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Democratic Debate: Debate Rivals Attack Warren as She Becomes a Front-Runner

By CaliNews 57 mins ago

Elizabeth Warren repeatedly came under attack during Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate as rivals accused the Massachusetts senator of ducking questions about the cost of Medicare for All and her signature “wealth tax” plan in an attempt to derail her rising campaign. The pile-on reinforced her new status as a front-runner in the contest to take on President Donald Trump next year. With first state primaries rapidly approaching, her many challengers have dwindling opportunities to emerge as powerful alternatives to the progressive agenda she’s championing. The night’s confrontations were mostly fought on familiar terrain for the Democrats, who have spent months sparring over the future of health care with former Vice President Joe Biden and other moderates pressing for a measured approach while Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders call for a dramatic, government-funded overhaul of the insurance market. Still, unlike Sanders, Warren refused to say whether she would raise taxes on the middle class to pay for a Medicare for All universal health insurance plan — a stance that’s increasingly difficult to maintain given her more prominent status. Her rivals seized on the opportunity to pounce.…

Rudy Giuliani, Key Federal Agency Plan to Defy Impeachment Inquiry Subpoenas

By CaliNews 57 mins ago

Rudy Giuliani will defy House Democrats’ impeachment subpoena, a letter his attorney sent to Congress on Tuesday said. Jon Sale, Giuliani’s attorney sent a letter to Congress informing them that Giuliani will not be providing documents that were requested by subpoena. The Office of Management and Budget also does not plan to turn over the documents that impeachment committees subpoenaed, a spokeswoman said, pointing to a letter earlier this month from White House counsel Pat Cipollone saying it speaks for OMB as well. The White House letter slammed the impeachment investigation as “constitutionally illegitimate” and made clear the administration does not plan to cooperate. Giuliani is also now parting ways with his personal attorney Jon Sale who has represented him in impeachment matters, Giuliani told CNN. Sale will stop representing the former New York City mayor shortly, Giuliani told CNN. Sale had been working for Giuliani after the House of Representatives subpoenaed Giuliani for documents related to the ongoing impeachment inquiry. “Jon was helping me with assessing (the) congressional request. He will submit his letter and he will be finished with what I asked him to do,”…

Democrats Weigh Formal Impeachment Vote as Official’s Testimony Quickens Probe

By CaliNews 57 mins ago

House Democrats are gauging support for a vote to formally authorize the impeachment inquiry as another official testified Tuesday in the deepening probe of President Donald Trump’s efforts to have Ukraine investigate Joe Biden. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to meet privately with Democratic lawmakers later Tuesday to survey attitudes about a possible vote, according to people granted anonymity to discuss the planning. She told reporters she’d have more to say “later,” after the evening meeting with House colleagues. Trump, who calls the impeachment inquiry an “illegitimate process,” has pressured Pelosi to take a formal vote. Republicans want to test politically vulnerable Democrats with a roll call that could be difficult in areas where Trump remains popular. But Pelosi has so far resisted, saying Congress is well within its power to conduct oversight of the executive branch as part of the Constitution’s system of checks and balances, and no vote is needed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opened the chamber on Tuesday suggesting Democrats were trying to “cancel out” Trump’s election with the march toward impeachment. The inquiry is moving quickly as a steady stream…

Parents, Teachers Protest How LAUSD Handled School Closures During Saddle Ridge Fire

By CaliNews 58 mins ago

GRANADA HILLS (CBSLA) — Parents and teachers rallied Tuesday outside of a Granada Hills school to protest how Los Angeles Unified School District handled school closures during the devastating Saddle Ridge Fire. Those in attendance were upset over unhealthy conditions inside school classrooms, saying some were covered in ash and smelled of smoke. “All of the buildings just smelled disgusting,” one seventh grade student said at the rally. Because of the fire, the school was closed Friday, but teachers and students were summoned back as early as Monday morning. “When we walked into the classroom, it was an overwhelming stench of damp fire, dirty ash,” said Special Education teacher Lisa Bennett. “There was ash on the floor.” The group was aksing LAUSD to put a clear policy in place so that parents, teachers, and students know what to expect the next time a fire roars through the area. United Teachers Los Angeles President Alex Caputo-Pearl said it all boils down to three simple requests. “The school district should close schools when they need to be closed That didn’t happen on Friday,” he said. “The school…

Exclusive: Violent Huntington Park Hit-And-Run That Left Pedestrian In Coma Caught On Camera

By CaliNews 58 mins ago

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBSLA) — Security footage captured the moment a driver struck a man crossing a Huntington Park street, leaving him in a coma. The hit-and-run occurred early Monday morning at a crosswalk on Florance Avenue. The video shows the man, identified by friends and family as Jonathan Lopez, walking across Florance Avenue at Roseberry Avenue around 1 a.m. Monday. Lopez appears to have been in a crosswalk when a white van quickly approaches him. The van struck Lopez before speeding off. Friends and family said Lopez is in the hospital in a coma and has undergone surgery for a head injury and will soon need another emergency surgery. Lopez’s family said he had just gotten off of work when he was hit. According to family friends, Lopez had children in Honduras and they are trying to contact his family. Anyone with information is asked to contact Huntington Park police.

Glendale Man Wanted in Brutal Hammer Attack Found Dead in Angeles Forest Highway Crash Last Month: Police

By CaliNews 2 hours ago

A Glendale man who was wanted in connection with a brutal hammer attack against his fiancee and her mother was found dead in an Angeles National Forest crash in September, police said Tuesday. The badly decomposed remains of Brian Cruz, 29, were found in a vehicle off Angeles Forest Highway and Big Tujunga Road on Sept. 27, Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles said. Though the vehicle involved in the crash belonged to Cruz, police at the time could not confirm that he had died in the crash. Suttles said the suspect was positively identified as Cruz by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office on Monday. Though the exact manner of death is unclear, Suttles said Cruz died as a result of the crash. There were no signs of gunshot wounds, but Cruz may have committed suicide. Cruz allegedly attacked his fiancee and her mother in their Glendale apartment on July 19. The fiancee, who was not identified, suffered bone fractures to her face and skull as well as multiple broken bones to her hands. In addition, one of her fingers had to be amputated.…

South L.A. Charter School Founder, Son Get Probation for Misusing $200,000 in Taxpayers’ Money

By CaliNews 2 hours ago

The founder of a charter school in South Los Angeles and her son were each sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to misusing $200,000 in taxpayers’ money meant for the campus, prosecutors said Tuesday. Kendra Uzoma Okonkwo, 53, was sentenced to formal probation for five years and 220 hours of community service upon pleading guilty to misappropriation of public funds, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Her 32-year-old son, Jason Chiazom Okonkwo, received three years of formal probation and 180 hours of community service after admitting to the same charge. They are expected to face a restitution hearing on Dec. 6. More than a decade ago, Kendra founded the Wisdom Academy for Young Scientists in an area of South L.A. along the border between Green Meadows and Watts. She later stopped working there due to a conflict of interest. She and her son worked together to steal $200,000 in public funds from the school and funnel it to a business she owned, authorities said. As part of the scam, her son approved fake invoices supposedly for school supplies and food from the business.…

Democratic Debate: Debate Rivals Attack Warren as She Climbs Democrats’ Top Rank

By CaliNews 2 hours ago

Elizabeth Warren repeatedly came under attack during Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate as rivals accused the Massachusetts senator of ducking questions about the cost of Medicare for All and her signature “wealth tax” plan. The pile-on was the clearest sign yet that Warren has a new status in the crowded Democratic primary: a front-runner in the contest to take on President Donald Trump next year. The night’s confrontations were mostly fought on familiar terrain for Democrats, who have spent months sparring over the future of health care with moderates pressing for a measured approach while Warren and Bernie Sanders call for a dramatic, government-funded overhaul of the insurance market. But unlike Sanders, Warren refused to say whether she would raise taxes on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All — a stance that’s increasingly difficult to maintain given her more prominent status. Her rivals seized on the opportunity to pounce. “I appreciate Elizabeth’s work but, again, the difference between a plan and a pipe dream is something you can actually get done,” said Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend,…

Fire at Bay Area Oil Storage Facility Triggers Health Concerns; Communities Sheltering in Place

By CaliNews 2 hours ago

A fire raging at a fuel storage facility in the San Francisco Bay Area prompted a hazardous materials emergency Tuesday afternoon that led authorities to order about 12,000 people in two communities to stay inside with all windows and doors closed. Emergency sirens blared and thick plumes of black smoke and flames filled the skyline around the NuStar Energy LP facility in Crockett, California, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of downtown San Francisco. Video footage of the fire showed flames leading up to an explosion so strong it blew the lid of one of the tanks high into the air. “This is a very dynamic, rapidly evolving situation,” Capt. George Laing of the Contra Costa Fire Department said. “We’ve got two tanks that are releasing chemicals that are still burning.” The primary concern to the public was unhealthy air quality caused by hazardous particulates spewing from the fire. The tanks were part of a cluster of fuel storage facilities along an industrial span next to the Carquinez Strait, a major shipping thoroughfare and a key oil hub. The NuStar facility is also close to…

LA City Council Pushes $30 Minimum Wage For Uber, Lyft Rideshare Drivers

By CaliNews 2 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Some Los Angeles City Councilmembers are fighting for a $30 minimum wage for Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare drivers. The motion has passed through the first stage and it now appears that drivers are on track to get a wage increase. Rideshare drivers gathered in matching neon green shirts gathered in downtown L.A. Tuesday ahead of a City Council meeting to support a motion that would make Los Angeles the first major city in the state to set a minimum pay rate for Uber and Lyft drivers. The motion, set in place by City Councilperson Herb Wesson, would start the process to set a minimum pay rate of $30 per hour. Half of the total pay would go to their wages, while the other half would be used for expenses such as gas. State lawmakers passed AB-5 which makes it possible for cities to regulate rideshare pay and guarantees employee protections for gig workers. Drivers say with the rising cost of living, a pay increase is necessary. “We have more to worry about than just making sure we need to pay…

Body Found In Angeles Forest ID’d As Man Wanted For Attacking Fiancee And Her Mother With Hammer

By CaliNews 2 hours ago

GLENDALE (CBSLA) — A body found inside a vehicle in Angeles Forest was identified Tuesday as a 28-year-old man sought for attacking his fiance and her mother in Glendale earlier this summer, authorities said. On September 26, 2019, a body was found inside of a vehicle just below the Angeles Forest Highway and Big Tujunga Canyon Road. Initial reports from the scene indicated that the vehicle might have been there for some time. L.A. County Coroner records Tuesday showed that a suspect being sought, Brian Cruz, was the person inside the vehicle. On July 29, 2019, Glendale Police Officers were dispatched to the 600 block of West Wilson at 4:15 a.m. in regards to an attempted murder that had taken place. When officers arrived on the scene Cruz had already fled the residence. Cruz was accused of striking his fiancée in the face and head several times with a hammer. The victim suffered several bone fractures to her face and skull as well as multiple broken bones to her hands and an amputated finger. She has since had multiple reconstructive surgeries and is currently undergoing…

L.A. City Council Moves to Stop Landlords’ Rent Hikes, No-Fault Evictions Ahead of New State Rules

By CaliNews 3 hours ago

The Los Angeles City Council took a stopgap step Tuesday to stop no-fault evictions and rent increases, following fears that landlords are hiking rent and removing tenants before new state rental rules take effect in January. In a 13 to 0 vote, the council instructed the city attorney to draft an emergency ordinance that would stop landlords from evicting tenants without sufficient cause, such as failure to pay rent. The council also voted unanimously to draft an ordinance that would limit rent increases for the rest of the year and block evictions for failure to pay rent if recent increases were above the coming state cap. The ordinances must still come before the council for a final vote and, given state restrictions, the city would surely face legal pushback if it tried to cap rents on currently uncontrolled units. Read the full story at LATimes.com.

Woman Suspected in Beverly Hills Stalking Incident Arrested Outside Home of Mayor Garcetti

By CaliNews 3 hours ago

A woman wanted in connection with an alleged stalking incident in Beverly Hills was arrested Monday outside the Getty House, which serves as the residence of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, authorities said. Los Angeles police officers responded to reports of “suspicious activity” and arrested a woman without incident about 5:45 p.m, said Capt. Gisselle Espinoza, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. The woman had an outstanding warrant in Beverly Hills, and was turned over to police there, Espinoza said. Beverly Hills police identified her as Jessica Angela Collins, a 48-year-old Los Angeles resident. Collins was wanted in connection with a stalking incident involving a Beverly Hills business that took place last weekend, said Lt. Elisabeth Albanese, a spokeswoman for the Beverly Hills Police Department. She did not elaborate. Read the full story at LATimes.com.

Former Irvine Police Sergeant Charged With Grand Theft for Falsifying Timecards

By CaliNews 3 hours ago

A former sergeant with the Irvine Police Department was charged with 36 felony counts on Tuesday for stealing more than $68,000 in state funds, the department said. Veteran police officer Matthew Christian August, 47, was charged with 34 felony counts of presenting a false claim and two felony counts of grand theft by an employee, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. August is accused of filing 34 timecards requesting pay for overtime shifts that he never worked between Feb. 25, 2017, and Oct. 19, 2018, authorities said. He is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison if convicted on all counts. The Irvine Police Department initiated an internal investigation in 2018 after spotting inconsistencies in August’s work activity and the overtime hours he reported on his time card. Police then referred the case to the district attorney’s office for further investigation. “Stealing precious taxpayer dollars while wearing the badge only tarnishes that badge, and casts an unwanted shadow over the hundreds of thousands of hard-working law enforcement men and women across the United States who want nothing more than to…

Dozens of New Apartments for Homeless People Could Rise in Chatsworth After City Council Vote

By CaliNews 3 hours ago

Dozens of new apartments for homeless people could rise in Chatsworth after the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to fund a rare proposal to build such housing in the northwestern stretches of the San Fernando Valley. The Topanga Apartments would be the first project in Council District 12 funded by Propositon HHH, a $1.2-billion bond measure approved by voters for homeless housing. Until now, it was the only district in L.A. that had yet to approve any HHH housing. The plan had drawn concerns from Chatsworth residents, the neighborhood council, and the councilman recently elected to represent the area, John Lee, who had said the proposed project was “out of scale” with the neighborhood and was pushed through the approval process without enough community outreach. Lee said Tuesday, however, that he was encouraged that the developer had pledged to hold a community meeting next week. Read the full story at LATimes.com.

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