As the federal government’s partial shutdown became tied on Friday for the longest one ever, President Trump tempered his talk of declaring a national emergency on the southern border that could free him to spend money on a wall there. The president insisted on his power to make the declaration, which could allow him to […]
The city of San Francisco is not standing down in California’s latest water war, joining a lawsuit against the state on Thursday to stop it from directing more of the Sierra Nevada’s cool, crisp flows to fish instead of people. City officials contend the State Water Resources Control Board is overreaching with a new, sweeping plan to […]
Four key issues remain unsettled as negotiators for a Colorado River drought-adaptation plan wrap up discussions and prepare to send a complex package of water-saving proposals to the Arizona Legislature. Farmers, developers and officials of the $4 billion Central Arizona Project said Tuesday they still aren’t satisfied with various provisions in a proposed drought contingency […]
John Coates’ laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, hums with activity. Negative 80-degree freezers whirr, liquid nitrogen bubbles, grad students meticulously measure and mix complicated concoctions. But all of this is nothing compared with the commotion going on at a microscopic level. The Coates lab is growing many different kinds of bacteria, multiplying in […]
To subsidize drinking water bills for poor households, California regulators recommend new taxes on bottled water and incomes above $1 million a year, according to a draft proposal released by the State Water Resources Control Board. If the $606 million proposal, or an alternate version, is accepted by the Legislature, California would be the first state in […]
On the first Saturday of December in a northeast neighborhood of Fresno, California, Jeff Collins and his neighbors were putting up their Christmas decorations: strings of lights along identical gable roofs, animated reindeer, and inflatable snowmen. But for Collins, the task involved an extra step — laying down tarps to help the inflatables stay upright […]
Trump Tempers Talk Of Emergency At Border, But Eyes California Projects For Wall Funds
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Sarah D. WireAs the federal government’s partial shutdown became tied on Friday for the longest one ever, President Trump tempered his talk of declaring a national emergency on the southern border that could free him to spend money on a wall there. The president insisted on his power to make the declaration, which could allow him to […]
San Francisco Sues State Over Potentially Drastic Water Reductions
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderThe city of San Francisco is not standing down in California’s latest water war, joining a lawsuit against the state on Thursday to stop it from directing more of the Sierra Nevada’s cool, crisp flows to fish instead of people. City officials contend the State Water Resources Control Board is overreaching with a new, sweeping plan to […]
Arizona Drought-Plan Issues Remain As Federal Jan. 31 Deadline Nears
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)by Tony DavisFour key issues remain unsettled as negotiators for a Colorado River drought-adaptation plan wrap up discussions and prepare to send a complex package of water-saving proposals to the Arizona Legislature. Farmers, developers and officials of the $4 billion Central Arizona Project said Tuesday they still aren’t satisfied with various provisions in a proposed drought contingency […]
Scientists Are Using Bacteria To Remove Harmful Contaminants From Our Water. Here’s How.
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Environmental Health Newsby Hannah ThomasyJohn Coates’ laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, hums with activity. Negative 80-degree freezers whirr, liquid nitrogen bubbles, grad students meticulously measure and mix complicated concoctions. But all of this is nothing compared with the commotion going on at a microscopic level. The Coates lab is growing many different kinds of bacteria, multiplying in […]
California Water Board Outlines $606M Bill Assistance Program
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Circle of Blueby Brett WaltonTo subsidize drinking water bills for poor households, California regulators recommend new taxes on bottled water and incomes above $1 million a year, according to a draft proposal released by the State Water Resources Control Board. If the $606 million proposal, or an alternate version, is accepted by the Legislature, California would be the first state in […]
OPINION: In California, The Demise Of The Grassy Lawn
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Undark (Cambridge, Mass.)by Aleksandra AppletonOn the first Saturday of December in a northeast neighborhood of Fresno, California, Jeff Collins and his neighbors were putting up their Christmas decorations: strings of lights along identical gable roofs, animated reindeer, and inflatable snowmen. But for Collins, the task involved an extra step — laying down tarps to help the inflatables stay upright […]