PG&E's $13.5B deal with fire victims removes huge obstacles

Pacific Gas and Electric will be able to avoid two legal obstacles that could have tripped up its efforts to bounce back from bankruptcy. That's if California Gov. Gavin Newsom and a judge approve a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of catastrophic fires blamed on the utility's equipment. The company announced the deal last week and disclosed yesterday that it will be able to bypass a January trial in state court about its liability for a deadly 2017 fire and avoid a federal court hearing that was supposed to estimate its total bill.