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Los Angeles gym owner pushes back after being told to remove iconic Kobe Bryant mural

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

The owner of a downtown Los Angeles gym says she was told by her landlord recently to remove an iconic mural dedicated to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, and she's asking for public support in opposing the order.The mural outside Hardcore Fitness at 400 W. Pico Blvd. has drawn visitors from all over just to take pictures in front of the image of Kobe and Gianna depicted with angel wings and halos as they look lovingly at each other. "With profound sadness, I must share that today, I received notice from my landlord that I must remove the Kobe and LA mural from our walls," Hardcore Fitness L.A. owner Cecilia Moran texted KTLA. A mural depicting deceased NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, painted by @sloe_motions, is displayed on a building on February 13, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)Moran said the mural has "immense significance" to the community but was told she had until Sept. 30 to remove it. "We believe that this mural ...

After summer of heat waves, Southern California gets to enjoy some cooler weather

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

Southern Californians have dealt with a number of heat waves this summer, but now residents finally get the chance to settle in and enjoy some cooler afternoon highs.The decline in temperatures started this week and will continue through at least the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters believe we will get even further cooling next week as clouds and fog spread into most areas west of the mountains every night and into the morning hours.Afternoon highs are already expected to be slightly below average on Friday but could be nearly 10 degrees under the average in some areas by next week.In the Inland Empire, afternoon highs could tumble from about 90 degrees Friday to nearly 80 degrees by Tuesday and Wednesday.Nothing in the Weather Service forecast appeared to show a return to hot weather any time soon, so Southern Californians may finally have a chance to get used to these cooler, fall-like days.

Teen recalls getting brutally beaten at L.A. McDonald's

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

A teen girl who was seen being beaten inside a McDonald's is speaking out after the terrifying incident unfolded last week.Video of the violent confrontation showed 13-year-old Kassidy Jones being punched, kicked, and knocked to the ground by a female suspect.She was walking home from school when the attack happened.There were dozens of witnesses at the restaurant and Kassidy’s family said they're disappointed no one stepped in to intervene or help the girl.Her family said the attack was completely unprovoked and they're still trying to understand what exactly happened."I'm okay,” Kassidy said, as she recovers from the attack. “Just trying to keep it together. Still getting to process it."Video of 13-year-old Kassidy Jones getting beaten by an unknown woman inside a Harbor City McDonald's on Sept. 6, 2023. (Angelina Gray)The assault happened on Sept. 6 at a McDonald's on Lomita Boulevard in Harbor City.Kassidy and her friends were on their way home from school when they stopped insi...

PHOTOS: Southern California sky lit up by rocket blazing over county

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

Southern Californians looked up to the sky Thursday night as a rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara blazed over the county. The object was first seen over the region around 7:30 p.m. While some initially speculated that it was a SpaceX mission, the base's Space Systems Command confirmed after 11:30 p.m. that the rocket was a part of a mission known as Victus Nox, according to KTLA sister station KSWB.The mission was a coordinated effort between the U.S. Space Force and Firefly Aerospace, successfully launching a Millennium Space Systems-built vehicle -- known as the Alpha FLTA003 -- with a Victus Nox satellite into the atmosphere.Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha FLTA003, carrying the Victus Nox satellite for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, successfully lifted off Sept. 14 at 7:28 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 2 West (SLC-2W) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. (Courtesy photo: Firefly Aerospace)According to officials, liftoff took place at 7:28 p.m...

TikTok is hit with $368 million fine under Europe's strict data privacy rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

LONDON (AP) — European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children's privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe's strict data privacy rules.Ireland's Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, said it was fining TikTok 345 million euros and reprimanding the platform for the violations dating to the second half of 2020. The investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos. Those default settings also posed a risk to children under 13 who gained access to the platform even though they're not allowed. Also, a “family pairing" feature designed for parents to manage settings wasn't strict enough, allowing adults to turn on direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 witho...

California adds jobs in August, statewide unemployent rate is unchanged

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

California added jobs during August and the statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged compared with the prior month, state labor officials reported Friday.The Golden State gained 23,100 jobs in August, the state Employment Development Department reported.The jobless rate in California was 4.6% in August, the same level as July.California’s unemployment rate has remained unchanged for three months in a row.Seven of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in August, the EDD reported.Private education and health services was the industry category that gained the most jobs in California, adding 14,000 jobs in August.Significant California job losses occurred in the information industry, which suffered a decline of 9,000 positions.Motion picture and sound recording categories caused most of the information industry losses as the strikes by unionized actors and writers continued last month.Losses also occurred in an array of tech industry categories.

What Cal must fix vs. Idaho in final game before Pac-12 play

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

BERKELEY — Cal, whose fortunes swung wildly over the first two weeks of the football season, closes its non-conference schedule Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium against an Idaho team hoping to knock off a second straight FBS opponent.The Bears, 1-1 after a 14-10 loss to Auburn, are one week away from opening their final Pac-12 season on the road against No. 8 Washington. Cal’s conference slate includes six games against teams currently ranked in the Top 25.“We have a gauntlet of a schedule,” quarterback Sam Jackson V said. “Everything is week by week because we won’t play any run-over teams at all.”That includes Idaho, an FCS-level team that has beaten its first two opponents— including Nevada last week — by a combined margin of 75-23.“They are a confident team.” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “They know what they’re doing. They have our full attention, no doubt about that.”The Bears opened two weeks ago with a rousing 58-21 win at North Texas, showing off new offensive coordin...

Skipped bill payments in California hit record low

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: Californians are paying their bills on time at a record-setting pace.Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed the bill-paying habits of consumers as compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The report, using Equifax credit report data, tracks nationwide trends as well as 11 big states, including California, for borrowers with credit histories – or roughly 90% of the nation.ToplineDespite lots of talk about economic anxieties across the Golden State, only 0.95% of California debts were tardy in the second quarter. That delinquency rate is down a smidge from 0.96% in the first quarter and sharply below the 1.87% average of pre-pandemic 2018-19.Plus, California’s delinquency rate is the best of the 11 big states and well below the nation’s 1.48% pace. And as for California’s economic rivals, Texas had the wor...

1 dead in stabbing near San Jose State, person of interest in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- One man is dead after being stabbed near San Jose State University early Friday morning. A person of interest is now in custody, San Jose Police Department said.Police are currently at the scene of the stabbing that occurred around 4:17 a.m. in the area of South 4th and San Carlos streets, police said."No one affiliated with San José State University, including students, was involved in the stabbing on 4th and San Carlos Streets this morning," the university told KRON4.Road closures are currently in effect for South 4th and South 3rd streets between East San Fernando and San Carlos streets. The public is advised to avoid the area while officers investigate the incident. Traffic in the area is expected to be impacted. This is a developing story. Stick with us for updates.

Automaker CEO Elon Musk Strips UAW Twitter Verification as Union Strikes Against Big Three

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:26 GMT

After members of the United Auto Workers walked off the job at midnight, Twitter stripped the union of its account verification without notice, according to a UAW official. The account, as of publication time, lacked verification. The move by Elon Musk, owner of the microblogging platform he is attempting to rechristen from Twitter to X, followed the union’s decision to strike the Big Three automakers on Thursday night after the car companies refused to ink a new contract with their unionized workers. Class solidarity among the nation’s elite has long been a feature of the American political economy, and the move by Musk, the richest man on the planet, is in line with that sense of allegiance, even as he promotes himself as a populist friend of the working man. Musk is also the owner of a non-union automaker, Tesla. Wage increases won by union workers often trickle down, so to speak, to non-union workers, requiring even bosses like Musk to pay workers more from his share of pro...