L.A. agrees to mediation with Palisades Fire victimsFormal talks with survivors of the January 2025 fire are scheduled to begin in early October, but the state has not joined.Friday, August 28, 2026
Rebecca Grossman and surgeon husband file for divorceVictims' mother calls the split a maneuver to escape nearly $200 million in court-ordered damages for killing two boys in a crosswalk.Friday, August 28, 2026
Palisades Fire arson suspect set for November trialJonathan Rinderknecht's second trial is set for Nov. 2, after the federal case against him collapsed in June.Thursday, August 20, 2026
Feds try again to convict Palisades Fire suspect after mistrialJonathan Rinderknecht is set to be arraigned on a revised indictment after a jury deadlocked 10-2 to acquit him earlier this year.Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Arizona threatens to sue over Colorado River water cutsMalibu gets about 7 percent of its drinking water from the shrinking river as the Trump administration orders cuts only from lower-basin states.Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Ellison demands $1.9 billion bond in Warner merger fightThe Malibu billionaire is asking a federal judge to force California and other states to backstop his Paramount-Warner deal.Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Waymo wins appeal to keep late-night Santa Monica operationsA state appeals court restored Waymo's overnight access to Santa Monica charging lots, over the objections of the city and neighbors.Monday, August 17, 2026
Palisades Fire suspect faces second trial after mistrialFederal prosecutors have filed a revised indictment against Jonathan Rinderknecht after a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal.Friday, August 14, 2026
Appeals court sides with county in Carbon Beach mansion tax fightA ruling that off-market sale prices don't automatically set fair market value could reshape California property tax law.Wednesday, August 12, 2026
DA weighs homicide charges against Edison over Eaton FireAfter L.A. County Fire blamed SCE for the 19 deaths in Altadena, criminal charges could threaten the utility's access to the state wildfire fund.Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Homeowners sue to block big Kanan Road development in Agoura HillsResidents fear a multistory commercial-residential building at Kanan and Agoura roads would clog evacuation routes during fire emergencies.Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Nobu and Malibu near secret settlement over zoning violationsThe trendy restaurant has asked to put its lawsuit against the city on hold, apparently as part of a legal agreement council will discuss Monday.Friday, July 10, 2026
Palisades Fire suspect asked ChatGPT about cigarette liability, prosecutors sayFederal prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht queried ChatGPT about cigarette fire liability moments after the fire was set on New Year's Eve.Friday, June 12, 2026
MRCA settles for $14 million in oak tree death of 8-year-old boyThe state will pay the family of Lamar McClothurn, killed at King Gillette Ranch when a tree limb fell despite prior warnings.Friday, June 12, 2026
Acting US Attorney signals California election fraud charges comingBill Essayli told Glenn Beck charges will be filed after results are certified, as USPS proposes a rule targeting California mail ballots.Friday, June 12, 2026
Prosecutors: Palisades fire suspect sought revenge on societyFederal prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht set the Lachman fire out of anger; the defense says he tried to stop it.Thursday, June 11, 2026
L.A. Mayor's brother joins fire victims suing the cityKenneth Bass lost his Rambla Pacifico home in the Palisades fire and is now among thousands of plaintiffs naming his sister as a defendant.Thursday, June 11, 2026
Grossman hit with $21 million more in punitive damagesJury adds punitive penalties on top of $176 million already awarded for the 2020 crosswalk deaths of two Iskander brothers.Thursday, June 11, 2026
Jury awards $176 million to family of boys killed by GrossmanPenalty phase begins next for socialite Rebecca Grossman, boyfriend Scott Erickson and her plastic surgeon husband after deadly Westlake crash.Thursday, June 4, 2026
Fireworks companies to pay $4 million for fatal El Dorado FireA smoke grenade made by an Ohio company sparked the 2020 gender-reveal wildfire that killed a U.S. Forest Service firefighter.Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Iskander family seeks $439 million in crosswalk deaths trialJurors begin deciding damages against Rebecca Grossman and former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson for the 2020 deaths of two boys in Westlake Village.Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Malibu pauses lawsuit against LA County over Palisades FireThe city is dropping the county from its fire-damage lawsuit, citing Supervisor Horvath's $250 million water line plan.Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Judge bars LA fire-blame defense in Palisades arson trialFederal judge rules Jonathan Rinderknecht cannot blame LA City Fire Department's handling of the earlier Lachman Fire at his upcoming arson trial.Friday, May 22, 2026
Mother of Two Boys Killed in Crosswalk Testifies in Civil TrialNancy Iskander told a Van Nuys jury her career and life ended when Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson struck her sons in 2020.Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Father testifies at Grossman civil wrongful death trialKarim Iskander told jurors he tried mouth-to-mouth on his 11-year-old son Mark, but the boy's skull was disconnected from his spine.Monday, May 18, 2026
Ex-governor candidate Cloobeck charged with witness tampering in Malibu caseBillionaire Steve Cloobeck is accused of trying to intimidate victims of his girlfriend, who allegedly defrauded men she met online in Malibu and elsewhere.Thursday, May 14, 2026
Erickson admits deleting texts to Grossman in civil trialThe Malibu man faces tens of millions in damages alongside Rebecca Grossman over the 2020 crosswalk deaths of two boys.Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Palisades Fire Suspect Says ATF Agent Biased, Cites Past CaseJonathan Rinderknecht's attorneys want to introduce evidence from a failed Navy arson case investigated by the same federal agent.Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Erickson Admits Switching License Plates, Martini Posts at TrialThe former Dodgers pitcher conceded on the stand he gave investigators the wrong car and posted Instagrams of cocktails during jury selection.Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Federal Judge to Hold Hearing for Alleged Palisades Fire ArsonistJonathan Rinderknecht, charged with igniting the fire that killed 12 and destroyed parts of Malibu, faces a key admissibility ruling today.Monday, May 11, 2026
Plea deal for man accused in pro-Israel demonstrator's deathLoay Alnaji will serve up to one year in jail and three years on probation in the Thousand Oaks bullhorn confrontation case.Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Prosecutors: Palisades arson suspect was angry, jilted on New Year's EveFederal trial memo describes Jonathan Rinderknecht as lonely and "pissed off about the world" the night the fire was set.Monday, May 4, 2026
Ex-Dodger testifies in Grossman wrongful death caseRoyce Clayton told jurors he confronted Scott Erickson at a Point Dume restaurant the day after two boys were killed in a Westlake Village crosswalk.Monday, May 4, 2026
Malibu Sues MRCA Over Ownership of Two Hiking TrailsCity claims Winding Way and Murphy Way easements transferred to Malibu at incorporation in 1993, voiding a later transfer to the parks agency.Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Trail Residents Ask City: What Took You So Long?Homeowners along Winding Way and Murphy Way say they handed Malibu legal proof of ownership more than two years ago.Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Lawsuit Says MRCA Hikers Are Trampling Sensitive HabitatThe 257-page complaint alleges the parks agency is violating the California Coastal Act through poor trail management.Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Malibu sues MRCA over Escondido Falls trail ownershipCity seeks court order transferring trail interests from county and parks agency, citing pedestrian deaths and environmental damage.Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Jury selection begins in Iskander civil suit against GrossmansAbout 150 jurors summoned in Van Nuys for wrongful-death trial over two boys killed in Westlake Village crosswalk.Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Grossman civil trial begins today over crosswalk deathsRebecca Grossman and former boyfriend Scott Erickson face the Iskander family in civil court. The judge is already considering sanctions.Monday, April 13, 2026
Pro-housing group sues over governor's SB 9 fire-zone suspensionYIMBY says Governor's emergency orders allowing Malibu to limit lot splits and ADUs in the fire area are unconstitutional.Monday, April 13, 2026
Jury Acquits Cal State Professor Arrested at ICE RaidFederal jurors needed only minutes to clear Jonathan Caravello of assault charges over a tear gas canister.Friday, April 10, 2026
Riverside Sheriff's Ballot Seizure Built on Thin EvidenceNewly unsealed warrants show Sheriff Chad Bianco seized 650,000 ballots with no insider tips and no expert analysis.Friday, April 10, 2026
Bohm returns to court as unlocked phone yields evidenceThe Malibu man accused of killing four Pepperdine students on PCH has another pretrial hearing today, with cellphone data potentially in play.Thursday, April 9, 2026
