
Los Angeles wildfires spark initial round of lawsuits against utilities
CBSN
As deadly wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles, attorneys representing those affected are headed to court, with multiple lawsuits alleging negligence by at least two public utilities in Southern California.
Southern California Edison is accused of failing to maintain power lines and other equipment, allegedly helping to spark the 14,000-acre Eaton fire that decimated Altadena neighborhoods before spreading to other communities, according to a lawsuit filed by McNicholas & McNicholas, Becker Law Group and Singleton Schreiber.
"This goes beyond a failure of responsibility; it is gross negligence in an area highly vulnerable to wildfires, especially with well-documented weather alerts and high wind risks," said Patrick McNicholas, an attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas. "We are committed to holding Southern California Edison accountable for their alleged negligence and to seeking justice for victims who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones."

The threat of tornadoes moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South on Saturday, a day after a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that damaged buildings, whipped up dust storms that caused deadly crashes and fanned more than 100 wildfires in several central states. Fatalities were reported in Missouri and Texas.

A Canadian woman who had appeared in an "American Pie" movie was detained for several days by U.S. immigration officials while attempting to cross the border from Mexico to the U.S. to renew her work visa, according to her mother. The woman's father expects his daughter to be able to return to Canada as early as Friday.

When the Environmental Protection Agency was formed in 1970, its mission was to protect the environment and human health. Since then, scientists, health experts and advocates have worked to implement regulations aimed at protecting and cleaning the air we breathe and the water we drink. Many of these regulations, which were aimed at cleaning up the air, also helped reduce carbon emissions, which can contribute to climate change – so it was a win for our bodies and the planet.