Page 6 - Los Angeles

All you need to know about wildfires raining embers onto Los Angeles area

At least five people were killed and more than 1,000 structures were destroyed as fierce wildfires raged in the Los Angeles area, officials said. Fast-moving flames burned through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities. Many of the towering fires began Tuesday and were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, which gusted to more than 70 mph (112 kph) in some spots. The winds persisted Wednesday and for a while made it too dangerous for aircraft to attack the fires from the sky, furthering hampering their efforts. Aerial firefighting resumed Wednesday morning. Gov Gavin Newsom said the state has deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to battle the blazes. In a rare, urgent plea, the Los Angeles Fire Department asked all off-duty firefighters in the city to help. Oregon was sending 300 firefighters and Washington state 146 personnel. Utah, New Mexico and Arizona were also dispatching ...

Thousands flee as raging wildfires wreak havoc on landmarks & lives in LA

Flames and pillars of smoke rose from both sides of the road and a woman yelled in panic as firefighters ushered a crowd of fleeing residents along. Aaron Samson positioned his 83-year-old father-in-law behind his blue walker, and they began shuffling down the sidewalk. My father-in-law was saying, Aaron, if we are ever in a position where the flames are right there, you just run and leave me here,' Samson recounted Wednesday. It didn't get to that point. For the second time in a matter of hours, a good Samaritan picked them up, then drove them to safety in Santa Monica. Their escape came as thousands of people fled wildfires in the Los Angeles area that turned picturesque neighbourhoods into smoldering wasteland, with chimneys or wrought-iron staircases about all that remained of homes. Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds, the flames obliterated more than 1,000 structures, scorched landmarks made famous by Hollywood and killed at least five people. One of the fires was the most ...

LA wildfires ravage Hollywood Hills, celebrities lose homes in blaze

As six fierce wildfires engulf Los Angeles, over 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. President Joe Biden cancelled his final foreign trip to Italy to oversee the response to the wildfires

Donald Trump blames California Guv Newsom for Los Angeles wildfires

Trump said that Newsom wanted to protect a fish called a smelt by giving it less water instead of caring about the people of California

5 killed as wildfires burn out of control across LA, thousands flee homes

Multiple massive wildfires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force Wednesday, destroying more than 1,000 structures and killing at least two people as desperate residents escaped through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke. Three major blazes were burning in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade. With thousands of firefighters already attacking the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help, and weather conditions were too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight. Fire officials hoped to get the flights up later Wednesday. In addition to the two deaths, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said many others were hurt in the fires, which threatened at least 28,000 structures. Images of the devastation showed luxurious homes that had collapsed in a whirlwind of flaming embers. The tops of palm trees whipped against

Los Angeles wildfire sparks emergency; 30,000 evacuated as homes burn

A massive wildfire in Los Angeles, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds, has forced 30,000 people to evacuate, threatening over 13,000 structures and causing widespread chaos

30,000 under evacuation orders as wildfire whips through Los Angeles

Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a fierce windstorm hit Southern California on Tuesday, fanning the blaze seen for miles as scores of residents abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety with roads blocked. Nearly 26,000 people in more than 10,000 households and more than 13,000 structures are under threat from the blaze, said Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the LA Fire Department. One resident described seeing people crying and screaming as they ran away carrying their children and pets. Officials said the worst of the winds are expected overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Forecasters predicted the windstorm would last for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills including in areas that haven't seen substantial rain in months. Roughly half a million utility customers were at risk of having their power shut off to reduce the risk of equipment sparki

Indie filmmaker Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza's husband, found dead at LA home

Writer-director Jeff Baena, whose darkly comedic independent films included The Little Hours and who was married to his frequent creative collaborator Aubrey Plaza, has died. He was 47. Baena was found dead on Friday morning at a Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. The circumstances of his death remained unclear on Saturday, and the office said it was investigating and a full report would not be available until the case is closed. Baena co-wrote David O. Russell's 2004 film I Heart Huckabees and wrote and directed five of his own films, four of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He had been dating Plaza for three years before she starred in his 2014 directorial debut, the zombie comedy Life After Beth." His next film, 2016's Joshy, featured Thomas Middleditch as a man who gets together with friends months after his fiancee commits suicide. The son of an attorney and teacher, Baena grew up in Miami and attended film school at

More than 5,000 Starbucks workers strike at 300 plus stores across US

The Christmas Eve strike on Tuesday was projected to be the largest ever at the coffee chain, the union added. These strikes are an initial show of strength, and we're just getting started

Starbucks strike to expand to 300 stores on Christmas Eve, says union

Starbucks Workers United, representing employees at 525 stores nationwide, said more than 60 US stores across 12 major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, were shut on Monday

LA County sues Pepsi, Coca-Cola over pollution caused by plastic bottles

Los Angeles County is taking on Pepsi and Coke for their role in plastic pollution. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the county alleged PepsiCo and Coca-Cola companies have misled the public about the recyclability of their plastic bottles and downplayed the negative environmental and health impacts of plastic disposal. "Coke and Pepsi need to stop the deception and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problems your products are causing," LA County supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement. "Los Angeles County will continue to address the serious environmental impacts caused by companies engaging in misleading and unfair business practices." Coca-Cola owns brands like Dasani, Fanta, Sprite, Vitamin Water, and Smartwater, while PepsiCo owns Gatorade, Aquafina, Mountain Dew, and more. The two companies have been ranked as the world's top plastic polluters for five consecutive years, and Coca-Cola has taken the number one spot for six years, according to global environmental

India to open new consulates in Boston, Los Angeles: PM Modi in US visit

India will open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, meeting the long-pending demand of the fast-growing Indian American community in these two large American cities. While Boston is considered as the education and pharma capital of the US, Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, is hosting the next summer Olympics and current US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti is the city's former mayor. Friends last year, I had announced that our government had plans to open a new consulate in Seattle. It is now operational. I had asked for suggestions from you for two more consulates. I am happy to announce that after reviewing your suggestions, India has decided to open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles, Modi announced during his address to Indian Americans in New York's Nassau Veterans Coliseum. India currently has six consulates in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle. The Embassy is in Washington DC. The ...

Wildfires burn out of control in Southern California, 4,500 people affected

Apocalyptic-looking plumes of smoke filled skies east of Los Angeles on Tuesday as firefighters battled three major wildfires that erupted amid a blistering heat wave and threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures. Evacuation orders were expanded Tuesday night as the fires grew and included parts of the popular ski town of Big Bear and the entire community of Wrightwood, with about 4,500 residents. Authorities implored people to leave their homes. "There is no property that is worth risking your life for," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. In recent years wildfires have regularly burned in and around Wrightwood, a picturesque mountain town 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Los Angeles known for its 1930s cabins. Authorities expressed frustration in 2016 when only half the residents heeded orders to leave. Janice Quick, the president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce, said a friend texted to tell her that the friend's home had been consumed by fire, whi

Doc charged in Matthew Perry death case to appear in court after plea deal

One of two doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death is set to appear Friday in a federal court in Los Angeles, where he is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors earlier this month and would be the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the Friends star's fatal overdose last year. Chavez agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as they pursue others, including the doctor Chavez worked with to sell ketamine to Perry. Also working with the U.S. Attorney's Office are Perry's assistant, who admitted to helping him obtain and inject ketamine, and a Perry acquaintance, who admitted to acting as a drug messenger and middleman. The three are helping prosecutors as they go after their main targets: Dr. Salvador Plasencia, charged with illegally selling ketamine to Perry in the month before his death, and Jasveen Sangha, a woman who authorities say

This American city found to be least desirable due to crimes, living cost

According to the Clever study, 73 per cent of Americans are content where they are, but 59 per cent feel dissatisfied, and 43 per cent admitted to feeling embarrassed by their state

At least 1 arrest made in connection to Matthew Perry's death: Reports

Authorities have arrested at least one person in connection with Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose last year, a law enforcement official tells The Associated Press. The official was not authorised to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities have scheduled a news conference in Los Angeles to announce details in the case later Thursday morning. Los Angeles police said in May that they were working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system. An assistant found Perry face down in his hot tub on October 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead. His autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anaesthesia during surgery. The decades-old drug has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as

4.4 magnitude quake felt in LA, San Diego; buildings sway, no big damage

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported. Monday's quake was centred near the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Highland Park, about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometres) northeast of Los Angeles' City Hall, and about 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometres) below the surface, the US Geological Survey said. The quake was felt from greater Los Angeles south to San Diego and east to the Palm Springs desert region, according to the USGS community reporting page. A small number of reports were filed from the southern San Joaquin Valley about 100 miles (160 kilometres) northwest of LA. It shook a medical building, a live interview on ESPN was interrupted, and the ground swayed in Anaheim, where Disneyland is located in Orange County. Dishes rattled in the storied LA neighbourhood of Laurel Canyon, home to many celebrities, and photos on soci

Los Angeles looks ahead for next Olympics, hopes to turn a profit

LA28 has an estimated budget of nearly $7 billion to cover costs including the opening and closing ceremonies

Harvey Weinstein's lawyers argue he was denied fair trial in LA rape case

Harvey Weinstein's lawyers argue in an appeal that he did not get a fair trial when he was convicted of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The brief filed Friday with California's Second District Court of Appeal comes six weeks after his similar landmark #MeToo conviction and 23-year prison sentence in New York were overturned by the state's highest court. The California appeal argues the trial judge wrongly excluded evidence that the Italian model and actor he was convicted of raping had a sexual relationship with the director of a film festival that had brought both Weinstein and the woman to Los Angeles at the time of the alleged attack. Weinstein's lawyers argued that the judge deprived him of "his constitutional rights to present a defence and led to a miscarriage of justice. The attorneys say the judge was wrong to allow jurors to know about Weinstein's previous, now-vacated conviction in New York, and that the jury was unfairl

From London to LA, Iranians overseas cheer & fear, after president's death

Among Iranian communities from London to Los Angeles, few tears are being shed over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a weekend helicopter crash. But there are not always loud cheers, either. While some hope the demise of a powerful figure in Iran's authoritarian Islamic government may bring change, others fear it could result in more repression. It's a better world without him, said Maryam Namazie, a UK-based women's rights campaigner. He is one of the pillars of the Islamic regime of Iran. He has been there since its inception. But, she added: Raisi, however much of a pillar he was, is expendable. There are many others to take his place. Inside Iran, authorities are keeping a tight lid on reaction to the crash that killed Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others. The government declared five days of mourning, encouraging people into the streets in displays of public grief and support. Prosecutors have warned Iranians against any public ...