Category: Southern California

Pair Sentenced for Burglarizing LA Mayor Karen Bass’s Home

LOS ANGELES—Two men who broke into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and stole two revolvers were each handed state prison terms on June 27. Patricio Munoz, 43, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Juan Espinoza, 25, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars. The pair were each originally charged last…


Amtrak Train With 190 Passengers Derails After Colliding With Vehicle in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif.—An Amtrak train carrying 190 passengers derailed Wednesday after striking a truck on tracks in Southern California, and only minor injuries were reported, authorities said. Three of the train’s seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. The number of people hurt wasn’t…


Amtrak Train With 198 Passengers Derails After Hitting Truck on Tracks in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif.—An Amtrak train carrying nearly 200 passengers struck a county water truck and derailed on Wednesday in Southern California, critically injuring the truck’s driver, authorities said. Three of the train’s seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. Fourteen people on the train…


Regulatory Haze Fogs California Cannabis Policies

Commentary After voters passed Proposition 64 in 2016, California cities were supposed to play the key role legalizing and regularizing the use and sale of marijuana. The reality has been hazy. Although this has been controversial, it remains state law. Some cities are meeting the needs of their people; some are not. But the federal…


City in Indiana Pays Remote Workers $5,000-Plus to Move There, Attracting Californians and Others

Californians have yet another reason to move out of state, as cities like Noblesville, Indiana partner with the company MakeMyMove to attract new residents. MakeMyMove, which specializes in helping remote workers relocate, partnered with the city of Noblesville to bring talent to Indiana and attract remote workers to become residents of the city. The partnership…


British Actor Julian Sands Confirmed Dead, Months After Vanishing in California Mountains

LOS ANGELES—British-born actor Julian Sands, best known for his role in the Oscar-celebrated film “A Room with a View,” was confirmed dead on Tuesday, five months after he went missing while out for a hike in snow-covered mountains of Southern California. He was 65. Mostly skeletal human remains discovered by hikers on June 25, in…


California Budget Deal Numbers Don’t Add Up

Commentary The budget deal hammered out June 27 by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom achieved its major purpose: Getting him through the current budget cycle until next year’s Democratic presidential primaries. Of course, that may not matter. President Biden might take one of those rejuvenating potions they advertise for seniors on late-night TV, while…


California Retail Theft ‘Very Serious and Escalating to Violence’: Small Business Advocate

Tragedy struck a Home Depot store in the San Francisco Bay Area in April as a 26-year-old employee was fatally shot while confronting an alleged shoplifter who was armed with a handgun, authorities said. Just a few months before, an Antioch gas station cashier was shot to death during an armed robbery, according to local…


Federal Judge Denies Santa Ana’s Bid to Dismiss Lawsuit by Christian Group Helping Homeless Through ‘Religious Exercise’

A federal judge earlier this month rejected the city of Santa Ana’s request to dismiss a lawsuit against them by a Christian nonprofit organization, which claims the city is blocking religious exercise by preventing them from providing food to the homeless. At issue is the city’s denial of an occupancy certificate to the nonprofit—called Micah’s…


Heat Wave Expected in Southern California This Weekend

Southern Californians should expect a hot and sunny weekend as the season’s first mini heat wave arrives. Cool and breezy days will be replaced by warmer temperatures Saturday and Sunday as thermometers climb 5 to 10 degrees in downtown Los Angeles and into the 90s in the valleys, according to the National Weather Service. “It’s…