Supreme Court Rules Cities Can Enforce Bans on People Sleeping Outdoors in Public Spaces

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping on sidewalks and other public outdoor spaces, a decision that will particularly resonate in cities such as Los Angeles, where homeless encampments remain a major issue. The court’s 6-3 decision reversed a ruling by a San Francisco appeals court that […]

L.A. Region 2024 Homeless Count Reveals Slight Downward Trends

After five years of steady rises, the total number of people experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles region dropped slightly in 2024, according to numbers from the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count that were released Friday. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint powers agency of the city and county of L.A., announced the […]

LAFD Holds Flag Ceremony for Fallen Fighter Andrew Pontious

A flag ceremony was held Friday for fallen Los Angeles County Firefighter Andrew Pontious, who died in the line of duty. On June 14, Pontious, 52, lost his life while engaged in firefighting operations after a burning front-loader exploded at a quarry in Littlerock. He was a nearly 20-year veteran of fire service who had […]

Man Sentenced in LA to Prison for Distributing Fentanyl, Firearms Possession

A 38-year-old man who distributed fentanyl out of his Riverside County apartment, sending packets of the powerful synthetic opiate through the U.S. mail, was sentenced Friday in downtown Los Angeles to 19 years behind bars. Ignacio Alcala pleaded guilty in November to four federal charges: two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count each […]

LAPD Officer’s Suit Over Intimate Photos Sent to Settlement Conference

A judge has ordered a mandatory settlement conference for the parties in a suit brought by a Los Angeles police officer who alleges the department did not do enough after she reported to management that her husband, also an LAPD officer, distributed “intimate” photos of her without consent. The plaintiff’s spouse, Brady Lamas, 46, is […]

Horse Groomer’s Labor Suit vs. Bob Baffert Racing Tentatively Settled

A tentative settlement has been reached in a lawsuit brought by a horse groomer against Bob Baffert Racing that alleged various state labor code violations at Los Alamitos Race Course. Ruben Ortiz Salgado’s proposed class-action Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit sought unspecified damages as well as attorneys’ fees and civil penalties. Among the suit’s allegations […]

LA Reduces Cost of Street Vending Permits by Hundreds of Dollars

Street vendors in the city of Los Angeles will no longer have to pay hundreds of dollars to obtain a permit after council members Friday passed an ordinance that significantly reduces the cost. In a 12-0 vote, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance that officially lowers the annual price for a permit from […]

LA County Launches Campaign to Educate Public on Emergency Phone Numbers

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and several other agencies launched a campaign Friday to educate the public on the differences between the county’s emergency and resource phone numbers. The Who Do I Call for Help? campaign defines what each phone number and its associated agency can provide when called. “When people are […]

Photographer Charged With Sexually Assaulting Three Young Models

A photographer who represented himself as an expert in the modeling industry has been charged with sexually assaulting three young people who were pursuing modeling careers in Los Angeles between 2017 and 2023, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Friday. William Isaac Thomas Jr., 49, is set to be arraigned July 22 in […]

Man Charged With Murdering His Father in Long Beach

A Pomona man has been charged with murdering his father in Long Beach, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday. Juan Manuel Morales Jr., 35, was set to be arraigned Friday in a Long Beach courtroom in connection with the death of his 59-year-old father, Juan Manuel Morales Sr., according to the District […]

Mayor Karen Bass Tests Positive for COVID-19

Mayor Karen Bass has tested positive for COVID-19 and will remain in isolation and follow public health guidelines, her office announced Friday. Zach Seidl, a spokesman for Bass, told City News Service the mayor tested positive Thursday. “Mayor Bass just announced for the first time in years that homelessness in L.A. City has decreased and […]