Top Headlines

San Pedro, CA. - October 07, 2026: The Vincent Thomas Bridge on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026 in San Pedro, CA.. The Vincent Thomas Bridge will begin a major 16 month construction project to replace its aging deck beginning on November 1. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Vincent Thomas Bridge to close for 16 months, raising fears of traffic and pollution

The 63-year-old bridge connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island is undergoing construction to replace its aging deck.

Sergey Brin arrives at the 10th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Voices

Hiltzik: The billionaires’ campaign against the California billionaire tax rests on conjecture and fear-mongering

Bela Bajaria, the global head of TV at Netflix.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria exits amid major layoffs

Residents gather at a fire-damaged residential property

Mortgage lenders probed over how they handled L.A. wildfire insurance payouts

Los Angeles, CA - August 13: Netflix signage at a end of summer bash red carpet event at LAYA Restaurant on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

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After nearly buying Warner Bros., Netflix is laying off 1,000 workers. What happened?

Ex-Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. member settles suit against Golden Globes group

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Feb. 4, 2020: Osteria Mozza's beverage director Sarah Clarke pours a glass of wine while she demonstrates wine service on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, at the restaurant in Hancock Park, in Los Angeles. The Italian restaurant is co-owned by Nancy Silverton. (Silvia Razgova / For the Times) Assignment ID: 485400

Sonoma winery to close tasting room as people drink less

Canoga Park, CA - September 22: Long term pop up restaurant "Chain" inside of Topanga Social food court at Westfield Topanga shopping mall on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026 in Canoga Park, CA. Chain was founded by actor-writer B.J. Novak. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Westfield Topanga is trying to reinvent mall food after a food-hall flop

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AI robots are roaming L.A. grocery aisles. Shoppers and workers worry about what comes next

Universal Music Group’s top Republic and Def Jam executives exit in restructuring

ESPN’s Troy Aikman says he’ll be ‘free agent’ after season, laughs at reported tension with Joe Buck

‘Monday Night Football’ announcer Troy Aikman indicated on Thursday that this season could be his last at ESPN. He laughed at the mention of reported tension with longtime broadcast partner Joe Buck.

The Charcter.AI app on a smartphone arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The artificial intelligence startup, valued at $1 billion, allows people to create their own customizedchatbots, impersonating anyone and anything living or dead or inanimate. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Disney strikes $20-million deal for Character.ai’s assets as AI startup files for bankruptcy

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 08, 2026: Drone view of the Paramount Pictures water tower in Los Angeles, CA with the added phrase, "A Skydance Corporation." Photographed on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Discovery+ now costs up to $11.99 a month as Skydance takes over

ORLANDO, FL --DECEMBER 03, 2019— The character Lieutenant Bek, from Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, during a press preview at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, in Orlando, FL, Dec 03, 2019. The ride, opening this week in Florida and in mid-January in Anaheim, is billed as Disney's most ambitious ride ever and the key to ushering in the crowds to Galaxy's Edge.(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Epic delays Disney game, tells developers to build it with AI

A rendering of the Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades

Paramount takes over Netflix’s Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades, plans reopening

(L-r) SANDRA HULLER as Emma and TOM CRUISE as Rockwell in Warner Bros. Pictures' "DIGGER," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Warner Bros. could face loss of at least $150 million on ‘Digger’ after tepid box office

FILE - An Emmy statue is displayed Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will finally be held on Jan. 15, 2024, after a fourth-month delay. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Why awards shows are leaving network TV for streaming

New York City, NY - May 13, 2026: Nicolas Cage of Prime Video's "Spider-Noir" in New York City, NY on May 13, 2026. (David Urbanke / For The Times)

Nicolas Cage says he won’t work with Amazon again over AI dispute

Columns

Michael Hiltzik

Voices

Hiltzik: Of course the government should regulate AI, but not the way the AI industry prefers
Voices

Hiltzik: Trump rolls back fuel economy standards with another swipe at California’s stringent anti-pollution rules
Voices

Hiltzik: Trump’s deal for Venezuela’s oil is secretive, exaggerated and suspicious
Voices

Hiltzik: Sure, use Meta’s Muse bot to help with your chores — if you want Mark Zuckerberg to know all your secrets

The Wide Shot

Now that the combined Skydance is officially in business, what could that mean for Hollywood?
With ‘Forgotten Island,’ DreamWorks Animation is betting that an original, Filipino story will draw audiences
Why Neon put a Korean-language thriller in 1,500 U.S. theaters

Inside the business of entertainment

The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.

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Hollywood in Crisis

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How L.A. stopped being Hollywood’s leading star
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This Emmy-winning drama is Hollywood’s ‘Little Engine That Could,’ championing production in L.A.
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‘This is a complete decimation.’ Why family businesses that built Hollywood are closing
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Independent studios scramble to stay afloat as film and TV production lags

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Los Angeles, CA - July 12, 2026: A Waymo car drives down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Los Angeles, CA. Waymo, self driving cars, currently operate in a 79 square mile service area in LA. (Arwen Clemans/Los Angeles Times)

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As robotaxi accidents increase in L.A., the data reveal the safer driver

As the robotaxi race heats up across the country, key players including Waymo, Zoox and Tesla claim their technology is safer than human drivers.

BURBANK, CA - SEPTEMBER 29, 2026: Geraldine "GeeGee" Guzman hosts a radio show on Jose 97.5 FM with an AI DJ - Coyotec. Photographed at Jose 97.5 FM in Burbank, CA on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

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An AI radio DJ has shot to stardom in L.A. Human hosts aren’t happy about it

Skydance Media founder and CEO David Ellison

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After a bruising battle for Warner Bros., David Ellison faces daunting challenges in Hollywood

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California’s oldest family-owned winery declares bankruptcy as wine industry struggles

Meniffee, CA - May 27, 2026: New home buyers are having a hard time finding fire insurance and are increasingly depending on pricey FAIR Act policies. FAIR Act recipient Alex Hwang is photographed at his home in the Cimmaron Ridge neighborhood in Meniffee, CA on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

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California’s property insurance deserts are spreading to low-risk fire areas

Entertainment Investigations

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This private club catered to Hollywood elites. Then it came crashing down
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How top Paramount executive’s ties with Vegas gambler unraveled
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‘It was just a free-for-all’: What happened to Kanye West’s Donda Academy?

Retail

Retail group forecasts healthy holiday sales, in part due to inflation
Chanel shredded thousands of unsold items. There is a crackdown on the practice
California’s craft beer boom is fading as breweries close and drinking habits change

Aerospace

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 splashes down off L.A. coast after 100-million-mile orbital journey
Private spacecraft burns up in Earth’s atmosphere after failing to rescue aging NASA telescope
Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected, study reveals

California Economy

California’s economic growth expected to continue, but slowly and with few jobs gains
These 36 Starbucks locations in Southern California appear headed for closure
California deal on Paramount-Warner Bros. merger spurs frustration, questions about political pressure
Voices

Chabria: A ‘fight worth fighting’: Paramount settlement is less than desired, more than nothing

Technology and the Internet

California’s Prop. 45 aims to speed construction projects. Opponents say data centers will benefit
‘Human vs. Robot’ cage match was a hit. State says event was illegal, but organizers aren’t concerned
MI5 chief says Iran is targeting military sites and suspected plot at RAF Fairford is ‘not unique’

Ford killed its electric truck. Then demand surged
China’s EVs threaten legacy automakers’ grip on the mass market
Uber executive overseeing robotaxi push is latest leader to leave

California Business

Six Flags Magic Mountain shuts down second coaster amid safety concerns, rider death in Georgia
Keurig says it’s come up with plastic-free coffee pods
Berkeley luxury fashion brand founders found dead outside upscale Oakland Hills home

Personal Finance and Guides

Target in the 2700 block of Teller Road in Thousand Oaks via google street view

California

Money Talk with Liz Weston

Should you sell your home to help your kids buy theirs?
How do I keep checks from being stolen in the mail?
Can a brokerage sell my shares without my permission?
How can I make the IRS speed up my refund?

More Business Headlines

Business

Consumers are muscling through higher prices, but for how long?
Business

Rocket Lab shares plunge on another delay
World & Nation

Trump increased investments in drugmakers that benefited from Medicare exemptions, Democrats say
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Wall Street muscles higher despite more swings for AI stocks

Oct. 15, 2026
Business

Amazon unveils AI wearables that record and summarize your day

Oct. 15, 2026
Business

Energy shock drives biggest monthly jump in producer prices since 2022

Oct. 15, 2026
Business

The number of Americans filing for jobless aid — below 220,000 — remains at historically low level

Oct. 15, 2026
Business

Stocks drop to their worst day since July as inflation worsens

Oct. 14, 2026
World & Nation

Lawyers for Federal Reserve’s Lisa Cook say White House hearing set up by Trump is ‘biased’

Oct. 14, 2026
Business

Zuckerberg says Meta bet up to $200 billion on AI without knowing if it would work

Oct. 14, 2026
World & Nation

French cybersecurity authority warns attack may be ongoing as stores scramble to restock

Oct. 14, 2026
Business

Social Security recipients to get 3.6% cost of living boost, an average of $75 per month

Oct. 14, 2026