High-speed rail authority wasted money on first-class flights, trips to nightclub, report finds

Los Angeles Times - Sep 17, 2026

California's high-speed rail authority is under new scrutiny after an inspector general found the agency approved more than half a million dollars in wasteful and unexplained travel spending.

Read full article

More News

Washington balks at giving AI firms waiver to create safety standard 

Sep 17, 2026

Washington balks at giving AI firms waiver to create safety standard 

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call for an antitrust waiver for AI firms to work together on a safety standard is being met with skepticism in Washington, where policymakers are questioning tech leaders' intentions. Congress has failed repeatedly to pass AI regulations for years, but some lawmakers are balking at the idea of technology companies taking...

A California gender gap: Young Latinas want to fight Trump more than Latinos, study finds

Sep 17, 2026

A California gender gap: Young Latinas want to fight Trump more than Latinos, study finds

Young and working-class Latina voters in California care more about protecting immigrant communities and fighting President Trump's agenda than their male counterparts, according to a UCLA study.

High-speed rail authority wasted money on first-class flights, trips to nightclub, report finds

Sep 17, 2026

High-speed rail authority wasted money on first-class flights, trips to nightclub, report finds

California's high-speed rail authority is under new scrutiny after an inspector general found the agency approved more than half a million dollars in wasteful and unexplained travel spending.

More UC students are failing intro math courses as regents weigh reinstating SAT

Sep 17, 2026

More UC students are failing intro math courses as regents weigh reinstating SAT

As UC regents reconsider test-free admissions, faculty cite rising math failure rates while admissions officials report stable overall graduation rates.

Federal judge limits immigration arrests without a warrant in Southern California

Sep 16, 2026

Federal judge limits immigration arrests without a warrant in Southern California

A Los Angeles federal judge has ordered immigration agents to stop making civil arrests without a warrant unless they first determine that a person is likely to escape before one can be obtained.

LAUSD faces tough choices: Which schools to close, update or rebuild as enrollment dives

Sep 16, 2026

LAUSD faces tough choices: Which schools to close, update or rebuild as enrollment dives

As LAUSD enrollment drops, district officials face tough choices over school closures and how to prudently spend billions in voter-approved bond funds.

Dramatic recording could help answer why NBC4 helicopter crashed

Sep 16, 2026

Dramatic recording could help answer why NBC4 helicopter crashed

At a news conference Wednesday, federal transportation officials said the most critical information available so far has been video captured from the helicopter during its final, live broadcast moments before it crashed.

Republicans clash on Senate floor over AI kill switch

Sep 16, 2026

Republicans clash on Senate floor over AI kill switch

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday blocked a request by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) to pass legislation that would require tech companies to develop a “kill switch” for superintelligent AI amid fears that it could spin out of control and pose an existential threat to humanity. Paul argued that an “open-ended” government mandate to implement...

Warsh says Fed cares 'very much' about AI developments

Sep 16, 2026

Warsh says Fed cares 'very much' about AI developments

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Wednesday the central bank is keeping tabs on rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) models. “We care very much about what's happening in artificial intelligence,” Warsh told reporters, after the Federal Open Market Committee raised interest rates by a quarter point. The Fed chair noted he is interested in how...

More Americans say AI will hurt the environment than help it: Poll

Sep 16, 2026

More Americans say AI will hurt the environment than help it: Poll

More Americans believe AI will have negative environmental impacts on the upcoming decade than those who think the technology will help the environment, a poll released Wednesday found. In the newly published survey from The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 47 percent of respondents predicted AI will do “more to hurt” the environment...

Commentary: News helicopters are very L.A. It's a dangerous job

Sep 16, 2026

Commentary: News helicopters are very L.A. It's a dangerous job

Los Angeles and airborne reporting were always a match made, if not in heaven, then a quarter-mile or so closer to it than the rest of us earthbound beings.

La Opinión, the chronicler of Latino life in L.A., reflects on a century of change

Sep 16, 2026

La Opinión, the chronicler of Latino life in L.A., reflects on a century of change

The paper celebrated its centennial milestone by publishing a series of 100-word columns.

They were the 'eyes and ears in the sky.' NBC4 helicopter crew were SoCal news veterans

Sep 16, 2026

They were the 'eyes and ears in the sky.' NBC4 helicopter crew were SoCal news veterans

On Tuesday evening, KNBC reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw flew together for the last time, before their NBC4 news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth.

Zuckerberg: AI companies incentivized toward safety

Sep 16, 2026

Zuckerberg: AI companies incentivized toward safety

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday argued that artificial intelligence (AI) companies are incentivized toward safety when it comes to the timing of crafting their models and that external pressure is not needed to keep to that timeline. “Every lab has the responsibility and incentive to move at the pace required to train its models...

New evidence shows that you are only slightly hotter than a T. rex

Sep 16, 2026

New evidence shows that you are only slightly hotter than a T. rex

These cold-blooded killers were probably as warm-blooded as mammals, according to new research.

Hackers rip down Flock camera, steal its data, share findings with media

Sep 16, 2026

Hackers rip down Flock camera, steal its data, share findings with media

A group of hackers ripped down a Flock camera and stole its data, finding that the cameras’ software can generate dozens of images from a single passing vehicle to develop its signature. The group, called stegan0gram, shared findings with Wired and 404 Media, who ran a joint investigation. The outlets found that in a 21-day...

18-year-old Cal State Fullerton student dies after frat party

Sep 16, 2026

18-year-old Cal State Fullerton student dies after frat party

Anthony Joseph Blas was pronounced dead shortly after someone dropped him off at Providence St. Jude Medical Center around midnight, Fullerton police said.

Vance to AI leaders: 'If you're building Frankenstein, stop'

Sep 16, 2026

Vance to AI leaders: 'If you're building Frankenstein, stop'

Vice President Vance weighed in on the ongoing AI safety debate Tuesday, pressing those behind the technology to be careful. “The president, I think, is very rightly asking the question, why is it that the people who are at the frontier of the AI economy are throwing up their hands and saying, 'Well, we've built...

Unrestrained: Inside L.A. County's system for issuing and enforcing restraining orders

Sep 16, 2026

Unrestrained: Inside L.A. County's system for issuing and enforcing restraining orders

The Times investigated how L.A. County issues and enforces restraining orders, finding a system that advocates and victims say is deeply flawed.

L.A. homeless services fraud suspect spent millions on club, luxury trips, feds charge

Sep 16, 2026

L.A. homeless services fraud suspect spent millions on club, luxury trips, feds charge

Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested three people employed at Los Angeles-area homeless nonprofits as part of a sweeping crackdown targeting alleged misappropriation of funds.

'You can't trust anything' from Anthropic, OpenAI leaders, lawyer says

Sep 16, 2026

'You can't trust anything' from Anthropic, OpenAI leaders, lawyer says

Attorney Jay Edelson slammed the heads of the leading artificial intelligence companies Tuesday, declaring “you can’t trust anything” they say. Appearing on News Nation with Leland Vittert, Edelson – who is currently leading lawsuits against OpenAI, Anthropic and other major technology companies – was asked if he had ever seen leaders within an industry abdicate...

Senate Republican on Trump claim AI threat is 'hoax': 'Come on'

Sep 16, 2026

Senate Republican on Trump claim AI threat is 'hoax': 'Come on'

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Tuesday criticized President Trump’s dismissal of rising concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence technology. “Come on, it’s not a hoax. It’s a real thing,” Tillis, who is not running for reelection, told reporters at the Capitol. “This is something that I’ve spent a lot of my professional career in,...

U.S. Fed hikes interest rate for 1st time in 3 years, defying Trump

Sep 16, 2026

U.S. Fed hikes interest rate for 1st time in 3 years, defying Trump

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly-high inflation.

Almost 3 in 4 teachers want screen time limits in schools: Gallup

Sep 16, 2026

Almost 3 in 4 teachers want screen time limits in schools: Gallup

A new Gallup poll highlights teachers' mixed feelings toward devices in schools, but ultimately most say they would like to see some limits on how much screen time students receive in classrooms.   Seventy-three percent of teachers say they strongly or somewhat support setting a maximum amount of time a student can spend using devices...

Sanders: 'Embarrassing' how 'ignorant' Trump is on AI

Sep 16, 2026

Sanders: 'Embarrassing' how 'ignorant' Trump is on AI

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went after President Trump on the issue of AI, saying he has a lack of knowledge around its risks. “Look, it is embarrassing, really, I think, going beyond politics, how ignorant this president is about the dangers of AI,” Sanders told MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner in a clip posted Tuesday on...

Weingarten weighs in on AI: 'The robots can't be in charge'

Sep 16, 2026

Weingarten weighs in on AI: 'The robots can't be in charge'

The president of one of the biggest teachers unions in the country has come out with a cautionary warning on AI in schools, emphasizing the need for learning before students are exposed to the technology.   “So, you know, from an education and a people perspective, the human beings have to be in charge of...

63 percent believe AI could destroy humanity: Survey

Sep 16, 2026

63 percent believe AI could destroy humanity: Survey

A majority of Americans are concerned that artificial intelligence poses grave risks to the future of humanity, according to a new poll released on Wednesday. The POLITICO survey found that 63 percent of U.S. adults believe this technology could someday destroy mankind. Twenty-six percent of respondents said there was only a “moderate risk” of this...

AI build-out propels tech firms to top of US investment ranking: Study

Sep 16, 2026

AI build-out propels tech firms to top of US investment ranking: Study

The rapid build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure is making technology firms some of the top capital investors in the U.S., according to new research shared first with The Hill. The report, to be published by the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) on Wednesday, found tech firms Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft invested more than half —...

EU chief proposes bloc-wide social media ban for kids under 13

Sep 16, 2026

EU chief proposes bloc-wide social media ban for kids under 13

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's top official proposed on Wednesday banning children under 13 across the 27-nation bloc from using social media sites and imposing limits for older teens on accessing the platforms. The plan outlined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen adds to global efforts to protect young people using platforms...

Lawmakers scramble to catch up on AI 

Sep 16, 2026

Lawmakers scramble to catch up on AI 

Washington is scrambling to manage the abrupt panic around AI development, but party politics, a limited legislative window and lack of consensus makes it an uphill, next-to-impossible task.  In the wake of a researcher’s viral warning about the technology, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are floating numerous proposals to prevent the negative potential...

Why is it so hard to get a restraining order? Only 1 in 5 granted in L.A. County

Sep 16, 2026

Why is it so hard to get a restraining order? Only 1 in 5 granted in L.A. County

The restraining order system is "riddled with barriers and drop-out points," and can be very difficult to navigate, according to victims of domestic violence and advocates interviewed by The Times, often leaving those who seek protection more vulnerable than when they began.

'We've lost contact': NBC4 covers its own helicopter tragedy with grief, purpose

Sep 16, 2026

'We've lost contact': NBC4 covers its own helicopter tragedy with grief, purpose

NBC4 news reported on its own news chopper that crashed and burst into flames, killing three.

Helicopter crashes and bursts into flames, killing at least 3 people near an LA bus collision

Sep 16, 2026

Helicopter crashes and bursts into flames, killing at least 3 people near an LA bus collision

The helicopter crashed around 7 p.m. near a one-story commercial building in the neighborhood of Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley.

At least 5 dead in helicopter crash and bus accident in Chatsworth. Driver arrested

Sep 16, 2026

At least 5 dead in helicopter crash and bus accident in Chatsworth. Driver arrested

A helicopter crashed into flames Tuesday night in Chatsworth, not far from a serious accident involving a Metro bus that left three people dead.

Bessent grilled on AI, bond market in tense House hearing: 3 takeaways

Sep 15, 2026

Bessent grilled on AI, bond market in tense House hearing: 3 takeaways

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday, amid concerns over rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) and surging bond yields. During the nearly three-hour-long hearing, Bessent brushed off concerns about AI and defended his department’s intervention in the bond market. But that did not stop Democrats on the panel from taking him to task on...

Fewer than half of Americans expect midterm elections to be 'free and fair,' poll finds

Sep 15, 2026

Fewer than half of Americans expect midterm elections to be 'free and fair,' poll finds

Fewer than half of Americans believe the upcoming midterm elections will be "free and fair," according to a new poll — a sharp decline from after the 2024 election.

U.S. confirms space weapons launch for the 1st time. Should you be concerned?

Sep 15, 2026

U.S. confirms space weapons launch for the 1st time. Should you be concerned?

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the agency has deployed “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”

Newsom signs first-in-nation standards for homes damaged by wildfire smoke

Sep 15, 2026

Newsom signs first-in-nation standards for homes damaged by wildfire smoke

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to create new standards to test and remediate homes damaged by wildfire smoke, and to require insurance companies to pay for the associated costs.

Feds find small alligator, 42 kilos of fentanyl in downtown L.A. luxury apartment

Sep 15, 2026

Feds find small alligator, 42 kilos of fentanyl in downtown L.A. luxury apartment

Federal authorities said they found firearms and a small alligator at an apartment in the Olympic + Hill building, where they arrested two suspects who are charged with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Crypto bill falls short in early hurdle on Senate floor 

Sep 15, 2026

Crypto bill falls short in early hurdle on Senate floor 

A cryptocurrency regulation bill failed to advance on the Senate floor Tuesday, after all Democrats and a few Republicans blocked a procedural vote. The Senate voted 49-50 on a motion to proceed with consideration of the Clarity Act, failing to reach the required 60-vote threshold. It marks a major setback for the industry, which has long pushed for the measure setting up a regulatory...

Recommended

The Next Daily

The Next Daily is the new generation of online publication, serving you the most recent discoveries made in science and technology on a daily basis. At The Next Daily, we believe in the power of consistent and reliable reporting to inspire and move mankind forward.

ABOUT US
NEWSLETTER

Copyright © 2015 - 2026 The Next Daily. All Rights Reserved.