U.S. Undoes Progress on Child Poverty as Spending Cuts Take Priority The end of pandemic relief programs is returning millions of children to poverty. Capital & Main · Oct 19, 2023
California Lets Companies Keep ‘Dangerous’ Oil Wells Unplugged Forever An idle well fee program is masking vast cleanup costs while harming residents and the climate. Capital & Main · Oct 18, 2023
Can a Single Colorado Agency Oversee Both Fossil Fuel and Clean Energy Production? Tension over energy industry oversight has sparked a rare agreement between climate activists and the oil and gas industry. Capital & Main · Oct 17, 2023
Spilling the Tea Growing up in his family’s iconic Chinese restaurant taught Curtis Chin how to survive in 1980s Detroit — and how to embrace his identity as a gay Asian American. Capital & Main · Oct 16, 2023
Kaiser’s Massive Mental Health Care Settlement Sends Strong Message to Providers That Ignore Patient Needs A California settlement compels the state’s largest health care provider to spend $150 million on behavioral health services. Capital & Main · Oct 13, 2023
Banks Keep Financing Coal Despite Their Net-Zero Pledges Thanks to Massive Loophole JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank and Wells Fargo are among those putting big money into companies that operate coal plants. Capital & Main · Oct 13, 2023
In Los Angeles Hospital Strike, Nurses Say Staffing Is Issue No. 1 Cuts and turnover, even more than pay, make their jobs impossible, they say. Capital & Main · Oct 12, 2023
As Moms for Liberty Spreads, So Does School Turmoil Opposition builds as parents’ group stokes nation’s culture wars. Capital & Main · Oct 11, 2023
Time to Kill Off ‘Net Zero’ Stop pretending planting trees can justify fossil fuels emissions. Capital & Main · Oct 10, 2023
California Poets Confront Urgent Challenges Through ‘Poets on the Beat’ Project Poets tackle the climate crisis, inequality and police violence in powerful essays. Capital & Main · Oct 6, 2023
New Mexico’s Experiment With Recapturing Natural Gas Raises Questions Meanwhile, banks help fossil fuel giants raise more than $1 trillion via “hidden” financial support. Capital & Main · Oct 5, 2023
‘A Setup for Disaster’: California Legislation Requiring Companies to Pay for Oil and Gas Well Cleanup in Limbo The bill, which awaits a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom, follows ProPublica’s reporting on the multibillion-dollar cost to clean up California’s oil and gas industry and the exodus of major companies shifting ownership of thousands of aging wells. Capital & Main · Oct 4, 2023
Poised to Strike, Kaiser Workers Say They Want The Old Kaiser Back Once known for strong employee-management relations, its workers now say staffing and pay need to rise to attract and retain the staff Kaiser needs. Capital & Main · Oct 4, 2023
Newsom Said Cost Made Him Veto Unemployment Pay for Strikers. Unions Say It Was Disrespect. The bill passed by the California Legislature would have limited benefits to keep state payments manageable. Capital & Main · Oct 3, 2023
Capital & Main · Oct 2, 2023 L.A. Housing Department Proposes Increasing Residential Hotel Enforcement Amid the city’s homelessness crisis, some landlords have turned buildings meant for low-cost housing into tourist hotels.
Capital & Main · Sep 29, 2023 Some States Are Fighting Rising Child Poverty With Tax Credits New Mexico is one of 10 states that have created or expanded child tax credits after Congress let a federal program expire.
Capital & Main · Sep 28, 2023 California Wingstop Restaurants Face a $3.2 Million Citation for Wage Theft The use of separate corporate entities is under scrutiny, shedding light on labor abuses in the fast-food industry.
Capital & Main · Sep 28, 2023 California Is Last Among States Mandating Paid Sick Leave California requires a minimum of three sick days, the least among 15 states. A bill to raise it to five days is opposed by the business lobby as it awaits Gov. Newsom’s signature.
Capital & Main · Sep 27, 2023 Natural Gas Recapturing Process Promises Waste Reduction — but Questions Linger Meanwhile, report after report shows greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise in New Mexico.
Capital & Main · Sep 22, 2023 Exclude Fossil Fuel Firms From Cop28 if They Only Want to Obstruct, Says Ex-UN Chief This story originally appeared in the Guardian and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Capital & Main · Sep 22, 2023 Landmark Climate Bill Bucks Industry Pressure as Big Oil Mocks Need to Transition The legislation would set a precedent by requiring large companies to disclose total greenhouse gas emissions.
Capital & Main · Sep 21, 2023 Unemployment for Hollywood’s Striking Writers and Stars? It’s Newsom’s Move Now. Governor could leap past politics and sign unemployment bill just to keep striking workers in an uneven game.
Capital & Main · Sep 20, 2023 Unhoused and Unprotected in California’s Scorching Imperial Valley The city of Calexico has few resources for the homeless, leaving individuals to survive by scavenging shade and relying on the goodwill of nonprofits.
Capital & Main · Sep 19, 2023 California Inmates Accuse Prison Commissaries of Price Gouging Food, toiletries and over-the-counter medicines have been marked up so high that many prisoners are simply priced out.
Capital & Main · Sep 18, 2023 California’s Surgeon General Wants Schools to Be the Front Line Against Childhood Stress Black and Latino children are more likely to be hurt by harmful experiences that can lead to lifelong suffering.