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“Conclave” and “Wicked” each earned 11 nominations Thursday for the Critics Choice Awards which will be presented at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and broadcast on E! on Jan. 12. The 30th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be hosted by Chelsea Handler and will be available on the streaming service Peacock on Jan. 13. The Critics Choice Association made the nominations announcement Thursday. “Conclave” is nominated for Best Picture and Best Acting Ensemble, with Ralph Fiennes recognized in the Best Actor category and Isabella Rossellini up for Best Supporting Actress. “Wicked” is up for Best Acting Ensemble, and castmates Cynthia Erivo is nominated for Best Actress and Ariana Grande for Best Supporting Actress. Jon M. Chu is a contender for Best Director, with Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Alice Brooks for Best Cinematography. “Dune: Part Two” and “Emilia Perez” received 10 nominations each, and both are up for Best Picture. “A Complete Unknown,” “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing,” and “The Substance” are the other Best Picture nominees. The Critics Choice Awards begin at 7 p.m.

Mayor Karen Bass Thursday marks her two-year anniversary of taking office, representing progress made over the last 12 months in reducing homelessness, supporting businesses and improving public safety, among other efforts. Bass has no plans for any celebratory events, according to her office. On Wednesday, she concluded the final leg of a multi-day tour across the city aimed at highlighting her administration’s accomplishments. Among them, Bass touted more than 23,000 unhoused people moving into temporary housing, an increase of 5,300 compared to 2022, and permanent housing placements nearly doubled as well. Nearly 7,400 Angelenos moved into permanent housing placements from temporary housing, representing an increase of 1,500 people over 2023 and double compared to 2022. Additionally, 8,866 unhoused residents found permanent housing as a result of several programs, such as a combination of Housing Choice, Project Based and VASH housing vouchers. Another 4,000 people were able to use emergency vouchers to find homes. The mayor also highlighted the success of her Inside Safe initiative, which has brought down more than 75 encampments across the city, and brought 3,600 people into temporary housing. Efforts to increase

Trump jabs at Canada, Trudeau Trump jabs at Canada, Trudeau as tariffs threats continue 05:16 The premier of Canada’s most populous province on Wednesday threatened to cut off energy supplies to the U.S. if President-elect Donald Trump implements his proposed tariffs on Canadian goods. This bold move highlights the escalating tensions between the two nations as they grapple with potential trade conflicts. “We will go to the full extent depending how far this goes. We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy, going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said during a press conference following a virtual meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other provincial premiers to discuss Trump’s tariff threat. “I don’t want this to happen, but my No. 1 job is to protect Ontario, Ontarians and Canadians as a whole since we’re the largest province.” Trump in November threatened to impose a blanket 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico unless the two countries take action to curb the flow of drugs and unauthorized migrants

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Don’t pursue a credit card debt forgiveness program without first knowing the red flags to watch for. Getty Images Several years of high inflation are still straining the budgets of millions of Americans. Despite recent cooling, essential living costs like food, gas and housing remain elevated. Many pinched consumers are turning to their credit cards to make ends meet.  Consequently, many are becoming more reliant on credit cards, with an average credit balance of around $8,000 . With credit card interest rates averaging 23.37% and exceeding 30% on some retail cards, the cost of carrying a balance can create an untenable situation for many. Credit card repayment strategies, debt consolidation and balance transfer cards offer practical ways to manage your debt. Non-profit credit counseling agencies can also be invaluable tools to help you regain control of your finances.  Debt settlement programs may make sense for those on the verge of bankruptcy as they help reduce the overall amount of debt you owe to creditors. While

By Kerry Breen Updated on: December 12, 2024 / 11:51 AM EST / CBS News AI company faces lawsuit over teen’s death Character.AI, Google face lawsuit over teen’s death 11:15 Character.AI, the artificial intelligence company that has been the subject of two lawsuits alleging its chatbots inappropriately interacted with underage users , said teenagers will now have a different experience than adults when using the platform. Character.AI users can create original chatbots or interact with existing bots. The bots, powered by large language models (LLMs), can send lifelike messages and engage in text conversations with users.  One lawsuit, filed in October, alleges that a 14-year-old boy died by suicide after engaging in a monthslong virtual emotional and sexual relationship with a Character.AI chatbot named “Dany.” Megan Garcia told “CBS Mornings” that her son, Sewell Setzer, III, was an honor student and athlete, but began to withdraw socially and stopped playing sports as he spent more time online, speaking to multiple bots but especially fixating on “Dany.”   “He thought by ending his life here, he would be able to go into a virtual reality or

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Buying a home is typically still possible if you have credit card debt, but it may not be the best route to take, experts say. Sutipond Somnam/Getty Images This might be the best chance in years for homebuyers sitting on the sidelines to jump into the market. Five years ago, the pandemic sent the real estate market on a turbulent journey — one that started with a huge influx of buyers as rates fell and then slowed to a crawl as mortgage rates skyrocketed to over 8%, their highest level since 2000 in October 2023. However, the market has taken a positive turn in recent months, which is welcome news for potential homebuyers. In September, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in over four years , dropping the benchmark rate by 0.50% before reducing the rate again in November by 0.25% . Mortgage rates also dropped in tandem, and despite a recent uptick, mortgage rates are still nearly half a point

Former UCLA police chief John Thomas, who was criticized for security lapses that led to the violent protests on campus last spring, is no longer with the University, it was announced Wednesday. Thomas’ last day with UCLA was Tuesday, the UCLA Police Department posted on X.  Thomas had previously been reassigned from his role as chief of police, with Gawin Gibson temporarily acting as chief from May to September, the Daily Bruin reported.  Barricades surround the encampment for the Pro-Palestine group as a member, right, is punched by a pro-Israel group member, left, at UCLA on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) A counter protester shouts at pro-Palestinian protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment set up on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as clashes erupt, in Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. Clashes broke out on May 1, 2024 around pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of California, Los Angeles, as universities around the United States struggle to contain similar protests on dozens of campuses. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP)

Hate crimes in Los Angeles County were reported 45% more in 2023 than in 2022, according to an annualized report from the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations. The 1,350 reported hate crimes in 2023 are the most in the history of the report, which has been commissioned since 1980, surpassing the 1,031 in 2001 that were reported in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The LACCHR says it compiles the results from data submitted by more than 100 law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and community-based organizations. The commission noted that part of the reason for the surge was the fact that it’s now easier to report such crimes without directly going to police, due to services like LAvsHate.org and 211. Those services were responsible for more than 50 reports in 2023. The willingness to report crimes now, compared to times passed, may also contribute to the record number, officials said. “Although the numbers reported today are unprecedented for multiple communities throughout LA County, they signal that more people are coming forward to report hate crimes and are refusing to accept the normalization of hate,”

Warner Bros. Discovery announced a major restructuring Thursday, a preliminary step that could lead to the breakup of the battered media company. Investors cheered the news that the company was separating its linear networks — including CNN, TBS, Food Network, Cartoon Network and HGTV — into a distinct unit within the company. The move comes after Warner Bros. Discovery took a $9-billion write-down in August to reflect the diminishing value of its basic cable channels. The other half of the enterprise will be dedicated to producing movies and award-winning television shows and its newer direct-to-consumer businesses. This unit — called Studios & Streaming — will be comprised of the Burbank-based Warner Bros. movie and television studios, premium channel HBO and the Max streaming platform. The move comes less than a month after Comcast announced that it would spin off its linear cable channels, including MSNBC, CNBC and USA Network, into a separate publicly traded company. Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t going that far — at least not yet — because it still heavily depends on the revenue that it receives from distribution fees for its cable

Volunteers put up flyers of missing Maui woman Hannah Kobayashi outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) The month-long search for Hannah Kobayashi concluded this week after her family said they found her safe. The announcement comes after the Los Angeles Police Department said it tracked the Maui woman into Mexico and that she appeared safe, with no signs of foul play. Here is a timeline of what we know. Nov. 8 Kobayashi lands at Los Angeles International Airport from Maui and misses her connecting flight to New York City, according to her family. The LAPD said Kobayashi intentionally missed this flight, which her family disputed. Relatives receive cryptic text messages from Kobayashi, suggesting that someone is trying to steal her money and identity. Kobayashi stays overnight in Los Angeles and is seen the next day at the Taschen bookstore near the Grove shopping center. Nov. 10 Kobayashi is seen on video attending the LeBron XXII Trial Experience near the Grove and returns to LAX, according to her family’s statement. Kobayashi also posts a black-and-white photo on Instagram about

A former FBI informant accused of falsely claiming that President Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges, according to court papers filed Thursday. As part of the plea deal with Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, California resident Alexander Smirnov will admit he fabricated the story that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. The plea agreement comes just weeks after prosecutors filed new tax evasion charges against Smirnov. The two sides will recommend a sentence of at least two years behind bars and no more than six years, according to the agreement. Attorneys for Smirnov didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday. Smirnov was arrested in February on allegations that he falsely reported to the FBI in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter Biden and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. Smirnov told his handler that an executive claimed to have hired Hunter Biden to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems,” according to court documents. Prosecutors said Smirnov