Phillips 66 Bets Billions on California Fuel

Phillips 66, which shut its Los Angeles refinery last year, is returning to the California market with a multibillion-dollar pipeline to supply the fuel-strapped state.

The company and partners Kinder Morgan and HF Sinclair have reached a final investment decision on the roughly $5 billion Western Gateway pipeline, a 1,300-mile system designed to carry up to 230,000 barrels a day of refined products from St. Louis into Arizona and California by 2029. A new 900-mile leg from Borger, Texas, to Phoenix will connect to existing Kinder Morgan lines, one of which will be reversed to move fuel westward into the state.

The project responds to a supply crunch driven by refinery closures, including Phillips 66’s own Los Angeles shutdown and Valero’s Benicia plant, which have left California importing fuel and paying the nation’s highest gas prices, recently $5.58 a gallon versus a $4.01 national average.

Kennedy Talks Food, Vaccines in Bakersfield

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Bakersfield on Thursday for a roundtable on healthy food access and nutrition education across the Central Valley.

Kennedy was joined by Rep. Vince Fong and local partners at the Edible Schoolyard Kern County, where he said he was looking to invest in seed-to-table programs nationwide. The roundtable was part of the administration’s stated focus on nutrition and chronic disease prevention.

Kennedy also answered vaccine questions, saying states should set their own policies and that children now receive too many shots. On measles, he said parents concerned about the outbreak should vaccinate their children, and attributed rising cases to declining vaccine confidence during the pandemic.

The stop was the fourth by a high-profile administration official in Kern County in six months, following visits from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. It comes as President Trump issued an executive order directing a reduction in the number of required childhood vaccines.

California Couple Regains Custody of Baby

The baby at the center of a multistate surrogacy dispute is now in the custody of his California parents and receiving care, their lawyer said Thursday.

The boy, born Wednesday in Texas with a rare heart defect requiring a series of surgeries, was carried by Alaska surrogate McKenna West, who traveled to Texas and sought custody after the intended parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, asked her to end the pregnancy following the diagnosis. West refused, prompting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to secure a court order requiring lifesaving care and barring the child’s removal from the state until a hearing.

A Dallas judge ruled that Gilkar and Ahmed, not West, are responsible for the baby’s medical decisions within the order’s limits, and West’s attorney said she plans to challenge the parentage findings.

The couple’s attorney said they are devastated to see a family tragedy turned into “political theater by the Texas Attorney General’s office and McKenna West,“ while West has said she felt trapped by the contract.

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➤ San Mateo Country: A 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle stolen in 1993 was reunited with its original owner after California Highway Patrol officers in Auburn flagged it during a routine VIN inspection 33 years later. (More)

➤ Santa Cruz: One person died and another was injured early Thursday when a car went off West Cliff Drive into the ocean just north of the Steamer Lane surf spot, with rescue swimmers pulling the second victim from the submerged vehicle before they died at a hospital. (More)

➤ San Leandro: A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck about 2.5 miles south of the city near the Hayward Fault, rattling the Bay Area with shaking felt in Oakland and San Francisco but no damage reported. (More)

➤ Coalinga: A pilot and passenger escaped injury Thursday when their single-engine Piper, registered to a Redding flying club, lost engine power and made an emergency landing on West Jayne Avenue in western Fresno County shortly after departing Harris Ranch Airport. (More)

➤ Morro Bay: A sinking fishing vessel called the Bounty was refloated by the Coast Guard and towed to the marina Thursday after taking on water in Estero Bay, with no injuries or oiled wildlife reported and a containment boom deployed pending an investigation. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara: The U.S. Polo Assn. Pacific Coast Open, one of the sport’s oldest and most prestigious tournaments, runs through Aug. 30 at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, with the semifinals set for Aug. 28 and the final Aug. 30. (More)

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➤ Los Angeles County: Public health officials issued ocean water warnings for nine beaches, including spots at Hermosa Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, after tests found bacteria levels exceeding state standards. (More)

➤ Ventura County: Bruce, a 3-year-old Great Pyrenees mix deemed legally “vicious” after several biting incidents, was euthanized Wednesday by county animal services before the U.S. Supreme Court could act on a last-minute appeal from a rescue group that had sued to save him. (More)

➤ Hesperia: The Inland Empire city ranked 10th on ConsumerAffairs’ 2026 list of U.S. cities with the worst drivers after its traffic fatality rate jumped 47%, one of three area cities in the national top 10 alongside Rialto and Jurupa Valley, while Salinas ranked best in the nation. (More)

➤ The LA Rams visit the Kansas City Chiefs today in their preseason opener at 1 p.m. on NFL Network. First-round pick Ty Simpson is expected to see time as Matthew Stafford’s new backup. (How to Watch)

➤ San Francisco Giants will host the 2028 MLB All-Star Game at Oracle Park, bringing the event back to the city for the first time since 2007. (More)

➤ Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers contract includes a clause allowing him to opt out if owner Mark Walter sells the team, but ESPN reported he’s unlikely to use it even if ownership changed hands. The clause drew attention after Walter sold the Lakers this week for $12.5 billion. (More)

➤ Bradley Beal agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million deal to return to the LA Clippers after a fractured hip limited the three-time All-Star to just six games last season. (More)

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➤ The Gibbon Conservation Center in Saugus is marking its 50th anniversary as the only institution in the world to house and breed all four genera of gibbons, founded in 1976 by Alan Mootnick with earnings from his home repair business. (More)

➤ A Lompoc painter, Jessica Manzanares, has turned holiday and promotional window art into a growing business, painting storefronts across Lompoc, Solvang, Buellton, and Santa Maria with everything from beer-sipping leprechauns to logos and seasonal designs. (More)

➤ Pleasanton native Catherine Breed passed through the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday during her attempt to swim California’s entire 900-mile coastline from Oregon to Mexico, a nine-month expedition she says has never been done and one that has carried her about 340 miles so far. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ One doctor cracked only the knuckles on his left hand for 50 years to settle the infamous medical argument. (Hear More)

➤ American shoppers cut back sharply in July, raising fresh doubts about the strength of the economy. (Listen Now)

➤ Police have recovered more than $10 million in masterworks stripped from an Italian museum in a three-minute heist. (Podcast Available)

The Pacific Coast Open kicks off this week. Ever been to a polo match?

1. Yes
2. No
3. No, but plan on it!

Yesterday’s Results:

Fall flavors are arriving early at High Hill Ranch. Be honest, what’s your favorite season?

1. Fall: 31%
2. Spring: 26%
3. Summer: 23%
4. Winter: 20%

A San Francisco bank opened in 1904 to serve immigrants and working people, then won fame lending “on a handshake” to help rebuild the city after the 1906 earthquake. What is that bank called today?

Show me the answer