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Los Angeles

‘How could this have happened to my beautiful boy?’: Family of man killed by LAPD seeks answers

The family of a man shot and killed by the Los Angeles Police Department in Koreatown earlier this month is demanding answers from the city. Yong Yang, 40, was killed on May 2 after he allegedly brandished a kitchen knife toward officers who arrived to the 400 block of Gramercy Place on reports of a man experiencing a mental health episode. Armed man killed by LAPD while mental health officials tried to detain him, police say The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, which initially responded to the reports, told officers that Yang was bipolar with schizoaffective disorder, and police said in a news release that he showed “erratic and threatening behavior.” Police shoot, kill man allegedly armed with knife in Koreatown Yang’s family, however, claim police sent nine officers to the scene and those officers responded using a “military-style maneuver,” according to the family’s attorney, Robert Sheahen. The family is also represented by Alison Triessl, who also is a legal analyst for KTLA. “How could this have happened to my beautiful boy?” asked Myung Sook Yang, Yang’s mother. “We tried to do everything

Los Angeles

New storms slam Southern U.S. after deadly tornadoes

New storms slam Southern U.S. after deadly tornadoes – CBS News Watch CBS News More severe weather is in store for the South just one day after deadly tornadoes swept through the region. CBS News national correspondent Dave Malkoff is on the ground in Columbia, Tennessee. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Los Angeles

Netanyahu pushes back after Biden threatens to withhold more weapons

Netanyahu pushes back after Biden threatens to withhold more weapons – CBS News Watch CBS News Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will “stand alone” after President Biden said he would withhold or restrict weapons shipments to the country if it invades Rafah. CBS News foreign correspondent Ramy Inocencio has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Los Angeles

Breaking down Stormy Daniels’ final day of Trump trial testimony

Breaking down Stormy Daniels’ final day of Trump trial testimony – CBS News Watch CBS News Adult film actor Stormy Daniels on Thursday wrapped two days of testimony in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial. Trump’s lawyers tried to poke holes in her story about an alleged sexual encounter with the former president. CBS News campaign reporter and attorney Katrina Kaufman has the latest. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Inland Empire

These are SCNG’s finalists for the 66th SoCal Journalism Awards

The Southern California News Group was well-represented among the finalists for the 2024 SoCal Journalism Awards. The Los Angeles Press Club announced the finalists for the 66th annual awards on Thursday, May 9, and SCNG had 27 total finalists across 20 categories – including a possible journalist of the year. Staff writer Beau Yarbrough, who writes for The Sun and SCNG’s other Inland Empire publications, was named a finalist for journalist of the year in the “print, circulation under 50,000” category. To be eligible for journalist of the year, a candidate must also be a finalist in multiple other categories. Yarbrough is also a finalist in three other categories: Public service news or feature (any type of media) for the story, “Here’s how much military hardware law enforcement agencies have in Riverside, San Bernardino counties.” National political/government reporting (any type of media) for the story, “How much did your member of Congress get done last term?” Investigative (newspapers, under 50,000 circulation) for  the story, “San Bernardino County officials expected milder storms before mountains were hammered, records show.” SCNG, which comprises 11 daily news publications and

Inland Empire

Pomona, Occidental colleges face civil rights complaints over alleged antisemitic bullying

Two Southern California colleges have become the latest institutions to face allegations for “caving to the anti-Semitic mob and letting them bully, harass, and intimidate Jewish students,” amid student calls for divestment from Israel. The allegations against Pomona College in Claremont and Occidental, in Eagle Rock, on Thursday, May 9, came as campus unrest continued to simmer at colleges across Southern California and the nation. Officials readied for planned graduations amid continued outcry over the official response to large protests calling for colleges to divest from Israel. Those calls were amplified at UCLA Thursday, as more than 800 University of California faculty and staff called for the resignation of UCLA Chancellor Gene Block over the handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment and related violence that erupted on the Westwood campus. But the outcry further ramped up in Claremont, where at Pomona College, administrators were vowing to have a graduation even as student protesters were physically dismantling parts of the graduation stage. Allegations against Occidental, Pomona The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Anti-Defamation League announced on Thursday, May 9, that they

San Diego

Stormy Daniels delivers shocking testimony about Trump, but trial hinges on business records

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s defense attorney on Thursday accused Stormy Daniels of slowly altering the details of an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, trying to convince jurors that a key prosecution witness in the former president’s hush money criminal trial cannot be believed. “You have made all of this up, right?” lawyer Susan Necheles asked. “No,” Daniels shot back. As the jury looked on, the two women traded barbs over what Necheles said were inconsistencies in Daniels’ description of the encounter with Trump in a Nevada hotel suite. He denies the whole story. But despite all the talk over what may have happened in that hotel room, despite the discomfiting testimony by the adult film actor that she consented to sex in part because of a “power imbalance,” the case against Trump doesn’t rise or fall on whether her account is true or even believable. It’s a trial about money changing hands — business transactions — and whether those payments were made to illegally influence the 2016 election. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying internal Trump Organization business records. The

San Diego

Warming trend on tap for weekend in mountains, deserts

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5) — Here’s what’s trending in weather: evening and morning low clouds will give way to beautiful afternoon sun Thursday and seasonal temperatures the rest of the week and into the weekend.   Sunshine is plentiful from the coast to the desert Thursday afternoon after many areas started the day with overcast conditions. The marine layer deepened overnight which led to slower clearing, especially along the coast, but eventually it gave way to blue skies.  Temps are topping out in the upper 60s at the beach, mid-70s inland and in the mountains and mid-80s in the deserts. Similar conditions are expected for Friday with a slight warm up for everyone Saturday and Sunday.  This weekend is set to be gorgeous one in San Diego, contrary to the May Gray pattern the region typically experiences this time of year.

San Diego

Who could see the northern lights amid ‘very rare’ geomagnetic storm watch

(NEXSTAR) — It’s been an active month of solar weather so far, and experts are now predicting we could see the best outcome of all: the northern lights. Current predictions show the aurora may shimmer across much of the U.S., even reaching a rare southern extent. Since the start of May, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has been tracking numerous solar flares and coronal mass ejections. While none seem to have been as strong as the X5 flare detected on New Year’s Eve, they have sparked multiple geomagnetic storm warnings. The latest coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, were so strong, it prompted the SWPC to issue a G4 geomagnetic storm watch on Thursday ahead of their anticipated arrival. This warning level is “very rare,” the SWPC noted, but it could also spark quite the celestial show in the coming days. What does this all mean, and will you have a chance to see the northern lights soon? Let’s explain. What are solar flares and coronal mass ejections? “A flare is an eruption of energy from the sun that generally lasts minutes to hours,” the

Los Angeles

Son of beloved Burbank teacher charged with her murder

Prosecutors on Thursday filed a murder charge against the Burbank man accused of killing his own mother, a beloved teacher in the Burbank Unified School District. Authorities say Kyle Lombardo, 25, killed his mother Karyn Lombardo, 57, during an altercation at the family’s home on North Avon Street Tuesday evening. Karyn had worked at Bret Harte Elementary School for over 30 years.  “It is also my understanding at this time that this tragedy is the result of an accident following an altercation between a son and a mother who my client deeply loved,” said Jimmy Chu, a public defender assigned to Kyle’s case. Chu claims the death was accidental, but did not provide further details. He also said a weapon was not used during the altercation. Karyn’s official cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, according to the coroner’s office. Kyle Lombardo, 25, is seen in a personal photo. Karyn Lombardo (Burbank Unified School District) Vince and Karyn Lombardo, who have been married for 31 years, are seen together in a family photo. Kyle Lombardo, 25, is seen in a personal photo. A

Los Angeles

Deputies shoot, kill man ‘jumping’ in traffic in Victorville

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man in Victorville on Thursday. The deputies responded to the intersection of Mariposa Road and Locust Avenue for reports of a pedestrian hit by two vehicles, department spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said. According to the Victor Valley News Group, when deputies arrived at about 10 a.m., they discovered the pedestrian was “jumping in and out of traffic, just prior to being struck by the two vehicles.” “The man proceeded to get up, and ran towards deputies with an unknown object, according to an eyewitness,” the outlet added. Officers then opened fire, sending at least five rounds toward the man, witnesses told VVNG. The man was struck at least once and was declared dead at the scene, Rodriguez said. Nidia Becerra contributed to this report.

Los Angeles

Are California drivers stuck with high gas prices for good?

A year after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill aimed at punishing oil companies for allegedly gouging drivers with high gas prices, no clear evidence has emerged that gouging is actually taking place. That acknowledgment came from the state’s Energy Commission during a Senate oversight hearing in Sacramento on Tuesday. Oil refiners, however, were not given a pass, as data showed their profit margins soared by more than 200% when prices at the pump spiked in 2022 and 2023. “None of the industry [representatives] in our good faith discussions dispute that during these times, their profits go up a lot,” California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda told the panel. “So, who’s to decide how high can you go during those times? That’s what we’re trying to think through.” Newsom relaxes refinery rules as California gas prices soar Senate Bill x1-2 was drafted during a special session convened after gas prices reached an average of $6.39 per gallon in California, $2.58 above the national mark, in October 2022. Outrage among drivers and lawmakers reached a boiling point, and democrats, led by Newsom, hoped the

Los Angeles

Judge declines to modify Trump gag order in “hush money” trial

Judge declines to modify Trump gag order in “hush money” trial – CBS News Watch CBS News Adult film actor Stormy Daniels finished her testimony on the witness stand Thursday after a second day in former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial. Judge Juan Merchan also denied Trump’s request to modify the gag order in the case. CBS News national correspondent Jericka Duncan has the details. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Los Angeles

2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after Utah avalanche

Updated on: May 9, 2024 / 8:04 PM EDT / CBS/AP 2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after Utah avalanche 2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after Utah avalanche 01:24 Two skiers were killed and a third survived following an avalanche Thursday in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said. The Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake confirmed to CBS News on Thursday afternoon that two of the skiers died in the avalanche and a third was rescued.  Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera had earlier reported that the rescued skier had dug himself out of the snow, was rescued by midday and taken to a hospital. A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter carries rescuers from Hidden Valley Park on May 9, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. One skier was rescued and two were killed following an avalanche in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. The slide happened after several days of spring snowstorms. Rick Bowmer / AP A rescue team in a helicopter flew over the area Thursday afternoon and confirmed the other two

Los Angeles

Major shift in U.S., Israel relations after Biden threatens to withhold weapons

Major shift in U.S., Israel relations after Biden threatens to withhold weapons – CBS News Watch CBS News President Biden said the U.S. will stop supplying Israel with weapons if it expands military operations into Rafah. CBS News foreign correspondent Ramy Inocencio reports on reactions from Israeli officials, and chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes breaks down Mr. Biden’s latest moves. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Bay Area

South San Francisco passes Gaza ceasefire resolution

After hundreds of activists urged the South San Francisco City Council to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, councilmembers voted 4-0 (with one abstention) this week to pass a resolution calling for an end to the war, the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas in an attack on Oct. 7, and the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Oct. 7 attack also killed 1,200 Israelis. Israel’s war in Gaza following the attack has killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. “The City of South San Francisco acknowledges the suffering of the peoples of Palestine and Israel, who have been denied the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential, and affirms our shared humanity,” read the resolution. South San Francisco became the second city on the Peninsula to call for a ceasefire, following East Palo Alto, which adopted a similar resolution last month. While a local resolution may not have a direct impact on foreign policy, pro-Palestinian activists believe measures like the one passed Wednesday night in South San Francisco might have a ripple effect on other cities, which could

Bay Area

‘This delay is egregious’: Newsom threatens Half Moon Bay with legal action for holding up farmworker housing

Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening Half Moon Bay with potential legal action if city officials continue delaying approval of a 40-unit farmworker housing project more than a year after seven local farmworkers were killed in a mass shooting that exposed deplorable living conditions at some farms along the coast. Last week, the city’s planning commission, citing concerns about the project’s design, voted to push back a decision on an affordable housing complex at 555 Kelly Ave. The developer has said that if project plans aren’t finalized soon, it could mean losing out on the public funding needed to start construction on the $43 million project. “This delay is egregious and jeopardizes the well-being of Californians,” Newsom said in a statement Thursday. The governor, who’s made boosting housing construction a top priority, said the state’s Housing Accountability Unit — formed in 2021 to crack down on local officials who skirt state housing laws — is “reviewing the city’s actions and will take all necessary steps to hold Half Moon Bay accountable if the project does not move forward.” During a public hearing last week, commissioners said

Bay Area

Jury awards teens $1 million after expulsion from Mountain View private school over face-mask photo

A Santa Clara County jury awarded $1 million and tuition reimbursement to the families of two teenage boys whose Mountain View private school expelled them after a photo surfaced of them in a green acne medication face mask — which was described by some as racially-insensitive blackface. The teens and their parents sued Saint Francis High School, a private Catholic high school in Mountain View, stating that administrators forced them to leave the school without a proper investigation after the photo of three boys wearing a dark green facial mask surfaced. The jury, which handed down its decision Monday, sided with the boys that the school’s expulsion lacked due process. The jury also agreed that the school breached an oral contract after promising that they would not share the reason for the school transfer with other schools, then reversing their decision, said Krista Baughman, partner at Dhillon Law Group, which represented the plaintiffs in the case. “Since the day this happened, the clients were cast with this accusation that wasn’t true,” Baughman said. “They’re young men. They’ve got their whole lives ahead of them. The

Bay Area

Google, Rivian Automotive trim Bay Area jobs as tech layoffs persist

Google and Rivian Automotive have decided to trim more tech jobs in the Bay Area, official state government filings show, a disquieting reminder that the crucial industry continues to hunt for ways to slash labor costs. The two tech companies disclosed their decisions for more Bay Area layoffs in filings sent to the state Employment Development Department. Google has decided to trim 57 jobs in San Francisco. These arrive on the heels of Google’s recent decision to cut 50 jobs in Sunnyvale. Rivian Automotive intends to cut 29 jobs in Palo Alto. The electric vehicle maker also decided to cut jobs in Southern California. Both companies said the layoffs would be permanent, according to the filings with the state EDD. Google said it planned to make its layoffs effective on June 9. Rivian Automotive said its staffing reductions would take place on June 18. Since the tech industry’s bouts of layoffs began more than two years ago, these 10 companies have eliminated the most tech jobs in the Bay Area. The period stretches from January 2022 to early May 2024: — Facebook app owner Meta

Bay Area

CAAMFest returns to SF with a rich lineup of Asian films

Exceptional female-focused features drive this year’s slate of films at CAAMFest, the annual Center for Asian American Media festival that celebrates and spotlights Asian culture, from film to food. The festival runs May 9-19 in San Francisco, with a screening in Oakland May 19, coinciding with Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month. In addition to standout films that focus on women, and often directed and written by women, there will be performances, talks and tempting food experiences. The festival kicks off at 6:30 p.m. May 9 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts with directors Hao Wu and Miao Wang’s insightful, creatively told documentary “Admissions Granted,” detailing the history of cases leading up to the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling striking down affirmative action in higher education. An opening party follows at the Asian Art Museum. “And So It Begins,” which recounts the end of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s reign and chronicles the ensuing 2022 presidential election there, is the festival’s excellent closing night documentary. It’s directed by heralded filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz, and is a companion piece to her film “A Thousand Cuts,” about the relationship between the press

Los Angeles

‘Black Twitter: A People’s History’ tells how humor and hashtags fostered a subculture

When Hulu announced that it would be releasing a docuseries about Black Twitter, the streamer got an immediate earful from … Black Twitter. Users complained of appropriation, of big media big-footing, of The Man swooping in to claim a piece of a sacred subculture. As one person posted on the platform, “The Black Twitter response to the Black Twitter doc is so very #BlackTwitter.” The makers of “Black Twitter: A People’s History,” the three-part series that premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March and debuted on Hulu Thursday, expected nothing less. “There’s a fear of how we’re going to be represented in Hollywood,” said executive producer and director Prentice Penny, alongside executive producer and showrunner Joie Jacoby and producer Jason Parham at SXSW. “There’s a fear about who’s telling this story. It’s right to be skeptical because Hollywood sometimes has not been responsible about these things.” “It’s because they love it as much as we love it,” Jacoby said. “And they want to make sure that we’re doing it right. It’s a big responsibility.” Director Prentice Penny, left, showrunner Joie Jacoby and