California Dolphin

Writers Guild of America this week sent a letter to major Hollywood studios asking them to take action against tech companies that are using writers’ work to train AI tools without their permission. “The studios, as copyright holders of works written by WGA members, have done nothing to stop this theft,” the guild’s leadership said in a letter. “They have allowed tech companies to plunder entire libraries without permission or compensation. The studios’ inaction has harmed WGA members.” The guild said its collective bargaining agreements require studios “to defend their copyrights on behalf of writers” and urged studios to “take immediate legal action against any company that has used our members’ works to train AI systems.” The letter was sent to studios including Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Walt Disney Co., Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios. Representatives from those studios did not immediately return requests for comment. WGA‘s letter referenced an Atlantic article last month that reported that subtitles from thousands of movies and TV episodes were included in an AI-training data set used by companies including Facebook parent company Meta and

DAMASCUS —  Corpse No. 11 was relatively pristine, with few signs of abuse save for a rictus of pained surprise. No. 26 was in worse condition, the decomposition further along but still not enough to obscure the scarlet bruising on the shriveling skin of his forehead. The face of No. 18 was also bruised but surprisingly intact otherwise; the mouth was open, as if he were in midsentence. Pacing the pastel-green basement morgue of Damascus’ Mujtahed Hospital was Sabri Riyabi, a 32-year-old man from the suburb of Jobar, looking among the unidentified dead for Mohammad, the brother he last saw in 2011. He lifted the collar of his sweatshirt to cover his nose, then lingered over each of the six corpses with his phone flashlight. The morgue of Damascus’ Mujtahed Hospital. (Ayman Oghanna/For The Times) None were Mohammad. He asked a staff member if those were all the bodies in the hospital that day. “Don’t bother going to the other room — everyone there has been claimed,” said the attendant. Riyabi sighed. “It’s my second day searching. I’ve gone to all the hospitals here in Damascus.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Thursday that it is investigating two possible cases of H5 bird flu in cats that consumed recalled raw milk from Raw Farm LLC. The animals have died. The two cats, indoor pets, reportedly consumed raw milk that was linked to the statewide recall of raw milk and cream products. After lapping up the product, the animals developed symptoms that included a lack of appetite, fever and signs of neurological problems. Both animals died after symptoms severely worsened. And both animals tested positive for Influenza A. Influenza A viruses include most human seasonal flu viruses as well bird flu variants, including H5N1. County health authorities are considering the animals “presumptive” H5N1 bird flu cases. They have sought confirmatory testing. Health officials said in a statement that people who had direct contact with the cats are now being monitored for symptoms and have been offered Tamiflu or other antiviral medications. There have been no associated human infections with these cats. “The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but this suspected case of the

White House officials on Travis Timmerman, continued search for Austin Tice – CBS News Watch CBS News NSC spokesperson John Kirby and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented Thursday on the discovery of American Travis Timmerman in Syria and the ongoing efforts to locate Austin Tice, who they believe is also there. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Grand jury seeing evidence in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting case, source says – CBS News Watch CBS News A source tell CBS News that prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to a New York grand jury in the fatal shooting case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. CBS News’ Lilia Luciano has more on the evidence that may be pinned on suspect Luigi Mangione. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Will Xi Jinping attend inauguration? Will China’s Xi Jinping attend Trump’s inauguration? 07:01 Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to travel to Washington next month as an inauguration guest of President-elect Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the planning. CBS News was first to report that Trump had personally invited Xi to the swearing-in ceremony shortly after Election Day. China’s ambassador to the U.S. and his spouse are expected to attend the Jan. 20 event , as is standard practice. Sources told CBS News that additional officials from Beijing may join them. Inauguration officials have designated staff to handle diplomatic protocol at the festivities, CBS News has learned.  The Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment. The Trump transition did not reply to a request for comment. Asked Thursday morning whether Xi had RSVP’d, incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News she didn’t know, but she confirmed other world leaders had been invited. “We have a good relationship with China. I have a good relationship,” Trump told CNBC this morning. “We’ve been talking and discussing with President Xi some

By Eleanor Watson Updated on: December 12, 2024 / 5:49 PM EST / CBS News Are drones flying over New Jersey safe? Are the drones flying over New Jersey safe? 03:49 New Jersey residents and lawmakers are pushing for more information about  mysterious drone sightings , including some near military installations.  A federal official said Thursday that the FBI is the lead agency investigating along with the New Jersey state police. Local law enforcement are also investigating.  The NYPD said Thursday that multiple drones were also seen flying over a New York City neighborhood in the Bronx, but soon after officers responded to calls about the sightings, the drones disappeared. What have authorities said about the drone sightings?  New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said during a call-in program on Wednesday night that he would be bringing up the issue with the White House on Thursday but assured constituents that the drones as of now don’t appear to pose a safety threat.  “Based on everything we know,” Murphy said, “there is no public safety risk we’re aware of. On the other hand, is it frustrating to not

The publisher of a prominent LGBTQ media outlet has died, the outlet announced. Troy Masters, publisher of the Los Angeles Blade, died Wednesday at the age of 63. While the Blade noted Masters “died unexpectedly,” the “cause of death was not immediately released.” Masters founded the L.A. Blade in 2017 as a sister publication to the Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ newspaper. “All of us at the Los Angeles Blade and Washington Blade are heartbroken by the loss of our colleague,” Blade management said in a statement. “Troy Masters is a pioneer who championed LGBTQ rights as well as best-in-class journalism for our community. We will miss his passion and his tireless dedication to the Los Angeles queer community.” Masters’ family also released a statement mourning him. “We are shocked and devastated by the loss of Troy,” the statement said. “He was a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ community and leaves a tremendous legacy of fighting for social justice and equality. We ask for your prayers and for privacy as we mourn this unthinkable loss. We will announce details of a celebration of life

KTLA 5 is getting a new addition to the family! Meteorologist Liberté Chan and her husband Luis Strohmeier are expecting their first child together. Earlier this week, Liberté revealed the baby news with an announcement on Instagram. She showed off her growing baby bump on the KTLA 5 Morning News on Thursday. “Today is 26 weeks,” she revealed. To honor the occasion, Liberté played a game on the set with Jessica Holmes, Eric Spillman, Mark Kriski and Dayna Devon to see how well she can understand baby talk using videos of Jessica’s young son, Theo. While Mark ended up winning the game, he almost ruined the surprise. Hours earlier in the newcast he accidentally spilled the beans during Dayna’s entertainment report on Selena Gomez’s engagement. We also gifted her treats from Sweet E’s Bakery and a custom KTLA 5 baby onesie. Congratulations Liberté!

Amazon announced on Tuesday that shoppers in 48 cities, including three in California, can now purchase a new Hyundai vehicle directly from Amazon. Amazon’s new program, Amazon Autos, will work much like the Amazon you’re used to, showing customer and dealership reviews, allowing you to add the vehicle to your cart and check out. Through Amazon Auto, you can look at available vehicles at a local dealership, get trade-in values on current vehicles, secure financing or payments in full, and schedule a pick-up time all online. The program, Amazon claims, “provides transparent pricing from local dealers, eliminating the need for negotiation.” The price customers see at check-out is the final price, with taxes and fees included. Amazon said it is starting with new Hyundai vehicles but will expand to include other brands in 2025. Along with more options to shop from, they said they plan to add more financing options, leasing and more cities in the U.S. There are currently 10 Hyundai models featured on Amazon Autos: Palisade, Kona, Elantra, Venue, Sonata, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Santa Cruz, Tucson, and Santa Fe. A list of participating cities

Universal Studios Hollywood could be getting a new 500-room hotel as part of its broader expansion plans, which would include additions to the theme park, City Walk and movie studios on the property. Site plans for Universal’s Project 515, obtained by theme park blog Park Fans, show that the hotel would sit across from the theme park entrance, immersing guests into the theme park. The proposed hotel would take over an existing parking lot and the former Saddle Ranch Chop House location. Universal Studios Hollywood shares 2025 event calendar Universal began exploring the idea of building a new hotel in 2006 when it unveiled its multi-decade expansion plan, the Universal Evolution Plan. The expansion plans also outline the possibility of building another 500-room hotel, studio and studio office spaces, entertainment and retail offerings, and more in the area. “As we previously shared, we are exploring the possibility of building a hotel at Universal Studios Hollywood so our guests can enjoy all that our park has to offer,” a spokesperson for Universal Studios Hollywood told KTLA. Hotels that immerse guests into the theme park isn’t a

If your bank account regularly flirts with negative balances, or you’re just bad at keeping track of your debit card swipes, you’ve probably felt the sting of one of the banking industry’s favorite charges: overdraft fees. Thanks to a rule finalized Thursday by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, those fees could drop sharply next year — provided the rule isn’t overturned by Congress or the courts before it goes into effect Oct. 1. U.S. banks opposed the rule and are expected to push hard to block it. Their trade group, the American Bankers Assn., asserted the rule will prompt banks to offer less overdraft protection, which prevents overdrawn checks from bouncing and debit-card transactions from being declined. That protection comes at a price, though, in the form of overdraft fees of about $27 each time a customer withdrew more than their checking account could bear, Bankrate.com reported in August. Last year, according to the CFPB, banks collected about $5.8 billion worth of fees for overdrafts and non-sufficient funds — that is, when a check bounces or a payment is declined. The CFPB rule is

Fish Reef Project founder Chris Goldblatt has made it a mission to care for the ocean. “The ocean has given me everything that I have, and I believe that it’s necessary that you give back to the things they give to you,” Goldblatt said. Fourteen years ago, Goldblatt started the Fish Reef Project, working to restore local native kelp forests. He tells me they were wiped out off the coast of Goleta during a 1983 El Nio. “And all the small rocks that were down there [it] pushed them out to deep water and that’s what the kelp grew on, and those rocks haven’t been recharged,” Goldblatt explained. According to Sea Grant California, kelp forests have seen a 95% loss state-wide due to rising water temperatures and a surge in sea urchins. Goldblatt hopes his project can help. “So we’ve perfected a technology called sea caves, which are very large under underwater structures that the kelp can grow on,” Goldblatt said. Six months ago, 16 sea caves were placed in Goleta Bay, and now “The Goleta kelp restoration has reached the surface!” Goldblatt said. He

CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo strike teams are in Los Angeles County helping fight the Franklin Fire in Malibu. Over the past few days, they’ve deployed two hand crews, a strike team of engines, and overhead personnel. CAL FIRE SLO Public Information Officer Ryan Grebe says crews typically work 24-hour shifts on the fire line, followed by 24 hours off. So a typical shift for the resources that we send down there is 24 hours. So they’re going to work on the fire line and then they’re going to have 24 hours off. There are different shift patterns that they use, but typically all the ground resources that we send are 24 hours, Grebe said. Steep terrain and Santa Ana winds are complicating efforts with the fire currently at just 7% containment.

Ron deHarte will be sworn in as the 25th mayor of Palm Springs at a City Council meeting Thursday. The current mayor pro tem and representative of District 3, deHarte is set to become the city’s first openly gay Mexican American mayor. He is also the CEO of Greater Palm Springs Pride. Naomi Soto, a Measure J Oversight Commission chair, and David Ready, a former city manager, will also be sworn at Thursday’s meeting, representing Districts 4 and 5, respectively. Outgoing Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein and Councilmembers Lisa Middleton and Christy Holstege are expected to deliver final remarks. The agenda for the City Council meeting — scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in City Hall, according to the city calendar, and open to the public — also contains consent items to be voted upon by the current councilmembers. Residents can also watch live at palmspringsca.gov, Palm Springs Community Television Channel 17 or the official Palm Springs YouTube channel.