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Headlines From The Times

LA Times Studios

Get essential Los Angeles Times news highlights from the L.A. Times Studios in “Headlines From The Times.” Each episode brings you a bite-sized breakdown of the day’s top news stories and biggest headlines from California and beyond. From politics and climate to entertainment and food, you’ll get the basics behind the trending topics and key news stories that matter most.

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Yesterday · 3 min
Fed Chair Says Inflation Is Too High & USC, UCLA Announce AI Majors
In his first major speech as Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh told the Fed's annual Jackson Hole conference that inflation — currently at 3.7%, above the Fed's 2% target — remains a top concern, and warned the central bank will act if prices don't ease. Warsh didn’t offer “forward guidance” on interest rates, signaling he wants a quieter Fed that lets economic data drive policy instead of public commentary. The Fed's next rate decision comes in mid-September. Meanwhile, USC and UCLA are launching new deg
Thursday · 4 min
Mamdani Announces New Business Council & NFL Drops Pro Bowl
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tapped a fifteen member Business Advisory Council with executives from real estate, retail, dining, sports, and healthcare. But missing from the council are executives from the city's largest financial employers, like BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase. There's been tension between Mamdani's democratic socialist platform and a skeptical business community, including his public clash with Citadel's Ken Griffin over a proposed pied-à-terre tax. Meanwhile, newly released pol
Wednesday · 2 min
Meta Settles, Tim Curry Passes, and Lebron James Loan Ties to Mark Walter
Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion to settle claims from California and other states that its platforms harmed the mental health of young users. The tech giant denies wrongdoing, but will roll out new daily usage limits and other measures on Facebook and Instagram. California alone could collect up to $2.1 billion. LeBron James took out a nearly $300 million loan in 2018, right before joining the Los Angeles Lakers. The previously unreported deal involved companies advised by Guggenheim
Monday · 2 min
Bitcoin Surges Past $77K & Californians Buying Second Passports
Bitcoin had been sliding for months, down 31% over the past year. Then last week, everything changed. News out of Washington sent the crypto surging back above $77,000, jumping 20% in just a few days. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's plan to double long-term government bond buybacks pushed bond yields lower and pressured the dollar — and a weaker dollar sent investors hunting for alternatives, like Bitcoin. A growing number of California’s richest residents are looking overseas as political
August 21 · 2 min
Walmart Sales Growth Craters & Disney's Tomorrowland Plans
The world's largest retailer, Walmart, just reported its worst sales growth in more than six years. Last quarter, the Arkansas-based company saw its store sales rise just 2.6 percent. This comes as overall retail spending dropped in July, and according to the University of Michigan, consumer sentiment fell about 8% this August. Meanwhile, Disneyland is finally giving Tomorrowland the major makeover fans have been asking for. Disney announced at D23 that the iconic land will be reimagined with
August 20 · 2 min
National Debt Tops $40 Trillion & Tony Romo's Future with CBS
The U.S. national debt hit a record high this week, topping $40 trillion. That’s double what it was in 2016 at the start of President Trump's first term. Most of that spending is going toward rising military costs, programs like Social Security and Medicare, and Trump's tax cuts. The war in Iran has already cost the U.S. more than $34 billion, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And, as NFL season approaches, CBS is moving forward with its coverage while Tony Romo r
August 18 · 4 min
Record Number of Kindergartners Unvaccinated, Jeanie Buss Contests Lakers Sale, and Meta Trial Begins
A record number of kindergartners are starting school this year, without required vaccinations, with new federal data showing that exemption rates are hitting an all-time high for the fourth year in a row. After nearly 50 years, the Buss family’s run as owners of the Los Angeles Lakers could be coming to an end. The family has reportedly agreed to sell its remaining stake to new majority owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, but Jeanie Buss and her attorneys have come out to say she was not on boar
August 17 · 3 min
Californians Split on Billionaire Tax & Voter ID, European Vacations, and Ty Simpson Debut
New data shows 24 million Americans traveled to Europe in 2025 alone — a record high, led by trips to the UK, France, and Italy. But the boom isn't reaching everyone equally: the wealthiest households are driving the surge, and by age, travelers 55-64 led the way, followed by 18-24 year olds. And, a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, shows California voters are divided on two major ballot measures ahead of the November election. Propos
August 12 · 2 min
Lakers Purchased for $12+ Billion, Jalapeños Linked to Salmonella, and Spotify Cracks Down on AI Artists
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner are set to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for more than $12 billion — just over a year after Mark Walter took a controlling stake at a then-record $10 billion. The sale still needs NBA Board of Governors approval, which could take a few weeks. And, federal health officials say jalapeños imported from Mexico are the likely source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 345 people across 27 states. Taylor Farms is recalling a
August 11 · 5 min
Nvidia’s $500B AI Buildout With Wall Street Heavyweights, Nithya Raman Could Lose Key City Hall Leadership Role as Mayoral Race Heats Up, and New Video Podcasts Are Coming to Disney+ and Hulu
Nvidia is partnering up with six asset managers, including BlackRock and Goldman Sachs, to bring half a trillion dollars into AI infrastructure — chips, power plants, and data centers. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the goal is to connect its customers with lenders for loans and credit, though key details about the project remain unclear. BlackRock’s Larry Fink says the move reminds him of the creation of mortgage-backed securities, treating AI compute as a new investable asset class. Nithya Ram
August 5 · 3 min
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Earnings Beat Expectations, Iran Ceasefire Hopes Rise, and California Won't Ban 'Forever Chemicals' After Bill Fails
The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Tuesday. Faith Pinnow from L.A. Times Studios breaks down what's driving the rally — from strong second-quarter earnings reports to growing optimism around a potential Iran ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Plus: a look back at how far the index has come since 1957. California lawmakers have rejected a proposal that would have phased out pesticides containing PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," on farms across the state. Supporters
July 30 · 4 min
Trump Threatens to Pull AG Pick, Fed Holds Rates Steady Despite Inflation, Dodgers Owner Reportedly Under Federal Investigation, and Should AI Music Count on the Charts?
President Trump is threatening to drop Todd Blanche as his pick for Attorney General until he can lock down Senate approval. The warning comes after Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn signaled they'd vote no — both objecting to a deal Blanche struck settling Trump's IRS lawsuit, including a controversial "anti-weaponization fund" Cornyn says protects Trump and his family from tax audits. Plus, the Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, even as inflation sits above the central
July 28 · 6 min
Is Truth Social’s New ‘Truth API’ Insider Trading & Why Los Angeles Feels So Hot This Summer
Truth Social's new Truth API is set to launch August 1, offering paying clients real-time access to posts from President Trump and other top administration officials. The service reportedly costs $100,000 per month and is designed to help institutional investors react to breaking news in milliseconds. L.A. Times Studios' Faith Pinnow speaks with former White House chief ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who argues the service raises significant ethics and legal questions. He explains why he believ
July 24 · 6 min
How Trump Media Could Profit From the President’s Truth Social Posts, Netflix Buys Ben Affleck's AI Company for $587 Million, and Homeless Nonprofit Faces Scrutiny Over CEO Contracts
Trump Media & Technology Group is launching a new service that gives paying customers real time access to President Donald Trump's Truth Social posts, potentially milliseconds before others see them. The new "Truth API" could benefit institutional investors and high frequency trading firms, where even fractions of a second can be worth millions of dollars. In this episode, we speak with L.A. Times business columnist Michael Hiltzik about the legal and ethical questions surrounding the service,
July 23 · 5 min
Trump Threatens to Strike Civilian Targets in Iran, Congress Unveils AI "Kill Switch" Bill, and Dodgers Rookie Catcher, Rushing, Catches Fire on Eve of White House Visit
President Trump is threatening to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants for every attack Iran carries out against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a dramatic escalation in the nearly five month conflict. Iran is warning of an "eye for an eye" response, while attacks in the Red Sea and rising oil prices are fueling concerns the war could spiral into a wider regional conflict. Meanwhile, lawmakers have introduced the bipartisan "AI Kill Switch Act," which would require the nation's largest
July 22 · 3 min
Trump Administration Freezes $1 Billion in Medicaid Funds ; Why Living in Miami Costs More Than NYC
The Trump administration is withholding an additional $1 billion in Medicaid funding from California and Minnesota, marking the second time this year the federal government has targeted the states' public health insurance programs over suspected fraud. While the withheld funds make up a relatively small share of each state's Medicaid budget, the loss could still impact programs providing behavioral therapy for children with autism and in-home care services helping people with daily tasks like ba
July 21 · 5 min
Federal Judge Freezes Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger, Trump Slaps 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods, and California E-Bike Injuries Surge
The Paramount-Warner Brothers saga continues as a federal judge in California hit pause on one of Hollywood's biggest mergers. The ruling temporarily blocks the $111 billion merger of Paramount-Skydance and Warner Brothers Discovery after a coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by California AG Rob Bonta, filed a restraining order to stop the deal. Meanwhile, the United States' trade war is escalating with Canada as the Trump administration is slapping a new set of 50% tariffs on goods
July 20 · 6 min
"The Odyssey" Breaks IMAX Record, FIFA Reports $9 Billion in World Cup Revenue, More Water Main Breaks Reported in Los Angeles, and Spain's Victory Recapped
Christopher Nolan's nearly three-hour epic "The Odyssey" grossed over $124 million domestically this weekend, proving it was worth the risk for Universal despite being one of the priciest R-rated movies ever made. Shot entirely on IMAX 70-millimeter cameras, the film set a new IMAX record for the largest opening weekend in international markets, excluding China, Japan, and South Korea. Universal Pictures' president of domestic distribution says "it's something that truly has to be experienced on
July 14 · 4 min
New York Pauses Data Center Construction Amid AI Boom, AI "Actor" Causes Hollywood Controversy, and Man Arrested for Vandalizing Waymo
The AI boom is fueling a race to build data centers across the United States. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul is hitting pause, becoming the first state to temporarily ban approvals for the largest of those projects. The executive order halts new permits for "hyper-scale" data centers that use over 50 megawatts of power for one year. And, AI-generated character Tilly Norwood is set to star in the feature film "Misaligned," reigniting debate across Hollywood over whether artificial intelligenc
July 13 · 5 min
Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies at 71; ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Housing Bill Quietly Becomes Law, and Flock Cameras Put on Pause
Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, died on Saturday at 71 years old. According to the medical examiner, Graham died from an aortic dissection, a tear in the main artery. Graham served as a close advisor to President Trump. A fierce supporter of Ukraine and Israel, he pushed for more aggressive foreign policy measures. And for months, lawmakers called it a ‘once in a lifetime’ housing bill. Over the weekend, it quietly went into effect. The measure won't bring a single

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