Culture of Los Angeles

The Hollywood Hills became the scene of the latest Los Angeles area wildfire Wednesday night as firefighters struggled to contain out-of-control infernos that have claimed at least five lives and destroyed an estimated 1,100 homes, businesses, and other buildings.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences elected film producer Janet Yang as its new president, the group behind the Oscars announced on Aug. 2.

Yang, best known for hits including "The Joy Luck Club" and "The People vs. Larry Flynt," becomes the fourth woman elected to run Hollywood's most elite group of filmmakers, and the first of Asian origin.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences named its new CEO on June 7, ending a tumultuous 11 years under Dawn Hudson that included the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, a huge expansion of the group's membership, and Will Smith's infamous slap.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on July 1 invited 842 members from 59 countries to the Oscars organization and, for the first time, reached gender parity in its new class of inductees.