Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of UC Berkeley’s law school, laid it out plainly in a recent Sacramento Bee op-ed: the current push to limit utility liability for wildfires helps companies that are already highly profitable, at the expense of the survivors who need and are entitled to compensation. He is right, and the tactics being...
More than a year after the Eaton Fire devastated Altadena and surrounding communities, Los Angeles County investigators have reached a significant conclusion: Southern California Edison (SCE) equipment caused the fire. On August 4, 2026, the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Arson and Fire Investigation Unit, working with Cal Fire, released its final origin-and-cause report. After...
Wildfire survivors from the Eaton Fire and other recent California wildfires rallied this week to send Governor Newsom a direct message: any changes to utility wildfire liability need to happen in public, through the normal legislative process, not negotiated behind closed doors in the final weeks of the legislative session. The survivors’ concern is not...
“Anything that can be automatically done for you can be automatically done to you.” -Wyland’s Law of Automation Is the glass cockpit a safety feature? Or a hazard? How, exactly, does automation get the pilot into trouble? This post reviews five studies that bear on those questions. Each of the studies approaches the automation risk...
The Common Misconception Most people — including many drivers — believe it is illegal to ride a bicycle in a crosswalk. The reasoning goes: bicycles are vehicles, you can’t drive a vehicle in a crosswalk, therefore riding a bicycle in a crosswalk is prohibited. That reasoning is wrong. California law generally permits riding a bicycle...
A Major Fire Breaks Out in Boyle Heights On June 17, 2026, a fire broke out at the Lineage Logistics cold storage facility in Boyle Heights, located at 1400 S. Los Palos Street. The facility is a large warehouse, approximately 490,000 square feet, built in 2018. The Los Angeles Fire Department received the first call...
Why Helicopters Crash Helicopters are unforgiving aircraft. Unlike a fixed-wing plane, a helicopter is inherently unstable — it requires constant, coordinated inputs from both hands and both feet just to remain airborne. When something goes wrong, there is little margin for error and often no safe place to land. The causes of helicopter crashes fall...
There are plenty of cycling and mountain bike enthusiasts throughout the Bay Area, and many options out there for people who want to enjoy time outdoors. Some of the most popular bike trails in the Bay Area include: The San Francisco Bay Trail Coastal View Trail (Mt. Tamalpais) Iron Horse Regional Trail China Camp State...