When Columbia University law and MBA student Michelle Ritter met former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt in 2020, she said she wanted to pitch a potential investment in a sports tech startup she had been developing.

That dinner blossomed into far more, a romance and business partnership in which she says the 70-year-old billionaire invested ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Fall is the time of year when bears really begin to think with their stomachs.

Some will double their weight to prepare for wintertime hibernation, often scavenging for calories for up to 20 hours per day. This feeding frenzy, called hyperphagia, drives them farther from their usual range and into neighborhood dumpsters in ...Read more

Floridians are not used to hearing the word “extinct” applied to species that play significant roles in the state’s ecological and economic landscape.

So last week, when researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the grim news that two key species in Florida’s iconic coral reefs had become “...Read more

In one of the most important state environmental decisions this year, California air regulators adopted new rules designed to reduce methane leaks and better respond to disastrous underground fires at landfills statewide.

California Air Resources Board members voted 12-0 on Thursday to approve a batch of new regulations for the state’s nearly...Read more

California lawmakers on Thursday denounced the Trump administration’s proposal to open up six offshore lease sales in federal waters off the California coast, with Gov. Gavin Newsom calling the proposal “idiotic” and “reckless,” asserting it will not gain any traction in the state.

The development follows reports earlier this month of...Read more

LAS VEGAS — For Las Vegas to keep its taps flowing, Rep. Susie Lee says this one drought measure must survive federal spending purges: water recycling.

Lee, D-Nev., and Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., introduced the Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act in Congress on Thursday to reauthorize a federal grant program that will sunset in...Read more

The Trump administration released new plans Thursday that could push offshore oil drilling closer to Florida shores in a move that many environmental critics argue will be detrimental to the state’s coastal economy and further threaten imperiled wildlife.

The plan calls for opening up a swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico that has been ...Read more

The Trump administration released new plans Thursday that could push offshore oil drilling closer to Florida shores in a move that many environmental critics argue will be detrimental to the state’s coastal economy and further threaten imperiled wildlife.

The plan calls for opening up a swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico that has been ...Read more

DENVER — A yearslong effort to purchase two of the most powerful water rights on the Colorado River has cleared another hurdle after the state water board agreed to manage the rights alongside Western Slope water officials.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept the two water rights tied to the ...Read more

The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to open the Pacific Ocean to new oil and gas leases for the first time in more than four decades.

The draft plan released by the U.S. Department of the Interior confirms rumors that have been swirling for weeks. The proposal would see as many as 34 offshore lease sales across 1.27 billion ...Read more

The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to open federal waters in the Pacific Ocean to new oil and gas leases for the first time in more than four decades.

The draft plan released by the U.S. Department of the Interior confirms rumors that have been swirling for weeks. The proposal would see as many as 34 offshore lease sales ...Read more

Abbott Laboratories announced a $21 billion deal Thursday morning to acquire Exact Sciences, the maker of Cologuard — its largest acquisition in a decade.

The deal will allow Abbott — which makes medical tests, baby formula and continuous glucose monitors, among other products — to enter the cancer testing space. Exact Sciences focuses on...Read more

Home Depot is leveraging artificial intelligence to help professional contractors with a complex task — measuring and quantifying all the materials needed for residential projects.

The Vinings-based home improvement retailer said Wednesday it has launched a new tool called “Blueprint Takeoffs.” The AI-powered service creates a complete ...Read more

Faced with dozens of choices each week, gamers have an embarrassment of riches this holiday season, and developers face bigger challenges. With so many titles fighting for attention, it’s more difficult than ever to break through the noise.

It’s not enough to have engaging gameplay. The timing of the release, the visuals, price and ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Is it a gassy whale? A top secret submarine? Godzilla rising from the surfer-filled waters of Hermosa Beach?

Residents have been stumped over a patch of bubbles rising out of the ocean off the coast of Hermosa Beach this week, prompting several beachgoers to speculate at what exactly is under the surface and causing the water to...Read more

The Texas Department of Agriculture is warning horse owners to take precautions with their herds after an outbreak of a deadly virus after an event in Waco last week.

At least 18 equestrian events in North Texas and beyond have been canceled to control the spread of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1, including at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Visit Fort ...Read more

Yann LeCun, an artificial intelligence pioneer who runs a research lab at Meta Platforms Inc., told employees that he will depart the social media giant at the end of the year and start a new company, according to a memo obtained by Bloomberg News.

LeCun, who has been at Meta since 2013, made the announcement on Wednesday, according to the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A vast canyon of buried garbage has been smoldering inside a landfill in the Santa Clarita Valley, inducing geysers of liquid waste onto the surface and noxious fumes into the air.

In the Inland Empire, several fires have broken out on the surface of another landfill. In the San Fernando Valley, an elementary school has ...Read more