Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca told three lies to federal authorities who were investigating corruption at the jails he ran, according to a newspaper report. The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that recorded interviews reveal Baca denied knowing about efforts to stifle the probe into abuse at the jails by hiding an inmate who was working as an FBI informant, or that two of his deputies intimidated an FBI agent at her home.   read more

The massive Porter Ranch gas leak has been stopped, Southern California Gas officials announced Thursday. The well still needs to be permanently sealed and inspected by state regulators, a process that could take several days. But the announcement marked a milestone in efforts to stop the leak first reported Oct. 23.   read more

After more than 10 hours of public comment and deliberation, the Commission voted 7-5 to remove Charles Lester as executive director. Not a single organization spoke in support of the firing. Commissioners removed Lester in a private vote without discussing the results with the crowd that spent nearly 12 hours in a cramped auditorium. Critics accused commission members of being "wined and dined" by developers who wanted to replace Lester with a more pro-development director.   read more

The research links a local surge in injection by oil companies of wastewater underground with an unusual jump in seismic activity in and around the Tejon Oilfield in southern Kern County. The shaking topped out in 2005 with three quakes, the biggest magnitude 4.6.. Researchers calculated the odds of that happening naturally, independent of the oilfield operations, at just 3%. In Oklahoma and other states, the U.S. Geological Survey linked oilfield operations with a dramatic surge in earthquakes.   read more

Santa Barbara County has long frowned on transporting crude by truck. Kristen Monsell of the Center for Biological Diversity called the decision a "dangerous exception." The county's ruling puts people and the environment at risk of "fiery accidents or another devastating oil spill," she said. But Linda Krop, counsel for the Environmental Defense Center, said they agreed with the decision. "The risks of leaving the oil in the tanks clearly outweighs any concerns about the trucks," she said.   read more

Englander said that officials across LA have received calls from SoCalGas customers about "abnormally high bills," and linked the rate increases to the leak at the company's gas storage facility. "This bill-spiking comes at a time when SoCalGas is experiencing a major disaster at its Aliso Canyon facility," said Englander. "I am simply not buying that these two incidents are not related. It appears that the entire Los Angeles basin is now feeling the effects of the Aliso Canyon gas leak."   read more

Vatican Radio disputed the press release claiming that Francis would "play himself" in the film "Beyond the Sun." The press release was accompanied by photos of the pope with the filmmakers. Vigano's reaction to the announcement was a clear sign that the Vatican didn't appreciate the hype. But Francis has been known to go his own way on several occasions. It was suggested the filmmakers might have shot scenes with the Pope in the privacy of his hotel reception rooms.   read more

District Attorney Jackie Lacey said the charges aren't a solution to the problem, but Southern California Gas Co. needs to be held responsible for the leak that has uprooted more than 4,400 families. The charges came the same day the state attorney general joined a long line of others in suing the gas company for the blowout that has spewed more than 2 million tons of climate-changing methane since October. U.S. senators want the secretary of energy to investigate the leak.   read more

The bills would generate temporary housing and mental health services for children rescued from the underground industry. Toni Atkins called human trafficking "modern day slavery" and said the crime is spiking in many of California's largest cities. "According to the FBI, the San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas comprise three of the nation's 13 areas of 'high-intensity' child sex trafficking exploitation in the country," the San Diego Democrat said.   read more

The lawsuit challenged what it said was the Interior Department's practice of rubber-stamping fracking off California's coast without engaging the public or analyzing fracking's threats to ocean ecosystems and coastal communities. The settlement reached on Friday prohibits officials from authorizing fracking practices in federal waters until the Interior Department completes an environmental review. The settlement could potentially affect oversight of all federally permitted offshore fracking.   read more

Homeowners with solar panels cheer net metering as it lowers their power bills. But it has been criticized by utilities for rewarding solar users while leaving others to shoulder the cost of maintaining the electricity grid. The Commission said it was difficult to support the growth of rooftop solar while making sure solar customers pay their fair share. The decision was being watched by states working to integrate larger amounts of rooftop solar onto their power grids.   read more

Tuesday was the 96th day of the leak. At the maximum fine of $440,000 per day, SoCalGas could already be on the hook for $42.2 million in fines. California and the SCAQMD sued SoCal Gas in Superior Court as a public nuisance, demanding it pay the price for the environmental disaster through civil penalties. California accuses SoCalGas of negligently operating its Aliso Canyon storage facility, negligently designing the casing of the leaking well and failing to properly respond to the leak.   read more

The measure, which would go before voters in November if enough signatures are gathered to put it on the ballot, would undo a provision of state law that allows juveniles as young as 14 to be tried as adults for numerous serious crimes - including murder, rape and torture - without the approval of a judge. "It's an important step," said Brown. "It puts a juvenile court judge in the position of viewing in totality whether a juvenile is fit to be tried as an adult."   read more

The hearing was part of the process for a new protocol for lethal injection that would use one drug to put condemned inmates to death. It would replace a three-drug cocktail that a California court declared unconstitutional 10 years ago. Under a court settlement, the state must develop a new procedure for executions. At the same time, Californians have grown more divided over capital punishment, with nearly half the electorate and many top officials now opposing the death penalty.   read more

There's been scant oversight of 400 underground natural gas storage facilities in 30 states. National industry groups have pushed for federal oversight - unusual in an industry better known for fighting regulation. Jurisdiction falls to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. But it has never written rules for gas storage despite two decades of calls for regulation - and at least two deadly explosions. The agency declined comment on its hands-off posture.   read more

Roundup is used by farmers around the world, generating Monsanto $4.8 billion in fiscal 2015 revenue. Genetically modified seeds designed to tolerate glyphosate are immensely popular among corn and soybean growers. But questions from environmentalists and other critics about the safety of the herbicide have dogged Monsanto for years. Since IARC's classification last year, Monsanto has been named in numerous lawsuits accusing the company of knowing of the dangers of glyphosate for decades.   read more