More than 200,000 drivers in California will lose the stickers that currently allow them to drive their electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles solo in the carpool lanes.

New rules coming January 1 will not only impact those drivers, but could mean a much slower commute for everyone. The decision is also leading to big confusion about exactly who loses the stickers, and who does not.

Drivers who have a hybrid, zero emission or alternative fuel vehicle will need a red sticker to be in the carpool lane if they are driving alone.

Current solo drivers with electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles have a green or white sticker, which allows them to drive in the diamond lane. But on January 1, those stickers will expire and will affect more than 230,000 drivers statewide.

The new law is causing some confusion because anyone who recieve their stickers before 2017 will be forced out of the program for good. Anyone who got the sticker after 2017 can re-apply for four more years of carpool driving.

"I don't think it's very fair that now we are unable to get that anymore," San Jose-resident Ruby Lin said. Lin adds she is disappointed she will not be able to use the diamond lane in her 2016 Chevy Volt.

The law was passed because too many cars, including diamond lane cheaters were clogging up the carpool lanes.

The transportation advocacy group, Transform, supports the change.

"By unclogging the carpool lanes, it will get people back to using transit and incentive to be in electric vehicles for a fast ride for three years," said Stuart Cohen, Transform executive director.

Another critical note: if you are among the lucky drivers who got your white or green sticker in 2017 or 2018, you need to apply for a new red sticker as soon as possible in order to use the carpool lane come New Years Day.

There are also new financial restrictions: higher income drivers who qualify for the solo carpool program will have to choose between getting a decal or receiving the state rebate.

For more information, visit arb.ca.gov.

Five teens suspected of committing a string of doughnut shop robberies in the southeast area of LA County were under arrest Monday night after store security cameras helped track them down.

The group was accused of robbing doughnut shops in Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and La Mirada within the span of an hour and a half Sunday morning.

Security footage shows a group of young men casually walking into K&T donuts around 4:20 a.m., and within seconds they scatter. A man in a hoodie then approaches the store owner.

"He's holding [it] inside [his] shirt but he didn't show it to me," said Henry Chen, owner of K & T Donuts, when talking about the robbery.

Chen armed himself with a pair of scissors.

"They tried to grab the scissors," he said.

He said two of the men went to the back office but couldn't get in, then they went to his cash register and grabbed whatever they could before running from the store.

He called 911 as soon as they left. He said the entire robbery took less than two minutes.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the same suspected robbers were also seen on a store security camera's in Long Beach. They allegedly robbed a Yum Yum Donut shop nearly an hour and a half before coming to Chen's store that same morning.

While investigators were watching the security footage in Long Beach, the baker called his brother in Santa Fe Springs at that Yum Yum Donuts location to tell him they had been robbed. His brother told him he believed the same guys were cleaning out their Yum Yum Donuts located on Telegraph Road. They made off with nearly $800 in cash.

Security video from all the shops helped positively identify the five men who were arrested.

No one was injured in any of the robberies.

One suspect was 18 years old, while the rest in the group were all 17.

All were expected to be arraigned in court Tuesday or Wednesday as investigators worked to see if they were connected to other crimes.

A child was sexually assaulted at an unlicensed day care in a Riverside home, and police said Monday that other children may have also been molested by the man they arrested.

Hubert David Edgin, 49, was arrested on suspicion of multiple sexual assaults of a child at 4:30 p.m. Friday at his home in the 3400 block of Sun Court, located in the Eastside neighborhood, said Riverside city police Officer Ryan J. Railsback.

The alleged sexual abuse occurred over an undisclosed period of time and up until a few days ago, when the victim told her parents and named Edgin as the lone suspect.

The child had been taken by her parents to the family-run, unlicensed daycare for two years. Edgin was arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor under the age of ten and remained jailed in lieu of $1 million. During their investigation, police discovered that Edgin may have also had contact with children through his church and other activities.

Police urged anyone with further information about this or similar incidents to contact Detective Stacie Ontko at (951) 353-7121 or sontkco@riversideca.gov, or Detective Paul Miranda at (951) 353-7945 or pmiranda@riversideca.gov.

Those wishing to remain anonymous can email rpdtips@riversideca.gov or utilize the Riverside Police Department's mobile app "Submit a Tip" feature while referencing incident number P18105797.

A 29-year-old pregnant woman was killed by a suspected drunk driver in Hemet, and the woman's husband heard the crash live on the phone, while the suspect livestreamed the aftermath before getting arrested.

Police said Krystil Kincaid, the victim, was heading north on Warren Road when the suspected drunk driver, who was travelling south on Warren Road, veered into her lane and crashed into her minivan.

Zach Kinkaid, Krystil's husband, was on the phone with his eight months pregnant wife when the fatal head-on collision occurred.

"She yelled and she screamed in terror, a mixture of impending doom...realization she was never going to see her kids again," Zach Kinkaid says.

The widower adds, "I heard the crash. I heard the tumbling...and then, silence."

Tragically, Krystil Kinkaid and her unborn baby girl later died at the hospital, leaving her husband with three children and no mother.

"All I could think is how...how am I supposed to get my kids and tell them they don't have a mom anymore?" Zach Kinkaid said.

The suspected drunk driver in the BMW was identified as Marcos Forestal, a boxer. After the crash, Forestal livestreamed the aftermath of the crash and blamed the other driver for crossing in front of him. 

"All I could see in the background...my wife dying," Zach Kinkaid says about the online video.

Police arrested Forestal on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

"You were worried about your car and blamed my daughter when you were the one who was drinking," Veronica Bentley, the victim's mother, says and refers to Forestal as a "monster."

Zach Kincaid adds, "I wish he could look at my children and their brown eyes and suffer like them."

Forestal faces charges including vehicular manslaughter and his bail has been set at $75,000.

The family has set up a GoFundMe for a memorial for the victim.

If you would like to donate to a GoFundMe, you may do so here. Note that GoFundMe deducts a percentage of all funds raised in the form of platform and payment processing charges.

More than 200,000 drivers in California will lose the stickers that currently allow them to drive their electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles solo in the carpool lanes.

New rules coming January 1 will not only impact those drivers, but could mean a much slower commute for everyone. The decision is also leading to big confusion about exactly who loses the stickers, and who does not.

Drivers who have a hybrid, zero emission or alternative fuel vehicle will need a red sticker to be in the carpool lane if they are driving alone.

Current solo drivers with electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles have a green or white sticker, which allows them to drive in the diamond lane. But on January 1, those stickers will expire and will affect more than 230,000 drivers statewide.

The new law is causing some confusion because anyone who recieve their stickers before 2017 will be forced out of the program for good. Anyone who got the sticker after 2017 can re-apply for four more years of carpool driving.

"I don't think it's very fair that now we are unable to get that anymore," San Jose-resident Ruby Lin said. Lin adds she is disappointed she will not be able to use the diamond lane in her 2016 Chevy Volt.

The law was passed because too many cars, including diamond lane cheaters were clogging up the carpool lanes.

The transportation advocacy group, Transform, supports the change.

"By unclogging the carpool lanes, it will get people back to using transit and incentive to be in electric vehicles for a fast ride for three years," said Stuart Cohen, Transform executive director.

Another critical note: if you are among the lucky drivers who got your white or green sticker in 2017 or 2018, you need to apply for a new red sticker as soon as possible in order to use the carpool lane come New Years Day.

There are also new financial restrictions: higher income drivers who qualify for the solo carpool program will have to choose between getting a decal or receiving the state rebate.

For more information, visit arb.ca.gov.

The campaign of pressure on Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to oppose the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has escalated to include vulgar phone calls, shipments of wire hangers sent to her office and a questionable, high-dollar fundraising drive against her that her office likens to extortion.

As a potential GOP swing vote, Collins has been at the center of attention for both parties since President Donald Trump announced Kavanaugh's nomination in July, NBC News reported.

Now, with the Senate Judiciary hearings over and the nomination about to proceed to the full Senate, progressive activists are increasing the pressure, concerned that Kavanaugh would undo abortion rights and roll back health care protections.

Knut Grevle had been home about 15 minutes when his neighbor came to his front door.

"I was in complete shock," Grevle said, remembering the moment his neighbor told him that his 2017 X3 BMW 28i, which was less a year old, was on fire.

Grevle ran and told his wife and father before running out to his vehicle. With an 18-month-old son, Grevle made sure his family was safe before tending to his vehicle.

"The hood of my car completely engulfed in flames," Grevle said.

Grevle and his wife both called 911, and emergency personnel responded to the fire within five to 10 minutes, according to the car owner. That wasn't quick enough.

"It was long gone," Grevle said.

The car owner called BMW corporate and was told that his vehicle was not on the recall list.

"I'm really eager to figure out what happened and make sure it doesn't happen to other people as well because if it was in a garage or behind my wife's car, those would have been up in flames, and our house would have been up in flames," Grevle said.

The car owner says he didn't hear any strange sounds on the drive home, the vehicle was off and there was nothing that should have triggered the flames. In fact, he said he normally parks the vehicle behind his wife's car, but luckily, Grevle picked an open spot on the street--or the flames would have probably spread to at least another vehicle and may even the couple's home.

"I'm pretty confused," Grevle said he was "shook up" and in "complete disbelief" because the vehicle was less than a year old. The father had been a BMW owner for 15 years but had recently shifted up to the SUV as a family car with a toddler at home.

"I think my biggest fear when everything went down was that my wife and son, who was upstairs, were OK," Grevle said.

He added, "I didn't know what to think because our fence also caught on fire and if the fire department wouldn't have gotten here sooner, you just don't know how quickly it can spread."

The Trump administration vowed to help vulnerable Christians around the world, but it is making it more difficult for Christian refugees to enter the United States, NBC News reported. 

The number of Christian refugees granted entry into the United States has dropped by more than 40 percent over the past year — a decline of nearly 11,000 refugees. Among those having trouble are a group of Iranian Christians who remain in legal limbo in Austria awaiting a decision on their fate expected as soon as Wednesday. Their plight illustrates how President Donald Trump's tough line on refugees from mostly Muslim countries has also closed the door to Christians and other religious minorities trying to flee to safety in the U.S.

"Ironically, these policies, while clearly aimed at Muslim refugees, ensure that Christians and other religious minorities from many of the countries on Trump’s list of suspect travel ban nations are also kept out," said Mary Giovagnoli of Refugees Council USA. "It suggests that the president has no real interest in religious persecution or the tenets of religious freedom."

A Trump administration spokesperson rejected the criticism.

"The administration has made helping persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East a top priority," the official said, citing humanitarian aid delivered to Christians and other vulnerable communities in northern Iraq.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl says he will fly to the Vatican to speak with Pope Francis about possibly resigning after a sweeping jury report accused him of allowing priests accused of sexually abusing children to be reassigned or reinstated.

In a letter to priests, Wuerl said he intends to go to Rome in the near future to speak with Pope Francis about the resignation he presented nearly three years ago, when he reached the church-stipulated retirement age for bishops at 75.

While bishops are requested to submit a resignation at that age, they continue in their positions unless the pope accepts their resignation.

"It is clear that some decision, sooner rather than later, on my part is an essential aspect so that this archdiocesan Church we all love can move forward," the letter says. 

Wuerl is facing a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation after a Pennsylvania grand jury report said he allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children to be reassigned or reinstated when he was the bishop of Pittsburgh.

Wuerl has asked for prayers and forgiveness for what he calls his lapse of judgment in dealing with reports of abuse by priests.

The archbishop recently called for a "Season of Healing," inviting parishes and parishioners to observe six weeks of Friday prayers in recognition of the pain of the victims and the need for healing.

Earlier this month, a man stood in a Mass Wuerl was celebrating in D.C. and yelled "Shame on you" after Wuerl asked parishioners to keep Pope Francis in their prayers. 

The grand jury heard allegations against more than 300 clergy members, according to the report. Most of the victims were boys. Some were teens, while others were prepubescent. Several alleged victims were lured with alcohol or pornography. Afterward, they turned to substance abuse and even suicide to escape the lingering trauma.

All told, more than 1,000 victims were identified from the church's own records and there could be thousands more, the grand jurors concluded.

Hurricane Florence is heading toward the East Coast as a major hurricane and is expected to bring damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge and rainfall. Hurricane watches and warnings affect more than 5.4 million people and President Donald Trump has declared states of emergency for North and South Carolina and Virginia. Below are maps that show the storm’s predicted path and severe effects. The maps will be updated as new information becomes available.

As Hurricane Florence threatened the U.S. East Coast with devastating storm surge and damaging winds, documents made public Tuesday showed that the Trump administration had recently moved nearly $10 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the agency tasked with detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants.

The funds are detailed in a Transfer and Reprogramming Notifications report from the Department of Homeland Security. The documents show about $9.8 million dollars being removed from FEMA’s 2018 fiscal year budget and given to DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “enforcement and removal operations.” The documents said the money would support the agency’s “detention beds” and “transportation and removal program.” 

The U.S. Secret Service was also listed as a recipient of the reallocated funds for “protection of persons and facilities.” 

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) provided the report to MSNBC's “The Rachel Maddow Show” Tuesday night. Merkley, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the reallocation happened this summer. 

DHS confirmed to “The Rachel Maddow Show” that the transfers were made, and a department spokesperson claimed “the money did not come from any of our disaster response and recovery efforts.” 

However, the documents show that millions of dollars were removed from FEMA’s budget for “Response and Recovery.” 

Transferring money between agencies is not out of the ordinary and within the authority for the administration. But it is unusual, Merkley said, to see millions of dollars being taken from FEMA as the hurricane season kicks off.

“I find it extraordinary,” Merkley told Maddow.

DHS spokesperson Tyler Houlton further defended the department's actions on Twitter Wednesday, writing, "Under no circumstances was any disaster relief funding transferred from @fema to immigration enforcement efforts. This is a sorry attempt to push a false agenda at a time when the administration is focused on assisting millions on the East Coast facing a catastrophic disaster. The money in question — transferred to ICE from FEMA’s routine operating expenses — could not have been used for hurricane response due to appropriation limitations. DHS/FEMA stand fiscally and operationally ready to support current and future response and recovery needs."

Hurricane Florence was on a path Wednesday morning to slam into the United States. It was expected to blow ashore early Saturday and dump torrential rain onto the Carolinas. 

"This storm is going to knock out power days into weeks. It's going to destroy infrastructure. It's going to destroy homes," said Jeff Byard, an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Byard added that the agency has all the resources it needs to react to the natural disaster.

Home surveillance video captured a violent home invasion in Pembroke Pines, after two robbery suspects entered the house through an unlocked door.

The robbery occurred Aug. 29 at about 4:30 a.m. in a residence on the 12300 block of NW 12th Court, according to the Pembroke Pines Police Department.

Video footage shows a woman sitting on the floor while a man lies sleeping on a sofa near her. As the woman appears to be using her cell phone, two men, one of them armed with a gun, enter the house.

One of the intruders darts across the living room to grab the woman before both disappear from the camera's view. A struggle ensues between the other suspect and the male victim, who is then tied-up on the living room floor, according to the video.

During the robbery, the male victim manages to reach a panel near the front door, possibly triggering an alarm. One of the suspects rushes over and hits him several times before both suspects flee the home.

"Items of value were removed from within the home before both suspects exited the residence and fled in an unknown direction," police said.

The male victim sustained minor injuries and the woman was not injured, police said.

Authorities are searching for the suspects and asked that anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 954-431-2200 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

"It's not easy being green," Kermit the Frog famously warbled, and while no one would dare contradict him on such a point, you do get the sense that he might enjoy having a green kingdom to call his own.

Literature has just such a kingdom, of course.

It's the Emerald City, the magical municipality overseen by the benevolent enchanter found in the title of L. Frank Baum's iconic "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

So would one of pop culture's most emerald icons, a certain Mr. the Frog, be at home in the Emerald City?

Fans will find out, from Dec. 14 through 30, 2018, when Kermit takes the role of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz in the Lythgoe Family Panto's annual holiday stage spectacular, an end-of-the-year Pasadena tradition.

This isn't a presentation fully cast with Muppets, but rather humans, making the felt fellow's presence as the musical's title character even quirkier and more endearing. 

But the musical's quirkiness continues beyond the casting of Kermit, for while this production is "... in the style of a traditional British panto," audience members should prepare for "... family-friendly magic, with a comedic twist, dancing ("So You Think You Can Dance" alumni), contemporary music and more."

Pantos are famed for their lively, sometimes outlandish approach to storytelling, hence the appearance of a world-famous amphibian. Past Lythgoe Family Pantos have included sparkly takes on "Peter Pan" and "Beauty and the Beast."

A Los Angeles Fire Department dog appeared as Nana, in "Peter Pan," for one performance back in 2015.

These aren't your typical productions, in short, and hooray for that.

And adding to the casting coups for this "Wizard"-wondrous production? The marvelous Marissa Jaret Winokur — helloooo, "Hairspray" — will glitter as Glinda the Good Witch.

Pasadena Civic Auditorium will be your portal to the Emerald City, the Yellow Brick Road, and the other whimsical locales to be visited by Dorothy and her pals on their quests to get home, to get a brain, to find a heart, and to summon courage.

A ticket to this green scene, one that will shimmer with joy, holiday happiness, and some Kermit-style cool, starts at $40.

Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort: When the spooky season sweeps into view again, you can bet that Disneyland will gleefully go all out on the seasonal-churro, pumpkins-everywhere, Jack-Skellington-inside-the-Haunted-Mansion front. The delightful dates? Sept. through Oct. 31. The haunted haps? Plentiful. Vampirina of "Disney Junior" is a new character in 2018, so stop for a photo, or make for Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark. Don't forget Mickey's Halloween Party, on select nights, too. It's got a separate ticket, so read all now. 

Tall Ships Festival: You don't need to travel back, via a time machine, to 1820 to see a colossal vessel of yore. Just make your way to Dana Point Harbor, from Sept. 7 through 9, where a number of mast-majestic boats will be dropping anchor, setting sail at sunset (on Sept. 7), and engaging in mock cannon battles. Oh, and there shall be tours, too, which might make anyone give a hearty "arrrr." There are to-dos on terra firma, like chance to sip craft beer or dine at a Mermaid Breakfast. This centuries-gone-by, on-the-waves spectacular is presented by Toshiba; check tickets and times.

LA Food Fest: Summertime is still here, for another fortnight, ish, so don't bid the mondo eats-oriented outdoor extravaganzas bye just yet. This biggie, one of the titans of SoCal's vibrant, unfussy, future-forward food scene, will spread out at Santa Anita Park, creating an atmosphere of noshery, hobnobbery, and general good-timing. What food pros are showing? Egghausted, Oak Smoke BBQ, Mexvegana, Yuca's Tacos, and Super Smash Buns are but a few of the tasties on the tasty-brimming roster of good bites and drinks. Be there on Sept. 8, but ponder getting your ticket first, okay? Yes.

Old World Oktoberfest opens: Whether you're more of a Wiener Dog Race aficionado, or a brat buff, or a lover of fine foams, or a scholar of the Chicken Dance, matters not. Well, wait, it does matter, for finding such quintessentially Oktoberfestian sights and scents and sounds doesn't always happen during other parts of the calendar. So rejoice, for Old World in Huntington Beach's long-running Oktoberfest kicks off the classic oompah-pah-pah-ing on Sunday, Sept. 9, with several select September and October dates to come. Raise a stein, and a schnitzel, and proceed to Chicken Dance the day away...

Original Lobster Festival: So you've been sadly bib-free all summer long? Even as you consumed messy and delicious foods? That can all change in the most buttery of ways should you find your bib-loving self at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach from Sept. 7 through 9. The Maine lobsters are steamed, but go for lobster sliders or lobster-on-a-stick if you're looking for a quirkier way to consume your crustacean. Also? Music is part of the party, and lots of other goings-on that have that late-summer flair, so nab your ticket, the entertainment line-up, and where you'll first tie on a bib pronto.

Six people were left dead, including the suspect, after a shooting spree in Bakersfield Wednesday, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities said that it was not immediately clear what sparked the killing spree, but the suspect opened fire on his wife and another male victim at a trucking business shortly before 5:30 p.m.

At that point, another person arrived at the scene, and the suspect proceeded to chase the third victim until he was shot near the front of Bear Mountain Sports, located at the 8000 block of Di Miller Drive, per Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood.

At that point, the suspect is alleged to have left the area and gone to a residence on Breckenridge Road, where he confronted and killed two more people, according to Youngblood.

The suspect then drove to Fillmore Avenue near Pioneer Drive, where he allegedly carjacked a vehicle from a woman and child, but authorities said the mother and child were able to escape.

Youngblood said that the suspect was confronted by police and eventually turned the weapon on himself.

The Kern County Sheriff's Department said that the final confrontation was caught on police body camera, and the footage would be reviewed during the ongoing investigation.

In addition, police said that 30 people witnessed the events of the day.

A fire broke out at a downtown Los Angeles restaurant during a fundraiser Wednesday night, resulting in over 100 people being evacuated. 

Patrons at Rossoblu Restaurant, located on the 1100 block of San Julian Street in downtown Los Angeles, described the scary scene as smoke filled the attic and ambers dropped from the ceiling.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, and no injuries have been reported.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

A Moreno Valley man accused of attacking his girlfriend and then trying to strangle a sheriff's canine when deputies intervened was charged Wednesday with willfully injuring a law enforcement dog and other offenses.

Matthew Eric Ruvalcaba, 22, was arrested Sunday morning after the alleged assault in the 24300 block of Carman Lane, near St. Croix Street, in Moreno Valley.

Along with the canine assault count, Ruvalcaba is charged with battery on a domestic partner, false imprisonment and two counts of resisting arrest.

He made his initial court appearance this afternoon before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Jackson, who appointed him a public defender and scheduled his arraignment for Thursday morning at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Ruvalcaba is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.

According to Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Willison, at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies were sent to the Carman Lane address to investigate reports of suspicious activity in a vehicle.

Willison alleged that deputies encountered Ruvalcaba inside the car, holding his girlfriend against her will. The woman, whose identity was not released, managed to break away from the defendant as deputies attempted to subdue him, but when the victim bolted from the vehicle, Ruvalcaba chased after her, Willison said.

"Deputies attempted to prevent the suspect from harming the victim; however, the suspect fought with them," the sergeant said.

During the ensuing struggle, a K9 unit arrived, and a deputy set loose his partner, a Belgian Malinois named "Herbie," who immediately pounced on the defendant, according to Willison.

"The suspect fought with Herbie and got a hold of Herbie's leash and attempted to wrap it around his neck to strangle Herbie," he said.

Deputies ultimately wrestled Ruvalcaba to the ground and handcuffed him. He was not injured, nor was the woman.

Herbie was taken to a veterinary clinic for an examination and was cleared to return to duty on Tuesday, according to sheriff's officials.

Ruvalcaba has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.