Los Angeles

JuJu Watkins and No. 7 USC hold off No. 4 Connecticut to win in a thriller

HARTFORD, Conn. —  In a marquee matchup Saturday night, No. 7 USC defeated perennial powerhouse No. 4 Connecticut 72-70, avenging its Elite Eight loss to the Huskies in April and strengthening its status as one of the nation’s elite teams. “This is a really significant win, and it’s a significant win because of the stature of the UConn program and what [Connecticut coach] Geno Auriemma has done for our sport,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I told [the team] in [the locker room] — for me, for my entire high school and on, this is what basketball excellence was, this is what we saw. And it’s challenged all of us to want to be better, to find players who want to be better and be that elite.” Undeterred playing in front of a sold-out crowd on the road, USC opened the game with a 9-0 run, capitalizing on cold shooting and defensive lapses from the Huskies. Buoyed by 15 points from JuJu Watkins, the Trojans shot 48.6% from the floor in the first half, including seven for 11 from three-point range, to take a 42-29 lead

Los Angeles

Valeria Gastaldi tiene un regalo muy especial para sus fans mexicanos

Una imagen promocional de la artista argentina Valeria Gastaldi. (Fuentes2Fernandez) Por REDACCIÓN LOS ANGELES TIMES EN ESPAÑOL Dic. 21, 2024 6:49 PM PT La cantante argentina Valeria Gastaldi, que formó parte del popular grupo de pop Bandana y que inició luego una carrera como solista, ha decidido sorprender a los numerosos seguidores que tiene en tierras aztecas con motivo de la Navidad. De ese modo, ella misma, que pasó un periodo extendido de tiempo en México tras la separación de Bandana y que radica actualmente en Miami, regresó al DF para grabar una nueva versión de un tema que ocupa un lugar estelar en el corazón de los melómanos del país vecino. Se trata de “Amor eterno”, la tierna balada del legendario cantante y compositor Juan Gabriel, cuya adaptación en voz de Gastaldi se encuentra ya disponible en todas las plataformas dedicadas a difundir música, y que puedes escuchar también por aquí. Tras un periodo de alejamiento de los escenarios debido a razones personales, la artista decidió regresar a su oficio original a partir de este año, empezando con el lanzamiento del sencillo “Sigo recordándote”

Los Angeles

Southern California teen allegedly killed by brother with ax remembered by loved ones

Loved ones gathered to honor a 15-year-old boy whose brother is accused of murdering him with an ax in Ventura County. Zayde Keohohou was laid to rest Saturday and a celebration of life ceremony was held to remember the teen who his family said lived life to the fullest. “It’s hard,” said Jante Keohohou, Zayde’s mother. “It’s been really hard. Pain every day. He exuded love and aloha.” Zayde was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, but his mother said that never stopped him from enjoying the things he loved with his family. “We had a good 15 years with him,” Jante said. “He wasn’t supposed to live past three and we got him to 15.” On Dec. 5, authorities were called to a home on the 400 block of Jeanne Court in Newbury Park just after 8 p.m. on reports that a teenager had been struck in the head with an unknown object. That teen, Zayde, was in the process of being taken to the hospital when he was pronounced dead.  Jante Sharp and her son, Zayde Sharp are seen together in

Sacramento

Despite loss, Sharks rookie goalie shows he belongs in NHL

EDMONTON, Alberta – It sure seems like goalie Yaroslav Askarov belongs in the NHL. Whether Askarov stays with the San Jose Sharks for the rest of the season is another matter, as injured goalie Vitek Vanecek’s short- and long-term health outlook remains unclear. But Askarov appears ready to jump full-time to the Sharks roster. That much was made clear Saturday before a sold-out Rogers Place crowd, which saw Askarov make one brilliant stop after another in nearly leading the Sharks past the Edmonton Oilers despite the skaters in front of him giving up a tidal wave of scoring chances. With the Sharks leading by a goal late in the third period and San Jose’s defenders looking exhausted as they tried to make a game-winning play, Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm scored with 17.3 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. Then, just 18 seconds into overtime, Leon Draisaitl scored to hand the Sharks a 3-2 loss, their fourth one-goal defeat in six games. Askarov, in his third NHL start this season, finished with 41 saves, including 23 in an exceptional second period when he stopped

Sacramento

Rickey Henderson: Oakland remembers the ballplayer who grew up in Bushrod

OAKLAND — Rickey Henderson sometimes slipped into third-person when discussing himself. He’d lift a base plate triumphantly into the air like a trophy after stealing it during a game, which he did more times than anyone else ever. Oakland residents attest to having seen him everywhere — at Safeway, in restaurants, exiting a racquetball court. “There was no separation,” said Oakland A’s superfan Dave Peters, who recently ran into Henderson at wine bar Vino Volo in the city’s airport. “He’d just talk to you.” Henderson wasn’t just one of the greatest to play baseball, as he once acknowledged about himself. He was certifiably cool, radiating with the swagger Oaklanders see in themselves and their town. He had grown up playing at Bushrod Park and did not just suit up for the city’s MLB team — he became its most treasured member and foremost player. The braggadocio, the charisma and the grit underneath it all is what the city remembered of Henderson, who died at 65, days shy of his birthday on Christmas. Henderson’s death snuck up on those who remember the Man of Steal as

Bay Area

Texas holds off Clemson 38-24, sets up College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Arizona State

By JIM VERTUNO AUSTIN — Jaydon Blue ran 146 yards and two touchdowns, the last a 77-yard burst in the fourth quarter, and Texas beat Clemson 38-24 on Saturday in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff. Blue’s fourth-quarter touchdown came after Clemson rallied from down 31-10 to 31-24 on Cade Klubnik’s third touchdown pass. Texas (12-2) advanced to the Jan. 1 Peach bowl to play Big 12 champion Arizona State. Blue also scored on 38-yard cut-and-dash burst in the second quarter. On his second, he dove into the line, shook a tackler, and then outraced three more to the end zone with just 11 minutes left. Quintrevion Wisner added 110 yards rushing and two first-half touchdowns for Texas. Quinn Ewers passed for 202 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik, who grew up in Austin, passed for 336 yards and rallied the Tigers (10-4) in the second half against a Texas defense that had given up just four passing touchdowns all season. The runner-up in the Southeastern Conference, Texas is the only one of last season’s four playoff teams to make the new 12-team

Bay Area

Trump taps ‘Apprentice’ producer Mark Burnett as special envoy to the United Kingdom

By Will Weissert | Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with “The Apprentice,” is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration. “With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role,” Trump announced Saturday. Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like “Survivor” and “The Voice,” but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for “The Apprentice,” which first aired on NBC in 2004. Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run. The selection of Burnett continues Trump’s trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a

Los Angeles

Help Sought in Search for 14-Year-Old Girl in East LA

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Saturday asked for the public to help locate a 14-year-old girl who went missing in East Los Angeles. Sheila Sarahi Camacho was last seen at 8 p.m. Friday near the 100 block of North Indiana Street, according to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Her family is concerned for her well-being. Camacho is Hispanic, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, 178 pounds, with red hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, black leggings and black Converse shoes. Anyone with information about where to find Camacho was urged to call the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station at 323-264-4151 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Los Angeles

Man Shot to Death in Stanton, One Injured

One man was shot to death and another was injured in Stanton, authorities said Saturday. The shooting occurred about 4:20 p.m. Friday in the area of Orangewood Avenue and Court Street, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Arriving deputies found 18-year-old Stanton resident Jonathan Alexis Jimenez wounded inside a vehicle on Court, sheriff’s officials said. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A second man was also found injured inside the vehicle, sheriff’s officials said. He was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries related to the shooting. “Several subjects” were detained at the scene Friday night during the investigation by the sheriff’s Homicide and Gang Enforcement Team, officials said. Their current status was not available. The investigation continued. Anyone with information regarding the incident was asked to call sheriff’s dispatch at 714-647-7000 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS, or online at www.ocsheriff.gov/occrimestoppers.

Sacramento

Missing man found dead in Sequoia National Forest

Sunday, December 22, 2024 8:56PM Missing man found dead in Sequoia National Forest FRESNO, Calif. — A man who has been missing since Thursday has been found dead in the Sequoia National Forest. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife notified the Visalia Police Department that 72-year-old Manuel Mendoza was found deceased a short distance from his vehicle in the forest. Authorities with the Visalia Police Department say they were working with the California Highway Patrol to issue a Silver Alert and were waiting for approval when Mendoza was found. Detectives say no foul play is suspected and the death investigation is being led by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

Sacramento

Porterville man arrested for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material

Sunday, December 22, 2024 9:04PM Porterville man arrested for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material FRESNO, Calif. — The Porterville Police Department has arrested 21-year-old YZ Racar Hayes for possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material, as well as distributing the content for money. The investigation began back on August 14, 2024 when police received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children telling them a Porterville resident uploaded a file containing the abuse material. Officers received additional tips later on October 29 and November 7, 2024 telling them more files were uploaded from the same IP address as the original tip. On Wednesday, detectives served a search warrant at Hayes’ home on Scarlett Oak Avenue in Porterville. Officers seized electronic devices as evidence and will search them for any other abuse material. Hayes was booked into the Tulare County South County Detention Facility and is being held on $100,000 bail.

Sacramento

Two dead, including baby, several injured in head-on crash in Merced County

Sunday, December 22, 2024 9:21PM Two dead, including baby, several injured in head-on crash in Merced County MERCED CO, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly head-on crash in Merced County. Officers responded to Interstate 5, south of Highway 165 and south of Los Banos, on Friday just before 6:30 p.m. Officials say a man driving a Jeep southbound on I-5 crossed the center median into the northbound lane for unknown reasons and crashed head-on with a Dodge. A woman and baby in the Jeep were ejected. Both the woman and baby later died from their injuries. The man driving and the baby suffered major injuries. The man driving the Dodge and a woman suffered major injuries. A girl in the Dodge had no injuries. All victims were taken to the hospital for treatment. Authorities say drugs or alcohol appear to be factors in the crash.

Sacramento

5 killed, including 9-year-old, in German Christmas market attack; more than 200 injured

MAGDEBURG, Germany — At least five people, including a 9-year-old, are now known to have been killed in the vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, German officials said Saturday. The four other victims killed in the attack were adults, according to police. At least 200 more people were injured when a car plowed into festive market-goers in the eastern German city, around 75 miles west of the capital Berlin, according to Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff. The Magdeburg Christmas market will be closed for the remainder of the season, police told reporters Saturday. At least 41 of those injured in the attack are in serious condition, according to police. Their lives are still thought to be in danger, according to Chancellor Olaf Scholz. A suspect — a doctor from Saudi Arabia aged around 50 — was arrested, Haselhoff said. The man has lived in Germany since 2006. A rental car was used in the attack, the minister said. He will be charged with 5 counts of murder and grievous bodily harm, according to police. The first

Los Angeles

Lara Trump won’t pursue Rubio’s Florida Senate seat, she says

Updated on: December 22, 2024 / 12:19 AM EST / AP Lara Trump withdraws consideration for Marco Rubio’s Florida Senate seat Lara Trump withdraws consideration for Marco Rubio’s Florida Senate seat 00:23 Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump , said Saturday that she’s removing herself from consideration to be a Florida senator — ending speculation that she could replace Republican Sen. Marco Rubio , who has been tapped to be the incoming administration’s secretary of state . “After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Lara Trump posted on X. After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate. I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our… https://t.co/ARdvTQki9N — Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) December 21, 2024 Instead, she promised a “big announcement to share in January.” The announcement comes weeks after Trump announced that she was stepping down

Los Angeles

Lakers rally late, then hold off Kings for another win

SACRAMENTO —  The test was obvious the minute the Lakers got their schedule for the 2024-25 season. They would make one trip to Sacramento to face the Kings twice, two games against a team whose pace and physicality have been the difference in multiple years of dominance over the Lakers. If, somehow, the Lakers were able to beat the Kings in their first meeting at the Golden 1 Center, they’d need to try and do it again a day and a half later. Through the first few months of the schedule, the Lakers had seemingly exorcised their Kings demons. They beat them in the first week of the season, quieting the noise around Domantas Sabonis’ dominance against Anthony Davis. Thursday, in their first game against the Kings in Sacramento, Davis was terrific in a game Lakers coach JJ Redick called his “favorite” win of the season. To do it again? That would require sustained attention, sustained effort and sustained execution. It would take, as coach Doc Rivers used to tell Redick’s Clippers teams, the Lakers needing to hang onto the rope in the game of tug-of-war.

Los Angeles

Tyson Fury no logra descifrar a Oleksandr Usyk y cae nuevamente por decisión

Oleksandr Usyk reafirmó ser el mejor peso pesado del momento al derrotar por segunda vez, en un combate de revancha, a Tyson Fury por decisión unánime. El combate fue celebrado el sábado en el King Abdullah Sports City de Jeddah, Arabia Saudi, en donde los jueces otorgaron puntuaciones de 116-112 X3 a favor del ucraniano. Ambos pugilistas llegaron al combate de gran forma física, con Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), conocido por su disciplina en el peso, dio 221 libras en la báscula, luciendo ligero y preparado para explotar su velocidad ante un Fury (34-2, 24 KOs) que pesó 271 libras, apostando por su tamaño y poder para intentar dominar a su rival que terminó por retener los títulos de la AMB (Super), la OMB y la IBO. Aunque Fury apostó por más peso en esta ocasión, no fue determinante para sobreponer a un determinado Usyk. “Esta victoria es para mi país, mi equipo y todos los que creen en mí”, dijo Usyk en el cuadrilátero tras la pelea. “Tyson es un gran peleador, pero demostré que el corazón y la estrategia superan cualquier desventaja física.

San Diego

Biden signs stopgap bill with $250M for South Bay sewage treatment plant

After days of chaotic revisions, Congress sent President Joe Biden a stopgap spending bill that includes critical funding for a long-deferred upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant at the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden signed the bill Saturday. The measure, signed shortly after the midnight deadline to avert a government shutdown, includes $250 million for the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) — the federal agency responsible for managing the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Tijuana River Valley. For years, the plant has been unable to properly clean Tijuana sewage before releasing it off South County shorelines, forcing repeated beach closures and complaints of health problems by South Bay residents. According to IBWC officials and the San Diego congressional delegation, which pushed to have the funding included in the bill, the money will cover a $200 million shortfall to repair and expand the plant. The total cost of the project, which is expected to take five years to complete, is estimated at $600 million. “This new funding will help repair and improve broken equipment, increase the plant’s capacity and provide stronger environmental protection,”

San Diego

‘Let’s Talk Bitcoin’: North County meetup group engages cryptocurrency community

ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — “The group started out as a necessity to deeply talk about Bitcoin with other people who actually wanted to talk about Bitcoin,” said Andrew, the founder of the North County meetup group “Let’s Talk Bitcoin.” Bitcoin has emerged as one of the most talked-about topics in the world of finance, technology and investment. Launched in 2009, it was the first cryptocurrency ever created, sparking a digital revolution that has given rise to thousands of similar currencies. From his perspective, Andrew explained that when someone discovers Bitcoin, they tend to desperately want to talk about it with the people in their lives — from their closest relatives to their best friends. Carlsbad man faces ‘Gun Violence Emergency Protective Order’: What this means “The problem is, they haven’t yet realized what Bitcoin is and they simply can’t be told what it is,” Andrew continued. “This leaves you in a manic state where you can see something world changing but you can’t really talk to other people about it.” So, what exactly is Bitcoin and how does it work? At its core, Bitcoin

Los Angeles

NYPD chief resigns amid sexual misconduct claims

By Derick Waller, Mark Prussin Updated on: December 21, 2024 / 11:47 PM EST / CBS New York Manhattan DA now investigating sexual misconduct allegations at the NYPD Manhattan DA now investigating sexual misconduct allegations at the NYPD 03:09 NEW YORK — Yet another scandal is rocking the New York City Police Department. Jeffrey Maddrey, the department’s highest-ranking uniformed officer , resigned Friday night after a bombshell allegation of sexual misconduct on the job. The former chief of department is accused of trading sexual favors for overtime. Here’s more on the allegations   Lt. Quathisha Epps filed a complaint Saturday with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying the abuse started last year and continued up until this week. Maddrey just appeared a few days ago in front of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee to defend the NYPD’s use of stop and frisk . Meanwhile, a major shakeup was unfolding. Epps alleges that between June 2023 and Monday Maddrey engaged in efforts “to coerce her into performing unwanted sexual favors in exchange for overtime opportunities.” She says that included intercourse in the office. NYPD Chief

Los Angeles

Party City files for bankruptcy, a day after announcing mass layoffs

Popular retail chain Party City filed for bankruptcy protection Saturday, a day after it disclosed to employees that it would be implementing mass layoffs at its New Jersey headquarters. The filing was made in bankruptcy court in the Southern District of Texas, according to court documents obtained by CBS News. The company had liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to the filing.  On Friday, Party City’s chief human resources officer Karen McGowan informed employees in an email obtained by CBS News New York that it was conducting an immediate “mass layoff” at its headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. A view of a Party City store on Dec. 20, 2024 in Daly City, California.  Getty Images CNN reported Friday that Party City CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees in a meeting that the company was “winding down” operations. Some store employees also received letters Friday that all the chain’s stores would be closing in February, CNN said. Party City, which specializes in party supplies and was founded in the mid-1980s, has more than 700 company-owned and franchise store locations across North America