Science

The MTV-driven popularity of one Australian musical group helped kick off a massive American infatuation for the Oceanic country in 1981. Infectious pop music helped usher in an infatuation with the pop culture Down Under, spearheaded by Men At Work’s …

The stage is set for the girls and boys basketball semifinals in both the CIF Southern Section and CIF Los Angeles City Section. The CIF-SS boys semifinal round is slated for Friday evening with all games scheduled for 7 p.m., …

Welcome to The Compost, a weekly newsletter on key environmental news impacting Southern California. Subscribe now to get it in your inbox! In today’s edition… Click here to read the introduction to this week’s newsletter, where environment reporter Brooke Staggs answers readers’ …

Welcome to The Compost, a weekly newsletter on key environmental news impacting Southern California. Subscribe now to get it in your inbox! In today’s edition… So you’ve probably noticed the glaring loophole in California’s nearly decade-old, voter-backed ban on plastic bags. Flimsy bags …

Resourcefulness has given way to improvement for the Cal State Northridge baseball team. Head coach Eddie Cornejo, who is entering his second year as head coach and fifth year overall with the program, is guiding the team through a cultural …

After moving out of L.A.’s Arts District, Stumptown Coffee Roasters has a new coffee shop with a new spin. The café is at 1982 Lincoln Ave. in Pasadena, a block from John Muir High School and near Altadena. Although its …

By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER WASHINGTON — The White House publicly confirmed on Thursday that Russia has obtained a “troubling” emerging anti-satellite weapon but said it cannot directly cause “physical destruction” on Earth. White House national security spokesman John …

By ACACIA CORONADO AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge on Thursday voiced concerns over a Texas law that would give police broad authority to arrest migrants on charges of illegal entry starting in March, saying it would be a “nightmare” …

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker was fined $75,000 by the NBA on Thursday for his public trade demands, citing comments the veteran made during the week of Feb. 5 expressing his desire to be sent to another team. Tucker had made …

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS ATHENS, Greece — Greece on Thursday became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex civil marriage, despite opposition from the influential, socially conservative Greek Church. A cross-party majority of 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament voted …

A judge urged state regulators in a proposed decision to reject Norco’s request to make Southern California Edison bury transmission lines for a long-awaited Riverside power project to reduce impacts on wildfire risk, views and property values. A final decision on …

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Dodgers seem to have commitment issues. A year ago, they started the season planning to close games with various relievers, choosing the best matchup for the ninth inning rather than confining one reliever to the closer …

NEW YORK — Attorneys for Harvey Weinstein asked New York’s highest state court on Wednesday to overturn one of the disgraced film producer’s rape convictions, and give him a new trial in another. “Our client did not get a fair …

David Matthews | New York Daily News The Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., was evacuated and closed on Wednesday after the case that displays the Constitution was vandalized with red powder. Around 2:30 p.m., two apparent climate protesters dumped …

Anya Sostek | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) PITTSBURGH — It could be a band at a wedding, an explosion on a battlefield or the constant drone of machinery: In the United States, about 17% of adults have hearing loss caused by …

Niels Lesniewski, Ryan Kelly | (TNS) CQ-Roll Call President Joe Biden entered 2023 with a divided Congress and his fellow Democrats holding the narrowest of majorities in the Senate. And like recent predecessors who lost one-party control in midterm elections, …

By Glenn E. Rice, Laura Bauer, Judy L. Thomas, Sarah Ritter and Bill Lukitsch | The Kansas City Star (TNS) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory rally was wrapping up Wednesday afternoon at Union Station, Chiefs …

Four Los Angeles area state legislators are in Israel this week visiting with politicians and families on both sides of the conflict as criticisms of the Israeli invasion of Gaza and calls for a ceasefire continue to rise at home. …

LOS ANGELES — As part of ongoing recovery efforts for residents impacted by recent heavy storms, the city of Los Angeles on Thursday will open the first of three “one-day” local assistance centers. Each center will be a “one-stop shop” …

Dion DiMucci nailed it with the lyrics, “It seems the good they die young,” in his 1968 hit song “Abraham, Martin and John.” “I just looked around and he’s gone,” Dion continued in a ballad that honored four great Americans. …

TEMPE, Ariz. — Reid Detmers is hoping to smooth out the rollercoaster that the first years of his career have been. The Angels’ 24-year-old lefty has started 53 games over the last two seasons, at times looking like one of …

“How expensive?” tracks measurements of California’s totally unaffordable housing market. The pain: The typical California homeowner lives on one-third less land than the average American. The source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed a ranking of US cities and the average size …

By Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Jake Offenhartz and Eric Tucker | Associated Press NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s hush-money trial will go ahead as scheduled with jury selection starting on March 25, a New York judge ruled Thursday, turning …

By Kate Brumback and Alanna Durkin Richer ATLANTA — A former friend and co-worker of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testified Thursday that Willis’ romantic relationship with a special prosecutor began before she hired him to lead the election …

Of all the skills that children may acquire in school, none surpasses reading in importance. The ability to read and comprehend what’s read is the key to all other learning, either formal or personal, and the students in California’s schools …

By Ken Sweet | The Associated Press The Biden Administration is easing its restrictions on banking giant Wells Fargo, saying the bank has sufficiently fixed its toxic culture after years of scandals. The news sent Wells Fargo’s stock up sharply …

Nancy Cook, Bill Allison | Bloomberg News (TNS) Nikki Haley has spent far more money and time on the upcoming South Carolina Republican primary than her rival Donald Trump, yet still trails the former president by a wide margin there, …

Mortgage rates spiked again. Home prices are popping. And homeowners’ insurance is one big yikes. What if a lender says your income doesn’t qualify for a home purchase or a refinance loan? Besides the obvious math, fact-checking or taking out …

By Holden Lewis | NerdWallet You feel demoralized about the housing market, right? Hold on. After a grim 2022 and 2023, it looks like 2024 is shaping up to be less hostile to home buyers. Here’s a summary of what’s …

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez announced her return to the stage with the This Is Me…Now The Tour, her first outing in five years. The jaunt has several California shows including Thursday, July 11 at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Honda …

Disneyland’s new Pixar Place Hotel is commanding $500 a night for standard rooms and hundreds more for premium rooms and suites with rates that compare and sometimes exceed the more established Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. The refreshed …

By Abby Badach Doyle | NerdWallet In back-to-back months, Mr. Cooper and LoanDepot — two of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders — made headlines for experiencing cyberattacks that exposed the data of more than 30 million people combined. Mortgage lenders …

By Gillian Tan, Amy Or, Ryan Gould and Paula Sambo Viking Cruises is considering a US initial public offering that could raise $500 million or more, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The travel company is working with …

Do you ever wonder what happens to the stormwater that starts out as rain during a monster deluge in Southern California? If you answered, “It all flushes down to the Pacific Ocean,” you would be wrong, according to flood control …

CARSON — The U.S. women’s national team will start 2024 in an unfamiliar position. The USWNT has been dethroned as World Cup champions after suffering a shocking Round of 16 exit, new coach Emma Hayes has yet to take over, …

By Elisabeth Rosenthal | KFF Health News GoFundMe started as a crowdfunding site for underwriting “ideas and dreams,” and, as GoFundMe’s co-founders, Andrew Ballester and Brad Damphousse, once put it, “for life’s important moments.” In the early years, it funded …

A 28-year-old man who barricaded in a Glendale house for more than six hours before surrendering has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found. Officers responded to the 3300 block of Reta Street regarding an assault, …

Civil War lore has it that after Gen. Ulysses S. Grant turned the Union’s lackluster war performance around, his critics complained to President Abraham Lincoln about Grant’s heavy drinking. “I wish some of you would tell me the brand of …

Two Los Angeles firefighters went to a hospital in critical condition and several others were injured after a truck with pressurized cylinders exploded in Wilmington on Thursday, Feb. 15, authorities said. Firefighters responded just before 7 a.m. to the semi-tractor …

Reilly Herrera’s spirit of rebellion manifested long before his days spent in the counterculture skating, graffiti, and punk rock scenes of Orange County and Los Angeles. “One of the first times I got in trouble at school was drawing on …