Adam Beam

Associated Press

Microsoft Offers Buyouts to 60,000 Employees

October 27, 2026

Orange cylindrical aerospace equipment suspended by yellow straps in industrial workshop with American flags

Air Force Tests Rocket Cargo Delivery with SpaceX Reentry Capsule

October 27, 2026

Gen Z in Manufacturing: Inside the Swing Shift Problem

October 27, 2026

In this image from video, fire and smoke rise from a building attached to Quaker Oats facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Explosion, Fire Erupt at Iowa Quaker Oats Plant

October 26, 2026

The Stellantis sign appears outside the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Mich, on Jan. 19, 2021.

Stellantis to Follow California's Strict Emissions Standards

Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW agreed to follow California's rules in 2019.

March 20, 2024

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with reporters said on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, in Sacramento. California lawmakers are having their first public hearing on a proposal to penalize some oil company profits. Newsom proposed the law in response to record high gas prices over the summer.

Bill Penalizing Oil Profits Makes Little Progress

Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom has led a charge against the industry, but it's unclear who is following him.

February 23, 2023

California Gov. Gavin Newsom walks through the assembly chamber with California Controller Malia Cohen during the opening session of the California Legislature in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. The legislature returned to work on Monday to swear in new members and elect leaders for the upcoming session.

State Eyes Penalties for Oil Companies' Big Profits

It could be the first state to fine big oil companies for making too much money.

December 6, 2022

One of Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon Power Plant's nuclear reactors in Avila Beach, Calif., is viewed Nov. 3, 2008.

Legislators Advance Plan to Extend Run of Calif's Oldest Nuke Plant

Gov. Gavin Newsom warned the state could face rolling blackouts if its twin reactors were retired too soon.

September 1, 2022

For more than two decades, California's Orange County has debated whether to build a seaside plant to convert the Pacific Ocean's salt water into drinking water in hopes of buffering against droughts like the one now gripping the nation's most populous state.

California Nixes Plant, But Says Open to Desalination

Commissioners said the plant would damage marine ecosystems and make water too pricey.

May 16, 2022

Trucks and other vehicles pass a construction zone on Highway 50 in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. The California Air Resources Board, on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, is considering a new smog check program for heavy duty trucks. The new rules would require trucks weighing more than 14,000 pounds to be tested at least twice per year to make sure they meet the state's smog standards.

California Adopts Tough Standards for Trucks, Lawn Equipment

To enforce the rules, the state will install roadside monitoring devices to catch trucks that pollute too much.

December 10, 2021

$In this Jan. 16, 2015, file photo, pumpjacks are seen operating in Bakersfield, Calif. On Friday, April 23, 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would halt all new fracking permits in the state by January 2024. He also ordered state regulators to plan for halting all oil extraction in the state by 2045.$

California Seeks to Ban New Fracking

Gov. Gavin Newsom is using his authority to take on the state's powerful oil and gas industry in a year he will likely face voters in a recall election.

April 26, 2021

In this file photo, pumpjacks are seen operating in Bakersfield, California.

California Lawmakers Propose Ban on Fracking by 2027

Fracking has been a favored approach to obtaining oil embedded in rock deep under ground. Critics say halting the process won't stop the reliance on oil.

February 18, 2021

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EPA Ridicules California's Proposed Ban of New Gas Cars

The agency's chief noted the state's "record of rolling blackouts."

September 29, 2020

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference.

Calif. Ready to Pull the Plug on Gas Vehicles

The state plans to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in 15 years.

September 24, 2020

Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from Oakland, addresses lawmakers while holding her one-month-old daughter Elly in her arms during the final hours of the California legislative session in Sacramento, Calif.

California Paid Leave Law Among Nation's Broadest

The bill was a priority for labor unions, but it almost didn't happen because of stiff opposition from business groups.

September 18, 2020

A cyclist rides through the pier plaza in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Heat Wave Still Threatens Calif. Power Grid with Outages

Grid operators avoided a third day of rolling blackouts but kept a wary eye on the thermometer.

August 18, 2020

Calif. Judge Rules Uber, Lyft Drivers Are Employees

The companies said the decision threatens to shut them down during a pandemic-induced downturn.

August 11, 2020

Trucks travel along a loading dock at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif.

California Considers 1st-in-US Electric Truck Sales Rule

The rule would force automakers to sell more electric work trucks and delivery vans.

June 25, 2020

In this Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, file photo, employees stand next to self-driving, big-rig trucks during a demonstration at the Otto headquarters, in San Francisco. Uber's self-driving startup Otto developed technology allowing big rigs to drive themselves. After taking millions of factory jobs, robots could be coming for a new class of worker: people who drive for a living.

California Scales Up Electric Truck Proposal

The updated rule would require automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission trucks each year.

April 29, 2020