Los Angeles County joined the ranks of municipalities wrangling with how to regulate electric scooters, voting Tuesday to create a pilot regulatory program.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger recommended the pilot, saying when scooters showed up in the unincorporated areas of Altadena and East Pasadena in November, residents raised concerns about public safety and nuisance issues.

"We want a collaborative plan that allows operators to provide a viable transit option for our residents while minimizing the potential for public nuisances, safety issues and lawsuits ultimately paid by taxpayers," Barger said.

Advocates say the scooters are an environmentally clean solution to gaps in available transit, while some residents complain of sidewalks crowded with equipment, riders who create dangerous conditions on sidewalks, and the risks of injuries.

Barger's original motion called for companies who supply the scooters to halt operations everywhere other than Marina del Rey until regulations were adopted, a recommendation made by Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai.

That condition was dropped in the final version of the motion. The Department of Beaches and Harbors has been working with vendors on a pilot in Marina del Rey.

In a December report to the board, Hamai said county goals to support innovative industries, address climate change and support a clean, multi-modal transportation system would inform regulations.

Electric scooters shared through a user app are so new to the market that no true best practices are available, with jurisdictional responses ranging from prohibition to proactive collaboration, Hamai's report stated.

Several local cities are using pilot programs to test outcomes.

The board directed the CEO to work with various departments and agencies to develop a pilot program in the next 45 days for dockless scooters as well as shared bikes on county roadways.

The plan, which would apply to unincorporated areas of the county, is expected to include a consumer-oriented website with safety information.

Last night they took an L, but tonight they bounced back. 

Lonzo Ball had 19 points and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Bulls, 107-100, on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Less than 48 hours after their worst loss of the season to the lowly Cavaliers, the new-look Lakers shuffled around their starting lineup with two compelling changes.

Seventeen-year veteran Tyson Chandler was inserted into the starting lineup at center, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made the start at shooting guard in place of Josh Hart.

The moves undoubtedly worked, as the Lakers started strong for the first time in three games. After trailing by double-digits in the first quarter of consecutive games, Chandler and KCP helped the Lake Show build a 19-18 first quarter lead, and they never trailed by more than a basket. 

Despite shooting just 46 percent from the field, the Lakers cruised to victory over the hapless Bulls, who were even worse at 40 percent.

Ball had a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Kuzma collected 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Brandon Ingram chipped in 16 points with nine rebounds.

Against the team he began his career with, Chandler finished with eight points and three rebounds. Caldwell-Pope scored 17 in a starting role.

Chicago controls the worst offense in the NBA with a season average of just over 100 points per game. By comparison, the Lakers are 15^th in the league with 111.4 PPG, and the league average is 112 PPG. 

Nonetheless, both offenses struggled on Tuesday. Zach Lavine was just 4-for-11 for 10 points. Chandler Hutchinson chipped in 12 points and Lauri Markkanen had 17 points, and Jabari Parker had 18 points in the loss.

Los Angeles has won four straight over the Bulls dating back to November of 2016.

We Want Tacos

The highlight of the game came late in the fourth quarter as the soldout Staples Center arena was on the edge of their seat to discover if the Lakers defense would help them earn a pair of Jack in the Box tacos. 

As part of a season-long promotion, if the Lakers hold an opponent under 100 points and earn the victory, everyone in attendance will get a coupon for two free Jack in the Box tacos. 

The Lakers led 98-85 with two minutes left in the game, but the Bulls went on 13-9 run to make it 107-98 with just seconds remaining. 

Unfortantely for the fans, Ivica Zubac fouled Shaq Harrison on a three-point shot one-second remaining in the game, and Harrison sank two-of-three free throws as the boos rang down upon him. No Tacos for you!

Notes and Next

LeBron James (left groin) missed his 11^th consecutive game. Rajon Rondo (right finger) also missed the contest. Denzel Valentine (left ankle) and Bobby Portis (right elbow) were out for Chicago. James was shooting in practice on Tuesday morning for the first time since he suffered the groin injury on Christmas Day.

The Lakers hope to get LeBron James back as they head out on a two-game road trip to Oklahoma City and Houston before returning home next Monday in a rematch with the Warriors. 

Please refresh this page for more updates, stats, and player reactions…

A chef at a Brooklyn restaurant died after a man with a hammer burst into the business and attacked him and two others in what police say was a random attack. 

The hammer-wielding man burst into Seaport Buffet Tuesday evening, randomly attacking the 60-year-old owner, a 34-year-old chef and a 50-year-old worker, police said. 

The suspect walked into the buffet near Emmons Avenue and East 19th Street in Sheepshead Bay just after 5 p.m., first attacking the owner at the front of the restaurant, then going to the back where he hit the chef and worker, according to police. 

All three victims were taken to Lutheran Hospital in critical condition, and it was there where the chef, later identified as Fufai Pun of Brooklyn, was pronounced dead. 

Samantha Randazzo, the owner of Randazzo's Clam Bar next door, said a worker from the buffet came running in to warn them about the tool-wielding suspect. 

"A couple of people, customers from the restaurant, came in here, and we let them in and they said a guy came in crazy with a hammer and started hammering certain people, random people," Randazzo said. 

"The guy said he was just screaming crazy words, like 'I'm killing everybody, world is hell,'" she said. "Just screaming crazy things." 

She said workers inside the clam bar locked their doors in fear. 

"We tried helping people who were trying to come in, customers, but we were scared to even walk out," she said. "We didn't know where he was." 

Witnesses said they saw the suspect running toward a garage behind the restaurant. An officer arrested him a few blocks away. 

The motive behind the violent evening outburst was unclear. Police were interviewing the 34-year-old suspect at a local station. Charges are pending.

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The first shaking from the 6.7-magnitude Northridge Earthquake began at 4:31 a.m. on Monday, January 17, 1994. From its epicenter in the west San Fernando Valley, the earthquake produced 10 to 20 seconds of shaking that rattled a widespread part of Southern California.

The devastation was due largely to its location in one of the United States' most densely built-up metropolises. Fifty-seven people died. More than 9,000 people were injured and 20,000 were displaced in a natural disaster that caused an estimated $20 billion in damage. The destruction included collapsed buildings and freeway overpasses, snapped water and gas lines, rampant fires and landslides.

The timeline above provides a glimpse of how events unfolded in the hours, days and months after the quake.

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At a magnitude of 6.7, the 1994 Northridge earthquake wasn’t unusual in terms of its size.

Since 1900, an average 120 earthquakes per year worldwide are in the magnitude-6.0 to 6.9 range. In 1993, the year before the Northridge quake, shocks in that range numbered 141 worldwide.

For a visualization of just how many earthquakes rival the 1994 Northridge quake in magnitude, explore the map below. It displays all earthquakes in the magnitude-6.0 to 6.9 range since 1970. 

The list includes the magnitude-6.9 earthquake in Kobe, Japan, which caused devastation on a staggering scale -- 5,100 fatalities, 27,000 injures and 100,000 building destroyed.

So the number 6.7 only tells us part of story of Monday, Jan. 17, 1994.

In the case of the Northridge quake, its location in the vicinity of a built-up metropolis with some vulnerable structures -- including residential buildings and freeway overpasses -- made it a natural disaster of historic proportions.

The origin was near the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Arminta Street in the northwest San Fernando Valley on a previously undocumented fault. At a depth of about 10 miles, the quake caused strong ground motion across a widespread part of Southern California.

A USGS intensity map (below) shows that the strongest shaking, designated in red, was reported in areas north of Los Angeles as the rupture spread in that direction. Residents to the south, including downtown LA and densely popuated areas around it, reported less intense "strong" and "very strong" shaking, denoted by yellow and orange squares.

Most of the damage occurred in communities north of Los Angeles, but there were pockets of hard hit areas, like Sherman Oaks, West Hollywood and even Santa Monica. The seaside community is about 15 miles away from the Northridge earthquake epicenters, but soft soil, Southern California's fault system and Santa Monica's older building stock likely all contributed to significant damage.

Reports of damage and casualties developed throughout the first day. Below, this map features locations of some of the hardest hit areas and archived video of NBC4 reports.

At $20 billion in damage and $49 billion in economic loss, it was the costliest natural disaster ever at the time in the United States, but the damage could have been worse had the rupture spread south toward the more densely populated areas in and around downtown Los Angeles.

At the time, Los Angeles County's population was an estimated 9 million people. Today, it's around 10.1 million with nearly 4 million in the city of Los Angeles alone. How would the intensity of that shaking be felt across the Los Angeles of 2019? The map below illustrates the potential impact if the Northridge earthquake occurred today.

Karen Pence, the wife of Vice President Mike Pence, said Tuesday she would return to teaching art at a northern Virginia elementary school that explicitly bars its employees from engaging in or condoning “homosexual or lesbian sexual activity” and “transgender identity,” NBC News reported.

The employment application for the Immanuel Christian School, which was first reported on by HuffPost, asks applicants to initial a passage stating they will "live a personal life of moral purity." The application also defines moral misconduct as including premarital sex. 

Pence previously worked at the school for 12 years. When asked by NBC News about the northern Virginia school’s policies regarding LGBTQ people, Pence’s communications director stated, “It's absurd that her decision to teach art to children at a Christian school, and the school's religious beliefs, are under attack.”

The search & rescue canines spied around California's ski resorts?

They absolutely elicit the "awwws" on the part of we humans.

They inspire our hearts to melt, just a little, even in a place that's experiencing incredibly cold temperatures. And while we long to pause and cuddle them, these important pups have critical tasks to perform, out on the slopes and beyond.

One of the newest members of this elite and essential band o' tail-wagging workers is Jasmine, a brand-new search & rescue trainee at Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Running Springs.

The Golden Retriever is currently sharpening her rescue skills in frosty conditions, but she had a far more temperate beginning: She was born in June 2018 in Oxnard.

But she's taking to the mountain snow like a duck to water, learning how to "clear the mountain at the end of the day and rescue people who get lost out of bounds." 

The resort's in-bounds terrain isn't avalanche territory, so honing that particular rescue skill is not on Jasmine's impressive list of things to learn.

In her downtime, Jasmine enjoys barking at dogs she sees on TV, per her trainer Dennis Bentson, a longtime search and rescue volunteer with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department.

Mr. Bentson, who has some 40 years experience as a ski patroller and 18 years of training dogs like Jasmine, also confirms that Jasmine "... likes to slide down the snow on her back," to play with balls that squeak, and to give snowboarders kisses (when, of course, they're taking a break).

Riding the chairlift? Totally easy for the pooch, who takes being high above the ground in confident stride.

Same goes for her snowmobile-riding abilities. No worries for this woofer when she's on the motorized move.

As for her current level of training?

She is working on locating Mr. Bentson when he hides behind trees, scoring a treat when she locates him.

Jasmine will soon she'll move on from finding with her eyes to seeking out "those in need of help" with her nose, a more advanced skill. 

It's called Wilderness Air Scenting, and given this sharp hound's lively personality and can-do attitude, Jasmine is sure to master that in no time.

Where to see her when visiting Snow Valley?

She'll may be working, so best give this furry do-gooder a wide berth should you be lucky enough to see her. Unless, of course, she swings by with a few kisses to give, which, as mentioned, has sweetly happened.

Watch for Jasmine around the "... ski patrol building at the top of the Snow Valley Express chairlift," which is described as her "HQ."

That is, of course, if she's not training in the woods, to serve and save humans who've wandered out of bounds. Or sliding down the snow on her back, just to enjoy blowing off a little steam, Fido-style.

Good dog, Jasmine.

KNBC-TV is celebrating 70 years in the news business this week.

It all began in Hollywood back in 1949. Four months after the station went on the air on Jan. 16, 1949, the 10-minute newscast featured the stories of the day in black and white. Viewers didn't even see the announcer’s face back then.

But that was 70 years ago. And in all those decades, we've come a long way. As journalism has transitioned from analog to digital, KNBC's storytelling methods have kept pace.

"Seventy years is, sort of, a history of television … and this station is a part of that history," KNBC President and General Manager Steve Carlston said.

Film was a cumbersome, time-consuming process where canisters had to be driven back to the station before footage could be spliced and then aired. Then came videotape followed by the digital revolution.

With today's technology, we’re able to broadcast with either a live truck or a full-sized camera, showing you the action as it happens.

The way news is gathered and presented may have changed over the last seven decades, but KNBC's mission remains exactly the same: Tell your stories and tell them well. Connect with your community and your world.

Gloria Mojica was attacked with a chainsaw in the summer of 2018 allegedly by her husband.

Several months later, she tells the story of her journey to recovery, both medical and psychological.

The macabre event occurred on July 11 when her husband, Alejandro Álvarez, attacked her in a moment of rage.

Apparently, Mojica had told her neighbor that her partner needed psychological help because he suffered from anxiety and depression.

"What I remember [is] that I grabbed my arm and blood burst everywhere," says Mojica. "I thought I was going to die [but] God was here."

Mojica and Álvarez were married for 11 years, lived in Whittier and had three children.

"Still talking about it, it still hurts," says Mojica. "You expect it from someone else, maybe. But not him. "

Her husband fled after the attack but was captured shortly after.

She ended up bathed in blood and wounded in the head, face and arms.

As a result of the injuries, she underwent multiple surgeries.

But, while her partner remains imprisoned and faces multiple charges, Mojica must also face another problem, derived from the action of her husband's attack on her.

When her husband escaped from the police, he crashed the car in which he was traveling.

However, the insurance company held her responsible for the damages that Álvarez caused to the car and sent her the $11,000 bill.

"It wasn't me," Mojica said. "They took me to the hospital. I did not take the car. "

Telemundo 52 contacted the insurance company Foremost and, in less than 24 hours, they absolved it of responsibility.

Now, the mother can continue with her recovery in the company of her children.

The southbound side of the 15 Freeway in the Cajon Pass area was shut down after rain and poor visibility caused a 19-vehicle wreck Wednesday morning, authorities said.

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The southbound 15 was set to be closed for an unknown amount of time to clear the vehicles off the road at 10 a.m. in the Oak Hills area, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said.

Most of those who were hurt had minor to moderate injuries, and did not wish to go to the hospital.

Authorities said to expect delays as the remove cars via Ranchero Avenue in Hesperia.

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A woman in her 50s or 60s was struck and killed while collecting cans from a trash bin in Silver Lake early Wednesday and police were searching for the driver they say might not have known he hit the woman.

The crash happened before dawn in the 1800 block of Hyperion Avenue, police said. Police were searching for the driver of a tan or silver-colored compact sedan with significant damage, officials said.

The driver may not have realized the car hit someone, but he should have stayed at the scene because there was significant property damage, police said.

The crash was weather related, police said. Surveillance video shows the car lose control and crash. The car took a blind curve too fast and hydroplaned on the wet road, police said.

After the crash, the driver can be seen getting out of his vehicle and appearing to inspect the damage before getting back in the car and driving off, the video shows.

The driver possibly didn't know he hit a person because the body landed between two buildings, police said.

Finding a place to volunteer, to take part in a day of service for our neighbors and community, to perform a good deed, or to honor the day with each other at a parade or festival is the focus as we approach the annual observance in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his lasting legacy.

But keeping in mind that some events may take place earlier in the weekend, ahead of Monday, Jan. 21, is a solid plan, especially if you'd like to attend the large-scale event in Long Beach or concert in Santa Monica.

Check out some of the major Southern Californian events remembering Dr. King on the official occasion of his birthday, like...

The Long Beach Peace & Unity Parade and Celebration: As is tradition, the well-attended parade will take place on the Saturday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. That's Saturday, Jan. 19 in 2019, and you'll want to head for King Park, which is a hub for the celebratory happenings, which have included live music performances, food vendors, and lots more in years gone by. The parade's start time, by the by? It's 10:30 a.m., and the fest'll follow at the park, right around noon or a bit beyond.

Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra: Find your seat for the annual Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend Concert, which will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 19 at SGI Auditorium. Pieces by Mendelssohn and Mozart are on the bill, as is "We Shall Overcome," the final selection of the day. The price for the concert? It's free, as is a nearby place to park. The orchestra site has what you need to know.

California African American Museum Celebration: A whole line-up of activities and events are on the Jan. 21 at the museum, including a tribute performance by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. A group discussion, which will follow a listening session devoted to the 1968 speech Dr. King made in LA (with an introduction by James Baldwin), is also on the museum's busy roster of moving and memorable happenings.

Kingdom Day Parade: The 2019 theme of the Monday, Jan. 21 to-do is "Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Democracy." If you'd like to be at the famous parade, all to watch "America's Biggest Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." in person, do consider finding your spot along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, just west of Western. Find details here and keep in mind that this is always very well-attended, meaning arriving early is paramount. 

MLK Day of Service: It's billed as a "day on, not a day off," and finding a place to do something good for someone, or needed, or helpful, and or lasting around Southern California can begin at the Day of Service online headquarters. Some of the 2019 goings-on around our area? A blood drive at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and a pitch-in day at George Washington Carver Middle School (you'll be lending love to the facilities in numerous ways). LA Works is the organization behind the volunteer event.

2019 Annual MLK Breakfast: Look to this morningtime meet-up to take place on the Saturday after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on the 26th. An individual ticket is $50, the Los Angeles Inter Alumni Council of UNCF is the host, and the location is the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center. Part of the goal of the get-together? Money will be raised "... to help send more students to and through college."

A lawsuit filed by the family of a slain 15-year-old boy claims LAPD officers delayed critical medical care by handcuffing and hogtying the teenager while he lay gravely wounded in South Los Angeles last year.

The federal case, filed earlier this month by the mother of Monyae Jackson and the parents of two other teens who survived the shooting, says for unknown reasons officers restrained the victims of the gang attack that happened along Manchester Avenue near the 110 Freeway.

"Instead of taking immediate care to transport at that stage a gravely injured Monyae Jackson and his friends…[officers]…instead placing shackles, restraints, and hot ties," on the three, the case claims.

The attorney for the families, James Orland, plans to hold a news conference about the case later this week.

Jackson, the two survivors, and another 15-year-old named Lamarrion Upchurch were shot as they walked home from a party. Upchurch died the following day and Jackson died two days later.

Last year the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged two men and a woman with two counts each of murder and attempted murder.

Nancy Joanna De La Rocha, 27, Edwin Federico Loza, 19, and Cristian Ivan Macias, 19, have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

When the nation’s capital was hit by almost a foot of snow this past weekend, Nick Elger saw a chance to make a buck.

Elger, 28, usually spends his days working for the Environmental Protection Agency, but he’s one of nearly 400,000 furloughed employees out of work during what’s become America’s longest government shutdown, NBC News reported. 

“I’ve been getting stir crazy just sitting at home,” Elger said. “So I figured in the first few weeks I would just post some things on Craigslist.”

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who with others brazenly carried out a marijuana warehouse robbery and claimed to be executing an official search warrant when confronted by authorities, agreed to plead guilty to multiple federal violations, according to the plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court.

Marc Antrim, assigned to the Sheriff's Temple Station, and several accomplices were named in a 62-page federal court filing made public last November in connection with the Oct. 29, 2018 indoor marijuana heist that netted 1,226 pounds of pot, two commercial safes containing at least $615,000 in cash and approximately $30,000 in money orders.

As part of the agreement with federal prosecutors, Antrim agreed to plead guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, deprivation of rights under color of authority.

At the time of the robbery, federal authorities alleged that Antrim and at least two of his co-conspirators falsely claimed to LAPD officers who were dispatched to the scene that he was conducting a legitimate search. The LAPD officers left allowing Antrim and his co-conspirators to complete the robbery, the complaint states.

Antrim was not assigned to a narcotics unit, was not a detective "and would have no reason to investigate or execute a search warrant of the marijuana distribution warehouse" outside the area served by the patrol station he is assigned to, federal authorities wrote last November.

Three employees including two security guards working at the warehouse were detained in the backseat of an official LA Sheriff's patrol vehicle before being released.

Some of the suspects fled in an unmarked Dodge Ram truck. One fled in a Penske truck containing the stolen contraband and took it to his residence where he temporarily stored the safes and their contents. Some of the items were then taken to a commercial storage unit in Walnut.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was contacted by a concerned resident on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018 regarding the alleged criminal misconduct involving an employee, the department statement said.

That same day, an investigation was initiated by the Sheriff's Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau.

We have an incredible sight to behold Sunday night Jan. 20.

It’s the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse! Yes, that's it's name.
And its the first time in three years the entire United States can see the total lunar eclipse. This unique names comes from a variety of factors.

It’s a supermoon because the full moon is within 90 percent of its closest possible distance to Earth. On Jan. 20, the moon is 222,274 miles from Earth with the moon’s orbital range from 221,681 miles (perigee) to 252,6222 miles (apogee) this year. Because of the proximity to Earth supermoons appear bigger and brighter than an average full moon.

Above is an example of what 7 percent bigger across and 13 percent bigger in area than average looks like. 

Total lunar eclipses are called blood moons because the moon turns a dark red as it enters Earth’s shadow. The reason the moon appears this color during totality is because the only light that is able to get to the surface of the moon is red. Imagine being on the moon and looking up at Earth during an eclipse. At this moment you are seeing every sunrise and sunset on Earth. The red ring around Earth is what is refracted to the surface of the moon.

The January full moon is known as a "wolf moon" named after wolves who howl more in their breeding season.

Here is what you need to know the night of the 20th.

The partial eclipse begins at 7:34 p.m. with the moon appearing high in the northern sky. The eclipse lasts for almost three and a half hours with totality one hour and three minutes. That’s plenty of time, with clear skies, to see the blood moon. Here are your eclipse times on the west coast (PST).

The lunar eclipse begins the moment the moon’s leading edge slips into the penumbra. The penumbra is the area of partial shadow where part of the sun is still visible.

Penumbral shading becomes deeper as the moon moves toward the first partial phase, which begins when the moon’s leading edge enters Earth’s umbra. The umbra is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where the light from the sun is completely blocked by the Earth. When the moon is within Earth’s umbral cone, no direct sunlight falls on its surface.

Totality starts when the trailing edge of the moon enters the umbra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0I7rSCCaGA

This is a picture I took from the Sept. 27, 2015 eclipse from Universal Studios. It was the last time everyone in the U.S. could see a lunar eclipse.

Jan. 20 will be the final time a lunar eclipse and a supermoon occur at the same time until May 2021.

If you do capture a great picture NBC4 would love to see it. Please tag @nbcla or @anthonynbcla on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also send your eclipse pictures to isee@nbcla.com.

President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed during a Wednesday night CNN interview that he "never said" the Trump campaign didn't collude with Russia, a stance that runs counter to his and Trump's past comments, NBC News reported.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that his campaign did not collude with Russian officials. The issue of whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia is the issue at the heart of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"I never said there was no collusion between the campaign or between people in the campaign," Giuliani told CNN's Chris Cuomo. Giuliani, who has previously claimed "no collusion" but that "collusion is not a crime," was adamant that Trump did not personally collude with Russia.