By Miriam Raftery

September 10, 2015 (San Francisco)—The U.S. Ninth Court of Appeal in San Francisco today revoked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the pesticide sulfoxaflor because it is highly toxic to bees.  The pesticide is sold under the brand names Closer and Transform.

MTS Trolley special events service in play for Padres home opener on Thursday, April 9

April 9, 2015 (San Diego)--For the first time, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is making its convenient mTicket mobile ticketing option available for select Padres games, including the home opening series against the San Francisco Giants and all weekend series (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) throughout the season.

15 cases, including several that caused blindness, found in California and Washington

March 9, 2014 (Los Angeles) Since December 2014, as many as 15 cases of ocular syphilis—a sexually transmitted disease which has led to blindness in several of the individuals—have been reported in men who have sex with men on the West Coast. Confirmed cases in Washington State, San Francisco as well as two suspected cases found in Los Angeles that are currently under investigation are raising alarm among public health officials, community care providers and prevention specialists, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation reports.

By Miriam Raftery

December 2, 2014 (San Onofre) - By a unanimous vote, the California Public Utilities Commission has approved the $3.3 billion San Onofre settlement. No public comment was allowed at the hearing, which was held in San Francisco despite the fact that the ratepayers impacted all live in Southern California.

EarthTalk® E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What’s the latest on efforts to ban plastic bags? How many U.S. locales have instituted some kind of ban, and have these initiatives made a dent in the amount of plastic litter?

                                                                                                               -- Melinda Clarke, New York, NY

October 11, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - California made big news recently when it announced the first statewide ban on plastic shopping bags set to kick in during the middle of 2015. Beginning in July, large grocery stores, pharmacies and other food retailers in the Golden State will no longer be able to send shoppers home with plastic bags, while convenience markets, liquor stores and other small food retailers will join the ranks a year later.

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2014 (San Francisco) – Voters don’t have the right to know who is paying for ballot initiatives before signing a petition to put measures on the ballot, a federal court has ruled. By a slim 2-1 vote, the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals this week overturned a California election law that had required this information be disclosed on petitions presented by signature gatherers.