BREAKING NEWS
LA's Olympic venues were spared by wildfires, but the city's rebuild could impact the Games' runup
Read full article: LA's Olympic venues were spared by wildfires, but the city's rebuild could impact the Games' runupThe deadly wildfires that have ravaged sections of Los Angeles left an indelible imprint on the region's landscape and psyche.
Ash and other dangers mean LA area residents who fled fires a week ago won't be going home soon
Read full article: Ash and other dangers mean LA area residents who fled fires a week ago won't be going home soonIt could be a week or more before homeowners in the Los Angeles area are allowed to check on their fire-damaged properties.
Windy, flame-fanning weather eases up as progress made on LA-area fires
Read full article: Windy, flame-fanning weather eases up as progress made on LA-area firesWindy, flame-fanning weather in Southern California has eased up as firefighters report significant gains against the two massive wildfires burning around Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County medical examiner's office confirms wildfire death toll rises to 16
Read full article: Los Angeles County medical examiner's office confirms wildfire death toll rises to 16The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office says the confirmed death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 16.
LA Mayor Karen Bass faces critical leadership test as questions emerge about wildfire response
Read full article: LA Mayor Karen Bass faces critical leadership test as questions emerge about wildfire responseLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing withering criticism for her response to the firestorm ravaging her city.
Wildfires latest: New evacuation order issued as Archer Fire sparks in San Fernando Valley
Read full article: Wildfires latest: New evacuation order issued as Archer Fire sparks in San Fernando ValleyFirefighters are hoping for a break from the fierce winds that have fueled massive blazes in the Los Angeles area, killing 10 people, obliterating whole neighborhoods and setting the nation’s second-largest city on edge.
Families in shock begin to visit their charred homes in the Los Angeles area
Read full article: Families in shock begin to visit their charred homes in the Los Angeles areaSome Los Angeles area residents have begun returning to their still smoldering neighborhoods to search for memories even as the threat of new fires persists.
As wildfires rage in Los Angeles, Trump doesn't offer much sympathy. He's casting blame.
Read full article: As wildfires rage in Los Angeles, Trump doesn't offer much sympathy. He's casting blame.As the cataclysmic wildfires rage across Los Angeles, President-elect Donald Trump isn't offering much sympathy.
New LA-area fire prompts more evacuations while over 10,000 structures lost to the 2 biggest blazes
Read full article: New LA-area fire prompts more evacuations while over 10,000 structures lost to the 2 biggest blazesOfficials say the two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area this week have burned at least 10,000 homes, buildings and other structures.
New LAPD chief says he will work to protect immigrants ahead of Trump's plans for mass deportations
Read full article: New LAPD chief says he will work to protect immigrants ahead of Trump's plans for mass deportationsThe new Los Angeles police chief says in an interview with The Associated Press that his department is working with consulate offices for Mexico and other Central American countries to draft a plan to protect immigrants ahead of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations.
Shohei Ohtani brings his dog and addresses crowd in English as Dodgers celebrate World Series title
Read full article: Shohei Ohtani brings his dog and addresses crowd in English as Dodgers celebrate World Series titleThe Los Angeles Dodgers have celebrated their eighth World Series championship with a downtown parade and a stadium gathering featuring Shohei Ohtani and other star players.
Los Angeles sees city bus burned, store thefts and rowdy crowds after Dodgers win World Series
Read full article: Los Angeles sees city bus burned, store thefts and rowdy crowds after Dodgers win World SeriesRowdy crowds took to the streets in Los Angeles after the Dodgers won the World Series, setting a city bus on fire, breaking into stores and setting off firecrackers.
Man is sentenced to 35 years for shooting 2 Jewish men as they left Los Angeles synagogues
Read full article: Man is sentenced to 35 years for shooting 2 Jewish men as they left Los Angeles synagoguesA California man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for shooting and wounding two Jewish men outside Los Angeles synagogues last year.
Passenger killed when gunman hijacks city bus, leads police on chase through downtown Los Angeles
Read full article: Passenger killed when gunman hijacks city bus, leads police on chase through downtown Los AngelesAuthorities say a passenger was killed after a gunman hijacked a city bus in Los Angeles, leading to a slow police chase through downtown before the suspect was eventually arrested.
Family and friends of actor Johnny Wactor urge more action to find his killers
Read full article: Family and friends of actor Johnny Wactor urge more action to find his killersFamily and friends of former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor are making a public plea for help in finding and convicting his killers.
Who performed at the Olympic closing ceremony? Snoop, Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Read full article: Who performed at the Olympic closing ceremony? Snoop, Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili PeppersSnoop Dogg brought out Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chili Peppers all performed from a California beachside during the handover to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Everyone agrees there's a homeless crisis in the US. Plans to address it vary among mayor candidates
Read full article: Everyone agrees there's a homeless crisis in the US. Plans to address it vary among mayor candidatesHomelessness is at the top of the agenda for candidates in mayoral races across the U.S. West.
No-car Games: Los Angeles Olympic venues will only be accessible by public transportation
Read full article: No-car Games: Los Angeles Olympic venues will only be accessible by public transportationThe one question Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is repeatedly asked about before her city hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics is traffic.
Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County decreases in annual count
Read full article: Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County decreases in annual countThe number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County has dipped slightly, decreasing by about 0.3% since last year as California continues to struggle with the long-running crisis of tens of thousands of people sleeping in cars and encampments.
Tension grows on UCLA campus as police order dispersal of large pro-Palestinian gathering
Read full article: Tension grows on UCLA campus as police order dispersal of large pro-Palestinian gatheringTensions are growing on the UCLA campus as law enforcement officers order a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators to disperse.
Suspect was 'targeting' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in home break-in, district attorney says
Read full article: Suspect was 'targeting' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in home break-in, district attorney saysA 29-year-old suspect in a break-in at the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been charged with burglary and vandalism.
How effective are California's homelessness programs? Audit finds state hasn't been keeping track
Read full article: How effective are California's homelessness programs? Audit finds state hasn't been keeping trackA state audit has found that California spent $24 billion to tackle homelessness over the past five years but didn’t consistently track whether the spending actually helped alleviate the problem.
California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessness
Read full article: California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessnessCalifornia voters have approved a measure that Gov. Gavin Newson says he needs to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis.
Southern Californians recount harrowing mudslides during deadly record-breaking storm
Read full article: Southern Californians recount harrowing mudslides during deadly record-breaking stormA storm that parked itself over Southern California for days, unleashing historic downpours that caused hundreds of landslides, is moving out of the region after a final drenching.
Los Angeles records 475 mudslides during historic storm that has drenched Southern California
Read full article: Los Angeles records 475 mudslides during historic storm that has drenched Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles officials says crews had responded to at least 475 mudslides and that seven buildings had been deemed uninhabitable since an atmospheric river-fueled storm moved into the region over the weekend.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finalizing contract extension, source tells AP
Read full article: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finalizing contract extension, source tells APAdam Silver is finalizing an extension to remain as commissioner of the NBA for several more years, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Saturday night.
The Supreme Court will decide whether local anti-homeless laws are 'cruel and unusual'
Read full article: The Supreme Court will decide whether local anti-homeless laws are 'cruel and unusual'The Supreme Court has agreed to review lower-court rulings that make it harder for cities in the western United States to prevent people from sleeping on the streets when there aren’t enough beds in homeless shelters.
Homeless numbers in Los Angeles could surge again, even as thousands move to temporary shelter
Read full article: Homeless numbers in Los Angeles could surge again, even as thousands move to temporary shelterLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has moved over 21,000 homeless people into temporary shelter in the last year.
Houston has a population that's young. Its next mayor, set to be elected in a runoff, won't be
Read full article: Houston has a population that's young. Its next mayor, set to be elected in a runoff, won't beVoters in Houston will elect the oldest big-city mayor in the U.S. this weekend when they choose between U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire, two Democrats in their 70s.
Authorities identify suspect in killing of 3 homeless men in Los Angeles
Read full article: Authorities identify suspect in killing of 3 homeless men in Los AngelesA Los Angeles man who was already in custody in connection with another shooting investigation has been identified as the suspect in three recent killings of homeless men.
Los Angeles freeway is fully reopened after arson fire, just in time for Monday morning's rush hour
Read full article: Los Angeles freeway is fully reopened after arson fire, just in time for Monday morning's rush hourLos Angeles drivers returned to a much more normal commute Monday when an elevated stretch of a major freeway reopened well ahead of original estimates.
Los Angeles freeway closed after arson fire set to fully reopen before Monday morning's rush hour
Read full article: Los Angeles freeway closed after arson fire set to fully reopen before Monday morning's rush hourCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom says an elevated Los Angeles freeway closed by a Nov. 11 arson fire will reopen ahead of Monday morning’s commute.
Los Angeles freeway closed after fire will reopen by Tuesday, ahead of schedule, governor says
Read full article: Los Angeles freeway closed after fire will reopen by Tuesday, ahead of schedule, governor saysRepairs to an elevated Los Angeles freeway closed because of an arson fire are moving faster than expected and all lanes are scheduled to reopen by next Tuesday.
Los Angeles criticized for its handling of homelessness after 16 unhoused people escape freeway fire
Read full article: Los Angeles criticized for its handling of homelessness after 16 unhoused people escape freeway fireA fire that erupted in storage yards beneath a Los Angeles freeway has renewed attention on the city’s inability to protect the thousands of homeless residents living in such perilous locations.
Big city mayors get audience with administration officials to pitch a request for help with migrants
Read full article: Big city mayors get audience with administration officials to pitch a request for help with migrantsBiden administration officials have hosted big city mayors at the White House to discuss how to manage a growing number of migrants.
California governor signs 2 major proposals for mental health reform to go before voters in 2024
Read full article: California governor signs 2 major proposals for mental health reform to go before voters in 2024California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed two major pieces of legislation to transform the state’s mental health system and to address the state’s worsening homelessness crisis.
Thousands of Los Angeles city workers walk off job for 24 hours alleging unfair labor practices
Read full article: Thousands of Los Angeles city workers walk off job for 24 hours alleging unfair labor practicesThousands of Los Angeles city employees, including sanitation workers, engineers and traffic officers, walked off the job for a 24-hour strike alleging unfair labor practices.
New York City has a right to shelter, but will it establish a right to sleep outside?
Read full article: New York City has a right to shelter, but will it establish a right to sleep outside?Democratic leaders in major U.S. cities are finding themselves politically squeezed when it comes to addressing homelessness.
Philadelphia mayoral primary returned Democrats to familiar themes of crime, inequality
Read full article: Philadelphia mayoral primary returned Democrats to familiar themes of crime, inequalityThe Democratic mayoral primary in Philadelphia is the latest election to represent a clash between moderates and progressives on concerns such as policing and education and to show the power of union support in big city politics.
After strike, LA school district workers approve labor deal
Read full article: After strike, LA school district workers approve labor dealLos Angeles Unified School District workers have approved a contract to increase wages and provide better benefits for staffers after a three-day strike last month.
Los Angeles schools, union leaders reach deal after strike
Read full article: Los Angeles schools, union leaders reach deal after strikeThe Los Angeles Unified School District and union leaders say they have reached a deal on a new contract for workers after a strike that shut down the nation’s second-largest school system for three days.
3 Los Angeles officers wounded, suspect dead in standoff
Read full article: 3 Los Angeles officers wounded, suspect dead in standoffAuthorities say three Los Angeles K-9 police officers who were shot and wounded in a confrontation with a wanted parolee are in stable condition and the suspect is dead.
Los Angeles chief 'deeply concerned' by 2 police shootings
Read full article: Los Angeles chief 'deeply concerned' by 2 police shootingsThe Los Angeles police chief says he is concerned about two recent fatal police shootings, including one in which officers failed to call for a specially trained mental health team during an interaction with a man in crisis.
LA taps hotel rooms as estimated 40,000 people live homeless
Read full article: LA taps hotel rooms as estimated 40,000 people live homelessLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told NBC's “Meet the Press” that her administration will start moving homeless people off streets and into motel rooms through a new program that launches Tuesday.
Racism scandal prompts another day of protests in LA council
Read full article: Racism scandal prompts another day of protests in LA councilThe Los Angeles City Council was disrupted by another round of noisy protests after a councilman facing widespread calls to resign for his involvement in a racism scandal defiantly returned to the chamber.
Free ride: DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit
Read full article: Free ride: DC unveils bold plan to boost public transitThe COVID-19 pandemic laid bare for the District of Columbia and other major cities that public transit was a lifeline for essential workers and that even modest fares could be a burden to them.
In ailing LA, Mayor-elect Karen Bass promises unity, change
Read full article: In ailing LA, Mayor-elect Karen Bass promises unity, changeLos Angeles' new mayor has outlined her vision to turn around a troubled City Hall and restrain an out-of-control homeless crisis in the nation's second-largest city.
Democrats hoping Biden can provide West Coast election boost
Read full article: Democrats hoping Biden can provide West Coast election boostPresident Joe Biden’s visit to California and Oregon this week comes close to Election Day and shows how Democrats are calling in reinforcements in states that are typically afterthoughts for the party.
Los Angeles leader in racism scandal resigns Council seat
Read full article: Los Angeles leader in racism scandal resigns Council seatFormer Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez has announced that she is resigning her council seat amid a scandal over racist remarks that came to light in a leaked recording.
House Dems demand prison rape audit at Calif. federal lockup
Read full article: House Dems demand prison rape audit at Calif. federal lockupEight House Democrats are demanding the Bureau of Prisons make public an audit of sexual assault reports at a federal women's prison in California where inmates say they were subjected to rampant abuse.
Police: Man arrested in Jacqueline Avant case
Read full article: Police: Man arrested in Jacqueline Avant caseA 29-year-old man has been arrested in the death of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, who was fatally shot this week at the Beverly Hills, California, home she shared with her husband, legendary music executive Clarence Avant.
US Rep. Karen Bass planning to run for Los Angeles mayor
Read full article: US Rep. Karen Bass planning to run for Los Angeles mayorU.S. Rep. Karen Bass is planning to run for Los Angeles mayor, bringing a high-profile name in national Democratic politics into the 2022 contest to run the nation's second-most-populous city.
Congressional leaders urge FCC to perform equity audit
Read full article: Congressional leaders urge FCC to perform equity auditCongressional leaders and a media advocacy organization are urging the Federal Communications Commission to investigate how policy decisions have disparately harmed Black Americans and other communities of color, according to a letter sent Tuesday to the acting FCC chair.
Top GOP senator: Easing police protections hurts departments
Read full article: Top GOP senator: Easing police protections hurts departmentsSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says congressional Democrats’ efforts to make it easier to sue police officers are causing law enforcement agencies to have problems recruiting and retaining personnel.
Floyd legislation reveals divide in police-reform movement
Read full article: Floyd legislation reveals divide in police-reform movementAs the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder approaches, some people say the best way to honor him is for Congress to pass a bill in his name that overhauls policing.
Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice Act
Read full article: Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice ActA coalition of 150 organizations nationwide is opposing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The Movement for Black Lives argues the bill is entrenched in strategies that have historically failed to address police violence across the country and fails to meet the moment." The bill, designed by the Movement for Black Lives’ Electoral Justice Project, would also redirect funding toward communities to address the nation’s systemic racial injustices. “It’s not just about after the fact accountability,” said Gina Clayton-Johnson, the lead BREATHE Act architect and leadership team member of the Movement for Black Lives’ Policy Table. AdBut the movement faces a significant uphill battle in securing needed political support from lawmakers who will be key in pushing forward the BREATHE Act or revamping the Justice in Policing Act.
Newsom will appoint Black woman if Feinstein retires early
Read full article: Newsom will appoint Black woman if Feinstein retires earlyGavin Newsom says he'll appoint a Black woman to the U.S. Senate if Feinstein retires before her term ends in 2024. Gavin Newsom said Monday he'd appoint a Black woman to replace U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein if she retires before her term is up in 2024. “We have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes," he said during a interview on MSNBC's “The ReidOut" when asked if he would name a Black woman to the seat if given the chance. Newsom recently held that power after then-California Sen. Kamala Harris was elected vice president. He faced competing pressure to name a Latino and a Black woman and eventually chose Alex Padilla, making him California's first Latino U.S. senator.
House OKs George Floyd Act as Democrats avoid 'defund' clash
Read full article: House OKs George Floyd Act as Democrats avoid 'defund' clashScott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – House Democrats passed the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, avoiding a potential clash with moderates in their own party who were wary of reigniting the “defund the police” debate they say hurt them during last fall's election. Approved 220-212 late Wednesday, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is named for the man whose killing by police in Minnesota last Memorial Day sparked demonstrations nationwide. “We want to feel safe when we encounter law enforcement. “Our law enforcement officers need more funding not less,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. Another possible point of contention is provisions easing standards for prosecution of law enforcement officers accused of wrongdoing.