[Source: Los Angeles Times] The Trump administration openly threatened one of the cornerstones of California’s environmental protections Monday, saying that it may revoke the state’s ability under the Clean Air Act to impose stricter standards than the federal government sets for vehicle emissions. The announcement came as the administration confirmed it is tearing up landmark Read More…
Category: U.S. News
Opinion: The ‘secret science’ that distorts air-quality studies
[Source: Orange County Register] See if you can spot the flaw in this logic: Disease-causing bacteria can be spread by hand contact. Boiling water kills bacteria. Plunge your hands into boiling water several times a day to prevent disease. If you can see the flaw in the logic, you have better eyesight than a lot Read More…
Federal tax reform means more business taxes for California
[Source: Fox and Hounds Daily/Loren Kaye] California’s corporate tax base may increase by up to 12 percent as a result of federal tax reform legislation, according to a study recently released by the StateTax Research Center. This means that revenues from California’s corporate income tax could increase by as much as $1.3 billion – without any Read More…
The coming decline of the employment drug test
[Source: Bloomberg] Employers are struggling to hire workers in the tightening U.S. job market. Marijuana is now legal in nine states and Washington, D.C., meaning more than one in five American adults can eat, drink, smoke or vape as they please. The result is the slow decline of pre-employment drug tests, which for decades had Read More…
Is Trump’s EPA chief bluffing? Or will he gut California’s tough emissions standards?
[Source: Sacramento Bee] California officials and clean air advocates are increasingly concerned the Trump administration may attempt to unravel a key program to drive down greenhouse gas emissions from automobile fleets while also jeopardizing the ability of California and other states to set pollution standards stronger than federal rules. Backed by automakers, Trump officials are Read More…
Many big cities don’t have enough money to pay their bill
[Source: The Press Enterprise] An analysis of the fiscal health of the 75 most populated cities in the country found that the vast majority don’t have enough money to pay for their bills, including many in California. A new report by transparency group Truth in Accounting found that 64 of the 75 cities owed more Read More…
The state of the U.S. solar industry: 5 questions answered
[Source: PBS/SoCal News] On Jan. 22, 2018, the Trump administration announced plans to impose punitive duties on solar panels imported from abroad. This decision came in response to a complaint filed by two solar companies, but much of the industry opposes the action, which trade groups say will increase the cost of solar projects and depress demand. Read More…
Trump says fairer deal might coax U.S. back into the Paris climate accord
[Source: Reuters] President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his primary concern with the Paris climate accord was that it treated the United States unfairly and that if a better deal could be reached, Washington might be persuaded to rejoin the agreement. “It treated the United States very unfairly,” Trump said during a news conference with Read More…
Expect environmental battles to be ‘even more significant’ in 2018
[Source: The New York Times] If 2017 was the Trump administration’s year of grand pronouncements declaring an end to environmental regulations, 2018 will be the year of trying to finish what it started. Despite President Trump’s proclamation in the Rose Garden that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, the United States Read More…