Cops Fighting Crime Spree at UCLA

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8128083

Racial Tensions at Kennedy High School

There were many instances of racially motivated fights at LA high schools over the past few years. The below link is just the latest example.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8130464

Housing Crisis Makes Credit Hard to Come By

Due to the present housing crisis facing LA and the nation, thousands of homeowners are suddenly finding it extremely difficult to borrow against their property.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-loans1feb01,0,6255734.story

More Fall-Out From the Hollywood Writers Strike

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3279454.ece

Fiscal Stress in Orange County

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/01/30/politics/dpt-moorlach30.txt

The Los Angeles Area and the Foreclosure Crisis

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/01/30/business/dpt-petforeclosure30.txt

Craqcking Down On Illegal Immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is making a determined and forceful effort to arrest and deport individuals who have immigrated here illegally.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8104586

High School Honors Three Who Have Fallen

South High School in Torrance honored its third former student who was killed in battle in Afghanistan.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-southhigh29jan29,0,2949404.story

Falling Prices

US home prices have fallen steeply since the start of the economic slowdown. Homes in Southern California, especially, have been hit hard.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-homes30jan30,0,6271844.story

Retaliatory Gang Shootings in Watts

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-watts30jan30,0,7422816.story

Mortgage Company Losses

Countrywide Home Loans, the nation's premier home lending institution has posted a loss of $422 million in the fourth quarter.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-countrywide30jan30,0,6886024.story

Court Trial of LA Man Accused of Being Saddam Informant

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8113083?nclick_check=1

Anti-Semitic Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations in LA Area

The following is part of an article that appeared on www.pslweb.org - the Party for Socialism and Liberation-----

One of the largest U.S. actions was in Anaheim, south of Los Angeles, in the heart of the Arab American community, where well over 500 people waved Palestinian flags and held signs and banners demanding justice for Palestine. Arab American youth chanted "End the siege of Gaza now!" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" while marching. Muna Coobtee, ANSWER Coalition, chaired the rally, which featured speakers from local Arab and Palestinian groups, nearby mosques, student groups and a representative of the La Riva/Puryear Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential campaign. Speakers mourned the death of Dr. George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and urged support for the March 15 mass march to stop the war in Los Angeles and the upcoming Al-Awda convention commemorating 60 years since "al-Nakba" (the creation of the state of Israel and forced "ethnic cleansing" of over 750,000 Palestinians).

Rain Storms in California

Heavy rains caused havoc in California including one fatality.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/29/news/state/13_31_551_27_08.txt

Gang Member Gets Life in Prison

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_8099300?source=rss_viewed

Another Drive-By Shooting in LA Kills One

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8099764

Hijacking Hoax at LAX

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8100972

Rent Control (or lack of it) in the Los Angeles Area

A common misconception that is held by people around the world is that the Los Angeles area is controlled by Los Angeles. This is false. As a result, what might be true for areas that ARE controlled by LA may not be true for those areas that are not. For example, there is no rent control for those people who don't live under LA's jurisdiction. Consequently, poor people, especially the elderly, are being forced to vacate their homes.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rent28jan28,0,7822882.story

America's Maltreatment of US Soldiers

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8059480

School Health Cuts

The schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District could soon be forced to close many of its health clinics.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8059324

Navigating LA's Bureaucracy

A local organization based in Sherman Oaks is trying to help new businesses overcome LA's stifling bureaucratic red tape - but apparently, it's an uphill battle.

http://origin.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8059318

Heavy Rains in LA Area, ONce Again, Causing Havoc in Malibu

http://origin.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8069920

Hackers Threaten Scientology Through the Internet

http://www.ksat.com/news/15132759/detail.html

Museum Raid

Authorities raid several museums in Southern California looking for stolen artifacts.

http://www.wvva.com/News/index.php?ID=20439

Rapper Named in Gang Crackdown in Compton

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080124/en_nm/rapper_crackdown_dc

Typhus on Rise in Orange County

http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-typhus,0,3275109.story

Documentary About LA Gangs

"Made in America" is a documentary that is being shown at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The two gangs that are featured are still active today. Below is part of an article that was posted on www.LAist.com.

Made in America tells the story of the rise of the two most notorious gangs in Los Angeles: the Crips and the Bloods. Through dozens of interviews with both current and former gang members on both sides, Peralta provides a clear glimpse into a violent, despairing world that is seldom seen. These interviews are fascinating in the way Peralta is able to extract true humanity from what most would consider stone-cold killers. What's more, his exploration of the history that preceded the formation of the gangs--the racist housing codes that established South Central Los Angeles, the collapse of the L.A. industrial base after World War II, the 1965 uprising in Watts--provides a framework wherein the origin of the Crips and Bloods can be more fully understood. Made in America is a documentary that everyone should see when it ultimately reaches theaters.

Gang Violence at Birthday Party

Police are investigating a gang shooting at a birthday party that left 2 people dead. This is common in the the LA area and is the second such incident so far this year.

http://www.gazettes.com/murders1242008.html

Indiana Man Charged With Arson on Catalina Island

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-catalina23jan23,1,4449610.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=6&cset=true

Mall Lockdown

The LAPD locks down an entire shopping mall in order to catch bank robbers.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bank23jan23,1,1429040.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=5&cset=true

A Director in the Sheriff's Dept. is Stripped of his Special Status

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-baca23jan23,1,5698061.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=2&cset=true

Disturbing Scenes at Orange County Jail

Police are seen using undue force against inmates.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ocjail23jan23,0,5444017.story?coll=la-home-center

LA Prosecutors Deliberately Perjured Themselves in Trial of Teenager

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/23/BA38UKKBO.DTL

Foreclosures on the Rise

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-foreclosures23jan23,0,5559243.story?coll=la-home-center

Gang Members Arrested for Killing 23 Day Old Baby in Front of Mother

http://www.knbc.com/news/15115354/detail.html

Unsafe Bigrigs in LA

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-trucks21jan21,0,2673139.story?coll=la-home-local

Unauthorized Photos of Teen Water Polo Players End Up on Gay Website

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/site-photos-web-1962653-polo-water

A Plan to Alleviate the Water Shortage in Southern California

...but some of the less affluent communities surrounding LA are pessimistic.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water20jan20,0,5461319.story?coll=la-home-center

End of LA's Airport Committee?

A committee assembled by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to promote flights outside of Los Angeles will meet later this month, and there could be an unpleasant item on the agenda: disbanding itself.

http://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=16037226.8680126.1576341.3009115.5124076.784&aID2=121248

Man Arrested in Illegal Dog-Fighting Case

http://www.dailynews.com/crime/ci_7996931

Tackling Crime and Homelessness on Skid Row

http://www.dailynews.com/crime/ci_8003594

Anti-Semitism in Tarzana

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8010699

Slumlord Pleads "No Contest"

The manager of a run-down apartment near downtown Los Angeles has pleaded no contest in court in answer to charges that he sought, by various means, to drive out tenants.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-landlord19jan19,0,7448146.story?coll=la-home-center

Prominent Fashion Mogul Charged with Sexual Harassment

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-charney17jan17,0,1233679.story?coll=la-home-local

Strong Winds Causing Havoc in Southern California

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-winds18jan18,0,2311006.story?coll=la-home-center

Dismal Sales Shutter Stores

The Christmas holiday season is usually the biggest sales period in the year. But a slowing national economy has severely hurt many retailers.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-retail18jan18,0,5155488.story?coll=la-home-center

Hospital Dumping

For many years, it has been common practice for hospitals to rid themselves of poor patients with no health insurance by driving them to skid row and dumping them there. The below link is the latest example of this.

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Jan17/0,4670,HomelessDumping,00.html

Safety Lapses at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-onofre16jan16,1,1152402.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california

The Most Recent Casualty From Iraq

As of this writing, over 400 Californians were killed in Iraq. The below article is about the most recent such death.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-death16jan16,1,7582576.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Safety at MacArthur Park

New surveillance cameras installed at MacArthur Park to reduce crime don't seem to be working as expected.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-camera16jan16,1,7702188.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Showdown Between Bush and Environmentalists

Environmentalists have long ago succeeded in banning the use of sonar during navy exercizes in the waters off of Southern California. President Bush is expected to override the ban.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sonar17jan17,0,738138.story?coll=la-home-center

Foster Kids Being Forced Out of Their Homes at 18

http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/terminated-at-18/18062/

Fatal Fight

Fights ending in fatalities are common in Los Angeles. The latest such incident occurred today at the Beverly Center near Beverly Hills.

http://www.knbc.com/news/15039712/detail.html

Federal Regulations May Damage the Cruise Ship Industry

http://www.10news.com/news/15036356/detail.html

Santa Monica "Regulating" Free Speech

http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/Local_News_10/Santa_Monica_to_Regulate_Surfing_and_Protesting.php

Golden Globe Awards Cancelled

Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards have been cancelled this year due to the Writers Strike.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7954664?nclick_check=1

Cedars-Sinai Hospital Medical Lapses

The prestigious hospital is cited for mishandling of critical medical cases.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cedars10jan10,1,423088.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=2&cset=true

Orange County and the Sex Trade

Women from poor countries are lured to Orange County and forced to go into the sex trade.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parsons10jan10,1,3927616.column?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

Writers Strike Might Put a Damper on the Oscars

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7893061

Hollywood Actors to Steer Clear of Golden Globe Awards

Members of the Screen Actors Guild, which include such celebrities as Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, and George Clooney, are likely to stay away from this years Golden Globe Awards in support of the writers strike.

http://www.7days.ae/en/2008/01/06/actors-to-boycott-awards.html

Happenings in Orange County

The following piece of information appeared in ocbj.com, an on-line magazine dealing with news from Orange County.

EDUCATION The former finance director of Aliso Viejo’s Soka University of America pleaded innocent last week to charges he embezzled $1.7 million from the private university during seven years. Kiyoshi Hatanaka, 52, of Aliso Viejo left his job at university in early 2006 after allegations arose that he had created sham university accounts at a Los Angeles bank to gamble large sums at casinos in Temecula and Las Vegas, officials said. He was indicted on eight counts of embezzlement and eight counts of money laundering. A trial date has been scheduled for Feb. 12.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS 84 of 112 OC companies on a Bloomberg stock index closed lower in 2007.
Distressed homes made up 24% of OC homes for sale in late December, up from 23% two weeks earlier.

Other LA Crime

Although homicides are down, other serious offenses have increased according to LA County Sheriff Lee Baca.

http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2008/01/region_sees_ris.php

Homicide Report

The following article, below, first appeared on www.latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/. It has been partially copied here It lists all homicides in LA County alone since January 2.

Downtown LA: Joseph Cosina,19, was shot multiple times at 1024 South Grand Ave at about 1:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 4, and was taken to California Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Two other men where also shot and a woman was stabbed. All three victims were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover from their injuries. Police officials said the shooting was related to an argument that started inside a nightclub, the Crash Mansion, and escalated outside the club's parking lot. More to come.

Compton: A man was shot in the 15700 block of South Tarrant Ave. at about 6:04 p.m., Thursday Jan. 3. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounched dead.

West LA: A man was shot by an LAPD officer in the 1800 block N. Sawtelle Blvd at about 2:12 a.m., Friday Jan. 4. The man was about to be pulled over for running a red light when he suddenly stopped his vehicle, stepped out and pointed a gun at the officer. The man was also a suspected serial robber. More to come

Highland Park: A latino man was shot multiple times in the 900 block of Milwaukee Ave. at about 8:10 p.m, Thursday Jan.3.

Long Beach: John Fernandez,25, was shot in the 1900 block of Pine Avenue at about 12:05 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 1. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died at 11:15 a.m. Three other people were also shot and taken to the hospital; one is in critical condition. According to Long Beach police officials, Fernandez was among a group of people celebrating the new year in the backyard of a house. The suspect shot Fernandez and the crowd, then fled.

Rain Storm in California

Pounding rain in Los Angeles and throughout California is causing havoc from the northern to the southern end of the state.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080104/ap_on_re_us/winter_storm

Police in Long Beach Still See No Motive for New Year's Eve Slaying

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lbshooting3jan03,1,5899569.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Schools Vandalized

McKinley Ave. Elementary School was one of many such schools in the LA area that were vandalized over the Christmas/New Year holiday. According to some teachers, this is a common problem when schools are closed during holidays.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-school3jan03,1,804836.story?track=rss

LA Area Population Statistics for 2007

The population increase in Los Angeles and neighboring counties is slowing down dramatically according to journalists Sharon Bernstein and Paloma Esquivel.

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/pol/515353647.html

Indicted Orange County Sheriff Says He'll Return to Work

Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona, who was indicted for corruption, says he'll return to work. OC Superviser John Moorelach is insisting that he step down.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carona4jan04,0,7357299.story?coll=la-home-local

Trouble Ahead for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

Economists see an economic slowdown at LA's busiest ports that could affect large sections of the LA metropolitan area.

http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_Biz_D_warehousing04.24564c5.html

Rogue Police Officers Go to Trial for Staging Home Invasion Robberies

Two former cops are set to go on trial for staging home robberies. Some people in the LAPD say that they might be part of a gang that specializes in this.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7862499

The First Murder in the New Year

Police suspect it might be gang related.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7862510

Hispanic vs. Black Gangs

Even though homicides and other violent crimes in Los Angeles have declines sharply in the past few years, violence between Latino and black gangs continue.

http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_7849122?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com

Tackling LA's Problems

Los Angeles has many problems. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has promised to find solutions for all of them in 2008. The question is though, is he able to?

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7845382

Torture in LA Jails?

An inmate alleges he was pepper-sprayed by police for no apparent reason. According to him, this type of thing happens often.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-inmate1jan01,1,2382287.story?track=rss

Driving Becoming a Nightmare on Highland Ave.

Residents say Hollywood gentrification has drawn more drivers eager to show off their wheels -- sometimes with fatal results.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-race1jan01,1,5681978.story?track=rss

Heavy Rainstorm to Occur in the Southland

A heavy rainstorm is expected in the Los Angeles area in the coming days, according to meteorologists, wreaking havoc on the roads, and in areas that were victim to last summer's wildfires.

http://cbs2.com/local/storms.heaviest.rain.2.621299.html