Ben Christopher

2 weeks ago | pressenterprise.com | Ben Christopher

New California neighborhood billed as first fire-resistant community in U.S.

2 weeks ago | mercurynews.com | Ben Christopher

By Ben Christopher, CalMattersThe homes in the half-built subdivision look a lot like all the others nestled up against the parched, shrubby hills of Escondido, north San Diego County. But look a little closer. The gutters and vents are enclosed in a thin, wire mesh. Each window is double-paned, the glass tempered to withstand the heat of a wildfire, the stucco around the shutters resistant to flame. The privacy fences, a suburban staple, look like wood, but are actually brown-tinted steel.

2 weeks ago | pressdemocrat.com | Ben Christopher

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The homes in the half-built subdivision look a lot like all the others nestled up against the parched, shrubby hills of Escondido, north San Diego County. But look a little closer. The gutters and vents are enclosed in a thin, wire mesh. Each window is double-paned, the glass tempered to withstand the heat of a wildfire, the stucco around the shutters resistant to flame.

2 weeks ago | calmatters.org | Ben Christopher

Dixon Trail is the first purpose-built “wildfire resilient neighborhood” in the United States. Making that a reality for the millions of Californians who already live in harm’s way is a daunting and costly challenge that lawmakers are only just beginning to grapple with. Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians.

3 weeks ago | midfloridanewspapers.com | Ben Christopher

Sacramento, CA (CalMatters)California sued Donald Trump 123 times during his first presidency. Trump lost about two-thirds of cases filed against his administration, but that doesn't guarantee the same results this time around. That revving you hear from Sacramento is the sound of California's Democratic leaders preparing to sue the tar out of the Trump administration. We've seen this all before.