California

"When the Trump administration rolled back endangered species protections in the Bay Area delta that serves as the hub of California’s water-supply system, the state decided to go its own way. It sued the federal government and also set about drafting its own delta rules under the California Endangered Species Act."

"As the Trump administration finalizes its plan to roll back Obama-era mileage standards, California announced it would sign a deal with yet another automaker to produce cars meeting stricter standards."

"State officials signed off Thursday on a climate change target that critics say will reduce planet-warming emissions far too slowly. The action comes as economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to slow the growth of renewable energy."

"California’s agreement with Quebec to share cap-and-trade markets to reduce greenhouse gases, which was challenged by the Trump administration in its campaign against efforts to combat global warming, survived its first federal court test Thursday."

"Thick oil was once so abundant beneath Southern California that it bubbled to the surface, most famously at the La Brea Tar Pits. But after more than a century of aggressive drilling by fossil fuel companies, most of Los Angeles’ profitable oil is gone. What remains is a costly legacy ...."

"EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Calif. — Steve Lowe gazed into a gaping pit in the heart of the California desert, careful not to let the blistering wind send him toppling over the edge."

"Not a drop of rain fell in downtown San Francisco this February. Or in Big Sur State Park. Or in Paso Robles. February in California was so dry that it is raising concerns that the state, which, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, only fully emerged from drought last March, may be headed for another one."