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 Talk about timing. Only a day before Southern California residents reported seeing a giant fireball streak across the sky, Orange County Rep. Dana Rohrbacher once again warned about the threat posed by giant asteroids, comets and other "near-Earth objects," reports the Orange County Register's Science Dude. Rohrabacher, a Huntington Beach Republican, issued his statement on the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event, when a giant asteroid exploded in the sky above Siberia in the largest asteroid impact in modern history.
"I was once told the chances of being killed by an asteroid were the same as getting a flush in Las Vegas. Well, I’ve actually gotten a flush in Vegas, a royal flush. So needless to say, as a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology, and former chair of the Space Subcommittee, I have taken a special interest in these near-Earth objects that could pose a threat to the Earth and introduced HR 4917, the Near-Earth Object Preparedness Act."
If the congressman ever speaks on the threat posed by a giant earthquake, just plan on being out of town the next day.
—Jesus Sanchez
Photo of the Hale-Bopp comet in 1997 by Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times
Peregrine falcons in California cities have more flame retardants in their bodies than any living organism anywhere on the planet. The chemicals come from the pigeons the falcons eat, more proof of how these chemicals, which damage developing nervous systems, are working their way up the food chain. Marla Cone explains.
The city's struggling to balance the budget and one plan on the table
is to give -- yes, that means free -- a three-acre site in North
Hollywood worth almost $15 million to a developer. David Zahniser
and Steve Hymon follow the trail of red ink that led to the proposal.
Five more claims of sexual abuse by Santa Monica teacher Thomas Arthur Beltran have surfaced. One goes back to 2004, and others could reach back to 1998. And how do school officials explain all the years that Beltran remained in the classroom? Communication breakdown. Tami Abdollah has more details on the growing scandal.
Neighbors listened to 70-year-old Katan Khaimov beg for help for an hour after he was stabbed in his West Hollywood neighborhood, and no one called the police. He died in the street. Scott Gold visits Poinsettia Park and looks for answers.
At last -- some good mortgage news. The House passed a rescue bill to make $300 billion in new loans available, enough to keep about half a million homeowners out of foreclosure. (The only California Republican to vote for the bill? Rep. Gary G. Miller of Diamond Bar.) The details -- and the bill's chance of becoming law -- from Maura Reynolds.
A look at all the Kobe Bryant worship out there from Bill Dwyre.
Forget Riverdance. L.A. native Victor Quijada comes home from Canada with his ballet-based, hip-hop infused fusion troupe, Rubberdance. Victoria Looseleaf is betting you'll like it.
You're a very vocal bunch of readers, not always polite, but invariably impassioned. A sampling of the reaction to the Montrose flag controversy here. And if you're new to it, here's the story and the video.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
 The mayor's "zone" approach to dealing with gangs is off to a somewhat slow start. The policing portion of the plan is up and running in eight areas, but prevention and intervention programs, long a mess, have yet to debut. How will it work, what will it cost, and when will we know if this new plan is working? Joe Mozingo has the story.
L.A. falls to No. 2 in the Top 10 list of U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution. (We take our victories where we can.) Tami Abdollah examines the numbers.
It's May Day: check out the traffic plans and other info.
Some interesting stuff in the new poll about how Californians feel about education and taxes. African Americans are the most worried about the quality of our schools, while Latinos are the most willing to tax themselves to make things better. More details in Mitchell Landsberg's full story.
How odd were Anthony Pellicano's closing arguments? As odd as the trial itself. Carla Hall was there.
A 4.4 earthquake hit early this morning near Bakersfield. AP via LAT.
But that's nothing compared to Reno -- they've had 1,000 quakes in the last two months. Ashley Powers and Thomas H. Maugh II investigate.
Were those two major contracts at LAX kosher? Laura Chick and Janice Hahn seem to think not, and have  asked for investigations. Dan Weikel has the details.
Casual Fridays come to the L.A. Phil, a perfect match for casual L.A. Donna Perlmutter tells all.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
Yep, that UFO-shaped swirl is, in fact, a cloud. Reader Richard Kaufman, an elementary science teacher in Irvine, shot the photo while on a weekend trip to Palm Springs with his wife. (She spotted the cloud, he snapped the pix.)
Occasionally mistaken for space ships, lenticular clouds actually have a fascinating bit of science behind them, having to do with mountains, moisture content and air flow. They've also got a very cool name: altocumulus standing lenticularis. More great pix of lenticular clouds here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Richard Kaufman / Your Scene
Los Angeles manhole covers ... hecho en Mexico. (And India.) LA Taco
 Your boring job is making you dumb. Huffington Post
Another view of LAX expansion from bloggers at WestchesterParents.org
Did you hear about the hikers rescued in Bronson Canyon near the Batcave? LAist
Encinitas considers a ban on novelty lighters. North County Times
Not your typical used-car sale: Vintage-auto auction could reap millions. OC Register
-- Veronique de Turenne & Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Gail Fisher / Los Angeles Times
 That's right, The Science Guy. He's in the NYT today, talking about how he's living green in his 1939 stucco cottage here in L.A.
Healthy competition: I’ve got to crush Ed Begley! He lives down the street. We compete over our houses, but we’re friendly. We go to lunch at the local vegan place.
Best addition: My solar panels. They are 4-kilowatt panels. I have 24 of them, each 2-by-4 feet. They cost $32,000 to buy and install, after an 18% tax rebate.
Lab work: I drink my lemonade in a beaker.
Giving back: My house is attached to L.A.’s main power grid, but I make more power than I use. So, I send my excess energy back to the grid and my bill is just $7 a month, which is a connection charge.
The full Q&A (solar panels, swing dancing, martinis, plus a teensy bit of self promotion) is here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: AP
 What if the grunion stopped running? Scientists prefer to never know, so they've launched an ambitious program to breed in captivity a backup population of the tiny silver fish. First step: head to the beach to catch them in flagrante. Louis Sagahan was there:
Suddenly, the surf shimmered with flashes of silver and a few small, slender fish wriggled on shore, as if to size up the situation. Then thousands of fish began riding in on the swells and piling up on the beach in writhing clots. "Grunion!" she said. "Turn on your flashlights, everybody!"
About 400 onlookers dashed to the shore to witness the reproductive mayhem of Leuresthes tenuis, the iconic Southern California fish that leaves its briny realm to mate on the sand.
Louis Sahagan has a real fish story.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times
 Lake Tahoe, the Jewel of the Sierras, could go from the crystal-clear sapphire blue it's known for, to a flat, muddy green in the next 10 years. The culprit? Global warming, according to a new study from UC Davis. Eric Bailey has the story.
Experts from the university's Tahoe Environmental Research Center suspect the changes could occur within a decade and prove irreversible. Among the likely results are fewer native fish and larger populations of invasive species, such as large-mouth bass, bluegill and carp.
(Skip)
"Tahoe is another victim," said John Reuter, the center's associate director and one of the report's authors. "The world views the lake as a pristine place, a refuge. When you hear global warming is affecting Tahoe, is anywhere safe? The answer is no."
It's tough news for Lake Tahoe, whose economy relies, in no small part, on tourism built around all that beautiful blue.
Eric Bailey's full story here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times
The real stars, that is. Tomorrow from 2 to 10 p.m. on the front lawn of the Griffith Observatory.
Can't make it? More events at the Observatory here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo - Edgar C. Flores / Your Scene
A lot of people had to look the other way for the Salton Sea to become a desolate wasteland. And then there's the difference one woman can make. David Kelly shares the good news.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
Gary Friedman and Lori Shepler were out last night photographing the lunar eclipse over Los Angeles. Shepler took the close-up, Friedman took the shot of the moon (on the jump) over the Griffith Park Observatory .
We had wondered early in the evening if we'd be able to see the eclipse. Thankfully, we were.
Cool, huh?
Check out Friedman's picture after the jump.
Read on »
We may — emphasis on may — be able to see a total lunar eclipse tonight here in SoCal. There's the storm system to contend with, as our friends at The Times' Daily Deal blog point out. But if all goes well and skies stay clear, the view should be amazing.
You can celebrate the sight at the Griffith Observatory, or just stand in your own backyard. But hurry. The spectacle — the last of its kind until 2010 — begins at sundown.
—Veronique de Turenne
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Veronique de Turenne
Veronique de Turenne is a journalist, essayist, book critic and blogger, and has been a staff writer at virtually every newspaper in Southern California. One of the highlights of her career was interviewing Vin Scully in his broadcast booth at Dodger Stadium, then receiving a handwritten thank you note from him a week later. She lives in Malibu.
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Talk about timing. Only a day before Southern California residents reported seeing a giant fireball streak across the sky, Orange County Rep. Dana Rohrbacher once again warned about the threat posed by giant asteroids, comets and other "near-Earth objects," reports the Orange County Register's Science Dude. Rohrabacher, a Huntington Beach Republican, issued his statement on the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event, when a giant asteroid exploded in the sky above Siberia in the largest asteroid impact in modern history.
