France Can't Keep Tabs on 10,000 Radicalized Young Muslims (VIDEO)

From last night's CBS Evening News:

State Department Issues Worldwide Travel Warning

At USA Today, "State Department issues 'worldwide' travel alert."

And the opening segment from tonight's CBS Evening News:

Semi-Trailer Big-Rig Crashes Into Apartment Building in Garden Grove

I take this off-ramp to get gas on the way to work on some Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was planning on stopping there in the morning, heh.

At ABC News 7 Los Angeles:

BIG RIG UPDATE: At least 3 apts damaged in crash; Residents were evacuated from building https://t.co/Ylx4cdPvUc pic.twitter.com/Q7BVPgxYzX

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 10, 2015

Benjamin Golden, Fired Taco Bell Marketing Manager, Remorseful After Attacking Uber Driver (VIDEO)

Following-up from the other day, "Uber Driver Attacked by Drunk Passenger in Costa Mesa (VIDEO)."

The dude was fired by Taco Bell, and now he's remorseful?

Uber Driver Attacked by Drunk Passenger in Costa Mesa (VIDEO)

Gnarly.

At the Next Web, "Uber driver uploads video of him being beaten by passenger in California."

And at CBS News This Morning:

U.S. Freighter El Faro Sunk by Hurricane Joaquin (VIDEO)

Jeez, this is freakin' rad.

At the New York Times, "US-Based Cargo Ship With Crew of 33 Sank in Storm."

British Airways Plane Catches Fire on Las Vegas Runway (VIDEO)

It's a miracle no one was killed. Initial reports had passengers jumping down the emergency chutes and running for their lives.

Watch, at KTNV News 13 Las Vegas, "British Airways plane reportedly catches fire at Las Vegas airport."

More, "Live at McCarran after fire," and "Victims in McCarran fire."

Tip Line Lets California Residents Report Irresponsible Drone Pilots

Yeah, that was a bummer earlier this summer with the Cajon Pass North Fire. Drones hampered firefighting efforts.

See CBS News Sacramento, "Drone Reporting Tip Line: The move comes after more than a dozen instances of firefighting operations being slowed by drones in the air."

U.S. on Pace for Most Highway Traffic Deaths Since 2007

Here's former NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman, at CBS This Morning:



FLASHBACK: "Hey, Check Out NTSB's Smokin' Hottie Deborah Hersman."

Cajon Pass Drivers Who Ran for Their Lives Frustrated by North Fire Towing Fees

I've heard different reports, and the Los Angeles Times indicates that some towing companies waived fees as a public service. See, "Cajon Pass fire victims outraged about towing fees: 'I didn't do anything illegal'."

But watch this report at CBS News Los Angeles: "Despite Volunteer Effort, Tow Truck Firms Hoping to 'Cash In' on Cajon Pass Fire."

Alternative Routes After Interstate 10 Closure

Folks are going to be racking up a lot of extra miles to make it to Phoenix, or back.

At ABC 15 News Phoenix, "Detour options between Arizona and California."

Plus, "Heavy rains collapse I-10 bridge in California."

Drones Disrupt Aerial Firefight Drops Over Cajon Pass North Fire (VIDEO)

At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "DRONES: Unmanned aircraft briefly hinders fire fight":

For the pilots who fight fire from the sky, it’s getting to the point of being ridiculous.

An hour after Friday’s inferno erupted in the Cajon Pass, a drone was seen spying on the flurry of activity as flames incinerated trapped vehicles on Interstate 15 and frightened motorists fled for their lives. Authorities immediately grounded firefighting aircraft.

It marked at least the fourth time since late June that a drone was spotted in the vicinity of pilots bombing an Inland Southern California wildfire with retardant or water. Each time the incident halted an aerial attack and may have allowed flames to spread farther, and more rapidly, than they would have, officials said.

“I wish I had an answer for the fix to all of this,” said a frustrated Mike Eaton, aviation officer for the San Bernardino and Cleveland national forests, in a telephone interview Saturday. “I don’t know if the public just doesn’t understand or if they are just not paying attention.”

In any event, many operators aren’t getting the point that their remotely controlled flying devices pose a danger to manned airplanes and helicopters. Or they don’t believe it...

More.

Interstate 10 Closed After Bridge Collapses (VIDEO)

At the Palm Springs Desert Sun, "I-10 closed at collapsed bridge in Desert Center":

A bridge collapse east of the Coachella Valley late Sunday afternoon forced the closure of Interstate 10 – the main roadway between Southern California and Phoenix – injuring one man and stranding hundreds of motorists backed up for miles.

The Tex Wash bridge, built on the eastbound I-10 in 1967, was listed as functionally obsolete in the 2013 National Bridge Inventory released last year. Essentially, the bridge was listed as no longer adequate for its task, though it was not listed as having known structural problems that needed to be fixed.

A black truck was driving east on I-10 when the bridge crumpled beneath it about 4:45 p.m. Bystanders used straps from their cars to tie the truck to a guardrail and prevent it from washing away in the running water below. The passenger was able to get out but the driver had to be rescued. Firefighters went into rapidly rising water with asphalt and debris falling around them to pull the driver out by 7 p.m...

More.

Also at LAT, "Unusually strong July rains offer a preview of a robust El Niño."

Jackie Johnson's Got Your Weekend Forecast and Fire Conditions

Watching the fire live yesterday, news reports indicated it was 99 degrees in the Baldy Mesa area at the time.

Here's my earlier entry, "Massive Fire at Cajon Pass Destroys 20 Vehicles on Interstate 15 — #NorthFire."

Massive Fire at Cajon Pass Destroys 20 Vehicles on Interstate 15 — #NorthFire

At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "CAJON PASS: Fire destroys vehicles on I-15, structures in Baldy Mesa (UPDATE)."

And from the Press-Enterprise on YouTube, "CAJON PASS: North fire destroys 20 vehicles on I-15."

Also, raw video from KERO-TV 23 Bakersfield, "Over 500-acre wildfire burns in San Bernardino." (It's over 3,500 acres, but who's counting?)

Plus, here's KCAL 9 Los Angeles, "Baldy Mesa Residents Remain Evacuated Wondering If Their Homes Are Okay Following North Fire."

More at CBS News Los Angeles, "UPDATE: ‘It Was Terrifying’ Said Drivers On I-15 In Recounting Moments After Wildfire Erupted."

And ABC News Los Angeles, "Video shows moment motorists are told to abandon their vehicles on 15 Fwy due to #NorthFire."

And spectacular coverage at the Los Angeles Times, "Fire in the Cajon Pass: 1,000 firefighters battle blaze that sweeps 15 Freeway, burns cars, threatens homes."

Amazingly, there were no major injuries, thank God.

Boeing Dreamliner Near Vertical Take-Off

This is phenomenal.

Video here: "New Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner performs near vertical take-off."

At Telegraph UK:

Pass the sick-bag: Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner lifts off in near-vertical ascent http://t.co/mzH9BI96uB pic.twitter.com/IqorsfMM5Q

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 12, 2015

Amtrak Train Derailed at Over 100 Miles an Hour

A horrific crash and one that could have easily been prevented.

At WSJ, "Amtrak Crash: Train Hit Curve Going Over 100 MPH":

PHILADELPHIA—An Amtrak train involved in a fatal crash here was traveling at more than 100 miles an hour, twice the speed limit, as it entered a sharp curve where it derailed Tuesday night, federal officials said Wednesday.

As rescue personnel picked through the train’s wreckage and local hospitals cared for injured passengers, the National Transportation Safety Board said a “black box” data recorder put the train’s speed at 106 mph just before the curve. The train’s engineer applied emergency brakes, but several seconds later, the train’s speed was only down to 102 mph, when the data recorder stopped.

“As we know, it takes a long time to decelerate a train,” said NTSB member Robert Sumwalt in a news conference.

Referring to the application of the brakes before the crash, he added, “You’re supposed to enter the curve at 50 miles an hour. He was already in the curve.”

A law-enforcement official identified the engineer as Brandon Bostian of Queens, N.Y. Mr. Bostian wasn’t at home Wednesday, and it couldn’t be determined if he had retained an attorney.

At least seven people were killed in the crash, including a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and a technology company CEO. Eight others were in critical condition, and 30 remained hospitalized.

“We are heartbroken at what has happened here,” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said during a news conference.

Passengers described a chaotic and frightening scene that began 10 to 15 minutes after Amtrak’s Northeast Regional Train 188, en route from Washington, D.C., to New York City, left Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station at 9:10 p.m. on Tuesday.

Andrew Brenner, 29, a public-relations expert who lives in Washington, said he was relaxing and texting in the last car with his shoes off. He said he noticed that the train seemed to be taking a curve rather fast, but that it didn’t cause much alarm.

Then, the train jolted and swayed. Within moments, Mr. Brenner said he and other passengers were tossed around cars as seats were ripped from the train floor.

“I got thrown like a penny,” said Mr. Brenner, who said he weighs 250 pounds. “That is how violent this was.”

After the crash, Mr. Brenner said he was transported along with other passengers by bus to a hospital, where X-rays showed damage to his vertebrae.

Of the total 243 people on the train, which included five crew members, more than 200 were injured, city officials said.

The locomotive and all seven passenger cars of the train went off the tracks at a tight curve at Frankford Junction, just northeast of Center City, where the Federal Railroad Administration said trains aren’t authorized to exceed 50 mph.

Mr. Sumwalt of the NTSB said it was too soon to determine if the excessive speed caused the derailment. Investigators don’t know whether the train accelerated steadily or suddenly to 106 mph, he added.

The NTSB was studying other factors, such as track and mechanical conditions, and train signals, Mr. Sumwalt said.

More.

Also, "Midshipman, Associated Press Employee Among the Dead in Philadelphia Amtrak Crash."

Air Canada Flight 624 Crashes in Halifax

It's almost like I don't wanna fly anymore, all these accidents lately. Sheesh.

At Toronto's National Post, "Air Canada flight 624 crash lands during blizzard in Halifax, sending at least 23 to hospital":

Dominic Stettler, 31, of Wolfville, N.S., said people on board the plane responded with level heads.

“I think we hit a power cable, there was a lot of sparks,” he said. “We hit the ground, we came up and then we slid on the runway for quite a long time. We just kicked the doors out and jumped onto the wing and then ran because we just wanted to get away from the airplane in case of explosions or anything.”

Stettler said people were helping each other after they got off the plane.

“A woman offered me her jacket because I was shivering and pulled me into a tight warm hug and we just sat there for a while. It was kind of special actually,” he said.

Plus, at RT, "Air Canada flight 624 crash lands at Halifax Airport, loses wing, passengers safe," and Ruptly, "We ran because fuel was pouring out of plane - Air Canada passenger."

Spectacular Video Shows Moment TransAsia Airways Plane Crashes: At Least 12 Killed

Unreal.

At ABC 7 Los Angeles, "TAIWAN PLANE WITH 58 ABOARD CRASHES IN TAIPEI; 12 KILLED."

Also at Sky News, "Taiwan Plane Crash: Passenger Jet Hits Bridge."

UPDATE: At USA Today, "Death toll rises to 31 in Taiwan plane; 12 missing."

Keeping the California 'Pacific Surfliner' Running on Time

At LAT, "Little-known agency keeps commuter rail network on track":

The 351-mile rail corridor that runs along the coast between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo is the second-busiest intercity route in the nation.

Its annual passenger load of 7.4 million is surpassed only by that of the northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C., which handles more than 11.4 million a year.

But keeping those trains running on time — and safely, as they occasionally share tracks with freight traffic — is a constant challenge. The job has fallen to a little-known regional authority known as the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.

During the last 25 years, the agency has helped synchronize schedules so passengers do not have to wait long to make connections. Maintenance and construction are better coordinated to keep trains running without significant delay.

It also tries to foster good relationships among the region's half-dozen railroads so riders can better navigate a complicated network crowded with freight and passenger trains.

Rail projects to accommodate more trains are underway, and the agency is starting to address track and scheduling issues along the popular route between Los Angeles and San Diego.

"I'm all for anything that integrates travel and fares," said Anthony Kemp, an English professor at USC who regularly rides the Metrolink commuter line from his east San Gabriel Valley home in Claremont to the campus near downtown L.A.

Kemp, who is from England, gave the agency good marks but said there is room for even more improvements. For example, European passenger railroads have long had convenient schedules and transit passes, such as the Oyster Pass in London, that allow riders to go from trains to buses to subways without buying a ticket for each boarding.

"That would be absolutely great to have that here," he said...

More.