fires News

Aspiring Rapper Admits Fires at South Carolina Governor’s Rental Homes

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — An aspiring rapper who performed under the name “Dank Frank” won’t spend any more time in jail for burning down two rental houses owned by South Carolina’s governor. Frank Wilberding, 23, was sentenced Wednesday to the …

LG Chem Recalls Home Battery Systems After Reports of Fires

LG Chem Ltd. is voluntarily recalling certain models of its home energy storage batteries in the U.S. on concerns they could overheat and start fires. The South Korean industrial giant is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on …

CEO of Top Battery Maker LG Chem Discloses JV Talks, Defends Split-Off

SEOUL — LG Chem, the world’s top electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, is in talks with a “couple” of automakers to create joint ventures to produce automotive batteries, Chief Executive Officer Hak Cheol Shin told Reuters on Friday. LG Chem …

Chemical Safety Watchdog To Proceed, With Only One Board Member

HOUSTON — The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which has only one board member instead of the usual five, was to meet on Friday despite efforts by President Donald Trump to wind down the federal watchdog agency responsible for probing major …

Protests Spark Rioting, Fires in Three States as Civil Unrest Continues

Protests in Washington state, California and Virginia devolved into riots that sparked fires and property damage. A protest through the streets of downtown Oakland, California, in support of racial justice and police reform turned violent when “agitators” among the demonstrators …

Portland’s Mayor Tear-Gassed By Federal Agents as Protest Rages

PORTLAND, Ore. — The mayor of Portland, Oregon, was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents late Wednesday as he stood at a fence erected to protect a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of the agents sent …

Traditional Ways of Paying for Fires and Floods Aren’t Cutting It

Fires and floods are sending some of the nation’s largest utilities to the bond market to cover huge, unexpected bills. California’s PG&E Corp., which was forced into bankruptcy a year ago after its equipment sparked the deadliest wildfire in state …

Everyone’s Favorite Climate Solution Has a Fire Problem

The explosion ruptured the dusk settling over the desert in Surprise, Arizona. For hours, smoke had poured from a metal shed packed with lithium-ion batteries at a small electric substation. The batteries were tied to the electric grid, and somehow …

Death Toll From Storms in South and Midwest Rises to 11

HOUSTON — Severe storms sweeping across southern portions of the U.S. and up into the Midwest were blamed Saturday in the deaths of at least 11 people, including two first responders, as high winds, tornadoes and unrelenting rain battered large …

Flood, Fire and Plague: Climate Change Blamed for Disasters

SINGAPORE — Extreme floods in Venice, fires in Australia and even an outbreak of plague in China have been attributed to climate change this week, while researchers have warned that global warming could saddle future generations with life-long illness. Venice …