California

Weeks after the California Air Resources Board approved an ambitious rule to limit rail pollution, the Pacific Harbor Line unveiled one of the nation’s most advanced zero-emission locomotives.

A report from the nonprofit CALSTART says California, Maryland and Florida lead the way, but 11 states are not on board. The report also offers recommendations for making zero-emission fleets more affordable.

The technology still misidentifies individuals, especially when it’s focused on people of color. While the technology has advanced, the problems haven't gone away, and new legislation won’t fix them either.

Lawmakers across the country are increasingly turning their attention to the quickly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. In this piece we run down some of the bills being considered in this space.

California’s air quality regulator will vote on whether to ban the sale of diesel big rigs by 2036 and switch all trucks in the state to zero-emission by 2042, which would transform California’s trucking industry.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure funding programs are taking root in states like Oregon, which will soon launch the Oregon Community Charging Rebate program, aimed at disadvantaged neighborhoods and multifamily housing.

The California State Auditor issued a report this week criticizing the Department of Technology for failing to guide the state’s IT needs, failing to assess agencies’ information security systems, and failing to reduce risks to IT projects.

Through a combination of tech and data, the California Department of Water Resources is measuring the historic rainfall and snowfall the state saw this year — and in a way that helps prepare for the next drought.

A new bill, proposed last month by State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, would require that all new electric vehicles in California are equipped with so-called bidirectional charging by 2027.

Assemblyman Phil Ting authored a bill that would set standards for law enforcement’s use of technology that captures images of people’s faces and compares them to an existing database. The ACLU disagrees with this approach.

Some who spent considerable time and resources to enter the $1 million contest launched by state education officials say it was a sham, drumming up attention but demanding a miracle and turning down practical ideas.

The Biden administration has approved a waiver that would allow the state to set its own emissions standards for semitrucks. The effort has drawn the criticism of business interests who claim the 2045 deadline is too aggressive.

A statewide ban blocking use of facial recognition on body cam footage has expired. Now several assemblymembers say they don’t want a new ban — instead, they’d rather create restrictions to curtail inaccurate arrests.

The federal infrastructure package is making electric vehicle charging a reality — even in states with few registered EVs. In Montana, the need for this infrastructure is driven, in part, by tourism from other states.

The newly introduced bill would force employers to give workers more notice of mass layoffs and would extend these protections to contract workers, who currently are excluded under state and federal law.

Social media companies have doubled down on last year’s lobbying efforts to fend off a bill that would have held social media companies liable for addicting children to their content. This year, a new iteration has their attention.

With the pressure of the pandemic finally easing, state officials are working to upgrade the technology underpinning outdated unemployment offices and prevent fraudulent claims.

The Solano County Office of Emergency Services has launched the "Know Your Zone" campaign to better prepare residents and businesses in all seven Solano County cities for emergencies and evacuations.