Los Angeles

Motorist Killed in Collision with Train in Jurupa Valley

A motorist was killed in a crash with a Metrolink train in Jurupa Valley Wednesday that also sent a train passenger to a hospital. The collision occurred shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Bellegrave Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies located the train “several hundred feet from the grade crossing and a vehicle with major collision damage away from the grade crossing and on railroad property,” Sgt. Rafael Lopez said. The driver was found inside the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. The victim’s identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin. Forty-seven passengers were aboard the train, one of whom was injured and taken to a hospital with stable vital signs, Lopez said. The cause of the crash was under investigation by the department’s Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team. Bellegrave Avenue was closed between Van Buren Boulevard and Rutile Street for the investigation. Anyone with information about the collision was urged to contact Deputy Linfoot at 951-955-2600.

Sacramento

Rick Steves’s new travel memoir examines wild times on the ‘hippie trail’

Rick Steves is arguably the country’s most beloved travel writer and guide since Mark Twain, and millions know him from his long-running series on traveling through Europe. But his latest book is a departure from his favorite continent, which he shares with viewers and readers of his popular guidebook series. Instead of writing about Paris or Berlin, he turns the mirror around and looks at himself as a 23-year-old recent college graduate who’d been making a living as a piano teacher. SEE ALSO : Like books? Get our free Book Pages newsletter about bestsellers, authors and more During the pandemic, when Steves was as homebound as everyone else, he dug out a detailed journal he’d kept about his 1978 trip along the so-called “hippie trail” from Istanbul to Kathmandu. “I read it and thought, ‘This is actually a treasure, because you can’t do this trip anymore,’” Steves said in a Rick Steves Travel Talks video on YouTube. This was a well-known overland journey of 3,000 miles that involved so many unknowns, discomforts and hardships that relatively few hippies actually attempted it. But Steves had been a

Sacramento

Trump nominee to lead National Institutes of Health questioned on funding cuts, vaccines

By LAURAN NEERGAARD WASHINGTON (AP) — A health economist who once famously clashed with officials at the National Institutes of Health and now is the nominee to lead the agency faced questions from senators from both parties Wednesday about drastic funding cuts and research priorities. Related Articles National Politics | CDC invites back about 180 fired employees, including some who help fight outbreaks National Politics | Federal judge blocks drastic funding cuts to medical research National Politics | White House confirms ‘ongoing talks and discussions’ with Hamas officials amid ceasefire uncertainty National Politics | Veterans speak out on the Trump administration’s plans to cut the VA’s budget National Politics | Trump administration pauses flow of intelligence to Ukraine that helps on battlefield Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor, was an outspoken critic of the government’s COVID-19 shutdowns and vaccine policies. Now he’s poised to become director of the NIH, long called the government’s crown jewel, as it faces mass firings and drastic funding cutbacks. “I love the NIH but post-pandemic, America’s biomedical sciences are at a crossroads,” Bhattacharya told senators. He laid out priorities

Sacramento

Pokémon-shaped Cheeto, ‘Cheetozard,’ sells at auction for $87,840

NEW YORK (AP) — A Cheeto shaped like the beloved Pokémon Charizard has sold at auction for a total cost of $87,840. The Goldin auction house listed the snack as sold on Sunday. “Presented is a 3-inch long Flamin’ Hot Cheeto in the shape of the Pokémon Charizard, affixed to a customized Pokémon card and encapsulated in a clear card storage box,” the auction’s description states. “It was initially discovered and preserved sometime between 2018-2022 by 1st & Goal Collectibles. The Cheeto surged in popularity on social media platforms in late 2024.” There were 60 bids on the uniquely shaped snack, according to the listing. The winning bid was $72,000 plus a buyer’s premium.

San Diego

Lemon Grove residents speak out against cabins for homeless people

After hearing from dozens of residents opposed to a county plan to build cabins for homeless people on state property in Lemon Grove, the City Council on Tuesday discussed meeting in closed session to consider ways to oppose the proposal. Several residents have asked the council to take a stand on the plan for months, and about 200 people attended the Tuesday meeting to hear a presentation from the county. Most at the meeting opposed the plan, with concerns including its cost, safety, effectiveness and its proximity to schools. Some in favor of the plan included formerly homeless people who spoke passionately about treating homeless people humanely and not making generalized assumptions about them as dangerous or addicts. The newest council members, Steve Faiai, Jessyka Heredia and Yadira Altamirano, raised various concerns about the project, with Faiai and Altamirano saying they were not opposed to sheltering people, but not at the planned location on the corner of Troy Street and Sweetwater Road. “Obviously, the community is not in favor of this, and they were duped into thinking they had a voice,” Heredia said. She also

Sacramento

Senate confirms former Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general, placing President Donald Trump’s former criminal defense attorney in a key Justice Department post at a time of turmoil in the agency. Blanche, who just months ago was defending Trump against indictments brought by the department, will be the second in command under Attorney General Pam Bondi, another close Trump ally. He was confirmed in a 52-46 vote. Blanche is entering amid upheaval from firings, resignations and forced transfers of career officials in the Trump administration’s push to purge the agency of employees seen as disloyal to the president’s agenda. During his confirmation hearing, Blanche sought to assure Democrats that politics would play no role in his decisions as deputy attorney general. Blanche said Trump’s Justice Department will work to restore the “American people’s faith in our justice system” after what he described as “partisan lawfare” targeting the president. Related Articles National Politics | Trump nominee to lead National Institutes of Health questioned on funding cuts, vaccines National Politics | CDC invites back

Sacramento

How New Orleans cleans up the waves of trash left behind after Mardi Gras

By JACK BROOK, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras with parades and partying, leaving behind an avalanche of waste. At dawn Wednesday, a motley waste management crew embarked on the unenviable mission of cleaning up tens of thousands of pounds of detritus spread across the city’s historic French Quarter. Waste from Mardi Gras awaiting collection in the French Quarter of New Orleans, on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jack Brook) Riding through a sea of waste Leander Nunez, 54, steered a massive truck onto Bourbon Street just after 5 a.m., spraying water onto the piles of waste so they could be more easily swept up. He’s a supervisor for IV Waste, the company contracted by the city to help clean up many of its most popular streets over the 58-day Carnival season. Beaded necklaces, tossed from balconies and floats, crunched beneath wheels as the truck passed daiquiri bars, strip clubs and fried chicken joints. Piles of Mardi Gras detritus accumulated from Mardi Gras celebrations lies in the French

Far North

Piak Sen Weather

February’s wet and windy exit is hardly the last we’ll see of chilly weather. Well, fine. The edge of cold and dampness makes hovering over a bowl of hot noodles and broth just a little more pleasing. Ramen has lately popped up on more menus to challenge the near noodle monopoly pho had previously held in our county, but don’t count out the Lao ka piak ($14) at Eureka’s Wok in Wok Out (307 Second St.). You’ll have to bypass the always excellent curry-spiked kapoon noodles beckoning from the menu and for that I wish you strength. Also known as khao piak sen, its freshly made, hand-cut white noodles composed of rice and tapioca flour have a soft, chewy thickness to rival Japanese udon. The starch from those noodles thicken the pale fragrant chicken broth to a lovely silkiness. Comforting as it is in flavor and texture, it’s no wonder Laos is packed with stalls selling piak sen from morning to late at night. The Worasens, owners of the Old Town restaurant, make their broth with garlic and ginger, topped with  handful of chopped green

Far North

Jerry Comfort

We really never thought this day would come, and our hearts will never be the same. Jerry Comfort, one of the greatest men we’ve ever known, lived an incredible life to 96 years of age. We will miss him every day, but we are so proud to call him Dad and Grandpa. Jerry grew up in Fortuna, the son of Doc and Dorothy Comfort. He grew up driving his dad to house calls across Southern Humboldt, helping provide medical care throughout the rural region. Jerry met the love of his life, Betty, when he pretended to need help with his homework in algebra class just to have an excuse to talk to the cute girl sitting in front of him. A star athlete, Jerry lettered in five sports at Fortuna High School, earning himself enough points that he could walk Betty to every class, even if it made him late, and still stay in good standing. The high school sweethearts were married when they were 19 and were just as in love on their 74th wedding anniversary. Jerry attended Oregon State University on a basketball

San Diego

The pope has increased his physical therapy and marked the start of Lent in the hospital

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis increased his physical therapy with his condition remaining stable on Wednesday, marking the start of Lent by receiving ashes on his forehead and calling the parish priest in Gaza, the Vatican said. The Holy Father suffered no respiratory crises during the day, receiving oxygen through a nasal tube as has been the case in recent days. He will resume the use of a non-invasive mechanical mask for the night. Doctors treating the pope for double pneumonia underlined that his prognosis remained guarded due to the complex picture. The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, had two respiratory crises on Monday in a setback to recovery. During the morning he participated in an Ash Wednesday celebration, receiving ashes and Holy Communion. He later set to work, which included a call to the Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, the Argentine priest who is the parish priest of the Holy Family church in Gaza. It was the third time they have spoken since the pope was hospitalized Feb. 14. The evening health bulletin

San Diego

San Diego City Council votes to begin rolling back controversial ADU program

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego City Council voted on Tuesday to begin rolling back a landmark housing program that let single-family homeowners build more accessory dwelling units (ADU) on their property if they reserve units for low to moderate-income households. The scaling back of the program, called the bonus ADU program, marks a notable shift in the city’s approach to housing development. It came amid growing pressure to reverse course from residents, who argued it has allowed for full apartment buildings in backyards. The 6-3 vote on Tuesday after hours of discussion and public comment stopped short of killing the initiative entirely. Instead, the action asked city staff to work on a plan that would reform it in a way that prevents developers from taking advantage of its perks in certain areas. Special meeting held on sleeping cabin project in Lemon Grove Specifically, the council opted to ask for the removal of qualification for eight types of single-family neighborhoods consisting of what city officials call “outlier” lots: plots of land that allow more space for a dense concentration of ADUs due to

San Diego

World’s biggest Lego Festival comes to California in May

CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Legoland California Resort will host the world’s largest Lego festival this spring, taking the power of creativity to a whole new level. The Carlsbad location joins six other Legoland resorts worldwide hosting the event, including Billund, Deutschland, Florida, Korea, New York and Windsor, according to a statement by the theme park Wednesday. Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks without oxygen or porters “The LEGO Festival will embody what LEGOLAND is all about – play as a way of life,” said Fiona Eastwood, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, in the statement. The Lego Festival will be comprised of 49 new large-scale Lego models plus five zones to encourage guests to play in different ways, the park said. The zones — music, creativity, dance, gaming and chill out — are meant to provide children and families with the opportunities to explore themes of social connection, self-expression and learning. Beginning with a welcome photo opportunity at the resort’s “I heart Play” Lego model, each child is given a themed festival lanyard before traveling through all five zones. They end their play journey by making

San Diego

Winter storm brings rain, wind and snow to San Diego County

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County will see wetter weather over the next couple days as an atmospheric river moves through the region Wednesday into Friday morning. Northern portions of the county will start to get some light to moderate rainfall by 4 p.m. with more widespread rain pushing south by dinner time.  Sign up to receive weather alert emails from FOX 5/KUSI Generally light to moderate rain is expected with rain rates up to a quarter inch per hour but there could be some downpours at times.  Mostly scattered showers will remain into Thursday, especially for the mountain areas, but then a second round of rain is expected for later that evening. Thunderstorms are possible during this time and could produce pockets of heavier rain, strong winds and small hail. The National Weather Service office in San Diego issued several watches, warnings and advisories for Southern California counties this week. The following weather advisories and gale watch were issued for San Diego County over the coming days: Winter Weather Advisory A winter weather advisory for the county’s mountain areas, including the cities of

Sacramento

Steve Carell helping high school seniors impacted by Southern California fire attend prom

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 10:34PM Carell appeared in a video on Tuesday that played for about 800 seniors at six high schools this week, according to Alice’s Kids, a charity organization that works with Carell and posted his video message on their X page. LOS ANGELES — Steve Carell is making sure Altadena-area high school seniors will make it to their prom after the community was devastated by the Eaton Fire. Carell appeared in a video on Tuesday that played for about 800 seniors at six high schools this week, according to Alice’s Kids, a charity organization that works with Carell and posted his video message on their X page. “Attention all seniors. This is Steve Carell with a very special announcement,” “The Office” star said in the video. “Alice’s Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets.” He added that if anyone already paid for their prom tickets, Alice’s Kids will reimburse them. “It’s a pretty good deal,” Carell added in his trademark deadpan. “Have fun, enjoy the prom and remember, this is Steve

Sacramento

Target faces 40-day boycott as consumers react to company’s shift from DEI policies

Target is facing a 40-day consumer boycott starting Wednesday over the company’s shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. “We’re asking people to divest from Target because they have turned their back on our community,” Rev. Jamal Bryant, a prominent Atlanta-area megachurch pastor who started the boycott, said in an interview with CNN. The boycott, which begins during the start of Lent, comes more than a month after Target made changes to its DEI programs and at a difficult period for the company as it faces an onslaught of tariffs in the middle of a challenging economy. On January 24, days into Donald Trump’s presidency, Target announced it was eliminating hiring goals for minority employees, ending an executive committee focused on racial justice and making other changes to its diversity initiatives. Target said it had a new strategy called “Belonging at the Bullseye,” which it first introduced last year, and the company remained committed to “creating a sense of belonging for our team, guests and communities.” Target also stressed the need for “staying in step with the evolving external landscape.” Target is one

Sacramento

Trump grants 1 month exemption for US automakers from new tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, as worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The pause comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, on Wednesday, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Asked if 30 days was enough for the auto sector to prepare for the new taxes, Leavitt said Trump was blunt with the automakers seeking an exemption: “He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff.” Shares of big U.S., Asian and European automakers jumped as much as 6% after the announcement. RELATED: What tariffs mean for local consumers and business owners Pausing the 25% taxes on autos traded through the North American trade pact USMCA would only delay a broader reckoning to take place on April 2, when Trump is set to impose broad “reciprocal” tariffs to match the taxes

Sacramento

Gymnast Jordan Chiles talks new memoir, reveals new details on Paris Olympics medal controversy

Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles is turning the page on the drama surrounding her revoked bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, rewriting the narrative of the global sports controversy in her own words, along with never-before-shared details of her athletic career in her new memoir. Chiles joined “Good Morning America” on Tuesday to discuss her new book, “I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams,” which is filled with details of the traumas and challenges that have shaped her personal story. She told “GMA” writing this book “was to show the world that it took me 23 years to get into this position that I am in right now, being a two-time Olympian, a world champion and many more other accolades. People can say a lot of things about you and create a story, but why not tell your story the right way?” “My dad always told me every lesson that I learned would be in a book one day,” Chiles continued. “I got to create something that was very dedicated to who I was.” Chiles, who initially earned two medals at

Los Angeles

Thousands of California national forest campsites may close this summer amid federal budget freeze, report says

Nearly 4,000 campsites across California’s 18 national forests could close for part or all of the summer season as the U.S. Forest Service struggles with budget constraints following President Donald Trump’s federal spending freeze, according to a report by The New York Times. The potential closures could impact visitor centers and backcountry trails at popular outdoor destinations such as Desolation Wilderness in Lake Tahoe and the Mount Whitney area.  An internal agency memo cited by the Times indicated that financial limitations may render some sites “unsafe” due to the inability to maintain them. Camping at this California recreation site could cost more in 2025 Forest Service employees who spoke with the publication noted that the funding freeze could significantly impact essential services, including human waste removal, trail maintenance, and search-and-rescue operations. Mount Whitney, known for frequent rescues and fatalities, may be particularly affected. Additionally, the report stated that staffing cuts have already led to the termination of the last permanent wilderness ranger in Desolation Wilderness. In other areas, visitor centers could close. Budget constraints have already impacted the Forest Service. Last year, regional managers announced

Los Angeles

Melvin Robert joins KTLA 5 Morning News

LOS ANGELES (March 5, 2025) – KTLA-TV, the most-watched local television station in Southern California, today announced the signing of Melvin Robert as Morning News Entertainment Anchor/Reporter. Mr. Robert will assume his new on-air duties beginning the week of March 17th. An Emmy award-winning host, writer, and producer, Mr. Robert brings extensive experience in the entertainment and local news space to his new role at KTLA. He was most recently the senior correspondent and weekend co-host of EXTRA and anchor of Good Day LA. He is a native of Southern California, born and raised in Inglewood, and started his career as an intern at KTLA during the summer of 2000, before his senior year at Loyola High School. He then returned to the station as a regular Culture/Lifestyle contributor from 2016-2018. Mr. Robert has hosted multiple local and national red-carpet shows, conducted numerous one-on-one celebrity interviews, and is well-connected and respected in the entertainment and news industry. “I am overjoyed and humbled to join the KTLA 5 family,” said Mr. Robert. “This show carries such an iconic legacy, and I can’t wait to collaborate with

Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory to stream total lunar eclipse live online

Griffith Observatory will host a live online broadcast of the total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, allowing viewers to watch the celestial event remotely. The broadcast will begin at 8:50 p.m. on the Observatory’s YouTube channel and run through 3:05 a.m. The observatory and Griffith Park will be closed to the public during the eclipse, and no onsite viewing will be offered. Southern California residents should be able to see the eclipse with the naked eye, weather permitting, officials said. Skygazers should look to the southeast at 11:26 p.m. for the start of totality. “The appearance of the Moon changes dramatically during the course of an eclipse, and it is worth viewing on multiple occasions during the evening,” officials said. The total eclipse will last from 11:26 p.m. to 12:31 a.m., with the best viewing occurring at 11:59 p.m. The umbral eclipse, when a visible “bite” appears on the Moon’s surface, begins at 10:09 p.m. and ends at 1:48 a.m., officials said. A timelapse version of the eclipse will be available on the observatory’s YouTube channel the following morning. A total lunar eclipse happens when