"California’s largest utility released an email Monday saying the state’s top regulator privately asked the company to donate more than $1 million to support a state-backed environmental ballot initiative."

"LOS ANGELES - The fall season has brought a wave of hot, dry weather to California, with parts of the state baking this weekend in triple-digit temperatures and officials expressing concern the summer-like heat could spark a massive wildfire."

"Gov. Jerry Brown's veto of a bill to reform the California Department of Toxic Substances Control is drawing indignation from community groups and state legislators who had pressed for broad changes at the troubled agency."

"Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Tuesday that makes California the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags."

"An expanding wildfire in Northern California has reached 82,018 acres, or more than 128 square miles, as of Sunday morning, California fire officials said."

"More residents of Northern California mountain communities were told to leave their homes on Thursday after an out-of-control wildfire doubled in size overnight, scorching more than 100 square miles of drought-parched timber and brush."

"Fire crews in California battled on Tuesday to halt the advance of wildfire that has already destroyed about 150 homes, lapped at rural schools and caused power outages that left an evacuation shelter without electricity, authorities said."

"As concerns grow over aging rail infrastructure, earthquake readiness and a dramatic increase in crude oil shipments by train, state railroad regulators are scrambling to hire their first-ever railroad bridge inspectors -- two of them."

"BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Mile-long trains filled with millions of gallons of flammable crude oil may be rolling through Kern County next year."