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Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he may put mandatory water restrictions in place in as soon as six weeks from now as the state’s historic drought continues to worsen. The declaration came as the governor and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan inspected recovery efforts at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains one year after a massive wildfire burned through the park’s ancient redwoods. Asked if he was going to require cities to meet mandatory water conservation targets, as former Gov. Jerry Brown did statewide during the last drought from 2012 to 2016, Newsom noted that he already called for 15% voluntary conservation, but that could change soon. (Rogers, 8/17)

The extreme heatwaves that blasted the Pacific Northwest this summer exposed a new reality for hospitals that were overwhelmed by patients with heat-related illnesses. State and local health departments in Washington and Oregon report those who succumbed to heat-related illness were often older, with pre-ex­ist­ing con­di­tions and had no air con­di­tion­ing. Many were also so­cially iso­lated. Officials say they expect this summer's heat is only a preview of what to expect in the future. (Fernandez, 8/18)

In 2019, the nonpartisan Union of Concerned Scientists came out with studies showing "killer heat" could have dangerous consequences for the country. On Tuesday, they're following that up with a look at how outdoor workers would be affected. They say if nothing is done to reduce emissions by the end of the century, extreme heat will cost Florida more than $8 billion in lost work. (Newborn, 8/17)

Abortion-rights advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to overturn a new Arizona law that would ban abortions because of Down syndrome or other genetic abnormalities, the latest legal fight over reproductive rights under a judiciary that moved to the right during Donald Trump’s presidency. The lawsuit also challenges a “personhood” provision that confers all the rights of people on fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses. The law is set to take effect Sept. 29 if it’s not blocked by a judge. (Cooper, 8/17)

Former Rep. Doug Ose has ended his California gubernatorial campaign after suffering a heart attack just weeks ahead of the election. "While I’m told I should expect a full recovery, additional procedures and potentially surgery are required, and it has become clear that I must now focus my attention on rehabilitation and healing," Ose said in a statement. "Sometimes you have to do things that you don’t want to do. It is what is: my campaign for governor is over." (White, 8/17)