Category: Los Angeles

WASHINGTON —  The Supreme Court on Monday did not sound ready to sharply limit the power of the Food and Drug Administration to prohibit the sale of new candy-colored vaping products aimed at teenagers. Instead, the justices, both conservative and liberal, said Congress in 2009 gave the agency the power to stop the sale of new tobacco products, and it has used this authority in recent years to reject new vaping flavors with names like “Rainbow Road” and “Peachy Strawberry.” This is exactly the kind of regulatory question that companies hope to get before the conservative Supreme Court, but it was not clear they will win this time. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh questioned the vaping industry’s claim of FDA overregulation, saying its objection rests with the law itself. “You disagree with the statute giving this authority to FDA,” he told an attorney for two companies whose products were denied approval. Justice Elena Kagan agreed. “Everyone knows these flavors are particularly dangerous in terms of kids starting the use of smoking product,” she said. “The FDA has been upfront about this. There is not a lot of

In announcing that he was pardoning his son Hunter in two federal cases, President Biden said the criminal charges “came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.” The president’s claim that the cases were politically motivated — which his son’s camp has long asserted — has been met with skepticism from some corners. Biden was convicted by a jury of illegally purchasing a handgun in Delaware, and he pleaded guilty to tax charges in Los Angeles. Here is what we know about the cases and the pardon. What is the gun case? Earlier this year, a federal jury in Delaware convicted Biden of federal gun crimes, including lying about being drug-free when he purchased and briefly owned a gun while he was addicted to crack cocaine. Biden was on trial for three felony charges, and the jury convicted him of all three. In addition to lying on a federal background check form and giving a false statement to a federal firearms dealer, he was also convicted of possessing a gun while being an

More than 72.3 million people are scouring the internet right now looking for a deal this Cyber Monday. This is the second-most popular day, just after Black Friday, for holiday shoppers to fill their (virtual) carts with gifts for their loved ones, according to the National Retail Federation, which gave the event its name in 2005. Consumers are expected to spend a record $13.2 billion Monday, 6.1% more than last year, according to Adobe Analytics, which has been tracking online shopping behavior. Shoppers who are checking out retailer websites and searching the internet for popular items should be aware of scammers looking to do some shopping of their own. Online fradusters want to steal cardholder information and money on popular online shopping days like Cyber Monday, Visa’s Ecosystem Risk and Control team warns. Here are some tips from experts to help you navigate the busy shopping day and avoid online scams, retailer tricks meant to pressure shoppers into making a purchase, and potential porch thieves who hope to steal packages from your front door. Avoid online scams When you peruse the internet for sales from

The Shen Yun dance group is facing allegations of forced labor and child labor in a lawsuit filed by a former dancer for the troupe. Chun-Ko Chang, who lives in Taiwan but formerly danced for the group, claims Shen Yun runs “a sophisticated operation that is designed to identify and recruit vulnerable people to work as Dancers, ensnare them in a system that dominates every aspect of their lives, and force them to work grueling hours through multiple methods of control and coercion,” as detailed in a lawsuit first reported by Seamus Hughes’ Court Watch. Also listed as defendants are associated entities, Shen Yun’s financial backer the International Bank of Chicago and executives Hongzhi Li, Rui Li and Shujia Gong, who is also known as Tianliang Zhang. Chinese agent who targeted Shen Yun group gets 20 months in prison The suit contains numerous allegations, including that those dancers who are perceived to have stepped out of line are subjected to public humiliation and not allowed to leave the group’s compound or speak with their families. Shen Yun, which advertises itself as a depiction of China

Do Angelenos have the most fun? Well, it might depend on your idea of a good time. A new study by Wallet Hub ranked Los Angeles 18th on its list of Most Fun Cities in America but the City of Angels did finish first in a couple of key metrics. According to the study, Los Angeles was number one out of more than 180 U.S. cities when it came to Restaurants per Capita and was also first in Number of Attractions. Downtown Los Angeles at night. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) Complete Fun in Los Angeles rankings (1=Most Fun, 91=Avg.): Overall rank for Los Angeles: 18th 20th – Festivals per Capita 1st – Restaurants per Capita 35th – Playgrounds per Capita 23rd – Parkland Acres per Capita 88th – Fitness Centers per Capita 6th – Dance Clubs per Capita 1st – Number of Attractions As for the most fun city in the U.S., Wallet Hub declared Las Vegas the big winner. “Las Vegas is the most fun city overall, boasting an extremely large number of attractions and restaurants rated at least 4.5-stars,” Wallet Hub stated.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies have arrested the father of a 9-year-old boy who was recently shot and killed while he was playing in the backyard of his grandfather’s home in Compton, the Sheriff’s Department announced Monday. Homicide detectives honed in on the boy’s father shortly after the shooting on the night of Nov. 30 in the 15000 block of South Haskins Avenue. His arrest was made on the same day that a vigil was held for the boy, whom family identified as Princeton Nicholas Jones. Creole Green, the boy’s mother, could not be immediately reached for comment. In a written statement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified Nicholas Jones, 32, as a murder suspect in the killing. Detectives did not release any details about his arrest. Jones was booked at the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station on suspicion of murder and child abuse resulting in death. He is being held in lieu of a $2 million bail. Reached by phone, Jones’ father declined to comment. In an interview with ABC-7, Green said she was devastated over the loss of her son, who was

The late John McCain — a member of the shrinking tribe of climate-forward Republicans — once griped , “It’s always darkest before it’s totally black.” His gallows humor quip seems apt right now when it comes to the defining challenge of our time: the fight against the climate crisis. That fight suffered a one-two punch over the past month as the stakes grew more dire. Here in North America, we recently saw the destruction caused by hurricanes including Helene and Milton, which have been made more deadly by human-caused warming, as well as wildfires stretching from the West to the East Coast . Yet despite the blinking-red global danger sign, the needed action seems more out of reach than ever. Limiting planetary warming below a truly dangerous 1.5 degrees Celsius (almost 3 degrees Fahrenheit) feels less attainable than it did just a few weeks ago. Physically, it’s still within reach: The “carbon budget” we have for keeping planetary warming below that level has not yet shrunk to zero . Existing renewable energy from wind, solar and geothermal sources, combined with energy storage, also makes it

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair apologized to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Monday morning, a day after Al-Shaair’s late and violent hit led to Lawrence being carted off the field with a concussion and sparked two ugly skirmishes during a game between the AFC South rivals at EverBank Stadium in Florida. On a second-down play during the second quarter, Lawrence scrambled to his left then initiated a slide that should have ended the play. Instead, Al-Shaair appeared to continue at full speed, crashing into the defenseless quarterback’s facemask with his forearm. In a lengthy X post, Al-Shaair said he “genuinely didn’t see [Lawrence] sliding until it was too late,” adding that “it all happens in the blink of an eye.” Lawrence, who was making his first start after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, remained on the ground for several minutes. Al-Shaair was ejected for “an illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessary, to the neck and head area,” referee Land Clark said in a pool report. “To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening,” Al-Shaair wrote on X.

Amazon vice president of global operations on Cyber Monday – CBS News Watch CBS News Sarah Rhoads, vice president of global operations for Amazon, joined CBS News to talk about how holiday sales have gone so far this year and the company’s preparations for Cyber Monday. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Will Biden comment on Hunter Biden pardon decision? – CBS News Watch CBS News White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden made the decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden over the weekend. CBS News’ Willie James Inman has more on Mr. Biden reversing his stance on the pardon as he begins his trip to Africa before departing the White House in January. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

A San Fernando Valley man charged with slapping an autistic child at a bus stop is set to appear in court on Monday.  Scott Sakajian was charged with willful cruelty to a child and battery on a person by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in connection with a July 1 incident involving 10-year-old Alfredito Morales.  The boy had touched the emblem on Sakajian’s Mercedes-Benz sedan while Alfredo and his older sister Claudia were crossing the street.  Read this before you shop on Cyber Monday Sakajian immediately made a U-turn and followed the siblings to a bus stop near Laurel Canyon Drive and Osborne Street before stepping out of the car, walking up to the bench Alfredo was sitting on and slapping him as Claudia tried to intervene.  Cell phone video – which later went viral on social media – shows Claudia explaining that he has autism, but the man still struck the boy.  A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has arrested the father of a 9-year-old Compton boy in the child’s shooting death on Saturday. Princeton Jones, who was shot while playing outside his grandfather’s home at Haskins Avenue and Alondra Boulevard at around 7:40 p.m., was killed by his father, 32-year-old Nicholas Jones, officials said in a news release. The elder Jones was arrested on Sunday on charges of murder and child abuse resulting in death, the release added. Jail records show he is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the East Los Angeles Station. He’s due to appear in Compton Municipal Court on Tuesday. Compton family holds vigil for 9-year-old killed in shooting Further details were not disclosed by investigators, but on Sunday, Najee Ali, director of Project of Islamic Hope, said the child was “shot down in cold blood” and implied that gang violence could be the cause. “There used to be a time where women and children were off limits to murder and gang violence,” Ali told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “Unfortunately, those days are long gone.” The family has set up a

A season of protests, forfeits and lawsuits ended quietly Saturday on the volleyball court with San José State losing the Mountain West Conference women’s tournament final to Colorado State. The loss deprived San José State from claiming the conference’s automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament, which could have extended the controversy centered on the team’s transgender player. Instead, top-seeded Colorado State earned the automatic bid by winning in four sets. Fewer than 200 spectators attended the match at UNLV, and the fans were respectful, cheering every player during pregame introductions and during the action. Players encouraged one another throughout the match and exchanged hugs when it was over. The only bit of political activity came when Colorado State star player Malaya Jones and teammates Kennedy Stanford and Naeemah Weathers knelt during the national anthem. Colorado State coach Emily Kohan told reporters the players have knelt before matches since 2020. “They’ve knelt since their freshman year, when the Black Lives Matter movement was going on, and, in this program, we raise critical thinkers to make decisions for what’s important to them,” Kohan said. “And, for

The Golden State (5) Freeway in Santa Clarita will be closed for three days, starting Monday, for construction of overhead signs as part of the North County Enhancement Project. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and California Department of Transportation will close the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 from Calgrove Boulevard to state Route 14 beginning Monday from 10 p.m. until Tuesday at 4 a.m. Detour signs will be posted and motorists should expect delays. Construction crews will install three new signs along the southbound I-5 from Calgrove Boulevard to the state Route 14/I-5 interchange. The $679 million project will continue until Thursday morning. The southbound I-5 closures will be: Monday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday Wednesday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday The primary detour for southbound travelers on the I-5 are to exit at Newhall Ranch Road and continue east on Newhall Ranch Road/Golden Valley Road to the southbound SR-14/I-5 Interchange. For local drivers traveling southbound on I-5, exit at Calgrove Boulevard, continue south on The Old Road, south on San

A Woodland Hills homeowners group is challenging the city of Los Angeles’ approval of a site for a new In-N-Out, saying the business’ potential negative environmental impact on their neighborhood has not been properly assessed. The West Valley Alliance for Optimal Living petition asks a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to set aside the city’s approval of the project and put it on hold until the cumulative effects of traffic, noise and water quality are evaluated. A representative for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the petition brought Nov. 25. The project site is within the Canoga Park-Winnetka-Woodland Hills-West Hills Community Plan, which the petition says is aimed at helping homeowners promote, preserve and rehabilitate local neighborhoods while balancing commercial interests. The construction area includes a vacant former Bank of America building and consists of just under 40,000 square feet along Ventura Boulevard near Rigoletto and Del Valle streets and Fallbrook Avenue. On Oct. 1, the City Council adopted the recommendations of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee and found that the project is exempt from

Elton John says he struggled to watch new musical after losing eyesight Elton John says he struggled to watch new musical after losing eyesight 02:09 Pop icon Elton John said on Sunday that he struggled to see his new musical, “The Devil Wears Prada” after losing his eyesight because of an eye infection.   John gave audience members an update on his condition at the conclusion of the musical’s opening night at London’s Dominion Theatre, which was also a charity gala for the Elton John AIDS foundation.  “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I’ve lost my eyesight so, it’s hard for me to see it,” he said. “But I love to hear it and it quite sounded good tonight.”   Shaina Taub, Sir Elton John and David Furnish speak on stage at “The Devil Wears Prada Musical” charity gala night in support of the Elton John Aids Foundation at The Dominion Theatre on December 1, 2024 in London. Dave Benett John, 77, revealed in September that he had been dealing with a “severe eye infection” that left

Elton John says he struggled to watch new musical after losing eyesight – CBS News Watch CBS News Elton John said Sunday that he’s lost his eyesight and struggled to watch his new musical during the opening night of “The Devil Wears Prada,” for which he wrote the score. John revealed in September that he had an eye infection that left him with limited vision in one eye and it would take “some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.” Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

By Duarte Dias December 2, 2024 / 11:59 AM EST / CBS News Sex workers in Belgium have been given the right to health insurance, maternity leave, sick pay and other employment benefits under a new world-first law. The new legislation will allow sex workers to enter into employment contracts and benefit from the same rights and legal protections as any other employee, which also includes pension, unemployment benefits and annual vacation. Consensual prostitution was already decriminalized in the European country but until now it existed under a legal gray area. “I am a very proud Belgian sex worker right now,” an author and sex worker who goes by the name of Mel Meliciouss online, tells her Instagram followers in a video. “This is a very important step for us as sex workers. [Employers] cannot force you to do something you don’t want to do,” she adds.  A view of an empty chair inside of a sex worker’s booth, in Antwerp, Belgium. Virginia Mayo / AP The new law does not apply to self-employed sex workers but will prevent employers with a previous history of

By Kaia Hubbard Updated on: December 2, 2024 / 11:53 AM EST / CBS News Rep. Boyle unpacks looming shutdown deadline Unpacking the looming government shutdown deadline with Rep. Brendan Boyle 05:33 Washington — Congress returns this week from a Thanksgiving recess with a number of priorities to get through before the end of the year, while a deadline to fund the government looms over lawmakers.  With the new Congress set to be sworn in on Jan. 3, lawmakers are pushing through a list of to-dos in the coming weeks in the lame-duck session, while Republicans gear up for leadership in Washington next year.  But first, Congress must address government funding, since lawmakers only have until Dec. 20 to approve new spending. And although a shutdown remains unlikely, leaders will need to reach an agreement on a short-term funding measure in the weeks ahead.  Funding the government  In September, lawmakers approved a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through Dec. 20, setting a pre-holiday deadline to prevent a shutdown that has become commonplace for Congress. With frustration among some conservatives over the practice, House

The soft-spoken 18-year-old had run out of food for his three younger siblings. He told the Canoga Park High School counselor that his mother was disappearing for days at a time, leaving him and his siblings, ages 11, 3 and 1, with hardly anything to eat. He filled his stomach with water to stave off the hunger. The senior, Alvondo Williams Jr., was sent home May 6 with a cooler filled with bread, milk, sandwich meat and cereal. The counselor then called the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services hotline to report possible neglect in a home with “more condiments than food.” Over the next two days, an LAPD officer and then a DCFS social worker toured the family’s Canoga Park apartment. Both took the full refrigerator — stocked with food the school had just provided — as a sign the children had enough to eat, according to DCFS records obtained by The Times. Despite receiving several reports this spring about a family with an absent mother and gnawing hunger, the DCFS never opened a case — even after another school counselor

Trump calls pardon for Hunter Biden a “miscarriage of justice” – CBS News Watch CBS News President-elect Donald Trump has issued a scathing response to President Biden’s pardon for his son Hunter, saying on social media that the pardon is “an abuse and miscarriage of justice” and asking if the Jan. 6 “hostages” are included. CBS News senior White House correspondent Nancy Cordes has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On