Articles by Brian Melley

Associated Press

Bankruptcy Won’t End Problem PG&E Must Still Deal With: Wildfires

Big corporations forced into bankruptcy by liability lawsuits often take the offending product off the market and try to move on. That’s what happened with the Dalkon Shield birth control device, asbestos and silicone breast implants. But when the nation’s …

Los Angeles Sues Weather Channel App, Alleging It Sold User Data

The operator of The Weather Channel mobile app tracks the whereabouts of users and sells their data to third parties, Los Angeles prosecutors said as they sued to stop the practice. The company misled users of the popular app to …

California Moving Ahead with Marijuana Delivery Regulations

California moved a step closer Friday to allowing marijuana deliveries in communities that have banned retail sales of the drug as regulators rebuffed cities and police chiefs who are opposed to the rule. The proposal is a major issue that …

$120M Settlement Reached Over 2015 Southern California Methane Gas Leak

A Southern California utility reached a nearly $120 million settlement over a massive blowout at a natural gas storage field that became the nation’s largest known release of climate-changing methane and forced thousands to flee their Los Angeles homes almost …

California Marijuana Retailers Cut Prices Ahead of New Testing Rules

Bargain basement bud is on the menu in California, but you need to act fast to cash in on the cheap weed. Regulations being phased in six months after the state broadly legalized marijuana require that pot sold after Saturday …

Poizner, Lara Advance in California Insurance Commissioner Race

Republican-turned-independent Steve Poizner and Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara were the top vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary election, advancing to the November election. Poizner, the former insurance commissioner, would be the first independent to win such an election and Lara would be …

California Insurance Commissioner Race Features Diverse Field

One way or another, California’s next insurance commissioner will be the first of his kind. The June 5 primary features Democrats Dr. Asif Mahmood and Sen. Ricardo Lara against former commissioner Steve Poizner. Mahmood would be the first Muslim to …

Evidence of Massive California Oil Spill Was Obvious, But Was It A Crime?

An acrid stink of petroleum three years ago sent Santa Barbara County firefighters scrambling in a search for a possible spill. When they arrived at Refugio State Beach they witnessed oil staining the pristine sands and seeping into the surf. …

California Oil Company Slapped With $12.5M Fine

A California oil company with a long history of safety violations and regulatory lapses was hit with a record $12.5 million fine by state regulators for nearly 1,500 violations in the past year at an oil field in Orange County. …

Coffee Sold in California Will Require Cancer Warning, Judge Rules

Coffee sellers will have to post ominous warnings in California because each cup contains a chemical linked to cancer, a judge ruled. The culprit is a byproduct of the bean roasting process that is a known carcinogen and has been …