Connect with us

California

California recommends changes to leasing properties under freeways after major fire

Published

on

California recommends changes to leasing properties under freeways after major fire


LOS ANGELES — Three months after an arson fire at a state-leased storage space shut down a major Los Angeles freeway, California transportation officials are recommending changes to the leasing program that would explicitly ban storage of hazardous materials like wood pallets and gasoline and provide more scrutiny of people who want to rent out the properties.

The state should require any individual who wants to lease one of the 600 available state-owned properties under roadways to attest they haven’t entered into bankruptcy in the past 10 years and are not embroiled in legal actions related to other properties, the head of the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, said Tuesday in recommendations to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The man who leased the property under Interstate 10 that caught fire had filed for bankruptcy twice since 2016 and was the target of several legal filings related to other sites he managed, Associated Press reporting found. The state is fighting to evict Ahmad Anthony Nowaid and scores of tenants subleasing through him in violation of his contracts with Caltrans, according to court records.

Nowaid and his attorney haven’t responded to multiple calls and emails seeking comment.

Advertisement

The Nov. 11 blaze quickly spread, fueled by wooden pallets, supplies of hand sanitizer and other flammable materials stored there in violation of the lease contract. Officials said it was a case of arson. No one has been arrested.

Caltrans director Tony Tavares wrote in a memo Tuesday that his agency had completed a review of all 600 properties around and under roadways that the state leases to firms and individuals. The agency recommended the state explicitly prohibit any storage of flammable or hazardous items and define more clearly what constitutes dangerous materials, he said.

The overhauls are meant to “ensure the lease agreements governing each property are up-to-date and reflective of potential risks, streamline enforcement of lease terms and allow Caltrans to more quickly address risks,” Tavares wrote.

The governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email Wednesday seeking comment on the changes Caltrans is proposing.

Since the fire, Caltrans has inspected 47 sites, most of which were identified as potentially high-risk and some that have more than one parcel. Of these parcels, more than three quarters failed their inspections. The reasons for failure ranged from the presence of combustible materials to faulty wiring and more.

Advertisement

Some inspections found “several issues presenting fire or safety risks” and other potential lease violations, Tuesday’s memo said. One tenant was keeping propane tanks, others were storing vehicles and several more had improperly stored lumber or wooden pallets, inspectors found.

Among materials that should be prohibited: “Oil, gasoline, lumber, pallets, wood, wood chips, landscaping materials, non-operable vehicles, plastic piping/tubing, tires, paper/paper products, fabrics, batteries, and chemicals/cleaning supplies in industrial quantity,” Caltrans said.

Following the inferno, Newsom ordered a review of all the so-called “airspace” sites that Caltrans has leased around roadways. The program dates back to the 1960s and most of the properties have been used for parking lots, cellphone towers, open storage and warehouses. The lots range anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of square feet, and they are concentrated in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.

The airspace leases have brought in more than $170 million for public transportation over the past five years.

The agency said its review of airspace leases is ongoing and “will take into account both the benefits and risks of the program, as well as explore potential program improvements to mitigate risks.”

Advertisement

___

Associated Press data reporter Kavish Harjai in Los Angeles contributed.



Source link

California

Midterm primaries 2026 live: results and reaction after six states including California and Iowa cast ballots

Published

on

Midterm primaries 2026 live: results and reaction after six states including California and Iowa cast ballots


Lucy Campbell

Millions of voters across the country are heading to the polls today in crucial primaries in a slew of key gubernatorial, Senate and House races.

Advertisement

Here’s a quick rundown of what we’re watching:

California
Voters are casting ballots on who should lead the nation’s most populous state (and the world’s fourth largest economy), where there is no clear leader among candidates vying to advance in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic governor Gavin Newsom. The race for Los Angeles mayor is also on the ballot, along with a series of high-stakes US House contests in the state’s newly redrawn congressional districts – which are set to play an outsized and potentially decisive role in the battle for power in Washington in November’s midterm elections. My colleague Lauren Gambino has more:

Iowa
Per my colleague Chris Stein, with Trump’s approval ratings deep underwater, gas prices high and historical political trends favoring the party out of power, Democrats this year are considering a comeback in Iowa, putting the state at the center of their campaigns to win back control of both the US House and the Senate. That effort for a “once-in-a-generation” breakthrough in the GOP-dominated state is being led by pro-hunting Democrat Rob Sand, who is running for governor. Chris wrote about him below. Democrats also believe they have a shot at winning three of the state’s US House seats and a competitive chance at securing a US Senate seat, where the GOP frontrunner recently called Trump’s war on Iran a “political liability”.

New Jersey
One of this year’s most closely watched House midterms will take place in the battleground district currently represented by now-infamous Republican Tom Kean Jr, who has drawn public scrutiny and concern after missing more than 100 House votes due to an undisclosed illness. Voters are deciding which Democrat will run against him in November – and the seat is a must-win for the party. The frontrunner, veteran army trauma surgeon and political newcomer Adam Hamawy, has secured endorsements from the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. My colleague Joseph Gedeon has more:

New Mexico
Contests in the state include primaries for congressional seats, a US Senate seat and a long list of statewide offices, but the governor’s race is the main event. Deb Haaland, who was Joe Biden’s interior secretary, is running for the Democratic nomination, which could put her on a historic path for Native American leaders.

Advertisement

Montana
In Montana, a five-way Democratic fight is under way for the retiring Republican senator’s seat. Independent Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana, is outraising them all at the moment but they’re refusing to step aside, Politico reports this morning.

South Dakota
The race is on for state governor, Sioux Falls mayor, a US Senate and House seat, a Republican primary for local lawmakers. The incumbent GOP governor Larry Rhoden faces three primary challengers in his first run for a full term. He stepped up into the role from the lieutenant governorship when the former governor, the since-ousted Kristi Noem, left to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

The Associated Press contributed reporting

Share

Key events

Advertisement

Joseph Gedeon

On the day Donald Trump endorsed him as a tireless advocate for New Jersey’s seventh district, the representative Tom Kean Jr was, as he has been since early March, nowhere to be found.

Kean, a New Jersey Republican, was last seen when he cast a House floor vote on 5 March, and he is running unopposed in Tuesday’s Republican primary. The Democratic race in his district, meanwhile, has attracted multiple candidates and ample fundraising.

In late April, his office said he was dealing with a “personal medical issue” and would be back “very soon”. He told the New Jersey Globe last month he expected to return within “the next couple of weeks”. In the meantime, Kean’s social media accounts have continued posting regularly, with staff attending ribbon-cuttings and graduation ceremonies on his behalf.

Advertisement
Share



Source link

Continue Reading

California

California Democratic gubernatorial candidate criticized over meeting with trans athlete | Fox News Video

Published

on

California Democratic gubernatorial candidate criticized over meeting with trans athlete | Fox News Video


Roxanne Hoge and Stella Escobedo delve into the latest Berkeley IGS poll, revealing the frontrunners in California’s heated gubernatorial race. The discussion extends to the Los Angeles mayoral race, where candidates Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt are locked in a tight contest. Panelists weigh in on candidate endorsements and the broader political landscape ahead of the upcoming elections.



Source link

Continue Reading

California

Steve Hilton says he is ‘well prepared’ to make changes in California

Published

on

Steve Hilton says he is ‘well prepared’ to make changes in California


  • Rosario ‘Pete’ Vasquez named as new chief of U.S. Border Patrol

    00:21

  • Now Playing

    Steve Hilton says he is ‘well prepared’ to make changes in California

    06:21

  • UP NEXT

    Extreme right and left battle for presidency in Colombia

    02:55

  • Illinois representative talks bill that would regulate AI companies

    03:06

  • Breaking down the latest release of UAP files

    08:10

  • U.S. military launches new strikes on Iranian drones

    05:54

  • Inside Venezuela’s economic crisis after Maduro’s capture

    03:51

  • NASA’s Jared Isaacman shares moon base plans

    13:31

  • Rep. Al Green loses seat to Rep. Christian Menefee in Democratic primary

    01:43

  • SpaceX scrubs Starship V3 rocket launch

    05:26

  • SpaceX plans for a record-breaking IPO

    05:18

  • Gov. Kathy Hochul says deal has been reached with LIRR unions

    00:27

  • Philadelphia high school fights misinformation crisis

    03:41

  • Influencers say their races are being swapped out by A.I. on social media

    03:23

  • New website lets you spy on line lengths at some of the most viral spots

    02:06

  • New details on NASA’s Artemis III mission

    05:04

  • New documentary follows journalist Jeremy Corbell’s hunt for the truth on UFOs

    06:55

  • U.S. and China execute joint drug bust ahead of Trump-Xi summit

    02:17

  • How forecasting has changed since the 1996 movie ‘Twister’

    04:50

  • Georgia Tech get three hours to build an app using Claude AI

    02:33

Stay Tuned NOW

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton speaks with NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz to discuss the primaries, his strategy to break through in California, and the Los Angeles mayoral race.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending