Articles by Steve Gorman, Marco Bello and Maria Alejandra Cardona

Cleanup Begins After Hurricane Idalia Hits Gulf Coast

Cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Idalia began on Thursday along Florida’s Gulf Coast, where property damage, loss of life and power disruptions paled in comparison to the last major hurricane that struck the state nearly a year ago. Idalia crashed …

Environmental Groups Sue U.S. Over SpaceX Launch License

Conservation groups sued the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, challenging its approval of expanded rocket launch operations by Elon Musk’s SpaceX next to a national wildlife refuge in South Texas without requiring greater environmental study. The lawsuit comes 11 days …

NASA Concerned About SpaceX Satellite Deployment Plan

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) raised concerns about SpaceX’s plan to deploy about 30,000 satellites for its Starlink, as have some major companies. Elon Musk’s SpaceX previously received authorization for about 12,000 satellites to offer broadband internet and …

Wildfire Forces Home, Hospital Evacuations in California’s Napa Valley Wine Area

A wind-driven wildfire erupted on Sunday in the heart of northern California’s Napa Valley wine country to spread across nearly 2,000 acres (809 hectares), forcing the evacuation of a hospital and hundreds of homes, authorities said. Fire crews were out …

California Places All Residents Under ‘Stay at Home’ Order

California’s governor on Thursday issued an unprecedented statewide “stay at home order” directing the state’s 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future in the face of the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic. Governor Gavin Newsom’s directive, …

California Governor Rejects PG&E Bankruptcy Plan as Not Satisfying Wildfire Law

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected a bankruptcy reorganization plan submitted by PG&E Corp, the state’s largest investor-owned utility, saying its proposal fails to meet the requirements of a recently enacted wildfire law. The decision by Newsom, sent to …

Officials: Deadly Los Angeles Wildfire Began Near Base of Electrical Tower

A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday. The company, a …

California Governor Wants to Hold PG&E Accountable for Mismanaging Power Shutoffs

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. should be held accountable for mismanaging last week’s widespread power shutoffs and urged the company to provide credits or rebates to affected customers. Separately, the California …

Investigators Blame PG&E Lines for Deadliest Wildfire in California History

State fire investigators have determined that transmission lines owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co caused the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in California, a blaze that killed 85 people last year, officials said on Wednesday. The wind-driven …

Deadly 2017 California Wildfire Found Sparked by Edison Power Lines

The devastating Thomas Fire that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures northwest of Los Angeles in December 2017 was sparked by power lines owned by Southern California Edison Co , fire officials said on Wednesday. An investigation …