Ralph Vartabedian

Ralph Vartabedian is a former national correspondent at the Los Angeles Times and became a special contributor in April 2020. He joined the newspaper in 1981 and has covered many technical subjects, including aerospace, auto safety, nuclear weapons and high speed rail. He has won two Loeb awards and was a Pulitzer finalist, among many other career recognitions.

Latest From This Author

California
Burbank fears bullet train will compromise airport safety and water, but rail authority OKs plan
Local officials warn of impacts from California high-speed rail project on Hollywood Burbank Airport and Burbank’s water supply.
California
State appeals court rejects long-standing challenge to California bullet train
A state appeals court has affirmed that the bullet train project did not violate the California Constitution with its segmented planning approach.
California
Biden infrastructure funds will help state bullet train, but not as much as boosters hoped
Amtrak is likely to be the biggest rail winner, getting the lion’s share of $66 billion to upgrade the northeast corridor from Boston to Washington.
California
Bullet train leaves a trail of grief among the disadvantaged of the San Joaquin Valley
The California High-Speed Rail Project pledged to minimize impacts on low-income people, but many say the project has run roughshod through their communities.
California
Cost overruns hit California bullet train again amid a new financial crunch
The state’s High-Speed Rail Authority faces at least $1 billion in more cost overruns from its contractors, at a time when its finances are highly complicated.
California
After this desert city faced dry taps, California rushed through emergency water funding
Officials in Needles feared the city could go dry but state officials have come through with a $2 million bailout.
California
Newsom and California lawmakers hit an impasse on financing bullet train
Gov. Newsom and state legislative leaders are at an impasse in securing $4.2 billion more for California’s high-speed rail project.
California
Deadlines loom for California bullet train in its search for new funding
At a critical time, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is unsure about funding from the Legislature and President Biden’s infrastructure plan.
California
Democrats in California and D.C. clash over how state’s high-speed rail should be powered
Some California legislators want to explore investing in battery-powered trains, an idea that Newsom and the state’s two U.S. senators oppose.
EEUU
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Una de las ciudades más calientes de Estados Unidos solo tiene un pozo de agua. ¿Qué pasará si se interrumpe el flujo de agua potable?
Los grifos podrían secarse para los 5.000 residentes de Needles, que beben hasta dos litros de agua al día para hacer frente a las temperaturas de 120 grados.