L.A. Times - Environment

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gov. Gavin Newsom marked 20 years of California's landmark climate law, celebrating a rare show of bipartisan unity amid deepening political polarization.

Questions swirled when Big Bear's beloved bald eagle Jackie died after a mysterious illness in August. Officials released details about her cause of death on Wednesday.

A red flag warning will be in place across most of L.A. County on Thursday and Friday, providing one of the first major tests of whether government agencies have applied the painful lessons learned from the Palisades and Eaton blazes.

Supporters of the initiative on the November ballot say it will speed up environmental review for "essential" projects, but opponents believes potentially polluting ones will be covered too — including data centers.

The National Weather Service forecasters project the worst of storm Rachel has passed for Southern California — but the coast must withstand two more potentially damaging high tides.

Long Beach is working to secure its historic boardwalk and protective bulkhead, putting up sandbags and rebuilding the berm to stop water intrusion.

The Bike fire grew to 230 acres by 3 p.m. Sunday, prompting evacuations as both L.A. County Fire and the U.S. Forest Service responded to the blaze.

Long Beach ordered some Peninsula residents to evacuate and Newport Beach closed its beaches and piers as Tropical Storm Rachel neared Southern California. A National Weather Service coastal flood warning covers Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego county beaches through Sunday.

Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to make landfall either in northern Baja California or San Diego County as early as Saturday night, bringing with it a slew of potential hazards, including damaging coastal flooding.

Newport Beach was one of several coastal communities to see flooding Friday as residents braced for Tropical Storm Rachel, which is expected to cause more issues over the weekend.

An environmental group and water agency representing farmers are suing California, arguing the state is taking excessive amounts of water out of the Bay Delta, harming fish and the ecosystem.

Fish farming has been marketed as a sustainable answer to overfishing. But an investigation found that the feed behind much of modern aquaculture is driving ocean depletion, labor abuse and unrest far from the dinner plate.

Every year, hundreds of animals die trying to cross State Route 62, connecting L.A. and Joshua Tree. The research to fix it is a bit unconventional.

Despite political backlash and past weather delays, the massive wildlife bridge over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills is racing toward a Dec. 2 opening. Now, the only threat to the deadline is Mother Nature.

The California State Transportation Agency is expected to launch a study examining what would be needed to move the railroad line from the San Clemente coast.