Remote Surveillance Trailer in Hollywood, CA

The Clippers have traded guard James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick.

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Clippers have traded guard James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick, the Clippers confirmed Wednesday.

The move signals a shift for the Clippers toward a younger core, as the 26-year-old Garland comes in for the famously bearded 36-year-old veteran Harden.

"We are trying to get younger while continuing to win, and Darius allows us to do both," Lawrence Frank, the Clippers' president of basketball operations, said in a statement confirming the deal.

"Darius is an adept shooter and passer, a quick decision-maker and a respected teammate who has shown the ability to run an elite offense. We are excited to win with him and grow with him," Frank added.

Garland, a 6-foot-1 guard, is averaging 18.0 points, 6.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 26 games this season with Cleveland. Originally selected fifth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Vanderbilt, he is a two-time NBA All-Star and has appeared in 22 postseason games.

Frank praised Harden's impact during his tenure with the Clippers.

"I can't overstate what James has meant to our organization in the past two-and-a-half years," Frank said.

"He exceeded every expectation and met every challenge. He put us on his back for long stretches, doing whatever was necessary to win. He's an all- time great who delivers on a nightly basis. We benefited from his talent, his durability, his competitiveness and his leadership. We'll always consider him a Clipper."

Harden, a Los Angeles native, averaged 21.1 points, 8.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 195 games with the Clippers. This season, he became the franchise leader in triple-doubles and set a team record with a 55-point performance.

Across his career with Oklahoma City, Houston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and the Clippers, Harden has averaged 24.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 1,195 games.

He is an 11-time NBA All-Star, the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player, a three-time scoring champion and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

City News Service

Exposition Park is expected to receive nearly $100 million for beautification and other improvements ahead of upcoming major events.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Exposition Park is expected to receive nearly $100 million for beautification and other improvements ahead of upcoming major events such as the World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, officials announced Monday.

Approximately $97 million will come from Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed state budget for fiscal year 2026-27 with an additional $1 million to come from federal funding, which was secured by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles.

Eight World Cup games are scheduled to be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which officials expect will serve to boost tourism across Los Angeles County. Exposition Park — home to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — will serve as the Olympic Park for the third time in 2028.

Additionally, the park will see new openings with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in September, and the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center, home of the space shuttle Endeavour. While the space center completed construction in 2025, a date for opening has not been announced.

Exposition Park is a 160-acre green space, located in South Los Angeles, across from USC. Built in 1872, the park has grown to contain museums and sports venues such as the Coliseum, BMO Stadium, the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California African American Museum.

"Los Angeles is about to enter the most intensive — and exciting — three-year period of sporting events that any city in the world has ever experienced, and these investments will ensure that Angelenos continue to benefit from these events for decades to come," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

The mayor led a news conference Monday morning alongside local leaders to tout the investment. Bass thanked state and federal officials, and the Exposition Park leadership, for their work that will help create a more welcoming and accessible park for residents and visitors from around the world.

"These valuable state and federal investments will advance our efforts to transform Exposition Park into a premier global destination," Andrea Ambriz, general manager of Exposition Park, said in a statement.

She noted the investment is expected to create more than 300 jobs.

"Exposition Park is the backyard of Los Angeles, and we will be ready to be the front yard to the world by 2028," Ambriz added.

California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot noted the project will involve renovations, infrastructure improvements, and public safety upgrades, among other elements. He described the upgrades as "essential."

"Just as important, these upgrades also improve the safety and usability of the park for Angelenos who need it to get outdoors," Crowfoot said in a statement. "We're proud of these proposed improvements and unique partnerships that are marking Expo Park a truly world-class urban destination."

Kamlager-Dove called the investment a "win for LA and for America," adding that it would benefit communities for years to come.

City News Service

Acts of kindness happen every day in Hollywood — and we want to hear about the moments, big or small, that show how neighbors support one another. Patch has partnered with T-Mobile on Good Deeds, Great Communities, a nationwide initiative that spotlights acts of kindness in communities across the country. If you’ve done a good deed, experienced one or seen one recently, we invite you to share it. At the end of the submission period, Patch will select one community, at Patch’s discretion, and make a charitable donation of $500 to a local nonprofit.

You can submit a recent act of kindness — whether it was something you did yourself or something you witnessed. If you’re submitting a kind act done by someone else, please be sure you have their permission before sharing their story.

As part of the submission, you’ll be asked for your state and ZIP code. This information helps power our real-time leaderboard, which is updated throughout the submission period so readers can follow along and encourage others in their community to participate. You’re welcome to submit more than one act of kindness, helping highlight the many ways people in Hollywood show up for one another.

If you’d like to share a story, submissions remain open through March 31, 2026. Submit your good deed here, and consider sharing this opportunity with others in Hollywood so more acts of kindness can be included. Patch may select your good deed to appear in an article as part of the Good Deeds, Great Communities project.

Kindness is happening in Hollywood — tell us about a good deed you’ve seen or experienced.

Leaderboard results are for engagement purposes only. Any donation associated with the project will be made by Patch, and the recipient will be determined by Patch.

Josh D'Amaro was elected by a unanimous vote of the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors on Monday.

BURBANK, CA — The wait is over Tuesday morning for the naming of the next CEO of the Walt Disney Company as 28-year Mouse House veteran Josh D'Amaro, who the entertainment giant hailed as " the architect of the largest global expansion in Disney Experiences history," as the successor to long-time CEO Robert Iger.

The Disney Experiences segment of the broader company's portfolio includes the Disney theme parks and resorts in Orlando, Anaheim and abroad, as well as its cruise ship operations, consumer products, and retail and licensing, all highly profitable divisions that often buoy overall profitability, even when broadcast or motion picture revenue slows.

D'Amaro was elected by a unanimous vote of the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors on Monday. His appointment is effective March 18, to coincide with the company's annual meeting.

"The Board also intends to appoint D'Amaro as a director immediately following that meeting," according to the announcement of his appointment. "As head of the company's largest business segment with $36 billion in annual revenue in fiscal year 2025 and 185,000 cast members and employees worldwide, D'Amaro "... is the architect of the largest global expansion in Disney Experiences history, and has led the segment to new heights financially, creatively and in guest satisfaction."

In his current role, D'Amaro oversees 12 theme parks and 57 resort hotels worldwide. Disney is also developing a new theme park/resort in Abu Dhabi.

Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, has been named president and chief creative officer of the company, also effective March 18.

"As co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, Walden has led Disney's world-renowned, award-winning entertainment media, news and content businesses globally, including Disney's streaming businesses," according to the company announcement. "In this new role -- a historic first for the enterprise -- Walden will report directly to D'Amaro and will ensure that storytelling and creative expression across every audience touch point consistently reflect the brand, engage audiences at scale and advance core business objectives, while driving enterprise-wide initiatives and translating vision into action."

Iger called her "an excellent leader who commands tremendous respect from the creative community."

Iger retired from the Walt Disney Company in 2021 after 16 years at the helm. He returned in 2022 and after March 18 will remain a board member and senior company advisor until his retirement, which is scheduled to take place on December 31.

Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.

Fan and community events leading up to the 2026 World Cup will be scheduled across LA County.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Fan and community events leading up to the 2026 World Cup will be scheduled for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, downtown Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, Venice Beach and San Pedro, officials announced Wednesday.

The Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee unveiled community and fan engagement plans Wednesday morning at the LA Memorial Coliseum, designed to bring excitement for the "world's largest single-sport event" to neighborhoods across the LA region.

World Cup games are set to occur in stadiums in Mexico, the United States and Canada, with eight matches played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Officials discussed plans for a FIFA Fan Festival in Los Angeles, 26 fan zones, a 39-day fan experience guide of World Cup-themed events, soccer clinics, community days, and a "Kick It With Us" mobile bus tour.

"These activities will allow both Angelenos and visitors alive to be part of this historic event," Kathryn Schloessman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, and CEO of the World Cup organizing committee, said in a statement.

The fan festival will take place at the Coliseum, transforming the site into a celebration of soccer and culture. Fans will be able to watch live match broadcasts, enjoy music, cultural programming, interactive experiences and food.

The five-day festival will run from June 11-15. Hours of operation, daily programming and more details will be announced in March.

While more fan zone locations will be announced in the near future, the organizing committee teased the following sites:

Other fan zones will be opened at the following locations:

Host committee officials noted they are working with LA Tourism to curate a 39-day fan experience guide to highlight the fan engagement events taking place over the summer during the 39-day soccer tournament.

The guide will be available on DiscoverLA.com, and will be promoted across all of LA's World Cup touch points, such as the official website at LosAngelesFWC26.com and its mobile app.

Earlier this year, the host committee launched a video series in partnership with the Play Equity Fund to spotlight local nonprofits selected for its grant program. Twenty-six nonprofits were recognized by the committee and awarded $26,000 grants.

In December, the committee launched its "Grow the Game of Soccer Clinic" series in collaboration with the Play Equity Fund, Cal South and other local stakeholders. The initiative aims to inspire the next generation of soccer players, coaches and referees in the LA region.

The next soccer clinic is scheduled for Feb. 28 at Cal State Los Angeles University Stadium.

Community days are opportunities to volunteer to beautify public spaces ahead of the World Cup. The program features two flagship events with the first taking place at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown on March 14. The second event will be scheduled for the spring.

On March 3, the host committee will launch its bus marketing tour. The bus will pop up at high foot-traffic locations and culturally significant events in the region.

By Jose Herrera, City News Service