Rina Palta

A blue ribbon commission report on the ills of L.A. County's foster care system received a mixed reception at the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. The panel voted to study it further and revisit the issue on May 20.

A pilot program to replace strip searchers with body scanners at L.A.'s county is intended to reduce tension between inmates and deputies. It comes as use of force incidents rose slightly over last year.

Murder charges have been filed against a man accused of holding three people hostage in a West Hollywood apartment.

The report concluded: "In eight months of hearing hundreds of hours of testimony, the Commission never heard a single person defend our current child safety system." Officials reacting to the report say the entire child welfare system needs to be changed.

Orange County sustained about $10.8 million in damage to public property after a 5.1 earthquake shook the region on March 28, according to the latest estimates.

The Los Angeles International Airport was unprepared for evacuating and communicating with passengers and the surrounding community during November's shooting, the councilman said.

The LAPD says suspect Daniel Christopher Yealu had at least five more weapons in his apartment and dozens of rounds of ammunition. Neighbors at the apartment complex described a man matching Yealu's description as a loner.

Researchers convened focus groups of people touched by violent crime and found many who said they had trouble accessing programs. They are calling on officials to make it easier to access services.

Repair costs for the three cities hardest hit are not enough to qualify automatically for federal disaster assistance, but an expert says they can appeal.

The number of juveniles incarcerated in the U.S. has dropped dramatically – including California. But not all ethnic and racial groups have benefitted equally.

The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Tuesday joined a chorus of public officials calling for investment in California's child welfare court system.

Local leaders in cities and towns most impacted by Friday's earthquake huddled in meetings Monday to tally the damages and determine whether to apply for aid.