A fast-moving wildfire threatened thousands of homes and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library outside Los Angeles on Wednesday (October 30) as extraordinarily dry, heavy Santa Ana winds buffeted the region, forcing meteorologists to grasp for new language to warn of the danger.

"Way too close" - fast-moving wildfire threatens Reagan Library

<p>Firefighters braced late on Tuesday for a resurgence of strong Santa Ana desert winds across Southern California after a day of light breezes helped them gain ground against a blaze&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bracing-for-winds-authorities-order-thousands-to-flee-california-wine-country-fire-258340">displacing thousands </a>of Los Angeles residents near the famed Getty Center museum.</p>

<p>City arson investigators reported earlier on Tuesday that the Getty fire was likely caused by a broken tree branch being blown into power lines during high winds early Monday morning.</p>

<p>Electricity remained cut off to roughly half a million homes and businesses in northern and central California on Tuesday as a precaution by the state's largest utility, while firefighting strike teams and equipment were posted on standy at strategic points throughout the state.</p>

<p>The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center reported a critical or extreme fire danger existed for more than 34,000 square miles of California, encompassing some 21 million people.</p>

<p>Governor Gavin Newsom, who has accused utilities of failing to adequately modernize and safely maintain their power systems, paid a visit to the Getty fire zone on Tuesday afternoon.</p>

<p>"This is a challenging time," Newsom told a news conference at a command centre in the University of California's Los Angeles campus, adding that 43 of the state's 58 counties were "experiencing at or near-historic wind events."</p>

<p>At the start of the day, firefighters in Los Angeles and those battling a much larger conflagration in northern California's Sonoma County wine country took advantage of lighter winds to make headway before hazardous winds reemerged.</p>

<p>Fire officials worried high winds forecast to gust to 70 miles&nbsp;per hour or more would lift embers from smouldering hot spots and carry them into unburned vegetation, re-igniting and spreading flames anew.</p>

<p>Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said extremely high winds could also force the grounding of water-dropping helicopters, a vital component of the firefighting arsenal.</p>

<p>While moderately high winds that returned to northern California late on Tuesday were expected to fade by Wednesday morning, forecasts called for extreme Santa Anas to arrive in Southern California late Tuesday night and last into Thursday.</p>

<p>That gave an army of some 1,100 firefighters battling the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/firefighters-struggle-against-massive-wind-whipped-california-wildfire-258443">Getty fire</a> a narrow window for consolidating gains a day after wind-driven flames and embers spread over scrub-covered slopes around some of most expensive homes on the city's west side.</p>

<p>By late afternoon, crews had managed to confine the blaze to about 650 acres&nbsp;while carving solid containment lines around 15 per cent&nbsp;of its perimeter, up from 5 per cent&nbsp;a day earlier.</p>

<p>In northern California, where firefighters struggled for a fifth day against a 76,000-acre blaze in Sonoma County's wine-growing region, high-wind forecasts prompted Pacific Gas and Electric Co&nbsp;to impose a new round of prescribed blackouts for nearly 600,000 homes and business.</p>

<p>That included about 400,000 customers blacked out in a "public safety power shut-off" that PG&amp;E instituted days earlier, the company said in a statement. Tuesday's power cuts marked the third wave of mass blackouts implemented this month by PG&amp;E.</p>

<p>Utilities serving Southern California's more highly urbanized areas have imposed smaller-scale outages.</p>

<p>Announcing preliminary findings of its Getty fire investigation, the Los Angeles Fire Department said the blaze probably started when a tree branch snapped off in high winds landed on adjacent power lines, producing sparks and "arcing" that ignited nearby brush.</p>

<p>The lines, which are operated by the city's Department of Water and Power (DWP), remained intact, the statement said.</p>

<p>The DWP said the broken branch apparently came from a Eucalyptus tree growing about 30 feet away, beyond the vegetation-clearance zone required by state regulations.</p>

<p>PG&amp;E has likewise been implicated in the latest Sonoma County blaze, dubbed the Kincade fire. The utility acknowledged last week that the Kincade fire broke out near a damaged PG&amp;E transmission tower at about the time a live high-voltage line carried by that tower malfunctioned.</p>

<p>The company, whose mass power shutdowns have drawn harsh criticism from the governor, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing $30 billion in potential liability from a series of deadly fires sparked by its equipment in 2017 and 2018.</p>

<p>Citing progress made against the Kincade fire, Newsom said the number of evacuees in northern California had diminished from 190,000 at the peak of that blaze to 130,000 on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Property losses from the Kincade, listed at 15 per cent&nbsp;contained, were put at 189 homes and other structures, double Monday's tally.</p>

<p>The size of the Getty fire's evacuation zone was reduced by roughly 3,000 homes on Tuesday, but residents of about 7,000 dwellings remained displaced, fire officials said. At least a dozen homes have been destroyed so far.</p>


Firefighters braced late on Tuesday for a resurgence of strong Santa Ana desert winds across Southern California after a day of light breezes helped them gain ground against a blaze displacing thousands of Los Angeles residents near the famed Getty Center museum.

Firefighters braced late on Tuesday for a resurgence of strong Santa Ana desert winds across Southern California after a day of light breezes helped them gain ground against a blaze displacing thousands of Los Angeles residents near the famed Getty Center museum. City arson investigators reported earlier on Tuesday that the Getty fire was likely caused by a broken tree branch being blown into power lines during high winds early Monday morning. Electricity remained cut off to roughly half a million homes and businesses in northern and central California on Tuesday as a precaution by the state's largest utility, while firefighting strike teams and equipment were posted on standy at strategic points throughout the state. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center reported a critical or extreme fire danger existed for more than 34,000 square miles of California, encompassing some 21 million people. Governor Gavin Newsom, who has accused utilities of failing to adequately modernize and safely maintain their power systems, paid a visit to the Getty fire zone on Tuesday afternoon. "This is a challenging time," Newsom told a news conference at a command centre in the University of California's Los Angeles campus, adding that 43 of the state's 58 counties were "experiencing at or near-historic wind events." At the start of the day, firefighters in Los Angeles and those battling a much larger conflagration in northern California's Sonoma County wine country took advantage of lighter winds to make headway before hazardous winds reemerged. Fire officials worried high winds forecast to gust to 70 miles per hour or more would lift embers from smouldering hot spots and carry them into unburned vegetation, re-igniting and spreading flames anew. Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said extremely high winds could also force the grounding of water-dropping helicopters, a vital component of the firefighting arsenal. While moderately high winds that returned to northern California late on Tuesday were expected to fade by Wednesday morning, forecasts called for extreme Santa Anas to arrive in Southern California late Tuesday night and last into Thursday. That gave an army of some 1,100 firefighters battling the Getty fire a narrow window for consolidating gains a day after wind-driven flames and embers spread over scrub-covered slopes around some of most expensive homes on the city's west side. By late afternoon, crews had managed to confine the blaze to about 650 acres while carving solid containment lines around 15 per cent of its perimeter, up from 5 per cent a day earlier. In northern California, where firefighters struggled for a fifth day against a 76,000-acre blaze in Sonoma County's wine-growing region, high-wind forecasts prompted Pacific Gas and Electric Co to impose a new round of prescribed blackouts for nearly 600,000 homes and business. That included about 400,000 customers blacked out in a "public safety power shut-off" that PG&E instituted days earlier, the company said in a statement. Tuesday's power cuts marked the third wave of mass blackouts implemented this month by PG&E. Utilities serving Southern California's more highly urbanized areas have imposed smaller-scale outages. Announcing preliminary findings of its Getty fire investigation, the Los Angeles Fire Department said the blaze probably started when a tree branch snapped off in high winds landed on adjacent power lines, producing sparks and "arcing" that ignited nearby brush. The lines, which are operated by the city's Department of Water and Power (DWP), remained intact, the statement said. The DWP said the broken branch apparently came from a Eucalyptus tree growing about 30 feet away, beyond the vegetation-clearance zone required by state regulations. PG&E has likewise been implicated in the latest Sonoma County blaze, dubbed the Kincade fire. The utility acknowledged last week that the Kincade fire broke out near a damaged PG&E transmission tower at about the time a live high-voltage line carried by that tower malfunctioned. The company, whose mass power shutdowns have drawn harsh criticism from the governor, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing $30 billion in potential liability from a series of deadly fires sparked by its equipment in 2017 and 2018. Citing progress made against the Kincade fire, Newsom said the number of evacuees in northern California had diminished from 190,000 at the peak of that blaze to 130,000 on Tuesday. Property losses from the Kincade, listed at 15 per cent contained, were put at 189 homes and other structures, double Monday's tally. The size of the Getty fire's evacuation zone was reduced by roughly 3,000 homes on Tuesday, but residents of about 7,000 dwellings remained displaced, fire officials said. At least a dozen homes have been destroyed so far.

Southern California firefighters brace for resurgence of extreme winds

<p>A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/firefighters-struggle-against-massive-wind-whipped-california-wildfire-258443">fast-moving wildfire</a> on Monday destroyed at least five multimillion-dollar homes in one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Los Angeles and forced celebrities to flee in the middle of the night.</p>

<p>Among neighbourhoods under evacuation orders was the posh area of Brentwood, a section on the west side of the city that became world-famous in 1994 when former football star O.J. Simpson was accused of killing his ex-wife and a waiter there.</p>

<p>Today Brentwood is home to basketball superstar <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/houston-rockets-gm-wasnt-educated-when-he-sent-hong-kong-tweet-lebron-james-256087">LeBron James</a>, A-list Hollywood actors, wealthy producers and media company executives.</p>

<p>James, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, said he and his family had to drive around in the early morning hours looking for a place to stay after fleeing the home he shares with his wife and three children.</p>

<p>"Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms," James wrote on Twitter around 4 a.m. He later added that he found a place to take them in. "Crazy night man!," he said.</p>

<p>James bought a $23 million, eight-bedroom home in Brentwood in late 2017, according to media reports.</p>

<p>On the northern edge of Brentwood, a cluster of several multimillion-dollar homes were reduced to smoldering debris along a street festooned with Halloween decorations.</p>

<p>A fake bloody arm, part of the holiday decorations, had turned into melted plastic at one dwelling, and a giant skull replica remained in the front of another. Heavy smoke and ash filled the air as water-dropping helicopters and airplane tankers buzzed overhead.</p>

<p>Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also said he was among the thousands who had to evacuate overnight.</p>

<p>"If you are in an evacuation zone, don’t screw around. Get out," Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter.</p>

<p>A red-carpet premiere for Schwarzenegger's new movie, "Terminator: Dark Fate," that had been scheduled for Monday night was canceled due to fires in the area.</p>

<p>The "Terminator" premiere had been scheduled to take place in Hollywood, several miles from the fire zone. Food intended for the premiere party was being donated to local American Red Cross shelters that were housing fire evacuees, Paramount Pictures said.</p>

<p>"Agents of SHIELD" actor Clark Gregg and "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter also said on Twitter that they had been forced to leave their homes.</p>

<p>The streets of Brentwood became familiar to TV viewers when Simpson stood trial on charges of stabbing ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and waiter Ronald Goldman. Prosecutors alleged Simpson killed the pair at her Brentwood home and then fled to his nearby mansion.</p>

<p>Simpson was acquitted of murder but later found liable for the deaths in a civil case. He told the Associated Press in June he now lives in Las Vegas.</p>

<p>Monday's fire erupted in the hills above where Simpson had lived and was near the Getty Center, a museum for the art collection of late oil magnate J. Paul Getty that includes works by Rembrandt and Van Gogh, according to the museum's website.</p>

<p>The Getty fire has forced schools to close in several areas, including the public school district encompassing Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades and the University of California Los Angles (UCLA).</p>


A fast-moving wildfire on Monday destroyed at least five multimillion-dollar homes in one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Los Angeles and forced celebrities to flee in the middle of the night.

A fast-moving wildfire on Monday destroyed at least five multimillion-dollar homes in one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Los Angeles and forced celebrities to flee in the middle of the night. Among neighbourhoods under evacuation orders was the posh area of Brentwood, a section on the west side of the city that became world-famous in 1994 when former football star O.J. Simpson was accused of killing his ex-wife and a waiter there. Today Brentwood is home to basketball superstar LeBron James, A-list Hollywood actors, wealthy producers and media company executives. James, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, said he and his family had to drive around in the early morning hours looking for a place to stay after fleeing the home he shares with his wife and three children. "Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms," James wrote on Twitter around 4 a.m. He later added that he found a place to take them in. "Crazy night man!," he said. James bought a $23 million, eight-bedroom home in Brentwood in late 2017, according to media reports. On the northern edge of Brentwood, a cluster of several multimillion-dollar homes were reduced to smoldering debris along a street festooned with Halloween decorations. A fake bloody arm, part of the holiday decorations, had turned into melted plastic at one dwelling, and a giant skull replica remained in the front of another. Heavy smoke and ash filled the air as water-dropping helicopters and airplane tankers buzzed overhead. Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also said he was among the thousands who had to evacuate overnight. "If you are in an evacuation zone, don’t screw around. Get out," Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter. A red-carpet premiere for Schwarzenegger's new movie, "Terminator: Dark Fate," that had been scheduled for Monday night was canceled due to fires in the area. The "Terminator" premiere had been scheduled to take place in Hollywood, several miles from the fire zone. Food intended for the premiere party was being donated to local American Red Cross shelters that were housing fire evacuees, Paramount Pictures said. "Agents of SHIELD" actor Clark Gregg and "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter also said on Twitter that they had been forced to leave their homes. The streets of Brentwood became familiar to TV viewers when Simpson stood trial on charges of stabbing ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and waiter Ronald Goldman. Prosecutors alleged Simpson killed the pair at her Brentwood home and then fled to his nearby mansion. Simpson was acquitted of murder but later found liable for the deaths in a civil case. He told the Associated Press in June he now lives in Las Vegas. Monday's fire erupted in the hills above where Simpson had lived and was near the Getty Center, a museum for the art collection of late oil magnate J. Paul Getty that includes works by Rembrandt and Van Gogh, according to the museum's website. The Getty fire has forced schools to close in several areas, including the public school district encompassing Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades and the University of California Los Angles (UCLA).

Arnold Schwarzenegger, LeBron James evacuated as Los Angeles wildfire continues surge

<p>California firefighters aided by subsiding winds took the offensive on Friday against two <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-wildfires-rage-in-california-about-50000-get-evacuated-258037">major wildfires</a> at opposite ends of the state, one displacing 50,000 suburban Los Angeles residents and another roaring through Sonoma County's famed wine country.</p>

<p>Governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency for both blazes, which erupted hours apart amid fierce winds this week that put emergency managers on high alert and prompted utilities to impose wide-scale power outages to curtail wildfire risks.</p>

<p>No injuries have been reported from either the Kincade fire in Sonoma County, about 130 km&nbsp;north of San Francisco or the Tick fire in the Santa Clarita Valley about 65 km&nbsp;north of Los Angeles.</p>

<p>But the two blazes, the worst of several large wildfires across the state this week, have destroyed dozens of homes and other structures while prompting air-quality alerts in parts of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.</p>

<p>The dry, hot desert winds, gusting to 112 kph, gave way to light breezes on Thursday night, slowing the fires' advance and presenting crews with a chance to make significant headway against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-evacuated-as-california-wildfires-rage-255379">the flames</a>.</p>

<p>The lull was expected to be short-lived. Forecasts called for heavy winds to return late on Saturday and persist through the weekend, leaving fire crews a narrow window to tamp down the blazes in Los Angeles and Sonoma counties.</p>

<p>Power companies, led by the state's largest investor-owned utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co, also were bracing for a renewal of gale-force winds.</p>

<p>Even as PG&amp;E worked to restore electricity to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses switched off ahead of this week's earlier bout of severe winds, the utility announced plans for a new round of precautionary blackouts expected to leave 850,000 customers without power across 36 counties in northern and central California.</p>

<p>The utility cited weather data showing the expected windstorm "could be the most powerful in California in decades."</p>

<p>Adding to PG&amp;E's difficulties, the utility acknowledged on Thursday that the Kincade fire, which forced the evacuation of 2,000 people in Sonoma County after erupting on Wednesday night, began near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower the utility owns.</p>

<p><strong>Lights on and off</strong></p>

<p>A power shutdown of that scale, affecting millions of people, would surpass even the record outage imposed by PG&amp;E on some 730,000 of its customers in anticipation of a previous windstorm two weeks ago.</p>

<p>That precautionary blackout drew sharp criticism from the governor and regulators as being too widespread as well as poorly managed and communicated to the public.</p>

<p>Newsom has said PG&amp;E is largely to blame for its own predicament, arguing corporate greed and mismanagement kept the utility from upgrading its infrastructure while wildfire hazards have steadily worsened over the past decade, a function of climate change.</p>

<p>PG&amp;E, which filed for bankruptcy in January citing billions of dollars in civil liabilities from deadly wildfires sparked by its equipment in 2017 and 2018, says it has since remedied problems experienced with its website and customer call centre.</p>

<p>It has also arranged for extra personnel from affiliated energy companies and the state to assist with the spot inspections required of its de-energised power lines before electricity that has been turned off is allowed to be restored, the company said.</p>

<p>By Friday, the Kincade fire had charred nearly 8,900 hectares&nbsp;in a wine-growing region whose better-known vintners include "The Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola, and destroyed at least 49 dwellings and other structures, officials said.</p>

<p>Evacuation orders included the entire town of Geyserville, an historic enclave that is home to about 900 residents and is named for geothermal features in the vicinity.</p>

<p>Fire crews, backed by helicopters and aeroplane tankers dumping loads of water and flame-retardant on the blaze, had managed to carve containment lines around just 5 per cent&nbsp;of the blaze as of Friday.</p>

<p>Hundreds of miles to the south, crews battled to suppress the Tick fire, which erupted on Thursday and by Friday had scorched 4,300 acres&nbsp;and was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/firefighters-battle-southern-california-wildfires-100000-evacuated-255548">threatening 15,000 homes</a> and businesses, officials said.</p>

<p>An estimated 50,000 people were displaced by evacuation orders in and around Santa Clarita. Poor air quality from thick smoke drifting south prompted the Los Angeles School District to cancel classes for all students in the San Fernando Valley.</p>

<p>"Scary, crazy. We've lived here 37 years and never had to evacuate. So, you know, you always hear about it, you always think, maybe this time. But, yeah, this is the first time," evacuee Terri Egar said.</p>

<p>The fire has destroyed at least six structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said, adding that figure was expected to rise.</p>

<p>"This is the largest evacuation that we've had in Santa Clarita," Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told a news conference.</p>


California firefighters aided by subsiding winds took the offensive on Friday against two major wildfires at opposite ends of the state, one displacing 50,000 suburban Los Angeles residents and another roaring through Sonoma County's famed wine country.

California firefighters aided by subsiding winds took the offensive on Friday against two major wildfires at opposite ends of the state, one displacing 50,000 suburban Los Angeles residents and another roaring through Sonoma County's famed wine country. Governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency for both blazes, which erupted hours apart amid fierce winds this week that put emergency managers on high alert and prompted utilities to impose wide-scale power outages to curtail wildfire risks. No injuries have been reported from either the Kincade fire in Sonoma County, about 130 km north of San Francisco or the Tick fire in the Santa Clarita Valley about 65 km north of Los Angeles. But the two blazes, the worst of several large wildfires across the state this week, have destroyed dozens of homes and other structures while prompting air-quality alerts in parts of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. The dry, hot desert winds, gusting to 112 kph, gave way to light breezes on Thursday night, slowing the fires' advance and presenting crews with a chance to make significant headway against the flames. The lull was expected to be short-lived. Forecasts called for heavy winds to return late on Saturday and persist through the weekend, leaving fire crews a narrow window to tamp down the blazes in Los Angeles and Sonoma counties. Power companies, led by the state's largest investor-owned utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co, also were bracing for a renewal of gale-force winds. Even as PG&E worked to restore electricity to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses switched off ahead of this week's earlier bout of severe winds, the utility announced plans for a new round of precautionary blackouts expected to leave 850,000 customers without power across 36 counties in northern and central California. The utility cited weather data showing the expected windstorm "could be the most powerful in California in decades." Adding to PG&E's difficulties, the utility acknowledged on Thursday that the Kincade fire, which forced the evacuation of 2,000 people in Sonoma County after erupting on Wednesday night, began near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower the utility owns. Lights on and off A power shutdown of that scale, affecting millions of people, would surpass even the record outage imposed by PG&E on some 730,000 of its customers in anticipation of a previous windstorm two weeks ago. That precautionary blackout drew sharp criticism from the governor and regulators as being too widespread as well as poorly managed and communicated to the public. Newsom has said PG&E is largely to blame for its own predicament, arguing corporate greed and mismanagement kept the utility from upgrading its infrastructure while wildfire hazards have steadily worsened over the past decade, a function of climate change. PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy in January citing billions of dollars in civil liabilities from deadly wildfires sparked by its equipment in 2017 and 2018, says it has since remedied problems experienced with its website and customer call centre. It has also arranged for extra personnel from affiliated energy companies and the state to assist with the spot inspections required of its de-energised power lines before electricity that has been turned off is allowed to be restored, the company said. By Friday, the Kincade fire had charred nearly 8,900 hectares in a wine-growing region whose better-known vintners include "The Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola, and destroyed at least 49 dwellings and other structures, officials said. Evacuation orders included the entire town of Geyserville, an historic enclave that is home to about 900 residents and is named for geothermal features in the vicinity. Fire crews, backed by helicopters and aeroplane tankers dumping loads of water and flame-retardant on the blaze, had managed to carve containment lines around just 5 per cent of the blaze as of Friday. Hundreds of miles to the south, crews battled to suppress the Tick fire, which erupted on Thursday and by Friday had scorched 4,300 acres and was threatening 15,000 homes and businesses, officials said. An estimated 50,000 people were displaced by evacuation orders in and around Santa Clarita. Poor air quality from thick smoke drifting south prompted the Los Angeles School District to cancel classes for all students in the San Fernando Valley. "Scary, crazy. We've lived here 37 years and never had to evacuate. So, you know, you always hear about it, you always think, maybe this time. But, yeah, this is the first time," evacuee Terri Egar said. The fire has destroyed at least six structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said, adding that figure was expected to rise. "This is the largest evacuation that we've had in Santa Clarita," Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told a news conference.

California firefighters tackle blazes in suburbs of Los Angeles

<p>A deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-evacuated-as-california-wildfires-rage-255379">wind-driven wildfire</a> that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday.</p>

<p>The company, a unit of Edison International, said through a spokeswoman that it had notified the California Public Utility Commission on October&nbsp;11, the day after the fire started, that "our system was impacted near the reported time of the fire."</p>

<p>The "electric safety incident" report, a copy of which the utility provided to Reuters, identified the facility involved as a company-owned transmission tower near a traffic intersection in the foothills where the Saddleridge fire is thought to have erupted.</p>

<p>Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Captain Erik Scott said Monday that the cause of the fire was uncertain. But he said investigators had traced the fire's origin to a slope beneath the high-voltage tower near Saddle Ridge Road.</p>

<p>The Southern California Edison report does not state whether the tower is suspected of sparking the blaze, or whether the tower or the power lines were damaged by high winds that quickly spread the flames over thousands of acres. But the Edison spokeswoman, Susan Cox, confirmed that the tower in question belonged to the utility.</p>

<p>Edison had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unacceptable-power-cuts-blasted-as-california-fire-risk-spreads-south-255202">turned off power</a> to some customers across the region as a precaution last week after extreme winds and dry weather raised the risk of wildfire. But a utility spokeswoman was quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Edison "did not de-energize any power for the Saddleridge fire area."</p>

<p>In Northern California, utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&amp;E) faced increasing criticism from the governor and state regulators on Monday for its own wide-scale precautionary power shutdown, which preceded Edison's by about a day but was seen as being poorly managed and communicated.</p>

<p>The Public Utility Commission on Monday ordered PG&amp;E to undertake immediate "corrective actions," and Newsom called for the company to provide credits or rebates to affected customers.</p>

<p>PG&amp;E Corp CEO Bill Johnson defended his company's actions, conceding "areas where we fell short" during the power cutoff but insisting PG&amp;E made "the right decision." He also noted that there were "no catastrophic wildfires" in the utility's service area last week.</p>

<p>The Saddleridge fire was the latest in a string of severe California wildfires for which electrical utility equipment has been scrutinized as a possible flashpoint.</p>

<p>The blaze scorched nearly 8,000 acres, threatening more than 17,000 homes and triggered the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/firefighters-battle-southern-california-wildfires-100000-evacuated-255548">evacuation of 100,000 </a>people before a change in the weather helped firefighters subdue the conflagration over the weekend.</p>

<p>At last count, 75 homes or other structures were damaged or destroyed, and a man suffered a fatal heart attack while trying to defend his property from the flames.</p>

<p>Edison's power lines were determined to have been the ignition source for a much larger fire in December 2017 that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, northwest of Los Angeles.</p>

<p>PG&amp;E equipment was found to have sparked a flurry of wildfires that swept through wine country north of San Francisco Bay in 2017, as well as last year's devastating Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in and around the Northern California town of Paradise.</p>

<p>PG&amp;E, the state's largest investor-owned utility, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing more than $30 billion in potential liabilities from the fires.</p>


A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday.

A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday. The company, a unit of Edison International, said through a spokeswoman that it had notified the California Public Utility Commission on October 11, the day after the fire started, that "our system was impacted near the reported time of the fire." The "electric safety incident" report, a copy of which the utility provided to Reuters, identified the facility involved as a company-owned transmission tower near a traffic intersection in the foothills where the Saddleridge fire is thought to have erupted. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Captain Erik Scott said Monday that the cause of the fire was uncertain. But he said investigators had traced the fire's origin to a slope beneath the high-voltage tower near Saddle Ridge Road. The Southern California Edison report does not state whether the tower is suspected of sparking the blaze, or whether the tower or the power lines were damaged by high winds that quickly spread the flames over thousands of acres. But the Edison spokeswoman, Susan Cox, confirmed that the tower in question belonged to the utility. Edison had turned off power to some customers across the region as a precaution last week after extreme winds and dry weather raised the risk of wildfire. But a utility spokeswoman was quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Edison "did not de-energize any power for the Saddleridge fire area." In Northern California, utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&E) faced increasing criticism from the governor and state regulators on Monday for its own wide-scale precautionary power shutdown, which preceded Edison's by about a day but was seen as being poorly managed and communicated. The Public Utility Commission on Monday ordered PG&E to undertake immediate "corrective actions," and Newsom called for the company to provide credits or rebates to affected customers. PG&E Corp CEO Bill Johnson defended his company's actions, conceding "areas where we fell short" during the power cutoff but insisting PG&E made "the right decision." He also noted that there were "no catastrophic wildfires" in the utility's service area last week. The Saddleridge fire was the latest in a string of severe California wildfires for which electrical utility equipment has been scrutinized as a possible flashpoint. The blaze scorched nearly 8,000 acres, threatening more than 17,000 homes and triggered the evacuation of 100,000 people before a change in the weather helped firefighters subdue the conflagration over the weekend. At last count, 75 homes or other structures were damaged or destroyed, and a man suffered a fatal heart attack while trying to defend his property from the flames. Edison's power lines were determined to have been the ignition source for a much larger fire in December 2017 that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, northwest of Los Angeles. PG&E equipment was found to have sparked a flurry of wildfires that swept through wine country north of San Francisco Bay in 2017, as well as last year's devastating Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in and around the Northern California town of Paradise. PG&E, the state's largest investor-owned utility, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing more than $30 billion in potential liabilities from the fires.

Deadly Los Angeles wildfire began near base of electrical tower: Officials

<p>Firefighters battled to contain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unacceptable-power-cuts-blasted-as-california-fire-risk-spreads-south-255202">wildfires in southern California</a> on Saturday after about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-evacuated-as-california-wildfires-rage-255379">100,000 people were forced to evacuate</a> their homes.</p>

<p>The area was under a red flag warning of critical fire danger -- strong winds and very low humidity, the National Weather Service said.</p>

<p>The so-called Saddleridge fire that burned through the San Fernando Valley area of greater Los Angeles was the strongest of several across southern California.</p>

<p>By Saturday, it had consumed 7,551 acres&nbsp;about 32 kilometres&nbsp;north of downtown Los Angeles, fire officials said, adding that the blaze was about 19 per cent contained.</p>

<p>Some residents were allowed to return to their homes on Saturday as a forecast of cooler temperatures and lighter winds improved the outlook.</p>

<p>"We are prepared for any flare-ups as they occur," Los Angeles Fire captain Branden Silverman told local media on Saturday.</p>

<p>One man in his 50s died of a heart attack as he struggled to save his home, fire officials said.</p>

<p>Part of Los Angeles County was blanketed with smoke from the fire, prompting an advisory from air quality officials about unhealthy conditions.</p>

<p>The fire broke out Thursday night and quickly grew out of control for unknown reasons in the city of Sylmar, driven by low humidity and gusts known as the Santa Ana winds.</p>

<p>About 1,000 firefighters, backed by water-dropping helicopters and planes releasing fire retardants, had fought the blaze that forced the shutdown of several major highways.</p>

<p>The metro line in the area was also closed as were schools and businesses.</p>

<p>Some 200 firefighters battled several other blazes in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, including one that tore through a trailer park and was started by burning trash.</p>

<p>That blaze destroyed 76 homes and buildings and killed an 89-year-old woman who was unable to escape the flames.</p>

<p>Authorities ordered the evacuation of several hundred homes in the area.</p>

<p>The wildfires in the south of the state erupted as California's largest utility, Pacific Gas &amp; Electric (PG&amp;E), implemented rolling power blackouts that affected some two million people in northern California.</p>

<p>The shutoffs were designed to reduce the threat of wildfire that can be sparked by lines downed in heavy winds.</p>

<p>Last November, PG&amp;E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise.</p>


Firefighters battled to contain wildfires in southern California on Saturday after about 100,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. The area was under a red flag warning of critical fire danger -- strong winds and very low humidity, the National Weather Service said.

Firefighters battled to contain wildfires in southern California on Saturday after about 100,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. The area was under a red flag warning of critical fire danger -- strong winds and very low humidity, the National Weather Service said. The so-called Saddleridge fire that burned through the San Fernando Valley area of greater Los Angeles was the strongest of several across southern California. By Saturday, it had consumed 7,551 acres about 32 kilometres north of downtown Los Angeles, fire officials said, adding that the blaze was about 19 per cent contained. Some residents were allowed to return to their homes on Saturday as a forecast of cooler temperatures and lighter winds improved the outlook. "We are prepared for any flare-ups as they occur," Los Angeles Fire captain Branden Silverman told local media on Saturday. One man in his 50s died of a heart attack as he struggled to save his home, fire officials said. Part of Los Angeles County was blanketed with smoke from the fire, prompting an advisory from air quality officials about unhealthy conditions. The fire broke out Thursday night and quickly grew out of control for unknown reasons in the city of Sylmar, driven by low humidity and gusts known as the Santa Ana winds. About 1,000 firefighters, backed by water-dropping helicopters and planes releasing fire retardants, had fought the blaze that forced the shutdown of several major highways. The metro line in the area was also closed as were schools and businesses. Some 200 firefighters battled several other blazes in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, including one that tore through a trailer park and was started by burning trash. That blaze destroyed 76 homes and buildings and killed an 89-year-old woman who was unable to escape the flames. Authorities ordered the evacuation of several hundred homes in the area. The wildfires in the south of the state erupted as California's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), implemented rolling power blackouts that affected some two million people in northern California. The shutoffs were designed to reduce the threat of wildfire that can be sparked by lines downed in heavy winds. Last November, PG&E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Firefighters battle southern California wildfires; 100,000 evacuated

<p>Wind-driven wildfires forced the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unacceptable-power-cuts-blasted-as-california-fire-risk-spreads-south-255202">evacuation of about 100,000 people</a> in southern California Friday and destroyed dozens of structures and homes as authorities warned it could take days to extinguish the flames.</p>

<p>By Friday evening, the strongest blaze, dubbed the Saddleridge Fire, had consumed 7,542 acres in areas of the San Fernando Valley, about 32 kilometres&nbsp;north of downtown Los Angeles, fire officials said.</p>

<p>They added that it had damaged or destroyed at least 31 structures and was 13 per cent contained as of Friday evening.</p>

<p>One man in his 50s died of a heart attack as he struggled to save his home in the Porter Ranch area, fire officials said.</p>

<p>The fire quickly got out of control after it erupted late Thursday for unknown reasons in the city of Sylmar, driven by low humidity and gusts known as the Santa Ana winds.</p>

<p>"This is a very dynamic fire," Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas told a news conference.</p>

<p>"Do not wait to leave," he urged residents. "If we ask you to evacuate, please evacuate."</p>

<p>He said some 1,000 firefighters, backed by water-dropping helicopters and planes releasing fire retardants, were battling the blaze that forced the shutdown of several major highways. The metro line in the area was also closed as were schools and businesses.</p>

<p>"We've calculated that the fire is moving at a rate of 800 acres per hour," Terrazas said, adding that it would probably take days to get it under control.</p>

<p>Some 200 firefighters were meanwhile battling several other blazes in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, including one that tore through a trailer park and was started by burning trash. That blaze, dubbed the Sandalwood fire, destroyed 76 homes and buildings and killed an 89-year-old woman who was unable to escape the flames.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There were no immediate reports of injuries, but authorities ordered several hundred homes in the area be evacuated.</p>

<p>The National Weather Service said it expects the high winds fanning the flames to subside by Friday evening, making it easier for firefighters to do their work.</p>

<p>A red flag warning -- which indicates ripe conditions for wildfires -- remains in effect through Saturday.</p>

<p><strong>In the dark</strong></p>

<p>"That seems to be the new normal in California," lamented Sylmar resident Oscar Mancillas, as he helplessly watched the flames spread in the hillside near his home.</p>

<p>"I mean the vegetation is so dry... but we're kind of lucky because it didn't grow back from the last fire," he told AFP. "In California you have to be earthquake ready and you have to be fire ready... and for those of us who have a family, it's a little daunting sometimes."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The wildfires in the south erupted as California's largest utility, Pacific Gas &amp; Electric (PG&amp;E), implemented rolling power blackouts that affected some two million people in northern California this week.</p>

<p>About 312,000 customers remained in the dark Friday as a result of the shutoffs designed to reduce the threat of wildfire that can be sparked by lines downed in heavy winds.</p>

<p>Many schools and universities were also closed in northern parts of the state as people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, with frustration mounting at the blackouts condemned by some as "third world."</p>

<p>"We're seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience," Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, blaming decades of what he called neglect and mismanagement by PG&amp;E.</p>

<p>"This is not, from my perspective, a climate change story as much as a story about greed and mismanagement over the course of decades," Newsom said. "Neglect, a desire to advance not public safety but profits."</p>

<p>PG&amp;E has defended the outages as necessary for safety reasons and has said it will take days before power is restored to all customers as inspections must be conducted on all power lines and equipment before the lights can be turned back on.</p>

<p>"This is not how we want to serve you but blackouts can happen again," Bill Johnson, the CEO of the company said Thursday.</p>

<p>Last November, PG&amp;E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise.</p>


Wind-driven wildfires forced the evacuation of about 100,000 people in southern California Friday and destroyed dozens of structures and homes as authorities warned it could take days to extinguish the flames.

Wind-driven wildfires forced the evacuation of about 100,000 people in southern California Friday and destroyed dozens of structures and homes as authorities warned it could take days to extinguish the flames. By Friday evening, the strongest blaze, dubbed the Saddleridge Fire, had consumed 7,542 acres in areas of the San Fernando Valley, about 32 kilometres north of downtown Los Angeles, fire officials said. They added that it had damaged or destroyed at least 31 structures and was 13 per cent contained as of Friday evening. One man in his 50s died of a heart attack as he struggled to save his home in the Porter Ranch area, fire officials said. The fire quickly got out of control after it erupted late Thursday for unknown reasons in the city of Sylmar, driven by low humidity and gusts known as the Santa Ana winds. "This is a very dynamic fire," Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas told a news conference. "Do not wait to leave," he urged residents. "If we ask you to evacuate, please evacuate." He said some 1,000 firefighters, backed by water-dropping helicopters and planes releasing fire retardants, were battling the blaze that forced the shutdown of several major highways. The metro line in the area was also closed as were schools and businesses. "We've calculated that the fire is moving at a rate of 800 acres per hour," Terrazas said, adding that it would probably take days to get it under control. Some 200 firefighters were meanwhile battling several other blazes in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, including one that tore through a trailer park and was started by burning trash. That blaze, dubbed the Sandalwood fire, destroyed 76 homes and buildings and killed an 89-year-old woman who was unable to escape the flames. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but authorities ordered several hundred homes in the area be evacuated. The National Weather Service said it expects the high winds fanning the flames to subside by Friday evening, making it easier for firefighters to do their work. A red flag warning -- which indicates ripe conditions for wildfires -- remains in effect through Saturday. In the dark "That seems to be the new normal in California," lamented Sylmar resident Oscar Mancillas, as he helplessly watched the flames spread in the hillside near his home. "I mean the vegetation is so dry... but we're kind of lucky because it didn't grow back from the last fire," he told AFP. "In California you have to be earthquake ready and you have to be fire ready... and for those of us who have a family, it's a little daunting sometimes." The wildfires in the south erupted as California's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), implemented rolling power blackouts that affected some two million people in northern California this week. About 312,000 customers remained in the dark Friday as a result of the shutoffs designed to reduce the threat of wildfire that can be sparked by lines downed in heavy winds. Many schools and universities were also closed in northern parts of the state as people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, with frustration mounting at the blackouts condemned by some as "third world." "We're seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience," Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, blaming decades of what he called neglect and mismanagement by PG&E. "This is not, from my perspective, a climate change story as much as a story about greed and mismanagement over the course of decades," Newsom said. "Neglect, a desire to advance not public safety but profits." PG&E has defended the outages as necessary for safety reasons and has said it will take days before power is restored to all customers as inspections must be conducted on all power lines and equipment before the lights can be turned back on. "This is not how we want to serve you but blackouts can happen again," Bill Johnson, the CEO of the company said Thursday. Last November, PG&E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Tens of thousands evacuated as California wildfires rage

<p>American stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Hart who met with an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/actor-kevin-hart-injured-in-los-angeles-car-accident-247081">accident last month</a> finally opened up about the incident in a statement.<br />
<br />
The 40-year-old actor who suffered major back injuries in a crash in the Los Angeles area issued a new statement released through his attorney Andrew Brettler, where he addressed the two other individuals, Jared Black and Rebecca Broxterman, who was also involved in the violent crash. "I have nothing but love for Jared and wish him and Rebecca a speedy recovery," he shared.<br />
<br />
The actor was hospitalized for 10 days before being discharged to undergo physical therapy at a rehabilitation facility. Several weeks ago, after Hart was released from the hospital, the star's wife Eniko Hart, with whom he shares a son, gave a positive update about the actor's condition". He's doing well, thank you,&nbsp;she told paparazzi.<br />
<br />
"We're just taking it one day at a time...He'll be back on track in no time". Meanwhile, his attorney remarks that despite recent reports of his professional comeback, Hart is not officially "back to work." Instead, the news agency website was told that Hart only shot promos for the upcoming 'Jumanji'&nbsp;sequel for a few hours this past week.&nbsp;</p>


American stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Hart who met with an accident last month finally opened up about the incident in a statement. The 40-year-old actor who suffered major back injuries in a crash in the Los Angeles area issued a new statement released through his attorney Andrew Brettler, where he addressed the two other individuals, Jared Black and Rebecca Broxterman, who was also involved in the violent crash.

American stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Hart who met with an accident last month finally opened up about the incident in a statement. The 40-year-old actor who suffered major back injuries in a crash in the Los Angeles area issued a new statement released through his attorney Andrew Brettler, where he addressed the two other individuals, Jared Black and Rebecca Broxterman, who was also involved in the violent crash. "I have nothing but love for Jared and wish him and Rebecca a speedy recovery," he shared. The actor was hospitalized for 10 days before being discharged to undergo physical therapy at a rehabilitation facility. Several weeks ago, after Hart was released from the hospital, the star's wife Eniko Hart, with whom he shares a son, gave a positive update about the actor's condition". He's doing well, thank you, she told paparazzi. "We're just taking it one day at a time...He'll be back on track in no time". Meanwhile, his attorney remarks that despite recent reports of his professional comeback, Hart is not officially "back to work." Instead, the news agency website was told that Hart only shot promos for the upcoming 'Jumanji' sequel for a few hours this past week.

Kevin Hart breaks his silence over car crash incident

<p>Joaquin Phoenix-starrer&nbsp; 'Joker'&nbsp;has been hogging the limelight ever since its inception. While the actor has received rave reviews for his portrayal of the iconic Batman villain, the film has been facing flak amid fears that it could trigger violence. And as the controversy surrounding the film refuses to die down, it has been hit with another setback.<br />
<br />
A movie theater in Huntington Beach, California, cancelled the screenings of&nbsp; 'Joker'&nbsp;on Thursday night after a 'credible'&nbsp;threat was reported to the police, the Huntington Beach Police Department said on Friday, reported Variety.<br />
<br />
The final two screenings of the movie at the Century Huntington Beach and XD theater in the Bella Terra shopping centre were cancelled after officers were sent to the scene. The showings resumed on Friday.<br />
<br />
The Huntington Beach Police Department said in a statement that it had received information about a threat to the Century Theater in response to the opening of the DC film.<br />
<br />
"The police department deemed the threat was credible enough to provide a uniformed presence at the theater," the statement said.<br />
<br />
"As the investigation continued, our officers worked with the managers of the theater, who determined they would cancel the final two showings of the movie and close the theater out of an abundance of caution. Based on the investigation, and in working with theater management, it was determined that the theater could safely reopen and resume normal operation," the statement added.<br />
<br />
The police did not reveal any details about the nature of the threat. Although the screenings resumed, the police said that "The Huntington Beach Police Department will provide patrols at Century Theater for the rest of this weekend" .<br />
<br />
"We are working in conjunction with the theater's management as well as mall security to provide a safe environment for the public. This incident is currently under investigation, and no further details will be provided," the police added.<br />
<br />
The film's main themes of mental illness and its relationship to violence have caused theatres and law enforcement to worry about the message 'Joker'&nbsp;is sending. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/joker-review-joaquin-phoenix-is-terrific-in-an-extremely-disturbing-film-253248">Read movie review here</a><br />
<br />
'Joker'&nbsp;features a new take on the comic book character's origin story, and follows an aspiring stand-up comedian called Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) whose mental health issues escalate, ultimately leading him to a life of criminality.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Apart from Phoenix, the movie also features Robert De Niro, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham.<br />
<br />
The film is getting early Oscar buzz after winning the Golden Lion, the Venice International Film Festival's top award. '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/joaquin-phoenix-starrer-joker-gets-eight-minute-standing-ovation-at-venice-film-festival-247145">Joker'&nbsp;also received an eight-minute standing ovation</a> at its Venice Film Festival premiere.&nbsp;</p>


Joaquin Phoenix-starrer 'Joker' has been hogging the limelight ever since its inception. While the actor has received rave reviews for his portrayal of the iconic Batman villain, the film has been facing flak amid fears that it could trigger violence.

Joaquin Phoenix-starrer 'Joker' has been hogging the limelight ever since its inception. While the actor has received rave reviews for his portrayal of the iconic Batman villain, the film has been facing flak amid fears that it could trigger violence. And as the controversy surrounding the film refuses to die down, it has been hit with another setback. A movie theater in Huntington Beach, California, cancelled the screenings of 'Joker' on Thursday night after a 'credible' threat was reported to the police, the Huntington Beach Police Department said on Friday, reported Variety. The final two screenings of the movie at the Century Huntington Beach and XD theater in the Bella Terra shopping centre were cancelled after officers were sent to the scene. The showings resumed on Friday. The Huntington Beach Police Department said in a statement that it had received information about a threat to the Century Theater in response to the opening of the DC film. "The police department deemed the threat was credible enough to provide a uniformed presence at the theater," the statement said. "As the investigation continued, our officers worked with the managers of the theater, who determined they would cancel the final two showings of the movie and close the theater out of an abundance of caution. Based on the investigation, and in working with theater management, it was determined that the theater could safely reopen and resume normal operation," the statement added. The police did not reveal any details about the nature of the threat. Although the screenings resumed, the police said that "The Huntington Beach Police Department will provide patrols at Century Theater for the rest of this weekend" . "We are working in conjunction with the theater's management as well as mall security to provide a safe environment for the public. This incident is currently under investigation, and no further details will be provided," the police added. The film's main themes of mental illness and its relationship to violence have caused theatres and law enforcement to worry about the message 'Joker' is sending. Read movie review here 'Joker' features a new take on the comic book character's origin story, and follows an aspiring stand-up comedian called Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) whose mental health issues escalate, ultimately leading him to a life of criminality. Apart from Phoenix, the movie also features Robert De Niro, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham. The film is getting early Oscar buzz after winning the Golden Lion, the Venice International Film Festival's top award. 'Joker' also received an eight-minute standing ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere.

'Joker' screenings at Los Angeles area theatre cancelled after credible threat

<p>Singer Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez who recently threw a lavish engagement party, shared their favourite moments from the event.<br />
<br />
Two days after their celebration, the couple shared sweet pictures of their respective daughters, Emme Maribel, and Ella Alexander, from the night.<br />
<br />
In one of the pictures, the 50-year-old singer who wore a ruffled sleeve white dress is seen giving a sweet kiss to her fiancee Rodriguez who went formal for the occasion.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AooAMAmtU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Thank you Carol and Bob for the most beautifully elegant night...we love you 🌸 💗#engagementparty @carolebayersager @arod</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jlo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Jennifer Lopez</a> (@jlo) on <time datetime="2019-09-29T21:17:55+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Sep 29, 2019 at 2:17pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>"Thank you, Carol and Bob, for the most beautifully elegant night...we love you," she captioned the picture.<br />
<br />
In the second snap, the family of four can be seen sharing a good moment together. '9/27/19',&nbsp;the mother of two captioned the family picture.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AopU8AdpA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">💕💕💕 9/27/19 💕💕💕</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jlo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Jennifer Lopez</a> (@jlo) on <time datetime="2019-09-29T21:18:05+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Sep 29, 2019 at 2:18pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>Lopez is a mother to 11-year-old twins Maximilian David and Emme, both of whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, while Rodriguez shares daughters Ella, 11, and Natasha Alexander, 14, with ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis.<br />
<br />
The couple had a party in Los Angeles on Friday to toast their engagement with their blended family and friends.&nbsp;</p>


Singer Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez who recently threw a lavish engagement party, shared their favourite moments from the event. Two days after their celebration, the couple shared sweet pictures of their respective daughters, Emme Maribel, and Ella Alexander, from the night.

Singer Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez who recently threw a lavish engagement party, shared their favourite moments from the event. Two days after their celebration, the couple shared sweet pictures of their respective daughters, Emme Maribel, and Ella Alexander, from the night. In one of the pictures, the 50-year-old singer who wore a ruffled sleeve white dress is seen giving a sweet kiss to her fiancee Rodriguez who went formal for the occasion. View this post on Instagram Thank you Carol and Bob for the most beautifully elegant night...we love you 🌸 💗#engagementparty @carolebayersager @arod A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Sep 29, 2019 at 2:17pm PDT × "Thank you, Carol and Bob, for the most beautifully elegant night...we love you," she captioned the picture. In the second snap, the family of four can be seen sharing a good moment together. '9/27/19', the mother of two captioned the family picture. View this post on Instagram 💕💕💕 9/27/19 💕💕💕 A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Sep 29, 2019 at 2:18pm PDT × Lopez is a mother to 11-year-old twins Maximilian David and Emme, both of whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, while Rodriguez shares daughters Ella, 11, and Natasha Alexander, 14, with ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis. The couple had a party in Los Angeles on Friday to toast their engagement with their blended family and friends.

Jennifer Lopez shares beautiful moments from engagement party

<p>Before walking up the aisle and exchanging vows, American singer Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez celebrated their love in the lavish engagement party.<br />
<br />
On Friday night, the celebrity power couple celebrated their love with an engagement party, and it was chock-full of larger-than-life decorations, a star-studded guest list and many more.<br />
<br />
According to a source, legendary singer and songwriter Carole Bayer Sager hosted the luxurious party at her Bel Air home in Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
"It was a dimly lit party with candles everywhere, white flowers and purple lighting," the insider explained of the decor.<br />
<br />
"It was held both indoors and outdoors". Additionally, the source told a news&nbsp;agency that the couple showed up with their kids and celebrated their close-knitted special night with friends and family, including Leah Remini, Benny Medina, and Angelo Pagan.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2-ukF3g3Dd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">So great celebrating with family and close friends last night. ❤️</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/arod/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Alex Rodriguez</a> (@arod) on <time datetime="2019-09-29T03:31:19+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Sep 28, 2019 at 8:31pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>"It was a chance for all of their friends in LA to celebrate their engagement", the insider said. Moreover, giving detailed information about the decor, the source added that "there was a seated dinner and lots of toasts to Jennifer and Alex".<br />
<br />
As for the actor's outfit,&nbsp;she "looked gorgeous in a one-shoulder dress, and [had] her hair in a side part," while Alex looked dapper in a black suit.<br />
<br />
The news of their&nbsp;engagement party comes nearly six months after A-Rod got down on one knee and proposed Lopez.</p>

<p>While the pair have been pretty tight-lipped about their wedding plans, earlier this month, the retired baseball star gave fans a clue about what he and his leading lady have set for their big day.&nbsp;</p>


Before walking up the aisle and exchanging vows, American singer Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez celebrated their love in the lavish engagement party. On Friday night, the celebrity power couple celebrated their love with an engagement party, and it was chock-full of larger-than-life decorations, a star-studded guest list and many more.

Before walking up the aisle and exchanging vows, American singer Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez celebrated their love in the lavish engagement party. On Friday night, the celebrity power couple celebrated their love with an engagement party, and it was chock-full of larger-than-life decorations, a star-studded guest list and many more. According to a source, legendary singer and songwriter Carole Bayer Sager hosted the luxurious party at her Bel Air home in Los Angeles. "It was a dimly lit party with candles everywhere, white flowers and purple lighting," the insider explained of the decor. "It was held both indoors and outdoors". Additionally, the source told a news agency that the couple showed up with their kids and celebrated their close-knitted special night with friends and family, including Leah Remini, Benny Medina, and Angelo Pagan. View this post on Instagram So great celebrating with family and close friends last night. ❤️ A post shared by Alex Rodriguez (@arod) on Sep 28, 2019 at 8:31pm PDT × "It was a chance for all of their friends in LA to celebrate their engagement", the insider said. Moreover, giving detailed information about the decor, the source added that "there was a seated dinner and lots of toasts to Jennifer and Alex". As for the actor's outfit, she "looked gorgeous in a one-shoulder dress, and [had] her hair in a side part," while Alex looked dapper in a black suit. The news of their engagement party comes nearly six months after A-Rod got down on one knee and proposed Lopez. While the pair have been pretty tight-lipped about their wedding plans, earlier this month, the retired baseball star gave fans a clue about what he and his leading lady have set for their big day.

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez celebrate love in lavish engagement bash

<p>At least four people were killed and up to 15 others critically injured when a bus transporting Chinese tourists crashed on Friday near Bryce Canyon National Park in the western US state of Utah, local authorities said.</p>

<p>The Utah Highway Patrol said the crash took place in the morning about seven miles from the park entrance, forcing the road to be shut as ambulances and rescue vehicles rushed to the site.</p>

<p>It said a total of 30 people, including the driver, were on board the bus as it headed to the famous park.</p>

<p>"Four have been killed 12-15 with critical injuries and 10 more with minor to serious injuries," the Highway Patrol said in a tweet.</p>

<p>It posted pictures of the mangled bus, with its roof partly caved in, lying on the side of the main highway leading to the park entrance.</p>

<p>"The bus was traveling eastbound when it ran off the road and rolled into the guardrail," the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook message that described the crash as "horrible."</p>

<p>It said the injured were transported to various hospitals, some by helicopter.</p>

<p>China's embassy in Washington said on Twitter that it had initiated its emergency protocols and sent personnel to assist the victims.</p>

<p>Utah Governor Gary Hart expressed sadness over the tragedy.</p>

<p>"My heart sank when I heard the news that a tour bus crashed near Bryce Canyon," he said in a tweet. "I grieve with all who lost loved ones in this crash and I'm grateful for the quick work of first responders, as well as all those who are volunteering to act as translators."</p>

<p>Bryce Canyon is one of the most visited national parks in the US, attracting some 1.5 million tourists every year</p>


At least four people were killed and up to 15 others critically injured when a bus transporting Chinese tourists crashed on Friday near Bryce Canyon National Park in the western US state of Utah, local authorities said.

At least four people were killed and up to 15 others critically injured when a bus transporting Chinese tourists crashed on Friday near Bryce Canyon National Park in the western US state of Utah, local authorities said. The Utah Highway Patrol said the crash took place in the morning about seven miles from the park entrance, forcing the road to be shut as ambulances and rescue vehicles rushed to the site. It said a total of 30 people, including the driver, were on board the bus as it headed to the famous park. "Four have been killed 12-15 with critical injuries and 10 more with minor to serious injuries," the Highway Patrol said in a tweet. It posted pictures of the mangled bus, with its roof partly caved in, lying on the side of the main highway leading to the park entrance. "The bus was traveling eastbound when it ran off the road and rolled into the guardrail," the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook message that described the crash as "horrible." It said the injured were transported to various hospitals, some by helicopter. China's embassy in Washington said on Twitter that it had initiated its emergency protocols and sent personnel to assist the victims. Utah Governor Gary Hart expressed sadness over the tragedy. "My heart sank when I heard the news that a tour bus crashed near Bryce Canyon," he said in a tweet. "I grieve with all who lost loved ones in this crash and I'm grateful for the quick work of first responders, as well as all those who are volunteering to act as translators." Bryce Canyon is one of the most visited national parks in the US, attracting some 1.5 million tourists every year

Four dead after bus carrying Chinese tourists crashes in Utah

<p>The trial of two men charged with deadly negligence over a 2016 fire that killed 36 people in the US state of California ended with an acquittal for one and a mistrial for the other.</p>

<p>Derick Almena, the leaseholder of the building known locally as the "Ghost Ship," a warehouse he had turned into a public space dedicated to music and art, and Max Harris, who helped him manage it, was tried for manslaughter and had faced nearly 40 years in prison.</p>

<p>The prosecution and the families of the victims, most people between the ages of 20 and 30, accused the two men of a series of criminal failures and negligence that they said resulted in the deaths during an electronic music concert in December 2016.</p>

<p>After several years of proceedings and two lawsuits, the jury acquitted Harris of all charges and was deadlocked over those against Almena.</p>

<p>The prosecution is to appear in court next month to say if they want to initiate a new trial against him.</p>

<p>Almena had rented the warehouse in Oakland, California three years before the fire and turned it into a collective for artists.</p>

<p>He also received rent from at least 25 tenants, according to the prosecution, without having equipped the structure with smoke detectors, alarms or fire-fighting systems.</p>

<p>The "Ghost Ship" was also packed floor to ceiling with sculptures, musical instruments, and furniture, all dotted with multiple electrical connections a flammable labyrinth that turned into a death trap for occupants when the fire broke out, prosecutors said.</p>

<p>The damage from the blaze was so severe that investigators could never determine the cause of the fire, which could have been triggered by a power failure, cigarette or candles.</p>

<p>Last year, Almena and Harris pleaded no contest to charges of involuntary manslaughter over the fire, which was expected to see the former serve nine years in prison and the latter six.</p>

<p>But a judge rejected the agreement, which was deemed unacceptable by many relatives of victims, and the case went to trial.</p>


The trial of two men charged with deadly negligence over a 2016 fire that killed 36 people in the US state of California ended with an acquittal for one and a mistrial for the other.

The trial of two men charged with deadly negligence over a 2016 fire that killed 36 people in the US state of California ended with an acquittal for one and a mistrial for the other. Derick Almena, the leaseholder of the building known locally as the "Ghost Ship," a warehouse he had turned into a public space dedicated to music and art, and Max Harris, who helped him manage it, was tried for manslaughter and had faced nearly 40 years in prison. The prosecution and the families of the victims, most people between the ages of 20 and 30, accused the two men of a series of criminal failures and negligence that they said resulted in the deaths during an electronic music concert in December 2016. After several years of proceedings and two lawsuits, the jury acquitted Harris of all charges and was deadlocked over those against Almena. The prosecution is to appear in court next month to say if they want to initiate a new trial against him. Almena had rented the warehouse in Oakland, California three years before the fire and turned it into a collective for artists. He also received rent from at least 25 tenants, according to the prosecution, without having equipped the structure with smoke detectors, alarms or fire-fighting systems. The "Ghost Ship" was also packed floor to ceiling with sculptures, musical instruments, and furniture, all dotted with multiple electrical connections a flammable labyrinth that turned into a death trap for occupants when the fire broke out, prosecutors said. The damage from the blaze was so severe that investigators could never determine the cause of the fire, which could have been triggered by a power failure, cigarette or candles. Last year, Almena and Harris pleaded no contest to charges of involuntary manslaughter over the fire, which was expected to see the former serve nine years in prison and the latter six. But a judge rejected the agreement, which was deemed unacceptable by many relatives of victims, and the case went to trial.

No convictions in trial for deadly California 'Ghost Ship' fire

<p>A Los Angeles man who prosecutors say sold counterfeit oxycodone to rapper Mac Miller two days before his death from an accidental drug overdose was arrested on Wednesday on federal charges.<br />
<br />
Cameron James Pettit, 28, is accused of selling Miller, the former boyfriend of pop star Ariana Grande, fentanyl-laced pills early on the morning of Sept. 5, 2018, federal prosecutors said.<br />
<br />
The 26-year-old performer, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home on the morning of Sept. 7. He was pronounced dead at the scene.<br />
<br />
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled his death accidental following an autopsy.<br />
<br />
Miller had spoken openly of his drug addiction in interviews and in his music, and dated Grande, 25, for about two years before the couple split earlier this year. Grande later released a song in which she sings affectionately of him.<br />
<br />
Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid about 100 times more powerful than morphine.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


A Los Angeles man who prosecutors say sold counterfeit oxycodone to rapper Mac Miller two days before his death from an accidental drug overdose was arrested on Wednesday on federal charges.

A Los Angeles man who prosecutors say sold counterfeit oxycodone to rapper Mac Miller two days before his death from an accidental drug overdose was arrested on Wednesday on federal charges. Cameron James Pettit, 28, is accused of selling Miller, the former boyfriend of pop star Ariana Grande, fentanyl-laced pills early on the morning of Sept. 5, 2018, federal prosecutors said. The 26-year-old performer, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home on the morning of Sept. 7. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled his death accidental following an autopsy. Miller had spoken openly of his drug addiction in interviews and in his music, and dated Grande, 25, for about two years before the couple split earlier this year. Grande later released a song in which she sings affectionately of him. Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid about 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Mac Miller drug dealer arrested from Los Angeles over supplying pills to the rapper

Los Angeles comedian Kurt Braunohler has performed stand-up sets in cargo trucks, school buses and even gondolas, but his latest venture scales things down even further: a four-minute comedy show inside your car as it goes through a car wash. In a city known for its car culture and notorious traffic, Braunohler said a show inside people's vehicles was the "most L.A. set-up" he could imagine.

No dirty jokes please: Comics find a new stage inside LA car wash

Pop star Katy Perry patiently watched and smiled off to the side as her fiance took selfies and signed autographs with fans lined up for the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon's latest series, "Carnival Row" (21 AUG 2019).

A smiling Katy Perry joins Orlando Bloom for the premiere of ‘Carnival Row’

<p>Four people were shot dead and two wounded on Thursday in a shooting spree that spread across four three Los Angeles neighbourhoods and touched off a 12-hour manhunt before police tackled and arrested an armed suspect.</p>

<p>A Los Angeles police spokesman identified the suspect as Gerry Zaragoza, 26, and said he was held on pending murder charges in the shooting deaths of his father and brother, and the wounding of his mother with a gunshot. The spokesman did not identify the victims.</p>

<p>The shooting spree started at an apartment the suspect shared with his parents at about 2am on Thursday in LA's Canoga Park, police said.</p>

<p>Police said the suspect also allegedly shot and killed a woman he knew at a gas station in North Hollywood about 45 minutes later, but did not characterize their relationship.</p>

<p>Some media referred to her as a former girlfriend, others as an acquaintance.</p>

<p>At the same time, he allegedly shot and wounded a gas station clerk. The man was shot five times and was in critical condition, the Los Angeles Times and other media reported.</p>

<p>Later, at about 7:45 a.m., police said Zaragoza allegedly shot a gardener he tried to rob at an ATM machine. And at about 1 p.m. he allegedly shot and killed a man on a bus in the Van Nuys neighbourhood, police said.</p>

<p>Media reports say he did not know the man on the bus and that the shooting appeared to be random.</p>

<p>The Los Angeles Times reported that Zaragoza was arrested in Canoga Park after being tackled by plainclothes officers about 2:30 p.m. Police used a taser to subdue him.</p>

<p>An LAPD spokesman had no information on any bond set for Zaragoza but said he remained in police custody early Friday. It was unclear if he had an attorney.</p>


Four people were shot dead and two wounded on Thursday in a shooting spree that spread across four three Los Angeles neighbourhoods and touched off a 12-hour manhunt before police tackled and arrested an armed suspect.

Four people were shot dead and two wounded on Thursday in a shooting spree that spread across four three Los Angeles neighbourhoods and touched off a 12-hour manhunt before police tackled and arrested an armed suspect. A Los Angeles police spokesman identified the suspect as Gerry Zaragoza, 26, and said he was held on pending murder charges in the shooting deaths of his father and brother, and the wounding of his mother with a gunshot. The spokesman did not identify the victims. The shooting spree started at an apartment the suspect shared with his parents at about 2am on Thursday in LA's Canoga Park, police said. Police said the suspect also allegedly shot and killed a woman he knew at a gas station in North Hollywood about 45 minutes later, but did not characterize their relationship. Some media referred to her as a former girlfriend, others as an acquaintance. At the same time, he allegedly shot and wounded a gas station clerk. The man was shot five times and was in critical condition, the Los Angeles Times and other media reported. Later, at about 7:45 a.m., police said Zaragoza allegedly shot a gardener he tried to rob at an ATM machine. And at about 1 p.m. he allegedly shot and killed a man on a bus in the Van Nuys neighbourhood, police said. Media reports say he did not know the man on the bus and that the shooting appeared to be random. The Los Angeles Times reported that Zaragoza was arrested in Canoga Park after being tackled by plainclothes officers about 2:30 p.m. Police used a taser to subdue him. An LAPD spokesman had no information on any bond set for Zaragoza but said he remained in police custody early Friday. It was unclear if he had an attorney.

Four people shot dead, two wounded in Los Angeles shooting spree

A strong earthquake hit the Ridgecrest, Southern California. Watch this video to know more.

Breaking: Strong earthquake hits Ridgecrest, Southern California

<p>Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre.</p>

<p>The powerful magnitude<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-california-hit-by-powerful-71-magnitude-earthquake-233468&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPz7PRqKDjAhXz63MBHbRMCwQQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hOcDom0nBm07h94OFpz-P"> 7.1 tremor</a> rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday night, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that had struck the same area 34 hours earlier.</p>

<p>California Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) on its highest alert.</p>

<p>"We have significant reports of fires, structural fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks," OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told a late-night news conference on Friday.</p>

<p>The quake also caused water main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, a city of about 27,000 that lies about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles.</p>

<p>No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from either quake, police said. But Ghilarducci said the full extent of damage would not be known before daybreak on Saturday.</p>

<p>"This was a very large earthquake, and we also know there's going to be a series of aftershocks as a result of the main quake," Ghilarducci said, adding his agency faced a "challenge" getting needed resources to the isolated quake zone. "This is not going to be something that's going to be over right away."</p>

<p><strong>WIDELY FELT, MORE TO COME</strong></p>

<p>Friday's earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, were shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona.</p>

<p>Seismologists said the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-california-rocked-by-powerful-64-magnitude-earthquake-in-two-decades-233096&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPz7PRqKDjAhXz63MBHbRMCwQQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gBGSgwvHYPMRbETMG3vvM">initial quake on Thursday</a>, and dozens of smaller ones that followed it proved to be foreshocks to Friday's much larger temblor, which now ranks as Southern California's most powerful since a 7.1 quake that struck near a US&nbsp;Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert in 1999.</p>

<p>The US&nbsp;Geological Survey said Friday's big quake was immediately followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater and warned of a 50 per cent chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead.</p>

<p>South of Ridgecrest, there were reports of a building collapse and gas leaks in the small town of Trona, home to about 2,000 residents, Ghilarducci said.</p>

<p>A rockslide closed State Road 178 in Kern County, and video footage posted on Twitter showed a stretch of road had buckled.</p>

<p>Luke Smith, owner of Furys Sports Bar in Ridgecrest, said in a phone interview that Friday's quake shook tiles loose from the ceiling, slightly damaging his bar and knocking down some bottles.</p>

<p>Southern California's Metrolink commuter rail service reported delays on several of its lines for precautionary track inspections due to Friday's earthquake.</p>

<p>The last major destructive quake to hit Southern California was the 6.7 magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, which struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles. It killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage.</p>

<p>The comparatively limited extent of damage from Friday's quake, packing greater force than the Northridge event, was a function of its location in a remote, less developed area.</p>

<p>It's ground motion, however, startled seismically-jaded Southern Californians over a wide region.</p>

<p>Pools in Los Angeles sloshed wildly, and TV cameras at major league baseball's Dodger Stadium were shaking as they filmed the night game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.</p>

<p>A television anchorwoman ducked under her desk in midst of a local newscast as shouts of "get under a desk" were heard in the background.</p>


Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre.

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre. The powerful magnitude 7.1 tremor rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday night, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that had struck the same area 34 hours earlier. California Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) on its highest alert. "We have significant reports of fires, structural fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks," OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told a late-night news conference on Friday. The quake also caused water main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, a city of about 27,000 that lies about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from either quake, police said. But Ghilarducci said the full extent of damage would not be known before daybreak on Saturday. "This was a very large earthquake, and we also know there's going to be a series of aftershocks as a result of the main quake," Ghilarducci said, adding his agency faced a "challenge" getting needed resources to the isolated quake zone. "This is not going to be something that's going to be over right away." WIDELY FELT, MORE TO COME Friday's earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, were shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona. Seismologists said the initial quake on Thursday, and dozens of smaller ones that followed it proved to be foreshocks to Friday's much larger temblor, which now ranks as Southern California's most powerful since a 7.1 quake that struck near a US Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert in 1999. The US Geological Survey said Friday's big quake was immediately followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater and warned of a 50 per cent chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead. South of Ridgecrest, there were reports of a building collapse and gas leaks in the small town of Trona, home to about 2,000 residents, Ghilarducci said. A rockslide closed State Road 178 in Kern County, and video footage posted on Twitter showed a stretch of road had buckled. Luke Smith, owner of Furys Sports Bar in Ridgecrest, said in a phone interview that Friday's quake shook tiles loose from the ceiling, slightly damaging his bar and knocking down some bottles. Southern California's Metrolink commuter rail service reported delays on several of its lines for precautionary track inspections due to Friday's earthquake. The last major destructive quake to hit Southern California was the 6.7 magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, which struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles. It killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage. The comparatively limited extent of damage from Friday's quake, packing greater force than the Northridge event, was a function of its location in a remote, less developed area. It's ground motion, however, startled seismically-jaded Southern Californians over a wide region. Pools in Los Angeles sloshed wildly, and TV cameras at major league baseball's Dodger Stadium were shaking as they filmed the night game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. A television anchorwoman ducked under her desk in midst of a local newscast as shouts of "get under a desk" were heard in the background.

California desert braces for aftershocks from major 7.1 quake

<p>Automobile industry legend Lee Iacocca, who is credited with creating the iconic Ford Mustang and saving Chrysler from bankruptcy, died Tuesday at the age of 94, US media reported.</p>

<p>Iacocca died at his home in Bel-Air, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles, from complications of Parkinson's disease, his family told local media.</p>

<p>Chrysler said in a statement that the company "is saddened" by news of Iacocca's death.</p>

<p>"He played a historic role in steering Chrysler through the crisis and making it a competitive force," the statement read.</p>

<p>"Lee gave us a mindset that still drives us today one that is characterized by hard work, dedication and grit. His legacy is the resilience and unshakeable faith in the future that live on" in the company's employees.</p>

<p><strong>The man behind the Ford Mustang&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Iacocca began his career in 1946 at the Ford Motor Company, first as an engineer and then in sales.</p>

<p>It was his talent in marketing that helped realize his full potential.</p>

<p>Iacocca's first sales campaign in the mid-1950s was so successful that it attracted the attention of company executives and brought him to the Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.</p>

<p>Iacocca had reaped in massive sales over his career, particularly with the Ford Mustang that he designed in 1957.</p>

<p>However, he was accused of plotting against Chairman Henry Ford II in a quest to reach the top company position.</p>

<p>In a 1992 interview, when Iacocca was asked about the seemingly Machiavellian scheme, he snapped back with characteristic sharpness: "Machiavelli my ass!"</p>

<p>Ford fired him in 1978 -- so Iacocca moved to the floundering Chrysler Corporation.</p>

<p><strong>&nbsp;'If you see a better car, buy it!'&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>In 1979, the US government bailed Chrysler out of a potential bankruptcy with $1.5 billion in secured loans. Iacocca took the reins once more and implemented a painful restructuring process.</p>

<p>He had twisted Congress's arm for the loan, and he successfully brought Chrysler back from the brink - then paid off the loan ahead of schedule.</p>

<p>Under his leadership, Chrysler invented the minivan and later the suburban utility vehicle (SUV).</p>

<p>His famous line in Chrysler ads "If you find a better car, buy it!" he would say, pointing at the viewer turned him into a legend.</p>

<p>Iacocca fierce anti-Japanese views he viewed their commercial practices as detrimental to the US at the time earned him support from Democrats and labour unions.</p>

<p>But by the late 1980s, Chrysler took a downturn, and thousands of employees were laid off in order to save the company.</p>

<p>He left Chrysler at the start of the 1990s, and later launched an ultimately unsuccessful hostile takeover bid of the company with billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.</p>

<p>Iacocca said that the Great Depression of the 1930s had a lasting impact on his outlook, especially after his family &nbsp;Italian immigrants lost everything.</p>

<p>"The Depression turned me into a materialist. I was after the bucks," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When Chrysler was in trouble, he accepted a $1 salary. But when the company recovered, he took home as much as $20 million a year.</p>

<p>"No matter what you have," he once said, "it's never enough."</p>


Automobile industry legend Lee Iacocca, who is credited with creating the iconic Ford Mustang and saving Chrysler from bankruptcy, died Tuesday at the age of 94, US media reported.

Automobile industry legend Lee Iacocca, who is credited with creating the iconic Ford Mustang and saving Chrysler from bankruptcy, died Tuesday at the age of 94, US media reported. Iacocca died at his home in Bel-Air, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles, from complications of Parkinson's disease, his family told local media. Chrysler said in a statement that the company "is saddened" by news of Iacocca's death. "He played a historic role in steering Chrysler through the crisis and making it a competitive force," the statement read. "Lee gave us a mindset that still drives us today one that is characterized by hard work, dedication and grit. His legacy is the resilience and unshakeable faith in the future that live on" in the company's employees. The man behind the Ford Mustang Iacocca began his career in 1946 at the Ford Motor Company, first as an engineer and then in sales. It was his talent in marketing that helped realize his full potential. Iacocca's first sales campaign in the mid-1950s was so successful that it attracted the attention of company executives and brought him to the Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Iacocca had reaped in massive sales over his career, particularly with the Ford Mustang that he designed in 1957. However, he was accused of plotting against Chairman Henry Ford II in a quest to reach the top company position. In a 1992 interview, when Iacocca was asked about the seemingly Machiavellian scheme, he snapped back with characteristic sharpness: "Machiavelli my ass!" Ford fired him in 1978 -- so Iacocca moved to the floundering Chrysler Corporation. 'If you see a better car, buy it!' In 1979, the US government bailed Chrysler out of a potential bankruptcy with $1.5 billion in secured loans. Iacocca took the reins once more and implemented a painful restructuring process. He had twisted Congress's arm for the loan, and he successfully brought Chrysler back from the brink - then paid off the loan ahead of schedule. Under his leadership, Chrysler invented the minivan and later the suburban utility vehicle (SUV). His famous line in Chrysler ads "If you find a better car, buy it!" he would say, pointing at the viewer turned him into a legend. Iacocca fierce anti-Japanese views he viewed their commercial practices as detrimental to the US at the time earned him support from Democrats and labour unions. But by the late 1980s, Chrysler took a downturn, and thousands of employees were laid off in order to save the company. He left Chrysler at the start of the 1990s, and later launched an ultimately unsuccessful hostile takeover bid of the company with billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. Iacocca said that the Great Depression of the 1930s had a lasting impact on his outlook, especially after his family Italian immigrants lost everything. "The Depression turned me into a materialist. I was after the bucks," he said. When Chrysler was in trouble, he accepted a $1 salary. But when the company recovered, he took home as much as $20 million a year. "No matter what you have," he once said, "it's never enough."

United States auto industry legend Lee Iacocca dies age 94

CatCon, a two-day festival where promoters estimate a record number of humans will gather to celebrate their favorite things – felines. The event, held this weekend (29-30 June 2019) just outside Los Angeles in nearby Pasadena, is the brainchild of Susan Michals.

World's largest cat-centric event taking place in Pasadena

<p>San Francisco on Tuesday became the first major US city to effectively ban the sale and manufacture of electronic cigarettes, as concerns grow over a sharp rise in vaping among youths.</p>

<p>The city's legislature unanimously approved an ordinance suspending the sale in shops or online of e-cigarette products that lack approval by federal health authorities. No such approvals currently exist. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Backers said the ban was necessary due to the "significant public health consequences" of a "dramatic surge" in e-cigarette use among teenagers.</p>

<p>But the move triggered a swift backlash from critics who say it could drive former smokers back to conventional cigarettes.</p>

<p>US health authorities are alarmed by the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes, battery-powered devices that enable users to inhale addictive nicotine liquids that are often fruit flavoured.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The potential health consequences of vaping, including fears it could stunt adolescent development, remain largely unknown, in part because the practice is so new.</p>

<p>The number of young Americans using e-cigarettes grew by 1.5 million in 2018, with about 3.6 million middle and high school students using vaping products.&nbsp;</p>

<p>San Francisco is home to market-leading e-cigarette maker Juul.</p>

<p>City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who co-sponsored the ban, said it closed a loophole that the federal US Food and Drug Administration should have tackled long ago.</p>

<p>"E-cigarettes are a product that, by law, are not allowed on the market without FDA review," he said in a statement after the second and final vote to implement the ban.</p>

<p>"For some reason, the FDA has so far refused to follow the law. If the federal government is not going to act, San Francisco will."</p>

<p><strong>Deadly cigarettes</strong></p>

<p>The city's mayor London Breed has 10 days to sign the legislation which she has said she will do with the ban due to take effect seven months later.</p>

<p>"We need to take action to protect the health of San Francisco's youth and prevent the next generation of San Franciscans from becoming addicted to these products," Breed said in a statement Tuesday ahead of the vote.</p>

<p>She added that e-cigarette companies were "targeting our kids in their advertising and getting them hooked on addictive nicotine products."</p>

<p>But critics say the legislation will make it harder for people seeking alternatives to regular cigarettes.</p>

<p>E-cigarettes do not contain the cancer-causing products found in tobacco.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An editorial in the Los Angeles Times noted that regular cigarettes were still for sale in San Francisco, arguing that "it's bad public health policy to come down harder on the lesser of two tobacco evils."</p>

<p>Juul said in a statement following the vote that the ban would "drive former adult smokers who successfully switched to vapour products back to deadly cigarettes, deny the opportunity to switch for current adult smokers, and create a thriving black market."</p>

<p>The manufacturer called instead for stricter regulation and enforcement including proof-of-age identification.</p>

<p><strong>Increase risk</strong></p>

<p>Traditional "Big Tobacco" companies have increasingly marketed "smoke-free" products like e-cigarettes as far less harmful alternatives to the deadly habit they have long been peddling.</p>

<p>But experts point out that it took decades to determine that smoking tobacco which accounts for more than seven million premature deaths worldwide every year is truly dangerous.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The San Francisco ordinance text said that nicotine exposure during adolescence "can harm the developing brain" and "can also increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs."</p>

<p>It would introduce fines of up $1,000 for each violation by vendors.</p>

<p>Unlike an e-cigarette ban in force in Singapore, the San Francisco legislation does not restrict the use of vaping products only sales, manufacturing and distribution.</p>

<p>Recreational cannabis use has been legal for adults in California since January last year.</p>


San Francisco on Tuesday became the first major US city to effectively ban the sale and manufacture of electronic cigarettes, as concerns grow over a sharp rise in vaping among youths.

San Francisco on Tuesday became the first major US city to effectively ban the sale and manufacture of electronic cigarettes, as concerns grow over a sharp rise in vaping among youths. The city's legislature unanimously approved an ordinance suspending the sale in shops or online of e-cigarette products that lack approval by federal health authorities. No such approvals currently exist. Backers said the ban was necessary due to the "significant public health consequences" of a "dramatic surge" in e-cigarette use among teenagers. But the move triggered a swift backlash from critics who say it could drive former smokers back to conventional cigarettes. US health authorities are alarmed by the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes, battery-powered devices that enable users to inhale addictive nicotine liquids that are often fruit flavoured. The potential health consequences of vaping, including fears it could stunt adolescent development, remain largely unknown, in part because the practice is so new. The number of young Americans using e-cigarettes grew by 1.5 million in 2018, with about 3.6 million middle and high school students using vaping products. San Francisco is home to market-leading e-cigarette maker Juul. City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who co-sponsored the ban, said it closed a loophole that the federal US Food and Drug Administration should have tackled long ago. "E-cigarettes are a product that, by law, are not allowed on the market without FDA review," he said in a statement after the second and final vote to implement the ban. "For some reason, the FDA has so far refused to follow the law. If the federal government is not going to act, San Francisco will." Deadly cigarettes The city's mayor London Breed has 10 days to sign the legislation which she has said she will do with the ban due to take effect seven months later. "We need to take action to protect the health of San Francisco's youth and prevent the next generation of San Franciscans from becoming addicted to these products," Breed said in a statement Tuesday ahead of the vote. She added that e-cigarette companies were "targeting our kids in their advertising and getting them hooked on addictive nicotine products." But critics say the legislation will make it harder for people seeking alternatives to regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes do not contain the cancer-causing products found in tobacco. An editorial in the Los Angeles Times noted that regular cigarettes were still for sale in San Francisco, arguing that "it's bad public health policy to come down harder on the lesser of two tobacco evils." Juul said in a statement following the vote that the ban would "drive former adult smokers who successfully switched to vapour products back to deadly cigarettes, deny the opportunity to switch for current adult smokers, and create a thriving black market." The manufacturer called instead for stricter regulation and enforcement including proof-of-age identification. Increase risk Traditional "Big Tobacco" companies have increasingly marketed "smoke-free" products like e-cigarettes as far less harmful alternatives to the deadly habit they have long been peddling. But experts point out that it took decades to determine that smoking tobacco which accounts for more than seven million premature deaths worldwide every year is truly dangerous. The San Francisco ordinance text said that nicotine exposure during adolescence "can harm the developing brain" and "can also increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs." It would introduce fines of up $1,000 for each violation by vendors. Unlike an e-cigarette ban in force in Singapore, the San Francisco legislation does not restrict the use of vaping products only sales, manufacturing and distribution. Recreational cannabis use has been legal for adults in California since January last year.

San Francisco first major United States city to ban e-cigarette sales

The head of a Mexico-based church charged in Los Angeles with multiple sex crimes, including rape of a minor and a woman, appeared in court on Monday (June 10) along with his co-defendants.

Mexican church leader held on $50 mln bail appears in court in Los Angeles

Authorities seized more than a thousand guns from a large Los Angeles home after getting an anonymous tip regarding illegal firearms sales in a posh area near the Playboy Mansion.

Hundreds of guns seized in Los Angeles home raid

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