”

The ordinance, which is slated to take impact at midnight Feb. 26, will apply to union and non-union publicly traded chain shops with a minimum of 300 staff nationwide and greater than 10 per retailer.

Also on the frontline employees entrance: Teachers, grocery employees and emergency responders who stay or work in San Francisco turned eligible for the vaccine on Wednesday — however as a result of town is prioritizing second photographs for the roughly 91,000 residents who’re resulting from get dose No. 2 (or, as I — who’ve been making an attempt to study Spanish throughout the pandemic — wish to name it, “dose dos”) within the subsequent few weeks.

This means the vaccines of people who find themselves newly eligible might be delayed two or three weeks till extra provides arrive.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that town was administering as much as 6,000 photographs per day previous to the winter storm that resulted in supply delays. Still, San Francisco Mayor London Breed stated Wednesday by way of Twitter that 80% of town’s well being care employees and individuals 65 and older have been vaccinated, including that “we can do more than 10,000 doses per day right now, as soon as we get more supply.”

Aggressive coyote continues to terrorize East Bay

In December, this article reported on a Moraga man who was bitten by a coyote while doing pushups on a high school football field. It appears that exact coyote is on a rampage. The Los Angeles Times reports that a series of attacks — which DNA has linked to a single coyote — started final summer season and have taken place in parks, on residential streets and even outdoors a comfort retailer.

The MO of the seemingly fearless animal is to strategy unsuspecting individuals and chew them earlier than taking off. Last week, the animal, who has eluded traps and spawned an enormous, 24-hour search, bit a 3-year-old woman in a stroller.

Thankfully, every sufferer has recovered from his or her puncture wounds.

It’s uncommon for coyotes to chew people; they typically preserve their distance. Authorities suspect this coyote misplaced its concern of people as a result of individuals have been feeding it or leaving pet food out. Once the animal is caught, they stated, will probably be examined for rabies and euthanized.

Elsewhere within the animal kingdom, a dolphin “stampede” was captured on video off the coast of the Golden State. About 300 dolphins have been seen rushing alongside and leaping into the air close to Dana Point in Southern California. See the video at USA TODAY. It’s fairly particular.

And lastly …

It’s a brilliant unhappy day for gadget and AV nerds like me. Fry’s Electronics — in my view, one of many happiest locations on Earth — introduced on its web site Wednesday that after 36 glorious years it has ceased operations and closed all 31 of its stores, citing “changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Fry’s had retail institutions in 9 states, largely in California and Texas. Let’s take a second to replicate …

In California is a roundup of stories from throughout USA Today community newsrooms. Also contributing: abc7.com, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle. We’ll be again in your inbox tomorrow with the most recent headlines.

As the philanthropy and particular sections editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and individuals who give again within the Coachella Valley. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

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