Local Politics · Los Angeles County
U.S. District Judge David Carter on Wednesday denied the Justice Department's request that California election officials set aside mail ballots from roughly 20,000 people alleged to be non-U.S. citizens ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Carter called the DOJ's verification methodology "vague" and warned the order would likely disenfranchise lawful voters, citing states' constitutional authority over their own elections. Los Angeles County lawyers said only about 7,000 of the 20,000 listed records had county addresses, and a sample review found more than half corresponded to canceled or inactive registrations. The ruling followed a 9th Circuit appeals court's Monday dismissal of a related DOJ appeal.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
U.S. District Judge David Carter ruled Wednesday that the Justice Department cannot force California to set aside approximately 20,000 ballots it claims may have been cast by non-citizens, calling the demand an attempt at election interference. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed Oct. 15 against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and the County of Los Angeles, after DOJ letters demanding ballot segregation were sent to every county in the state on Monday. Carter found the government's DHS-developed dataset likely inaccurate, citing LA County verification showing 71% of a 200-name sample had never voted. Less than two hours after the ruling, the Trump administration filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
A federal judge in Los Angeles heard arguments Tuesday over whether the Justice Department can bar California from counting ballots of approximately 20,000 people alleged to be noncitizens before the midterm election concludes next Tuesday. Federal prosecutors argued the state must verify citizenship before counting those ballots, while California and Los Angeles County officials said the list's methodology was unclear and sorting already-mailed ballots by hand would be impossible before certification deadlines. A sample review of 200 records from the federal list included canceled registrations, voters with no voting history, and people whose records indicated U.S. birth. The Justice Department previously sought emergency relief from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals but was rebuffed Monday by a divided panel.
Public Safety · Los Angeles County
A study published Wednesday in Science Advances found that at the peak of the January 2025 Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, approximately 7 million people across Los Angeles were exposed for 24 hours to lead levels more than 80 times typical background concentrations. Researchers from Caltech used the ASCENT air-monitoring network to compare urban wildfire smoke with wildland fire smoke, finding the LA plume contained 50 times more lead, three times more arsenic, and seven times more halogens linked to burning vehicles, building materials, and electronics. The study's authors said understanding these chemical differences is critical as climate change pushes more fires into cities, and experts called for stronger public-health monitoring and alerts during urban fire events.
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Public Safety · Los Angeles, CA
A study published Wednesday in Science Advances by Caltech researchers found that smoke from the January 2025 Eaton Fire contained lead levels 80 times higher than typical background, exposing approximately 7 million people across Los Angeles over a 24-hour period. The urban fire plume carried 50 times more lead, three times more arsenic, and seven times more halogens than smoke from a 2024 vegetation wildfire in Riverside County, attributed to burning vehicles, building materials, and electronics. Researchers used the ASCENT air-quality monitoring network to measure fine particulate matter composition hour-by-hour during the fires that killed at least 31 people and destroyed over 16,000 structures in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Scientists noted that short-term high lead exposure's health impacts remain unknown, while arsenic is associated with various cancers.
Public Safety · Los Angeles County
The National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard issued a coastal flood advisory Wednesday at 11:39 a.m., in effect until Friday at 2 p.m., covering beaches from San Luis Obispo County through Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties including the Malibu Coast. High tides are expected to reach 7.5-8.0 feet (MLLW) late Thursday morning, 1.0 to 1.5 feet above astronomical projections, decreasing somewhat Friday but remaining near 7.5 feet around noon. Minor to moderate coastal flooding is likely in low-lying areas including beach parking lots, bike paths and harbor walkways, with moderate to significant beach erosion expected and isolated structural damage possible in the most vulnerable areas. The NWS advises residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground and warns against driving through floodwaters.
Social Events · Los Angeles, CA
The 21st annual Taste of Soul Family Festival brought an estimated 300,000-plus attendees to Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles on Oct. 17 for food, music, health services and job opportunities. The free festival, presented by Bakewell Media and the Los Angeles Sentinel, stretched from Stocker Street to Obama Boulevard with about 350 vendors across three music stages. Kaiser Permanente served as main medical provider while St. John's Community Health offered flu shots, children's fluoride treatments and distributed more than 10,400 bags of diapers at Children's World. Two stabbings occurred nearby outside festival boundaries, prompting a multi-hour LAPD citywide tactical alert; organizers said they are reviewing safety measures with police.
Crime · Miami, FL
Federal investigators arrested Nicholas Aguilar and Jessica Marcolina for running a dark-web drug operation called "HotGirlzClub" that shipped hundreds of packages nationwide from September 2020 through June 2026. Undercover agents in Miami purchased drugs advertised as heroin but found more than 14 grams of fentanyl and 5.8 grams of methamphetamine concealed among household items. Authorities searched the suspects' Los Angeles residences, discovering distribution quantities of controlled substances, drug packaging materials, approximately 10 fake IDs, and a backyard shed containing a gun manufacturing system producing ghost guns and suppressors. Both face charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Local Politics · Los Angeles, CA
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter heard arguments Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles in a case where the Justice Department seeks an emergency order to temporarily set aside ballots of approximately 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters on California's rolls. The DOJ sued Secretary of State Shirley Weber and L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan, asking that suspect ballots not be processed until citizenship is confirmed. Carter indicated he would rule by Wednesday and suggested a follow-up hearing with expert witnesses about two weeks after the general election, noting Dec. 3 as California's certification deadline. As of Monday, more than 676,000 of nearly 6 million ballots issued in L.A. County had been returned.
Local Politics · Los Angeles, CA
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled Tuesday that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor for the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles. The ruling stems from the Trump administration's strategy to extend handpicked acting U.S. attorneys beyond the 120-day statutory limit without Senate confirmation. Seabright cited a Ninth Circuit appeals court decision in a similar Nevada case finding identical appointment methods unlawful. The order will not take effect until the court rules on the government's motion for a stay pending appeal; Essayli said he disagrees and expects the Supreme Court to resolve the question.
Local Politics · Los Angeles, CA
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled Tuesday that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as the de facto United States Attorney for the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles. The ruling found that Essayli's reappointment as First Assistant U.S. Attorney before his 120-day acting term expired mirrors a pattern deemed improper by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a similar Nevada case. The order is stayed pending the government's motion for appeal, and Essayli stated he disagrees with the ruling and expects the Supreme Court to resolve the question.
