California Dolphin

April 19, 2024 2:14 PM PT 1 Trevor Bauer was back in the news this week. He posted a video in which he gave a short address that started this way: “One of the women who accused me of sexual assault just got indicted for committing felony fraud against me. Imagine that.” Bauer, the former Dodgers pitcher, has not pitched in the major leagues since 2021. Four women accused him of sexual assault; he denied all their claims and alleged each of the women had turned consensual sexual encounters into an opportunity for extortion. 2 So what exactly happened this week? In 2022, an Arizona woman named Darcy Adanna Esemonu filed a lawsuit against Bauer, alleging sexual assault. Bauer countersued, claiming fraud and extortion — in particular, that she claimed he had gotten her pregnant and demanded millions. According to court filings, Esemonu never had the baby; Bauer said that was because she never was pregnant and Esemonu said that was because she miscarried. Esemonu was indicted by a Maricopa County grand jury in March. The indictment, made public this week, charges Esemonu with two

A house burns near Ono, Calif., in a 2020 wildfire. Two more companies, Tokio Marine America Insurance Co. and Trans Pacific Insurance Co., have joined a growing number of home insurance providers that have pulled out of the wildfire-prone state. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press) April 19, 2024 2:06 PM PT Two more insurers are pulling out of California’s troubled homeowners insurance market, straining a marketplace that already has seen the pullback of several other companies that have cited increase costs related to wildfire risks. Tokio Marine America Insurance Co. and Trans Pacific Insurance Co. submitted filings to the California Department of Insurance stating they will not renew 12,556 homeowners policies with a premium value of $11.3 million starting July 1. Also not being renewed are 1,624 dwelling fire and liability policies with a premium value of $1.7 million typically sold to owners of rental properties, as well as personal umbrella coverage. The companies, subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Tokio Marine Holdings, are completely exiting the homeowners marketplace. Several major insurers, meanwhile, including State Farm, Farmers and Allstate, have limited their exposure in California by cutting back

LeBron James is not trash. He does not suck. The Lakers superstar proved those points, and then some, in a series of videos his youngest son, Bryce, posted to his Instagram stories on Thursday. The clips show James shooting hoops at night with both of his sons — Bronny, 19, who has declared for the NBA draft and entered the NCAA transfer portal but also could still return for his sophomore season at USC; and Bryce, 16, a high school junior who plays for Sierra Canyon — in the driveway at the family’s home in Brentwood. In the first two videos, James is shown attempting some long-range shots with Bryce calling out some good-natured trash talk from behind the camera. James was not rattled. “You trash!” Bryce yelled before one shot. Swish. Sierra Canyon’s Bryce James warms up before the second half against Christopher Columbus on Jan. 16, 2023, in Springfield, Mass. (Gregory Payan / Associated Press) “You suck!” Bryce tried next. Swish. “It’s not going in,” Bryce said before another shot. Swish. James responded after that one: “I’m [the] GOAT, bro. G-O-A-T! What’re you

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to three separate alarms at GardaWorld’s Sylmar cash storage facility on the day that thieves stole as much $30 million from its vault during the biggest heist in the city’s history. Despite the officers’ presence at the property in the early hours of Easter Sunday — including around the time it is believed the sophisticated burglary was carried out — the criminals remained undetected, according to three law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation of the incident. During at least one of the responses by a patrol car, GardaWorld was alerted, according to the officials, but the Montreal-based security services company did not register the intrusion. The Times has previously reported that GardaWorld did not learn of the crime until opening the vault the following day, April 1. It wasn’t until then, officials said, that LAPD investigators were notified that a substantial amount of money had been taken. The sequence of events, partly disclosed in an LAPD call-for-service log obtained by The Times, raises questions about the security GardaWorld maintained at the Roxford Avenue property, which is used to

Businesses in Topanga want everyone to know that they are still open but struggling with the extended closure of a section of Topanga Canyon Boulevard due to a landslide in early March. On Thursday, Caltrans announced the closure would likely extend until the fall as thousands of tons of dirt, rock and debris are still covering the road and can’t be safely cleared for now. State Road 27 remains closed from Grand View Drive, just south of Topanga, to Pacific Coast Highway, which means the town is essentially a dead-end for now. Topanga Canyon still ‘too dangerous’ to reopen “People used to drive through here to go to work, and now they use the 101 or the 405,” Claire Denis, owner of Café Mimosa, told KTLA on Friday. “People were coming for the weekend and tourists, and people from the city … Now, they either don’t come, or they don’t drive all the way down here.” The landslide is also causing trouble for business owners who don’t rely on foot traffic. Cafe Mimosa is among several businesses struggling amid the extended closure of Topanga Canyon

A $25,000 reward was announced Friday for information about a street takeover in Los Angeles’ Florence neighborhood that may have resulted in a death after a vehicle spun out of control into a crowd of spectators. Video released by the Los Angeles Police Department’s South Traffic Division shows an unidentified woman being struck by an INFINITI G37 as she was taking a selfie among a crowd of spectators near Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street on Sunday. Investigators said the victim’s head hit the ground and she appeared unconscious when bystanders took her away. Police are trying to identify a person who was taking a selfie when she was struck by a vehicle during a street takeover in Florence on April 14, 2024. (LAPD South Traffic Division) “Some of our investigators … intercepted some chatter that would lead us to believe that there’s a slight chance that this girl might be deceased. We don’t know who she is, where she is, or how serious her injuries are,” LAPD Det. Ryan Moreno said during a news conference to announce the reward on Friday. Police are trying

By Michael Roppolo April 19, 2024 / 5:14 PM EDT / CBS News Taylor Swift’s new album drops Taylor Swift’s new album drops with surprise 15 additional tracks 03:32 Two married Swifties embarked on a mission to recreate all of Taylor Swift ‘s album covers after the singer announced her new record ” The Tortured Poets Department ” at the Grammys in February. Charlie Bird — the “major Swiftie” of the two, according to husband Ryan Clifford — had the idea after Swift made the surprise announcement while accepting  the Grammy for best pop vocal album . The project is a continuation of what the couple had done for Halloween last year — dressing up as Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce . Charlie shaved his head and Ryan had painstakingly recreated the red “Reputation” costume Swift wore during her Eras Tour in four days’ time — with sequins galore. They documented the project for their YouTube page and when they posted the final results on social media, their followers loved it.  Charlie Bird as Travis Kelce and Ryan Clifford as Taylor Swift during Halloween

By Kate Gibson Edited By Anne Marie Lee Updated on: April 19, 2024 / 5:16 PM EDT / CBS News UAW president Shawn Fain on labor’s comeback UAW president Shawn Fain on labor’s comeback 09:12 The United Auto Workers is hoping the third time proves the charm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As the final ballots are cast Friday by 4,300 Volkswagen workers deciding on whether to join the UAW, expectations are running high among labor advocates that the union will prevail after two failed attempts.  “A lot is riding on what is taking place now and what will be decided tonight,” Harley Shaiken, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, told CBS MoneyWatch. “This is a pivotal movement for the workers in Chattanooga, but much more broadly for workers in the South and for organized labor more generally.”  The chances for a UAW win seem high, given that about 70% of the plant’s workers pledged to vote in favor of unionization before it requested the vote, according to the union. Voting that began on Wednesday concludes at 8 p.m. ET Friday, with ballot counting

By Cara Tabachnick, Nick Kurtz April 19, 2024 / 5:12 PM EDT / CBS News 4/19: CBS Morning News 4/19: CBS Morning News 20:00 Five Maryland teenagers were shot and two were critically injured during a water gun fight celebrating “senior skip day,” a spokesperson for the Greenbelt Police Department told CBS News on Friday.  Hundreds of teens skipped school in Prince George’s County for the tradition and gathered in Bowie, Maryland, said Ricardo Dennis, the police department’s public information officer. Both Bowie and county police scattered the crowd initially and about 500 students reconvened at Schrom Hills Recreation Center in Greenbelt, Dennis said. Police said they were monitoring the water gun fight when live shots from “someone who brought a real gun” were heard, he said. Police are still investigating whether the gun was fired by someone who was participating in the water gun fight.  Most of the teenagers left the park as police responded, Dennis said, and one of the critically injured victims was taken to the hospital by a helicopter. Three victims have serious but non-life-threatening injuries, he said. Two of those

Rapper NBA YoungBoy and several of his associates orchestrated a “large scale prescription fraud ring” to illegally obtain prescription drugs from multiple Utah-area pharmacies, police allege. An affidavit filed Thursday by an officer for the Cache County Sheriff’s Office named the rapper (born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) as a primary suspect in a months-long scheme that involved posing as a doctor to fill prescriptions for promethazine with codeine — a controlled substance — in pharmacies in cities including Hyrum, Logan and Smithfield. The affidavit was filed two days after Gaulden, 24, was arrested Tuesday evening on 63 charges including counts for identity fraud, forgery and “procuring or attempting to procure” prescription drugs, court documents reviewed by The Times said. A legal representative for Gaulden, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, did not comment to The Times on Friday. Filed by Cache County officer Tyson Nielsen, the affidavit outlines multiple instances dating from September 2023 to February 2024 of alleged identity fraud and attempts to obtain promethazine with codeine — a key ingredient used to make a cough syrup-laced drink commonly known as “lean,” “purple drank”

The most anticipated first-round series of the NBA playoffs is here: the Lakers versus the defending champion Denver Nuggets. LeBron James’ squad was swept by Denver in the last postseason, and L.A. hasn’t beaten the Nuggets since December 2022, which is why the Lakers are serious underdogs according to the online gambling site DraftKings. Sound like a good bet? Or at least a fun one? That’s the vibe DraftKings is going for. Opinion Columnist LZ Granderson LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports and navigating life in America. One of the site’s recent promos features comedian Kevin Hart hawking “no sweat tokens” next to this claim: “Place a NBA SGP or SGPx bet today and get a bonus bet back if you lose!” That sounds as close to a win-win situation as any, regardless of whether you know anything about gambling or single-game parlays. It all comes across as harmless and fun. So did candy cigarettes. Even after the surgeon general advised against smoking in 1964 , candy cigarettes were still on the market and tobacco companies were still lending their branding to candy companies.

Budget cuts and financial woes forced San Francisco to cancel its annual 420 celebration at Golden Gate Park this year, but a self-described psychedelic church says it will step in to help support the thousands of people expected to still make the “religious pilgrimage.” “Anybody who is going out to Hippie Hill on 420 to smoke a joint, they’re doing that religiously, whether or not they realize it,” said Church of Ambrosia Pastor Dave Hodges in a statement. “This is like a pilgrimage to Mecca.” An annual hazy, smoke-filled celebration that goes back to San Francisco’s Summer of Love in 1967, the cannabis-themed festival draws in thousands of people for music, food, comedy and, of course, weed. In 2022, the event drew about 20,000 people. But in March 26, the city announced the smoke-filled event at Golden Gate Park was canceled because of city budget cuts that prevented the city’s parks to cover staffing for the event, and challenges in the cannabis industry that made sponsorships hard to secure. Despite the cancellation, many people were still expected to make the annual trek to the park

A cellular outage in Cuyama is impacting the ability for some people to call 911 Friday. According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the issue is affecting AT&T customers. Anyone needing emergency services is asked to call 911 using a landline or by enabling wifi on your cell phone. Restoration is expected around 8 p.m.

Every week we feature an available animal from Woods Humane Society. This week is Malbec’s turn. He is a sweet, year old chihuahua mix who is only 8 pounds. He was transported to Woods Humane Society this week after being found as a stray. While he is just getting used to life in a shelter he would love to find a lap to curl up on and a home to call his own. He will be available Friday at noon at the Woods Humane Society shelter in San Luis Obispo. If you want a little Malbec in your life but aren’t looking for a pet this weekend is wine 4 paws. Saturday and Sunday 80 local wineries and businesses will be raising funds for Woods Humane Society during their pet themed events. Here are full details on that event!

California’s most populous county has been officially recognized by the state and Governor Gavin Newsom as a “prohousing” community. On Friday, Newsom announced ten communities had received the distinction, including the whole of Los Angeles County. The designation is given to communities that are making a concerted effort to build more homes to help address the state’s critical need by cutting red tape, reducing construction and development costs and creating housing policies with a “growth mindset,” officials said. In addition to L.A. County, the cities of Berkeley, Brea, Crescent City, Fairfield, Pinole, Rancho Cucamonga, Richmond, South Lake Tahoe and West Hollywood received the prohousing label. An aerial view of homes in a housing development in Santa Clarita, California on September 08, 2023. (Getty Images) The newest additions to the Prohousing Designation Program brings its total to 47. “California is making progress – but we can do better. At a time when the state is facing a housing crisis, every local jurisdiction should be stepping up to earn this distinction,” Newsom said in a news release. California home prices climb higher, but sales stall While the “prohousing” designation

Taco Bell announced on Friday that Nacho Fries will be returning to menus nationwide beginning on April 25. The return of the fan-favorite marks the 11th time Nacho Fries have been added back to Taco Bell menus. This time, however, Taco Bell is partnering with hot sauce company Secret Aardvark for a spicy revamp of the side dish. Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries features crispy fries seasoned with Mexican spices and topped with slow-roasted chicken, a three-cheese blend, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, and pico de Gallo. Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries features crispy fries seasoned with Mexican spices and topped with slow-roasted chicken, a three-cheese blend, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, and pico de gallo. (Taco Bell) The new menu item will be available for $4.99. To celebrate the latest release, Taco Bell also announced that it will surprise 300 Fire Tier Rewards Members with a surprise “secret” drop on Tuesday. Details on what the surprise will be weren’t announced. In the past, Taco Bell has partnered with other companies to revamp its Nacho Fries dish. Last year, they partnered with Yellowbird to release

A $25,000 reward was announced Friday for information about a street takeover in Los Angeles’ Florence neighborhood that may have resulted in a death after a vehicle spun out of control into a crowd of spectators. Video released by the Los Angeles Police Department’s South Traffic Division shows an unidentified woman being struck by an INFINITI G37 as she was taking a selfie among a crowd of spectators near Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street on Sunday. Investigators said the victim’s head hit the ground and she appeared unconscious when bystanders took her away. Police are trying to identify a person who was taking a selfie when she was struck by a vehicle during a street takeover in Florence on April 14, 2024. (LAPD South Traffic Division) “Some of our investigators … intercepted some chatter that would lead us to believe that there’s a slight chance that this girl might be deceased. We don’t know who she is, where she is, or how serious her injuries are,” LAPD Det. Ryan Moreno said during a news conference to announce the reward on Friday. Police are trying

NEW YORK (WPIX) — A man set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump was on trial Friday. The man could be seen lying on the ground outside at a park across the street from the Manhattan courthouse. People rushed over to douse him with a fire extinguisher and try to bat the flames away. NewsNation crews at the courthouse witnessed court officers and New York police officers rushing toward the flames in a chaotic scene. Emergency responders then rushed him away on a stretcher. He was in critical condition and being treated at a burn unit, New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said Friday afternoon. Four officers also had minor injuries from exposure to the fire. The man had traveled to New York from St. Augustine, Florida, some time in the past week, investigators said in a Friday press conference. Police said that before he self-immolated, or set himself on fire, he had spread pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories in the park across the street from the courthouse. Officers did not draw any initial connection between the man’s actions and