Month: December 2019

It started as a routine call for medical attention at an Ontario home early Saturday morning. But with a series of terrifying twists — a husband with gunshot wounds, a wife firing on arriving police, a five-hour hostage standoff — the call for help revealed a domestic tragedy. Just after dawn, SWAT officers forced their…

Starbucks has apologized to two Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and promised an internal investigation following complaints by the sheriff that the coffee retailer’s employees refused to serve the peace officers. The alleged mistreatment of the deputies occurred late Thursday night at an outpost of the coffee chain near UC Riverside. The officers, who were in…

Beverly Hills police are investigating vandalism of Nessah Synagogue on Saturday morning after an employee arrived at the place of worship at 7 a.m. to discover an open door, overturned furniture and damage to several relics. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime but report that there is no evidence to suggest that…

Susan Lieu had been sitting in her car for over an hour. She planned to stop quickly by her tailor’s shop, to have a hole in her costume mended. But she couldn’t make it home in time for her Times interview, so she made do by taking the call in the Seattle tailor’s parking lot.…

“Fortnite” is already one of the biggest games on the planet — more than 250 million people are estimated to have given the game a try — and over the last year it’s proven itself relatively adept at advertising, especially for Disney brands such as Marvel and “Star Wars.” On Saturday, “Fortnite” put director J.J.…

With the holidays fast approaching, “Saturday Night Live” set aside the week’s political news of the impeachment battle in the House of Representatives for a potentially more contentious setting: houses hosting family dinners across America. Toggling between three geographic locations, “Saturday Night Live” offered a snapshot from Christmas dinner tables across ideologies, including Trump supporters,…

LONDON (AP) — Oscar-winning British actor Colin Firth has split from his Italian film producer wife Livia Giuggioli after 22 years of marriage. Their publicists said in a statement that the couple “maintain a close friendship and remain united in their love for their children.” The pair, who lived together in London and Rome, have…

A California law that will make alligator-skin boots and purses taboo has Louisiana farmers ornery. The Bayou State accused California in a lawsuit of trying to “destroy” the lucrative market for American alligator with its ban on the sale of the animals’ skins. Due to take effect Jan. 1, the ban has already resulted in…

Still have money set aside for medical expenses that you need to spend by the end of the year? There are plenty of ways to meet the deadline for flexible spending accounts, and you don’t need to buy big-ticket items. You can use up the balance on everyday purchases such as bandages and items you’ve…

Dear Liz: I’m 67, retired and have $83,000 in a 401(k) that I left with my employer. Should I see a certified financial planner? Based on my current income, I either need a job, or I have to start pulling $10,000 from my 401(k) each year, which will clean out my account in eight years.…