House Approves Bill to Fund the Department of Homeland Security and End the Record Shutdown
After more than ten weeks, the House approved a bipartisan bill funding most of the Department of Homeland Security, excluding immigration‑enforcement components, and sent it to President Trump for signature. The measure ends the longest federal agency shutdown in U.S. history, which began in February and threatened airport operations as temporary TSA funding ran out. The Senate had already passed the package, but internal Republican disputes and Speaker Mike Johnson’s narrow majority stalled it in the House. A separate budget‑reconciliation process will now address a $70 billion immigration‑enforcement allocation.
One of the World Cup's Biggest Sponsors Is Big Oil
FIFA has signed a four‑year global partnership with Saudi Aramco, valued at roughly $400 million, to appear on the 2026 World Cup stage across North America. The oil giant, responsible for about 4.3% of global CO₂ emissions, will share top‑tier sponsorship...
L.A. Considers Expanding Airbnb-Style Short-Term Vacation Rentals
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is pushing a budget amendment that would let owners of second homes list those properties on platforms like Airbnb for short‑term stays. The proposal is framed as a way to generate new tax revenue and...
Trump Administration Pays Wind Developer to Walk Away From California Offshore Lease
The Trump administration agreed to pay $885 million to two developers to abandon offshore wind leases off California, with Golden State Wind receiving $120 million after matching oil‑gas investments and Bluepoint Wind committing $765 million to a new LNG facility. The settlement follows a $1 billion...
Supreme Court Wary of Barring Police From Phone Searches to Find Crime Suspects
The Supreme Court heard arguments in Chatrie v. U.S., questioning whether police can use geofence warrants to compel Google for location data without a traditional warrant. Justices were divided, with some emphasizing the investigative value of precise phone‑tracking and others...
Their Homes Burned in the Eaton Fire. Why Edison Has Kept Information About the Fire Under Wraps
The 2023 Eaton wildfire in Altadena, which killed 19 people and displaced thousands, prompted Southern California Edison (SCE) to pledge transparency about its cause. Instead, the utility has invoked attorney‑client privilege and a court‑issued protective order to seal key investigation...
California Cities Seek to Bless Polyamorous Unions. Lawyers Warn It Will Get Messy in Court
California cities such as West Hollywood are drafting ordinances to recognize polyamorous domestic partnerships, aiming to extend housing, healthcare and parental protections to multi‑partner families. Current state law limits domestic partnerships to two adults, forcing poly families to rely on...
Bed Bath & Beyond Is Back in California After Vowing Never to Return
Bed Bath & Beyond is re‑entering California by rebranding 98 The Container Store locations, including 12 stores in the state. The hybrid format, called “The Container Store + Bed Bath & Beyond,” will launch in May after a rapid transition that liquidates 30% of existing inventory. The move follows the...
California's Jet Fuel Stockpile Hits Two-Year Low, Putting 'Black Cloud' Over Summer Travel
California’s jet‑fuel inventory has plunged more than 25% to 2.6 million barrels, the lowest level since 2023, as the Iran‑related war chokes global oil flows. Prices have doubled, pressuring low‑margin carriers such as Spirit and prompting airlines to trim summer schedules....
'In-Your-Face Racism' At an Elite Campus: Black Students Raise Alarm at Pomona College
Pomona College is facing a wave of student‑led protests after racist content circulated on the anonymous Fizz app and in classroom incidents, prompting the administration to acknowledge “deeply troubling” accounts. Black enrollment has slipped to about 7% of the 2025...
The Grove, LACMA and Beverly Center by Train? 19 Adventures Along Metro's New D Line Extension
Metro’s D Line extension opens on May 8, adding three new underground stations along Wilshire Boulevard at La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega. The first phase links cultural hubs such as LACMA, the Original Farmers Market and the République restaurant district, offering a...
Angry Altadena Residents Ask Officials to Halt Edison’s Undergrounding Work
Altadena residents and the town council have asked Los Angeles County officials to halt Southern California Edison’s undergrounding project, citing unexpected homeowner costs, potential damage to surviving oak and pine trees, and the visual clash of remaining overhead telecom wires....
How Did Thousands of Sensitive LAPD Files Get Leaked? City Officials Seek Explanation
Los Angeles officials are probing a massive leak of approximately 337,000 LAPD files that were stored on an unsecured third‑party server. The cache contained raw body‑camera footage, medical records, and confidential civil‑lawsuit documents, many marked as privileged. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office...
Trump Maintains Blockade as Iran's Factions Struggle to Unite
Iranian forces seized two commercial vessels and damaged a third in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting heightened tensions with the United States. President Trump reaffirmed the naval blockade that has halted roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports, costing an estimated...
Law Requiring ICE Agents to Show Identification Struck Down by 9th Circuit
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated California's law that would have forced ICE and other federal officers to display identification while on duty, citing the Supremacy Clause. The decision follows a DOJ lawsuit that also challenged a related mask ban...
44% of Americans Breathe Dangerously Polluted Air. In California, It's 82%
The American Lung Association’s 2026 State of the Air report named Los Angeles‑Long Beach the nation’s most ozone‑polluted metro area, with an average of 159.2 unhealthy ozone days per year. Nationwide, 152.3 million people—44% of the U.S. population—live in counties that received failing...
California Marks Biggest State Park Expansion in Decades with 3 New Parks
California announced the State Parks Forward initiative to add three new state parks—Feather River, San Joaquin River Parkway, and Dust Bowl Camp—primarily serving underserved Central Valley communities. The parks would raise the state system to 283 sites, the most of...
LAUSD to Vote on Restricting Student Screen Time, After Years of Encouraging Classroom Use
The Los Angeles Unified School District board will vote on a resolution that bans screens for kindergarten and first‑grade students and imposes strict limits on device use for older elementary grades. The measure, driven by research linking excessive screen time...
An Oil Company Joins with the Trump Administration to Bully California over Offshore Drilling
Houston‑based Sable Offshore secured a March 13 Defense Production Act order from the Trump administration, allowing it to restart its California oil pipeline system despite a 2020 consent decree and a state court injunction. The Department of Energy re‑designated the...
New Lawsuit Alleges Uber Is Violating Drivers' Rights. Here's How
Rideshare Drivers United, representing over 20,000 California gig drivers, filed a lawsuit accusing Uber of breaching Proposition 22 by failing to provide a proper appeals process for deactivated accounts. The complaint alleges thousands of drivers were terminated without clear explanations...
Woodland Hills Woman Nabbed at LAX on Iranian Arms Trafficking Charge
Woodland Hills resident Shamim Mafi, 44, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport as she prepared to board a flight to Turkey. Federal prosecutors allege she acted as an intermediary for Iran, arranging sales of drones, bombs, fuses and millions...
Resignations and Firings Have Depleted the FBI and Justice Department. They're Scrambling to Rebuild
The FBI and Justice Department are confronting a severe staffing shortfall after a wave of retirements, resignations and politically‑motivated firings. Both agencies have loosened hiring standards – the FBI shortens training for transfers and waives certain assessments, while the DOJ...
Supreme Court Weighs Phone Searches to Find Criminals Amid Complaints of 'Digital Dragnets'
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 27 about whether geofence warrants—searches that sweep the location data of every phone within a defined area— violate the Fourth Amendment. The case stems from a 2019 Virginia bank robbery in which...
A Renewed Threat to JPL as the Trump Administration Tries Again to Cut NASA
The Trump administration’s 2027 budget request calls for a 23% cut to NASA’s overall budget and a 46% reduction to its science programs, putting 53 science missions – including Mars Perseverance and a new Venus orbiter – at risk. The...
Meet the LAUSD Veteran Who Leads the Principals Union
Maria Nichols, a 60‑year‑old former principal, now heads the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) after merging with Teamsters Local 2010. The tentative contract she negotiated grants more than 11% salary increases for roughly 3,000 principals, assistant principals and middle managers,...
If You Shop at Trader Joe's, It May Owe You $100
Trader Joe’s agreed to a $7.4 million class‑action settlement after receipts printed in 2019 displayed ten‑digit credit and debit card numbers, violating the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. The deal allocates $2.6 million for attorney fees and an additional $10,000 incentive, leaving...
Authors Are Slamming Reese Witherspoon for Telling Followers 'It's Time to Learn A.I.'
Oscar‑winner Reese Witherspoon used an Instagram Reel to tell her followers that women need to start learning artificial intelligence, warning that their jobs are three times more likely to be automated. She cited a small book‑club sample where only three...
Jury Awards $11.8 Million to Dodgers Fan Blinded by LAPD During World Series Celebration
A federal jury awarded Isaac Castellanos $11.8 million after a Los Angeles police projectile permanently blinded him during the 2020 World Series celebration. The 37‑mm “skip‑trace” launcher was fired from roughly 145 feet—well beyond LAPD policy that mandates close‑range use—causing a hard‑foam...
A Gas that Causes Climate Change Is Bubbling Out of Reservoirs
Environmental groups, including Friends of the River and Patagonia, have petitioned the California Air Resources Board to require dams and reservoirs to report methane emissions, a greenhouse gas the state currently does not track. EPA data shows flooded lands emitted...
Iran War Helped Freeze L.A.'s Housing Market. Some Hope Ceasefire Will Bring More Sales
The Iran‑War‑driven surge in mortgage rates pushed Los Angeles’ housing market into a deep freeze, with only 3,072 homes sold in January—the lowest monthly total in three years. Rates climbed to 6.46%, sidelining first‑time buyers and extending median listing times to...
Coachella Looks Like Fun and Glamour for Influencers. Behind the Scenes, They Fiercely Strategize
Coachella 2026 has become a high‑stakes arena where influencers treat the festival like a content‑creation boot camp. Creators such as Sam Mintesnot hustle for brand invitations, often securing passes just days before the event. YouTube streams the festival across seven...
LAUSD Strike Preparations: Where Families Can Find Free Food, Childcare and Other Help
Facing a potential strike by three unions representing about 70,000 LAUSD employees, the district warned schools could close as early as Tuesday. To mitigate the impact on families, LAUSD has organized 30 free grab‑and‑go meal sites, multiple fresh‑produce markets, and...
L.A. Officials Raise Alarms over Crippling Olympic Costs: 'Bankruptcy Cannot Be the Legacy'
Los Angeles officials are pressing LA28 for a binding contract that guarantees the organizing committee will cover any excess costs the city incurs for policing, transportation, sanitation and other services during the 2028 Olympic Games. The Games are projected to...
Karen Bass Seeks Council Approval of $360-Million Allocation for Affordable Housing
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado are seeking City Council approval for a $360 million allocation to fund affordable‑housing projects. The money would support 80 developments, creating 1,528 new units and repairing more than 2,500 existing affordable homes....
Three Unions Unite in Massive LAUSD Strike Threat: What's at Stake for Workers, Families
Three Los Angeles school‑district unions—UTLA, SEIU Local 99 and AALA—have formed an unprecedented alliance that could shut down LAUSD if any two walk out. The coalition represents roughly 70,000 of the district’s 83,300 employees, spanning teachers, administrators, bus drivers and custodial staff....
For 40 Minutes, the Greatest Solitude Humans Have Known
During Artemis II’s lunar flyby, the four‑person crew spent 40 minutes behind the Moon, completely out of radio contact with Earth. Commander Reid Wiseman and his teammates watched the far side with the naked eye, a first for humans, while sharing...
Owners Keep Thousands of San Diego Homes Vacant Despite High Rents. They Could Soon Be Taxed
San Diego voters will decide on a vacant‑home tax that would hit roughly 5,000 empty properties with an $8,000 fee in the first year, rising to $10,000 and adding a $4,000 surcharge for corporate owners. The city’s budget office estimates...
PG&E Is Overcharging Californians to Keep Diablo Canyon Open, Report Alleges
A new UC Santa Barbara white paper alleges Pacific Gas & Electric overstates costs to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open, creating a $658.6 million shortfall on the $1.4 billion state loan. The report finds that mandatory customer fees are unnecessary; removing...
San Bernardino Police Slammed Handcuffed Teen to the Ground, Lawsuit Alleges
Eighteen‑year‑old Erin Cowser has filed a lawsuit against the San Bernardino Police Department, alleging that an officer violently slammed her to the pavement while she was handcuffed, causing a concussion and facial injuries. Body‑worn camera footage captured the incident and contradicts...
For More than 30 Years — Day in, Day Out — He's Chronicled California. One Paragraph at a Time
Jack Kavanagh’s Rough & Tumble, a one‑man California political news aggregator, has delivered daily paragraph‑style summaries for more than 30 years, drawing about 1.1 million page views a year from readers worldwide. The site eschews graphics and opinion, offering only headlines and concise analysis,...
California Kids Are Going without Vision Care, and the Problem Is Getting Worse
Vision problems are rising among California children, yet only 16% of Medi‑Cal‑covered school‑age kids received a comprehensive eye exam between 2022 and 2024, down from 19% eight years earlier. The decline is statewide, with rural counties such as Colusa falling...
Two Days in the Office a Month? L.A. City Attorney Candidates Tussle over Telework
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto enforces a three‑day‑in‑office rule for most staff attorneys, while challenger Marissa Roy argues for a two‑days‑per‑month schedule modeled on the state attorney general’s office. The dispute has split the city attorneys union, which filed an...
The Loophole that Keeps a Trump Loyalist Serving as L.A.’s Top Federal Prosecutor
Bill Essayli, a Trump loyalist, remains Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor by holding the title of “first assistant U.S. attorney,” a loophole that bypasses Senate confirmation. A federal judge ruled he cannot act as an interim U.S. attorney, but the...
Gas Is $10 a Gallon at a Big Sur Station. The Owner Explains Why His Prices Can't Go Higher
Owner Leo Flores of Gorda by the Sea, the only gas station for miles along Highway 1 in Big Sur, is charging $9.99 per gallon because the pump software caps prices at $10. The station runs on diesel generators that consume five to six gallons...
2 U.S. Aircraft Downed as Iran War Escalates; Both Pilots Rescued, One Crew Member Missing, Officials Say
Two U.S. combat aircraft – an F‑15E fighter and an A‑10 attack jet – were shot down over Iran, prompting a rescue that saved one pilot while a crew member remains missing. Iran credited a newly deployed air‑defense system for...
A SoCal Native Is Set to Pilot NASA’s Lunar Mission — and Become the First Black Person to Reach the...
NASA’s Artemis II mission, slated for launch in early 2026, will send a crew on a lunar flyby—the first human trip around the Moon in half a century. Victor Glover, a Southern California native and veteran Navy test pilot, will serve...
Should We Be Investing in Stocks After Retirement?
Retirees with substantial real‑estate income often wonder if a 90% stock allocation is prudent. Financial planner Liz Weston advises maintaining some equity exposure for inflation protection but cautions against excessive concentration, recommending a balanced mix that includes bonds or annuities...
After COVID, Raids and Other Blows, DTLA Is Hurting. But 'Mr. Downtown' Believes It Will Rise Again
Hal Bastian, known as “Mr. Downtown L.A.,” warns that downtown Los Angeles is still reeling from COVID‑19, civil unrest and recent federal raids, leaving roughly half of the pre‑pandemic 500,000 office workers absent and vacancy rates climbing above one‑third of commercial...
16 Ways to Experience L.A.’s Electric Literary Scene This Spring
The Walter siblings’ monthly reading series, Essays, has evolved from a modest backyard gathering in March 2024 to a flagship event at Echo Park’s Hunt Vintage, regularly attracting over 150 attendees. The show emphasizes personal storytelling over punchy jokes, tapping into...
Four-Story Buildings Allowed in some Single-Family Zones Under L.A.'s Plan to Delay SB 79
Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to upzone 55 single‑family and low‑density neighborhoods, permitting four‑story, 4‑16 unit buildings. The measure is designed to delay the statewide SB 79 upzoning requirements until 2030, offering a modest density increase compared with the...