Category: Los Angeles

LeBron James eased his way into the season, ceding shots to Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, committing to JJ Redick’s style and letting his teammates establish himself in the first handful of games in his 21st season. Maybe it was him being respectful of a new process. Maybe it was a sign that time, the opponent he’d never lost to, was going to claim its eventual victory. Or, just maybe, it was all a mirage, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and one of its greatest players still lurking, waiting for the moment to strike. “He’s mastered the game,” Redick said. And he keeps showing how he has. Wednesday, James did everything in leading the Lakers to a 128-123 win over Memphis. When the offense went cold, he scored. When the ball bounced off the rim, he corralled it. And when a teammate shook open, he found him. James scored 35 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 14 assists — his third straight triple-double — all leading to Lakers wins inside their home arena. It’s the fourth time in his career with back-to-back-to-back triple-doubles. Among the

They call him the best receiver in the NFL. They say he’s always open. Whatever praise has been heaped upon Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton already has heard — and seen — it firsthand. The childhood friends, high school teammates and national champions at Louisiana State will line up against each other Sunday at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers host the Cincinnati Bengals in a prime-time game. Fulton plans to play after a hamstring injury kept him out for two games and said he feels 100%. The return comes just in time as the Chargers (6-3) test their top-ranked defense in a five-game stretch against explosive offenses. The next five games will affirm or expose a Chargers defense that gives up a league-best 13.1 points per game, but hasn’t faced a team that ranks in the top 10 in points scored entering Week 11. With Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals (4-6) are fourth in the NFL with 245.8 yards passing per game and sixth in scoring with 27 points per game. Chase lit up the Baltimore Ravens last week for 264

A 19-year-old man posing as an Uber driver, who reportedly said he was driving under a family member’s account, was arrested after he allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl outside her school in South Gate late last month.   The terrifying, traumatic ordeal unfolded on Oct. 23 after the teen’s mother, identified only by her first name, Estella, had ordered the rideshare to take her daughter to school.   According to the victim’s account, the sexual assault lasted several minutes after the man got in the backseat and overpowered her just outside of South Gate High School.   “He grabbed her from the neck, pinned her down toward the seat, pulled down her pants,” Estella explained to KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell.   South Gate High School seen in this undated file photo. (KTLA) The teen’s mother added that she noticed the ride was taking longer than it normally does, that it was past her drop-off time and her daughter wasn’t responding to calls or texts.   After the assault, the sophomore in high school called her sister.   “She was like, ‘Something really bad happened to me

Nov. 13, 2024 8:56 PM PT Jeremy Renner is already super (as in Marvel hero and survivor of a horrific snowplow accident) — now he’s also grand. The actor has been announced as the 92nd Hollywood Christmas Parade grand marshal, organizers said Wednesday. The two-time Oscar nominee, known for his roles as William James in “The Hurt Locker” and the arrow-slinging Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will head the nearly 100-year-old parade. He follows in the footsteps of a host of celebrity grand marshals including Bob Hope, Olivia Newton-John, William Shatner and Magic Johnson. The Dec. 1 parade will start at 6 p.m. at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles and continue for 3.2 miles along a U-shaped route. The parade winds up with an appearance by the jolly old elf, Santa Claus, and his reindeer. The event supports the Marine Toys for Tots foundation and will be aired Dec. 14 on the CW. “I’m honored to serve as the Grand Marshal for this year’s Hollywood Christmas Parade and excited to partner with Toys for Tots to bring joy to children in need,”

An always bustling neighborhood hotspot, Lawless Brewery in North Hollywood, reached out to its community earlier this week over social media and, as real friends do, admitted that things are not great.   KTLA regulars might recognize Lawless Brewery since it was featured on “L.A. Unscripted” in Sept. 2021.   “As soon as I started brewing about 10 years ago, I think I was on batch two when I decided this is what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing,” owner Ben Wallace told KTLA’s Doug Kolk during the episode.  Now, three and a half years after making that dream a reality, and creating a vibrant family and dog-friendly local where people come to drink great craft beers, meet old and make new friends, Wallace shared on Instagram the post-pandemic situation he and his employees are facing.   “The reality is Lawless can no longer survive without significant help,” he wrote in a Nov. 11 post. “When we first opened, we took on a large loan to make Lawless a reality. But then came the pandemic – just one week after we

Trump’s “Department of government Efficiency” Trump gives Musk and Ramaswamy roles leading “Department of Government Efficiency” 06:20 Donald Trump is vowing to reduce wasteful federal spending by tapping two billionaires — Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — to spearhead the initiative, which the president-elect is calling the Department of Government Efficiency , or DOGE. The appointments, announced by Trump on Tuesday, raise a host of questions about the effort, including whether Musk and Ramaswamy will have the authority to make changes in federal outlays, given that Congress authorizes the nation’s spending, as well as where the businessmen might look to cut spending. Under the plan, meanwhile, DOGE is not an official government department, raising questions about how its powers and how it will operate. The announcement comes a week after Trump won a second term  as president, with voters expressing their dissatisfaction with the economy under the Biden administration. As part of his campaign vows, Trump promised to slash government spending. Musk’s bio on X, the social media platform he bought in 2022, now reads, “The people voted for major government reform.” 

November 13, 2024 / 11:59 PM EST / AP A man who failed in an attempt to break into Brazil’s Supreme Court killed himself in explosions outside the building Wednesday that forced justices and staff to evacuate, authorities said. The two strong blasts were heard about 7:30 p.m. after the day’s session finished and all the justices and staff left the building safely, Brazil’s Supreme Court said in a statement. Local firefighters confirmed one man died at the scene in the capital Brasilia, but did not identify him. Police guard the crime scene where a man died after explosions in front of Brazil’s Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, on Nov. 13, 2024.  EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images Celina Leão, the lieutenant governor of Brazil’s federal district, said the suspect had earlier detonated explosives in a car in a Congress parking lot, which did not cause injuries. “His first action was to explode the car. Then he approached the Supreme Court and tried to get in the building. He failed and then there were the other explosions,” Leão said in a news conference. Local media reported

Rep. Michelle Steel’s lead over Democratic challenger Derek Tran dropped to 349 votes, according to election results released Wednesday. Steel, R-Huntington Beach, led by 2,227 votes Tuesday in the state’s closest congressional race. Steel leads 136,855 to 132,378 in Orange County, but trails Tran 18,668 to 14,540 in the Los Angeles County portion of the 45th Congressional District that includes Hawaiian Gardens and Artesia. Overall, Steel leads 151,395-151,046, 50.1%-49.9%. Tran trailed by 7,590 entering Saturday’s count, 6,901 entering Sunday’s, 6,128 votes entering Monday’s and 3,908 votes entering Tuesday’s, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. It was unclear how many ballots remain to be counted. Republican challenger Matt Gunderson conceded defeat Wednesday to Rep. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, in the race for the 49th Congressional District straddling Orange and San Diego counties. In a district that stretches from Del Mar to Laguna Niguel, Levin was leading 181,691-167,492, or 52%-48%, according to the latest tally of results from last week’s election. The Associated Press, ABC and NBC all projected Levin as the winner on Tuesday when the latest voting tabulations were released. On Wednesday morning, Gunderson

Members of the pop punk band All Time Low have dropped their lawsuit in which they alleged that unidentified social media users falsely claimed that the group sexually harassed or assaulted their teenage fans. A lawyer for the quartet filed court papers on Friday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy asking that the case be dropped “without prejudice,” meaning it can be reflied later. The suit filed in February 2022 alleged libel and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage. One of the unidentified defendants, referred to in the complaint as Doe 2, maintained on Twitter that as a minor, she attended one of All Time Low’s concerts with friends, circumvented security and regularly engaged in an intimate relationship with lead guitarist Jack Barakat, most of the time without any witnesses, according to the band’s attorneys’ court papers. Doe 2 further contended she sent Barakat nude photos of herself, when she was a minor, and that the two often went to parties, according to the band’s attorneys’ court papers. Doe 2 additionally asserted that she was involved with the group for years, traveled

Gaetz misconduct probes under fresh scrutiny Gaetz misconduct probes under renewed scrutiny after attorney general nod 10:06 The House Ethics Committee, which has been conducting an investigation into sexual misconduct and obstruction allegations against Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, scheduled a vote for Friday on whether to release its report, according to three sources with knowledge of the committee’s work.  Hours after President-elect Donald Trump said he planned to nominate  Gaetz to be attorney general, Gaetz resigned his congressional seat, effective immediately.  “I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress, to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration,” Gaetz said in his resignation letter obtained by CBS News.  House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that there was about an eight-week period during which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could fill his seat by setting the date for a special election. The news of the scheduled vote was first reported by Punchbowl.  Now that Gaetz has resigned, it is unclear whether the panel will vote on releasing the report, since Gaetz is no longer

They call him the best receiver in the NFL. They say he’s always open. Whatever praise has been heaped upon Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton has already heard — and seen — it firsthand. The childhood friends, high school teammates and national champions at Louisiana State will line up against each other Sunday at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers host the Cincinnati Bengals in a critical prime-time game. Fulton plans to play after a hamstring injury kept him out for two games. The return comes just in time as the Chargers (6-3) test their top-ranked defense in a five-game stretch against explosive offenses. The next five games will affirm or expose the Chargers defense that allows a league-best 13.1 points per game, but hasn’t faced a team that ranks in the top 10 in points scored entering Week 11. With Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals (4-6) are fourth in the NFL with 245.8 yards passing per game and sixth in scoring with 27 points per game. Chase lit up the Baltimore Ravens last week for 264 yards and three touchdowns on

The footage is shocking. A brown bear — and there hasn’t been one of those in Southern California for more than a century — breaks into a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, seemingly using the door handle. Then it lumbers around inside the car, raking the leather seats with its mighty claws. Except it wasn’t a terrifying beast — it was a person in a bear costume using a kitchen tool designed to shred meat, authorities said. And the video was no lucky capture, but a staged performance submitted as part of a four-person insurance fraud scheme, according to the California Department of Insurance. On Wednesday, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village were arrested and charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy, according to the California Department of Insurance. The suspects are also accused of staging fake-bear videos with two Mercedes-Benz vehicles — a 2015 G63 AMG and a 2022 E350 — and submitting these videos as part of fraudulent insurance claims, the department says. A bear costume with meat claws

A 36-year-old Los Angeles County man has been arrested after reportedly throwing a rock at a beloved Great Egret in San Bernardino, leaving the bird, which ultimately died, badly wounded.  The unsettling act of alleged animal cruelty unfolded on Oct. 23 at Lake Gregory in Crestline, according to witness Kaylyn Donica who captured the incident on cellphone video.   Donica told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson that she and a friend were fishing when the spotted two men throwing rocks at ducks in the lake, prompting her to yell at them to stop. She said they initially stopped, but about 20 minutes later, the situation took a turn.   “The one guy stood up and says, ‘Look, a crane,’” she explained. “I just got this gut feeling, like, I already yelled at these guys once. I’m not going to yell at them again.”   That’s when she said she pulled out her cellphone and began recording.   Cellphone footage of a man allegedly throwing a rock at a Great Egret in Crestline on Oct. 23, 2024. (Kaylyn Donica) A Greta Egret, dubbed Arthur by locals, seen at

Three insurance claims involving a bear damaging luxury cars in California are now believed to be fraud after it was determined that the culprit was actually a man in a costume. Four Los Angeles residents were arrested as part of the scheme, which happened on at least three occasions. The suspects — Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, all of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village — have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. The California Department of Insurance began investigating the alleged bear attacks after an insurance company received a claim in January and suspected fraud. A suspected man in a bear costume is seen entering a vehicle and causing damage in January 2024 in a video released by the California Department of Insurance. Video from the California Department of Insurance shows the alleged damage caused by a man in a bear costume in a suspected insurance fraud case in January 2024. Video from the California Department of Insurance shows the alleged damage caused by a man in a bear costume in a suspected insurance fraud case in

What does another Trump term mean for American energy – CBS News Watch CBS News President-elect Donald Trump vowed to cut U.S. energy prices by 50% within one year of taking office. He is also expected to loosen regulations on oil and natural gas companies. Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.com, a website that tracks fuel prices, joins CBS News to discuss. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

The California Public Utilities Commission Wednesday released a proposal that calls for biennial assessments of appropriate gas levels at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Natural Storage Facility in Porter Ranch, and sets a usage-demand level that could trigger the site’s closure. Many residents in the area have been clamoring for the closure of the Southern California Gas Co. facility, the site of the largest gas leak in U.S. history. The proposal released by the CPUC Wednesday acknowledges the “downward trajectory” of demand for natural gas in the state, and for the first time it sets a demand level which, when reached, would trigger a proceeding to consider the possible permanent closure of the facility. But the target level of 4,121 million metric cubic feet per day (MMcdf) may not be reached until 2030. According to the CPUC, the 2024 California Gas Report forecasts peak demand this year at 4,618 MMcfd, and it is projected to fall to 4,197 MMcfd in 2030. “When the peak demand forecast for two years out decreases to 4,121 MMcfd and the biennial assessment shows that Aliso Canyon could be closed

After more than a year, the draft language for Los Angeles’ “Sanctuary City” ordinance has been released, which would prohibit any city resources or personnel from being used to help federal enforcement of immigration laws, it was announced Wednesday. Mayor Karen Bass and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto worked on the release of the draft ordinance following meetings with immigrant-rights groups over the weekend. It was formally made public late Tuesday night by the City Clerk. If approved, it would set up a likely battle with the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump made border security a mainstay of his campaign and promised to deport people who are in the country illegally. With the City Council’s Public Safety and Civil Rights committees potentially waiving the matter out of their jurisdiction, the item could come before the full council as soon as next week when members return from recess. The City Attorney’s Office drafted the ordinance in response to a motion introduced by council members Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman and Hugo Soto-Martinez. The council in June 2023 voted to have to the city attorney draft the

The footage is shocking. A brown bear — and there hasn’t been one of those in Southern California for more than a century — breaks into a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, seemingly using the door handle. Then it lumbers around inside the car, raking the leather seats with its mighty claws. Except it wasn’t a terrifying beast — it was a person in a bear costume using a kitchen tool designed to shred meat, authorities said. And the video was no lucky capture, but a staged performance submitted as part of a four-person insurance fraud scheme, according to the California Department of Insurance. On Wednesday, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village were arrested and charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy, according to the California Department of Insurance. The suspects are also accused of staging fake-bear videos with two Mercedes-Benz vehicles — a 2015 G63 AMG and a 2022 E350 — and submitting these videos as part of fraudulent insurance claims, the department says. A bear costume with meat claws

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general sent a clear signal through Washington on Wednesday that Trump intends for his Justice Department to take a sharp-elbowed, hyperpartisan approach to law and order — one that is both unquestioningly loyal to Trump and openly antagonistic toward his political opponents, legal and political experts said. That approach, after all, has long been the norm for Gaetz, a hard-right member of the House since 2017 who is deeply unpopular among his Democratic and Republican colleagues, but has won praise from Trump by being unflinchingly defensive of the former and future president and openly derisive of the various state and federal criminal cases against him. “If anything shows Trump will make no effort at unity or conciliation, it is this pick,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley School of Law. Matt Gaetz with Donald Trump outside the New York courtroom where Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in May. (Mike Segar / Pool photo via Associated Press) House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that Gaetz had submitted his resignation from Congress “effectively immediately,” in

A suspicious bag seemingly abandoned on a bench prompted the shutdown of the Torrance courthouse early Wednesday and drew the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad to the scene. Investigators have not officially confirmed whether the liquid-filled bag was determined to be a bomb or other explosive, but one law enforcement source familiar with the situation told The Times it “for sure was intended to hurt someone.” The source — who asked not to be identified as they were not authorized to speak on the record — also said video cameras captured footage of a man in a hoodie planting the bag along with a note. The note did not describe a clear motive, the source said, but indicated a desire to cause harm and included claims that the man had “killed before.” Authorities said the incident started around 7:30 a.m., when the Sheriff’s Department responded to a call for service at the courthouse on Maple Avenue, a few hundred feet from both the Torrance Police Department and Torrance City Hall. The courthouse was evacuated, and L.A. Superior Court officials said in a news

Pete Hegseth served as a National Guardsman in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze stars. But after President Biden was elected, Hegseth left the military, complaining he was ordered to stand down from his duty guarding Biden’s inauguration because top brass dubbed him a “white nationalist” and an “extremist.” “The military I loved, I fought for, I revered… spit me out,” Fox News co-host Hegseth wrote in a recent book. “I separated from an Army that didn’t want me anymore. The feeling was mutual — I didn’t want this Army anymore either.” The man that didn’t want “this Army” may soon control it. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Hegseth as secretary of Defense, a move that would put a combat veteran who has complained about “woke” forces — and called for the firing of top generals — in charge of the Pentagon. “Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump said Tuesday as he announced the nomination on Truth Social. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — our military will be great again, and America will