Newsom Declares Fire Emergency

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles County late Saturday as a massive fire continued to burn at a Lineage cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights.

The blaze broke out Wednesday afternoon at the 491,000-square-foot facility on South Los Palos Street and has continued burning for several days. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a local emergency declaration hours earlier to help mobilize additional resources.

About 85 million pounds of frozen food are spoiling inside the warehouse, and officials warn the decaying inventory could pose a biohazard. Fire officials say the ammonia refrigerant hazard has been mitigated, but smoke remains a concern for nearby communities.

Crews have deployed CH-47 Chinook helicopters capable of dropping up to 3,000 gallons of water at a time, along with a structural firefighting robot to reach flames in areas deemed unsafe for firefighters. No injuries have been reported.

Lineage said it believes the fire may have started while contractors were testing a rooftop solar array, but the cause remains under investigation.

California Bans ‘Sell By’ Date Labels

Starting July 1, California will become the first state to bar consumer-facing “sell by” dates on most food sold to consumers.

A 2024 law, AB 660, replaces the patchwork of date labels with two standard phrases: “BEST if Used by” for quality and “USE by” for safety. Lawmakers say more than 50 different date phrases now confuse shoppers into tossing food that is still good.

Eggs and infant formula are exempt. Backers say confusing date labels contribute to billions of pounds of food waste each year. Stores may still use coded “sell by” dates for stock rotation, as long as shoppers can’t read them.

Forecasters Warn of Hot, Fire-Prone Summer

California is heading into a summer with increased odds of above-normal heat and elevated wildfire danger, forecasters said as summer officially began Sunday.

Federal climate forecasters, in a three-month outlook issued June 18, gave most of the country, including California, strong odds of a warmer-than-average summer. The National Weather Service has already posted an extreme heat watch for parts of Los Angeles County as a heat wave builds this week.

Cal Fire’s North and South operations both forecast above-normal large-fire activity by July and August, citing low fuel moisture, cured grasses, and a weakening coastal marine layer.

Later in summer, monsoon moisture could flip the threat. Increased rainfall may help ease drought conditions in some areas while raising the risk of flash flooding.

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➤ San Francisco: A police audit found the city’s Flock license plate reader network was improperly queried 299 times on behalf of federal and out-of-state agencies over about a year, violating California law and prompting Police Chief Derrick Lew to revoke the outside agency’s access. (More)

➤ Humboldt County: A woman died after becoming trapped in a roughly 20-foot-deep well in the Fruitland Ridge area east of Miranda. A technical rescue team responded to recover her, and the sheriff’s office says the death is not considered suspicious. (More)

➤ Sacramento: Hundreds of classic cars cruised Broadway on Saturday, engines revving and hydraulics bouncing, ahead of California’s official Lowrider Day on Sunday. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Arts nonprofit Illuminate is firing 49 laser beams skyward over Civic Center Plaza, one for each square mile of the city, in a free nightly show called 7×7 running through July 4. (More)

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➤ Fresno: A stolen-car pursuit ended with the driver, Shawn Vaughn Goodwin, fleeing into the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, where authorities say he hopped from roof to roof before officers surrounded and arrested him. Police said he was carrying more than $10,000 in stolen goods. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo County: The latest ballot count showed Jimmy Paulding and Jim Dantona on track to win two county supervisor races and Los Osos’ Measure B parcel tax appearing to pass, though about 1,826 ballots remain to be counted, the most of any California county. (More)

➤ Modesto: Officer Solomon Foketi, a four-year veteran, was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor domestic violence over an off-duty incident in Tuolumne County. He is on paid leave. (More)

➤ Merced County: The sheriff’s office warned residents about scammers posing as a sheriff’s lieutenant who claim a relative has been arrested and demand money for a supposed bond or diversion program, often using spoofed phone numbers to appear legitimate. Deputies said they never request payment by phone. (More)

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➤ Irwindale: A big rig crossed the center divider on the 210 Freeway Saturday morning and slammed into vehicles in the westbound lanes, killing one person and injuring 32 others, including six minors. Westbound lanes were closed for several hours. (More)

➤ Ventura County: A Simi Valley police and DEA investigation seized roughly $1.4 million in narcotics, including about 24 pounds of fentanyl, an estimated 5 million potentially lethal doses, and led to the arrest of four North Hollywood men. (More)

➤ San Diego: The airport’s new Terminal 1 made the Prix Versailles list of the world’s most beautiful airports, one of only two U.S. airports honored, alongside Pittsburgh. (More)

➤ La Mesa: The city unveiled an honorary “Bill Walton Way” sign outside Helix High, honoring the Hall of Fame center who led the Highlanders to back-to-back CIF championships and became one of the city’s most celebrated athletes. (More)

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➤ Iran and Belgium played to a 0-0 draw Sunday in Inglewood with Iran unable to capitalize after Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 66th minute. Belgium played the final 24 minutes with 10 men, but neither team could break through. (More)

➤ Corey Heim earned his first NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday, taking the lead with three laps remaining to win the inaugural San Diego race at Naval Base Coronado. Driving part-time for 23XI Racing, Heim led a 1-2 finish with teammate Bubba Wallace, while Kyle Larson placed third. (More)

➤ Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen was placed on the injured list Saturday with right elbow inflammation, one day after throwing a scoreless ninth inning in Los Angeles’ 6-5 walk-off win over the Orioles. The 37-year-old is 4-1 with a 3.52 ERA in 29 appearances. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | College World Series | U.S. Open | NASCAR | WNBA

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➤ Minimum wages will rise July 1 across several Southern California cities and counties, with hotel and hospitality workers in some cities earning $25 to $26.50 an hour and healthcare workers at large hospital systems and dialysis clinics reaching $25. (More)

➤ Los Angeles County’s unemployment rate held at 5.5% in May, unchanged from April and down from 5.7% a year earlier, the state reported. Employers added 9,000 jobs, led by leisure and hospitality. (More)

➤ Humble Robotics, a California startup, unveiled a cabless, battery-electric autonomous freight truck and announced $24 million in seed funding, aiming to bring driverless freight hauling to California roads. (Read Story)

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➤ At a sold-out “Pints and Ponytails” night in Goleta, dads traded parenting tips over beers while learning to braid and care for their children’s hair, part of a growing effort to build community and support for fathers. (Read Story)

➤ A sea lion pup named Earl is back in the wild after spending seven weeks at San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center, where he recovered after being rescued from a rocky hole near LAX. (More)

➤ Roaring Camp, a Gold Rush-era mining camp tucked deep in the Mokelumne River canyon near Pine Grove, still draws modern-day prospectors who pan and sluice for placer gold while experiencing a slice of California’s mining past. (Watch)

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➤ An e-bike battery exploded while charging inside a Philadelphia home, and what happened next is every family’s nightmare. (Hear More)

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➤ Scientists say the old advice about brushing your hair 100 strokes a night isn’t just wrong, it could be making things worse. (Podcast Available)

When food in your fridge hits its “sell by” date, what do you usually do?

1. Toss it
2. Give it the sniff test
3. Eat it anyway
4. Depends on the food

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you try the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pizzeria?

1. No, not interested: 48%
2. Maybe if I’m in town: 28%
3. Absolutely: 24%

In 1848, the gold discovery that set off the California Gold Rush took place at Sutter’s Mill, in which Gold Country town along the American River?

Show me the answer