CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
May 5, 2013 | By Ari Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times
Hundreds of battle-weary firefighters made the transition to mop-up mode Sunday as the 28,000-acre Springs fire in Ventura County was declared 75% contained, with full containment expected Monday. Several engine companies were sent home Sunday as hand crews worked to establish a fire break more than a mile long in the Hidden Valley area to complete containment of the blaze, which burned from Thousand Oaks to the ocean. "We're going to have this thing out by tomorrow," Ventura County Fire Capt.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
May 3, 2013 | By Christine Mai-Duc, Matt Stevens and Catherine Saillant, Los Angeles Times
The second day of searing temperatures and unseasonably strong Santa Ana winds kept firefighters busy Friday battling blazes that threatened homes in Ventura County, Glendale and Walnut, but the day ended with hope that cooling conditions would ease the siege. The day was filled with tense moments as the Springs fire lurched closer to homes near Thousand Oaks and a fast-moving blaze in Glendale prompted evacuations and temporarily shut down parts of a busy freeway interchange. Although the amount of burned acreage increased significantly Friday, the fires did not cause major damage to structures.
WORLD
April 27, 2013 | By David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times
KABUL, Afghanistan - At a pivotal moment when U.S. forces are winding down combat operations in Afghanistan and handing over the lead security role to the Afghan government, Taliban insurgents announced Saturday the launch of their annual spring offensive. In an elaborately worded statement, the Taliban proclaimed that a "monumental spring operation" would begin Sunday with the goal of "defeating this era's Western invaders. " The Islamist insurgent group, tossed from power by U.S.-led forces in late 2001, is threatening a new round of mass suicide bombings and "insider" attacks on American and coalition forces.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 19, 2013 | By Joseph Serna
Southern Californians will get a sneak preview of summer this weekend when temperatures climb to 10 degrees warmer than normal for the time of year, forecasters said. “You have very nice weather in store for today and the weekend,” said National Weather Service meteorologist John Dumas. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-80s Friday through Sunday, with clear skies in downtown Los Angeles, Dumas said. The weather will cool slightly to the upper 70s and then eventually into the mid-70s by early next week, he said.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 19, 2013 | By Hector Becerra, Los Angeles Times
Southern California is marching toward its fourth-driest year since 1877, and that has firefighters increasingly girded for battle. In the hills of Los Angeles County, tests show the brush is drying out at a significantly quicker rate this year because of the lack of rain. In Ventura County, firefighters say the parched conditions feel like what they typically see in June or July. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which handles fire protection for about a third of the state, said it has dealt with 150 more blazes so far this year compared with 2012.
BUSINESS
April 11, 2013 | By Tiffany Hsu
Consumers shopping during a chilly March gave retail sales for the month a half-hearted push, with spending weighed down by the bitter weather, sequestration worries, ongoing economic weakness and an earlier Easter that shaved off a full selling day. “The deck was stacked against both retailers and consumers alike,” said Ken Perkins, who puts out a set of sales data through Retail Metrics Inc., in a statement. Sales at stores open at least a year rose 1.5% in March, in line with expectations but much more muted than the 3.9% bloom during the same month in 2012, according to Perkins.