Here's your daily briefing...
Replacing CA’s gas tax: Thousands of Californians have volunteered to be part of an experiment to change the state’s gas tax. According to Capital Public Radio, revenue from the current gas tax is declining due to more fuel efficient and electric vehicles requiring less gas. For the pilot program, Californians are testing how drivers could be charged instead for road usage by using a small device that plugs into a car and tracks miles driven. The findings from the pilot study will be delivered to lawmakers next year.
Yellow-legged frog sees hope for rebound: What used to be the most plentiful amphibian in the Sierras is now one of the scarcest, but according to a new study it looks like the yellow-legged frog is making a comeback, at least in Yosemite National Park. According to reporter Julia Mitric, the frog – which was greatly wiped out by a fungus – has begun to adapt to the pathogen and its population has increased seven-fold since 1991. Researchers are looking into whether the frog’s story could be one that translates to the many other amphibians that have been affected by the fungus.
Not rebounding in Yosemite … is the reputation of the man who headed the park. According to the Associated Press, the wife of the former head of Yosemite National Park, who retired amid an investigation into allegations of mismanagement, has announced she’s stepping down from her positions. She was deputy regional director for the Pacific West Region, which covers 56 national parks in six states.
Wells Fargo blames scandal on a few “bad apples” … but former employees blame a high-pressure sales environment. On the airwaves today, NPR reporter Chris Arnold covered the story. In it he writes that California-based Wells Fargo opened as many as 2 million accounts without customers consent and 5,300 employees were fired for the misconduct.
Stay informed with … this detailed voter guide from Capital Public Radio! In it you’ll find specifics on statewide and local measures, as well as candidates to help you be fully informed before heading to the polls Nov. 8.
FEATURE - CA’s death penalty measure: There are actually two measures related to California’s death penalty on November’s ballot. Both want to revamp the system, but in two very different ways. If you caught today’s California Report then you heard the argument for voting “yes” on Proposition 66, which seeks to speed the death penalty up. The other measure, Proposition 62, seeks to get rid of the death penalty completely. The California Report looked at the argument for a “yes” vote on that measure yesterday.