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☆ Elon Musk once described his past immigration status as a ‘gray area’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +32 min

So we just rented the office, and slept in the office, and showered at the YMCA,” Elon Musk recalled, drawing laughs from the crowd. “When they did fund us,” Kimbal Musk recalled, “they realized that we were illegal immigrants.”“Well…” Elon Musk interjected. Video of the remarks shows Elon Musk laughing as he jumped in with a different interpretation: “I’d say it was a gray area.”He didn’t elaborate, and it’s unclear what Elon Musk meant by that characterization. Elon Musk, wearing a black Stetson hat, livestreams while visiting the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on September 28, 2023. Then-President Donald Trump greets Elon Musk before a policy and strategy forum with executives at the White House in February 2017.

Persons: ” Elon Musk, “, Musk, ”, Donald Trump, Biden, It’s, —, Kimbal, ’ Elon Musk, he’s, X, He’s, Walter Isaacson’s, they’ve, Elon Musk, Jeff Skoll, Fred Prouser, ” Kimbal Musk, Elon, haven’t, Ashlee Vance’s, Greg Kouri, can’t, Maye, Charles Kuck, Kuck, Jennifer Minear, That’s, ” Kuck, Alain Jocard, Kimbal Musk, Tesla, Zip2, he’d, Kevin McCarthy, Alex Brandon, it’s, Hunter Swanson, Grace, Swanson, “ They’re, ” Swanson, ” Minear, Minear, Philip Pacheco, Ron Ozio, hadn’t, Vance, CNN there’s, Affairs Julie Greicius, Rajshree Agarwal, Ed Snider, ” Agarwal, Peter Thiel, Paul Sakuma, Agarwal, …, that’s, Elon Musk’s, who’s, hasn’t, Bayar, Zachary Mueller, ” Mueller, I’m, Don Lemon, Mueller, there’s, Stetson, Critics, John Moore, David Bier, ” Bier, Bier, Trump, he's, he'd, Brendan Smialowski, Joe Wilson, ” Wilson, Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown, Elon Musk's, We’re, Daniel Becerril, Reuters Elon Musk hasn’t Organizations: CNN, Twitter, University of Pennsylvania, Tesla Motors, SpaceX, Forbes, Stanford, Kimbal, Milken Institute Global Conference, Reuters, YMCA, Milken, YouTube, Los Angeles Times, US, Immigration Services, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Getty, Tesla, Kennedy Space Center, Center for International Education, Washington, Lee University, Elon, Center for, Learning, Penn, Minear, Materials, Engineering, ” Stanford, Communications, Affairs, American Immigration, Association, Ed Snider Center for Enterprise, University of Maryland, PayPal, eBay, Compaq, University of Washington, America’s, Democratic, Trump, CATO Institute, White, Medina County Sheriff, Fox, Fox News, Polaris Locations: Mexico, United States, Eagle Pass , Texas, Pretoria, South Africa, Canada, Canadian, Palo Alto , California, Beverly Hills , California, Angeles County, U.S, Atlanta, AFP, America, Zip2, California, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, South Carolina, Medina County, Eagle, , Texas, Rio Grande

☆ 32-year-old gave up on buying a home in LA after mortgage costs surged: 'Even a modest condo costs close to $1 million'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

When Jonathan Ochart moved from San Antonio to Los Angeles in 2023 to grow his public relations business, he figured he'd buy a condo. But that's only one of the reasons he's priced out of the Los Angeles County market, even for a smaller place. In LA, "even a modest condo costs close to $1 million," he says. Jonathan Ochart gave up on buying a condo in Los Angeles. Courtesy of Jonathan OchartBy early 2024, Ochart had given up on the idea of buying a condo in Los Angeles altogether.

Persons: Jonathan Ochart, Ochart, you've Organizations: CNBC, U.S . Census Locations: San Antonio, Los Angeles, Texas, Angeles County, Ochart's, Beverly Hills, LA, San Jose , New York, Boston, LA County, U.S

☆ Meta’s misinformation problem has local election officials struggling to get out the truth
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | Jonathan Vanian Is A Technology Reporter For Cnbc.Com | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

CNBC flagged posts with the false information to Meta. A company spokesperson said, “Meta has sent them to third-party fact-checkers for further review.”Across the U.S., with 40 days until the Nov. 5 election, state and local officials say they are puzzled by what to expect from Facebook. In 2016, Facebook was hammered by Russian operatives, pushing out false posts about Hillary Clinton to bolster Trump. Given Maricopa County’s high profile during the election season, the state often attracts attention from Facebook users across the country. During a Senate hearing last week on election threats, Meta’s head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, fielded questions about the company’s election preparedness.

Persons: Derek Bowens, Bowens, ” Bowens, “ Meta, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Meta, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, Taylor Kinnerup, Kinnerup, ”, “, ” Kinnerup, she’d, Meta’s, Nick Clegg, Sen, Susan Collins, Collins, ” Clegg, Scott McDonell, it’s, McDonell, ” McDonell, Jeramy Gray, Meta “, Gray, ” Gray, we’ve Organizations: Facebook, USA, North Carolina State Board, CNBC, Meta, Republican, Russian, Trump, Pew Research Center, Elon, Associated Press, Reuters, Democratic, Maricopa, ” Intelligence, Homeland Security, FBI Locations: Durham County , North Carolina, N.C, ”, North Carolina , Mississippi, New Jersey, Springfield , Ohio, U.S, Canada, Maricopa County, North Carolina , Arizona, Arizona, Maine, China, Dane County, Wisconsin, Los Angeles County, North Carolina’s Durham County

☆ Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, the artist messing with Mickey Mouse
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Christian House | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Magdalena Suarez Frimkess: The Finest Disregard” finds the artist enjoying her first major solo show at the tender age of 95. Whimsical and nostalgic or unsettling and sinister, Magdalena Suarez Frimkess is an anarchic cartoonist in clay, says this writer. Museum Associates/LACMAConsidering her medium and subject matter, Suarez Frimkess sits art-historically somewhere between Grayson Perry and Andy Warhol. With these and other works, Suarez Frimkess began exploring the absurdities of the commonplace. Bowl with Mickey Mouse, Condorito and Pansy Pattern by Magdalena Suarez Frimkess (2010).

Persons: Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Olive Oyl, Looney, “ Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, Suarez Frimkess —, Michael Frimkess —, Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, Felix the, Miles Davis, Fidel Castro, Martin Luther King, Mickey, Suarez Frimkess, Grayson Perry, Andy Warhol, Magdalena, Rafael Ramon González, ”, Minnie Mouse, Michael Frimkess, “, Suarez, Michael, Jenni Sorkin, wackiness Organizations: Los Angeles CNN —, Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de, Pontifical Catholic University, Clay Art Center Locations: Venezuelan, Venice Beach, Los Angeles, American, Chilean, Maturín, Venezuala, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Caracas, Portuguese, Santiago, Chile, Port Chester , New York, California, LACMA, Venice

☆ Newsmax faces ‘bet-your-company’ defamation trial over 2020 election lies
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington CNN —Jury selection is set to begin Thursday in a closely watched defamation trial pitting voting technology company Smartmatic against the right-wing cable network Newsmax, in a high-stakes case over the airing of false 2020 election claims. The Newsmax case revolves around the same false claims, championed by former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, that the 2020 election was rigged by Smartmatic software and others. The Florida-based company sued Newsmax and other right-wing outlets and figures in 2021, alleging that its reputation was destroyed by the lies. The Newsmax case will test the legal limits of publishing lies about the 2020 election, and the trial will play out during the final stretch of the 2024 campaign. ‘Dozens’ of defamatory reportsAfter mainstream news outlets – and even Fox News – projected that Democratic nominee Joe Biden would win the 2020 election, Trump and his surrogates falsely claimed that he won.

Persons: Donald Trump, Newsmax, “, ”, ” Howard Cooper, Eric Davis, Davis, it’s, Katie Townsend, Smartmatic, Joe Biden, Trump, Chris Ruddy, Biden, wasn’t, Sidney Powell, ” Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Silbiger, Greg Kelly, Powell, Chris Salcedo, Smartmatic “, John Bachman, Smartmatic’s, Bachman, Liz Harrington, Ruddy, Kelly, Salcedo, Eric Robinson, ” Newsmax, Bill Daddi, ” Smartmatic’s, Erik Connolly, “ …, Bob Sellers, Emerald Robinson Organizations: Washington CNN, Delaware Superior Court, Fox News, Voting Systems, Republican, Trump, Freedom, Press, Fox, Democratic, The Washington Post, Republican National Committee, ”, Newsmax, University of South, Electoral College ” Locations: Delaware Superior, The Florida, Wilmington , Delaware, New York, Los Angeles County, University of South Carolina, Philippines, Venezuela

☆ Meta's misinformation problem has local election officials struggling to get out the truth
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Meanwhile, multiple Facebook users in states like North Carolina, Mississippi and New Jersey continue to share the ballot misinformation without any notification that it's false. Across the U.S., with 40 days until the Nov. 5 election, state and local officials say they are puzzled by what to expect from Facebook. In 2020, the site hosted rampant misinformation about politically charged issues like Covid treatments, masking and voter fraud. Given Maricopa County's high profile during the election season, the state often attracts attention from Facebook users across the country. During a Senate hearing last week on election threats, Meta's head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, fielded questions about the company's election preparedness.

Persons: Rebecca Noble, Derek Bowens, Bowens, Meta, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, Taylor Kinnerup, Kinnerup, she'd, Meta's, Saul Loeb, Nick Clegg, Sen, Susan Collins, Collins, Clegg, Scott McDonell, it's, McDonell, Jeramy Gray, Gray, we've, Harris Organizations: Department, Facebook, USA, North Carolina State Board, CNBC, Meta, Republican, Russian, Trump, Pew Research Center, Elon, Associated Press, Reuters, Democratic, Maricopa, National Constitution Center, AFP, Getty, Intelligence, Homeland Security, FBI Locations: Maricopa County, Mesa, Arizona, Mesa , Arizona, U.S, Durham County , North Carolina, N.C, North Carolina , Mississippi, New Jersey, Springfield , Ohio, Canada, North Carolina , Arizona, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Maine, China, Dane County, Wisconsin, Los Angeles County, North Carolina's Durham County

☆ Fall is here, but experts say communities need a heat plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Lolita Lopez | Nbc Los Angeles | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Heat is the leading cause of climate-related deaths in the country, but knowing how deadly it is? A study from Texas A&M, however, projects the actual number could be four times greater, with approximately 11,000 Americans dying from extreme heat last year. A new pilot program in California is in the works to create a revamped heat warning system. Turner says we can get a better understanding of how extreme heat is affecting us as it’s happening, which could create more immediate heat protocols to protect people at home, at schools and at work. Los Angeles, which has its own Heat Officer, and Los Angeles County are expected to soon release Heat Action Plans.

Persons: ” V, Kelly Turner, Turner, ” Turner, Jennifer Vanos, ” Organizations: Disease, Urban Planning, UCLA, Luskin Center for Innovation, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Extreme, Resilience, NOAA Locations: California, Texas, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, United States

☆ 6 people injured in ‘bomb explosion’ at Santa Maria courthouse in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Cheri Mossburg | Cindy Vonquednow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Several people are hurt and a courthouse in Santa Maria, California, is closed following “a bomb explosion” Wednesday morning, officials say. “We are providing them with the highest level of care and support,” Doucette told CNN earlier in the day. Roads surrounding the courthouse are closed and the public is being urged to avoid the area, Zick said. In addition to the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in Santa Maria, Santa Maria City Hall, the public library and other city offices in the area closed for the rest of the day, as police investigate “a bomb explosion,” city spokesperson Mark van de Kamp said. Located in California’s Central Coast, Santa Maria is about 160 miles north of Los Angeles.

Persons: ”, Raquel Zick, Sandy Doucette, “, ” Doucette, Zick, Mark van de Kamp Organizations: CNN, Marian Regional Medical, Santa Maria City Hall, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Locations: Santa Maria , California, Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, California’s Central Coast, Los Angeles, L.A . County

☆ Five people injured in ‘bomb explosion’ at Santa Maria courthouse in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Cheri Mossburg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Several people are hurt and a courthouse in Santa Maria, California, is closed following “a bomb explosion” Wednesday morning, officials say. A suspect has been detained and is being interviewed, and the scene continues to be active after the explosion “from an intentionally set improvised explosive device,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff spokesperson Raquel Zick in a social media post. Roads surrounding the courthouse are closed and the public is being urged to avoid the area, Zick said. In addition to the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in Santa Maria, Santa Maria City Hall, the public library and other city offices in the area closed for the rest of the day, as police investigate “a bomb explosion,” city spokesperson Mark van de Kamp said. Located in California’s Central Coast, Santa Maria is about 160 miles north of Los Angeles.

Persons: ”, Raquel Zick, Sandy Doucette, Zick, Mark van de Kamp Organizations: CNN, Marian Regional Medical, Santa Maria City Hall, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Locations: Santa Maria , California, Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, California’s Central Coast, Los Angeles, L.A . County

☆ Diddy's 4 children with Kim Porter condemn 'horrific conspiracy theories' about their mother's death amid his arrest
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A few days after Porter was found dead at home, Combs shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, which has since been deleted. Quincy, Christian, Jessie, and D'Lila defended their parents' relationship in an open letterKim Porter, Quincy Brown, Sean Combs, Christian Combs, and Justin Combs in 2015. Chelsea Lauren/Getty ImagesCombs' four children with Porter shared a joint statement on Wednesday, published by Essence. Quincy, Christian, Jessie, and D'Lila also requested privacy as they grapple with their mother's death and father's arrest. Christian is facing his own allegation of sexual assaultSean "Diddy" Combs and his son, Christian Combs, at the 2023 VMAs.

Persons: —, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Kim Porter, Cassie Ventura, Porter, Quincy Taylor Brown, Christian Combs, Jessie James Combs, D'Lila Star Combs, Sean Combs, Jessie, Mat Szwajkos, Getty Combs, Chance Combs, wouldn't, Quincy, D'Lila, Quincy Brown, Justin Combs, Chelsea Lauren, Getty, Albert Joseph Brown III, Al B, Eugene Gologursky, Grace O'Marcaigh, O'Marcaigh, Christian, Aaron Dyer, Jacob Shamsian Organizations: Service, Business, Daily Mail, D'Lila, Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, Essence ., Christian, MTV, BI Locations: Manhattan, Christian, Essence . Quincy, Quincy, Los Angeles

A man convicted in the murder and robbery of Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock at a famous Los Angeles eatery was sentenced Monday to 31 years to life in prison. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Connie Quinones read his sentence Monday at the Compton Courthouse. Moore said an "extensive amount" of jewelry was taken from PnB Rock in the deadly robbery. NBC Los Angeles reported that Trone is a South Los Angeles gang member. On Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement that Trone's affirms that justice will prevail for PnB Rock's loved ones.

Persons: PnB, Freddie Lee Trone, Connie Quinones, Trone, Rakim Hasheem Allen —, Winston McKesson, Michel Moore, Moore, Tremont Jones, Shauntel Trone, Freddie Lee's, George Gascón, Trone's, PnB Rock's, Gascón Organizations: Prosecutors, Los Angeles Police, NBC News, NBC Locations: Philadelphia, Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Los, NBC Los Angeles, Los Angeles County

☆ Pilot killed in mid-air small plane collision in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A pilot died after two single-engine planes collided mid-air on Sunday in Southern California, officials said. The planes, a single-engine Nanchang CJ-6 and a single-engine Yakovlev Yak-52, collided near Lancaster, in northern Los Angeles County, around 1 p.m. PT on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said. One plane had landed near the intersection 47th Street East and Ave F and the other near 60th Street East and Ave G in Lancaster. The Yak-52 plane is a Soviet-era from 1930 that is owned by Fight’s On! The Nanchang CJ-6 is a Chinese military aircraft from the 1960s used for basic training.

Persons: Nanchang, Yakovlev Organizations: Nanchang CJ, Federal Aviation Administration, Los Angeles County Fire Department, East, FAA, National Transportation Locations: Southern California, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, Lancaster ., Soviet, Fight’s, San Marcos, Nanchang, Chinese

In the U.S. overall this year, a concerning, though not unprecedented, number of dengue, EEE and West Nile cases have been reported. “With climate change, we’re basically extending the mosquito season,” said Chantal Vogels, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. In the U.S., cases have outpaced those of West Nile virus, which is typically more prevalent. This year, Clark County, Nevada, has seen a particularly high number of West Nile cases: 23. “We consider New York state residents to be at risk for West Nile virus every summer,” she said.

Persons: Jennifer White, it’s, ”, ” Barbara Ferrer, Anthony Fauci, Chantal Vogels, Nirbhay Kumar, George Washington, “, Vogels, Nile, White, Thomas Jaenisch, ” White Organizations: Angeles County Department of Public Health, U.S, National Institute of Allergy, Yale School of Public Health, U.S ., Centers for Disease Control, George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, World Health Organization, WHO, Southern, Southern Nevada Health, New York State Department of Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Gulf Locations: New York, U.S, California, Los Angeles County, EEE, West, New Hampshire, Vermont, Arizona , California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S . Virgin Islands, Los Angeles, West Nile, Clark County , Nevada, Southern Nevada, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island , Vermont, Wisconsin, Gulf Coast

At least five game show contestants were "shamelessly exploited" and subjected to "unreasonable, unsafe" working conditions on Amazon Prime's "Beast Games,” a California civil action said this week. "Beast Games" has been billed as a reality competition program with $5 million in prize money, according to Amazon which acquired streaming rights to the show. "Defendant production companies and Amazon shamelessly exploited the labor of approximately (redacted) people who served as contestants," according to lawyers representing the plaintiffs. The 50-page complaint also redacted details of how plaintiffs allegedly suffered and broadly suggested that work conditions were unsuitable. There was also "insufficient medical staff to attend to potential and actual injuries during" production, lawyers for the contestants said.

Persons: Jimmy Donaldson, Donaldson Organizations: ”, Court, YouTube, Amazon Locations: California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Canada, Panama

☆ Home Depot to pay nearly $2 million to settle suit alleging it overcharged shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SAN DIEGO — The Home Depot agreed to a nearly $2 million settlement in a case that alleged it overcharged customers, charging more for items at checkout than the items' advertised prices. In an emailed statement responding to a request for comment about the settlement, Home Depot said, “To ensure consistency for our customers, we’ve updated the timing of our price changes." The settlement includes $1.7 million to be divided among the district attorneys' offices of Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Alameda, San Bernardino and Sonoma counties for consumer law enforcement. "This settlement is a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated and underscores our commitment to safeguarding the rights of consumers in our community," Gascón said. Home Depot, based in Atlanta, reported in a proxy statement in May that it earned nearly $22 billion in operating profit for the 2023 fiscal year.

Persons: “, Judge Richard S, George Gascón, Gascón Organizations: DIEGO, Superior Court, Depot, Whitney Locations: California, San Diego, Angeles County, Los Angeles, San Diego , Orange, Alameda, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Sacramento County, Atlanta

The median house price in the U.S. is now 5.8 times more than the median annual income of $80,000. That was, after all, the median price for a house in the area at the time. Jonathan OchartThe median price of a home in Los Angeles county is just under $960,000, according to Zillow listings data. It's just not a level playing field," says Ochart about the income now needed to afford a home. In Grand Rapids, median home prices were on the rise before the pandemic and then soared 54% from 2020 to $285,000 in June 2024, according to Zillow sales data.

Persons: Kelcie Lesko, Tim Khalil, Lesko, Khalil, they'll, Gen Xers, What's, — there's, they're, Daryl Fairweather, Kelly Diehr, homebuyers, you'd, Diehr, Jonathan Ochart, Ochart, It's, Timothy Ham, Timothy Ham couldn't, Ham, you've, That's, boomer, it's, Lawrence Yun, Millennials, Ramit Sethi, Rich, Brad Klontz, homebuying Organizations: CNBC, Homes, LA, National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: New Jersey, Monmouth County, North Brunswick, Lesko, homeownership, U.S, Denver, Brazil, Los Angeles and New York, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Antonio, Texas, LA, Boise , Idaho, Tacoma , Washington, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo

Crews battling three major California fires could get some relief from record heat and help from the weather as a cooldown preceded minor containment for the blazes. Hot, flame-fanning winds from the desert are dissipating, and the cooler temps may help firefighters give the blaze their best. Firefighters cut and extinguish a fire in a tree as the Bridge Fire burns in the Big Pines hills near Wrightwood, Calif., on Thursday. He also said mutual aid from Washington, Utah, and North Dakota, including firefighters, were sent to Southern California. The weather outlook should give firefighters the weekend and beyond to battle the three fires without unforgiving temperatures.

Persons: Crews, Craig Covey, ” Covey, Etienne Laurent, Anthony Marrone, Kristian Litz, Litz, Jeremy Pierce, Pierce, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, San Bernardino, Fabian Herrera, Gavin Newsom Organizations: California Department of Forestry, Rancho Santa Margarita, Orange County Sheriff's Department . Authorities, AFP, Getty, Angeles County Fire, The California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Firefighters, National Guard, National Weather Service Locations: California, Trabuco, Los Angeles, Rancho Santa, Orange, Riverside County, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Nowhere, Big Pines, Wrightwood, Calif, Angeles, Mount Baldy, Big, San Bernardino County, Highland, San, Washington , Utah, North Dakota, Southern California, San Diego, Los Angeles County

☆ Home Depot to pay $2 million settlement for overcharging customers and false advertising
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Home Depot will pay nearly $2 million to settle a civil enforcement claim from California district attorneys that the home improvement company was engaging in false advertising and unfair competition. Such violations are called “scanner violations,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said in a press release Thursday. “False advertising and unfair competition are serious offenses that undermine consumer trust and distort the marketplace,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. The Los Angeles DA’s office said the company was cooperative in the investigation. The civil penalties are a drop in the bucket for the nation’s fifth-largest retailer.

Persons: George Gascón, CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, San Diego Superior Court, Home Depot, Angeles County Locations: New York, California, San, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles

☆ Smartmatic’s case against Newsmax over 2020 election lies will proceed to trial this month, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Instead, Davis concluded that key questions about Newsmax’s actions in 2020 would be weighed by a jury, barring a pre-trial settlement. “Newsmax reported on allegations regarding the Election and Smartmatic, but there remains a dispute as to whether Newsmax recklessly disregarded the truth,” Davis wrote. “With these facts, a reasonable jury could find Newsmax was reporting on a matter of public concern without endorsing the allegations surrounding the Election,” Davis wrote. If the outlet doesn’t settle, its executives and on-air personalities could be forced to publicly testify about their contacts with Trump during the 2020 election and their controversial post-election coverage. The judge also went out of his way to make clear that nothing in his ruling is meant to suggest that there was anything questionable or illegitimate about the 2020 election results.

Persons: Newsmax, Eric Davis, Newsmax’s, Davis, “ Newsmax, ” Davis, “, Smartmatic, Donald Trump, ”, Erik Connolly Organizations: Washington CNN, Delaware, Newsmax, Trump, Dominion Voting Systems, CNN Locations: Los Angeles County, Los Angeles

☆ California wildfires: Bridge Fire explodes in size, man arrested in connection with Line Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The blaze expanded from Los Angeles County into San Bernardino County, and as of Tuesday evening was 0% contained. “Tragically, homes have been lost,” San Bernardino County’s government said on Facebook late Tuesday, as the county proclaimed an emergency due to the blaze. Video by the San Bernardino County Fire Department showed firefighters and deputies performing rescue evacuations in Wrightwood on Tuesday evening as flames consumed brush and trees. Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, from Norco, allegedly started the fire in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in the city of Highland on Sept. 5, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said. The Line fire burns through in San Bernardino National Forest, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2024.

Persons: San Bernardino County’s, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, Gavin Newsom, Gina Ferazzi, Paul Holaday, we’re, Brian Fennessey, David Swanson, Newsom's, Davis Organizations: Angeles National Forest, California Department of Forestry, Fire, Facebook, San, San Bernardino County Fire Department, Mount, National Weather Service, San Bernardino National Forest, San Bernardino County Sheriff's, Central Detention, Home, National Guard, Los Angeles Times, Getty Images, Orange County Fire Authority, Trabuco Flyers, RC, Getty, U.S . Forest Service of Humboldt, Sierra Locations: Southern California, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, San Bernardino, Wrightwood, San Antonio, East Fork, California, Los Angeles, Norco, Highland, Big, Running, Lake, Forrest Falls, San, Calif, Orange County, Orange, El Cariso, Lake Elsinore, AFP, Nevada, U.S, Davis, Reno

☆ Wildfires burn out of control in Southern California and more evacuations ordered
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In recent years wildfires have regularly burned in and around Wrightwood, a picturesque mountain town 60 miles east of Los Angeles known for its 1930s cabins. In neighboring Orange County, firefighters used bulldozers, helicopters and planes to control a rapidly spreading blaze called the Airport Fire that started Monday and spread to about 3 square miles in only a few hours. Concialdi said the fire was burning away from homes in Orange County, but there are 36 recreational cabins in the area. Residents along the southern edge of Big Bear Lake were told to leave the area Tuesday night, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The blaze had charred more than 51 square miles of grass and brush and blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke.

Persons: Big Bear, Robert Luna, Janice Quick, texted, Quick, “ I’ve, I’ve, ”, Steve Concialdi, Concialdi, Sherri Fankhauser, Fankhauser, ” Fankhauser, “ It’s, Davis, Joe Lombardo, Charles Moore Organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Fire, San Bernardino National Forest, Residents, San, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Nevada Gov, Sunday, National Weather Service, Truckee Meadows Fire Locations: , California, Los Angeles, Big, Wrightwood, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Northern California, Clearlake City, San Francisco, Idaho , Oregon, Nevada, Reno, Davis, Washoe, Washoe County, Truckee Meadows

☆ Death Valley National Park confirms second heat-related death of the summer
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A 57-year-old man died from heat exposure after walking in Death Valley National Park, authorities confirmed Monday, making it the second heat-related death in the area this summer. Peter Hayes Robino, from Los Angeles County, drove his car off a steep embankment after taking a one-mile circular walk on Aug. 1, the National Park Service said in a statement. A motorcyclist was declared dead from suspected heat exposure in Death Valley in July, while another was hospitalized for severe heat illness. Another tourist was treated in a local hospital for third degree burns he received to his feet last month at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, also in the national park. Park rangers in Death Valley National Park advise visitors to stay in or near air-conditioning where possible, to not hike after 10 a.m. in low elevations, to drink lots of water and avoid salty snacks.

Persons: Peter Hayes Robino, Robino, Witnesses, Robino’s, Mike Reynolds Organizations: National Park Service, NPS Locations: Death, Los Angeles County, America, Valley, Mesquite

☆ Nearly 40 Years Later, a California Serial Killer Confesses to Another Murder
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Orlando Mayorquín | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A convicted serial killer on California death row for murdering a dozen people in the 1980s and ’90s confessed to the 1986 murder of a 19-year-old woman in Los Angeles County, the police announced on Tuesday. William Lester Suff, 70, confessed in May 2022 to stabbing Cathy Small to death and dumping her body on a South Pasadena, Calif., cul-de-sac, where her body was discovered by police on Feb. 22, 1986, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced at a news conference on Tuesday. Why the announcement came more than two years after the confession was not clear. Ms. Small’s body was found in the morning wearing a nightgown, and she died from multiple stab wounds and strangulation, Lt. Patricia Thomas said. Ms. Small’s body was identified three days later by a man who had read about the killing in the news and had called detectives to say he was concerned that the victim could be his roommate.

Persons: William Lester Suff, Cathy Small, Patricia Thomas Organizations: Los, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Locations: California, Los Angeles County, South Pasadena, Calif, Los Angeles

☆ 4 former officers accused of staging sham raid to extort nearly $37 million from California man
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

According to prosecutors, the victim and his business partner had a yearslong dispute over their ownership in the rubber chemical manufacturer. In December 2018, the unindicted co-conspirator allegedly contacted Turbett to help with her business dispute. Turbett and Hart flew from Australia to Los Angeles, where they met with Cozart and Lankford to plan out the sham raid, prosecutors said. During the hoax raid, the defendants forced the victim and his family into one room. The unindicted co-conspirator paid Turbett’s company about $419,813 and emailed Turbett to thank him for a “very good job,” prosecutors said.

Persons: ”, Steven Arthur Lankford, Glen Louis Cozart, Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, Matthew Phillip Hart, Lankford, Hart, Martin Estrada, Turbett, Cozart Organizations: Attorney’s, Central, Central District of, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Crime Information Locations: California, Irvine, U.S, Central District, Central District of California, Jiangsu Sinorgchem, Country , California, Upland , California, Australia, United Kingdom, Los, Santa Clarita, Angeles, China, Atlanta, Jiangsu, —, Los Angeles

☆ An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 has struck the Los Angeles area, the USGS says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 struck the Los Angeles area shortly after noon on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. People reported feeling it strongly across the Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it received no initial reports of damage or injuries as it checks infrastructure citywide. "Having lived through the Northridge earthquake (magnitude 6.7 in 1994), today's tremor made me flash back to what we know are lifesaving rules during an earthquake: drop, cover, and hold on. It struck on the first school day for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Persons: Kathryn Barger, John Marshall Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, Los Angeles Fire Department, National Weather Service, Los Angeles Unified School District Locations: Los Angeles, U.S, San Diego, San Joaquin Valley, LA, California, Highland, Los Feliz

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