California

"Joshua Tree National Park will be temporarily closed as of Thursday morning because of damage caused by visitors during the partial government shutdown. Park officials said few rangers are on hand to prevent off-road driving, which causes destruction of the park's namesake trees."

"Disaster officials say they need to start removing millions of tons of rubble from Paradise – and soon – so the town can begin recovering from the Camp Fire. That much is certain. The question is where to put the rubble."

"The U.S. government is going ahead with sharply higher catch limits next year for West Coast groundfish, citing a rebound in bottom-dwelling stocks once so depleted by over-fishing that commercial harvests were virtually halted 20 years ago."

"California on Friday became the first state to mandate a full shift to electric buses on public transit routes, flexing its muscle as the nation’s leading environmental regulator and bringing battery-powered, heavy-duty vehicles a step closer to the mainstream."

"The California Public Utilities Commission opened a formal investigation into Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Thursday, alleging that the utility may have violated safety standards and falsified gas records."

"California's building codes are not keeping up with the severe, wind-driven wildfires that are becoming the norm."

"Solar panels will be a required feature on new houses in California, after the state's Building Standards Commission gave final approval to a housing rule that's the first of its kind in the United States."

"The number of people listed as missing after California’s deadliest wildfire has dropped again to 25, down from a high of more than 1,200 about two weeks ago, officials said."