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Los Angeles officials oppose Newsom’s push to clear encampments 

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Los Angeles officials oppose Newsom’s push to clear encampments 

Los Angeles city leaders are fiercely against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order that directed local governments to urgently address homeless encampments. 

The executive order issued last week puts pressure on local agencies and departments to “adopt clear policies that urgently address homeless encampments while respecting the dignity and well-being of all Californians.” 

The order comes after a Supreme Court ruling which gave local governments more tools and authority to address encampments and provide resources to those in need.

“Governor Newsom’s executive order directs state agencies to adopt humane and dignified policies to urgently address encampments on state property, including by taking necessary and deliberate steps to notify and support the people inhabiting the encampment prior to removal,” Newsom’s office said in a statement. 

People sleep outside their tents set on the sidewalk early morning Wednesday, June 26, 2024 in the West Lake area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

At a meeting on Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors reaffirmed their stance that homelessness should not be criminalized with a unanimous vote in favor of a “care first” approach to combating the issue that spans 88 cities with a combined homeless population of over 75,000 people. 

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“My position has and continues to be that I do not believe the criminalization of homelessness is the right path,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.  “Quite frankly, I find it almost ludicrous to think that we’re going to issue $250 tickets to individuals who are unhoused who are then going to get another ticket and another ticket and then have a warrant out for their arrest…and for what?” 

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna was present at Tuesday’s meeting and also voiced his opposition to the executive order, stating that being homeless is not a crime and that LASD will continue to focus on criminal behavior as opposed to a person’s housing status.

Some L.A. County residents, however, are more apprehensive at the county’s approach at getting unhoused people out of encampments.

Pathway Home crew members working to remove large amounts of debris from homeless encampments in Los Angeles County. (Pathway Home)
Pathway Home crew members working to remove large amounts of debris from homeless encampments in Los Angeles County. (Pathway Home)

“We ask that you reexamine and prioritize certain areas we aren’t seeing success in,” one woman called in to say during Tuesday’s board meeting. “We don’t see adequate delivery of mental health services or drug rehabilitation services…it seems [the county is] taking too long in implementing SB 43, you do not protect the public space and our residents are suffering from negative ramifications from prolonged encampments.”

The state cannot force cities to adopt the measures outlined in the governor’s executive order, but they can incentivize local agencies through funding and advise them to adopt policies consistent with those being used by Caltrans – which include providing advanced notice of clearance, working with local service providers and storing personal property collected at the site for at least 60 days. 

The full executive order can be read here. 

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Los Angeles, Ca

Anaheim police officers shot and kill robbery suspect

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Anaheim police officers shot and kill robbery suspect

Police in Anaheim shot and killed a man that they say was suspected of robbery on Friday night.

The officers were called to a reported robbery at about 8 p.m. in the 1200 block of E. South Street, according to the Anaheim Police Department.

After arriving to the scene, four officers were involved in a shooting with the suspect, a man police said was about 30 years old.

He was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene; he has yet to be publicly identified as of early Saturday morning.

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Police said a realistic-looking replica gun was found at the scene. No additional details about the shooting were immediately made available.

The California Department of Justice, among other agencies, will investigate the incident.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Playful pod of orcas reappear off Orange County coastline

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Playful pod of orcas reappear off Orange County coastline

In a rare return to the Southern California coast, a beloved family of orcas made a few star appearances for whale watchers on Friday.

Lucky viewers got to witness a visit from a mother killer whale and three of her offspring around 9 a.m. off Laguna Beach and then again in the afternoon in Newport Beach, according to Davey’s Locker Whale Watching.

A company representative said this particular pod of orcas is well known among California whale-watching enthusiasts as the CA51 pod is “a family of orcas with a reputation for their playful nature interacting with boats.”

Footage from Friday’s sightings shows Star, the mother, who is about 40 years old, her two sons Orion and Bumper – Bumper is purportedly known for his 6-foot tall dorsal fin and playful behavior around boats – and Star’s daughter, Comet.

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These killer whales were last seen on Dec. 15 about 17 miles off the Orange County coast, according to Davey’s Locker Whale Watching, but, before then, the CA51 pod hadn’t been seen locally in around six years.

Experts said the members of this family are also referred to as ‘transient’ orcas, meaning they cover a large range between southeast Alaska to the Mexico border.

“Lucky passengers aboard our whale watching boats were thrilled to see this family of orcas again today, as they used to be one of the most frequently-sighted killer whale pods in Southern California between 2012-2018, but now, we don’t encounter them much at all,” said a company representative in a release.

Although a clear reason for their change of routine is not yet known, experts said the pod’s diet leads them to wherever seals and sea lions are plentiful.

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Los Angeles, Ca

3 seriously injured in fiery sports car crash in Angeles Forest

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3 seriously injured in fiery sports car crash in Angeles Forest

Three people were transported to a Los Angeles County hospital with major injuries Friday morning after they were involved in a fiery crash on the Angeles Forest Highway.

The crash happened before 11 a.m. and involved at least two vehicles, one of which was a Maserati sports car.

First responders found the Maserati crashed on the side of the road with flames engulfing the vehicle. Firefighters were able to knock down the fire around 11:15 a.m. to rescue the injured patients.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, three people were transported from the scene, including one person in critical condition.

The remnants of a Maserati sports car that was engulfed in flames following a crash on the Angeles Forest Highway on Dec. 27, 2024. (KTLA)

Video from Sky 5 showed the scorched car on the side of the roadway where it apparently hit the hillside. A second vehicle with major damage, a Toyota van, was being loaded onto a flatbed, with California Highway Patrol officials stating that the vehicle was driven by an innocent bystander traveling in the opposite direction of the Maserati.

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A third vehicle, which appeared to be a Porsche, was parked near the side of the road not far from the scene of the crash.

Authorities are investigating the possibility that the Maserati and the Porsche were street racing in the moments leading up to the violent crash.

The crash remains under investigation and the roadway was closed to through-traffic for over an hour as crews cleaned debris from the scene. By 12:20 p.m., all lanes of the roadway were reopened to traffic, according to the CHP incident log.

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