CapRadio Newscast - Friday, August 14, 2026 5:21 PM

It's Friday, August 14th with Cap Radio News. I'm Drew Sanser. Waymo announced today it's received the green light from state regulators to bring its driverless ride hailing service to Sacramento and San Diego. Cap Radio's Chris Nichols says more. The approval by the California Public Utilities Commission means passengers in the capital city and San Diego will soon be able to hop in a driverless car and tell it where to go. Waymo has been testing its vehicles in Sacramento for weeks, but with technicians in the cars. In a statement, the Silicon Valley Company said its expansion will be gradual and guided by safety. City of Sacramento leaders have said the robotaxies could make local streets safer and reduce pedestrian deaths. The approval also allows Waymo to expand existing service in the Bay Area and L.A. Chris Nichols. Cap Radio News. California utility regulators are penalizing PG&E for the 2022 Mosquito Fire. The California Public Utilities Commission says the utility will pay $21 million in shareholder funds to the state's general fund. Another million dollars will be paid for an independent third-party review of certain PG&E operations. The mosquito fire started near Placer County's Expo Junction Reservoir in September of 2022. almost 77,000 acres and destroyed 78 buildings. CPUC says its investigation looked at the fire and the involvement of PG&E's infrastructure. It found violations of safety factors and strength requirements related to overhead power lines and communication facilities. Placer County is asking state lawmakers to change a wage rule county leaders say could weaken California's defense against wildfires. The issue is goats. Counties across California hire herds of goats and sheep to clear dry brush, cutting the fuel that feeds wildfires. But a state salary exemption for herders expired July 1st, which means while sheep herders can still be paid a flat annual wage, goat herders must now be paid overtime. Grazing companies estimate it could push a single herders pay from about $60,000 a year to $240,000. Placer County supervisor Shanti Landon says local governments can't afford it. For us in Placer County, that's financially infeasible. And it's such an important part of our wildfire mitigation process that it would just be very detrimental to not just us, but to the public and the taxpayers. Landon says there may be a middle ground like paying herders for time spent on. call labor advocates argued the herders live alongside the animals around the clock and deserve overtime. Baseball's All-Star game is heading back to San Francisco for the first time and we'll be 20 years. Major League Baseball awarded Oracle Park the 2028 Midsummer Classic. San Francisco last hosted the game in 2007 when Barry Bonds made his final All-Star game appearance and Ichiro Suzuki hit the first Inside the Park Homer in all-star history. Suzuki was also named the game's MVP. Candlestick Park in San Francisco hosted the game in 1961 and 1984. You can find more news at capradio.org.