California Today: A Fire Burned Next Door. Now They Live With the Stench of Rotting Meat.

July 31, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

Mark Abramson for The New York Times

A Fire Burned Next Door. Now They Live With the Stench of Rotting Meat.

The Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles is still dealing with foul odor and fears over possible toxins over a month after a cold-storage facility burst into flames.

The Western United States Is Facing a Weekend of Record Heat

Unusually hot temperatures, even for the depths of summer, are expected from Arizona to Montana.

In Silicon Valley, Some Say an A.I. Bubble Would Be Just Fine

As fears spread over a possible artificial intelligence bubble, some tech investors say: Bring it on.

When His Church Goes Dark, They Talk to His Digital Twin

To meet the growing needs of his congregation, Justin Lester created an A.I. duplicate of himself. Every day he sees more people using it.

Margaritas With Hannah Einbinder, Kristen Stewart and L.A.’s Horror Fans

The cast of “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” packed El Coyote for a night filled with quesadillas, fried chicken nuggets and fake blood.

The Folk Singer Linda Perhacs Is Found and Is Safe, Authorities Confirm

Friends of the “Parallelograms” artist, who was reported missing earlier this week, said she is living in a new care facility.

Ronald G. Davis, a Mime Who Spoke Out, Dies at 92

At the height of the psychedelic era, he guided the very vocal San Francisco Mime Troupe’s pointed satire of American militarism, racism and bourgeois values.

Jeannette Etheredge, Who Hosted San Francisco at Tosca Cafe, Dies at 85

As the North Beach bar’s proprietor for 33 years, she turned it into a hub for actors, directors, writers, dancers and politicians.

Jennifer Finch, Scalding Bassist for Alt-Rock Band L7, Dies at 59

Often performing barefoot, she provided the thunder for a breakout feminist band of the 1990s, which had an alternative hit with “Pretend We’re Dead.”