CapRadio

A commercial truck at a rest stop near Bakersfield.

Spike in diesel fuel prices hitting California truckers

The national average climbed above $6/gallon for the first time last week. In California, diesel is now nearly $8/gallon.

Mother sea otter with rare twin baby pups, presumed to have been born just one or two days earlier on June 23-24, 2013. Photo taken 24 June 2013, Morro Bay, CA. AKA Southern sea otter and California sea otter, Subspecies E. l. nereis, Coast of Central California.

Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter says “Birth usually takes place in the water and typically produces a single pup weighing 1.4 to 2.3 kg (3 to 5 lb). Twins occur in 2% of births; however, usually only one pup survives. At birth, the eyes are open, ten teeth are visible, and the pup has a thick coat of baby fur. Mothers have been observed to lick and fluff a newborn for hours; after grooming, the pup's fur retains so much air, the pup floats like a cork and cannot dive. The fluffy baby fur is replaced by adult fur after about 13 weeks.”

http://animals.pawnation.com/lifespan-marine-otter-1756.html says “Female sea otters give birth to their pups under water. In most cases only one pup is born; rarely, a female sea otter gives birth to twins. Because a mother otter cannot care for two pups, one of the twins will die. For the first couple months of an otter pup’s life, he lives on his mother’s belly. She protects the pup from predators, grooms him and feeds him. Male otters do not assist in care of the young.”

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=157 says “Typically, there is only one pup per pregnancy. On the rare occasion of twins, the mother can only raise one. Her food requirements are large, and so are the pups. The mother would have a hard time getting enough food for two additional mouths. Unlike the river otter, the sea otter mother is the pup's cradle, protection, and home for the first months of its life. The mother would only have room for one pup.”

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris), from a raft of about 25, Mostly Females, many being Moms with their pups (often plopped on their Mom’s tummy), near Target Rock in the Morro Bay Harbor, where the Sea Otters almost always

Bay Area Headlines

California joins suit opposing Trump administration proposed changes on endangered species

CapRadio

California is going to court to block the Trump administration's changes to the Endangered Species Act.

Bay Area Headlines

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Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio

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The California State Capitol building in Sacramento

Bay Area Headlines

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A red sign with the text "Voting" and an arrow pointing right

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Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio

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Bay Area Headlines

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CapRadio

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The Berkeley campus of The University of California

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The Palisades Fire that started in the City of Los Angelas, January 2025.

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Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio

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The California State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA.

Bay Area Headlines

Bill to ban shock gloves advances

CapRadio

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