Jonathan J. Cooper

Today in Manufacturing Podcast

Today in Manufacturing Podcast

August 4, 2022

Actor Matt Damon speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York.

Water.org Unveils $1 Billion Plan for Water, Sanitation Access

September 21, 2022

How Reliable Are Your Machines?

September 20, 2022

Over the course of Bernard's 75 years in business, research and development efforts have led to multiple cutting-edge technologies.

Bernard Celebrates 75th Anniversary

September 16, 2022

Industrial Media Unboxing Video

Industrial Media Unboxing Video

IEN Unboxed is a new show in which our editors unbox new tools on the market and discuss their features.

August 4, 2022

In this Oct. 10, 2019, file photo, a helicopter drops water near power lines and electrical towers while working at a fire on San Bruno Mountain near Brisbane, Calif. California’s Pacific Gas & Electric is faced regularly with a no-win choice between risking the start of a deadly wildfire or immiserating millions of paying customers by shutting off the power.

California Crisis Decades in the Making

How that came to be is a story not of a single villain but of systemic failure by PG&E's management

November 14, 2019

Utility Admits that Lines May Have Started Fires

Powerful winds were driving multiple fires across California and forcing power shut-offs intended to prevent blazes.

October 29, 2019

This undated product image obtained by the Associated Press shows Nike Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July shoes that have a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle on it, known as the Betsy Ross flag, on them. Nike is pulling the flag-themed tennis shoe after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick complained to the shoemaker, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Nike Proceeds with AZ Factory

Nike faced criticism last week for its decision not to sell the Nike Air Max 1 USA shoe, which included a Revolutionary-era emblem known as the Betsy Ross flag.

July 12, 2019

This photo taken in May 2017 and provided by Arizona Public Service shows the Festival Ranch 2 megawatt battery owned by Arizona Public Service near Buckeye, Ariz. An identical battery caught fire in April 2019 in a massive blaze that sent eight firefighters and a police officer to the hospital, highlighting the challenges and risks that can arise as utilities prepare for the exponential growth expected for massive batteries to store energy.

Fire Highlights Energy Storage Risk

An April fire and explosion at a massive battery west of Phoenix sent eight firefighters and a police officer to the hospital.

June 24, 2019

In this April 23, 2019, photo, Chris Williamson poses for a photo sitting on his car in Phoenix. When Williamson was in the market for a new family car, a timely ad and conversations with a co-worker convinced him to try something out of the ordinary. He bought the BMW 3 Series convertible and covers the payments by renting it to strangers on a peer-to-peer car sharing app called Turo. It allows his family of seven to have a nicer car, essentially for free.

Legislative Battles Follow Car-Sharing

Car-sharing apps around the United States get their rentals tax-free, making them a target for rental car companies.

May 2, 2019

A sign still stands at a McDonald's restaurant burned in the Camp Fire, Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, in the northern California town of Paradise.

Fires Put Pressure on CA Utilities

Authorities have not determined a cause for major blazes burning now, but two utilities reported irregularities with their equipment near the place both ignited.

November 13, 2018

State Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, second from right, displays his environmental measure SB100 after is was signed into law by Calif., Gov. Jerry Brown front center, Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Brown, surrounded by lawmakers and activists including Assembly members Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, of San Diego, second from left, Ken Cooley, of Rancho Cordova, third from left and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, right, signed SB100 which sets a goal of phasing out all fossil fuels from the state's electricity sector by 2045.

CA to Drop Fossil Fuels by 2045

The policy could serve as a model for other states.

September 11, 2018

Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach, sips a Coke as Assembly members debate a ban on local soda taxes, Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Lawmakers passed a bill to ban local taxes on soda for the next 12 years and send it to the Gov. Jerry Brown. Harper did not cast on vote on the bill.

CA Blocks Soda Taxes

The beverage industry has used aggressive campaigning to beat back soda taxes and other measures.

June 29, 2018

In this Sept. 23, 2013, file photo, a tugboat pushes a barge down the Sacramento River past wind turbines near Rio Vista, Calif. A contentious proposal to link oversight of California's electric grid with other western states faces a crucial test Tuesday, June 19, 2018, in a state Senate committee.

Lawmakers Debate Regional Electric Grid

Supporters say regionalizing the grid would make it easier and cheaper to deploy renewable energy across the western U.S.

June 19, 2018

A for sale sign hangs outside a recently built house Friday, May 4, 2018, near Roseville, Calif. Federal data released Friday shows California has surpassed the United Kingdom to become the world fifth largest economy, with real estate and financial services leading other economic sectors in driving the state's economic growth.

CA is Now the World's 5th Largest Economy

Its economy has now surpassed that of the UK.

May 7, 2018

Semi Submersible Oil Rig During Sunrise 619658356 5616x3744

California Protesting Offshore Drilling

Commissions that oversee coastal areas have stated that they will block pipelines if the Trump administration expands offshore drilling.

February 8, 2018

In this Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015 file photo, Darshan Brahmbhatt, plugs a charger into his electric vehicle at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District charging station in Sacramento, Calif. Calif., Gov Jerry Brown, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, issued and executive order outlining a plan to put 5 million zero-emission vehicles on California's roads by 2030.

CA Targets 5M Zero-Emission Cars

It's a nearly 15-fold increase over the 350,000 zero-emission vehicles already on California's roads.

January 29, 2018

Crews work on one of the sidewalls of the damaged main spillway of the Oroville Dam on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Oroville, Calif. California officials say repair costs at the nation's tallest dam will be nearly double the original estimate of $275 million. The main spillway and emergency spillway suffered significant damage during storms last February, prompting fears of massive flooding.

Dam Repair Will Cost $500M

It will cost a lot to repair the nation's tallest dam after the nearly catastrophic failure.

October 20, 2017

In this Thursday, Aug. 7, 2017 photo, Shift Supervisor Gary Anderson, monitors the power system flow and conditions at the Pacific Gas & Electric grid control center, in Vacaville, Calif. Power grid managers say they've been preparing extensively for more than a year for this Monday's solar eclipse and that by ramping up other sources of power, mainly hydroelectric and natural gas, they are confident nobody will lose power or see a spike in energy prices.

Eclipse to Significantly Impact Solar Power

California will lose enough solar energy to power more than 1.5 million homes.

August 21, 2017