Articles by Sophie Austin

California Emergency Services Official Sued for Sexual Harassment, Retaliation

A lawsuit accused a deputy director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services of sexual harassment and retaliation against a senior employee while the agency did nothing to stop it. Ryan Buras, an appointee of Gov. Gavin Newsom, harassed …

California Truck Drivers Ask Governor to Sign Job-Saving Bill as Self-Driving Big Rigs Are Tested

California lawmakers, union leaders and truck drivers are trying to steer Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom toward signing into law a proposal that could save jobs as self-driving trucks are tested for their safety on the roads. The legislation would ban …

California Lawmakers Approve Nation’s Most Sweeping Emissions Disclosure Rules for Big Business

Major corporations from oil and gas companies to retail giants would have to disclose their direct greenhouse gas emissions as well as those that come from activities like employee business travel under legislation passed by California lawmakers, the most sweeping …

Audit: California State University Campuses Mishandled Sexual Harassment Allegations

A flawed policy at California State University, the largest higher education system in the country, contributed to the closure of nearly a dozen sexual harassment cases without thorough explanation, according to a state audit reviewing 40 cases over the span …

Audit: California State University Campuses Mishandled Sexual Harassment Allegations

A flawed policy at California State University, the largest higher education system in the country, contributed to the closure of nearly a dozen sexual harassment cases without thorough explanation, according to a state audit reviewing 40 cases over the span …

Personal Data of 700K Retired California Workers And Beneficiaries Stolen

California pension officials say personal information of about 769,000 retired state employees and other beneficiaries – including Social Security numbers – was among data stolen by Russian cybercriminals in the breach of a popular file-transfer application. The breach of the …

Families Displaced from California Neighborhood Seeking $2B

As a child, Lawrance W. McFarland lived on a small piece of land on a Native American reservation in Palm Springs he described as a “little world of its own,” surrounded by the parts of the city that were tourist …

California Approves Rule Phasing out Big Diesel Trucks

New big rigs and buses that run on diesel would not be sold in California starting in 2036, according to new rules approved by state regulators last week to wean the state off fossil fuels and combat climate change. The …

Families Displaced from California Neighborhood Seeking $2B

As a child, Lawrance W. McFarland lived on a small piece of land on a Native American reservation in Palm Springs he described as a “little world of its own,” surrounded by the parts of the city that were tourist …

EPA Approves California Rules Phasing out Diesel Trucks

The Biden administration cleared the way for California’s plan to phase out a wide range of diesel-powered trucks, part of the state’s efforts to drastically cut planet-warming emissions and improve air quality in heavy-traffic areas like ports along the coast. …