capitalandmain.com

Owen Mulenga, a campaigner for literacy and data protection in Zambia, is worried that his country will be pressured to give up valuable minerals — plus the health data of its citizens — to the U.S. government for critical health aid. capitalandmain.com/u-s-demands-mi…

California’s $20 an hour fast food minimum wage, instituted in 2024, did not reduce employment. It led to only the most modest of price increases — barely noticeable to a consumer. capitalandmain.com/despite-apocal…

Instead of relying on state or federal laws governing oil and gas industry operations, the case latches onto accounting violations, switching the argument from oilfield rules to bookkeeping standards.

The plaintiffs claim the lawsuit is the first of its kind and represents a possible precedent for how states or even individuals could prosecute suspect oil and gas well transfers in the future.

Oil companies ExxonMobil, Empire Petroleum and their subsidiaries engaged in accounting fraud that could cost the state nearly $200 million, a lawsuit filed in New Mexico District Court alleges.

Tariffs accounted for an estimated 86% of the rise in prices for imported household goods through January, with the passthrough even more pronounced for long-lasting durable goods like cars, appliances and furniture. capitalandmain.com/will-americans…

Data centers & lithium extraction projects look set to increase their water use in Imperial County as the Colorado River, the region’s only water source, is drying up. Meanwhile, farmers – the area’s largest water users – are anxious about a drier future. #ColoradoRiver

“I have asthma, my little brother has asthma,” said the community organizer, who also sits on the board at the Tepeyac Community Health Center. “We want to do everything we can to protect the health of our neighborhood.” capitalandmain.com/as-states-spen…

Oil companies ExxonMobil, Empire Petroleum and their subsidiaries engaged in accounting fraud that could cost the state nearly $200 million, a lawsuit filed in New Mexico District Court alleges. capitalandmain.com/oil-companies-…

On a Tuesday evening in lower Manhattan, a group of New Yorkers sat on the lobby floor of a Hilton. Crowds swarmed the windows as activists shouted their demand: Hilton must end its contracts with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. capitalandmain.com/the-common-gro…

This week, one of the unions, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), rejected proposals by an independent fact-finder that appeared to favor the district’s side of negotiations.

An April 14 strike date set by two unions representing nearly 68,000 teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and others in L.A. appears closer than ever to becoming reality. capitalandmain.com/we-just-want-l…

Painting a dire picture of California’s climate — pinging from wet to dry extremes — Gov. Gavin Newsom boasted that the valley’s renewable energy treasures could help alleviate the climate crisis.

Other processes require excavating the lithium by crushing rocks in open pits or creating salt ponds by pumping brine into large sumps and letting the water evaporate, a months-long process.

The Obsidian Butte lies on the southern edge of the bluish-green Salton Sea in an expanse of thousands of acres that California wants to dot with clean energy power plants, wastewater facilities, data centers, battery factories and more. capitalandmain.com/newsom-promise…