Day Around the Bay: Grass Fire in Benicia Shuts Down Many Lanes of I-680

Local:

A major three-alarm grass fire in Benicia broke out shortly before 3 pm, and grew so large that it briefly shut down traffic in both directions on the interstate. One lane of traffic in each direction was reopened at about 4:30 pm, but as of press time for this post, another lane in each direction remains closed. [NBC Bay Area]
Legendary NorCal filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was already visiting Italy to have a heart procedure done, but suffered an atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), before the procedure. Coppola, who is 86, is reportedly recovering well, and the Italian press says the condition was “likely related to the physical stress accumulated during the long intercontinental flight.” [Chronicle]
On the heels of last weekend's Grateful Dead 60th anniversary shenanigans in San Francisco, the city of San Jose is planning its own Grateful Dead celebration in December, as San Jose claims to be the birthplace of the Grateful Dead. There is some dispute over the San Jose address of the venue at which the band played its first show under the name Grateful Dead in 1965, but ironically, it is believed that address is now partially San Jose City Hall. [Bay Area News Group]

A bipartisan group on the House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas for the Epstein files, and they’re demanding them within two weeks. Though in an apparent sop to the Trump supporters in the coalition, they also want to subpoena Trump enemies Bill and Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, James Comey, Merrick Garland, and Bill Barr. [NY Times]
AI has been “explicitly attributed” to the loss of 10,375 US jobs in just the first half of 2025, though that’s nothing compared to the government job cuts because of DOGE. [KRON4]
Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is rescinding $500 million in funding for the development of mRNA vaccines, even though that’s what gave us the COVID vaccine, because we as a society have learned nothing. [AP News]

As we come out of our nitrous oxide haze from this past weekend's Dead and Company shows in Golden Gate Park, we recall the concert used the exact same physical setup that will be used at this coming weekend’s Outside Lands. That meant a large windmill in the middle of the Polo Fields, and some tripping fool managed to climb said windmill and dance on it during Sunday night’s Dead performance of “Sugaree.”

Image: Sara Barron via Facebook