Category: Los Angeles

A judge on Tuesday ordered Southern California Edison to preserve data, equipment and evidence related to the deadly Eaton fire, a decision praised by attorneys who sued the giant utility company and suspect the fire was started at the base of an electrical tower. Issued by L.A. Superior Court Judge Ashfaq G. Chowdhury Tuesday morning, the ruling approved a temporary restraining order requested by attorneys for an Altadena woman whose home was burned in the fire and is now suing the utility company. In their request, attorneys asked the court to intervene and order Edison to preserve evidence out of concern the company would destroy evidence linked to the fire. The ruling is significant because investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have focused their investigation on a hillside in Eaton Canyon and the base of an Edison electrical tower, where residents captured video footage of the first flames of the destructive fire burning at the beginning of the blaze on Jan. 7. Attorneys for at least one of the homeowners suing Southern California Edison have asked that equipment and data beyond

WASHINGTON  —  A day after President Trump issued 11 executive orders cracking down on illegal immigration, advocates and a coalition of states led by California are preparing for court battles against an administration that appears to have learned from previous legal missteps made during Trump’s first term. Among the many sweeping changes in Trump’s orders were the declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, the revocation of birthright citizenship and the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Immigrants and those who hoped to immigrate to the U.S. are reeling from the news. Thousands of migrants are indefinitely stranded in Mexico after Trump ended use of a phone app and canceled long-standing appointments by asylum seekers for legal entry. Afghan refugees who had been cleared for travel to the United States are now in limbo after Trump paused refugee resettlement. Undocumented immigrants in Chicago and other cities across the country stayed home out of fear of planned immigration raids. Legal experts said subtle modifications to some of the orders reflected attempts by the Trump administration to beat back legal challenges preemptively. “Some

The TV viewership for President Trump’s historic second inauguration fell far short of the audience for his first ceremony in 2017 and former President Biden’s 2021 event. Nielsen data showed Trump’s festivities averaged 24.6 million viewers across 15 networks from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern, a decline of 27% from four years ago. The figure was also down 20% from Trump’s first inauguration. The audience level for a presidential inauguration are historically far lower for incumbents elected to a second term. But there is no comparable situation for Trump, the first president elected to a second nonconsecutive term since Grover Cleveland in 1892. The ratings for cable news outlets broke down along political leanings, with conservative-leaning Fox News pulling 10.3 million viewers from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance were sworn in and the president spoke to the gathering in the Capitol Rotunda. CNN averaged 1.7 million viewers for the proceedings while progressive MSNBC scored 848,000 viewers. Inauguration viewing peaked overall in the 12:15 p.m. Eastern quarter hour at 34.4 million, falling short of the 40 million

Did TikTok legally have to shut down, or did its leadership choose to? – CBS News Watch CBS News President Trump signed an executive order delaying a nationwide ban on TikTok for 75 days. The move comes after the app was unavailable in the U.S. for around 12 hours over the weekend. CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson and dosomething.org CEO DeNora Getachew break it down. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

By Meg Oliver, Alicia Hastey January 21, 2025 / 7:47 PM EST / CBS News 4 teens swap smartphones for flip phones What happened when 4 teens swapped their smartphones for flip phones 03:58 For 14-year-old Ben Cohen-Vigder, accidentally losing his smartphone on the school bus last February ended up gaining him so much more.  “I was without my phone for like two days and I realized how my days were so much longer and full,” Ben said. It was so much better that the 8th grade lacrosse goalie made the radical choice to get a flip phone, giving him the ability to communicate without all the smart features — and distractions. A growing number of experts are sounding the alarm about increased screen time and the effect it has on kids and teens. In a 2023 advisory on social media use and mental health, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recommended creating “tech-free zones” and encouraging kids to “foster in-person friendships.” Meanwhile, several states have taken steps to ban cellphones in schools. Swapping smartphones for flip phones Ben said he used to average

Mail and retail operations have resumed at select post office locations impacted by the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles County. The following locations have reopened. La Cañada Flintridge 607 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011-9998   Hours of operation: Mon – Fri: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sat: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.   Malibu Post Office 23838 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265-9994   Hours of operation: Mon – Fri: 9 a.m.– 5 p.m. Sat: 9:30 a.m.– 1:30 p.m.   Woodland Hills Post Office 21200 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367-9998   Hours of operation: Mon – Fri: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Sat: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.   Encino Station 5805 White Oak Ave., Encino, CA 91316-9998   Hours of operation: Mon – Fri: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sat: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.   Topanga Post Office 101 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd.,Topanga, CA 90290-9998 Hours of operation: Mon – Fri: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Sat: 10 a.m. – noon The Altadena, La Costa Malibu Station and Pacific Palisades post offices have been relocated, and customers can pick up mail

A suspect was taken into custody after a police chase ended with a crash in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley Tuesday afternoon. The pursuit began at about 2:52 p.m. when, according to LAPD, officers with the North Hollywood Division attempted to stop the suspect, who was “wanted” for an undisclosed crime. Two minutes later, the suspect crashed along Vanowen Street just west of the 170 Freeway in Valley Glen. Sky5 footage showed the suspect’s white SUV overturned next to a utility pole. Police said the suspect jumped out of the SUV and tried to run away but was quickly apprehended. They were treated by paramedics at the scene, Sky5’s Gil Leyvas reported.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man while responding to a report of domestic violence in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles Tuesday morning. A woman called for help at about 1:30 a.m., telling officials that her ex-boyfriend arrived at her home in the 1500 block of East 77th Place, “threatened her and was armed with a gun,” the LASD said in a news release. That man, who has not been identified, was located by deputies in the 7600 block of Compton Avenue. He tried to run, pulled out a handgun and opened fire at deputies, prompting them to return fire, the LASD said. The man was struck at least one time and was declared dead at the scene. No deputies were hurt, and authorities said they found a gun at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

MEXICO CITY —  Mexico will not object to President Trump’s plan to force asylum seekers detained at the southwest border to wait in Mexico until their cases are heard in U.S. immigration courts, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday. Sheinbam did not endorse Trump’s controversial Remain in Mexico policy but said Mexico would accept returned noncitizen asylum seekers as a “humanitarian” gesture, and would work to repatriate them to their homelands in Central America and elsewhere. Sheinbaum’s comments at her daily news conference were her first on Trump’s inaugural-day blitz of executive orders, including several directly affecting Mexico and others overhauling U.S. immigration and border policy. Sheinbaum, a leftist who took office in October, adopted a conciliatory tone and did not directly criticize Trump. She said that although Mexico must protect its sovereignty — its people must remain “calm” and “cool-headed.” “We have to avoid confrontations; that’s a responsibility,” said Sheinbaum, who was accompanied at the news conference by her foreign and security secretaries. “At the same time, we have to behave as equals, never subordinate. Defend our sovereignty, our independence and defend Mexicans.” As she

Federal prosecutors described David Dempsey as “one of the most violent rioters” during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The Van Nuys man used flagpoles, metal crutches and broken pieces of furniture as he stormed the building, injuring both police and other insurrectionists, according to court documents. He “viciously assaulted and injured police officers” for more than an hour “during one of the most violent stretches of time, at the scene of the most violent confrontations,” prosecutors wrote. In August, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon and breaching the seat of Congress. But on Tuesday, after President Trump granted sweeping pardons or commutations to everyone convicted of Jan. 6 offenses — more than 1,500 people — Dempsey was released, having served less than 3½ years, officials confirmed. Other Jan. 6 defendants — whom Trump called “hostages” — were also released across the country, based on Justice Department referrals of Trump’s orders to the Bureau of Prisons. “People are being released by the minute, it seems,” said Amy

Ichiro Suzuki is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. That has long been the assumption among baseball fans regarding the Japanese outfielder who played the majority of his 19-year MLB career with the Seattle Mariners, along with stints with the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. On Tuesday, that assumption became reality, with Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner being elected by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America to join classic era inductees Dave Parker and Dick Allen as the baseball’s Hall of Fame class of 2025. They will be inducted into Cooperstown on July 27. A 10-time All Star, Suzuki didn’t join former Yankees reliever and the MLB’s all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera as the only unanimous Hall of Fame picks. He fell one vote short. Suzuki spent nine seasons with Orix in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball before joining MLB and the Mariners in 2001. While Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo was a star for the Dodgers in the 1990s, Suzuki was the first Japanese position player to enjoy that level of success in the majors. In his debut season, Susuki claimed American League MVP and

Two men were arrested on suspicion of operating a cockfighting ring involving more than 200 roosters in Southern California, authorities announced Monday. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies from the Yucaipa Station were dispatched around 10:02 a.m. Sunday to an illegal cockfighting ring on Avenue E in Yucaipa, according to the sheriff’s department. When deputies arrived, about 50 vehicles were at the address and most of them tried to drive away. One of the drivers accelerated toward a patrol unit when deputies tried to stop the vehicle. The deputy dodged the car and tried to initiate a traffic stop, which led to a police pursuit, officials said. The vehicle stopped near 16th Street and Yucaipa Boulevard, where a driver and three others were taken into custody, according to authorities. Six roosters were found in the cargo of the car and the driver, Jose Adame, was arrested on assault charges. Thirty-three spectators at the cockfight were detained and about 250 roosters were discovered, along with a fighting ring, a scoreboard and steel talons, according to officials. A person, later identified as Carlos Romero, was found hiding inside

By Kiki Intarasuwan Updated on: January 21, 2025 / 7:46 PM EST / CBS News Deep South sees unprecedented snow Deep South sees unprecedented snow 02:34 A rare and potentially deadly winter storm descended across the southern U.S. on Tuesday, leaving inches of record-setting snow totals and halting travel for millions of Americans in Louisiana, Texas and Florida. “I was born and raised in New Orleans,” Ian Spooner told CBS News 24/7. “I can count on one hand how many times it snowed, and it never snowed like this.” The last time New Orleans saw snow was in December 2004, according to the National Weather Service, and it was just half an inch. With much of the southeast under winter weather advisories , including blizzard warning, here’s how the cold and windy conditions are impacting the region: Snow triggers flight delays At least 400 flights have been delayed and 350 more were canceled before midday Tuesday, according to the flight tracking company FlightAware. Airports in Houston and New Orleans were shut down as snow piled at the entrances.  A spokesperson for the New Orleans Aviation

Washington — U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger said he’s concerned by the sweeping pardons President Trump issued Monday night to those convicted or facing charges of assaulting police officers after the Capitol riot four years ago. “I think it sends the message that politics is more important than policing,” Manger told “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday.  Hours after Mr. Trump was sworn in on Monday, he granted clemency to about 1,500 defendants who had been convicted of crimes related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Among those who received clemency are people who were convicted of violent and serious crimes, including assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy .  The president also ordered the Justice Department to end all pending cases connected to the riot, abruptly ending the department’s massive effort under former President Joe Biden to hold those who participated in the attack accountable.  “I’m concerned for my officers. I’m concerned about what message they get from these actions,” Manger said, adding that it could prompt officers to question why they put themselves

By Marissa Wenzke Updated on: January 21, 2025 / 6:44 PM EST / KCAL News CBS News Live CBS News Los Angeles Live A$AP Rocky rejected a plea deal from prosecutors in his Hollywood assault case Tuesday as the trial began in downtown Los Angeles, a little over two years after he was charged with opening fire on a former friend and collaborator. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, has been in a long-running relationship with singer and business mogul Rihanna and the couple has two children together. His defense attorney previously told a judge that she may attend part of the trial in support.  Mayers, 36, allegedly pointed a handgun at the victim and fired twice in his direction during a later confrontation in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The victim — fellow artist and childhood friend Terell Ephron, who previously performed as A$AP Relli — testified last year that bullets grazed his knuckles and he decided to seek medical treatment at a hospital after flying back to New York. Both men were once

Drug traffickers whose entire organized crime ring was brought down by a photo of a French Bulldog were ordered to fork over more than $1.4 million, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency said.  Stefan Baldauf, 64, and Philip Lawson 63, were drug traffickers nabbed in 2020 as part of Operation Venetic along with other members of their group for smuggling drugs from the United Kingdom to Australia. The traffickers sent 448kg of amphetamine  worth about $46 million in an arm of an excavator down under. The traffickers even rigged an auction to make sure the amphetamine went into the right hands. The drugs, which investigators said was MDMA, was first stored in the heavy equipment in an industrial unit in Grays, Essex, before being shipped to Australia. It took almost three months to arrive in Brisbane, the National Crime Agency said. The ruse, however, fell apart when fellow trafficker Danny Brown sent a photo of his French Bulldog, Bob, to Baldauf. A photo of Bob, the french bulldog, helped bring down an organized crime group. National Crime Agency Investigators were able to use the photo

Santa Ana winds continued to buffet Southern California Tuesday, again raising wildfire danger as crews continued their efforts Tuesday to fully contain a pair of massive blazes that erupted amid erratic winds earlier this month, killing more than two dozen people and destroying more than 15,000 structures. Forecasters took the rare step of issuing a “particularly dangerous situation warning” for a large portion of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Sunday afternoon due to damaging Santa Ana winds and very low humidity. That warning expired at 10 a.m. Tuesday, but a standard red flag warning of critical fire danger will remain in place across a large swath of Los Angeles County until 8 p.m. Thursday, according to National Weather Service forecasters. The affected area includes the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, the San Gabriel Mountains, the 5 and 14 Freeway corridors, the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, the Malibu Coast, Calabasas and Agoura Hills. “Northeast winds will weaken and shrink in coverage (Tuesday night) into Wednesday, but will remain locally gusty in the favored hills and mountains,” according to the NWS. “Winds will strengthen and

The dangerous fire conditions in Southern California are expected to last a little longer than previously anticipated. The red flag warning was set to expire at 2 p.m., but the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in an alert that it had been extended until 10 p.m. Tuesday. The extension means the soft road closure near the Palisades Fire area has been extended as well. The following areas are limited to residents only: Topanga Cyn Blvd/Mulholland Dr (southbound)  Old Topanga Cyn Rd/Mulholland Hwy (southbound) “Please note the current Hard Closure on Topanga Cyn Blvd between Grand View Dr – PCH remains in effect until further notice,” Sheriff’s Department officials added.

The Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Los Angeles County not only caused devastation to human lives and property on land. They also likely impacted the marine ecosystem. Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and NOAA are collecting water samples from the Pacific Ocean, where ash from the fires coated the surface as far as 100 miles offshore. “We’re positioning ourselves to answer the question, ‘What does this mean for West Coast fisheries and the food web that we all depend on?’” said Nicolas Concha-Saiz, NOAA Fisheries’ chief scientist for the study. The samples are being collected aboard the NOAAS Reuben Lasker. There, researchers are studying the level of toxins in the water since the fires consumed more than 17,000 structures along with chemicals and metals — not just trees and brush, as with many other fires. Ash collected from a “Manta” plankton net, which samples the top six inches of the ocean. Initially, the ash floats on the surface, but once mixed with the water, it sinks rapidly. (Rasmus Swalethorp/Scripps Institution of Oceanography/NOAA) “These fires pose a potential significant threat to both humans and

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — The Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena had claimed at least 17 lives as of Tuesday afternoon, and while firefighters continue to work toward full containment, criticism of the evacuation alert system has already started to mount. In western Altadena, evacuation orders weren’t issued via wireless alert until “many hours after the fire started,” the Los Angeles Times reports. While eastern Altadena and other areas evacuated the night of Jan. 7 — just hours after the fire began at about 6:30 p.m. — neighborhoods west of Lake Avenue “did not get electronic evacuation orders until 3:25 a.m. and never received evacuation warnings,” the Times explains. “By then, burning embers were raining down on neighborhoods on the west side of Altadena and igniting homes,” the report adds. All 17 people who were confirmed to have been killed in the Eaton Fire, which now stands at about 14,000 acres, have been found west of Lake Avenue, the Times adds. Electrical tower eyed as possible source of deadly Eaton Fire One western Altadena resident told KTLA’s Chip Yost that he didn’t have his phone’s

I really appreciated Monday’s unexpected call for unity in the Capitol rotunda, where MAGA insurrectionists mounted a deadly attack on Congress four years ago. Unfortunately, it did not come from the petulant, vindictive President Trump, who sat on a dais crowded with Trump family members, former presidents and first ladies, and members of the new American oligarchy: tech billionaires who have bent the knee and opened their wallets to the man who has threatened to make life very, very difficult for them. Rather, the call for unity came from Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose stirring words should not be forgotten amid Trump’s subsequent torrent of lies, threats and bravado. And although she was addressing the American people, I’d like to think she was speaking directly to Trump. “What makes this moment more than a passing ceremony is all who are watching it across the country — the people of this nation, the ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” said Klobuchar, who chaired Congress’ bipartisan inaugural ceremony committee. “President Kennedy, who at one point worked as a senator in this building and would often walk through