Category: Los Angeles

UCLA’s latest high school basketball signing class could make history. It might not exist. For the first time in at least a quarter of a century, the Bruins are not expected to bring in a high school prospect during the early signing period that started Wednesday. It’s possible they might not land a high school player in the spring or summer either, largely because of their roster construction. The team has just two seniors in addition to three players who plan to redshirt in hopes of a larger role next season. Plus, there’s this thing called the transfer portal. “There’s really only one rule: You can transfer every year,” said UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who has referred to all players as free agents. “So who the hell knows [what will happen] next spring? Who knows? And then you sign early now, it used to be binding, now it’s just an aid thing. If a guy wants to change, he can sign with you and if he decides to change his mind, they’re going to let him out [of his scholarship]. There are no rules, let’s

Roger Penske didn’t invent motorsports. But he certainly found a way to dominate it, winning 17 championships in the IndyCar series he owns and five NASCAR titles. His drivers have won the Indy 500 a record 20 times, which may be one reason he decided to buy that track as well. On Thursday he expanded his empire by acquiring the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the longest-running major street race in North America and one of the largest and more important events on Southern California’s sporting landscape. Financial terms of the deal between Penske and Gerald R. Forsythe, the long-time owner of the event, were not disclosed. Forsythe and partner Kevin Kalkhoven paid a reported $15 million for the event in 2005. Not that the cost mattered to Penske, who said he considers the Grand Prix priceless. “It’s an iconic race,” he said. “When you think about markets and where we want to be sure that we have IndyCar long term, this is a place we want to invest in for sure.” Kyle Kirkwood celebrates in Victory Circle after winning the 48th annual Grand Prix

A police department in Southern California introduced a new off-road enforcement team in its effort to improve safety for bikers and hikers. “The Fontana Police Department is proud to introduce our new Off-Road Enforcement Team, equipped to patrol areas where traditional police SUVs can’t reach,” a post on the Police Department’s X page stated. The new team will be dedicated to patrolling trails, tunnels and bridges. Fontana is introducing a new off-road enforcement team. (Fontana Police Department) “Having a presence on off-road trails is essential to maintaining a safe environment for bikers, hikers, and all who enjoy our city’s natural beauty,” police said. The department said that officers received specialized training and vehicles to “protect our trails and ensure everyone has a secure experience outdoors.”

Despite increased concerns over safety on Metro trains and in stations, one police department will be removing its presence from the public transit system early next year. In a statement to KTLA, the LA Metro confirmed that its contract with the Long Beach Police Department will end on Dec. 30, ending the partnership between the two agencies. “We value our partnership with the Long Beach Police Department, one of three contracted law enforcement agencies that provide service to Metro,” the statement reads. “We will continue to work closely with the Long Beach Police Department to ensure the safety of our stations and customers in alignment with our other law enforcement resources.” LA Metro to expand ‘TAP to exit’ program, test taller fare gates LA Metro told KTLA that the contract could be extended on a month-to-month basis, but only until March 2025. The decision to let the contract expire comes as the LA Metro works to develop its own police force. Earlier this year, the Metro moved forward with plans to start the department, however it’s expected to take as long as five years for

Explaining “cuffing season” Dating expert on why singles seek out relationships as the weather cools 04:13 As the weather cools down, dating heats up as people secure a cuddle buddy for “cuffing season,” but for some, taking a slower approach may be the best strategy. A “slowmance” is the idea of taking an intentionally slower pace than what many might think of as “the norm” in the dating world , Mere Abrams, a therapist at FOLX Health, told CBS News.  “There can be a tendency to go really deep, really quickly,” Abrams said, but a slowmance focuses on “keeping things light and fun for a while before we get into those deep topics like family, past trauma, challenges in life.” While anyone can try this strategy at any time, the added pressure and stress of the holidays can make this approach especially beneficial this time of year— and particularly for LGBTQ folks who may face unique challenges.  “There’s a lot of reasons why someone might want a slowmance — they might really want to build that foundation first before going deep. They might want to

True crime. Real justice.  “48 Hours” is the one to watch on Saturday nights. Our 37th season premieres Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9/8c. HOW TO WATCH: “48 Hours” airs Saturdays starting at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.    Can’t watch us live? Set your DVR! Watch more full episodes of “48 Hours” on Pluto TV. You’ll also find us on CBS News 24/7  Saturdays at 6 and 11 p.m. ET. Download the CBS News app on your cellphone or connected TV. Watch “48 Hours” full episodes 24/7: The “48 Hours” FAST Channel (free, advertiser-supported streaming) is available on  CBSNews.com, Pluto TV, Paramount +, and Paramount partner channels.    We are on YouTube, too! Listen to our podcasts: “48 Hours,” “My Life of Crime,”  “Post Mortem” and more. COMING UP SATURDAY, NOV. 16, 2024  ALL NEW | 10/9c: The Plot to Eliminate Alyssa Burkett :: A toxic couple orchestrates an elaborate plan to kill a mother. Peter Van Sant reports. WATCH A SNEAK PEEK 9/8c:  The Suspicious Death of Megan Parra : When a mother of two is found dead in her home, her father obtains death scene photos that help solve the case.

Billy Bob Thornton on starring in new drama, “Landman” from “Yellowstone” creator – CBS News Watch CBS News Oscar-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton joins “CBS Mornings” to discuss his new role in “Landman,” the latest Paramount Plus series from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. Thornton stars as Tommy Norris, a man tasked with managing land and people in the oil-rich landscapes of West Texas. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

The Grand Prix of Long Long Beach, the longest-running major street circuit race in North America, will have a new owner heading into the 50th edition of the event next year. Penske Entertainment announced its purchase of Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC, from longtime owner Gerald R. Forsythe Thursday. “We’re incredibly proud to be the new stewards of this cherished and iconic event,” said Roger Penske. “This is the most historic and prestigious street circuit race in North America, and we’re excited to work with Jim Michaelian and his great team in Long Beach to ensure continued success and growth over the long term.” Driver Nolan Siegel leads during the IndyCar Grand Prix of Long Beach auto race Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Long Beach. (AP) IndyCar driver Scott Dixon takes the checkered flag to win the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images) The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a premier race weekend for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES that regularly attracts crowds of over

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, facing courtroom battle – CBS News Watch CBS News On Wednesday, a judge allowed a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit to move forward that accuses Meta of creating an illegal monopoly with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O’Grady explains. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Eye Opener: President-elect Donald Trump taps Matt Gaetz for attorney general – CBS News Watch CBS News Controversial congressman Matt Gaetz has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be attorney general. Meanwhile, wildfires continue to burn in the Northeast. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

4 arrested for faking bear attacks for insurance payouts – CBS News Watch CBS News Four people have been arrested for allegedly carrying out a bizarre insurance fraud scheme where they staged bear attacks inside cars. Authorities say the suspects submitted videos for insurance claims on what they said were bear attacks, but investigators say the bear was actually a person in a bear suit. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

New DNA technology allows investigator better chance at solving decades old cold cases New DNA technology allows investigator better chance at solving decades old cold cases 02:47 Authorities in New Mexico say they discovered at least 10 human skulls in and around a property near the southeastern border, which could include the remains of a woman who’s been missing since 2019. Investigators found the remains while executing a search warrant for Cecil Villanueva, a man flagged to law enforcement by a local resident in the city of Jal. The resident said he offered Villanueva a ride in his car and proceeded to have “an unsettling encounter” with him, the Lea County Sheriff’s Office said.  The resident, who authorities haven’t named, reported the interaction on Nov. 5. He said Villanueva was carrying two bags and “made alarming statements” as he “discarded objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones,” the sheriff’s office said. Investigators uncovered bone fragments during their subsequent search of the area, and a pathologist later confirmed they were in fact human bones. Forensic experts went on to determine the findings

Los Angeles County got a gift from voters: They passed Measure A, a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax that will provide a billion dollars a year for services and housing for homeless people. Providing the help that homeless people need is a difficult, long and expensive task, and residents clearly still believe in that mission. But they will probably expect measurable progress in the near future, especially given that this is the second tax measure county voters have passed for the purpose. The first was 2017’s Measure H, a quarter-cent sales tax now repealed and replaced by Measure A, which will generate twice the funds. It’s imperative that L.A. city and county officials and civic leaders use that money efficiently and transparently to get people the help and housing they need. Voters tend to measure the results of homelessness programs by what they see on the sidewalk. The latest homeless count did show some long-awaited progress: The number of unsheltered homeless people — those who live outside instead of in a shelter or other temporary housing— dropped 5% in the county and 10% in the city. But

A motorist was hospitalized after driving his vehicle hundreds of feet over the side of Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles’ Beverly Crest neighborhood Wednesday night. The incident was reported in the 13600 block of Mulholland Drive when the vehicle’s emergency service system alerted first responders at about 9:45 p.m. Video from the scene showed the car had sheared a power pole before landing in some bushes approximately 200 feet down the hillside. First responders find a vehicle about 250 feet down Mulholland Drive on Nov. 13, 2024. (KNN News) Firefighters transported the driver, a man believed to be about 70 years old, to a local hospital in unknown condition. The man was seen talking to emergency responders while seated upright on the stretcher. The cause of the crash was unclear.

Superheroes and animation packed a punch for Walt Disney Co. as “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2” propelled the company’s film studio to one of its best fiscal quarters. The Burbank media giant reported Thursday that its entertainment business took in $10.8 billion in revenue during its fiscal fourth quarter, an increase of 14% compared with the same period a year earlier. The entertainment segment’s operating income for the quarter totaled $1.1 billion, quadruple the same quarter a year earlier, which included the lackluster “Haunted Mansion.” For the full year that ended Sept. 28, Disney’s entertainment segment — which includes movies, TV, Disney+ and Hulu — reported revenue of $41.2 billion, up 1% compared with the previous year. The entertainment business’ results were augmented by another quarter of profitability for the company’s streaming business, which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. “This was a pivotal and successful year for The Walt Disney Co., and thanks to the significant progress we’ve made, we have emerged from a period of considerable challenges and disruption well positioned for growth and optimistic about our future,” Chief Executive Bob Iger

November 14, 2024 / 7:11 AM EST / AFP London Mayor Sadiq Khan has accused Donald Trump of repeatedly criticizing him because of his “ethnicity” and Muslim faith, comments likely to renew his long-running feud with the US president-elect. The pair became embroiled in an extraordinary war of words during Trump’s first presidency, initially sparked by Khan speaking out against a U.S. travel ban on people from certain Muslim countries. London Mayor Sadiq Khan walks through Downing Street to attend the annual National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London, U.K. on Nov. 10, 2024.  Wiktor Szymanowicz / Future Publishing via Getty Images Trump then accused Khan — the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital when he was first elected in 2016 — of doing a “very bad job on terrorism” and called him a “stone cold loser” and “very dumb.” The mayor in turn allowed an unflattering blimp of Trump dressed as a baby in a diaper to fly above protests in Parliament Square during his 2018 visit to Britain. The inflatable balloon called Baby Trump flies above the statue of wartime

Updated on: November 14, 2024 / 6:27 AM EST / AP 11/13: CBS Evening News 11/13: CBS Evening News 19:46 Baton Rouge, La. — An LSU student has been arrested after, prosecutors say, he made an online threat to kill Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who advocated for bringing a live tiger onto the field as part of a recent college football game. Landry, a Republican, helped revive the school’s tradition of wheeling a caged Bengal tiger into the stadium before kickoff for the first time in nearly a decade. Animal rights activists protested outside the stadium. A live tiger is rolled into Tiger Stadium before an NCAA college football game between LSU and Alabama in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 9, 2024. Gerald Herbert / AP An arrest affidavit says Jackson Pemberton, 21, told state police investigators on Tuesday that he was joking when he posted on social media “I am going to kill you jefflandry,” tagging the governor’s account on X, media outlets reported. Pemberton told investigators he was “upset with the governor’s decision regarding the live tiger that was brought on the LSU football

After months of obsessing over the presidential contest, it was jarring last week to tune in to the annual Veterans Day commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery and see President Biden center stage. The all-but-forgotten president is too literally a lame duck; his stride has given way to a shuffle. He looks lost. He tried to project force in his tribute, but you braced for the verbal trips. Why did Biden think he could serve another four years? Opinion Columnist Jackie Calmes Jackie Calmes brings a critical eye to the national political scene. She has decades of experience covering the White House and Congress. He’s so diminished from the politician I’ve covered for 40 years, from the Senate through the vice presidency to the White House. I initially respected his judgment not to retire, as Democrats did. In late 2022, Biden turned 80, but he celebrated unusually good midterm election results for his party and one of the most successful first two years of any president (the Afghanistan withdrawal aside). He’d won landmark legislation, such as the infrastructure law, that will have benefits for years. And

Education policy received little to no attention during much of the presidential campaign. But, in the final phase, Donald Trump was asked during a “Fox & Friends” interview how he would fix schools. His reply : “No transgender, no operations.… There are some places, your boy leaves the school, comes back a girl.” That was a lie. But it was far from the first time Trump, the Republican Party and a wide-range of conservative activists leveraged fears related to schooling for partisan gain. Over the last three years, there has been a coordinated and intentional political strategy targeting public schools. Our team of university researchers spent the past months surveying and interviewing hundreds of school superintendents about the costs of dealing with culturally divisive conflict, such as battles over LGBTQ+ rights, teaching about race and racism, and efforts to ban books. Their answers are troubling. One in 10 were physically threatened. Many were barraged by false rumors and accusations. Two-thirds of the 467 school superintendents in our national survey reported experiencing moderate to high levels of culturally divisive conflict. School districts bear significant financial costs

On Thursday, PBS debuts its new children’s program, “Carl the Collector.” Like many TV shows aimed at the under 10 demographic, “Carl” features adorable animated animals who work together to solve problems and learn valuable life lessons. Carl, a kind raccoon who loves to collect things, lives in a fictional world called Fuzzytown with his friends, including twin rabbits, a helpful beaver, a reserved fox and an energetic squirrel. As we’ve come to expect from PBS children’s programming, the series is funny, sweet, educational and poignant. But “Carl the Collector” is also groundbreaking because Carl is autistic. It’s the first time PBS has centered a series on a neurodiverse character. It was created by children’s book author Zachariah OHora, who says the inspiration came from watching his own children and their interactions with their peers. “All kids, regardless of what their needs are, get the same access to teachers, social time in the classroom and get support for whatever they need,” he says, noting that his children attend an inclusion school. “I noticed that my kids just didn’t differentiate. It was just such a light

Mike Schur, the creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Good Place,” is like a kid on a Halloween sugar high. It’s the morning after the Dodgers won the World Series, and Schur — a baseball enthusiast with undying loyalty to the Boston Red Sox — is detailing the team’s extraordinary comeback in the fifth inning of Game 5 against the New York Yankees as a curious Ted Danson listens intently. “I’m not proud of this, I don’t feel good about myself when I say things like this, but it is a part of who I am: I wanted to see sad Yankee fans,” Schur says after his mirthful recap. “I lived in New York for seven years, and in those seven years, the Yankees won the World Series four times. And I was miserable the whole time. That really just hardened my soul. My soul in this area is black and tarred over. I have no empathy. It’s the only place in my life where I feel really dark and evil.” “I was watching ‘The Great British Bake Off,’” Danson deadpans. “Did you feel