DETROIT — For the first time, the U.S. government's highway safety agency has approved a company's request to deploy a self-driving vehicle that doesn't meet federal safety standards that apply to cars and trucks driven by humans. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted temporary approval for Silicon Valley robotics...
California Bill Would Examine Hunting Licenses in Gun Sales
SACRAMENTO — A lawmaker proposed legislation Monday that would require closer scrutiny of hunting licenses like the one used by a teenager charged with opening fire at a synagogue last year. The suspect, John T. Earnest, was issued a hunting license, but it was not set to go into effect...
Americans Evacuated From China Virus Zone Pass Health Test
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials offered a reality check Tuesday about the scary new virus from China: They're expanding screenings of international travelers and taking other precautions but for now, they insist the risk to Americans is very low. “At this point Americans should not worry for their own safety,”...
Marijuana, Guns, Arias Presidency: What's Next at City Council
After a five-week layoff, the Fresno City Council reconvenes on Thursday with a jammed agenda dealing with high-profile issues such as marijuana and gun rights. Listen to this article: Last month, the council voted 4-3 to revamp regulations for marijuana businesses to operate in Fresno. The council will introduce...
Walters: What Now for PG&E?
Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to become a “radically restructured and transformed utility that is responsible and accountable…” But how? Newsom, in rejecting the company’s plan to emerge from bankruptcy late last week, once again denounced it for “more than two decades of mismanagement,...
'Vaxxed II' Bus Rolls Into Clovis. Wants to Hear Stories.
Vaccine safety has lead to emotional — and, on social media, not so civil — debate. The question of whether childhood vaccines are safe and tested thoroughly, along with government laws mandating vaccinations to attend schools, have lead to protests, accusations, and lawsuits. Listen to this article: All the...
Uber Reports More Than 3,000 Sexual Assaults on 2018 Rides
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber, as part of a long anticipated safety report, revealed that more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported during its U.S. rides in 2018. That figure includes 235 rapes across the company's 1.3 billion rides last year. The ride-hailing company noted that drivers and riders were both attacked...
A Better Way: Let’s Give PG&E's Customers the Reins
“I think it’s wrong that only one company makes the game 'Monopoly.' ”— Steven Wright The light at the end of the utilities’ tunnel has been shut off for the hundreds of thousands of California residents who have recently lost their power, been evacuated from their homes, or worse. The...
Blackouts Possible Again as Fire Danger Looms in California
Less than two weeks after blacking out much of Northern California, PG&E is warning that dangerous fire weather could prompt it to shut off power to about a half-million people. Pacific Gas & Electric began notifying customers Monday that it could begin precautionary shutoffs to parts of 16 counties as...
Let’s Be Blunt: Cannabis Consumers Need Protection
California boasts the strongest “lemon laws” in the country. Another law helps Californians make decisions about avoiding chemicals that could cause cancer or birth defects. A third law requires manufacturers of cleaning products to disclose ingredients. Now the California Legislature should get serious about protecting cannabis consumers from potentially serious public...