Industry was warned for years about chemical 'runaway' dangers. Then came near-catastrophe in O.C. ^12.8%

Los Angeles Times - By Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin II - 5/27/2026, 10:00 AM

Appeal to Authority 21.8% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 21.8% - Negativity Bias 17%

The chemical industry has been well aware of the risks of the type of thermal runaway reaction that forced 50,000 people from their homes in Orange County last weekend, reviving years of warnings from researchers about the potential dangers. Nearly 15% of incidents in the U.S. involving uncontrolled chemical reactions between 1980 to... more

Cooling system at chemical tanks likely failed, forcing mass O.C. evacuations, fire officials say ^16.7%

Los Angeles Times - By Hannah Fry - 5/26/2026, 9:03 PM

Appeal to Authority 28.3% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 25.9% - Overconfidence Bias 20.3%

The crisis at a Garden Grove aerospace firm that required the evacuation of 50,000 people was probably caused by the failure of a cooling system designed to regulate the temperature of chemical tanks, interim Orange County Fire Authority Chief TJ McGovern told The Times on Tuesday. This may have led to a buildup of heat in a pressurized... more

Security guard’s ‘heroic’ actions saved others in San Diego mosque attack, officials say ^3.6%

Los Angeles Times - By Hannah Fry, Karen Garcia - 5/19/2026, 2:35 PM

Negativity Bias 22.8% - Anecdotal 22.3% - Availability Heuristic 18.3%

SAN DIEGO — The Islamic Center of San Diego is mourning three people killed in Monday’s attack, including a security guard praised by police for his actions. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the security guard who was inside the mosque was “able to minimize the situation to the front area of the mosque” and saved lives. “His... more

What we know about the teens accused of attacking San Diego Islamic Center, killing 3 ^6.8%

Los Angeles Times - By Richard Winton, Hannah Fry, Salvador Hernandez, Clara Harter - 5/19/2026, 5:30 AM

Appeal to Emotion 14.3% - Unattributed Quote 13.3% - Availability Heuristic 7.8%

SAN DIEGO — Authorities are trying to unravel what led two teenagers to open fire at the San Diego Islamic Center, killing three people before taking their own lives. An early focus has been on one of the assailants, a San Diego high school student whose mother reported that he was suicidal and potentially armed soon before the shooting... more

Crisis in ‘Chinese Beverly Hills’: Residents fear a backlash after mayor accused of working with China ^40.6%

Los Angeles Times - By Hannah Fry, Brittny Mejia, Cierra Morgan, Summer Lin - 5/13/2026, 10:00 AM

Negativity Bias 30.4% - Appeal to Authority 26.4% - Hasty Generalization 20.9%

Generations of Chinese immigrants have settled in Arcadia, transforming the San Gabriel Valley suburb, a typical bedroom community, into a “Chinese Beverly Hills” with high-end real estate and luxury shopping. But the city’s residents, many of them affluent, learned this week that a prominent local elected official had a relationship... more

Your guide to the California Congressional District 40 race: Orange County and the Inland Empire ^6.7%

Los Angeles Times - By Hannah Fry - 5/1/2026, 10:00 AM

Appeal to Authority 14.6% - Framing Effect 11.7% - Appeal to Emotion 8%

Republican incumbents Young Kim and Ken Calvert, who are trying to keep their spots in Congress, are facing a challenge from a host of Democrats in California’s 40th District. This seat, which blends portions of Kim and Calvert’s current districts, spans from Mission Viejo in Orange County up into Woodcrest, Menifee and Murrieta in... more

Dedicated student, track athlete, and now a suspect in the killing of a Burbank teacher ^60.6%

Los Angeles Times - By Cierra Morgan, Hannah Fry - 4/24/2026, 6:23 PM

Halo Effect 25.6% - Anecdotal 14.5% - Appeal to Authority 12.7%

Before he was accused of killing a local elementary school teacher and critically injuring her adult daughter, Sergio Fraire was known by his former classmates at Burbank High as a dedicated student and track athlete. A former student says he ran middle distances, cross-country, and acted a role model for younger runners until he... more

She uncovered a terrifying lab hidden in California, with alleged ties to China ^15.8%

Los Angeles Times - By Hannah Fry - 3/25/2026, 10:00 AM

Framing Effect 9.3% - Appeal to Emotion 9.2% - Appeal to Authority 6%

Code enforcement officer Jesalyn Harper discovered a clandestine biolab in a Reedley, Calif., warehouse containing dangerous pathogens including HIV, malaria, COVID-19 and Ebola. The facility was allegedly operated by a Chinese national involved in smuggling counterfeit COVID tests while receiving millions in unexplained payments from... more

Oscars security tighter than ever: 1-mile police buffer amid Iran war ^89.1%

Los Angeles Times - By Richard Winton, Hannah Fry - 3/13/2026, 9:13 PM

It’s been more than two decades since the Oscars were celebrated as the United States was launching a war in the Middle East. In 2003, the Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre occurred just days after U.S. troops invaded Iraq, elevating security concerns surrounding Hollywood’s biggest night so much that they tightened security... more

FBI releases photos of masked person at Nancy Guthrie’s front door in kidnapping case ^74.8%

Los Angeles Times - By Richard Winton, Hannah Fry - 2/10/2026, 6:05 PM

Investigators have released surveillance photos and a video showing a potential suspect in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping investigation on Tuesday, marking a major update in the unusual case. The images were circulated less than a day after a ransom deadline to pay Guthrie’s abductors $6 million in bitcoin passed with no sign of the... more