All posts tagged: Angeles

Extinct ice age toad found at La Brea Tar Pits rewriting Los Angeles’ climate history

Extinct ice age toad found at La Brea Tar Pits rewriting Los Angeles’ climate history

Published by Jenni Sidey

Fossils from La Brea Tar Pits belong to a newly identified extinct spadefoot toad, the first extinct amphibian recorded at the site. The toad’s anatomy, larger body size and disappearance offer clues about environmental changes near the end of the Ice Age. A second fossil shows that Mexican burrowing toads once lived nearly 2,500 kilometers north of their closest populations today. A toad smaller than a human palm has rewritten part of Los Angeles’ Ice Age story. Fossils from La Brea Tar Pits belong to a previously unknown species, revealing how much the region’s climate and wildlife changed. The extinct spadefoot toad, named Spea labreae, is the first extinct amphibian identified from Rancho La Brea. Only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian has been reported in North America, a tree frog from Florida. Dr. Alberto Cruz was reviewing La Brea’s amphibian and reptile collections when unusual bones caught his attention. Location of Rancho La Brea (star symbol) in southern California, U.S.A. (CREDIT: Dr. Alberto Cruz et al, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology) Old bones reveal an unfamiliar …

‘Exorcist’ star Linda Blair’s home searched over ‘kennel operation,’ Los Angeles County officials say

‘Exorcist’ star Linda Blair’s home searched over ‘kennel operation,’ Los Angeles County officials say

Published by Sam Flores

“The Exorcist” star Linda Blair’s home in Southern California was searched by animal control officials in connection with a “kennel operation,” authorities said. Blair’s home was searched Friday under an inspection warrant by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) and the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, officials said in a statement. The 67-year-old actor, who runs a dog adoption charity, has not been accused of committing any crimes. “The goal is to inspect this property for buildings and structures associated with a kennel operation reported to have more than 100 dogs,” the department said in the statement. Permits for the facility had expired in 2023, and attempts to contact the owner had gone unanswered, it added. “The warrant allows us to lawfully access the property and verify compliance with County codes,” the department added. Blair appeared to confirm the inspection in a video she posted to her Instagram account on Friday. “I just wanted to check in because today we got a really big surprise visit, and as …

Best Los Angeles bakeries to order a birthday cake from

Best Los Angeles bakeries to order a birthday cake from

Published by Sam Flores

This is the people pleaser. Phoenix Bakery’s now-iconic strawberry-and-whipped-cream cake has been called “L.A.’s most popular cake” for good reason. It’s light, not too sweet, packed with fresh berries and surrounded by a cloud of airy whipped-cream frosting with a border of sliced almonds for crunch. For generations of L.A. kids, including my own, this is the birthday cake. Dreamed up by the late Lun F. Chan as an extravagant expansion of strawberry shortcake, it has a double-layer base of chiffon cake (another L.A. invention). You can order tres leches and other types of cakes at the bakery, founded in 1938 by Chan’s brother, Fung Chow Chan, but nearly everyone comes in for the strawberry cake, which except for holidays is almost always available for walk-ins. And with prices starting at $29.95 for a 6-inch cake that serves five to six people, it’s also one of this city’s most affordable ways to make a birthday special. Source link

Dancer and Choreographer Dies at 91 in Los Angeles

Dancer and Choreographer Dies at 91 in Los Angeles

Published by Jenni Sidey

Simone Forti, artist, choreographer, dancer, poet, and leading figure of New York’s Judson Dance Theater scene of the 1960s, as well as an influential contributor to Minimalism and the Fluxus movement, has passed away in Los Angeles at age 91, her gallery, Raffaella Cortese, confirmed via social media today. “She was a beloved friend and mentor, whose immeasurable influence on contemporary art, performance, and dance spanned over sixty years,” stated the Milan-based gallery. “We remember her with affection, admiration, and deep gratitude, and we remain committed to carrying forward the memory of her extraordinary work.” Related Articles At the Judson Dance Theater in Greenwich Village, Forti became a key figure of then-budding postmodern dance, working alongside the likes of Trisha Brown, Steve Paxton, and Yvonne Rainer. Forti, whose collaborations included working with choreographers Anna Halprin, Martha Graham, and Merce Cunningham, liked to simply describe herself as a “movement artist,” in which improvisation remained a guiding thread, according to a gallery statement. Her edited language spoke to the emerging Minimalist art movement, with seminal bodies of …

Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Was Once Poised to Be the City’s Mamdani—Then She Broke With the Local DSA

Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Was Once Poised to Be the City’s Mamdani—Then She Broke With the Local DSA

Published by Sam Flores

Raman, who serves as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, secured a small victory on Friday when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released its annual point-in-time homelessness count. The data showed citywide street homelessness increased nearly 8% compared to the previous year, while it declined 49% in Raman’s own district. “She got homelessness down in her district by treating each encampment as an emergency to be solved and going from person to person in that encampment, saying, ‘What do you need?’” said Adam Conover, a comedian and television host who met Raman when he volunteered for SELAH. Homelessness could be the issue that gets Raman elected, but instead of neutralizing one of her biggest liabilities, Raman has stood by her opposition to a ban on homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools, opening herself up to attacks from Bass and Pratt. “We look forward to winning a contest against an opponent who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops,” said Alex Stack, a campaign spokesperson for Bass, in …

Photos: Kayaking in the Los Angeles River

Photos: Kayaking in the Los Angeles River

Published by Sam Flores

Justin Sullivan / Getty An aerial view of a kayaker paddling along the Los Angeles River during an LA River Expeditions tour in Los Angeles, California, on July 26, 2026 Justin Sullivan / Getty Jordani Juarez with LA River Expeditions prepares kayaks before the start of a tour along the Los Angeles River in the Sepulveda Basin on July 25, 2026. Justin Sullivan / Getty Canada geese fly over the Los Angeles River in the Sepulveda Basin on July 25, 2026. Justin Sullivan / Getty Jordani Juarez demonstrates how to paddle a kayak before the start of a tour along the Los Angeles River on July 25, 2026. Justin Sullivan / Getty George Wolfe (left), a Los Angeles River advocate and the LA River Expeditions founder, helps a kayaker get launched at the start of a tour on July 25, 2026. Justin Sullivan / Getty George Wolfe gives a guided tour along the Los Angeles River on July 25, 2026. In 2008, Wolfe helped lead a 51-mile kayak expedition down the Los Angeles River to …

Graffiti towers cleanup begins – Los Angeles Times

Graffiti towers cleanup begins – Los Angeles Times

Published by Sam Flores

Crews have started cleaning the notorious graffiti towers. The new owners of the stalled Oceanwide project in downtown Los Angeles have agreed to start cleaning up the embarrassing splash of color on the city’s skyline even before they have finished formally acquiring it. A Wednesday jaunt up a paint-besmirched skyscraper was a test to see how much graffiti could be removed in a day and the results were promising, said John Petty of KPC Development Co., which is set to take title of the stalled residential, hotel and retail project in a $517-million bankruptcy sale. A condition of the sale set by the city was that the graffiti that has appalled and amused millions of passersby for more than two years would be removed immediately, even though the sale might not officially close for six months. After the test run, Petty concluded that it will take fewer than 90 days to clean the three skyscrapers that stick out on the city skyline over Crypto.com Arena and the Harbor Freeway. Petty will put the winning bidder …

Iconic Los Angeles Cinerama Dome shuttered during pandemic to have grand reopening

Iconic Los Angeles Cinerama Dome shuttered during pandemic to have grand reopening

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter A beloved Hollywood landmark, the Cinerama Dome, is slated for a grand return in early 2028, following its closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, backed by its owner, Sony Pictures Entertainment, announced plans to restore and reopen the iconic theater. The ambitious project will see the massive 86-foot-wide curved dome theater, renowned for its distinctive geodesic exterior and prominent logo since its 1963 debut, meticulously preserved. Unlike many Alamo Drafthouse venues, the Cinerama Dome itself will forgo in-theater dining, maintaining its unique cinematic experience. The Cinerama Dome was featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, where it was dressed up to look like it did in 1969, featuring vintage marquee advertising for the disaster movie Krakatoa, East of Java. Ravi Ahuja, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, emphasized the venue’s unparalleled status, stating, “There is …

1975 singer and Taylor Swift’s ex Matty Healy marries model Gabbriette Bechtel in Los Angeles

1975 singer and Taylor Swift’s ex Matty Healy marries model Gabbriette Bechtel in Los Angeles

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, has married his model and musician girlfriend Gabbriette Bechtel two years after getting engaged – and just weeks after his ex Taylor Swift’s high-profile wedding to Travis Kelce. While Swift’s wedding took over New York’s Madison Square Garden on Thanksgiving weekend, Healy, 37, and Bechtel, 28, reportedly said “I do” at Los Angeles’ Castillo del Lago, located underneath the Hollywood sign. Those in attendance included Charli XCX, who is married to The 1975 drummer George Daniel, as well as actor and model Emily Ratajkowski. Matty Healy has married Gabbriette Bechtel in Los Angeles (Getty Images) Healy, whose band headlined Glastonbury in 2025, is also said to have performed a set with his fellow musicians at the wedding reception. The Independent has contacted Healy and Bechtel for comment. The 1975 star proposed to gothic fashionista Bechtel with …

Twin toddlers found dead from possible overdose in Los Angeles home

Twin toddlers found dead from possible overdose in Los Angeles home

Published by Sam Flores

An investigation is underway after twin toddler boys were found dead from a possible drug overdose inside a South L.A. home on Monday, authorities said. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call from paramedics at 7:50 a.m. Monday reporting two toddlers possibly deceased from an overdose in a residence on the 6600 block of Victoria Avenue, according to a department spokesperson. Upon arriving at the scene, officers confirmed that the two boys were dead and questioned an adult man and woman, the spokesperson said. Their deaths are under investigation by the LAPD’s South Bureau Homicide Division and the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services. Two boys, Atlas and Sebastian Carbajal, were listed on the L.A. County medical examiner’s website as dying at a residence Monday at the age of 1. Their cause of death remains under investigation. Source link