I’ve been giving the idea of eliminating the federal gas tax some thought. That’s an odd position, as I have been a big gas tax proponent for many years. I’ve always liked the idea of at least $2/gallon as a federal tax. Yesterday I decided to revisit that opinion I formed decades ago. Times have...

San Diego Coastkeeper, Oceana, Surfrider Foundation San Diego, and CALPIRG organized volunteers to collect plastic pellets, known as “nurdles,” as part of the International Plastic Pellet Count in Rotary Park in Carlsbad. (Photo by Steven Gaskin) By Lisa Deaderick | lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com | The San Diego Union-Tribune PUBLISHED: May 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM PDT |...

Last week, a significant controversy erupted in China. According to a report by the state-run China Media Group news agency, BYD owners who performed OTA software updates discovered that their vehicles had undergone what drivers described as a “battery lock.” The result: while BYD marketed the vehicles as capable of traveling 500 kilometers according to...