The fire was reported just before 11 a.m. at a two-story home in the 10200 block of North Silverton Avenue. Fire extinguished flames on a lower floor of the home in about 20 minutes.

One person found dead after the fire. Details about a cause of death were not immediately available.

Another person was hospitalized with symptoms of smoke inhalation, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was not immediately clear whether that person was the individual who was detained.

The LAPD said the death is being investigated as a homicide.

Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available.

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The Federal Trade Commission announced the suit in a release Monday on its website.

“The FTC charges that the proposed deal will eliminate fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons, leading to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items for millions of Americans,” it said. “The loss of competition will also lead to lower quality products and services, while also narrowing consumers’ choices for where to shop for groceries.”

Americans have seen food-at-home prices climb more than 20% since the beginning of the pandemic, though more recently those cost pressures have eased. The USDA reported that U.S. consumers spent an average of 11.3% of their disposable personal income on food in 2022 — reaching levels similar to the 1980s, though much of this increase was attributable to large gains in food consumed away from home.

Kroger, the second-largest grocer in the nation behind Walmart; and Albertson’s, the fourth-largest behind Costco, first announced the proposed $25 billion deal in December 2022. It was premised on the chains operating in different parts of the country. If successful, the tie-up would lead to a company with 710,000 workers operating nearly 5,000 stores and approximately 4,000 pharmacies.

But the FTC said in its suit the the merger could also make wages for workers less competitive by eliminating competition.

“This supermarket mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years. Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods, further exacerbating the financial strain consumers across the country face today,” said Henry Liu, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, in the release. “Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating.”

In a statement, Kroger criticized the Biden administration’s suit.

“Contrary to the FTC’s statements, blocking Kroger’s merger with Albertsons Companies will actually harm the very people the FTC purports to serve: America’s consumers and workers,” the company said.

An Albertsons spokesperson issued a similar statement, saying the proposed merger would “expand competition, lower prices, increase associate wages, protect union jobs, and enhance customers shopping experience.”

“If the Federal Trade Commission is successful in blocking this merger, it would be hurting customers and helping strengthen larger, multi-channel retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Costco — the very companies the FTC claims to be reining in — by allowing them to continue increasing their growing dominance of the grocery industry.”

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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In nearly four hours of arguments, several justices questioned aspects of laws adopted by Republican-dominated legislatures and signed by Republican governors in Florida and Texas in 2021. But they seemed wary of a broad ruling, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett warning of “land mines” she and her colleagues need to avoid in resolving the two cases.

While the details vary, both laws aimed to address conservative complaints that the social media companies were liberal-leaning and censored users based on their viewpoints, especially on the political right.

Differences on the court Wednesday emerged over how to think about the platforms — as akin to newspapers that have broad free-speech protections, or telephone companies, known as common carriers that are susceptible to broader regulation.

Chief Justice John Roberts suggested he was in the former camp, saying early in the session, “And I wonder, since we’re talking about the First Amendment, whether our first concern should be with the state regulating what we have called the modern public square?”

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas appeared most ready to embrace arguments made by lawyers for the states. Thomas raised the idea that the companies are iseeking constitutional protection for “censoring other speech.”

Alito complained about the term “content moderation” that the sites employ to keep material off their platforms.

“Is it anything more than a euphemism for censorship?” he asked, later musing that term struck him as Orwellian.

But Justice Brett Kavanaugh, seemingly more favorable to the companies, took issue with calling the actions of private companies censorship, a term he said should be reserved for restrictions imposed by the government.

“When I think of Orwellian, I think of the state, not the private sector, not private individuals,” Kavanaugh said.

The precise contours of rulings in the two cases were not clear after arguments, although it seemed likely the court would not let the laws take effect. The justices posed questions about how the laws might affect businesses that are not the primary targets of the laws, including e-commerce sites like Uber and Etsy and email and messaging services.

The cases are among several the justices have grappled with over the past year involving social media platforms. Next month, the court will hear an appeal from Louisiana, Missouri and other parties accusing administration officials of pressuring social media companies to silence conservative points of view. Two more cases awaiting decision concern whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving then-President Donald Trump. The court dismissed the Trump case when his presidential term ended in January 2021.

The Florida and Texas laws were passed in the months following decisions by Facebook and Twitter, now X, to cut Trump off over his posts related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

Trade associations representing the companies sued in federal court, claiming that the laws violated the platforms’ speech rights. One federal appeal struck down Florida’s statute, while another upheld the Texas law. But both are on hold pending the outcome at the Supreme Court.

In a statement when he signed the bill into law, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the measure would be “protection against the Silicon Valley elites.”

When Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Texas law, he said that it was needed to protect free speech in what he termed the new public square. Social media platforms “are a place for healthy public debate where information should be able to flow freely — but there is a dangerous movement by social media companies to silence conservative viewpoints and ideas. That is wrong, and we will not allow it in Texas,“ Abbott said.

But much has changed since then. Elon Musk purchased Twitter and, in addition to changing its name, eliminated teams focused on content moderation, welcomed back many users previously banned for hate speech and used the site to spread conspiracy theories.

The Biden administration is siding with the challengers. Lawyers for Trump have filed a brief in the Florida case urging the court to uphold the state law.

Still, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, cautioned the court to seek a narrow ruling that blocked the laws. Prelogar said governments maintain the ability to impose regulations to ensure competition, preserve data privacy and protect consumer interests.

Several academics and privacy advocacy groups told the court that they view the laws at issue in these cases as unconstitutional, but want the justices to preserve the government’s ability to regulate social media companies to some extent.

Deputies responded to the campus in the 400 block of Nogales Street at about 10 a.m. after a student armed with a knife stabbed another student in the boys restroom, according to a statement from the Rowland Unified School District. The school was locked down during the investigation.

The victim’s injuries are not considered life threatening. The other student was detained.

The school lockdown was lifted later Monday morning.

A sentencing hearing that included tearful victim impact statements was held Monday morning in a Riverside courtroom for 23-year-old Joseph Jimenez. He was convicted at the conclusion of a bench trial in December of two counts of first-degree murder special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and taking multiple lives, and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations in the killings of Anthony Barajas, 19, and Rylee Goodrich, 18, both of Corona, in 2021 at the Regal Edwards Theater.

Crime and Courts Sep 27, 2021

Man Pleads Insanity in Movie Theater Double Slaying of TikTok Star, College Student

shooting Aug 3, 2021

Search Warrant Details What Led Police to Suspect in Deadly Corona Theater Shooting

shooting Jul 31, 2021

TikTok Star Anthony Barajas, Corona Movie Theater Shooting Victim Dies

Barajas, known online as itsanthonymichael, was a social media influencer who had nearly a million followers on TikTok and more on other platforms. He also played soccer at Mater Dei High School.

“Every single night, I fight to try to remember his smile, rather than him lying on floor bleeding from a gun shot to the head that you inflicted,” Catherine Barajas, his mother, said in court.

Goodrich’s family said the two were on a first date after he had just returned from Hawaii. Goodrich was a sophomore at Grand Canyon University. Friends and loved ones wrote message in tribute to the victims and placed a life-size cutout of Goodrich outside the theater in the days after the shooting.

Grandmother Jody Goodrich spoke at Monday’s hearing, describing her grand-daughter as “full of love and light.”

There was no indication Jimenez knew the victims or had any prior contact with them. He also spoke at Monday’s hearing.

“I tell the family I’m sorry, my condolences,” he said. “I wish I could have made different choices.”

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst had a final message for the courtroom and Jimenez.

“Parents are not supposed to bury children,” Hollenhorst said. “That’s not how life is supposed to work.

“The court hopes that deep down in your soul, that you feel sorrow for taking the lives of two innocent victims.”

Jimenez had argued that he was insane at the time of the shooting, but the judge found the defendant was mentally competent.

His attorney, Charles Kenyon, said Jimenez cannot “discern right and wrong.”

“He doesn’t recognize things in real time,” Kenyon said. “There are things highlighted in his brain that aren’t there. He’s hearing ghosts.”

Kenyon described how his client suffered following the loss of his mother a year prior to the deadly attack and was plagued by voices commanding him to engage in violence and even take his father’s life before the elder Jimenez could kill him and his sisters.

“This is a person who is literally insane. He thinks he is going to die. All of his delusions were 100% schizophrenia,” the attorney said.

Deputy District Attorney Kevin Beecham countered the defense on almost every point, emphasizing that Jimenez was not bereft of help, being admitted to hospitals for mental health treatment multiple times over the 11 months prior to the killings.

“The discharge orders were always the same — take your medication and don’t do drugs,” Beecham said. “But he does the exact opposite.”

According to the prosecutor, Jimenez failed to show up for appointments with doctors, didn’t get his psychotropic medications refilled and regularly used marijuana and “chugged” alcohol, capturing much of the recreational substance abuse on his cellphone camera and sharing the images.

Beecham said while the defense sought to paint Jimenez as a sympathetic character, “he’s not credible, and he has a tendency to exaggerate facts and a history of placating practitioners.”

Beecham pointed to videos of the defendant smoking cannabis and conversing normally with friends as evidence Jimenez wasn’t out of control. Further proof surfaced in his procurement of a 9mm home-assembled ghost gun a month prior to the theater attack.

Police said the July 26, 2021 shooting happened inside the theater during a 9:35 p.m. showing of “The Forever Purge.” The victims, Jimenez and three high school friends were the only people in the theater.

A few minutes after the film started, Jimenez left, then returned with a backpack from his car and sat back down a few row behind Barajas and Goodrich. A friend, who testified that Jimenez was behaving erratically and talking to himself, said he asked Jimenez what was in the backpack. The defendant said it contained a “strap,” or handgun.

The three friends and Jimenez left the theater, but he soon went back inside.

“Leaving the theater is a huge, significant fact,” Beecham said, recalling how Jimenez later told detectives he decided to return because he didn’t want to miss the last 20 minutes of the film. “He’s not in imminent fear.”

Jimenez said voices told him to kill the victims, each of whom he shot in the head. He then went to his home, Beecham said. Two of the friends told investigators that, around 11:30 p.m., they saw Jimenez running from the theater before jumping in his car and speeding away.

Barajas and Goodrich were found by theater workers cleaning up after the movie.

After seeing press releases the next day, those friends said, they believed Jimenez was the one who had shot Barajas and Goodrich.

During the search at Jimenez’s home, authorities found a gun that matched the caliber of the weapon used in the homicide, and additional evidence related to the crime.

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Full nighttime closures are no longer in effect for a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway from Sycamore Road in Los Angeles County to Las Posas Road in Ventura County. The closure was due to erosion on the ocean side of the road shoulder following an early February storm that shattered rainfall records around Los Angeles.

K-rails were installed to block off the right ocean-side lane as crews worked to stabilize the collapsed slope.

One lane is open in each direction. Crews will continue to assess the road and determine whether more restoration work is required with the possibility of more rain on the way this week.

Malibu Canyon Road also reopened after crews removed boulders and dirt that tumbled across lanes when a hillside collapsed near Piuma Road. A photo from the California Highway Patrol showed a large pile of boulders on Malibu Canyon Road. 

A car was damaged in the slide, but no injuries were reported. 

The slide occurred after a third straight day of rainfall in the Los Angeles area in mid-February.

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Shohei Ohtani will make his exhibition debut Tuesday when the Dodgers face the Chicago White Sox. Ohtani is expected to be in the designated hitter spot at Camelback Ranch.

First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 21

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The Dodgers have taken a cautious approach with the two-way star and two-time MVP after signing him from the Angels for a record $700 million, 10-year contract during the offseason. Ohtani is coming off right elbow surgery last September and will not pitch this year.

Fans were treated to a live batting practice session with Ohtani on Sunday. Manager Dave Roberts said the 29-year-old Ohtani looked good and will play his first Cactus League game on Tuesday, his first game action after surgery.

“He took three at-bats, and he looked good,” said Roberts. “I thought today was a good day for Shohei.”

The team is hopeful that Ohtani will be ready when the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres play a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea, on March 20 and 21.

“Most importantly is his health,” Roberts said. “So if it lines up, great. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll still move on from there.”

Earlier this month, Ohtani said he was confident he will be ready for the games in Seoul.

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Elizabeth Francis, who lives in Houston, became the oldest living person in the U.S. after the reported death of 116-year-old Edie Ceccarelli of Willits, California, according to LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks human longevity, and the Gerontology Research Group, a nonprofit dedicated to supercentenarians and longevity.

According to the company’s ranking, Francis, at 114 years and 214 days old, is believed to be the fifth-oldest living person in the world.

She is surpassed by 116-year-old María Branyas Morera, who was born in San Francisco but has lived in Spain since she was a child; 115-year-old Tomiko Itooka, from Japan; 115-year-old Inah Canabarro Lucas, from Brazil; and 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, from Venezuela.

Who is Elizabeth Francis? 

Elizabeth Francis was born in Louisiana on July 15, 1909, but moved to Houston as a child when she was sent to live with her aunt following her mother’s death.

According to LongeviQuest, the woman worked in a cafeteria at the ABC13 News station in Houston for nearly 20 years until she retired in 1975, nearly 50 years ago.

Longevity runs in her family

Longevity appears to run in her family. Francis’s sister, Bertha Johnson, died in February 2011 at 106 years old.

The sisters are among the sibling pairs with the oldest combined age in world history.

Additionally, Francis has a daughter, Dorothy, who is currently 94 years old. The woman also has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.

What is her secret for longevity?

Francis has said she attributed her longevity to her faith in God.

“It’s the good Lord’s good blessing,” she said in an interview with TODAY.com in August 2023. “I just thank God I’m here.”

During her certification as the oldest living person in the country, Francis told LongeviQuest that her life advice is: “If the good Lord gave it to you, use it! Speak your mind, don’t hold your tongue!”

Francis lives at home and is cared for by one of her granddaughters.

According to TODAY.com, she is confined to her bed and has some memory problems, but in general, she remains alert and recognizes her family.

Intuitive Machines’ cargo lander, Odysseus, returned its first images from the moon’s surface over the weekend, as the spacecraft settles in to its lunar destination.

The company’s historic IM-1 mission is now operating on the moon after landing on Thursday, becoming the first privately developed spacecraft to soft land on the lunar surface.

Intuitive Machines initially reported Odysseus was standing upright. But in an update late Friday, company executives said they believe the spacecraft caught its landing gear sideways in the moon’s surface while touching down and tipped over.

Despite resting on its side, Odysseus is still sending back data. Intuitive Machines expects Odysseus to operate until Tuesday morning, when its solar panels will no longer be exposed to the sun.

Intuitive Machines’ stock fell 35% in Monday trading to close at $6.27 a share.

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The Odysseus lander carried 12 government and commercial payloads — six of which are for NASA under a $118 million contract through the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, initiative.

NASA leadership emphasized the IM-1 mission was still successful despite the spacecraft tipping over, calling the landing “a gigantic accomplishment.”

One of the payloads, “EagleCam,” is a small camera developed by Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University. Originally, EagleCam was to be ejected in the final moments of Odysseus’ landing, to capture the first images of a moon landing from outside a spacecraft, but an issue with the lander’s navigation system meant the camera did not deploy. Embry-Riddle’s team said Intuitive Machines still plans to release EagleCam from the lander at a later time.

Here are some of the initial images from the landing:

Coming in for landing

On the surface

Spotted from above

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The team showed off its new look on Monday, blending the past, present and future of the franchise ahead of its move to its own arena, Intuit Dome, later this year.

The redesign features a naval blue, ember red and Pacific blue colorway with a greater focus on the maritime roots of the Clippers name, which is derived from the ship. The primary logo features a “C” surrounded by the points of a compass and an oncoming ship with basketball seams.

“We have been on a long journey, gathering feedback and insights from across Clipper Nation,” Gillian Zucker, president of business operations for the Clippers and Intuit Dome, said in a statement.

“We listened to as many voices as we could and then engaged specialists to arrive at a timeless design that blends bedrocks of our past and our future. Our new marks are meaningful and strong, capturing our roots and our aspirations.”

NBA Jan 16

Clippers' new Intuit Dome to host 2026 NBA All-Star Game

Jan 16

Clippers' new arena features fan section called ‘The Wall' with strict rules

The Clippers will roll out new navy Icon Edition, white Associated Edition and red Statement Edition uniforms starting with the 2024-25 NBA season. The team kept the tilted wordmark but went with a thinner, more straight-forward font.

The team will embrace more nautical themes with its court. The primary logo will be featured at center court with the “N” in Los Angeles” actually facing north, team officials told ESPN’s Zach Lowe. The arena’s geographic coordinates are also painted onto the hardwood.

After sharing Crypto.com Arena, formerly Staples Center, with the Los Angeles Lakers since it opened in 1999, he Clippers will break ground at their new $2 billion home in the fall for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. Intuit Dome will house “The Wall,” a 51-row section of dedicated Clippers fans, and will welcome the NBA’s top players for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

The boy was grabbed at about 12:40 p.m. and taken out of the store on Virgil Avenue in Westlake, police said in a community alert. The woman released the boy and left the scene when she was confronted by the child’s parents outside the store.

The community alert issued by the Los Angeles Police Department included security camera photos of the woman.

Anyone with information on name or the whereabouts of the woman was asked to call 213-382-9437. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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The shooting was reported just before 9 p.m. near Main and 15th streets as the girl’s mother was driving a Nissan Altima. Her boyfriend in the passenger’s seat was the intended target, police said.

Details on what led up to the violence were not immediately available.

The girl’s mother drove her to Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where she was in critical, but stable, condition.

A 4-year-old child also was in the car, which was seen with at least two bullet holes outside the hospital. Shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. Neighbors told NBCLA shots were fired from another car, but authorities have not confirmed that information.

No other injuries were reported.

No arrests were reported early Monday. A description of the shooter was not available.

Messi on Sunday scored a stoppage-time goal to help Inter Miami salvage a 1-1 draw at LA Galaxy.

It was all LA Galaxy who had the better chances and moments throughout, though the squad couldn’t bury enough chances to prevent Messi from making a play.

Former Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig had a clear-cut chance in the 13th minute on a penalty after Sergio Busquets fouled new signing Joseph Paintsil. But Drake Callender saved the attempt.

Callender saved another big attempt from Puiq in the 29th minute, which clanked off the crossbar as well.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 75th minute when center-forward Dejan Joveljic tapped home from Marco Delgado’s pass.

Delgado, however, was sent off with a red card in the 88th minute. Messi equalized in the 92nd minute.

Messi and former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba brought back their tiki-taka movement, which the former finished with style.

LA Galaxy will feel hard done by the result given the chances they botched. They had 24 shots, nine on target, five big chances and four big chances missed.

Galaxy also accumulated 3.37 expected goals, via FotMob. Miami only had 0.63 for comparison’s sake, with just one big chance and none missed.

It marked Messi’s first goal of the 2024 season after he assisted in Wednesday’s 2-0 home win over Real Salt Lake. Galaxy hadn’t played yet this season but showed promise of what could be a bounce-back campaign.

Messi and Miami will next be in action on Saturday, May 2, vs. Orlando City.

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Harden gave the kids in attendance a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet and interact with their favorite NBA superstar, when he arrived just after 6 p.m. at the trading cards store in downtown Santa Monica.

Harden stayed for roughly 30 minutes, taking pictures with fans and handing out cards, including his coveted 2009 rookie card, to a young female fan in attendance. The 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player winner’s rookie card is valued between $5,000 and $10,000.

The event took place on National Trading Card Day (Feb. 24) and occurred simultaneously with 407 other hobby shops across 12 states.

The events, known as “Topps Hobby Rip Night,” brought together thousands of trading card collectors and hobbyists across the country, and centered around the release of the Topps Series 1, the company’s flagship baseball pack.

In addition to the courtesy packs, fans in attendance on Saturday night received raffle prizes, giveaways, special merchandise, and the opportunity to meet their favorite players.

Harden was acquired by the Clippers on Nov. 1, 2023, in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. After losing their first six games with their new superstar, the Clippers began to develop chemistry on the court and ascended to the top spot in the Western Conference standings.

Currently sitting in third place in the West, the Clippers’ new “Big Three” comprised of Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, have championship aspirations this season.

Numerous bouquets of flowers were placed at the site of the 2020 crash where 11-year-old Mark Iskander and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander were killed. The boys were crossing the street at a marked crosswalk with their family when Grossman sped down the road and struck the boys with her vehicle.

Rebecca Grossman trial

Crimes and Courts Feb 23

Rebecca Grossman found guilty of murdering 2 Westlake Village boys

Jan 29

Mom of boys killed in crash testifies in Rebecca Grossman trial

She was convicted on Friday of two counts each of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one felony count of hit-and-run driving. Grossman faces up to 34 years to life in prison.

“We felt it was important to gather together because a lot of people couldn’t come to court and it was important to gather together and say a prayer for Mark and Jacob,” said Julie Cohen, a friend of the Iskander family.

Nancy and Karim Iskander, parents of the young boys, were unable to attend the memorial as they continue to process their grief over their sons’ deaths and relief over Grossman’s sentence. On Friday, however, the mourning parents spoke outside the courtroom following the trial.

“Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered,” Nancy Iskander said on Friday. “I don’t have any hate for her. My heart broke for her children. I’m a mother.”

In honor of the boys, their parents have been working hard to give back to the community. In their memory, the Iskanders created a scholarship for foster children and have also contributed to other charitable works.

Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 11:18 a.m. Sunday to 18153 W. Vanowen St., the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

“Upon arrival, firefighters found that one trapped patient was deceased (left in place for law enforcement investigation and medical examiner), and two others were in need of extrication. Crews used hydraulic rescue tools (similar to “Jaws of Life”) to free both trapped patients from one vehicle,” an LAFD statement said.

Law enforcement did not identify the deceased, but described him as a 32-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a Camaro that was involved in the crash.

Eleven patients were evaluated at the scene and six people were rushed to a hospital, authorities said. Four people declined transport to a hospital.    

The crash also left a fire hydrant sheared, which was shut down by firefighters.

The Los Angeles Police Department said the crash occurred after a white Dodge Charger and a yellow Chevrolet Camaro were traveling at a high rate of speed on Vanowen Street. The Dodge changed lanes and crashed into the Chevy, causing both cars to lose control and strike other vehicles as a result.

LAPD said Nicolas Velasco Marcos, 21, of Reseda, was arrested in connection with the crash. He faces charges that include murder and his bail was set at $2 million.

The robbers, described as four men in two separate vehicles, fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers, the Long Beach Police Department reported.

Officers dispatched at about 2:45 a.m. to the 500 block of Orange Avenue located the victim, who was suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot to the lower body. Paramedics took him to a hospital in stable condition.

Police said the victim and his female companion were in their parked vehicle when four people, in two vehicles that approached southbound from Orange Avenue, pulled up and demanded his keys. The victim refused and one of the men discharged a firearm and shot the victim. The men then fled the scene, police said.

• Crime rates
• Quality of education
• Well-being
• The Commuter Index
• Quality and availability of healthcare
• Air Quality Index (AQI)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Risk Index, which is used to determine a metropolitan area’s risk to natural hazards and community risk factors

Data from a March 2023 public survey was used to rank the cities, the report notes.

While Florida is synonymous with retirement, not a single city in the Sunshine State ranked in the top 10, according to the U.S. News and World Report.

The best U.S. city for quality of life is Ann Arbor, Mich.

Quality of life score: 7.9

Ann Arbor is the best U.S. city for quality of life. More than 90% of the city’s residents live less than a 10-minute from a public park, according to the U.S. News and World report.

A 2023 SmartAsset study report says Ann Arbor saw its Gen Z population — those ages 18 to 24 — grow the fastest in 2022. The city had 26.4% new Gen Zers and a total population of 35.9%.

Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, which is one of the biggest employers in the city. Ann Arbor is also considered part of the Greater Detroit area at just under an hour’s drive away.

Cost of living in the Michigan city is 4% higher than the national average, according to PayScale. The average Ann Arbor home value is $471,650, up 5.7% over the past year, according to Zillow.

10 best U.S. cities for quality of life

1. Ann Arbor, Mich.
2. Boulder, Colo.
3. Madison, Wis.
4. San Jose, Calif.
5. Portland, Maine
6. Boston, Mass.
7. Green Bay, Wis.
8. Hartford, Conn.
9. Rochester, N.Y.
10. Trenton, N.J.

Boulder is the No. 2 U.S. city, for quality of life with a score of 7.7.

The city is home to more than 60 parks and 155 miles of hiking trailers. Boulder’s downtown area is full of restaurants and bars, while the outdoor Pearl Street Mall is considered a popular shopping destination.

Just like Ann Arbor, Boulder was named a city with one of the fastest growth amongst the Gen Z population, according to SmartAsset. The city had 23.4% new Gen Zers and a total of 33.2% total among that population last year.

Boulder is about 25 miles north of Colorado’s capital, Denver, and is home to the largest University of Colorado campus.

The average Boulder home value is $958,651, down 1.3% over the past year, according to Zillow.

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Stallone made the shocking announcement during Wednesday’s season 2 premiere of “The Family Stallone” reality show, which streams on Paramount+.

“After long, hard consideration, your mother and I have decided, time to move on and leave the state of California permanently, and we’re going to go to Florida,” Stallone told daughters Scarlet, 21, Sistine, 25, and Sophia, 27, as he sat at a dancing table.

“We’re gonna sell this house,” the “Rocky” star added. “We already have the place; it’s a done deal,” he said as his daughters reacted surprised and confused.

According to People.com, the Stallone family decided it was time for a change after they became “an empty nest” when Sophia and Sistine moved together to New York City and Scarlet enrolled at the University of Miami in Florida.

“I raised all three of our daughters in California,” Jennifer Flavin Stallone said in the first season 2 episode according to People.com. “Everything’s a memory to me, memories of them not being there anymore… so I needed a big change and Sly went along with it,” she said.

Following the announcement, Casey DeSantis, wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, posted a welcome message on social media to the Stallones.

“Welcome to the Free State of Florida,” DeSantis said on Twitter.

In 2020, Stallone purchased a massive 13,241 square feet waterfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, for $35.38 million.

Other celebrities that call Palm Beach home are Jon Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart and former President Donald Trump.

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The Los Angeles Fire Department was summoned at 4:16 p.m. Saturday to the 1400 block of North Bundy Drive, where residents were concerned about the stability of the hillside near Mount Saint Mary’s University’s Chalon Campus, said the LAFD’s Nicholas Prange.

“Building and Safety performed an initial assessment and will be sending out a specialist within 48 hours for an additional slope assessment,” Prange said.

They concluded that an official evacuation order was not needed.

“Responders on scene were in close communication with residents, explaining the situation and findings,” he said. No injuries were reported.

The responders cleared the scene around 7 p.m.

The school system’s 20,000 student assistants now join the 16,000 university staff members represented by CSUEU/SEIU Local 2579. The undergraduate students’ new role in the union will give them bargaining power for

Currently, student assistants are capped at a 20-hour work week and earn minimum wage. They have few benefits and an absence of sick time.

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Efforts for the union picked up steam last April when a petition was submitted to state authorities seeking their approval for students’ union election. Students across 23 Cal State campuses voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining the staff’s union.

In a statement, a Cal State lead said the institution respects the students’ decision.

“The CSU has a long history of providing on-campus jobs to students through student assistant positions, which give our students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while they pursue their degrees,” Leora Freedman, CSU Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, said in a statement. “The CSU respects the decision of student assistants to form a union and looks forward to bargaining in good faith with the newly formed CSUEU student assistant unit.”​

Abdul-Jabbar used a cane to approach the lectern outside Pauley Pavilion on a sun-splashed day. He had hip replacement surgery just before Christmas after he fell at a concert. The 76-year-old was known as Lew Alcindor during his college days when he was a three-time national player of the year.

“There’s only one thing I can say and that’s, ‘Thank you, coach.’ You gave it to us on both ends, you made us champs and you made us understand life,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I don’t think any coach can do better than that.”

The stamp shows Wooden with an intense look on his face and two players in the background wearing jerseys with the numbers 4 and 10. Four represents the number of undefeated seasons under Wooden and 10 is the record number of national championships his teams won in Westwood.

“I feel his ultimate impact will be as the ultimate teacher,” said Wilkes, who wore a turquoise bolo tie gifted to him by Wooden. “He gave us a gift, a process where we could each live our best lives.”

People lined up to purchase some of the 18 million Wooden stamps that have been printed and receive a first-day cancellation featuring the zip code assigned to the UCLA campus.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block called Wooden “the university’s most legendary and beloved figure” and noted that Wooden’s famed Pyramid of Success has appeared on the hit TV show “Ted Lasso.”

“The USPS forever stamp can be used as postage in perpetuity, never to expire,” Block said, “and that’s quite appropriate for a man whose eternal, timeless wisdom will continue to shape our lives and others for centuries to come.”

Christy Impelman, Wooden’s oldest grandchild, told the crowd that the man known as Papa to his family personally replied to thousands of letters and autograph requests during his lifetime without help from an assistant.

“He would sign or write and seal the items in an envelope and put a stamp on them. In his 99 years, he used a lot of U.S. postage stamps,” she said, drawing laughter. “This honor today is a true reflection of the way he lived his entire life. Our family is so thankful for the USPS, for UCLA. It’s great to keep his name out there and relevant to younger generations to come.”

Former UCLA gymnastics coach Valerie Kondos Field wore a long gray cardigan that she said was a gift from Wooden. The two were close and Wooden regularly attended her teams’ meets, as well as men’s and women’s basketball games, until the final year of his life.

“The handwritten notes that my husband and I received from coach Wooden, that he wrote in his beautiful handwriting, and he put in an envelope and he mailed through the United States Postal Service with a stamp, makes this absolutely, not just appropriate, but brilliant,” she said.

Wooden had a post office in the Reseda section of the San Fernando Valley near his home named for him in 2006.

The Indiana native is the second college basketball coach to be honored with a U.S. stamp. The first was James Naismith, who invented the game.

Surveillance footage showed two men driving into a parking lot near Paramount Boulevard and Gray Road around 1:30 a.m. and then approaching an area barbershop. One of the men smashed the window and in a mere two minutes, the pair stole cash and hundreds of dollars worth of equipment including clippers, scissors and brushes.

Victor Munoz, owner of Dave’s Barber Shop, said he’s in disbelief that the family-owned business, which has been in operation for more than 50 years, was targeted.

“Why? Why would you need these clippers? They’re no good to you,” Munoz said when asked what he would tell the perpetrators. “You just basically ruined, you know, our week. You’re costing me a lot of money stuff I know you’re going to end up throwing away.”

No arrests have been made in connection with the burglary.

The attacker is still outstanding, and was described as a man in his 30s who wore black attire and rainbow-colored shoes, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Officers were called to the intersection of Western Avenue and Olympic Boulevard at around 10:49 p.m. Thursday regarding an assault with a deadly weapon call, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. 

When the officers arrived, they learned that two men had been involved in an argument and at some point the suspect began pepper spraying the victim and then ran off the bus, police said.

Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department were called to the scene and pronounced the victim dead. 

Anyone with information about the altercation was urged to call the LAPD’s West Bureau Homicide at 213-382-9470 or 877-527-3247. Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or www.lacrimestoppers.org.

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The 50th CicLAvia street festival will last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 

The route will stretch from Vermont Avenue west to Fairfax Avenue. 

The first CicLAvia was held on Oct. 10, 2010. The street festivals are designed by city officials to encourage residents to explore what different neighborhoods have to offer on foot or via other non-motorized modes of transport.

Motorized vehicles are forbidden, but bicyclists, walkers, runners and skaters are welcome, and the route includes five hubs of other recreational activities.

Six full-scale CicLAvia festivals were held in 2023, along with two CicLAmini events featuring smaller routes in Watts and North Hollywood. 

Six full-scale festivals are planned for 2024, along with CicLAminis in Wilmington and Lincoln Heights. The next CicLAvia after Sunday’s event will be held on April 21 along Venice Boulevard in the Palms, Mar Vista and Venice Area.

Deputies responded just before 11 p.m. Tuesday to the 43400 block of 57th Street West, south of Avenue K, on a medical rescue call, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. When they arrived, deputies found a victim described only as a “male juvenile” suffering from a “laceration to the neck.”

David Jacques Hernandez of Lancaster died at a hospital, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner reported.

Sheriff’s officials were investigating the death as a homicide. The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources, said the boy was found in a bathtub with his throat cut. The body was found by a family friend who went to the home at the behest of one of the boy’s relatives, the paper reported.

According to the sheriff’s department, deputies who responded to the home also found Rena Naulls, 39, at the home suffering from a “medical emergency.” Naulls, the live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother, tried “to take his own life” at the home, sheriff’s officials said.

Naulls was taken to a hospital, where he is considered to be in stable condition, according to the sheriff’s department.

“Mr. Naulls has been identified as a person of interest in this matter,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement. They stressed that no arrests have been made.

The biological father of the toddler, Herbett Hernandez, said he is utterly devastated over his child’s death and is in disbelief.

“What did he do for this psycho, monster, whoever, did that to my baby?” the elder Hernandez said.

The grieving father was in an on-again, off-again relationship with the boy’s mother for the last 13 years. They had been separated for the last four months.

According to the sheriff’s department, there were three other children in the home. All were unharmed and were placed in the custody of the County Department of Children and Family Services. The Times reported those children are ages 9, 11 and 14.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. Tipsters may also use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

The deeply seeded slides, which don’t happen right as it’s raining, may take several months or even years to happen. California’s relatively new topography means the soil in many areas is still in motion.

“The landslides that have moved recently historically that we know are in general more hazardous than the slides that we don’t think have moved since a long time ago,” said Jonathan Godt, program coordinator for the USGS Landslide Hazards Program.

The program is the first of its kind in the country and has experts like Godt monitoring the recent slides in California.

San Clemente residents like David Boyle worry about the risk of their homes slipping off the bluffs every time it rains.

“We’ve already eroded quite a bit there’s not much left of the bluff,” said Boyle. “So anytime it rains, I wonder is it going to keep going and eventually slip?’”

Boyle believes the bluff beneath his condo has moved about 150 feet in the past four years and that’s just very recent history.

A landslide map from the California Geological Survey shows every recorded landslide with data going back hundreds, even thousands of years.

California is filled with landslides, including the more recent slides that happened in Malibu, Rancho Palos Verdes, Torrance and San Clemente.

Godt says the very landscape that brings us rewards, is the very landscape that causes risks.

“Part of it is the geological history of California,” said Godt. “It’s a place where there are active earthquakes, mountains and climatic conditions where you get the atmospheric rivers that bring really heavy precipitation.”

The pursuit began near Huntington Beach sometime before 9 p.m. after law enforcement received a report of a stolen vehicle in the area.

After traveling at a high rate of speed on area freeways, the driver exited on surface streets in Anaheim. At least two people ran out of the vehicle after it stopped at a place of lodging near the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue.

At least two people were detained at the scene.

The Del Amo Fashion Center now requires children under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 21. This new rule will be enforced after 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and will take effect March 1.

Torrance Dec 30, 2023

5 arrested, 2 injured in large brawl at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance

Police Dec 30, 2023

Police respond to disturbance call at Torrance shopping plaza

“We are committed to providing a pleasant and family-friendly shopping environment for all of our guests,” the mall said in a statement.

As per the new policy, “acceptable” proof of age may be required for supervisors. Those who are unable to provide that “will be asked to leave the property.” Acceptable forms of identification include a driver’s license, ID card, military ID, school ID or a passport.

The move comes following feedback from “the community and community leaders,” according to the Del Amo Fashion Center. Late last year, five people were arrested after a fight broke out at the shopping plaza and a separate brawl had patrons concerned after teens were seen fighting amongst each other.

Floyd Shelby and Steven Fleming are key members at Aerospace Rocketdyne, a Canoga Park-based manufacturer in aerospace technologies, responsible for the rocket engines that will propel Glover and his crewmates.

“When Victor Glover embarks on his historic journey around the moon, it will be thanks to the efforts of Floyd Shelby and Steven Fleming,” remarked Shelby, the director of engineering at Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Fleming, a metal-fitting mechanic at Aerojet Rocketdyne, also echoed the commitment to supporting the Artemis II mission and understood the significance of sending the first Black astronaut to the moon.

“I met Glover years ago, and I told him, ‘I’m going to put everything into this to make sure you come home,'” Fleming recalled.

While the two men may work on the different intrinsic parts the rocket engines, they share one goal: getting the astronauts on the Orion spacecraft home safely back to families.

“The reliability, the trust that these four astronauts have — we’ve developed this product that will safely bring them there and back,” Shelby said.

In addition to being passionately focused on the Artemis II mission, Shelby and Fleming also serve as mentors to others, especially minority workers, in the aerospace industry.

“I think having people that look like you, can understand, make that connection with, it means a lot to further your career,” Shelby explained. “If there’s something I can do to help someone, I’m willing to jump into that.”

Fleming also offered a piece of advice to those dreaming big.

“Pursue their dreams. Stick with it no matter what,” Fleming said. “Put 100% into what you do because anything is possible.”

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan announced earlier this week that 119 Vote Centers will open Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, allowing voters to cast their ballots in person from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

All registered voters now have up to 11 days to vote in the primary election on March 5, 2024. 

Voting times vary based on location. General voting times will take place Feb. 24 to Mar. 4 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Missed the registration deadline?

While the online registration deadline for voting was Feb. 20, first-time voters may request a Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) upon visiting a Vote Center.

Once completing the CVR application, voters will be issued a CVR ballot to use on a Ballot Marking Device. After the paper ballot is printed, voters are instructed to return the ballot to an election worker. As soon as the CVR application is active, the ballot will be counted, and registration will become active.

Voters can also update their registration information, including their party affiliation, to receive a preferred party’s ballot or request a crossover ballot. 

The content of this ballot is extensive as it includes contests and candidates from local levels in state offices, measures and federal representatives. Voters are encouraged to review their ballot and vote early.

Voters were also mailed a postcard listing the nearest vote center to their residence. A full list and map of Vote Center locations is available online.

The 60-year-old was convicted on two counts each of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one felony count of hit-and-run driving.

The nine-man, three-woman panel deliberated for nearly two days to hand down the verdict to the defendant.

Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould argued the boys, 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother, Jacob, were hit by Grossman’s speeding white Mercedes-Benz SUV as the Hidden Hills woman was “driving too fast” and was “impaired.”

Speaking outside the Van Nuys courtroom after the verdict was announced, Nancy and Karim Iskander, the parents of Mark and Jacob, said they welcomed the closure after more than three years.

“Mark and Jacob did not die. They were murdered,” said Nancy Iskander, who also added she felt for the woman who was convicted of killing her sons as the Grossman family cried and hugged each other after the verdict was read.

“I don’t have any hate for her. My heart broke for her children,” Nancy Iskander said. “I’m a mother.”

The prosecutor also said during the trial that Grossman hit the children as they were in a marked crosswalk and had a “duty to stop,” but “never returned” to the scene.  

But defense attorneys for Grossman argued that it wasn’t Grossman’s vehicle that fatally struck the two young boys.

Tony Buzbee, the lead defense attorney, instead alleged that authorities rushed to judgment without properly investigating the crash, adding Scott Erickson, a former Dodger pitcher and Grossman’s alleged love interest at the time, was rather responsible for the fatal collision.

The prosecution claimed that Grossman was speeding at 81 mph in a 45-mph zone just seconds before impact, and that data from the vehicle’s so-called black box showing that she was driving 73 mph at the time of the crash was reliable.

In contrast, Buzbee contended that Grossman was driving 52 mph “at best” — pointed the blame at Erickson, whom he alleges was driving a black Mercedes SUV just ahead of Grossman’s vehicle.

Shortly after the verdict was announced, Grossman was hand-cuffed and taken into custody. A judge denied the defense attorney’s request to allow Grossman to remain free before sentencing.

Sentencing is set for April 10. Grossman could face up to 34 years to life in state prison.

“We want to send a message, here in Compton, that we are not going to tolerate that anymore,” said Jonathan Bowers, Compton City Councilmember.

Compton has been plagued with a series of high-profile takeovers that resulted in the mob looting a local bakery and the death of a man by fleeing drivers of a takeover.

The new ordinance allows the Compton city manager to seize “nuisance cars” that are held by deputies the night of an incident or identified later using surveillance and technology. The cars will be forfeiture, which means auctioned off, with the proceeds going to pay for damages caused by takeovers.

Even family cars used by kids with or without permission from the owners can be deemed a nuisance to be seized and sold.

“Unfortunately, kids do sneak out in their parent’s cars, but it could be devastating if we catch them,” said Bowers. “Parents need to reign in their kids.”

Cindi Enamorado, whose brother, Raymond Olivares, was killed by fleeing drivers involved in a takeover last year in Compton, has become an advocate for enforcement and legislation around the consequences of takeovers.

“It needs to be consistent around the whole state,” said Enamorado, who is demanding tougher laws, but also education for kids and parents

She even thinks governments should provide designated areas for these activities can be done safely and away from communities.

Meantime, deputies will be using technology and spectators’ own social media content to identify those watching and participating in these takeover events.

“It will go into a digital hot sheet, so we may not get you that day, but we will get you later,” said Bowers.

Video from NewsChopper4 showed heavy construction equipment placing fencing around the vacant high-rise development known as Oceanwide Plaza. The fencing along 12th Street between Figueroa and Flower streets is intended to deter people from entering the site of the graffiti-covered towers.

Downtown LA Feb 16

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Downtown LA Feb 13

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Downtown LA Feb 12

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Scaffolding also has been removed around the construction site.

An initial $1.1 million was approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council to address the development, where work stopped in 2019 after the Chinese Developer ran out of money. The towers were supposed to house condos, a hotel and mall.

Councilman Kevin De Leon proposed another $2.7 million, as a loan, to cover costs associated with security services, fire safety upgrades, graffiti abatement and other measures. City Council members voted to hold off on that $2.7 million for the time being until another estimate could be conducted, according to de Leon’s office.

City officials officially began an abatement process on Feb. 17, after the building’s developer, Oceanwide Holdings, did not respond to demands from the city to address ongoing issues. Ultimately, the city hopes Oceanwide gets the land cleaned up and a group of investors comes forward to take over the project.

City News Service contributed to this report.

As the little girl named Cloves visited the Anaheim amusement park for the first time, her parents captured the moments of pure joy and delight on camera.

What made this video different was Cloves’ mom put on a small POV camera on the young Disney fan, so she can record the memorable moments and see her daughter’s reactions from Cloves’ own point of view.

In the video, Cloves is heard giggling and saying hello to Disney character as well as agreeing to Cinderella’s suggestion to twirl.

@brookescheurn I had such a fun time editing this. It took a while but here are some of the cutest moments captured from cloves point of view. This is how she reacted being at Disneyland for her first time 🥹😭❤️ #insta360 #pov #babyreaction #firstdisneytrip #babiesofig #parents #parentsofig #moms #momsofinsta #foryoupage #fyp #happybaby ♬ original sound – Brooke Scheurn

“I had lots of fun editing this,” said Brooke Scheurn, who uploaded the video to her TikTok account. “It took a while, but these are some of the most wonderful moments captured from Clovis’ point of view.”

While a lawsuit against the policies still is moving forward, Riverside Superior Court Judge Eric Keen declined to order an injunction that would have blocked the district from enforcing the policies that censor critical race theory courses and require educators to notify parents if their child shows signs of being transgender.

A copy of Judge Eric Keen’s ruling was not immediately available. But the attorney for the parents, students and educators said the judge decided the district’s policies do not cause sufficient enough harm to issue an injunction.

“We obviously disagree with that,” said Amanda Mangaser Savage of nonprofit law firm the Public Counsel representing the plaintiffs. “We are really troubled that students in Temecula are right now sitting in classrooms and being denied access to concepts that students in almost every other district in the state are receiving.”

Savage said her legal team would appeal the ruling “immediately.”

Temecula Feb 16

Judge rules in favor of parents suing Temecula school district over controversial policies

Temecula Aug 2, 2023

Temecula school board members sued over ban on critical race theory

“We look forward to hopefully making law in this area by having a California appeals court rule on the issues at stake here because that would apply to districts across the state, not just in Temecula, and hopefully discourage other partisan school boards from trying to impose their ideological viewpoints on public school students,” explained Savage, who added she hopes to proceed to trial against the district on an expedited basis.

The Public Counsel filed the suit on behalf of the group of students, parents and teachers in December 2020 to challenge a resolution passed by the district that and prohibits the teaching of any critical race theory elements, including racial discrimination, systemic racism and gendered racism. 

The other policy at the center of the lawsuit was implemented in August 2023 to require teachers to notify parents if a student asks to use a name or pronoun different than those they were assigned at birth.

The Temecula Valley School District declined to offer a statement in response to the latest ruling, saying it does not comment on pending litigation.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 6 a.m. on a two-lane road northwest of Fresno. A Chevy Silverado pickup and older model GMC Safari van with eight farm workers collided when the pickup driver crossed the centerline, the CHP said.

Both drivers and six other people were killed. One person was hospitalized, but details about that person’s injuries were not immediately available.

Only the driver and front passenger in the Safari were wearing seatbelts, the CHP said.

KSEE News reported that the wife of one of the victims in the van was following the Safari in another van and witnessed the crash. The workers were heading to work in the Firebaugh area, the station reported.

It was not immediately clear why the pickup driver crossed lanes.

Satellite images released by NASA shows the lake forming in the Badwater Basin over several months, starting last year when Tropical Storm Hilary dumped a furious 2.2 inches of rain on Aug. 20, roughly the amount of rainfall the park usually receives in a year.

“Two inches of rain does not sound like a lot, but here, it really does stay on the surface,” Matthew Lamar, a park ranger, told The Associated Press at the time.

The lake that began to take shape after Hilary was 7 miles long, 4 miles wide and 2 feet deep, park officials said.

“Most of us thought the lake would be gone by October,” said Death Valley National Park ranger Abby Wines in a news release. “We were shocked to see it still here after almost six months.”

And while some of the water evaporated and absorbed into the ground over the following months — shrinking to about half the size by January — when storms returned in February, the lake continued to expand as the rain runoff drained into the area.

The temporary lake, informally known as Lake Manly, is about 6 miles long, 3 miles wide and 1 foot deep. Now, tourists are flocking to Death Valley National Park for an “extremely rare” opportunity to kayak.

“The lake was deep enough to kayak for a few weeks after Hurricane Hilary, but unfortunately people couldn’t come enjoy it then,” said Wines. “Every road in the park was damaged by flash floods, and it took two months to open the first road into the park. Now most of the main roads are open, so it’s a great time to come visit!”

Park officials say they don’t know for how long the water will stick around, but believe it will create beautiful reflections through April.

Death Valley is a narrow, 282-foot basin that is below sea level but situated among high, steep mountain ranges, according to the park service’s website. The bone-dry air and meager plant coverage allows sunlight to heat up the desert surface. The rocks and the soil emit all that heat in turn, which then becomes trapped in the depths of the valley.

The park, which straddles eastern California and Nevada, holds the record for the hottest temperature recorded on the planet — 134 degrees Fahrenheit, reached in July 1913. During last summer’s heatwave, temperatures climbed past 130 F in July. Hiking trails in summer months advise against venturing out after 10 a.m., though nighttime temperatures still hover over 90 F.

More than 1.1 million people visit the desert park annually. At 5,346 square miles, it’s the largest national park in the Lower 48.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Officers were called at about 11 p.m. Thursday to the intersection of Western Avenue and Olympic Boulevard. A man who had been pepper-sprayed on the bus was unresponsive, but breathing, when officers arrived, according to the LAPD.

Paramedics performed CPR, but the man died at the scene.

Details about what led to the confrontation were not immediately available.

No arrests were reported early Friday. The person who pepper-sprayed the victim, a man in his 60s, was identified only as a man in his 30s.

“There was a physical altercation between two passengers on a Metro Bus (Line 207) in Koreatown, resulting in a fatality,” Metro said in a statement. “The cause of death is unknown at this time. Metro is working closely with the Los Angeles Police Department as they investigate this incident.”

The pursuit began sometime before 11 p.m. in Pomona after officers attempted to yield a driver for a vehicle violation. Details on that violation were not immediately clear.

The high-speed driver traveled at speeds of more than 170 mph, zipping along freeways until eventually reaching downtown LA. The driver turned off the car’s headlights while speeding between traffic, including a big rig, on a freeway.

The driver then weaved through streets until entering an underground parking structure. It is there where authorities believe the driver got away.

Deputies responded to the 7300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard around 1:20 a.m. Feb. 15 after a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. The assault stemmed from an argument between the ambassador and two people who are seen carrying flashlights and walking a dog in security camera video, sheriff’s officials said.

As the two people pass the ambassador, they appear to exchange words before a fight that spilled from the sidewalk into the street. The attackers used their flashlights and pepper spray in the assault, authorities said.

The man was identified by authorities as a Security Ambassador who is part of a public safety program in West Hollywood. The blue-shirted Security Ambassadors provide the city with supplemental law enforcement services.

He was on his lunch break at the time and wearing his Security Ambassador uniform, authorities said. After a few seconds of scuffling, he appeared to fend off the two individuals.

“We believe that the suspects recognized him as a Security Ambassador with the city,” sheriff’s Capt. Bill Moulder said.

One of the attackers was arrested that evening. The second person is still wanted by authorities.

“West Hollywood Station deputies located one suspect and arrested them for the assault,” according to a sheriff’s department statement. “The second suspect remains outstanding and has yet to be identified.”

The name of the suspect in custody was not released. The individual sought by authorities was described as a man, approximately 30 to 40 years old, 5-foot-10, and 190 lbs.

“This kind of assault, it was a pretty vicious assault, and so there is an urgency to find this individual,” Moulder said.

Details about the ambassador’s injuries were not available.

Anyone with information regarding the assault was urged to contact Detective J. Morales at 310-358-4058 or jjmorale@lasd.org. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit
p3tips.com.

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In a statement released Thursday, the EPA called on the landfill company to take “immediate steps to protect human health and the environment at its non-hazardous municipal solid waste landfill in Castaic.”

The agency accused the landfill of producing hazardous waste leachate and harmful odors to nearby communities and ordered it to mitigate its impact.

“This order reflects EPA’s commitment to ensuring landfill operators mitigate noxious odors and comply with federal law to prevent public exposure to hazardous wastes,” Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator, said in a press release.

According to the federal agency, more than 6,000 complaints were submitted by nearby residents of Chiquita Canyon to the South Coast Air Quality Monitoring District. The majority of the complaints were regarding the landfill’s odors and leachate affecting their communities, which resulted in the issuance of more than 100 violation notices from state and local agencies.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose constituents include residents in communities impacted by the landfill, issued a statement saying affected residents have “every right to voice their concerns and exercise their legal options.”

“Undeniably, residents who live near the Chiquita Canyon Landfill have been suffering,” Barger said in her statement. “I have led the charge to demand accountability from the landfill operator and County and State agencies who have regulatory oversight over the landfill.”

“Upon hearing the community’s initial calls for the landfill’s closure, I immediately directed the County to investigate every single aspect of the landfill’s compliance with County Codes and their Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to operate.”

“The County cannot unilaterally close the landfill without justification. Because the odors do not originate from active portions of the landfill and since the landfill’s operator is actively working to abate odors, closing the Chiquita Canyon Landfill would have no effect on decreasing or eliminating odors.”

According to Barger, the closure of Chiquita Canyon is “currently warranted under the conditions of the county’s CUP” based on information that included the analysis of air quality monitoring data.

The Orange County District Attorney’s office said Elias Renteria Segoviano, 63, targeted Spanish-speaking women to perform cosmetic procedures like Botox injections and fillers despite not having a medical license.

Nearly 30 women have now come forward as potential victims.

Segoviano was re-arrested earlier this month after he released from state prison on Dec. 22, 2023. He was serving time for previous felony charges to which he pled guilty in April 2023.

He was charged with one felony count of false indication of a medical license, and one felony county of perjury. He also pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of misrepresenting himself as a licensed medical practitioner.

The District Attorney’s Office said Segoviano tried to sublet a space at the Phenix Salon in Brea.

He approached Diego Ortega, a hairstylist at the salon about wanting to share a suite with him to perform Botox, fillers and face lifting procedures, like thread-lifts.

“I thought it was a little bit weird that someone who did botox or medical procedures was looking at a place like this to work at.” said Ortega.

Ortega’s instinct was right. Investigators re-arrested Segoviano who had previously performed the unlicensed procedures at other locations in Anaheim and La Habra.

“They were literally putting their lives in this person’s hands who had no medical training whatsoever,” said Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office. “Many of these women suffered serious disfigurement as a result because he had no idea what he was doing.”

Segoviano is being held on $20,000 bail. If convicted, he faces three years behind bars.

The Metro Board of Directors on Thursday unanimously approved the report of the controversial project. Supporters and opponents of the gondola voiced their opinions during an hours-long public comment session

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As part of the project, the proposed gondola would come with conditions that include and anti-displacement fund, a guarantee to build affordable housing, the promotion of Chinatown businesses and the expansion of the Dodger Stadium Express.

Opponents fear the gondola will worsen traffic and congestion. Supporters say it would create jobs and be environmentally friendly.

The Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Project, commonly known as the gondola project, was proposed in 2018 by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. The $300 million project would create a 1.2-mile, 7-minute aerial gondola that would travel from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. It would have the potential to carry up to 5,000 fans per hour in each direction.

The next steps for the project involve further consideration from several entities, including the city of Los Angeles, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, the state’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and Caltrans.

The competition XPRIZE Wildfire incentivizes the private sector to help develop new ways to detect wildfires before they get too big and cause damage to ecosystems.

“Fires aren’t getting any smaller,” said Chief Brian Fennessy with the Orange County Fire Authority. “They’re not spreading any slower, and we have to look at the private sector to help fight them.”

According to XPRIZE, extreme wildfire events burn at a “higher intensity” and account for 80% of total associated fire-damages, adding to the growing global greenhouse gas emissions.

“Firefighters can only do so much with the resources that they have,” said San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey. “We can spend millions of dollars more on fire engines, helicopters, fire trucks, and we’re only going to make a limited difference.”

More than 200 teams signed up for the XPRIZE Wildfire competition, and $11 million in prizes will be paid out over four years.

There are two competition tracks in which firefighting teams will compete, one focused on the detection and characterization of the fire. The other track will look to find response solutions and suppression materials.

More information on the competition is available on the XPRIZE Wildfire website, including the full list of California teams participating.

Consumer Watchdog and the Los Angeles Times filed the request this week after unsuccessfully asking the U.S. Attorney’s Office to make the records public now that the criminal case has been closed.

“Folks deserve to know the details of what actually occurred, but also, more importantly, the relative culpability of the folks that didn’t go to jail,” Jerry Flanagan, litigation director for Consumer Watchdog, told the NBC4 I-Team Thursday.

“These are high level city public officials who were involved in the crime, and we know broadly what they did, but we don’t see the details of how it was carried out,” he said.

In particular Flanagan says the public should learn the full extent of the involvement of former LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, who’s running for Congress in the March 5 primary election.

Consumer Watchdog, which is non-partisan and non-profit, said the timing of its request to unseal the records was unrelated to the election, rather the result of its immediate efforts to get access to the documents once the federal criminal case was closed late last year.

Its court request referenced the I-Team’s reporting in 2022 that showed Feuer was scheduled to attend one particular meeting that took place in Feuer’s City Hall East office, in which prosecutors said an $800,000 extortion payment was approved.

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Feuer has denied any wrongdoing and said he doesn’t remember attending the specific meeting. He also shared in August 2022 a letter he received from federal prosecutors that said he was not — at the time — the subject or target of a criminal investigation.

“The details here will help the public understand what are public officials, who are being paid with taxpayer dollars, were actually doing in their jobs and whether or not they were breaking the law, or just merely being highly, highly unethical,” Flanagan said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the request and said it would respond in court.

Four people, including the former general manager of the DWP and a former top deputy to Feuer, pleaded guilty to a variety of federal corruption charges as a result of the FBI investigation.

At the sentencing for another of those four, attorney Paul Paradis, who was hired by the city to manage some of the litigation and admitted to a bribery scheme, U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr. said he wondered why more city employees had not been prosecuted.

In response to the Consumer Watchdog filing Feuer’s campaign advisor characterized the effort as a tactic akin to efforts to impeach [President] Joe Biden.

“18 months ago, the US Atty issued a letter stating Mr. Feuer was not under an ongoing investigation in this matter. Full stop,” John Shallman said in an email.

“Now comes this last-minute, Trump-style, smear–based principally on false accusations by a disbarred, convicted felon, who desperately tried and failed to avoid accountability for his own wrongdoing,” Shallman said, referring to statements made by Paradis.

The FBI served search warrants at DWP headquarters and the LA City Attorney’s Office in 2019 after it was revealed in court that the city arranged to pay an extortionist, who had threatened to reveal that members of the City Attorney’s Office had secretly schemed to manipulate ratepayer lawsuits filed against the DWP for the overbilling.

The excessive billing trouble developed in 2013 and 2014 after the DWP transitioned to a new computer system. Tens of thousands of DWP customers were over charged because of problems with the software.

One of the 12 annual full moons, the Snow Moon is seen each February. Here’s what to know about the Snow Moon and how to see it.

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Why is it called the Snow Moon?

February’s full moon was called Snow Moon by many Native American cultures due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs during these days.

According to the National Weather Service, February is the United States’ snowiest month.  

There have also been other names used for February’s full moon such as Hungry Moon, which the Cherokee used to call it, describing the time of food scarcity during the late winter period. It has also been called the Storm Moon, Wolf Moon and Candles Moon, according to NASA.

What is special about this Snow Moon?

This year, the moon will be a “micromoon,” meaning that it will be at its farthest point from the Earth. February’s full Moon is about 252,225 miles from us, making it look a bit smaller than other full moons.

When can you see the full Snow Moon in 2024?

Save some time to look at the sky to see February’s full Snow Moon this Saturday, Feb. 24.

What time will the Snow Moon be visible?

It’ll reach its peak illumination during the daytime in North America, so for the best view of this moon, look for it starting just after moonrise on Saturday night.

In Los Angeles, that will be at 6:07 p.m.

It’s expected to drift above the horizon in the east around sunset and reach its highest point in the sky around midnight.

Which full moon comes next?

March’s full Worm Moon will appear on the nights of Sunday, March 24, and Monday, March 25.

That will be the first full moon of the spring season.

But Mother Nature had different plans. It was pouring in LA then, forcing the park to temporarily close some of the most popular attractions.  And when the kids started throwing a tantrum amid the cold and wet weather, Carolyn Kramer, the matriarch, decided to do something.

“We couldn’t even get out of the rain,” Carolyn recalled. “I just went up to customer service, and I said, ‘We’ve been planning this trip for a really long time, and we are so disappointed in Universal closing the shows.’”

To make up for lost time, a representative from the park gave the Kramer family a certificate for two adults and two children.

“They said it would last the rest of our lives.”

And it did – at least more than three decades.

Fast-forward to 2024, the then-7-year-old boy, Daniel, has grown up to be married with two children of his own. As his daughter, Isabella, turned 2 years old, the Kramer family started planning another trip to Universal. Then Carolyn thought of the vintage voucher.

“I just happened to keep it in my papers all those years because I was determined, if I ever went again, I was going to see if I could use it.”

After spending about an hour with Universal representatives on the phone, the park officials told the Kramer family that they would honor the nearly 34-year-old certificate.

“I was like, ‘There’s no way they’re going to accept it,” said Daniel. “It was like this small, handwritten piece of paper!”

Luckily, the Kramer family’s trip to the park in 2024 was more pleasant with plenty of sunshine and not a single drop of rain.

Mama Kramer said she thought it was “impressive” that Universal Studios allowed them to use the decades-old voucher so she can spend more time with her young grandchildren.

“I don’t mind holding a kid or waiting,” Carolyn said. “When I get to go to the park, being with the kids and watching them enjoy, it’s the best.”

The honor comes on the celebrated actor’s 95th birthday in recognition of his seven-decade acting career with more than 600 credits. Oscar-winning filmmakers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and actress Lucy Liu joined Hong at the 11 a.m. ceremony.

“When I first came here in 1953… the first thing I did was come here and try all the footprints,” Hong recalled. “I put mine on top of John Wayne’s — too big for me. Jimmy Stewart — too large. But now, today, I have my own size.”

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Kwan and Scheinert won best director and best original screenplay Oscars at last March’s Academy Awards for the best picture-winning time- and space-twisting sci-fi tale, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which they produced with Jonathan Wang and Hong portrayed the demanding father of dissatisfied and overwhelmed laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh).

Liu and Hong both supplied voices for all the “Kung Fu Panda” films, including “Kung Fu Panda 4,” set to premiere March 8.

Born in Minneapolis to Chinese immigrant parents, Hong studied civil engineering at the University of Minnesota and joined the Minnesota Army National Guard. His national guard unit was mobilized during the Korean War and Hong was sent to Camp Rucker, Alabama for training.

After finishing his training for the day, he would entertain soldiers. Upon witnessing Hong’s performing prowess, the camp general asked Hong to stay at Camp Rucker and be in charge of the camp’s live shows rather than being deployed to Korea.

After the Korean War, Hong moved to Los Angeles in 1953 with a friend and finished his engineering degree at the University of Southern California. After graduation he worked as a road engineer for Los Angeles County for 5 1/2 years, while acting in the evenings, the weekends and during his vacation time.

Hong has said his breakthrough came in a 1954 appearance on Groucho Marx’s game show “You Bet Your Life,” when he did impersonations of Marx, James Cagney and others, which resulted in a huge flood of fan mail and landed Hong an agent.

Hong is the only living actor to have worked with Clark Gable and Marx, appearing with Gable in the 1955 adventure film, “Soldier of Fortune.”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” was the fifth film Hong appeared in that was nominated for a best picture Oscar. The others were “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” “The Sand Pebbles,” “Chinatown” and “Bound for Glory,” with “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the only one to win.

Hong’s other film credits include “Airplane!” “Big Trouble in Little China,” “Black Widow,” “Blade Runner,” “Flower Drum Song,” “Mulan” and “Wayne’s World 2.”

Hong’s television credits include “Seinfeld,” “All in the Family” and “Perry Mason.”

Hong was among the Asian American artists who founded the East West Players in 1965, seeking to create roles beyond the stereotypical parts they were offered in mainstream Hollywood. It has become the nation’s premier Asian American theater.

All teams will get a stab at dethroning the Texas Rangers, and it all begins with performing well on Opening Day — which all 30 clubs will attempt to do for a second year in a row.

Here is everything you need to know about 2024 MLB Opening Day and its 15 matchups:

When is the 2024 MLB Opening Day?

The season is scheduled to begin on March 20 with a two-game series between the Dodgers and Padres in Seoul, South Korea. The games will mark MLB’s first-ever regular season games in the country.

Opening Day for the remaining 28 baseball clubs is March 28.

Which MLB teams play on Opening Day?

All 30 MLB teams will be at bat on Opening Day for the second straight year. Before that, the feat hadn’t happened since 1968.

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What are the 2024 MLB Opening Day games?

The Opening Day games on March 28 are as follows:

• Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Mets – 1:10 p.m. ET
• Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies – 3:05 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Angels vs. Baltimore Orioles – 3:05 p.m. ET
• San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres – 4:10 p.m. ET
• St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – 4:10 p.m. ET
• Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins – 4:10 p.m. ET
• Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays – 4:10 p.m. ET
• Washington Nationals vs. Cincinnati Reds – 4:10 p.m. ET
• Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals – 4:10 p.m. ET
• Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox – 4:10 p.m. ET
• New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros – 4:10 p.m. ET
• Chicago Cubs vs. Texas Rangers – 7:35 p.m. ET
• Cleveland Guardians vs. Oakland Athletics – 10:07 p.m. ET
• Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners – 10:10 p.m. ET
• Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks – 10:10 p.m. ET

When is the last day of the MLB regular season?

The regular season wraps up on Sept. 29.

When is the 2024 MLB Postseason?

The postseason is scheduled to begin on Oct. 1.

The potential last day of the season (World Series Game 7) is set for Nov. 2.

The lander, built by Intuitive Machines, touched down on the lunar surface at around 6:23 p.m. ET, overcoming a late-stage glitch with its onboard laser instruments. The Nova-C lander, nicknamed Odysseus, is now the first American spacecraft on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, according to NBC News.

“Houston, Odysseus has found its new home,” the company’s Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain radioed back from mission control, as employees cheered and celebrated.

It took several minutes to confirm the landing. As the spacecraft made its final descent, mission controllers lost contact with the spacecraft, as was expected to occur.

The company said it could detect a faint signal from one of Odysseus’ antennas, but more data was needed to determine how the spacecraft landed and in what condition. About two hours later, the team received good news.

“After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data,” Intuitive Machines said in an update on X. “Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface.”

Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus called the landing an “outstanding effort” and praised the entire team. “I know this was a nail biter but we are on the surface and we are transmitting, and welcome to the moon,” Altemus said.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also congratulated Intuitive Machines on the landing, calling the milestone a “triumph.”

“Odysseus has taken the moon,” Nelson said in a video message that aired during live coverage of the event. “This feat is a giant leap forward for all of humanity.”

Odysseus launched into space on Feb. 15 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The 14-foot-tall lander then spent six days cruising more than 620,000 miles to reach the moon.

The landing time was adjusted several times Thursday as Intuitive Machines adjusted the spacecraft’s orbit around the moon.

As it descended to the lunar surface, Odysseus targeted a landing site near a crater called Malapert A, close to the moon’s south pole. The moon’s south polar region has long been tantalizing for scientists because water ice is thought to be relatively abundant in the region’s permanently shadowed craters.

Odysseus is carrying a mix of commercial cargo and NASA science instruments on its journey. The lander is expected to spend about a week collecting data on the moon before lunar night sets in and the probe loses power.

Roughly an hour before landing, the company also scrambled to resolve a problem with laser instruments designed to help the spacecraft assess the lunar terrain and find a safe and hazard-free spot to touch down. The laser rangefinders aboard Odysseus were not operable but sensors on one of the NASA science instruments aboard the lander were repurposed instead.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which the space agency set up to support development of moon landers by private-sector companies. NASA eventually plans to hire these companies to transport cargo and scientific instruments to the lunar surface as part of the agency’s broader ambitions to return astronauts to the moon.

NASA awarded Intuitive Machines $118 million to carry out the moon landing.

Last month, a separate company tried but failed to send a lander to the moon under the same NASA program. That spacecraft, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology, suffered a crippling malfunction shortly after launch that forced the company to scrap the entire mission.

In addition to being the first commercial spacecraft on the moon, Odysseus also joins an elite club: Only the space agencies of the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, India and Japan have successfully carried out a controlled or “soft” landing on the moon.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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The Falcon 9 rocket carried 22 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit after a launch just after 8 p.m. from the base northwest of Santa Barbara. Backup launch opportunities are available until 11:44 p.m. and again Friday at 7:50 p.m.

After separation, the first stage booster landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific.

The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear. Launches just after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun’s rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky.

SpaceX has a Starlink constellation of satellites orbiting Earth about 340 miles up, shuttled into space by the company’s rockets. The Starlink network is designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere around the globe.

If light conditions are right, the satellites appear in a train as they parade across the night sky. The satellites are sometimes visible in the first few minutes after sundown and before sunrise when the sun is below the horizon, but the satellites are high enough to reflect direct sunlight.

Use the FindStarlink tracker to find the best upcoming viewing times.

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