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Villa Aurora reopens in Pacific Palisades after narrow wildfire escape

Illustration accompanying article: Villa Aurora reopens in Pacific Palisades after narrow wildfire escape
  • Villa Aurora, a Pacific Palisades cultural center that narrowly escaped January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, reopened to the public on Sunday, drawing hundreds to mark the resumption of speaker events and artistic residencies.
  • The 1920s Spanish Mediterranean villa was purchased in 1943 by novelist Lion Feuchtwanger and became a gathering point for German exiles including Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht fleeing the Nazis, a community Pacific Palisades became known for as "Weimar-by-the-Sea."
  • Director Claudia Gordon said the reopening comes as residents continue to struggle with displacement, inadequate insurance payouts, and the Trump administration's refusal to release about $15bn in federal aid.
  • Roughly three-quarters of Palisades fire survivors were still displaced as of late July, according to a nonprofit Department of Angels report, and city officials expect full recovery to take up to five years.
 2026-09-01 · 3 MIN READ

BBC Verify examines Flock's US license plate reader network

Illustration accompanying article: BBC Verify examines Flock's US license plate reader network
  • BBC Verify has examined a network of AI-powered license plate readers operated by the private company Flock, reporting the system has expanded to about 130,000 cameras across the United States.
  • Most of the cameras are used by law enforcement agencies, according to the BBC report.
  • The expansion has led to privacy concerns and protests, the report found.
  • The examination was reported by Jake Horton, produced by Krystal Campos, and included graphics by Leo Scutt-Richter.
 2026-09-01 · 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Trump to observe 9/11 anniversary at Pentagon; Vance to attend NYC ceremony