TBS Today, July 26

Today we have news of a disturbing situation underway on Oxford Street in North Berkeley, where two suspicious fires have put authorities and residents on alert.

Suspicious fires in Berkeley under investigation as arson

Some units have been red-tagged and residents say they are worried after two fires in a week: “The first time was bad enough. This was far worse.”

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Some units have been red-tagged and residents say they are worried after two fires in a week: "The first time was bad enough. This was far worse."

We also have the full rundown on last night's council meeting: A City Council majority voted Tuesday night to let Berkeley police use automated license plate readers in their efforts to fight crime.

Berkeley approves license plate readers for police

Berkeley police hope to roll out the new license plate reader program in the fall. Locations have not been chosen but will be public when they are.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Some community members, including the Police Accountability Board, came out in strong opposition to the proposal, citing concerns about civil liberties and a lack of data showing the readers to be effective.

But, in the end, most city officials said the policy addressed many of the concerns and will be limited to a two-year pilot with 52 readers mounted around the city.

Don't miss our full report.