TAFT, Calif. — Here amid the dusty hills and deserted main streets of California’s oil country, the last three years have delivered “one kick in the gut after another,” some say.
The coronavirus, wildly fluctuating crude prices, lingering surface spills, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to transition to a “carbon-neutral” economy and the recent closure of two local prisons have left many wondering just what the future has to offer in this sere corner of western Kern County.
In recent days, however, that grim outlook has given way to a potent mix of hope, anger and desperation following President Joe Biden’s ban on the importation of Russian oil.
