Here's your daily briefing...
Climate challenge: Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) hammed it up in front of a crowd in Sacramento as he and Governor Jerry Brown (D) celebrated the 10th anniversary of AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act. The legislation, attacked by the oil industry and many Republican leaders, requires California to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets agreed upon at an international summit in 1997. The so-called Kyoto Protocols were never ratified by the US. A month ago, state officials enacted stricter targets — reducing emissions by 40 percent below levels set in 1990.
Saving less water: Californians are saving less water. State officials said that since suspending mandatory conservation efforts, state residents are using more. Officials said that figures for August show Californians used about 18 percent less water than typical. Officials may consider returning to mandatory reductions of 25 percent.
Layoffs at lab: Embattled blood-testing company Theranos says it will shut down its clinical labs and wellness centers and lay off more than 40 percent of its full-time employees. CEO Elizabeth Holmes says the shutdowns “will impact approximately 340 employees in Arizona, California, and Pennsylvania.” Theranos has laboratory facilities in the Bay Area city of Newark, and in Arizona. Federal regulators banned Holmes from owning or running a medical laboratory for two years after former employees said the company's tests were unreliable.
Researcher killed: A University of California, Davis postdoctoral plant biology researcher was killed in Ethiopia after the vehicle she was riding in attacked by rock throwing protesters. The university said in a statement Wednesday that Sharon Gray was killed Tuesday while traveling in a car in the outskirts of the capital, Addis Ababa. Deadly protests have gripped the area for nearly a year.
Early adopter arrested: A Merced City Council candidate is accused of 17 criminal charges including possession of more than one pound of marijuana and tax code violations in connection to a medical marijuana dispensary she operated in Oakdale. Lakisha Jenkins was arrested Tuesday on a felony warrant just hours after taking part in a candidates forum. Jenkins was being held Tuesday with bond set at $50,000.
Turkey alternative: Officials have some good news for crabbers and seafood lovers. Dungeness crabs may appear on dinner plates on schedule this year. State officials report that tests have not detected the high levels of toxic domoic acid that kept boats in port through much of last year’s crabbing season.