California court overturns murder convictions, cites racism

The prosecutor in the Contra Costa County case inappropriately questioned the 25-year-old woman’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement and dismissed her for reasons that “were plainly tied to race,” said a unanimous ruling by a division of the First Appellate District of California.

First flames, now fees: Tahoe evacuees report price-gouging

A rideshare company quoted a fee of more than $1,500 to be transported from the smoke-choked ski resort at Heavenly Valley to the Reno-Tahoe airport, about eight times the going rate. California law generally prohibits businesses from raising prices by more than 10% following a state or local emergency declaration.

Calmer winds aid California firefighters but hot Labor Day weekend looms

There is some optimism and progress as winds eased on the fire’s western flank while in the northeast, despite gusty ridgetop winds, firefighters with bulldozers and shovels were steadily hacking out fire lines or burning away vegetation to box in the flames before they reached Tahoe.

Winds and 'fire clouds' feed California's largest blaze

Gusts also hindered containment efforts and the problem could get worse with the predicted arrival of pyrocumulus clouds — literally meaning “fire clouds ” — which can bring lightning and the risk of new ignitions.