California wades into oil lawsuits

California’s lawsuit against some of the world’s largest oil companies could supercharge a yearslong campaign to force the industry to pony up for its role in driving climate change. The state joined a growing number of governments on Friday in filing suits accusing the oil companies of intentionally misleading the public about the dangers of fossil fuels — making it the largest economy in the country to join the effort, writes Lesley Clark. “Having California participate is a big deal,” Ken Alex, who worked for former Democratic California Gov. Jerry...