Articles by Adam Beam

California Considers Declaring Common Pain Killer Carcinogen

A fight is coming to California over whether to list one of the world’s most common over-the-counter drugs as a carcinogen, echoing recent high-profile battles over things like alcohol and coffee. The drug is acetaminophen, known outside the U.S. as …

California Eyes Climate Bond to Prepare For Disasters

In a state burdened by billions of dollars in wildfire damage, California lawmakers are hoping for an advance loan before the next climate-fueled catastrophe hits. Lawmakers in the Democratic-dominated state Legislature returned to work Monday for the second year of …

Uber And Lyft Will Ask California Voters to Block Employee Law

Some of the country’s largest ridesharing companies proposed a California law on Tuesday that would let them continue to treat drivers as independent contractors while also guaranteeing them a minimum wage and money for health insurance. The state Legislature enacted …

California Now Looking for Ways to Preserve Environmental Clout

The Trump administration’s decision to stop California from setting its own emission standards for cars and trucks would undermine the state’s ability to convince the world’s largest automakers that they should make more environmentally friendly vehicles. “We will not let …

California Utility Wants Help Paying Wildfire Victims

A troubled California utility company is asking the state Legislature to let it borrow money without paying taxes so it can compensate victims of a devastating wildfire caused by its equipment. Pacific Gas & Electric is facing up to $30 …

How PG&E’s $1B to Local Governments for Wildfire Damage Will be Paid

A California utility agreed Tuesday to pay $1 billion to 14 local governments to cover damages from a series of deadly wildfires caused by its downed power lines. The settlement is a sliver of the more than $30 billion in …

Kentucky Gov., Attorney General Opioid Lawsuit Battle Goes to State Supreme Court

A feud between Kentucky’s top two elected officials – and potential adversaries in this year’s governor’s race – spilled over into the state Supreme Court on Thursday as lawyers argued about who controls the state’s lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors …

Kentucky Governor Voices Support for Medical Marijuana as Legislature Weighs Bill

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin spoke about his support for legalizing medical marijuana in highly personal terms on Tuesday, telling a community forum that his teenage nephew died after fighting “a very hard battle with cancer.” Asked about his stance on …

Kentucky Supreme Court Hears Arguments Over Med Mal Review Panels

After Ezra Claycomb was born with severe brain damage and cerebral palsy, his mother considered filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. But in 2017, Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a law requiring all such lawsuits first be reviewed by a panel of …

7th Lawsuit Against Opioid Makers Filed by Kentucky AG

The company’s website claimed its product would “enable patients to stay in the workplace, enjoy interaction with family and friends and remain a member of society.” But Kentucky’s Attorney General is more interested in what the company did not say: …