LA Wildfire Cases Reach Court

Opening statements began this week in the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 30-year-old accused of setting the New Year’s Day 2025 Lachman Fire, which prosecutors allege smoldered underground and reignited as the deadly Palisades Fire.

The Palisades Fire killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht acted out of anger at society, while his attorney argues no accelerant, eyewitness identification, or confession connects him to the blaze.

Thousands of residents are separately suing Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power, and other entities over losses from the fire, with Mayor Karen Bass’ brother among the plaintiffs.

In the separate Eaton Fire litigation, attorneys have released surveillance video they say shows electrical arcing near a Southern California Edison transmission tower moments before flames appeared. Edison says its investigation remains ongoing and has not accepted responsibility for starting the fire.

Count Confirms Valadao’s Challenger

The cliffhanger for second place in California’s 22nd District primary has finally broken progressive Randy Villegas’s way, setting up a November challenge to Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford.

Villegas, a Visalia school-board trustee who does not accept corporate PAC money, defeated Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, despite roughly $2.2 million in outside spending against him and late backing from Democratic leaders for Bains.

The result sets up a test of whether a progressive can unseat Valadao in a district expected to figure in the fight for control of the House.

Valadao, who led the primary field, was one of the few Republicans to vote for President Trump’s second impeachment and has repeatedly won reelection in a seat that swings between the parties.

Californians Doubt They Can Retire

A new statewide survey finds nearly two-thirds of California voters are not confident they can retire comfortably, as many voters say high living costs and taxes make it difficult to save for retirement.

In the FM3 Research poll of 867 likely voters, 94% cited the cost of living and 77% cited taxes as barriers to retirement savings, while 69% said saving is harder than it was five years ago.

Nearly three in five said they expect to need at least $1 million to retire comfortably, and one in six said they do not believe they will ever retire.

The findings come ahead of a November vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar certain new state taxes on retirement holdings and personal savings. Supporters of the measure say it would protect retirement nest eggs from future taxation.

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➤ Bay Area: An independent review of eight smoky incidents and fires in BART’s Transbay Tube last year found a likely contributing factor: a power-balancing system that crews never reactivated after seismic retrofit work, leaving the tunnel more vulnerable to power surges. (See Details)

➤ Shasta Lake: A pilot walked away with only minor injuries after his amphibious ultralight nosedived into the lake near Hirz Bay on Wednesday. Wearing an auto-inflating life vest, he unbuckled, floated up, and waited atop a pontoon for a sheriff’s boat. (More)

➤ Oroville: Cult leader Sansue Vang was sentenced to 225 years to life for sexually abusing girls and women in his religious sect. Under California’s Elderly Parole Program, the 58-year-old could become eligible for a parole hearing in about 20 years. (More)

➤ East Bay: Fire officials urged caution as triple-digit heat and a red-flag warning arrived in parts of the Bay Area. Oakland’s fire battalion chief asked residents to skip spark-prone yard work, and Alameda County’s heat advisory remains in effect until 7 p.m. tonight. (More)

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➤ Clovis: A bright fireball streaked across the Central Valley sky around 1:43 a.m. Wednesday, according to video captured by a Clovis resident. The glowing object appeared to fall toward Earth, though it remains unclear exactly what the fireball was. (See Video)

➤ Avenal: The small Kings County city has launched its first-ever fire department, with Engine 31 now answering local calls after Kings County ended its fire-services contract amid a dispute over a community event venue deemed unsafe by the county fire chief. (More)

➤ Santa Cruz County: Two people were rescued and hospitalized after rising tides swept them into the water near Yellow Bank Beach, where officials say they had been sleeping near the shoreline. CAL FIRE said it was the fifth rescue along that stretch of coast in the past month. (More)

➤ Merced County: The Merced County Fair opened Wednesday and runs through Sunday, featuring sea lions, monster trucks, concerts, and the fair’s first PRCA rodeo, plus shaded and air-conditioned areas to help fairgoers beat the heat. (More)

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➤ Westlake Village: A Van Nuys jury ordered socialite Rebecca Grossman to pay $21 million in punitive damages and former Dodger Scott Erickson to pay $1.17 million over the 2020 crash that killed brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander, bringing the family’s total civil award to more than $198 million. (More)

➤ Ontario: A judge denied bail for Chamel Abdulkarim, the 29-year-old charged in the April fire that destroyed a 1 million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark distribution center. Authorities say he recorded himself setting the blaze. (More)

➤ Pasadena: Newly released dashcam video shows one officer accidentally shooting a fellow officer in a police parking garage during what the chief called “horseplay” last September. The wounded officer has recovered, discipline was imposed, and Los Angeles County prosecutors are reviewing the case. Warning: The footage may be disturbing to some viewers. (See Video)

➤ San Diego: Dwight William Rhone, 74, already jailed for a 2023 killing, was charged with three more murders spanning three decades and pleaded not guilty. The case expanded after human remains were found at a Southcrest property where he once lived, and prosecutors now consider him a suspected serial killer. (More)

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➤ The U.S. men’s national team opens its World Cup campaign tonight against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. on Fox. (How to Watch)

➤ Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten said this week that Japanese brands are now buying ad space behind home plate at opposing stadiums when Los Angeles is on the road, a sign of how Shohei Ohtani’s commercial pull extends across MLB. (More)

➤ The Curtis Cup, one of the top team events in women’s amateur golf, opens today at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. The U.S. team is headlined by top-ranked amateur Kiara Romero and 17-year-old Asterisk Talley. (How to Watch)

➤ 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk faces fines of up to $50,000 per day if he fails to report to training camp next month. The team previously voided his 2026 contract guarantees for failing to fulfill contractual obligations, but the fines still apply because he’s under contract and remains on the roster. (More)

➤ Lakers forward LeBron James told Time he has no doubts about where he stands in the basketball GOAT conversation. “I’m not taking nobody over me. There’s no question,” James said. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | NHL | MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ Salesforce is cutting 86 jobs at its San Francisco headquarters, with the layoffs set to take effect Aug. 7, according to state filings. The move marks the company’s second reported round of job cuts this year and comes as tech firms continue trimming headcounts while expanding their use of artificial intelligence. (More)

➤ Fresno’s newest Hilton, a 104-room Home2 Suites off Highway 99, opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, expanding lodging for Central Valley travelers and adding dozens of local jobs. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara County’s wineries may be better positioned than some of California’s marquee wine regions to weather the industry’s downturn, a new Silicon Valley Bank report found. The study showed direct-to-consumer sales accounted for 62% of revenue, ahead of Sonoma, as tasting-room traffic and vineyard acreage continue to decline statewide. (More)

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➤ Someone glued nearly 200 doors shut at San Diego’s Patrick Henry High during finals week, causing about $70,000 in damage. Police have surveillance video of the suspect but no identification, and Crime Stoppers is offering a reward. (More)

➤ Minions took over a Norwalk Wendy’s drive-thru yesterday for a Southern California fan event promoting Illumination’s upcoming film Minions & Monsters, which hits theaters July 1. (More)

➤ Soccer fans packed Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday for the FIFA Countdown Concert, a synchronized event linking the three World Cup host nations—the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—ahead of the tournament. (More)

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Are you confident you’ll be able to retire comfortably?

1. Yes, I’m on track
2. Somewhat, but it’s a stretch
3. No, I doubt it
4. I’m not sure
5. I’m already retired

Yesterday’s Results:

Big Bear’s bald eaglets Sandy and Luna are nearing their first flight. Have you tuned into the live nest cam?

1. No, not my thing: 29%
2. I’ve peeked once or twice: 26%
3. No, but I’ll check it out now: 25%
4. Yes, I’m a regular viewer: 20%

Which California dam is the tallest in the entire United States, standing even taller than the Hoover Dam?

Show me the answer