Surveillance video shows a hot‑air balloon with 13 people making an emergency landing in a Temecula backyard; no injuries were reported. The clip was posted online.

Mayor Karen Bass tapped Gabrielle Amster to lead Los Angeles Animal Services; confirmation by the City Council is pending. The hire comes as shelters confront overcrowding and rising euthanasia.

Farmworkers across California say supervisors are threatening deportation to silence complaints, deepening fear and underreporting of workplace abuse.

Riverside County took in nearly 480 ducks from an Anza sanctuary after inspections found overcrowding. The birds are at the San Jacinto shelter with fees waived as the county seeks adopters and fosters.

UCLA-led studies show the January 2025 wildfires worsened health and housing insecurity for unhoused Angelenos. Survey data and national analysis tie property loss to rising homelessness.

The National Urban League is bringing its annual conference back to Los Angeles July 28–31, 2027. Organizers say thousands will attend and local businesses could benefit.

A Miami jury awarded $300,000 after finding Carnival negligent for serving a Vacaville nurse at least 14 shots of tequila before a fall that caused concussion and other injuries. The verdict may prompt more suits over onboard alcohol service.

Neighbors say a long-vacant lot on Varna Avenue has become a public-safety and sanitation headache; the city is promising a cleanup this week.

A Long Beach Unified teacher retired after a district report found he circulated a racist, ableist meme in a union chat; parents and leaders demanded accountability.

A formal complaint asks trustees to remove the King James Version from Redlands school libraries; trustees will decide at tonight’s meeting under the district’s review process.

A Westlake community hub for the SWANA diaspora says it was served a 60‑day notice and faces vacating next Sunday as founders prepare a legal challenge.

AVMC has asked a judge to move a race-discrimination suit from downtown Los Angeles to the Antonovich courthouse in Lancaster; a hearing is set for April 30, 2026.

A foul‑smelling chunk of ice crashed through the roof of a Whittier ADU on Friday, startling a tenant and prompting an aviation-related investigation. Homeowners have preserved samples while officials look into possible aircraft or atmospheric causes.