Which Way, L.A.?

The Viability of Zero Emission Vehicles

The New York Times has called California's zero emissions vehicle mandate, -one of the most effective regulations that never was,- an observation that may prove prophetic. In 1990, the California Air Resources Board ruled that by this year, 10% of the cars on California-s streets and highways would be non-polluting. That clearly hasn't happened, and last week the ARB changed the rules, turning its back on electric cars, in favor of hybrids that use both electricity and gasoline. Was it a victory for the auto-makers? Will it delay the day when cars are no longer this state-s principle source of smog? We hear contrasting views from a vice president for environmental affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the clean vehicles director for the environmentalist Union of Concerned Scientists. Making News: Lettuce Found Tainted with Perchlorate Congressional Democrats are among those urging the military to clean up residues from perchlorate, a salt used in rocket fuel. Now, perchlorate has turned up in four out of 22 samples of lettuce purchased at northern California supermarkets. One labeled -organic- had 20 times the amount of perchlorate the state calls safe in drinking water. Miguel Bustillo, who is reporting the story for the Los Angeles Times, says don't toss your salad just yet. Reporter's Notebook: Is North Korean Charged in Santa Monica a Spy or Scapegoat? John Joungwoong Yai is a naturalized US citizen who-s been in jail for the past two months, accused by the FBI of being an agent for North Korea. A federal judge has ruled he is not a flight risk, and ordered his release on bail. The government isn-t talking about the case, but Yai-s lawyer is. Bill Genego says his client, who was paid for sending newspaper clippings to North Korea, was -engaged in a lawful commercial transaction.-