For attorney Robert Shapiro and his wife, losing their son Brent 13 years ago to drugs was a horrible tragedy. But from that tragedy grew something remarkable - the Brent Shapiro Foundation for drug prevention.

When Brent was a teenager, he started experimenting with drugs and alcohol and eventually going through rehab several times. By his early 20's, he was sober and succeeding at USC with a plan to attend law school, until he broke his sobriety in 2005.

"He took half an ecstasy and 2 shots of Jägermeister and he got very sick," Roberts Shapiro said. "His girlfriend at the time decided, let's take him home and let him sleep it off."

Brent never woke up. As his parents struggled with their grief, they knew they wanted to create something in Brent's honor to protect other children and families from their pain.

"The idea was to let people know that this was a disease and that it was a treatable disease, but not a curable disease," Robert said.

Shapiro and his wife started the Brent Shapiro Foundation focusing on drug prevention and awareness, with the primary goal of reaching young people.

He approached the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Boyle Heights with the idea of Brent's Club, which would offer academic support, mentorship and unique opportunities for middle and high schoolers. Brent's Club also offers young people the opportunity to tour college campuses, going to Dodgers games and even meeting their favorite players, and there's only one condition to do this.

These perks come with one condition. The kids have to consent to random drug tests to prove they are sober. The theory being any drug use could be caught early and treated before it grows into a life-threatening addiction.

Dr. Jeffrey Wilkins is part of the Brent's Club Board of Directors. He believes that drug testing may actually help when it comes to peer pressure.

"We're giving the kid a way that they can say if somebody is putting pressure on them, 'Look man I'm part of a club that requires I do this, so I can't do that,'" he said.

Chris Fuentes joined the Club when he was 10-years-old. He's now a freshman at Cal Poly Pomona with a scholarship from the Brent Shapiro Foundation.

"The club has really provided me with a sort of safe haven to stay away from the bad influences," Fuentes said.

Setting your goals is a key in Brent's Club because it motivates its members and keeps them out of trouble.

"That's one of the best protective factors against substance abuse, a plan for the future and that's exactly what we're doing here," said Susana Magana, Senior program Director.

The foundation started with 20 kids. Five years later, more than 1,500 children have gone through he program.

As for Robert Shapiro, he's sure that Brent would be happy with what his parents have achieved.

"He'd have a big smile on his face. One of the things our family has come to realize and believe is it takes a life to save a life," Shapiro said.

Buying on sites or apps such as OfferUp can be a great alternative for those looking for great deals, but as the holidays approach, these avenues offer new opportunities for potential criminals to pull off scams or rob potential buyers.

According to OfferUp, a popular online marketplace, 46 percent of people will be using their phones and apps to buy gifts for the holidays, and OfferUp is working with 1,500 law enforcement agencies across the nation to educate consumers on how to stay safe when meeting to exchange an item.

As such, OfferUp has provided a list of safety tips for consumers to stay out of danger during the holiday season. Below are a few safety tips to take into consideration:

If you're going to search for an item, remember to shop smart, and when is time to meet the person you're buying from, make sure to meet at a safe location and be careful of late night transactions.

• If buying an item from an online posting, take a good look at the photo, description, and condition of anything you're interested in. The photo should show the actual item for sale, not a catalog photo.
• Use the sites' reviews to help you decide about reputable sellers.
• Agree to meet in well-lit, well-crowded public locations (not in your vehicle), and let a friend or family member know where you're going.
• You can meet at a Safe Trade Spot, a police station, or a grocery store to exchange high-value items.

It's also always important to remember to keep personal information private and to know the rules and policies of payment methods.

• Do what you can to keep your cell phone number and other identifying information private. Apps like OfferUp let you use secure messaging.
• Never share your account info, password, phone number, or email address. Sometimes people will "phish" for your confidential info, to try to steal your online identity. OfferUp will never ask you to put account or personal info in a message thread.
• Don't use Western Union to send money blindly; don't use PayPal or Venmo to pay without having your item
• If you're dealing with large amounts of cash, consider exchanging near a bank or investing in a counterfeit detector pen to verify the bills are real.

If you feel you're in danger, call 911 immediately, and if a crime has been committed, contact local law enforcement immediately to report the incident.

For the full list on safety tips, you can visit the OfferUp safety tips website and company blog.

A suspect was pronounced dead at the scene of an officer involved shooting in Torrance in the parking lot of a Ralph's on Sunday, according to the Torrance Police Department.

The shooting occurred on the 1700 block of Carson Street, and no officers were injured in the shooting, according to Torrance Police's Twitter account.

Police said that an individual approached officers and told them that an unknown suspect had stolen his vehicle two days prior and that the vehicle had been spotted moments earlier.

Officers located the vehicle in a Ralph's parking lot and approached the suspected stolen vehicle, which contained a man armed with a rifle, according to the Torrance Police Department. This is when an officer involved shooting occurred, according to police.

Newschopper4 Bravo arrived over the scene as the Torrance Police Department employed a drone and armored vehicle to investigate a vehicle in the parking lot believed to be housing the suspect, after the officer involved shooting had already occurred.

After a short time, police officers approached the vehicle and pulled a suspect out of the vehicle. The man did not appear to be conscious, and officers proceeded to perform chest compressions for a short time.

Soon after, a white sheet was placed over the man, indicating that he had died. Police later confirmed that the suspect had succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect was not immediately identified.

A disturbing video shows a group of police officers trying to pull a 1-year-old child from the arms of his mother, who is lying on the floor of a social services office in Brooklyn. 

The NYPD called the video "troubling" and said the encounter was under review. 

"No mother should have to experience the trauma and humiliation we all witnessed in this video,” Public Advocate and Attorney General-elect Letitia James said. 

The video shows 23-year-old Jazmine Headley laying on the floor of the Human Resources Administration office on Bergen Street on Friday with a group of police officers surrounding her.

She clutches her year-old son to her chest and shouts, "They're hurting my son! They're hurting my son!" 

At one point, an officer is seen forcibly ripping the child from the mother's arms, but Headley doesn't let go. Other people in the crowded office screamed, "Oh my God!" and "Look what they're doing to her!" 

At least one officer brandished a stun gun. 

The NYPD said they were called after HRA officers and staff were unsuccessful in removing her from the facility. They cited disorderly conduct and said she was blocking the hallway. 

Nyashia Ferguson, who shot the video, said on Facebook that Headley was asked to leave when she sat down on the floor because all of the chairs were full. 

“Being poor is not a crime," Letitia James said. "The actions of the NYPD in this video are appalling and contemptible."

She called for an investigation and a "transparent accounting of how this horrific situation occurred." 

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called the video "unacceptable, appalling and heart breaking [sic]."

Headley, of Brooklyn, was charged with resisting arrest, acting in a manner injurious to a child, obstructing governmental administration and criminal trespass, the NYPD said. It's not clear whether she has an attorney. 

Police said there was also a warrant for her from Mercer County, New Jersey. The details of that case weren't immediately known.  

She refused medical treatment for both herself and her son, police said. A family member took custody of the child. 

No officers were harmed. 

The conservative writer and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi filed a lawsuit on Sunday accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of blackmailing him to lie about President Donald Trump in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, NBC News reported. 

The suit, which seeks $350 million in actual and punitive damages in U.S. District Court in Washington, was filed six days after Corsi entered a formal complaint with the Justice Department alleging prosecutorial misconduct by Mueller.

Corsi, 72, the former Washington bureau chief of the conspiracy website InfoWars, accuses Mueller's office of having illegally leaked secret information from the grand jury investigating Russian election interference.

The lawsuit also names the FBI, CIA and National Security Agency as co-respondents. 

President Donald Trump made the shortlist again for Time Magazine's Person of the Year, which includes two other world leaders, a university professor, families torn apart and American royalty.

Trump was named Time's Person of the Year in 2016 and a runner-up in 2017. Each year, Time picks the person, group or concept that has most influenced the news and the world "for better or worse.”

The 10 finalists announced Monday on the "Today" show are Trump, Duchess of Sussex, the former Meghan Markle, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, President Donald Trump, families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler, slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the "March for our Lives" activists and South Korean President Moon Jae-In.

The magazine will reveal its Person of the Year live Tuesday on NBC's “Today” show.

Three Texas fast-food employees are facing charges after a family says their child found an ecstasy pill in a hamburger Thursday night.

Police in Taylor, located about 30 miles northeast of Austin, said the family went to the Sonic Drive-In to pick-up dinner Thursday night and that their 11-year-old daughter spotted the pill when she unwrapped her 4-year-old brother's hamburger.

The family took the pill to the Taylor Police Department who performed a field test and concluded it was ecstasy.

"[The girl] actually asked her parents, 'Is this candy?'" Taylor Police Chief Henry Fluck said. "Of course when they came to the police department they were very upset and we understand why."

Police went to the Sonic Drive-In and arrested three employees on a variety of charges, KXAN reported.

The manager, Tanisha Dancer, was arrested on an outstanding felony theft warrant from Guadalupe County and, police said, while being searched at the Williamson County Jail, was found to be in possession of three ecstasy pills.  

Dancer, whom KXAN reported has been fired, has since been charged with engangering a child, delivering a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance and is being held on $37,500 bond; her outstanding charge of theft has an additional $2,500 bond.

Jose Molina and Jonathan Roberson were also arrested -- Roberson on four outstanding warrants from Travis and Brown counties and Molina for marijuana possession. Roberson is being held on $29,000 bond after being accused of driving without a license, possessing marijuana, theft and failure to appear.

"The franchisee takes guest safety and food safety very seriously," a corporate spokesperson for Sonic said in a statement. "Local police are investigating this incident, and the franchisee is cooperating with police in their investigation."

Police said they do not believe there are any health or safety risks to Sonic customers.

Been humming "Blue Christmas" lately?

You may be revisiting the Kingly carol because it is a true classic, a slow-sweet song that encapsulates a holiday that's arriving with a little heartache in tow.

But, of course, you could also be referring to Blue, the rascal of a velociraptor seen in the "Jurassic World" films, a scaly superstar known for her ability to jump, run, and show her very shiny, very big teeth.

She's not currently running, nor jumping, at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, but the big-screen dinosaur is standing tall, atop an overturned Jeep, and looking quite proud about it, too.

However, this version of Blue, and this Jeep, and this display, which is open for a limited-time at the Exposition Park science museum, isn't comprised of real dino teeth and actual car parts: It has been deftly and imaginatively fashioned out of 700,000 LEGO bricks.

The display's height? Look up: It stands at an impressive, dino-big 12 feet.

The display's weight? It's 3,560 pounds, which is notably less than what a Tyrannosaurus Rex weighed, but still square in the "whoa, that's a lot" department.

Where to find it? Stomp, stomp, stomp for the museum's Otis Booth Pavilion on Level G.

The cost to admire this LEGO-riffic, dino-dazzling wonder of a brick-filled artwork it? It's free with your paid NHMLA admission.

There are more great things to see at NHMLA this holiday season, so dash, raptor-style, to this page pronto.

Tens of thousands of high chairs from a popular baby company have been recalled because the legs can detach from the seat, posing fall and injury hazards. 

Skip Hop, Inc., of New York announced the recall of its TUO Convertible High Chairs — with charcoal gray or silver/white with clouds fabric — late last week. They have a reversible seat pad, removable tray, 5-point harness, beechwood footrest and legs. The high chairs can be converted into a toddler chair.

The recalled products have following date codes: HH102016, HH11/2016, HH3/2017, HH4/2017, HH5/2017, HH6/2017, HH7/2017, HH8/2017, HH9/2017, HH092917, HH010518, HH030518, HH05182018, HH092717, HH05312018. This code is located on the back of the chair, above the "WARNING" section.

In total, about 32,300 high chairs sold between December 2016 and September 2018 at places like Babies "R" Us, Buy Buy Baby, Target, Amazon and other children specialty stores nationwide were called. Roughly a quarter of the recalled chairs were sold in Canada. 

Skip Hop has received 17 reports of the legs detaching, though no injuries have been reported. 

Anyone with questions can call Skip Hop at 888-282-4674. The company said customers should stop using the chairs immediately and fill out a form at skiphoprecall.com for a refund.

A few years ago, as in not so long ago, as in a different doughnut day, you had to make a trek, or pilgrimage, even, to get your favorite goodie at Randy's Donuts.

Of course, finding the pastry palace wasn't all that hard: The Randy's location known throughout the world, via legend, reputation, and "Iron Man 2," is the one with the ginormous doughnut on top.

And when we say it can be found pretty dang close to LAX, we're not whistling through a doughnut hole.

But new Randy's shops has been popping up elsewhere around the region, with precision and regularity, much like tempting balls of sugary dough dropping onto a buttered baking sheet.

Look to Century City for a still-new Randy's, and, earlier in 2018, El Segundo, too.

And now, starting on Monday, Dec. 10, Hollywood & Highland, where the latest Randy's Donuts is stirring up its starry batter.

And we're not tossing "starry" around there, for the newest location, which is right on Hollywood Boulevard, will boast a Hollywood Star doughnut.

Which, yes, you could purchase, and then take right outside the front door and eat while standing on an actual Walk of Fame star.

That front door, by the way, is framed by an "18-foot-wide, donut-shaped entrance," which creates an eye-catching first impression along a highly visual stretch that very much serves to catch a lot of eyes in a million different ways, or seemingly so.

There's more eye-catching-a-tude inside the new Randy's Donuts, which also includes a mural that's decidedly "pop culture" in theme.

But as far as what's in the display cases, and, later, in the bag you're walking out with, and, later, in your tum?

Prepare for 40-plus varieties of doughnut-based and doughnut-related deliciousness, and we're including fritters and cinnamon rolls in that, as we most definitely should.

NASA announced on Monday that the Voyager 2 probe has reached interstellar space, making it the second man-made object to do so, NBC News reported.

Voyager 2 launched a couple weeks before Voyager 1 but its trajectory took it on a longer route through the solar system. NASA said the probe crossed the outer edge of the heliosphere — called the heliopause — on Nov. 5 and was 11 billion miles from Earth.

"Working on Voyager makes me feel like an explorer, because everything we're seeing is new," said John Richardson, principal investigator for the probe's "Plasma Science Instrument."

Both Voyager probes are still considered to be in the solar system, which is demarcated as the outer edge of the Oort Cloud.

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CORRECTION (Dec. 10, 2018, 11:31 a.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misstated the progress of the Voyager 2 probe. It has not left the solar system, though it has entered interstellar space.

An organization created by family members whose loved ones were killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School has released a powerful new public service announcement designed to help identify warning signs of individuals planning mass shooting. 

Sandy Hook Promise unveiled the nearly two-minute PSA, "Point of View," Monday morning, four days ahead of the sixth anniversary of the massacre at the Newton elementary school that left 20 children and six staffers dead.

The video, directed by "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, according to Variety, follows a high-school student in the lead-up to a class election. The point of view is from the prospective of the shooter, who is ignored and bullied.

In the video, the student overhears his peers voice harsh words about their fellow classmates. A campaign poster with the words "Dead Man" scribbled over a  fellow student's face is seen being ripped down from a hallway wall. A school staffer then helps the student open his locker, which is covered in violent imagery, including a picture of an automatic assault rifle. In another scene, a girl walks by a student sitting in front of a library computer where a social media post warning "Tomorrow you'll all be sorry" is visible on the screen.

The student appears to sit alone during lunch and is persecuted by other students. In the end, he bursts into the school auditorium with an automatic weapon and yells "Look at me!"

A message at the end of the video reads: "Most people only notice a shooter once it's too late.  See the signs and stop a shooting before it happens."

“Sometimes you need to see things from a different point of view to understand the problem,” Sandy Hook Promise tweeted in a post sharing the  video.

The PSA is part of Sandy Hook Promise's "Know the Signs" campaign, which looks to educate students, teachers and parents about seeing the signs of a potential school shooter and intervening before it's too late. Since 2014, the organization has trained more than 5.5 million people in 50 states with its “Know the Signs” programs.

Sandy Hook Promise has also created the "Say Something Anonymous Reporting System," an app that lets students report concerns anonymously in 152 school districts across 25 states. Tips may also be submitted online at saysomething.net or by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW (1-844-572-9669).

The "Fearless Girl" statue has a new home -- directly across from the New York Stock Exchange.

The "Fearless Girl" statue near Wall Street that became a global symbol of female can-do business spirit was moved Monday from her spot facing the "Charging Bull" to a location across from the NYSE.

The ponytailed girl in a windblown dress became a tourist magnet last spring when the artwork popped up confronting the famous bull that was a symbol of the American financial resilience in the wake of the 1987 stock market crash.

State Street Global Advisors, the firm that installed the "Fearless Girl" statue in March 2017, said the "Fearless Girl" was now in an even more important position.

"The "Fearless Girl" now has a new home on a bigger stage that gives her message even greater impact: successful businesses need women leaders," it said.

"Fearless Girl" was designed to call attention to a State Street initiative to increase the number of women on corporate boards.

A police dog in South Dakota is learning how to walk a beat in snow boots.

Video posted by the Rapid City police department shows Jary trying to adjust having the boots on its paws. The dog awkwardly lifts its legs while getting used to the new boots.

The department says it equips its officers for the chilly weather, "even the furry ones!" 

Seen a cat curl up in a bathroom sink? Adorable. On your favorite pillow? Pure tenderness. How about in your basket of clean socks? Oh golly, the heart tugs.

But a cat on glass holds a special thrall over feline fans. Like cats playing piano and kittens pouncing on toys, a cat squishily lounging on a glass table has captured the collective imagination of the cat-obsessed internet.

And as long as there are cats, and glass, obsession shall reign.

Now there's a real-world place to celebrate the act of soft fur spreading against a clear surface, adorably, and it's a pop-up presented by Fresh Step Clean Paws, with the aim of placing adoptable cats in loving homes.

The Cats on Glass Gallery, which trotted into New York City earlier in 2018, is setting up sweet shop, in DTLA, over several January days: Jan. 17 through 27, 2019, to be exact, and while the experience is free, there's a suggested donation of $10, which will go to the spcaLA.

Meow, er, now what should you expect at exhibit, which will include, like other past pop-ups, plenty of places to snap colorful themed photos?

Prepare to awww over a "cat-lebrity Walk of Fame (with stars made of litter!)" as well as the live, before-your-eyes Cats on Glass Playhouse.

A visit to the pom-pom room will be a must, as well as the me-owm meditation center, if you're not feline very present.

We mean, "feeling" very present, of course.

And, at the meaningful center of it all is the adoption lounge, which, yes, will feature real, swishy-of-tail, scratchy-of-tongue cats. Cats who need a home, perhaps your home, perhaps your love, perhaps your coos and cuddles and care.

The adoption fee?

Fresh Step is covering it, so, fur sure, you can spend that money you saved on a blankie and/or bed and/or toys and/or everything your purr-fect new pal desires.

The address is 1147 S. Hope Street, downtown, and you'll want to reserve your spot soon. There's a way to RSVP here.

Is this purrful pop-up providing a "glass half full" kind of situation? 

Let's call the glass totally full, with warm milk, and there's a bowl of num-nums nearby, for the cat you fall for at the Cats on Glass Gallery adoption lounge, at this awesome animal-help-out happening.

Do you consider yourself to practically be an honorary resident of Stars Hollow, Connecticut?

Then you've likely eaten, at home, on your comfy couch, while watching an episode of "Gilmore Girls," a series that called the fanciful and fictional hamlet of Stars Hollow home.

After all, the lead characters of the series, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, were known for tucking into bowls of popcorn and other munchy snacks during their frequent movie marathons. Luke, a main swain of Lorelai's, ran the local diner, and Sookie, Lorelai's #1 ladyfriend, was the executive chef at the local inn.

Major snackage is, without argument, a major part of the beloved series, which began on The WB in 2000, put in a stint on The CW, and later enjoyed a revival on Netflix.

Now you can have your grub and savor a "Gilmore Girls"-esque gathering, too, thanks to a special holidaytime happening on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood.

It's all bubbling up, with the effervescence associated with the highly sunshiny show, in Lorelai Gilmore's backyard, which sits next to the actual backlot house seen in many an episode.

And look for cheerful seasonal decorations to festoon the house and yard, upping that special Stars Hollow feeling.

The "Gilmore Girls" holiday pop-up is on at the Burbank movie studio from Dec. 22, 2018 through Jan. 6, 2019, and it is not a separate ticket from the studio tour.

However, you will need to purchase your food, at Stage 48, if you want to eat over in the yard at Lorelai's house. Choices include lemon garlic roasted chicken, veggie burgers, and more.

As for how to reach Stage 48? You will, with your guide at the lead: It's the prop-packed, Hollywood-fascinating final stop on each studio tour, and that's where the eats'll be sold.

And, yep: Stage 48 is just around the corner from the Gilmore-famous backyard where all of the convivial doings will be fa, la, la-ing.

So you miss the "Gilmore Girls" as intensely as Lorelai loves her coffee?

Here's one way to revisit the town and revel in the tender atmos the series engendered. Oh yes, and there'll be costumes from the show, and props and other gewgaws, too, to view, while there.

We may not be able to fly to Stars Hollow, but we can go on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, and see the backlot streets that so convincingly and quaintly became Stars Hollow over several feel-good seasons.

A police cruiser and a minivan carrying children were involved in a crash Monday afternoon in Huntington Beach near an elementary school.

The crash occurred at approximately 2:38 p.m. near the intersection of Heil Avenue and Algonquin Street in Huntington Beach, according to the Huntington Beach Fire Department.

The streets border Harbour View Elementary School.

HBFD said four people were taken to trauma centers.

Newschopper4 Bravo and Eliana Moreno were over the scene at approximately 3 p.m. and witnessed a woman and child taken to a local hospital via ambulance. It was not immediately clear whether any officers were injured in the crash.

Based on the damage to both vehicles, the police cruiser appeared to have crashed into the side of the van, and the van ended up off the road on the sidewalk.

No further details were immediately available. 

The mother of a 3-year-old girl who disappeared years ago was convicted Monday of her murder.

After deliberating 2 and a half hours, jurors in Ventura returned the guilty verdict for Mayra Chavez, 27.

She was found guilty of second-degree murder, assault on a child causing death, and torture in the slaying of Kimberly Irene Chavez, prosecutors said. She faces 47 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole at her sentencing for March 14, Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick said.

Authorities have not found Kimberly's body, but investigators believe the girl was killed and her remains were disposed of in Mexico, Barrick said.

Chavez's attorney Michael Albers did not return a call Monday seeking comment.

The Ventura County Star reported that Albers told jurors that Chavez may have struggled with depression and was addicted to drugs. He asked for an involuntary manslaughter conviction.

Barrick said Kimberly died after having seizures brought on by a head injury authorities say was caused by her mother at their Oxnard home in June 2015. Kimberly was reported missing in 2016 after someone called social workers concerned about her welfare.

After repeated visits to the home, social workers couldn't determine where Kimberly was and notified police who launched a missing persons investigation.

The girl's father, Omar Misael Lopez, agreed to plead guilty to child endangerment charges. He faces 14 years in prison. He testified against Chavez during the trial.

Chavez's mother, Maria De Jesus Lopez, has pleaded not guilty to charges that she tried to cover up the death.

The U.S. Olympic Committee fired a top official Monday just hours after independent investigators revealed that he and the former CEO of the USOC knew for 14 months that team doctor Larry Nassar had been accused of molesting dozens of young girls — and failed to sound any alarms, NBC News reported.

Chief of sport performance Alan Ashley was terminated because he and former CEO Scott Blackmun enabled a "wolf in sheep’s clothing" to molest and abuse dozens more girls under the guise of providing them medical treatment, the 233-page report by the law firm Ropes & Gray states.