Marine battalion trained, set for deployment at L.A. protests by Friday, DOD says
The Department of Defense said the 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms will protect federal agents and property with the California National Guard.
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Tom Wait is CBS LA's Political Reporter but his assignments often go beyond politics. He frequently covers breaking news and other major events impacting communities across Southern California.
Tom earned an Emmy as part of a CBS California Special Investigation that focused on campaign donations in local school board races.
Since joining the station in 2013 Tom has reported on some of Southern California's biggest stories - including the pandemic, the Hollywood actor and writer's strikes and the devastating fires that ravaged the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Tom has deep roots in Southern California. He grew up in Claremont and graduated from Claremont High School. He earned is undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and then earned a Master's in Journalism at New York University.
Before joining CBS Los Angeles, Tom worked as a reporter at News 12 The Bronx and News 12 Brooklyn, KCTV, Kansas City, MO and in Detroit, Michigan at WXYZ.
The Department of Defense said the 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms will protect federal agents and property with the California National Guard.
Tensions over a recent contract battle between LA County and its workers spilled onto the Board of Supervisors meeting after several union members were arrested at Tuesday's meeting.
Local leaders from Fresno County lashed out at state Democrats and Gov. Newsom for allowing a transgender athlete to compete in the state championship for track.
The family of a four-year-girl currently fighting for her life at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is now facing a deportation order as they hope to stay in the country and continue receiving treatment.
The LA tourism board said businesses could lose $2.3 billion once the minimum wage for airport and hotel workers rises to $30 an hour.
The LA City Council approved a revised budget to close its deficit, which also reduced layoffs from roughly 1,600 to about 600.
The producer who pitched the show to the Department of Homeland Security said it would shorten the citizenship process "one lucky person of America's choosing."
Thousands are celebrating a significant day in their young lives, but some international students at USC are concerned about their lives after graduation.
Democrats and Republicans have argued for weeks at the state capitol over how to punish people who pay 16 and 17-year-olds for sex.
Security cameras captured a very large, unwanted guest making regular visits in a Burbank neighborhood.
A report from the LA County Economic Development Corporation said the tariffs threaten $500 billion in revenue for the region and put 2 million local workers at risk.
From the deadly fires, a historic Hollywood production slump and a budget crisis, Mayor Karen Bass urged Los Angeles to brace for the future.
UCLA said one of its international graduate students was detained at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The preliminary round of soil testing showed that lead levels exceeded state and federal guidelines.
New numbers from Film LA showed that production days dropped 22% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to last year.