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.
President Trump spoke at Davos on Wednesday morning, reaffirming his desire to take over Greenland, which has been an autonomous territory of Denmark for more than 300 years; world leaders, though, are pushing back on Trump's plan. Meanwhile, one of the biggest stories in Hollywood just took another turn. Netflix is amending its $72 billion bid of Warner Brothers Discovery to pay the full amount in cash rather than a mix of cash and stock. And for months, people living in Hancock Park in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles say their neighborhood has been left in the dark after copper thieves stripped wiring from streetlights, leaving them in the dark. Why are people stealing copper? Well, the metal is a hot commodity. In business, a shop on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles is selling thrifted clothes and beauty items from influencers to combat fast fashion, and California Governor Gavin Newsom announces that the state reached its clean air vehicle goals last year, which were set in 2010 by then Governor Jerry Brown. Read more at LATimes.com.
During the first year of his second term, President Trump took unprecedented actions. Meanwhile in Greenland, protests erupted over the weekend as Trump doubled down on his threats to take over the autonomous territory from Denmark. The President says the acquisition is necessary for security reasons, though others have denied that Greenland is under threat from China or Russia. And in California, San Diego’s development boom is shining a spotlight on Los Angeles’s own housing crisis; San Diego is building apartments at nearly twice the rate of LA, where new construction plummeted 33% over the past three years. Read more at LATimes.com.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges in a New York courtroom Monday, marking his first appearance since U.S. forces seized him and his wife from their bedroom in Caracas late Friday night. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that he is issuing a letter of censure to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video urging U.S. soldiers to uphold the Constitution. And in other Washington news, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Monday he will not run for a third term. In California, record-setting rain continues, though sunny skies are expected by the weekend. In business, California is weighing a one-time 5% tax on billionaires and their trusts, and Tesla has been overtaken as the world’s top electric vehicle seller by China’s BYD. Read more at LATimes.com.
The United States military presence is growing in the Caribbean, with the Southern Command estimating about 15,000 personnel in the region, as tensions continue to build with Venezuela. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., fallout continues after President Trump added his name to the Kennedy Center — jazz supergroup The Cookers are pulling out of their New Year's Eve show there. Also, the National Guard is no longer in Los Angeles, but they’re patrolling New Orleans — exactly one year after a New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street that took the lives of 14 people. In California, the New Year is bringing a new round of rain to the southern part of the state, but even bad weather can't stop the 137th Rose Parade from marching through downtown Pasadena. And as people around the world ring in 2026, there will be partying, but also introspection and reflection; at a New Year's event in Sydney, Australia, a moment of silence – representing a nation's path towards healing — took place to remember the victims of a recent anitsemitic terrorist attack. Read more at LATimes.com.
President Trump said Monday that the U.S. “hit” an alleged drug facility along a shoreline as he escalates pressure on Venezuela. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security launched a fraud investigation in Minneapolis, targeting suspects accused of stealing billions in government funds. In California, the DMV rolled out a new pilot program aimed at cracking down on reckless driving, with added penalties for motorists clocked at more than 100 miles per hour. The state also became the first in the nation to require folic acid in most tortilla and corn masa products, a move aimed at reducing birth defects. And in sports, the Rams fell 27–24 to the Falcons on Monday night, sliding to the No. 6 seed in the NFC heading into the playoffs. Read more at LATimes.com.