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The News/Media Alliance, a journalism trade organization and advocacy group, on Tuesday asked federal government officials to investigate Google after the tech giant said it would limit links to California news outlets in its search results. The alliance, which represents publishers in the news and magazine industry, said Google’s actions appear “to either be coercive or retaliatory, driven by Google’s opposition to a pending legislative measure in Sacramento.” The proposed state measure in question, called the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), would require tech companies, including Google, who sell advertising alongside news content to pay news publishers. In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, News/Media Alliance Chief Executive Danielle Coffey called on regulators to “investigate whether Google is violating federal law in blocking or impeding their ability to find news that they rely upon for their business, their prosperity, their pleasure, their democracy and, sometimes, their lives.” The L.A. Times is a member of the News/Media Alliance. Google, the Justice Department and the FTC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Google said Friday that it would start to

Voting machine equipment company Smartmatic has settled its lawsuit against San Diego-based right-wing network One America News Network, which it accused of airing false allegations of voter fraud during coverage of the 2020 presidential election. No details of the settlement were disclosed. Smartmatic lawyers on Tuesday filed for a dismissal of the case, which was in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Boca Raton, Fla.-based Smartmatic has filed several lawsuits against conservative outlets that aired former President Trump’s false claims of voter fraud and assertions that President Biden’s victory in 2020 was rigged. The suits alleged that Smartmatic’s business was damaged by the statements made on the channels in the months following the election. The company has a $2.7 billion defamation suit pending against Fox News. Another case against Newsmax is moving forward and could go to trial later this year. Fox News has a counterclaim filed against Smartmatic, saying the suit is an attempt to suppress its 1st Amendment rights. Smartmatic was repeatedly named by Trump lawyers and allies who spread the false election fraud claims in their appearances on the conservative

Editor’s note: Some of the photos in this story may be disturbing to some readers. A missing dog found wrapped in duct tape was rescued from a trash bin earlier this week, according to the Nebraska Humane Society. Employees at the Omaha accounting firm Sweets & Associates reportedly heard an animal rustling around in the dumpster Sunday evening but assumed it was a raccoon. The next day, they discovered a dog in terrible condition inside the bin. His fur was matted with food and dirt, and tape was around his head, legs, and tail, the shelter’s employees said. “I have never seen anything like it,” said Kevin Wiederin, one of the Sweets & Associates staff members, who made the discovery. ABC’s Omaha affiliate KETV reported that the dog, identified as Leo, was rescued and taken to the humane society minutes before the garbage was supposed to be collected. Photo courtesy Nebraska Humane Society Photo courtesy Nebraska Humane Society Photo courtesy Nebraska Humane Society Photo courtesy Nebraska Humane Society Shelter employees sedated Leo and gave him a bath to remove all of the debris and gunk. Aside

The Ventura County Continuum of Care Alliance has released the results for the 2024 Ventura County Homeless Point in Time Count.  The count took place on Jan. 24 and surveyed individuals who met the federal definition of homelessness, including those living unsheltered or in places not meant for human habitation, in addition to residents of emergency shelters and transitional housing on the night of Jan. 23.  About 450 volunteers assisted with the unsheltered surveys across the county, and during the point-in-time count, 2,358 homeless individuals were found, which is 3.4% less—or 83 fewer people—than 2023’s point-in-time count.  Officials looking to expand Joshua Tree National Park, create new California national monument In addition, the Ventura County Continuum of Care Alliance found a “noteworthy” 14.7% increase in sheltered people (from 808 in 2023 to 927 in 2024) and a 12% decrease in unsheltered people (from 1,633 in 2023 to 1,431 in 2024).  SIMI VALLEY, CA – OCTOBER 31, 2019: Homeless encampment is evident near Easy Street in Simi Valley (Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Ventura County officials attribute the decrease in homelessness to

Trump’s trial will impact his ability to campaign for president – CBS News Watch CBS News The judge in former President Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial expects the 2024 presidential candidate to be present during the proceedings in New York. CBS News campaign reporter Olivia Rinaldi has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

April 16, 2024 / 5:33 PM EDT / AP Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. He was 92. Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog’s family. The team did not immediately have additional details about Herzog, who had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals’ home opener. “Whitey Herzog devoted his lifetime to the game he loved, excelling as a leader on and off the field,” Jane Forbes Clark, chair of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors, said in a statement. “Whitey always brought the best out of every player he managed with a forthright style that won him respect throughout the game.” Manager Whitey Herzog of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during a Major League Baseball game at Busch Stadium in St Louis, Missouri, in 1984. Focus On Sport / Getty Images A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who

A visiting businesswoman from Maryland who said she spent additional money to stay at a downtown Los Angeles Hilton hotel in 2021 in hopes of being safe, but instead found her life “drastically changed” by a woman screaming and lighting fires in the establishment, has dropped her suit against the hotel’s property managers. Michele LeNoir’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Crestline Hotels & Resorts LLC alleged premises liability, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. On Friday, her attorneys filed a request for dismissal of the suit with Judge Anne Hwang. The court papers did not state whether a settlement was reached or if LeNoir was not pursuing the case for other reasons. In their court papers filed in November 2022, two months after the case was filed, Crestline attorneys contended that LeNoir’s damages were caused by her own “willful, wanton, and reckless misconduct.” LeNoir, now 55, of Hyattsville, Maryland, a Washington D.C. suburb, checked into a room at the Hilton Checkers Los Angeles on Grand Avenue in October 2021 while on a business trip, according to the suit, which additionally stated that she

Felony charges may be filed Wednesday against a 30-year-old transient suspected of igniting a fire that destroyed four businesses in a Palm Desert strip mall. Natalie Marie Radu was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning Sunday on suspicion of recklessly causing a fire that resulted in property damage and arson in an area under a state emergency. Radu is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Her case was expected to be submitted to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review Tuesday. The suspect’s speedy arraignment window closes Wednesday afternoon. The Plaza de Monterey Shopping Center near the intersection of Country Club Drive and Monterey Avenue sustained massive damage in the blaze that erupted shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday. According to county fire officials, multiple engine crews were sent to the two-alarm blaze and encountered flames raging in one business, spreading rapidly to three neighboring ones in the same 30,000-square-foot single-story building. Along with county fire personnel, firefighters from the Cathedral City and Palm Springs fire departments joined in the containment effort. However, the flames ultimately ravaged Coffee D’Bouteaque, Miracle

Travis Kelce just scored another hosting gig: The three-time Super Bowl champ will lead a spinoff of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Kelce’s iteration of the game show — “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” — will be the famed tight end’s first entry into series television after successfully hosting “Saturday Night Live” last year and starring in the short-lived 2016 E! reality dating show, “Catching Kelce.” Amazon’s Prime Video on Tuesday ordered 20 episodes of the new series, which is being produced by MGM Alternative, a division of Amazon MGM Studios. “I grew up loving game shows, and I’m excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons by hosting my very first one with ‘Are you Smarter than a Celebrity,’” the diversifying star said in a statement. “The original show is a great success, so to be bringing a new format with everyone’s favorite celebrities to the screen, will definitely be entertaining.” The “New Heights” podcast host, who made headlines earlier this year when fans of his girlfriend Taylor Swift resurfaced his unabashed old tweets, added that he’s

Nancy Sexton was elated when city crews cleared out more than 50 RVs in December that had been parked near her business for months, blocking parking spots and leaving behind trash and waste on Forest Lawn Drive. Then she realized the long stretch of road near Barham Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills was suddenly off limits for not just parked RVs, but all parked vehicles. Much of the the curb was painted red. No parking signs lined the sidewalk. “It’s a dumb decision,” said Sexton, who owns the Muse Rooms, which offers leased office spaces. “It’s frustrating.” The more than 50 RVs, which had been stationed along the winding road for months as a semi-permanent living encampment, were removed in December as part of the city’s operation known as Inside Safe. One goal of the program, which is part of Mayor Karen Bass’ initiative to bring people living on the streets indoors, is to end the cycle of homeless encampments being cleared by the city only to return a few weeks later. But days after the RVs were removed, Sexton said, the curb was painted

Tesla is in trouble: Its product line is aging. Sales are stalling. Top executives are fleeing. The stock price is down. The first wave of new Cybertrucks is riddled with quality problems. The low-cost Model 2 recently promised by Chief Executive Elon Musk appears to be dead. Some of Tesla’s most environmentally conscious buyers are signaling their disgust with the behavior of Musk by turning to other brands, even as price cut follows price cut. Those bargain basement deals are squeezing profit margins, though the company remains profitable and still sells more EVs than other automakers. The company’s four auto factories have more car-making capacity than the company has customers. The situation is so serious that on Monday, Musk announced that “more than 10%” of its global workforce would be laid off. How much more Musk did not say. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment for this article, but Musk said in an internal email explaining the layoffs that the company had to seek cost reductions and higher productivity. If Tesla were the only electric car maker under pressure, that alone would