Franklin Fire Climbs Towards Pepperdine, 2K Structures Evacuated

Driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, the Franklin Fire in Malibu Canyon, in the hillsides near Pepperdine University, grew to more than 3,890 acres Wednesday with about 2,000 structures under mandatory evacuation orders. However, authorities said there was only a “minimal” number of homes destroyed and no injuries reported. The blaze began shortly before 11 […]

Santa Ana Winds Start to Dwindle, but Fire Fears Persist

Windy and dry conditions are expected to linger Wednesday in Los Angeles County, a day after a round of destructive Santa Ana winds battered much of the region, fueling a massive brush fire in Malibu and raising fears of additional blazes across the Southland. As expected, the winds began whipping Monday night, helping the Franklin […]

TV Actor Michael Cole, “The Mod Squad,” Dies at 84

Funeral services are pending Wednesday for actor Michael Cole, best known for his role on the 1968-73 ABC counter-culture police crime drama “The Mod Squad.” Cole died Tuesday in Tarzana, a nephew, also named Michael Cole, announced on Facebook. He was 84. A cause of death was not announced. “He was my inspiration to the […]

LA Probation Chief Back Peddles Retirement Plans Amid Juvey Hall Issues

Los Angeles County’s Probation Department chief, who last week announced plans to retire by the end of the year, intends to stay on the job with plans Wednesday to address ongoing issues plaguing the agency’s juvenile detention facilities. “We face significant challenges, but I believe we are building a strong foundation, and there is more […]

LA Council Considers Wage Increases for Tourism Workers

After delaying its vote on a proposal to increase the minimum wage for tourism workers, the City Council will make its decision Wednesday whether to approve the plan or side with hotel owners, who say the cost would impact their role in the 2028 Olympic Games. In November, council members tabled the proposal after a […]

Riverside Gas Price Drops

The average price of a gallon of self-service regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped one-tenth of a cent Wednesday to $4.279, a day after dropping four-tenths of a cent. The average price has dropped for 11 consecutive days, dropping 5.6 cents, including seven-tenths of a cent Monday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil […]

UCLA Reports Trump Creates `Great Uncertainty’ in Economic Forecast

Donald Trump’s victory in November’s presidential election has added multiple variables to the state and national economic picture — such as promised tariffs on foreign goods and a deportation campaign — leading to “great uncertainty” about the U.S. economy for 2025 and 2026, according to a UCLA forecast released Wednesday. “The general nature of the […]

Alleged Hate Crime Attacker to Plead Guilty

A Southern California man is expected to plead guilty Wednesday to a federal charge for allegedly punching an Asian American woman in the head in Culver City while he shouted racial slurs at her. Jesse Allen Lindsey, 38, whose last known address was in Fontana, has agreed to enter a plea to one count of […]

Average LA, OV Gas Prices Drop

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped a half-cent Wednesday to $4.396, a day after dropping six-tenths of a cent. The average price has dropped 10 of the past 11 days, decreasing 5.6 cents, including one-tenth of a cent both Sunday and Monday, according to figures from […]

Fatal Shooting Near Carmelitos in Long Beach

A man was fatally shot near the Carmelitos neighborhood in Long Beach and police Wednesday are investigating the shooting. Long Beach Police Department officers were called to the 900 block of Via Carmelitos, west of the Carmelitos Community Garden at 1:14 p.m. Tuesday regarding a shots fired call. When they arrived, they found the victim […]

One Year Ago Today (December 11, 2023)…Go-Go’s Guitarist Accuses `Rodney on the ROQ’ Host of 1970s Sex Assault

One Year Ago Today (December 11, 2023)…Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin claims in remarks published that she was sexually assaulted when she was 15 years old by radio host Rodney Bingenheimer when she and her underage friends visited his famed Sunset Strip club English Disco in the 1970s. Wiedlin makes the claim in an interview with […]