It's a decision opposed by environmental groups, who say the blasts could harm marine animals, and some coastal communities, who fear it could be a precursor to offshore drilling.
At least eight dead sea lions with bullet holes have been found since September. It's illegal to shoot marine mammals, but that hasn't stopped some fishermen from going after them.
"The roots and the bottoms of the utility poles are just kind of swimming," Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart said on Thursday. Rescue teams worked to save motorists stranded on flooded roads.
Legal battles and local tensions persist two years after the North Dakota prairie was filled with thousands of indigenous and environmental protesters opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
This week the World Meteorological Organization announced a high likelihood of an El Niño weather event occurring this winter. This impending extreme weather could have global ramifications.
The current version of the Farm Bill includes House-backed provisions that would streamline logging projects on federal land. The administration argues logging could mitigate wildfire risk.
Following General Motors' decision to discontinue the Chevy Volt to focus on zero-emission cars, NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with journalist John Voelcker about the future of the electric cars in the U.S.