Author: Artificial Intelligence

Late one sunny November morning, I was exploring the west end of MacArthur Park when I came across a social worker looking for a client.We started talking about shade trees and grassy slopes. Levitt Outdoor Stage, which hosts summer concerts. A soccer field where young people still gather. It offers beautiful views of the once-grand Westlake Theater building and the downtown Los Angeles skyline across the lake.”This is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city,” Willard Beasley said.That’s what breaks your heart. Dating back to the 1880s and once a symbol of city pride, this 35-acre property has…

Eight years ago, political leaders in Los Angeles took action on immigration, seeking to protect the city’s undocumented residents from the Trump administration.City Council members spent public money on lawyers to protect Angelenos facing deportation. They pushed for the legalization of the activities of street vendors, many of whom do not have citizenship. And they established a new committee focused on immigration. There was a sense of deja vu at City Hall this week as political leaders geared up for a rematch with President-elect Donald Trump.In the face of President Trump’s promised immigration crackdown, several members of the City Council…

He groomed, hugged, shook hands and mingled with legends and politicians. Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon was in full campaign mode two days before Tuesday’s election, when voters will decide whether he deserves a second term.The setting was not a restaurant or a neighborhood street. It was in the VIP section at the dedication of a towering mural set featuring the late Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela in Boyle Heights. Kevin de Leon, wearing a blue Dodger jacket, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attend a memorial service for late Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in Boyle Heights on Sunday.…

A San Diego tourist tour company was forced to put the brakes on its rental business after about 30 vehicles, including one equipped with lithium-ion batteries, went up in flames Thursday night, authorities said.Firefighters responded to the Gawker Tours fire at 9:22 p.m., said San Diego Fire and Rescue Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz. The fire at the back of the one-story commercial building was quickly extinguished and a hazardous materials team was called in.Battalion Chief Robert Rezende, a lithium-ion battery fire expert and the first in the area, said his team helped move the remains of the battery-powered Gawker to…

The White House announced Saturday that President Joe Biden plans to welcome President-elect Donald Trump for a traditional post-election meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Such meetings are customary between the outgoing and incoming presidents, and are also intended to mark the beginning of the peaceful transfer of power under American democracy. However, Republican Trump did not invite Democrat Biden to a sit-in after the 2020 election, in which he lost re-election. Trump is seeking the presidency in four years, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris this week. Trump is the first former president to return to power since…

Registrar of voters offices in Orange and Riverside counties were evacuated Friday night after receiving bomb threats, but no explosives were found at either site, authorities said.All Orange County Voter Registrar employees and general staff were evacuated from the Santa Ana office 15 minutes before the facility was scheduled to stop processing ballots, officials said in a statement. Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies were already on scene and coordinated the evacuation of the building, located in the 1300 block of South Grand Avenue.A bomb-sniffing dog was used to search the entire building, but no explosives were found.”The Orange County Registrar of…

Officers and family members are asking for the public’s help in locating a 32-year-old man in danger in Los Angeles, according to the Sheriff’s Department. According to authorities, Christian Xavier Womack was last seen on Nov. 5 at 10:50 p.m. in the 13900 block of Marquesas Way in Marina del Rey. Authorities say Christian Xavier Womack, pictured above, was last seen on Nov. 5 at 10:50 p.m. in the 13900 block of Marquesas Way in Marina del Rey. November 2024. (LASD) Womack is described as a black male, 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing approximately 205 pounds, according to…

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday delivered on-time reports on more than a dozen charity payments made at his request between 2018 and 2024 by prominent foundations and companies including Microsoft, Amazon and T-Mobile. For failing to do so, he agreed to pay a $13,000 fine. California’s political ethics law requires elected officials to report donations made on their behalf within 30 days. The Fair Political Practices Commission said Newsom and his 2018 campaign committee failed to produce their reports on time on 18 occasions, often submitting them months late.The committee noted that Newsom, who has been in public office for…

A ballot measure to make it easier to fund affordable housing and other public projects in California has failed.As of Friday afternoon, Proposition 5 was 56% to 44%, a difference of 1.3 million votes, according to a tally by the Secretary of State’s Office. This measure will lower the approval standard for local bonds from two-thirds to 55%. Supporters said they need to help build low-income housing, expand roads and transit, renovate parks and build other public infrastructure. Election results to date have shown that while dozens of local bond measures have received approval ratings above 55%, they have fallen…

Voter registration offices in Orange and Riverside counties were evacuated Friday after receiving bomb threats, authorities said. Riverside County Voter Registrar spokeswoman Elizabeth Florer said both offices were evacuated and law enforcement was immediately notified. Froehler said voting processing will resume Saturday. In Orange County, Santa’s office received a threat, prompting the immediate evacuation of the building. All staff and people who were evacuated from the building are safe, according to a press release. The evacuation occurred 15 minutes before the office was scheduled to stop processing ballots, according to a statement from the OC Registrar’s Office. Bomb-sniffing dogs searched…