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

19 cases of Legionella infection linked to Kaiser Bay Area hospital ^18.1%

Los Angeles Times - By Rong-Gong Lin II - 5/18/2026, 10:00 AM

Appeal to Authority 39.6% - Negativity Bias 15.6% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 15.4%

Kaiser Permanente is still trying to determine the source of bacteria responsible for 19 recent cases of Legionella infection identified at a hospital in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 19 infections were linked to Kaiser’s medical center in Santa Clara. Most of those who fell sick are recovering at home, Kaiser said in a recent... more

San Fernando Valley burglaries: Two more homes targeted amid LAPD patrol surge ^39%

Los Angeles Times - By Tracy Brown, Rong-Gong Lin II - 4/19/2026, 8:05 PM

Negativity Bias 16.5% - Availability Heuristic 16% - Appeal to Emotion 15.7%

Burglars struck two more homes in and around the San Fernando Valley this weekend, bringing the total to nine since April 11. The latest in the string of recent burglaries occurred after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that she had directed the Los Angeles Police Department to increase patrols along Ventura Boulevard.... more

Rain hits Southern California this week. When will it fall? ^11.5%

Los Angeles Times - By Rong-Gong Lin II - 4/19/2026, 10:00 AM

Overconfidence Bias 25.1% - Negativity Bias 16.9% - Recency Bias 14.1%

Rain is expected to hit Southern California this week, enough to create slippery conditions for the Tuesday afternoon commute in Los Angeles County. In Los Angeles and Ventura counties, rainfall should peak between 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service office in Oxnard said. Rainfall is expected to be light in L.A. and... more

SoCal’s wettest Christmas holiday ever, and the intensifying drought-to-deluge cycle behind it ^61.8%

Los Angeles Times - By Rong-Gong Lin II - 12/26/2025, 11:00 AM

A year ago, officials were sounding alarms about a bone-dry winter that days later would combine with wind gusts of up to 100 mph to bring about the worst fires in Los Angeles history. Now, Southern California just experienced its wettest Christmas in modern history. This Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were the rainiest in the modern... more