Air board will start monitoring pollution next to SoCal freeways

Air quality regulators will begin monitoring pollution levels near major Southern California traffic corridors next year, for the first time providing data important to nearly 1 million Southern Californians who are at greater risk of respiratory illness because they live within 300 feet of a freeway. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-freeway-pollution-20130826,0,709429.story Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Tony Barboza

Colo. company tests spacecraft in Calif. desert

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — A Colorado company developing a spaceship to take astronauts to the International Space Station has run the craft through a series of tests at a NASA facility in California. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Colo-company-tests-spacecraft-in-Calif-desert-4754710.php Article courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle-SF Gate

California visitor's rare find: A star-shaped piece of benitoite

Last weekend the 21-year-old karina Ille discovered a rare star-shaped piece of benitoite in San Benito County, where this country's only mining spot for the gem is located. The mine's operators pull the rocks from their open-pit dig and charge visitors $70 each to spend the day searching for the mineral. Once suspected benitoite is discovered, visitors wash the rocks and study them under black lights in a darkened room outside of the mine. They are allowed to take home in quart zip-lock bags what they find. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rare-gem-20130818,0,3304203.story Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Bob Pool

Copper may play key role in Alzheimer's disease

New research finds that copper in amounts readily found in our drinking water, the foods we eat and the vitamin supplements we take likely plays a key role in initiating and fueling the abnormal protein build-up and brain inflammation that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-copper-alzheimers-disease-20130819,0,5977613.story Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Science Now by Melissa Healy

Rim fire near Yosemite grows to more than 63,000 acres

The blaze had consumed more than 63,000 acres of brush and timber in the Stanislaus National Forest, fire officials said. The cost of fighting the fire, which has been burning since Saturday afternoon, was more that $5 million. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rim-fire-yosemite-continues-to-grow-20130822,0,2589194.story Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Robert J. Lopez

Kickstarter project swaps CharlieCard for rings

Sick of fishing through your purse or flashing your wallet every time you ride the MBTA? Sesame Ring is now offering RFID rings that you can tap against CharlieCard readers. http://www.boston.com/business/innovation/blogs/inside-the-hive/2013/08/22/ride-the-bling-line-kickstarter-project-swaps-charliecard-for-customized-rings/GGmrGavznhro8dO4qvzNKL/blog.html Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Michael Morisy

Southern California Braces for Record-Setting Heat

The NWS issued excessive heat warnings for most of the region from Friday morning until Sunday night.

The affected areas included the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, as well as the valleys of the Inland Empire.

The Antelope Valley could see temperatures between 108 and 115 degrees, according to the NWS.

Other valley areas were expected to reach highs of 100 to 108 degrees, forecasters said.

Read more: http://ktla.com/2013/06/27/l-a-county-opens-colling-center-in-advance-of-heatwave/#ixzz2XRE3ml4B

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by KTLA.com  Kellan Connor