Category: Los Angeles

Warning: This column includes spoilers for the film “Heretic.” I went to see “Heretic” four days after the election. It was too soon. Drawn by the promise of jump scares and Hugh Grant in maniacal-villain mode, set in what appeared from the trailers to be a supernatural trap of a house, I sought big-screen escape from the crowing/hand-wringing news cycle. I got some of that but I also got, at a very key moment, women in cages. And a big lecture from Grant’s murderous Mr. Reed about how they were exactly where they wanted to be. Because they had chosen to be controlled. It was an obvious case of pathological mansplaining. As we had just witnessed for an hour and a half, the women were in cages because they had been systematically entrapped, terrified, threatened and attacked. But it was pretty much the last thing I needed. (The trailer for “Babygirl,” in which a powerful woman longs to be bullied by a sexy 24-year-old, didn’t help either.) Though it remains to be seen what a second Trump administration will mean for this country in terms

Intimacy coordinators have unanimously elected to unionize under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Members of the bargaining unit voted 100% in favor of unionization in an official election overseen by the National Labor Relations board, the union announced Tuesday. Intimacy coordinators are the professionals who help actors navigate scenes involving nudity, simulated sex and other sensitive scenarios on set. “In these sobering times with looming threats to environmental protections and women’s equality, it is refreshing to see the entertainment industry’s recognition of intimacy coordinators and their important contribution to productions and to performers in intimate scenes,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “We at SAG-AFTRA are proud to include this esteemed group of trained professionals as the newest to join our member body. May this continue to carve the path of elevated consideration for the feelings of safety for people and planet.” SAG-AFTRA formally requested a union election for intimacy coordinators in September, about four years after the labor organization established rules regarding the presence of intimacy coordinators on set. On the heels of the #MeToo movement, the

Members of the American Automobile Association can park their cars and get discounted train tickets through a new partnership with Southern California’s regional rail service. AAA members can now receive a 20% discount on roundtrip Metrolink tickets across its entire service area, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. California’s ‘best’ Christmas town gearing up for annual holiday festival The promotion, according to officials, is meant to make travel more affordable and convenient for those who are interested in leaving their cars at home for a trip to the city or the beach, or commuters who utilize both Metrolink and AAA. Car owners already make up 85% of Metrolink’s weekday riders, officials said. Two Metrolink trains depart the Burbank Downtown Station in opposite directions in this undated photo from Metrolink. “We’re proud to partner with AAA Auto Club of Southern California and offer their members a discount on Metrolink trains,” said Metrolink Board Chair Larry McCallon. “Riding Metrolink is one of the most sustainable ways to get around and takes traffic out of the equation.” Metrolink’s new expanded service

For one day only, “the bear ate my homework” might be an acceptable excuse for students at a Los Angeles-area high school. An unlikely visitor showed up to Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday in the form of a bear cub. The young cub was spotted up in a tree just outside campus, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. A bear cub was spotted in a tree just outside Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department) Understandably so, the department roped off the immediate area in an attempt to keep students and other passerbys away from the cub. The department said it was waiting for the mother to find and reunite with the cub. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were no injuries reported. The department asked people to stay away from the area until the scene was cleared.

Burger King is giving away one million whoppers for $1 as a thank you to those who participated in its Million Dollar Whopper Contest. The offer is currently available to members of its Royal Perks loyalty program and can be found under the “offers” tab in the BK app. In February, the burger chain announced its Million-Dollar Whopper Contest, which allowed participants to create their dream Whopper for a chance to win a $1 million prize and have their creations sold at restaurants nationwide for a limited time. Krispy Kreme offers free dozen doughnuts on World Kindness Day According to the chain, over one million Burger King fans submitted their dream whopper creation ideas. In September, Burger King revealed the three finalists. These are the sandwiches from the three finalists, two of which are from California. Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper (Created by Fabian of California) – The Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper features ¼ lb. flame-grilled beef patty, topped with pickle ranch, lettuce, fried pickles, bacon, and Swiss cheese – all on a toasted sesame seed bun. Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper (Created by Calvin of California)

Updated on: November 12, 2024 / 7:16 PM EST / CBS/AP At least 11 employees were taken to hospitals and residents were urged to shelter in place on Tuesday after an explosion at a Louisville, Kentucky, business. The Louisville Metro Emergency Services reported on social media a “hazardous materials incident” at 1901 Payne St., in Louisville. The address belongs to a facility operated by Givaudan Sense Colour, a manufacturer of food colorings for soft drinks and other products, according to officials and online records. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said emergency teams responded to the blast around 3 p.m. The explosion blew out windows in nearby buildings. Overhead news video footage showed an industrial building with a large hole in its roof. An image capture from aerial footage shows the aftermath of an explosion in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 12, 2024. WLKY-TV “The cause at this point of the explosion is unknown,” Greenberg said in a news conference. No one died in the explosion, he added. Seven people were taken to UofL Hospital. Two were in critical condition as of Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the hospital

November 12, 2024 / 5:36 PM EST / AFP A rare square 37-carat emerald owned by the Aga Khan fetched nearly $9 million at auction in Geneva on Tuesday, making it the world’s most expensive green stone. Sold by Christie’s, the Cartier diamond and emerald brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, dethrones a piece of jewelry made by the fashion house Bulgari, which Richard Burton gave as a wedding gift to fellow actor Elizabeth Taylor , as the most precious emerald. In 1960, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan commissioned Cartier to set the emerald in a brooch with 20 marquise-cut diamonds for British socialite Nina Dyer, to whom he was briefly married. Dyer then auctioned off the emerald to raise money for animals in 1969. A Christie’s employee poses with The Aga Khan Emerald, a cartier emerald and diamond brooch made with a square-shaped emerald of 37.00 carats, marquise-shaped diamonds, platinum and 18k yellow gold during a press preview in Geneva, on Nov. 7, 2024.  FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images By chance that was Christie’s very first such sale in Switzerland on the

New report raises health concerns about Lunchables New report raises health concerns about Lunchables 01:35 Kraft Heinz is pulling Lunchables — prepackaged boxes of deli meat, cheese and crackers — from the program that provides free and discounted meals to about 30 million low-income school children, the food conglomerate said on Tuesday. Consumer Reports applauded the move, months after the advocacy group sounded alarms about the product popular with kids, saying its tests found troubling levels of lead and sodium in them. “Lunchables and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on the school lunch menu,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, stated on Tuesday. “We’re pleased that Heinz Kraft has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program after lower than expected demand from school districts across the country.”  In an Oct. 30 earnings call, Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera called Lunchables a “very important” part of the company’s business, while noting what he described as “misleading” negative publicity regarding the product.   Kraft Heinz changed two of its Lunchables — Turkey & Cheddar Cracker

Briefing held on classified documents leaker Jack Teixeira’s sentencing – CBS News Watch CBS News Joshua Levy, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, held a press conference Tuesday after the Pentagon classified documents leaker Jack Teixeira was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The former Air National guardsman admitted to illegally posting sensitive military information online. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena announced Tuesday it will lay off about 325 workers this week, affecting roughly 5% of its workforce, as it copes with continued concerns about its overall funding. The cuts were announced in a memo to the staff by JPL Director Laurie Leshin. She said the layoffs will occur on Wednesday, when all JPL employees were instructed to work from home. Leshin said that the number of planned layoffs “is lower than projected a few months ago thanks in part to the hard work of so many people across JPL.” “The workforce assessment conducted as part of this process has been both extensive and thorough, and although we can never have perfect insight into the future, I sincerely believe that after this action we will be at a more stable workforce level moving forward,” Leshin wrote. The cuts are expected to impact “essentially all areas of the lab including our technical, project, business and support areas,” according to Leshin, who said the decision was made in an effort to address “the dynamic funding environment” for the space agency. “With lower budgets

A 91-year-old man who needs medication for medical conditions and went missing from West Hollywood has been found, authorities announced Tuesday. Mikhail Shinder had last been seen at 1:30 p.m. Monday in the 1000 block of Curson Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He has since been located, but no additional details were provided about when or where Shinder was found.

Denzel Washington could pay a visit to Wakanda before closing out his illustrious acting career. And he has an itinerary full of films to go with that trip. Appearing on an Australian talk show this week, the two-time Oscar winner confirmed a potential development in Marvel’s “Black Panther” franchise, saying that “Black Panther 3” will be among the final projects he takes on before retiring. The “Glory” and “Training Day” star said that director Ryan Coogler — who helmed and co-wrote the 2018 Marvel blockbuster and its 2022 sequel, “Wakanda Forever” — is writing Washington a bespoke part in a potential third installment. He broached the subject when saying he felt no trepidation about working with Ridley Scott on the upcoming “Gladiator II” film. “For me it’s about the filmmaker, especially at this point in my career. I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said on Australia’s “Today.” “I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. It’s probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done.” The 69-year-old actor, to be seen next in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator

Adrin Nazarian claimed victory Tuesday in a race to represent parts of the San Fernando Valley on the Los Angeles City Council, while Heather Hutt held on to the seat she was appointed to in 2022. With Ysabel Jurado’s victory over incumbent Kevin de León to represent parts of downtown and the Eastside, the council will be majority female for the first time. Hutt on Tuesday emailed supporters to thank them for helping elect her to represent a district stretching from Koreatown to the Crenshaw corridor. Hutt, 65, was first appointed to the post by the council in 2022, after then-Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas was indicted on corruption charges. She is the first woman, and first Black woman, elected to the seat. When the new members start work on Dec. 9, she will be one of eight women on the 15-member council. “We felt good with seven — eight makes it great,” Hutt said in an interview Tuesday. She said homelessness, public safety and cleaning the streets and sidewalks would be her priorities for the next four years. Hutt led in the District 10 race with

A Los Angeles County teacher became so obsessed with a middle school student she’s accused of sexually abusing that she left her husband, described the boy as her “crystal meth” and said she was willing to “go to jail for him,” a prosecutor said in court Tuesday. Colleen Jo Matarico, 43, was arrested last week and charged with seven counts of committing lewd acts on a boy she met when he was 12, authorities said. The alleged sexual abuse lasted more than a year, according to a criminal complaint. Matarico is also accused of giving cannabis to the boy. Last week, Los Angeles police said the teacher “groomed” him. “The accusations against Ms. Matarico are deeply disturbing and violate the trust that was placed in her by the students, their families, and the entire community,” Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement last week. “I want to acknowledge the courage of the young victim and his decision to report the abuse.” Matarico pleaded not guilty during a downtown L.A. court appearance Tuesday. After her attorney asked a judge to free her

People are willing to go to great lengths to support their beloved sports teams—one person even lost his job for it. A Los Angeles Dodgers fan claims he was fired after being spotted at the team’s World Series victory parade after calling in sick for work. The fan, whose identity was not disclosed, told their story on social media and said they were fired by their employer for misconduct. KTLA legal expert Alison Triessl said the firing is an important lesson for those looking to sneak away for unapproved absences. “If you’re going to play hooky, don’t do it where there are cameras and videos everywhere,” Triessl said on KTLA 5 Off the Clock. “He’s going to have a really hard time justifying why he called in sick.” California is an at-will employment state, meaning employers can generally terminate workers without cause. Triessl noted that employees must have a legitimate medical reason for taking sick leave. “There has to be a legitimate medical reason to do so, and employees essentially accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, and that’s after a

Radio and podcast giant iHeartMedia has laid off 13 employees at KFI-AM (640), cutting the news staff of the Los Angeles radio station in half. KFI-AM (640) news director Chris Little, who was among the terminated staff members, revealed Tuesday on X that his team of 25 was reduced to 12. Little joined KFI-AM (640) as a news anchor in 1991 and was promoted to news director in 2000. One of the station’s current hosts, Tim Conway Jr., addressed the layoffs Monday on air. “You may have heard by now … a lot of people have left the building here at iHeartMedia, and it is tough,” Conway said at the top of his show. “I’ve known these people my entire life here. When I started here, my daughter was 3 years old. … It just sucks.” On a programming note, Conway prepared listeners for “a lot of voices on the air that you recognize,” as well as “some voices on the air soon that you won’t recognize.” He promised to provide as much information as possible moving forward while encouraging listeners to read up on

Krispy Kreme is giving out free doughnuts on Wednesday in honor of World Kindness Day. “World Kindness Day is a reminder that we can all make a positive impact in people’s lives, including through small gestures like sharing a sweet treat. We hope that each dozen Original Glazed doughnuts we give away enables and inspires many dozens of small acts of kindness,” Dave Skena, Krispy Kreme’s global chief brand officer, said in a statement. Pink’s Hot Dogs to celebrate 85th anniversary with discounted hot dogs, celebrity appearances The first 500 guests who visit participating shops nationwide will receive a dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts for free, no purchase necessary. The free Original Glazed dozen is available in the shop and via drive thru. To find your nearest Krispy Kreme location, click here.

Nov 12: CBS News 24/7, 1pm ET – CBS News Watch CBS News GOP touts gains in Congress after election; Boeing reaches settlement with family of victim of 2019 Ethiopian plane crash. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Behind Biden’s meetings with world leaders before leaving White House – CBS News Watch CBS News President Biden met with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog at the White House as he begins a series of meetings with world leaders before he departs his post. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe reports. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Man’s family awarded millions in lawsuit over Hennepin County jail death, and more headlines Man’s family awarded millions in lawsuit over Hennepin County jail death, and more headlines 04:25 MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc. is the focus of an antitrust lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the United States Department of Justice. A UnitedHealth spokesperson confirmed with WCCO that the suit involves the health insurance giant’s proposed $3.3 billion acquisition of Louisiana-based Amedisys Inc., one of the country’s biggest home health and hospice care providers. Bloomberg News reports the suit was filed days after a meeting last weekend between the justice department and heads of both health care companies failed to quell concerns of possible antitrust issues, despite the companies’ joint offer to sell off 100-plus clinics to a Texas-based competitor. UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s Minnetonka headquarters. Jim Mone / AP The justice department believes the acquisition could “lead to higher prices in home health care in regions where Amedisys is a main competitor” to LHC Group, Bloomberg reports, a business UnitedHealth purchased in 2023. Both companies operate in many of the same states, especially in the South.

Bitcoin surges as pro-crypto Trump prepares for second term – CBS News Watch CBS News Bitcoin is surging and some are attributing it to former President Donald Trump winning a second term in the White House. CBS News’ Kelly O’Grady has more on what a pro-crypto Trump presidency could look like. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On