In this May 10 photo, oil flows at a Chevron oil field in Kern County, Calif. (California Deptartment of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response via AP)Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. State oil production has been steadily arcing downward since the mid-1980s, but California remains one of the nation’s top petroleum-producing — and gasoline-consuming — states. Then there is the California of Kern County, where oil and gas production remain a pillar of the local economy and more than 70% of California’s oil and natural gas is produced. Los Angeles TimesCRIME AND COURTSAlleged MS-13 gang members from L.A. have been charged in a string of grisly killings. Los Angeles TimesHEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENTA pair of earthquakes shook the East Bay on Tuesday afternoon.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 17, 2019 10:36 UTC