Utah Sen. Mitt Romney leaves office at the end of his term on Jan. 3. (Anadolu via Getty Images) Mitt Romney delivered his farewell speech before the U.S. Senate in early December. It isn’t hyperbole to say it marked the end of an era. Romney’s time in public service, which has spanned well over two … Read more
(Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times) During this year’s early September heat wave, I sat in a shaded courtyard at USC struggling to write after teaching my classes. The oppressive noon heat stifled my brain while sweat streamed from my temples. After a few minutes of internal debating — it’s after Labor Day, it’s time … Read more
(Paige Stampatori / For The Times) More than 70 years ago, my French Canadian mother made a road trip from Montreal to Fresno to work as a registered nurse. She didn’t know anything about Central California. She had never heard of Armenia or its people. But love can surprise you. She met my Armenian American … Read more
(Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times)
A New Mexico criminal case against actor Alec Baldwin stemming from the fatal shooting on the set of his movie “Rust” in 2021 ended on Monday, with a prosecutor dropping her appeal of the case’s dismissal. Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey withdrew that appeal, according to a statement from the Frist Judicial District Attorney’s office. Baldwin’s … Read more
Cult murders, lottery heists, deadly dating apps, killer clowns: We’re in the midst of a true-crime wave, and television is the culprit. From HBO Max to A&E, true-crime programming is more prevalent than illegal weed dispensaries. So, like the authorities — at least the honest ones — we’re stepping in to help. Here, selected by … Read more
Paul Hogan is the amiable actor who does those Come to Australia TV commercials. You know–”Put another shrimp on the barbie,” “If people ask you where Australia is, tell ‘em it’s where the America’s Cup is.” Since he is credited with single-handedly boosting his country’s tourism by 40%–for this he was Australian of the Year … Read more
8Ben Affleck is “healthy, single and enjoying life” this holiday season. GC Images Ben Affleck is soaking up all life has to offer this Christmas. With his divorce from Jennifer Lopez in full swing, the Oscar winner is “healthy, single and enjoying life” this holiday season, a source told People. Lopez filed for divorce from … Read more
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce novel and detailed online reviews with almost no work has put merchants, service providers and consumers in uncharted territory, watchdog groups and researchers say. Phony reviews have long plagued many popular consumer websites, such as Amazon and Yelp. They are typically traded on private social media groups between … Read more
Magic Johnson wasn’t about to let anyone outbid him for a pair of singer-actress Beyoncé’s earrings, which were up for auction at the DesignCare Gala on Saturday. These were no ordinary earrings, for sure. The supernova wore them in her latest video, “Spirit,” from “The Lion King.” No sooner had the auctioneer opened bidding than … Read more