California

California lawmakers to vote on whether to allow penalties on oil companies for gas price gouging

Published

2 years ago

March 23, 2023

California lawmakers to vote on whether to allow penalties on oil companies for gas price gouging

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers on Thursday will vote on whether or not to permit penalties on oil firms for worth gouging on the pump, a first-in-the-country proposal geared toward stopping the sort of spikes final summer time that brought about some drivers pay as much as $8 per gallon because the trade reaped super-sized income.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat seen as a attainable presidential candidate past 2024, has used all of his political muscle to get the invoice this far by making in-person pleas with state lawmakers in non-public forward of Thursday’s first vote within the state Senate.

The oil trade has pushed again, paying for a wave of digital advertisements which have labeled any potential penalty as a tax – an thought extra prone to be scorned by voters. However they’ve didn’t cease the invoice, which after months of stagnating within the Democratic-controlled Legislature is now racing by means of the method with the Senate vote adopted by a last vote within the state Meeting seemingly subsequent week.

The invoice highlights the challenges of balancing the competing pressures of defending shoppers on the pump whereas on the identical time pushing insurance policies to finish the state’s reliance on fossil fuels. California’s local weather technique – which incorporates banning the sale of most new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 – would scale back demand for gasoline by 94% by 2045.

California’s gasoline costs are already increased than most different states due to taxes, charges and environmental rules. California’s gasoline tax is the second-highest within the nation at 54 cents per gallon. And the state requires oil firms make a particular mix of gasoline to promote in California that’s higher for the surroundings however is costlier to supply.

Nonetheless, at one level through the worth spike final yr the typical worth of a gallon of gasoline in California was greater than $2.60 increased than the nationwide common – a distinction regulators say is simply too massive to be defined by taxes, charges and rules.

In response, Newsom requested lawmakers to restrict how a lot cash oil firms might make from promoting gasoline within the state, with hefty fines imposed on anybody who went over that threshold. The thought was to incentivize firms to maintain the value of oil inside a sure vary and stop worth spikes like final yr.

However that concept went nowhere within the state Legislature as lawmakers feared that no matter restrict they selected would trigger chaos available in the market, inflicting refiners to make much less gasoline that will in flip enhance costs on the pump.

“We won’t simply have committees fashioned each time there is a gasoline spike and suppose we have now sufficient information to determine easy methods to resolve the state of affairs over the long run,” mentioned Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a Democrat from Thousand Oaks who was one of many lead negotiators for the invoice within the state Meeting.

As a substitute, after months of secret negotiations, Newsom and legislative leaders agreed to let the California Power Fee resolve whether or not to impose a penalty, and what the penalty needs to be. Meaning it is attainable the state would by no means impose a penalty on oil firms. Some lawmakers imagine the prospect of a penalty may very well be sufficient to discourage large worth will increase sooner or later.

The invoice represents an settlement between Newsom and the Democratic lawmakers who management a majority of seats within the state Legislature. Republicans, who do not have sufficient members to dam payments from passing, blasted the proposal on Thursday.

“That is socialism,” mentioned state Sen. Brian Dahle, a Republican from Bieber. “That is pushing the federal government to select winners and losers.”

A lot of the oil trade’s complaints concerning the invoice have targeted much less on the potential penalty and extra on a brand new, impartial state company lawmakers would create create to analyze the market. Oil firms can be required to reveal huge quantities of knowledge to this company, giving regulators a greater sense of what may very well be driving worth spikes. And, crucially, the company would have subpoena energy to compel oil firm executives to testify.

Kevin Slagle, spokesperson for the Western States Petroleum Affiliation, mentioned oil firms must report information on 15,000 transactions per day, what he known as “a ridiculous degree of reporting” that will drive up prices. He mentioned the actual downside with California’s gasoline costs are state legal guidelines and rules that hinder the availability of gasoline. He criticized Newsom and lawmakers for dashing the invoice by means of the Legislature with little enter from the oil trade.

“Why does the governor need to jam this by means of? Clearly it is as a result of the main points of this are usually not good for California shoppers,” Slagle mentioned. “They do not handle the issue, however it gives him a political win.”

Dana Williamson, Newsom’s chief of workers, mentioned she has repeatedly had conferences with representatives from the oil trade to debate the invoice, together with conferences with particular firms and two conferences with the Western States Petroleum Affiliation.

“It is a ridiculous over exaggeration that they’ve been lower out,” Williamson mentioned.

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Related Topics:assembly bill California Featured Gas Gavin Newsom Governor lawmakers Newsom oil companies penalty prices profits

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California

Scientists document carnivorous squirrels in California who hunt voles : Short Wave

Published

58 minutes ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Scientists document carnivorous squirrels in California who hunt voles : Short Wave

Squirrels are omnivores, eating nuts, fruit, small insects — and according to a study published in the Journal of Ethology — voles.

Sonja Wild, UC Davis

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Sonja Wild, UC Davis

Squirrels are omnivores, eating nuts, fruit, small insects — and according to a study published in the Journal of Ethology — voles.

Sonja Wild, UC Davis

Squirrels are on the hunt in the California Bay Area.

Their target: local voles.

In a study published in the Journal of Ethology, a group of California ground squirrels were found hunting, killing and eating a vole. Lead researcher and behavioral ecologist Jennifer Smith from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire says her team witnessed this behavior in the twelfth year of a long term study.

The local vole population boomed this year. It was five to six times bigger than normal, Smith says the squirrels took advantage of that.

But this behavior is not new. “There’s been accumulating evidence of one or two events within a species of a red squirrel taking a sparrow,” she says, also noting, “They tend to go, try to take chickens.”

But these accounts have been thought to be one-offs, generally.

With this study, the squirrels’ entire process was captured via video — and shown to be a regular part of these squirrels’ behavior.

Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson and Jordan-Marie Smith and edited by Rebecca Ramirez, Christopher Intagliata and Ashley Brown. Tyler Jones checked the facts.

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California

Top 25 California high school boys basketball rankings (12/26/2024)

Published

9 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Top 25 California high school boys basketball rankings (12/26/2024)

The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is always revealing for the best boys basketball teams in California and final days of the 2024 calendar year should be no different.

The Damien Classic and Torrey Pines Holiday Classic always present a window of what is in store for the rest of the season and separates the contenders and pretenders. Next weekend at the HoopHall Classic West in Gilbert (Ariz.), Jan. 2-4, will also give the elite teams time to strut their stuff.

There are nine teams among California’s Top 25 still unbeaten at Christmas, a pretty high number, including top-ranked St. John Bosco, No. 6 Riordan and No. 8 De La Salle and No. 9 Montgomery.

Note: Only teams that play for a CIF State California title were considered for this rankings, thus eliminating Prolific Prep of Napa Christian, which can and will play for a mythical national title. Notes and rankings below from Southern Section teams supplied by SBLive’s Tarek Fattal.

The Braves win their Trinity League opener over Orange Lutheran without Brandon McCoy and Elzie Harrington. Christian Collins and Max Ellis led the way. Next up: Platinum Division in Classic at Damien.

Eastvale Roosevelt wins the 2024 Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, beating Notre Dame Sherman Oaks in the final, 76-58. / Tarkanian Classic/X

Roosevelt wins the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, beating Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks in the final. Brayden Burries scored 26 points and Issac Williamson had 19.

Nik Khamenia notches 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a convincing win over JSerra, a team expected to earn an Open Division berth.

Notre Dame suffers its first loss in the Tarkanian Classic final to Roosevelt despite Tyran Stokes scoring 20 points. Lino Mark played just four minutes in an attempt to play while injured. (TYRAN STOKES DEBUT)

Four more wins started with 90-65 blowout of defending state D2 champion Oakland Tech behind 33 points and 10 points from Tounde Yessoufou, and a combined 45 from Julius and Malcolm Price along with Gunner Morinini. Yessoufou is averaging 29.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Riordan top recruit Jasir Rencher helped lead the Crusaders to a Central Coast Section Open Division title in 2024. After a strong showing at the Section 7 event last weekend, the Crusaders are a team to watch in the Cali Live 2024 in Roseville this weekend. / Photo: Greg Jungferman

Won the Gridley Classic with wins over Branson (68-27), Clovis North (54-52) and previous No. 6 Salesian (52-51) thanks in part to tournament MVP Andrew Hilman (19 points). Texas Tech-bound Jasir Rencher and Irvine signee Nex Emeneke was also All-Tourney.

Carlton Perrilliat also added 11 rebounds in limited minutes.

Carlton Perrilliat swoops in for two of his game-high 22 points in Salesian’s lopsided win over Windward last spring at the at Cali Live 24 in Roseville. / Photo: Gary Jones

Pride lost their first regular-season game since 2022, 52-51 to Riordan, in finals of the Gridley Classic. Salesian missed two free throws with 1.2 seconds to play.

Win over Santa Margarita (61-57) to win the Vountour Classic was team’s most impressive. David Balogun, a rapidly improving 6-6 post, scored 29 to lead the way. Since then breathers over Mountain House (67-35), La Salle (76-26) and Sacred Heart Cathedral (79-39).

The Aztecs from San Diego won five games last week, including four at the Tarkanian Classic to take the Nike Division championship behind division’s Most Outstanding Player J.J. Sanchez, who had 22 points in the finals.

Eagles’ only loss comes this week to unbeaten NorCal power De La Salle, but bounces back with a win over Murrieta Valley.

Trailblazers beat Millikan 87-33 this past week.

The Lions get a taste of Open Division-level hoops in a 65-50 loss to Harvard-Westlake.

Redondo Union is picking up Open Division playoff buzz.

La Mirada forward Gene Roebuck is one of the top 2027 prospects on the West Coast. / Tarek Fattal

La Mirada has been idle since Dec. 14.

Coach Paul Tait is enthused by the play of sophomore point guard Dominic Loehle.

After lopsided win over St. Augustine (77-54), recorded tough wins over Sage Creek (75-66), Mission Hills (67-59) and La Jolla Country Day (80-68).

Monarchs have won five of their last six.

Pius went 2-2 at the Tarkanian Classic.

Jasone Crowe Jr. is averaging 37 points per game.

Had won four straight before losing 63-54 to Brophy College Prep of Phoenix Ariz. (63-54).

Quality win over Pacifica Christian of Orange County without Jeremiah Hampton was impressive. JJ Harris and Louis Bond impressed.

Canyon has won five straight. Brandon Benjamin averaging 30+ points a game.

Damien without big man Nate Garcia (injured).

Twelve straight wins isn’t a bad way to start the season. Defense a big key, holding opponents under 50 seven times, including three straight games limiting opponents to 49 in wins over Riverside poly (61-49), Salesian Los Angeles (93-49) and Wiseburn-Da Vinci (61-49).

Cougars last win came against Long Beach Poly on Dec. 14.

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