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LAPD officers try to clear the USC campus after a demonstration against the Israel-Hamas war. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles) April 26, 2024 8:33 AM PT A pro-Palestinian encampment has been established on campus at UCLA and was met by Israeli supporters in what is a growing display of tensions among college students and groups in Los Angeles. The USC campus will remain closed to the general public today, though classes will go on as scheduled — two days after nearly 100 people were arrested as police cleared an “occupation” by pro-Palestinian protesters, and one day after the school canceled its upcoming “main stage” commencement amid ongoing security concerns. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Pro-Palestinian demonstrators confront police at USC. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Public safety officers confront pro-Palestinian demonstrators at USC. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles) Protesters are detained by LAPD officers as they tried to clear the USC campus following a demonstration against the Israel-Hamas war. (Ringo Chiu / For The Times) Pro-Palestinian protesters gather near an encampment set up on the campus of UCLA. (Ringo

Poppy Harlow, the journalist who co-hosted CNN’s ill-fated morning program, has decided to leave the news network. Harlow announced her departure Friday in a note to colleagues. She has been off the air since February, when the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network scrapped the format of her program, “CNN This Morning” Harlow, 42, has about 18 months left on her contract but was unable to reach an agreement with management on a new role. Nonetheless, the parting is considered amicable, according to people familiar with the discussions. “Poppy is a unique talent who combines formidable reporting and interviewing prowess with a human touch that the audiences always responded to,” said CNN Chairman Mark Thompson in a note to staff that was shared with The Times. “She’s been a wonderful colleague at CNN, and we know she will have much success in future endeavors.” In her note, Harlow told colleagues she is “excited for what is ahead — and I will be rooting for CNN always.” Harlow is a 16-year veteran of the network. She was tapped to join Don Lemon and Kaitlin Collins for “CNN This

An Inglewood man was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Wednesday for underreporting income he received for his construction services, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Porfirio Estrada, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully aiding and assisting in the filing of a false income tax return last September. In addition to his sentencing in federal court on Wednesday, Estrada was ordered by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi to pay $446,575 in restitution to the IRS. COVID fraudster stole $2.8M, gets 3.5 years in prison The IRS said Estrada purposely filed false tax returns in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He underreported his income gained by roofing and other construction services by nearly $3.2 million. Rather than depositing checks made out to his business and him personally, he often took them to check-cashing services and failed to report that money in his taxes, according to the agency. “Mr. Estrada had multiple opportunities to accurately report his income,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Over a period of three years he willfully and knowingly defrauded

Updated on: April 26, 2024 / 11:59 AM EDT / AP United Methodist Church rejects same-sex marriage United Methodist Church rejects same-sex marriage 00:59 United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church. Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalization” proposal on the third day of their 11-day General Conference, the legislative body of the United Methodist Church, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. The plan would create multiple regional conferences — one for the United States and others covering areas ranging from the Philippines to Europe to Africa. Existing regions outside the United States — known as central conferences — already have the flexibility to adapt church rules to their local contexts, but the jurisdictions in the United States do not. This constitutional change would give the U.S. church that flexibility, while defining autonomy more closely for all of the regions. The vote total easily passed the two-thirds majority required for an amendment to the

April 26, 2024 / 11:45 AM EDT / AP Bucharest, Romania — A court in Romania’s capital on Friday ruled that a trial can start in the case of influencer Andrew Tate , who is charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal ruled that prosecutors’ case file against Tate met the legal criteria but did not set a date for the trial to begin. Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said the ruling had been appealed. Tate, 37, was arrested in December 2022 near Bucharest along with his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four in June last year. They have denied the allegations. “The ruling issued by the preliminary chamber judge lacks legal basis and reasoning,” Eugen Vidineac, one of the brothers’ lawyers, said after the decision. “We have filed a strong appeal as we believe the ruling to be unlawful.”  Andrew Tate, right, and his brother Tristan leaving the tribunal in Bucharest, Romania on Feb. 29, 2024. Vadim Ghirda/AP Ahead of the court’s decision Friday, the legal case had been

Reality star Whitney Port shares her fertility struggles and IVF journey – CBS News Watch CBS News Reality star and designer Whitney Port discusses her new partnership with prenatal vitamin company Perelel and launches the “Fertility, Unfiltered” video series. She also talks for the first time about her personal decision to pursue IVF again after facing challenges in conceiving a second child. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have established an encampment on campus at UCLA, and it has grown to about 50 tents Friday, drawing Israeli supporters to meet them over the past two days. The pro-Palestinian groups and Israeli supporters at UCLA are part of a growing display of tensions among college students and groups in Los Angeles and nationwide, and demonstrations are expected to continue Friday. A day after nearly 100 people were arrested following pro-Palestine protests on the campus of USC Wednesday, a similar protest emerged on the Westwood campus of UCLA, with participants forming an encampment of tents outside Royce Hall. By mid-morning Thursday, several dozen protesters were sitting and milling around inside the encampment, which was established around 4 a.m. The encampment slowly grew as the day wore on, with dozens of tents being erected and more protesters gathering. Organizers of the “Palestine Solidarity Encampment,” similar to their counterparts at USC, issued a list of demands that include divestment of all University of California and UCLA Foundation funds from companies tied to Israel, along with a university call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in

Ricky Martin will headline this year’s LA Pride in the Park festival. June 8’s concert, held in in Chinatown’s L.A. State Historic Park, will be the first Pride festival performance from the Latin pop superstar, who will also be the first out gay Latino to headline the event. “I am thrilled to be headlining L.A. Pride in the Park because it’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate love, diversity, and equality,” Martin said in a statement. “LA Pride is a testament to the power of community, the power of visibility, and the power of standing up for our rights. Being part of this vibrant community fills me with pride and purpose.” Martin is the first act to be announced for LA Pride in the Park, the music-centric event from promoter Christopher Street West that left West Hollywood in 2021 after tensions with local government in the longtime gay enclave. After inaugurating the new 25,000-capacity event in 2022 with Christina Aguilera, last year’s fest booked Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion to headline. West Hollywood’s competing event last year had Grace Jones and Carly Rae Jepsen. “With

Maurice Leon “Mel” Opotowsky, a former newspaper editor and tenacious free press advocate who was known for helping to advance 1st Amendment rights, has died. Opotowsky died April 18 at Claremont Manor retirement community, where he lived with his wife, Bonnie Opotowsky, according to their son, Didier Opotowsky. He said his father’s cause of death is not certain, and that he had Parkinson’s. He was 92. Opotowsky was a top editor at the Riverside Press-Enterprise when the paper brought two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court that resulted in landmark rulings advancing the public’s right to view certain legal proceedings. He was later a founding board member of the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the free press and preserving access to government records and meetings. “I don’t know that there’s another single person in California who had such a positive and long-lasting impact on open government in our state,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. Opotowsky remained an active board member until his death and had emailed Snyder suggesting work the organization could take up just weeks ago

A Los Angeles Metro board member says she is “afraid” and would not ride on the city’s public transportation system alone. The comments were made during a board meeting Thursday where the transit agency’s Board of Directors declared a public safety emergency. “I will not ride our transit system by myself. I am afraid and I sit on Metro, but I will not ride it,” Board Member Kathryn Barger said.   Police tape at the scene of a stabbing that left one woman dead at the Studio City Metro stop on April 22, 2024. (KTLA) Mirna Soza Arauz is seen in an image provided by a family member. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 45-year-old Elliot Tramel Nowden for the random stabbing and murder of a woman on a Metro B Line train approaching the Universal City stop. The incident occurred on April 22, 2024. (KTLA) L.A. Metro passenger stabbed on bus on April 13, 2024. (ANG) Blood-covered hand of a L.A. Metro passenger who was stabbed seen here as paramedics carefully take him off the bus on April 13, 2024. (ANG) Authorities posted this

Using a dummy to drive in the carpool lane is an old trick that law enforcement is well aware of, but that didn’t stop a motorist in Santa Fe Springs from trying it anyway.  “We’ve gotta give it to them, the appearance is next level modeling but at the end of the day… plastic is plastic,” the California Highway Patrol posted on Instagram along with a picture of the mannequin.  A motorist driving in the carpool lane was caught using a mannequin as a passenger. (CHP Santa Fe Springs via Instagram) The unidentified driver may have gotten away with it, had it not been for another carpool lane violation.  A CHP officer actually stopped the vehicle for crossing solid double lines before realizing the driver and their plastic friend were the only occupants. “The goatee was sharp … just a little too sharp,” the CHP’s post read. Man arrested after fleet of stolen cars found at San Bernardino home The driver was subsequently issued a citation for multiple carpool violations. Some comments on the post likened the mannequin’s appearance to legendary rapper Snoop Dogg.