BP to pay California to settle natural gas case
BP has agreed to pay California $102 million as part of a settlement of allegations that it overcharged the state in sales of natural gas, Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Thursday.
Becerra said that BP decided it would “squeeze gold out of that goose” by overcharging state and local government agencies for natural gas purchases from 2003 to 2012.
“The last thing any of us need is to be ripped off,” Becerra said.
Becerra said a whistleblower came forward to report the overcharges. The $102 million will be split among the state, local government agencies, the whistleblower and the Justice Department.
BP couldn’t be reached for comment.
Auto efficiency falls short of EPA targets
WASHINGTON — Government data shows gas mileage for 2016 model year lightduty vehicles sold in the U.S. made smaller than expected gains in fuel economy over the last year, though new cars are generally sipping less fuel and spewing less carbon emissions than their predecessors.
The Environmental Protection Agency released its latest annual CO2 fuel economy trends Thursday, showing 2016 vehicle fuel economy was 24.7 miles per gallon, higher than model year 2015 by only one-tenth of a gallon. That was well below the projected gain of 1 mpg.
Last March, President Donald Trump announced that his administration will re-examine gas mileage requirements that were affirmed in the Obama administration’s last days. Those regulations require the fleet of new cars and trucks to average 36 mpg in realworld driving by 2025.
Trump’s decision requires EPA to determine no later than April whether the standards established are appropriate. If the EPA determines they are not, the agency will submit a new proposal.
Senator disputes Florida’s drilling exemption
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration may have violated federal law by exempting Florida from a national plan to expand offshore drilling, a Democratic senator charged Thursday.
Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s decision to give Florida a last-minute exemption while ignoring at least 10 other states that made similar requests may violate requirements of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which governs drilling in U.S. coastal waters.
Cantwell said Zinke’s action is especially outrageous because Florida — unlike California, Washington and other states — did not expressly oppose the drilling proposal in written comments submitted to the Interior Department.
Captain D’s expands in Houston area
Captain D’s seafood has opened in the former Church’s Chicken at 5854 Texas 6 North in northwest Houston.
The restaurant marks the chain’s 14th location in Texas and fifth in the Houston area.
The new restaurant represents the first of four locations planned by franchisee Michael Knobelock over the next several years.
Nashville-based Captain D’s has 532 restaurants nationwide.
Former college official, students accused of scam
NEW YORK — A former official at Columbia University’s Teachers College pocketed at least $350,000 by carrying out a decadeslong scheme that dished out hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial aid in exchange for kickbacks from three students, authorities said Thursday.
Melanie WilliamsBethea, 47, director of financial aid at Teachers College until last May, was charged with running the scam since 2008 with students she knew socially. She was released on $50,000 bail after an initial court appearance. The three students were arrested as well.
Ford says it is recalling 2,900 Ranger pickups
DETROIT — Ford is telling owners of about 2,900 Ranger small pickup trucks not to drive them after finding out that an exploding Takata air bag inflator killed a West Virginia driver.
Steve Mollohan, 56, died July 1 in Martinsburg, according to a lawyer for the family.
Ford said it was notified of the accident in December. After some investigation, the company determined that the truck’s inflator was made on the same day as one that exploded and killed a South Carolina man driving a Ranger in 2015.
Ford is now issuing an urgent new recall in the U.S. for Rangers with inflators made on that day because of the immediate danger they pose.
In other news …
• The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 3.99 percent from 3.95 percent last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said. The rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to an average 3.44 percent from 3.38 percent.
• Delta Air Lines reported a fourth-quarter profit of $572 million, down 8 percent from a year ago but easily beating expectations. The Atlanta company said a measure of average prices rose and will climb again in the first quarter, signaling that a two-year slump in prices is over.