Today’s Headlines: A year-old continuing war on truth – Los Angeles Times
Hello, its Thursday, Jan. 6, and here are the stories you shouldnt miss today:
How two different Americas see the Jan. 6 insurrection
Its been a year since the world watched angry Donald Trump supporters, some armed with Molotov cocktails and dressed in tactical gear, storm the nations Capitol and violently clash with police. Spurred on by then-President Trump, rioters had traveled from far and wide to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In the hours after the attack, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy seemed united as they spoke on the House floor. But over the last year, a chasm has grown between the two leaders over how to move forward. It is a divide that reflects a larger split in America, as more people seek to write and rewrite the history of last Jan. 6.
The lies that fueled the riot remain deeply embedded in American politics. Instead of providing a foundation for national unity, Jan. 6 became a launchpad for disinformation and new state laws to restrict access to the ballot box.
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California extends its indoor mask mandate
California will extend its mask mandate for indoor public spaces for a month as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread. Given the sharp recent rise in infections and hospitalizations, the mandate will be in place through at least Feb. 15.
The surge has affected first responders, as more than 1,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the Los Angeles region were ill or at home quarantining Tuesday after testing positive for the coronavirus. And a growing number of public and private institutions in California are moving to temporary remote work and closing some offices.
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An airline broke an activists wheelchair. Her death months later amplified calls for change
The death of Engracia Figueroa, a Los Angeles activist whose wheelchair was broken by an airline, has amplified calls to fix a system that disabled activists have called archaic and dangerous.
Flying from Washington, D.C., Figueroa returned to L.A. to find that her motorized wheelchair a custom device that cost tens of thousands of dollars had been broken. At Los Angeles International Airport, she waited roughly five hours in a manual wheelchair that did not fit her body, which reopened an old sore, according to her attorney, Joshua Markowitz.
Whether the incident led directly to her death, as her attorney has argued, is poised to become the subject of litigation. Regardless of how her case might play out in court, Figueroas story has been infuriatingly familiar for many wheelchair users.
Judge rejects L.A. Countys bid to dismiss Vanessa Bryants lawsuit over crash photos
A federal judge Wednesday rejected an effort by Los Angeles County lawyers to dismiss Vanessa Bryants lawsuit over the handling of photos taken at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant. The lawsuit could go to trial as early as next month.
Vanessa Bryant sued the county in 2020, alleging that she and her family suffered severe emotional distress after learning that L.A. County sheriffs deputies snapped and later shared gruesome images of the crash scene where her husband, daughter Gianna and seven others died in January 2020.
Coastal residents sue L.A. over a massive sewage spill into Santa Monica Bay
More than 100 people living in and around El Segundo have filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, accusing it of exposing them to toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and other dangers during and after a sewage spill last year at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant.
In July, a backup caused by debris forced officials to use an emergency discharge procedure, sending a flood of raw sewage into Santa Monica Bay. The L.A. County Department of Public Health issued a health advisory and urged people to avoid swimming in the area.
For more than two weeks after the initial 17-million-gallon discharge, the damaged plant continued to release millions of gallons of partially treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, a Times investigation found.
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(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy for 14-year-old Valentina Orellana Peralta, who was killed by an LAPD officer. Valentinas funeral will be Monday at the City of Refuge Church in Gardena. The shooting has sparked outrage and spurred debate about police response in tense, crowded situations.
Rabbi who was shot in Poway synagogue attack is sentenced to prison for fraud. Yisroel Goldstein rose to national prominence after being wounded in an antisemitic shooting, and was then exposed as the perpetrator of multimillion-dollar fraud schemes. He was sentenced Tuesday to 14 months in prison.
A former San Diego State frat member sues the university over hazing allegations. The suit claims the school wrongly accused him of engaging in hazing while he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, a controversial fraternity that was shut down last year.
Nearly two dozen historic streetlights are missing from the Glendale-Hyperion bridge. The stolen lampposts were installed in 1926 and made of bronze, and no replacements are immediately available. The thefts have also continued despite an ongoing Los Angeles police investigation.
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Boy Scouts of America falls short in bid to emerge from sex-abuse bankruptcy. A $2.7-billion settlement offer failed to garner enough votes from thousands of men who say they were sexually abused in Scouting. Although 73% of the nearly 54,000 claimants who cast ballots voted to accept the settlement, the proposal needed at least 75%.
130 years after defying segregation, Plessy of separate but equal ruling to be pardoned. Louisianas governor posthumously pardoned Homer Plessy on Wednesday, more than a century after the Black resident was arrested in an unsuccessful challenge to a Jim Crow law creating whites-only train cars.
March 2023 trial is set for the Florida condo collapse lawsuit. Thats about six months later than Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman had initially planned. But lawyers in the complex and unusual case said experts need more time to evaluate what caused the condominium building to fall and kill 98 people.
Grammy Awards postponed due to Omicron variant. The Recording Academy, which presents musics most prestigious awards show, said that holding the show on Jan. 31 simply contains too many risks and added that a new date would be announced soon.
Omicron also forces Sundance Film Festival to cancel in-person events. Instead of hosting red carpet premieres, parties and panel discussions in the traditional hub of Park City, the 2022 festival will now be mostly virtual for the second consecutive year.
Kanye West to headline 2022 Coachella festival. West (who now goes by Ye) is in the final stages of confirming festival-closing sets on consecutive Sundays, April 17 and 24.
As superstars cash in on vinyl LP boom, small labels and manufacturers struggle to meet demand. Buyers want way more records than pressing facilities in Southern California can supply. Thats true globally too: There arent enough manufacturers to meet the renewed demand, and too few workers available to run them.
After turning journalists into TV stars and millionaires, Richard Leibner signs off. Leibner, 82, the godfather of TV news agents, retired at the end of December after 58 years of representing many of the biggest names in the industry, including Diane Sawyer, Dan Rather, Mike Wallace and Norah ODonnell.
Fans wont be able to pump up the volume at UCLA basketballs long-awaited return. The game against Long Beach State comes with an unusually exclusive guest list: Only families of team members will be permitted inside Pauley Pavilion on Thursday afternoon for the Bruins first game in nearly a month.
Novak Djokovic was denied entry into Australia after his visa was canceled. The Australian Border Force issued a statement early Thursday local time saying Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet entry requirements and his visa has been subsequently canceled.
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The brazen, mind-boggling Republican revisionism regarding Jan. 6 never ends. The United States has an unfortunate tendency toward historical amnesia and denial, particularly when it comes to the bad behavior of white people, writes columnist Robin Abcarian.
Before-and-after images at the arch at Spooners Cove near Montaa de Oro State Park that collapsed during recent rains.
(Helena Yungbluth)
Decembers record-breaking storms provided a much-needed rain, but they also came at a cost. A beloved rock arch at Spooners Cove, along the coast of San Luis Obispo, crumbled in the recent rains, officials said.
Eric Hjelstrom, chief ranger for the San Luis Obispo Coast district of California State Parks, said the sandstone cliffs that line the area are home to many natural features. Theyre part of what gives you the allure of this part of California, he said. But time, rain and wind all take a toll, and the same force that creates the arch eventually destroys it.
January 1945: Comedian Charlie Chaplin, 55, in court during the Joan Berry paternity trial in Los Angeles.
(Los Angeles Times)
Seventy-seven years ago this week, Charlie Chaplin was embroiled in a paternity trial, which, as The Times reported later, exploded into one of Hollywoods biggest scandals. Chaplin was exonerated by a blood test of being the father of a baby girl born to Joan Berry. But the test was disputed and the trial went forward. The jury deadlocked, as The Times reported on Jan. 5, 1945, and a mistrial was declared.
The five jurors for the baby, of which I was one, said one juror in the 1945 report, did not question but that he was the father. The others, however, could not overlook the fact there was testimony showing she had been alone with Getty [Jean Paul Getty, multimillionaire oilman] and Ruesch [Hans Ruesch, former Hollywood writer] around the time she says she was with Chaplin. A retrial just three months later ended with a jury upholding Berrys claim, and the legendary comedian was ordered to pay $75 a week in child support.
We appreciate that you took the time to read Todays Headlines! Comments or ideas? Feel free to drop us a note at headlines@latimes.com. Elvia Limn, Laura Blasey, Amy Hubbard
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Today's Headlines: A year-old continuing war on truth - Los Angeles Times
- EDITORIAL: Rev. Al Sharpton to receive NYABJs Legacy in Civil Rights and Media Award - New York Amsterdam News - October 24th, 2026 [October 24th, 2026]
- Anand Giridharadas on How the Reverend Al Sharpton Works to Shape Narratives of Justice - Literary Hub - October 19th, 2026 [October 19th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton Congratulates Mike Manning and Beyond The Gates For Emmy Nods - Yahoo - October 19th, 2026 [October 19th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton To Join Big Bethel Ame Church For Souls To The Polls Sunday - PR Underground - October 19th, 2026 [October 19th, 2026]
- STATEMENT FROM REV. AL SHARPTON ON GRAND JURY DECISION IN THE DEATH OF NOLAN WELLS - Jackson Advocate - September 26th, 2026 [September 26th, 2026]
- PoliticsNation celebrates 15 years on the air, marking a milestone for Rev. Al Sharpton - MS NOW - September 11th, 2026 [September 11th, 2026]
- LIVE: Rev. Al Sharpton leads voting rights rally marking March on Washington - Shoreline Media Group - September 2nd, 2026 [September 2nd, 2026]
- Al Sharpton Served With Intent to Sue Over Nolan Wells Case: I Welcome the Lawsuit - LAmag - August 25th, 2026 [August 25th, 2026]
- Attorneys for Nolan Wells friends threaten to sue the Rev. Al Sharpton for defamation - CNN - August 25th, 2026 [August 25th, 2026]
- Friends of Nolan Wells intend to sue Rev. Al Sharpton for defamation, law firm says - fox10tv.com - August 25th, 2026 [August 25th, 2026]
- Friends of Nalan Wells could sue Rev. Al Sharpton for defamation - WLBT - August 25th, 2026 [August 25th, 2026]
- Nolan Wells Friends Intend to Sue Rev. Al Sharpton for Defamation as Tensions Continue to Rise - Yahoo - August 25th, 2026 [August 25th, 2026]
- Nolan Wells' Friends Send Legal Letter Threatening to Sue Reverend Al Sharpton - TMZ - August 25th, 2026 [August 25th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton offers $50K reward for new information into Nolan Wells death - Scripps News - August 18th, 2026 [August 18th, 2026]
- Ben Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton speak before the funeral of Corey Ruiz - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - August 18th, 2026 [August 18th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton, Ben Crump use NABJ to call for federal action in Nolan Wells case - CBS News - August 18th, 2026 [August 18th, 2026]
- Ben Crump, Al Sharpton, Congressional Leaders to join Nolan Wells' family in call for federal review - WXXV News 25 - August 18th, 2026 [August 18th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III Announce March On Washington - Cassius Life - August 7th, 2026 [August 7th, 2026]
- Coalition Featuring Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III Announces March On Washington 2026 - sdvoice.info - August 1st, 2026 [August 1st, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton And National Action Network Partner With King Family For March On Washington 2026: Defend The Vote - essence.com - August 1st, 2026 [August 1st, 2026]
- (BPRW) Rev. Al Sharpton and NAN Partner With the King Family and Community Organizations for the March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote - Black PR... - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves blames Ben Crump and Al Sharpton for threats, stoking division in Nolan Wells case - TheGrio - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton, The King Family And Civil Rights Orgs Announce March On Washington For Voting Rights - Yahoo - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III Announce March On Washington - NewsOne - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton, The King Family And Civil Rights Orgs Announce March On Washington For Voting Rights - Blavity News - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton & Attorney Ben Crump Hold News Conference on Death of Nolan Wells - C-SPAN - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Parents of Mississippi teen who died meet with Rev. Al Sharpton - CBS News - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Nolan Wells family joins attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton in press conference - WDAM-TV - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Attorney Ben Crump, Al Sharpton call for investigation into death of Nolan Xavier Wells: LIVE - Central Oregon Daily - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Family of Nolan Wells to hold press conference with Ben Crump and Al Sharpton - TheGrio - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Insecurity: Rev. Al Sharpton pins down Trumps obsession with Obama - MS NOW - July 3rd, 2026 [July 3rd, 2026]
- MS NOWs Al Sharpton Says Tucker Carlson Saved Himself From Cliff Trump and GOP Are Going Over - Yahoo - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton Says Tucker Carlson Saved Himself From 'Cliff' Trump Is Going Over - Yahoo - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Obama Presidential Center: Rev. Al Sharpton on what it means for the nation - FOX 32 Chicago - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton on the importance of the Obama Presidential Center - CBS News - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- 'We have work to do': Rev. Al Sharpton says progress from Obama's legacy 'cannot go backwards' - Modern Ghana - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Greg Gutfeld: Al Sharpton has no connection to the world unless he tethers it to racism - Fox News - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton bizarrely likens Trumps White House UFC event to fights for the slave masters - New York Post - June 10th, 2026 [June 10th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton Makes Wild Comparison Between Trump's UFC White House Event and 'Fights for the Slave Masters' - Yahoo - June 3rd, 2026 [June 3rd, 2026]
- Al Sharpton: South Carolina GOP did the right thing rejecting Trumps redistricting push - MS NOW - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton: Whats In The Mueller Report? - MS NOW - May 22nd, 2026 [May 22nd, 2026]
- Rev Al Sharpton gives us the latest on Jussie Smollett - MS NOW - May 20th, 2026 [May 20th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton: Trump is spitting in the face of Americans struggling under his economy - MS NOW - May 20th, 2026 [May 20th, 2026]
- "Rise up and get that shot" says Rev. Al Sharpton in COVID safety approach - MS NOW - May 20th, 2026 [May 20th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton Invited 10 Potential 2028 Candidates To His Conference And Was Surprised This Contender Seemed To Get The Most Praise - Yahoo - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Democrats State a Show of Respect for Al Sharpton. Really? - Manhattan Institute - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton says killing of Brooklyn toddler is a wake up call - New York Amsterdam News - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Gov. Beshear speaks with Rev. Al Sharpton at New York City convention - WKYT - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton On Three Major Threats to Black Voters in 2026 - The Root - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Mark Kelly, Al Sharpton speak at NAN National Convention - azcentral.com and The Arizona Republic - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton Invited 10 Potential 2028 Candidates To His Conference And Was Surprised This Contender Seemed To Get The Most Praise - Blavity News - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Opinion: Misconduct forgotten, grifter Al Sharpton sits in governor's chair - CT Insider - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton on the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr Day - MS NOW - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton On Why The Church Remains A Pillar In The Black Community - NewsOne - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Robert De Niro, Al Sharpton Speak Out Against Trump At No Kings Rally In New York - thehill.com - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Al Sharpton: We are afraid of the cops and the robbers. - MS NOW - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- The Rev. Al Sharpton to give eulogy for man fatally shot by Hartford police - CT Insider - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton set to eulogize Stevie Jones after Hartford police shooting - Connecticut Public - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton, Ben Crump expected to attend funeral of man fatally shot by Hartford police - CT Insider - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton to give eulogy at service for man shot and killed by Hartford officer - NBC Connecticut - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- The Rev. Al Sharpton to give eulogy for man fatally shot by Hartford police - Stamford Advocate - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton To Eulogize Man Shot 9 Times, Killed By Hartford Police - dailyvoice.com - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- The Rev. Al Sharpton asks NYC to help protect Merchant's House Museum in Manhattan - CBS News - March 18th, 2026 [March 18th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton speaks at Rev Jesse Jackson funeral: 'We didn't come this far to turn around now' - 11Alive.com - March 7th, 2026 [March 7th, 2026]
- Rev. Al Sharpton on the passing of his mentor, Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson - The Mississippi Link - March 7th, 2026 [March 7th, 2026]
- Al Sharpton blasts Mike Johnson for refusing to honor Jesse Jackson at Capitol - MS NOW - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- Spike Lee, Al Sharpton, Mamdani speak on Thanksgiving - LiveNOW from FOX - November 28th, 2025 [November 28th, 2025]
- Rev. Al Sharpton provides Thanksgiving turkeys in Harlem - amNewYork - November 28th, 2025 [November 28th, 2025]
- Press Release: Hakeem Jeffries Addresses Medicaid and SNAP Issues on Keepin' It Real Show with Rev. Al Sharpton - Quiver Quantitative - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- After Bust In Coke Sting, Rev. Al Sharpton Tried Helping The Feds Make A Drug Case Against NYC Mob's Joe & Danny Pagano - The Gangster Report - - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Rev. Al Sharpton: SCOTUS voting rights case will have a ripple effect across the U.S. - Yahoo - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Trump Picked the Wrong Enemy With Letitia James Indictment, Al Sharpton Says: This Is All Vengeance | Video - TheWrap - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Trump Picked the Wrong Enemy With Letitia James Indictment, Al Sharpton Says: This Is All Vengeance | Video - Yahoo News Canada - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Trump mocks Al Sharpton with old photo of MSNBC host, calls on FCC to look into his show - Yahoo - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Donald Trump mocks Rev. Al Sharpton while urging FCC to 'look into' NBC's license - Yahoo - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Wants FCC To Target NBC Over Al Sharpton Who Used To Be A 'Major' Fan - Yahoo - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Trump mocks Al Sharpton with unflattering snap and calls for probe into his lowest rated show - New York Post - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Trump unleashes new FCC threat on NBC in fat-shaming Al Sharpton post that name-checks Tawana Brawley hoax - The Independent - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Trump calls on FCC to look into Al Sharpton in latest attack on media and free speech - TheGrio - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Donald Trump sets his next FCC attack on Al Sharpton and MSNBC - Entertainment Weekly - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]