Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner Deaths, New Year’s Eve Terror Plot Stopped in L.A., Teacher Visa Fees Deepen Shortage, Palisades Hanukkah After Fires, Rams Clinch Playoffs, Fire Survivors Denied Mortgage Relief, AI Floods the Podcast Industry

Hollywood is mourning the death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner; their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested soon after on suspicion of homicide. Meanwhile, federal authorities say they stopped a New Year's Eve terror attack, targeting Los Angeles area businesses, arresting four people involved in the plot. In California, a growing teacher shortage is being made worse by a new Trump administration policy requiring employers to pay a one-time sponsorship fee for new H-1B work visas for international workers. And on the first night of Hanukkah, the Pacific Palisades community stood together for their 38th menorah lighting. In sports, the Los Angeles Rams rallied to beat the Detroit Lions and clinch a playoff berth. In business, homeowners who lost their houses in January’s LA wildfires say banks are denying or limiting mortgage forbearance, despite a state law promising up to a year of relief, and the podcast industry is being reshaped by a surge of AI-generated shows.