Category: Los Angeles

Workers at a company that delivered packages for Amazon are considered employees of the e-commerce giant, the National Labor Relations Board said Thursday, rejecting Amazon’s claim that it is not responsible for the subcontractor’s staff. The finding, issued by a regional director of the NLRB in Los Angeles, determined there was merit to accusations by the delivery workers that Amazon unlawfully refused to recognize their decision to unionize and failed to negotiate with the union over workplace issues. The NLRB also found Amazon had threatened employees, inappropriately required workers to attend meetings meant to disparage union activity, and failed to provide information requested by the union. The delivery company, Battle-Tested Strategies, operated out of Amazon’s DAX8 fulfillment center in Palmdale. The company’s owner, Johnathon Ervin, voluntarily recognized the decision by drivers to organize and join a local chapter of the Teamsters union. Amazon ended the company’s contract last year, effectively terminating the jobs of the 84 drivers who delivered Amazon packages. The findings marked a win for Teamsters officials who challenged a stance long held by Amazon, that it does not exercise control over its

Federal agents have raided homes connected to an Orange County supervisor’s daughter and the president of a local nonprofit that county attorneys allege were improperly purchased with taxpayer money. The homes searched Thursday morning were connected to allegations made against Viet America Society, a nonprofit organization that Orange County contracted with to feed the elderly and needy during the pandemic, an FBI spokesperson confirmed. The spokesperson said he could not confirm additional details of the search, including the number of locations involved in the investigation, because the search warrants were filed under seal. Thursday’s searches came after Orange County filed lawsuits against Viet America Society and its executives, including the daughter of Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, who worked with the organization. In the lawsuit, the county attorneys accuse executives with the nonprofit, including its Chief Executive Peter Ahn Pham, Secretary Dinh Mai, and Do’s daughter, 23-year-old Rhiannon Do, of pocketing more than $10 million in contracts and using the funds to purchase homes in Garden Grove, Buena Park, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley and Tustin. Among the homes being searched Thursday was a property in

CHICAGO —  Stealing a catchphrase from former President Trump, the theme for some attendees at the Democratic National Convention here might as well be “Grill, baby, grill.” From 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. each day of the convention, some of the biggest names in politics and media have lined up to get into the CNN Politico Grill, a restaurant and bar (actually several bars) built across the street from the United Center. The food and drink are free, and the invitations are hard to come by. CNN, which has partnered with Politico on the site this year, started what has become a tradition at each party’s convention in 2004, when the network rented out a diner near New York’s Madison Square Garden, where the GOP had gathered. The pop-up restaurant’s reputation has grown over the years. CNN received 4,000 requests to get into the Grill for the Democratic convention. About 400 were accepted, according to David Leavy, chief operating officer for CNN Worldwide. “Over 20 years, it’s built up into a brand,” Leavy said. Leavy said the aim is to build the news organization’s relationships with

BEIRUT —  After the double assassination last month of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a high-ranking Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Iran and Hezbollah vowed retaliation against Israel, saying that vengeance was a “matter of honor.” Many braced for a response from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah that might trigger an all-out regional war. But that hasn’t happened. Almost a month after the killings, the “harsh punishment” promised by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with the “strong and effective” reprisal Hezbollah head Sayed Hassan Nasrallah vowed to bring upon Israel, has yet to materialize. And this week, Iranian officials hinted a response is not imminent. “Time is at our disposal and the waiting period for this answer may be a long one,” said Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a press conference Tuesday. He insisted there was nevertheless “a serious determination to respond to the various aggressions of the Zionist regime,” a reference to Israel, and that it may not be a “repeat of previous operations.” He appeared to be referring to Iran’s missile barrage against Israel

Republicans speak out for Harris at DNC Republicans speak out for Kamala Harris at DNC 10:52 Prominent Republicans —some of whom worked for former President Donald Trump— have taken the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.  Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former Pence homeland security adviser Olivia Troye and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham have all thrown their support behind the Democratic nominee and suggested Trump lacks the moral character to lead the nation again. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is also expected to speak.  They all had one message to their fellow Republicans and independents: do the right thing and vote for Harris in November.  “To my fellow Republicans at home that want to pivot back toward policy, empathy and tone, you know the right thing to do, now let’s have the courage to do it in November,” said Duncan, summarizing the other Republican speakers’ speeches as well as his own.  Duncan knows what courage requires. Defending the election results in Georgia after the 2020 presidential election, Duncan faced such serious threats

By Carolin Lehmann Edited By Lily Rose, Nina Bradley Updated on: August 22, 2024 / 5:04 PM EDT / Essentials CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Lulu and Georgia/Amazon Ambient lighting has emerged as one of the top home trends of 2024. A floor lamp is an easy way to get on trend and enhance the lighting in your space. Floor lamps can completely transform the mood of a room, offering versatility with easy-to-change bulbs or the option to customize the light’s warmth or coolness. Below, you’ll find the best floor lamps of 2024, available in a variety of styles ranging from mid-century modern to traditional. The experts at CBS Essentials have found both affordable and splurge-worthy picks all rated four stars or more. Whether you’re looking for a floor lamp for your living room, bedroom or office, there’s an option for you ahead. Best floor lamps at Amazon, Walmart and more Elevate your space with these top-rated floor lamps.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 is top EV of 2024, according to Car and Driver – CBS News Watch CBS News Car and Driver says the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is its top electric vehicle of 2024. Tony Quiroga, the editor in chief of Car and Driver, joins CBS News with more on the rankings. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks coming? World waits for Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks to reach deal 04:39 Talks about how a cease-fire in Gaza can be implemented were restarted in Cairo Thursday, a U.S. official confirmed.  President Biden’s top Mideast adviser, Brett McGurk, is participating as part of the U.S. delegation with Egypt and Israel. The discussions encompass a number of technical issues, among them, security of the border between Gaza and Egypt, the Rafah crossing and Israeli Defense Force withdrawals from Gaza and the Philadelphi corridor. CIA Director William Burns is also expected to travel to the region, since talks may extend through the weekend. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that during his three-hour conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, Israel agreed to the plan. The secretary said it outlines for the IDF “a very clear schedule and locations for withdrawals.” However, since they spoke, Netanyahu has made public remarks that contradict the statement. Implementation details on related key technical issues are still very challenging, but the U.S. remains hopeful that the final “bridging” proposal it presented last week will lead to

A new feature announced by Instagram on Thursday is reminiscent of the early days of social media. The social media company announced that Instagram profiles will now include a music feature similar to one Myspace had in the early 2000s. “We’re excited to announce that you can now add a song to your profile, giving you more ways to express yourself through music. Your profile song selection will be live until you swap out the song,” Instagram said in a post. Instagram launches new feature urging teens to take breaks from app Unlike Myspace, the song won’t automatically play; profile viewers can decide to play or stop the track. To use the feature, users can add a song by going to the “edit profile” page. There, they can search for and select a track from Instagram’s library of licensed music and select a 30-second-long portion of the song to add. Instagram is launching the feature in collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter. Beginning Thursday, Carpenter’s official Instagram account will now include a never-before-heard teaser of her upcoming single “Taste” ahead of her album release on Friday. Instagram

California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he is confident Democrats will retain control of the White House with Kamala Harris, one of his predecessors, leading the party’s ticket. However, Bonta is also preparing for the possibility of another term for Donald Trump. “We have seen what Donald Trump has done in the past when he’s been president,” Bonta said in an interview with “Inside California Politics” host Nikki Laurenzo at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. “He has singled out and targeted Democratic states like California for whatever personal vendetta or reason … and we have fought back.” California sued the first Trump administration more than 100 times over its policies on climate, immigration and consumer protections, among others. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, with the help of three Trump appointees, overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, ruling that the Constitution does not establish a right to abortion. While it remains unclear if or when Republicans will seek a national abortion ban, Bonta says his office is actively preparing for that possibility. Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks as Governor Newsom signed into law

While the risk of contracting mpox in California remains low, health data shows that infection rates have been higher in some cities compared to others after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on Aug. 14. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The virus is similar to smallpox but unrelated to chickenpox. Mpox is mainly spread through close contact with bodily fluids, shared bedding, towels and clothing, or through kissing, coughing and hugging. Los Angeles County is seeing an increase mpox cases: Here’s how to avoid it The virus can also be spread during intimate contact with people or close contact with infected animals. Symptoms of the virus can include a rash that looks like a pimple or blister but may be painful or itchy, fevers, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches and backache, and headaches, according to the CDC. Despite the large number of travelers leaving and returning to California, officials have not seen an increase in mpox cases, according to the most recent

A fire that erupted Thursday in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley scorched roughly three acres before crews reached it after pushing their way through thick vegetation. The non-injury “Beach Fire” was reported at 12:55 p.m. Thursday near the south banks of the dry channel, just off of Beach Street and Limonite Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews from the county and Riverside Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a slow rate to the northeast, amid heavy overgrowth. Two Cal Fire water-dropping helicopters were summoned to make runs on the brusher. Firefighters were encountering challenges accessing the blaze due to the amount of vegetation and lack of footpaths. No homes or other structures were immediately threatened. The river bottom is replete with transient encampments between Highgrove and Norco, and cooking, warming and debris fires are frequent year-round. The highest concentration of homeless camps is between Jurupa Valley to the north and Riverside to the south.

Some 36,000 Xanax pills worth more than a half-million dollars were recovered Thursday in Boyle Heights. Nearly 400 bottles of Xanax pills were recovered by officers from the California Highway Patrol’s East Los Angeles station after a routine traffic stop turned into a brief pursuit, according to CHP Officer Lizarraga. Around midnight Thursday, CHP officers tried to pull over an Infiniti vehicle near Whittier Boulevard and Boyle Avenue, but it failed to stop, leading to a brief chase, Lizarraga said. After coming to a stop, the driver and a passenger abandoned the car with the pills and fled on foot. A helicopter was used to help find and detain them, he said. Lizarraga told City News that two suspects were in custody, with charges pending. Their identities were not immediately made public.

The news spread like wildfire, and it was all about flame-grilled chicken: Beloved chain restaurant Koo Koo Roo is coming back under new ownership. The prolific chain with a stronghold in L.A. ran from 1988 to 2014, and though the specialty was skinless grilled chicken, its countless sides, salads, sandwiches and other items from the restaurant with a cult following have echoed in the minds of fans for years since the last store shuttered in Santa Monica a decade ago. “I feel like I’m a steward of something very important,” said new owner and Chief Executive Daniel Farasat. “I’ve been very protective of the brand and making sure that we bring it back the right way. … It’s really an ode to L.A.” Farasat, who acquired the company in 2022, has been plotting Koo Koo Roo’s reprisal and while many of his plans are still in the works — such as specific menu items and the first brick-and-mortar location — he knows he’ll be serving the chain’s original recipes, along with a few new items, with a focus on natural foods and local sourcing. Though

That fetid gust of hot air you may have detected wafting from Republican and conservative social media postings over the last day or two was a fabricated claim that Kamala Harris is plotting to tax everyone’s unrealized capital gains if she becomes president. That would be a departure from current law, which taxes capital gains only when the underlying assets are sold, or “realized.” That it’s a mythical allegation hasn’t stopped right-wingers and GOP functionaries from hand-wringing over the economic implications of any such change, and over the purportedly horrible impact on average Americans. Whenever there is in any country, uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right. — Thomas Jefferson Here, for instance, is the far-right blowhard Mike Cernovich, in tweeting Tuesday on X: “If you own a house, subtract what you paid for it from the Zillow estimate. Be prepared to pay 25% of that in a check to the IRS. That’s your unrealized capital gains taxed owed under the Kamala Harris proposal.” And Chicago venture investor Robert

Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, fresh off multiple medals and internet fame as the “pommel horse guy” at the Paris Olympics, is now in pursuit of a new prize: the Mirrorball Trophy. Nedoroscik will be among the celebrities set to strut their stuff on “Dancing With the Stars” when the long-running dance competition series returns in the fall. Nedoroscik said he wants “have fun” with his upcoming prime time spotlight. “I want to bring some of that gymnastics” to the dance competition, he told “Good Morning America” on Thursday. “Maybe a backflip or handstand.” The two-time bronze medalist, 25, will be the first male gymnast to compete on the show. Almost since its debut, “DWTS” has spotlighted female Olympic gymnasts including Nastia Liukin, Mary Lou Retton and Laurie Hernandez. Gymnastics G.O.A.T. Simone Biles and teammate Suni Lee, who won several medals at the 2024 Olympics, are also “DWTS” alums. At the Paris Olympics, Nedoroscik’s online fame was twofold. In the first week of the Games, the pommel horse specialist went viral for how he kept himself busy — cheering for teammates, carrying bags and seemingly napping— while

Joe Elliott is sitting in a room at the Four Seasons in downtown Minneapolis, eight or nine hours before he’ll climb onstage with his band Def Leppard for a gig at the Minnesota Twins’ baseball stadium. “See it over there?” he asks on a Zoom call, tilting his laptop so that the camera takes in Target Field through a large window behind him. “Green Day was there on Saturday. And over here,” he adds, swinging the camera across downtown to U.S. Bank Stadium, “is where Metallica just did two nights. Crazy weekend here.” Twenty years ago, few would’ve predicted that Def Leppard would still be in that kind of mix. The British pop-metal outfit exploded with 1983’s 10-times-platinum “Pyromania” and its 12-times-platinum follow-up, 1987’s “Hysteria,” both of which the band polished to a high-tech gleam with its famously exacting producer, Mutt Lange. Inevitably, the group’s career cooled throughout the ’90s and early 2000s as peacocking hard rock gave way to grunge and pop-punk. But then things started heating up again for Def Leppard, which eventually got back into arenas and stadiums armed with enduring tunes

Para celebrar el lanzamiento de su nueva producción musical “Momentos”, los integrantes de La Original Banda El Limón viajaron desde Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México, hasta la ciudad de Escondido, CA, para conocer de cerca a los nuevos residentes del San Diego Zoo, los osos pandas Yun Chuan y Xin Bao. La Original Banda El Limón que estuvo anoche presentando su álbum en Los Ángeles e interpretando sus canciones frente a los medios, se convirtieron en los primeros artistas mexicanos en visitar el nuevo hábitat ‘Panda Ridge’ lo cual resultó para ellos toda una experiencia. “Es un regalo de la vida el poder observarlos, qué interesante que se puedan combinar los mundos de la música y la naturaleza. Es una bendición que te hace ser consciente sobre la existencia de un mundo que tenemos que preservar”, expresó Juan Lizárraga en un comunicado. Yun Chuan el oso macho de 5 años de edad que llegó como residente del San Diego Zoo. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance ) “Me siento comprometido a que La Original Banda El Limón sea portavoz de esta conciencia en la manera y medida que

A city in Orange County has a plan to hold parents responsible for damages and crimes committed by e-bikers as emails about their bad behavior mount. The Mayor of San Clemente said the crackdown on e-bikes is necessary because unsafe riders are creating dangerous situations on the streets. “It’s just that the volume of emails I get on that issue … they’re increasing,” Mayor Victor Cabral said during a City Council meeting on Tuesday. Nighttime revelers in Hermosa Beach sent scrambling after an E-bike rider tosses illegal fireworks in crowded entertainment district on June 8, 2024. (Courtesy of John Family) Nighttime revelers in Hermosa Beach sent scrambling after an E-bike rider tosses illegal fireworks in crowded entertainment district on June 8, 2024. (John Fahmy) Nighttime revelers in Hermosa Beach sent scrambling after an E-bike rider tosses illegal fireworks in crowded entertainment district on June 8, 2024. (John Fahmy) Police are searching for vandals on e-bikes who struck the Great Park in Irvine. (Irvine Police Department) Police are searching for vandals on e-bikes who struck the Great Park in Irvine. (Irvine Police Department) Police are searching

Most people know of someone who has run a marathon, but imagine doing four in a row. That’s what one San Diego man did when he set out to run all the way to Los Angeles. “[I had this] crazy idea of just running from my front door to my girlfriend’s front door in L.A.,” Aron Greene, 26, said. Crazy is an understatement, especially for someone who just started running marathons only two years ago. Pro Padel player prepares for PPL at Barnes Tennis Center “I do that drive a few times a month,” Greene said. “I was sitting on the [Interstate] 5 in traffic, I was like ‘I bet I could get there faster if I ran.'” To complete the 100-mile trek from San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood to Los Angeles, Greene needed help. Jocko Willink, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of the energy drink brand JOCKO Fuel, stepped up. JOCKO Fuel, who is also a partner of San Diego FC, covered all expenses Greene needed to cover in order to train and eventually make the journey up north. “They did everything

Jason Heyward is the odd man out in a Dodgers roster crunch, the highly respected veteran outfielder getting designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for returning utility man Chris Taylor, the team announced Thursday. Not even a dramatic pinch-hit, three-run homer in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s 6-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners could save Heyward’s job, as the Dodgers chose to keep four-time Gold Glove Award-winning center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, versatile utility man Kiké Hernández and Taylor on the bench. Heyward provided another highlight on June 19 in Coors Field when he crushed a pinch-hit grand slam off the right-field foul pole to spark a seven-run ninth inning that gave the Dodgers an 11-9 win over the Colorado Rockies. The 15-year veteran hit just .208 with a .682 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, six homers and 28 RBIs in 63 games in a platoon role this season, but his playing time took a significant hit when Mookie Betts moved from shortstop back to right field upon returning from a left-hand fracture last week. “I think [the decision] is going to be what it’s going