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Golden State sued over oil and gas permit issues

I'm Winston Gieseke, philanthropy and special sections editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, with the latest headlines from this glorious state.

In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox.

Golden State sued over oil and gas permit issues

Belridge oil field pipes and jacks, Kern County, CA
Belridge oil field pipes and jacks, Kern County, CA

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit Wednesday against California challenging the state's approval of thousands of permits to drill for oil and gas. The environmental advocacy organization has asked the court to issue an injunction compelling the state to follow the California Environmental Quality Act when permitting of oil and gas wells.

The group says the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), which regulates the state's oil and gas industry, issues drilling approvals with no or incomplete environmental reviews and leans on inappropriate exemptions under the state's central environmental law.

“It is completely unacceptable for Gov. (Gavin) Newsom to continue to ignore our flagship environmental law that’s meant to protect people from oil industry pollution,” said Hollin Kretzmann, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute, via statement. “Newsom can’t protect our health and climate while giving thousands of illegal permits each year to this dirty and dangerous industry.”

In response, Jacob Roper, spokesperson for the Department of Conservation, of which CalGEM is a sub-agency, issued a statement, saying: "CalGEM follows all state laws and regulations in approving permits. This administration has strengthened oversight, imposed more rigorous standards for permit review and institutionalized independent scientific and technical review of its processes."

L.A. County essential workers to get 'hero' pay

Two weeks ago, The Desert Sun reported that the Southern California city of Coachella was the first in the nation to require certain agricultural operations — as well as grocery stores, retail pharmacy stores and restaurants — to provide an additional $4 per hour in hazard (or "hero") pay to their frontline employees for at least 120 days.

Now, Los Angeles County is taking similar action. As reported by abc7.com, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday on an ordinance that will require national grocery and drug retail employers in unincorporated areas of the county to pay their frontline workers an additional $5 per hour in hero pay for the next 120 days.

"Grocery and drug retail employees have continued to report to work and serve our communities, despite the ongoing hazards and dangers of being exposed to COVID-19," said Supervisor Hilda Solis, who co-authored the motion along with Holly Mitchell. "These workers, many of whom include older adults and single mothers, have put their lives on the line since the beginning of the pandemic to keep our food supply chain running and provide access to medicine our families need."

The ordinance, which is slated to take effect at midnight Feb. 26, will apply to union and non-union publicly traded chain stores with at least 300 employees nationwide and more than 10 per store.

A nurse checks a prepared Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose prior to being administered at a Riverside County vaccine clinic in Indio, Calif., on February 10, 2021.
A nurse checks a prepared Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose prior to being administered at a Riverside County vaccine clinic in Indio, Calif., on February 10, 2021.

Also on the frontline workers front: Teachers, grocery workers and emergency responders who live or work in San Francisco became eligible for the vaccine on Wednesday — but because the city is prioritizing second shots for the approximately 91,000 residents who are due to get dose No. 2 (or, as I — who have been trying to learn Spanish during the pandemic — like to call it, "dose dos") in the next few weeks.

This means the vaccines of people who are newly eligible will be delayed two or three weeks until more supplies arrive.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the city was administering up to 6,000 shots per day prior to the winter storm that resulted in delivery delays. Still, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday via Twitter that 80% of the city’s health care workers and people 65 and older have been vaccinated, adding that “we can do more than 10,000 doses per day right now, as soon as we get more supply.”

Aggressive coyote continues to terrorize East Bay

It's unusual for coyotes to bite humans; they generally keep their distance.
It's unusual for coyotes to bite humans; they generally keep their distance.

In December, this newsletter reported on a Moraga man who was bitten by a coyote while doing pushups on a high school football field. It seems that particular coyote is on a rampage. The Los Angeles Times reports that a series of attacks — which DNA has linked to a single coyote — began last summer and have taken place in parks, on residential streets and even outside a convenience store.

The MO of the seemingly fearless animal is to approach unsuspecting people and bite them before taking off. Last week, the animal, who has eluded traps and spawned a massive, 24-hour search, bit a 3-year-old girl in a stroller.

Thankfully, each victim has recovered from his or her puncture wounds.

It's rare for coyotes to bite humans; they generally keep their distance. Authorities suspect this coyote lost its fear of humans because people were feeding it or leaving dog food out. Once the animal is caught, they said, it will be tested for rabies and euthanized.

Elsewhere in the animal kingdom, a dolphin "stampede" was captured on video off the coast of the Golden State. About 300 dolphins were seen speeding along and leaping into the air near Dana Point in Southern California. See the video at USA TODAY. It's pretty special.

And lastly ...

A small crowd gathers outside a Fry's Electronics store in Renton, Wash., on Oct. 21, 2009.
A small crowd gathers outside a Fry's Electronics store in Renton, Wash., on Oct. 21, 2009.

It's a super sad day for gadget and AV nerds like me. Fry's Electronics — in my opinion, one of the happiest places on Earth — announced on its website Wednesday that after 36 glorious years it has ceased operations and closed all 31 of its stores, citing "changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic." Fry's had retail establishments in nine states, mostly in California and Texas. Let's take a moment to reflect ...

In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: abc7.com, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle. We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the latest headlines.

As the philanthropy and special sections editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and people who give back in the Coachella Valley. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In California: Golden State sued over oil and gas permit issues