We're getting reports from police that say Cornelius shot himself at his home on Mulholland Drive.  He was 75.

His program was so influential in the 70's and 80's.  Here's a classic episode with an appearance by Michael Jackson.

"Soul Train" aired on KTLA for many years.  It was produced on the KTLA lot in front of an audience.

I just love the music, the clothing, and of course, the dancing of these classic shows:

I know there's a lot of competition in this category, but Linda Armstrong has the best description I've ever heard of a "runaround" with a lender.

We met Linda at NACA's (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) Save the Dream event in Ontario.  It's a free mortgage counseling service that provides opportunities for struggling homeowners who need loan modifications.

Linda is about to lose her home in the San Fernando Valley.  She just can't afford the payments, and the bank refuses to lower her interest rate.

I asked her what happened when she called the bank

If you've ever had dealings with a lender, it sounds too familiar.

TSA kicked off it's new "PreCheck" program at LAX this morning.  It's an expedited security screening for frequent fliers on Delta and American Airlines.

If you qualify, it's great.  We watched people get through the checkpoint in 30 seconds or less, without having to remove jackets, belts, shoes, or laptop computers.

But the only way to take part is by invitation from the Delta or American frequent flier programs, or by applying online through globalentry.gov.

A TSA spokeswoman says the airlines are only inviting passengers who travel frequently -- above a certain number of miles per year.

And if you apply online, you will have to pay a fee, undergo a face-to-face interview at the airport in advance, and submit fingerprints!

Viewer Peter Chaconas emailed: 

When applying on-line, there is first an initial form to fill out and become a "member"....then the actual application form of more than 80 prompts to follow ...and a fee of $100...(and I'm not sure if that's a yearly fee or one-time only)

Any family members must have separate forms and meetings w/the TSA

The form sent my head spinning...The song "Tubular Bells" from the EXORCIST  immediately flooded my declining grey matter....

 Here's my story on it from this morning:

TSA says this is just a start.  They hope to expand the program to more airlines and airports soon.

They will need to, in order to make it useful to the average Joe Passenger.

The best quote I've seen about Stephen Colbert, and I'm not sure where it came from: "Colbert = serious performer playing silly character; the media & political world = silly but pretending to be serious."

Ok, I was young once, too.  But how stupid do you have to be to be willing to commit violence over an 18-pack of beer?

These two knuckleheads in Garden Grove get the award for 'dumb criminals of the week'.

We're stuck in our newsvan for several hours every morning, usually parked somewhere far away from stores, restaurants, or other conveniences.

So when viewers bring us coffee and breakfast, we are grateful.

Thanks to Tanya Melendez of Montebello, who has done it twice now!

Hanging out at LAX, on the day before the day before Christmas, I found that everyone had a story.

We met a soldier, Daniel Huerta, on his way home for the holidays, with his new bride. They were celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple. He later told me he will be deployed to Afghanistan for a year, beginning in January.



We also ran into another couple, on their way to Chicago... They were late for their flight.



Finally, we saw one passenger who stood out because he looked so familiar.



Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Jules Manson is a former Carson City Council candidate who received some unwanted attention from the U.S. Secret Service for a post on his Facebook page.

On Sunday, Manson became enraged that President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act.  He believes the law will take away constitutional freedoms.

In his anger, Manson posted the following on his Facebook page:  "Assassinate the f----- n----- and his monkey children."

The comments were republished all over the blogosphere.  People were outraged.

Then, three Secret Service agents showed up at Manson's trailer park.  They searched his place, his computer, and his car.  They're also interviewing his relatives and friends as part of their investigation.

Now, Manson is saying he's very sorry:

For years, it's been a tradition on the KTLA Morning News to make snow angels whenever it snows.  Over the years, I have done thousands of them on live TV.

They're silly, but people love them.  You could work for months on an investigative report and get only a lukewarm response from viewers.  A few snow angels after a storm, and you get a slew of compliments.

Now, finally, there's a snow angel song.  It was written by former KTLA Associate Director Giovanni Pirozzi, who has a group called "Dusty Blue Socks."

You can listen to it here:

Mr._Snow_Angel

I figure either I am embarrassed by this snow angel thing, or I embrace it.  I choose the latter.  Why not? It's fun.

Judy Eckerling describes the bizarre behavior of Dodgers first baseman James Loney, after he crashed his Maserati into her car and several others.

It happened on the 101 freeway near the Sepulveda offramp on November 14th.

Despite reports that Loney has apologized for what happened, Eckerling has yet to hear from him.  She's had trouble even getting his insurance information.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office is waiting on a blood test for drugs and alcohol before deciding whether to prosecute him. A spokesman expects a determination to be made next week.