UCLA Graduate Set to Become 1st Black Woman on Space Station Crew

Rookie NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, who holds a doctorate from UCLA and previously worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, made aerospace history Wednesday when she launched on a mission that made her the first Black woman to serve as a crew member on the International Space Station. Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched the mission from Cape […]

LA County Reports 1,583 More COVID Cases

Another 1,583 COVID-19 cases were reported in Los Angeles County in its latest data, continuing a string of elevated daily numbers attributed to spread of the infectious BA.2 subvariant of the virus, but hospitalizations of coronavirus patients remained relatively low. According to state figures, there were 232 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Tuesday, […]

Orange County’s COVID-19 Statistics Remain Stable

Orange County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations and infection rates remained relatively stable as seven more fatalities were logged, most of which happened this month, according to the latest data released by the Orange County Health Care Agency. The county’s COVID-related hospitalizations were at 66 as of Monday, the most recent data available. The patient counts have been […]

Villanueva: Coverup Allegations are Another Political Attack

A defiant Sheriff Alex Villanueva Tuesday again flatly denied being engaged in any effort to cover up a violent encounter involving a deputy who knelt on the head of a handcuffed inmate for three minutes. Villanueva initially said he was conducting a criminal probe into the Los Angeles Times reporter who broke the story, but […]

Average LA, Orange County Gas Prices Drop to Lowest Amounts Since March 9

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped Wednesday to its lowest amount since March 9, decreasing seven-tenths of a cent to $5.774. The average price has dropped 28 of the past 30 days, decreasing 29.6 cents, including four-tenths of a cent Tuesday, according to figures from the […]

LA City Council Considers Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics at City Facilities

A motion aimed at phasing out single-use plastics from Los Angeles city facilities and city-sponsored events will be considered by the Los Angeles City Council Wednesday. The motion, if passed, would instruct the city attorney to draft an ordinance banning single-use plastic at city facilities and at events on city property. The Bureau of Sanitation […]

Firefighters Gain Control of Chinatown Fire

A greater alarm fire in downtown Los Angeles near Chinatown was extinguished Wednesday in just under half an hour. Firefighters were called at approximately 1:31 a.m. to 1500 N. Main St. where they began defensive operations at a vacant, one-story commercial building that was engulfed in flames, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. […]

UCLA Player Conditionally Settles Suit Over Playing Injuries

A former UCLA football player who sued for injuries he says he suffered while playing for the Bruins has tentatively settled the part of his case against the UC Regents. John Lopez played offensive tackle for the Bruins from 2013-16. On Tuesday, Pamela Tahim Thakur, Lopez’s lawyer, filed court papers with Santa Monica Superior Court […]

Beverly Hills Developer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bribing Ex-County Employee

A commercial real estate developer has agreed to plead guilty to paying off a Los Angeles County employee in exchange for help obtaining a government lease worth $45 million, according to court papers obtained Wednesday. Arman Gabay, 61, of Beverly Hills, is expected to enter his plea to a bribery count on a date to […]

County Authorities Identify Bicyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash

The bicyclist who was killed in a hit-and-run collision that seriously injured his brother in Koreatown was identified Wednesday. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, Leonidas Accip Serech, 39, was the man fatally struck by a driver, who then drove away after hitting him. The crash occurred at about 3:20 a.m. Tuesday at […]

Closing Arguments Set in Trial of Woman Accused of Trying to Kill Mom, Sister

Closing arguments are expected to begin Wednesday in the trial of a Palm Desert woman accused of trying to beat her sister to death and attempting run over her mother during an altercation. The defense rested Tuesday in the case of Erin Leah Richey, 43, who is charged with two counts each of attempted murder, […]