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Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is looking into fake claims of childhood sexual abuse filed against the county as part of two large settlements it approved earlier this year.Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says his office is looking into allegations that people filed fake claims of childhood sexual abuse as part of two large settlements the L.
A. County Board of Supervisors approved this year.Hochman said anyone who filed a fraudulent claim and comes forward to cooperate with his office could potentially avoid prosecution. He said his office would offer something called"use immunity," which he said means someone who comes forward and shares complete, truthful information about a fraudulent claim they filed would, in exchange, not have those words used against them in court. He would not go as far as to say that doing so would protect them from prosecution. " It's not a guarantee, but it is certainly a significant factor in deciding of the probably what will amount to hundreds of cases, potential cases that we might have, which ones we go forward on and which ones we don't."a $4 billion settlement for thousands of people who said they were sexually abused as children while under the county's supervision. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in 2021 and grew to include claims against several county departments, including Probation, Children and Family Services, Parks and Recreation, Health Services, Sheriff and Fire. In late October, the BoardHochman said it will ultimately be taxpayers footing the bill for those two sums, and he wants to make sure L.A. County taxpayers aren't on the hook for fake claims. " That'll be you and me paying for that," Hochman said."That'll be our children paying for it. ... These are valuable dollars that otherwise could go to other purposes."by L.A. County supervisors last month to direct the county counsel to investigate fraudulent claims. Days before the vote, the L.A. TimesThe D.A.'s office says anyone with information about false sex abuse claims can call the hotline for the investigation at 901-0001, orThe legendary film studio, which has grown to include streaming services and cable channels, is currently accepting non-binding bids until Thursday. According to company spokesperson Robert Gibbs, they expect to have a decision about the sale by Christmas.Earlier mergers, like Disney's 2019 acquisition of Fox, cut the number of films studios released theatrically — a troubling trend for theater owners already coping with consolidation and streaming.The legendary film studio, which has grown to include streaming services and cable channels, is currently accepting non-binding bids until Thursday. According to company spokesperson Robert Gibbs, they expect to have a decision about the sale by Christmas.: Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. They owned a movie theater in Pennsylvania before coming to Hollywood to make movies. Warner Brothers Pictures found one of its first silent picture stars in a German shepherd named Rin Tin Tin. By 1927, the studio made history with its feature-length"talkie" picture:Warners Brothers has had multiple owners over the decades. Three years ago, Warner Media, as it was called, merged with Discovery. And in June, the company announced it would split in two, with film, TV and streaming studios in one camp, and in the other, mostly legacy cable channels, including CNN. The planned split has not yet happened, and a new buyer might get the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery and its film and TV libraries. As the film industry continues to consolidate, there's speculation that Warner Brothers' old rival Paramount could take over. Having just merged as Paramount Skydance, CEO David Ellison has already made several overtures.. In an earnings call last month, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told investors,"We've been very clear in the past that we have no interest in owning legacy media networks. There is no change there." Industry watchers suggest other suitors could be Comcast, Amazon, or an investor who's not already in the entertainment business. Regardless of whoever does end up buying the company, theater owners say they hope making movies for cinemas will be a priority., which analyzes data from studios and theaters."That doesn't mean the same amount, doesn't mean less, but more movies. I think you're going to find folks in the movie theater industry support any business decision that gets us there." Loria recalls that after Disney purchased Fox and Fox Searchlight, their combined studios significantly reduced the number of films they released in the theaters. Crunching the numbers, Loria says in 2016, a year before the merger announcement, Disney and Fox released a total of 38 theatrical films. This year, the consolidated studios released 18. That's a problem for theater owners who've been struggling to bring audiences back to cinemas after the COVID-19 pandemic shut them down; they're competing with movie-watching on TVs, computers and phones. Some theater owners and cinephiles also fear studio conglomerates will only greenlight a few big-budget blockbusters, leaving the lower budget indies behind. "The concern is you're going to see less of that risk taking, less of that experimentation and less of that embracing new directors, new filmmakers in the future," says Max Friend, the CEO of, the ticketing platform for independent cinemas in the U.S."It's really important that there are studios that are funding and supporting, cultivating that kind of work."Makenna SievertsonA downtown hearing kicked off Wednesday, during which a federal judge will consider holding the city of Los Angeles in contempt of court. The hearing is the latest step in a long-running legal saga regarding the city's response to the region’s homelessness crisis.The hearing was ordered by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, who has been overseeing a settlement in a lawsuit brought against the city by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, a group of downtown business and property owners. L.A. Alliance sued the city, and county, in 2020 for failing to adequately address homelessness.that he’s concerned the city has demonstrated a"continuous pattern of delay” in meeting its obligations under court orders. During aA downtown hearing kicked off Wednesday, during which a federal judge will consider holding the city of Los Angeles in contempt of court. The hearing is the latest step in aThe hearing was ordered by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, who has been overseeing a settlement in a lawsuit brought against the city by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, a group of downtown business and property owners. L.A. Alliance sued the city, and county, in 2020 for failing to adequately address homelessness.that he’s concerned “the city has demonstrated a continuous pattern of delay” in meeting its obligations under court orders. During aThe judge noted that similar concerns have come up at previous hearings. Carter told attorneys for the city in March 2024 that he “indicated to the mayor that I’ve already reached the decision that the plaintiffs were misled” and “this is bad faith,” according to The contempt hearing is expected to cover whether the city has complied with court orders and provided regular updates to the court under the settlement agreement.City authorities also asked the appeals court to press pause on the judge’s order to appoint a monitor in the case to make sure the city stays on track with the settlement. The city argued that Carter handed the monitor “a blank check to interfere with the democratic process,” according to court documents.the city’s request. It allowed Wednesday’s hearing to move forward, but it agreed to pause the appointment ofhave argued that looking at the city’s cooperation with Garrie “would be inappropriate” during the hearing and that L.A. “cannot be held in contempt for either the substance or the manner of its compliance with the order,” according to court documents. Previous hearings related to the settlement have elicited tense questioning of witnesses and harsh words from the judge, who has been vocal about reducing delays and moving the case forward.— urged the judge to “turn down the heat” on the closely watched case. Evangelis said the “city is constantly under fire” in court while L.A. has made “enormous strides” in getting people off the streets.She said Wednesday that the “city still fights oversight harder than it fights homelessness” and that the court should address L.A. 's “consistent” delays throughout the case.The hearing is expected to continue past Wednesday, potentially resuming Friday or early next month, when more witnesses can appear in person.The concern is that hazards like trash, chemicals, debris and other things from city streets and mountain areas that could make you sick may have run off during the rain into storm drains, creeks and rivers that discharge into the ocean.The advisory is currently set to expire at 8 a.m. Saturday, but L.A. County Public Health says it could be extended if there's more rain.Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference unveiling his revised 2025-26 budget proposal at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 14.California will face a nearly $18 billion budget deficit in the new fiscal year due to higher-than-expected spending, despite an economic boom, largely driven by AI enthusiasm and strong revenue, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said today.The gloomy forecast is a refreshed look at California’s financial future since June, when the state Department of Finance projected a $17.4 billion deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. It's the fourth year in a row that California is projected to have a deficit despite revenue growth — which could undercut Gov. Gavin Newsom's legacy.The state is projected to spend $6 billion more than previously anticipated next year, that's includes $1.3 billion in new state costs due to Trump’s budget bill. That bill is expected to kick millions of Californians off Medi-Cal, hike health care premiums and shift much of the cost for programs such as food stamps onto the state, the LAO said.California will face a nearly $18 billion budget deficit in the new fiscal year due to higher-than-expected spending, despite an economic boom largely driven by AI enthusiasm and strong revenue, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said Wednesday. To make things worse, the $17.7 billion shortfall could balloon to an annual $35 billion by fiscal year 2027-28, as spending continues to grow and debts come due, the office warned in its The gloomy forecast is a refreshed look at California’s financial future since June, when the state Department of Finance projected afor the upcoming fiscal year. The widened budget gap could undercut the legacy of Gov. Gavin Newsom, as he will likely be forced to make tough budget choices in his last year as governor. It also means that for the fourth year in a row in his tenure, California is projected to have a deficitof Encino. He said the committee “remains committed to crafting a responsible budget that prioritizes essential services, uplifts working families and protects our most vulnerable communities.”of Roseville, the Republican vice chair of the Senate Budget Committee, attributed the structural deficit to Democrats’ “unstoppable spending problems.” “The state must assess the effectiveness and sustainability of the programs that were created during the surplus and make necessary corrections,” he said in a statement.more than projected between July and October. But the revenue gains in the new fiscal year will “almost entirely” go toward K-12 schools, community colleges and state reserves by constitutional requirements, the office projected.driven in part by President Donald Trump’s drastic tariff shifts. It raises a major question as to if, and how, the state can absorb the costs of those federal cuts.The state is projected to spend $6 billion more than previously anticipated next year, including $1.3 billion implementing Trump’s budget bill, which is expected to kick millions of Californians off Medi-Cal, hike health care premiums and shift much of the cost for programs such as food stamps onto the state, the LAO said. The increase is largely because the state must now shoulder a larger share of the cost to continue to provide benefits, said Carolyn Chu, chief deputy analyst with LAO. The added cost of the federal cuts to health care will grow to $5 billion annually by fiscal year 2029-30, the office projected. California also stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for permanent housing under new policies the Trump administration rolled out last week, just as some counties are. Homelessness agencies warn that thousands of Californians could be kicked out of their subsidized housing and back on the streets. The loss of federal funding could put more pressure on the state to step in with financial assistance — at a time when Newsom has expressed no interest in releasing more homelessness dollars to cities and counties. Blaming local officials for stagnant progress on homelessness, Newsom in January proposed zero dollars for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program, the main source of homelessness funding for local governments. The Legislature later successfully negotiated a $500 million investment —Graham Knaus, CEO of the California State Association of Counties, told CalMatters he expects the state to follow through on its funding commitment. “We are now facing a federal government that is eviscerating the same funding at the federal level, so we should expect a substantial increase in homelessness,” he said. “And our only chance is for the state to stand with us … and protect those that are the most vulnerable.”The annual forecast by the nonpartisan fiscal adviser is a mere snapshot of California’s fiscal future and can be drastically different from the state finance department’s own projection, which is expected in January. In January 2024, Newsom’s office projected ain fiscal year 2025-26, relying on internal borrowing, dipping into state reserves and halting new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented immigrants to avoid other deep cuts to social services. They largely blamed Trump for the shortfall, arguing the threat of sweeping tariffs and federal funding loss plunged the state intoBut even before Trump retook office, California already faced a structural money problem, in part due to the state’s heavy reliance on wealthy earners’The state for three years used “temporary fixes,” such as internal borrowing, spending down reserves and suspending tax credits to plug multibillion-dollar budget holes, but now it’s “critical” for state lawmakers to reduce spending, raise revenues or both, the legislative analyst warned. “California’s budget is undeniably less prepared for downturns,” the analysts noted in their report. “Continuing to use temporary tools — like budgetary borrowing — would only defer the problem and, ultimately, leave the state ill‑equipped to respond to a recession or downturn in the stock market.”While all signs point to high uncertainty and low consumer confidence in the state economy, tech companies’ investment in AI has propelled the stock market to a “record high” and boosted tech workers’ income — the “lone bright spot” in the state’s economic outlook, Petek said.The stock market appears to be “overly exuberant,” as some investors are borrowing more to buy high-cost stocks, a sign of a stock market downturn, the report notes. Even if the market holds, lawmakers should treat it as a temporary or unsustainable gain, Petek said. And there’s no guarantee that revenue gains from the stock market would be enough to fill a deficit of $30 billion to $35 billion, which the state is projected to hit in a few years. Since the state is constitutionally required to spend roughly half of any excess revenue gains on schools and reserves, it would need $60 billion in revenue higher than anticipated to close a budget gap that big, Petek said.
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