LOS ANGELES — A Torrance man who unsuccessfully ran against Rep. Maxine Waters four times was sentenced Monday to four years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to siphon $250,000 in campaign cash for his own use.
Omar Navarro, 37, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to a single federal wire fraud count for defrauding his election campaign.
After he was sentenced, U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi ordered Navarro immediately remanded into custody. A restitution hearing will be scheduled later.
“As a candidate for Congress, defendant knew and understood that campaign funds raised by him and others for his campaign were restricted to supporting his election efforts and could not be used for the candidate’s … own personal use or enjoyment,” according to his plea agreement.
Despite this, Navarro conspired with his mother, Dora Asghari, and a friend to convert campaign funds for their personal use.
Asghari, 61, of Torrance, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to a charge of lying to FBI investigators during an interview. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13.
Attorneys for Navarro and his mother could not immediately be reached for comment.
Navarro unsuccessfully ran in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 against Waters, D-Los Angeles.
An indictment made public in September 2023 outlines a scheme in which Navarro made payments from his campaign to various individuals — including his mother and friend Zacharias Diamantides-Abel, 37, of Long Beach — and then directed the transfer of cash back to himself for personal use.
Navarro used $100,000 to pay for personal expenses, including trips to Las Vegas and the Northern California wine country, as well as payment of two criminal defense attorneys who helped him when he pleaded guilty to felony stalking in 2020.
According to the indictment, Navarro later falsely reported these expenditures as campaign expenses to the Federal Election Commission.
Federal prosecutors said Asghari and Diamantides-Abel concealed Navarro’s misdirection of campaign funds by frequently cashing the checks rather than depositing them into their personal bank accounts. If they deposited the check, they often withdrew the funds shortly thereafter to share with Navarro, the indictment states.
In total, from December 2017 to June 2020, Diamantides-Abel and Asghari received $49,260 and $58,625, respectively, from Navarro’s campaign, according to checks he wrote or caused to be written to them. According to the indictment, Asghari also created a shell company to facilitate her receipt of these campaign payments and transfers back to Navarro and his own shell company.
From January 2018 through July 1, 2020, Navarro deposited over $100,000 in cash into his personal accounts, even though he had no other source of income aside from the campaign funds, and he frequently made deposits after Diamantides-Abe or Asghari cashed campaign checks, court papers show.
Navarro formed a sham charity called the United Latino Foundation as another way to embezzle funds from his campaign for his personal use, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Diamantides-Abel pleaded guilty in May 2025 to a conspiracy charge and was placed in a diversion program.
The 45-page indictment charged Navarro with 13 counts of wire fraud, 26 counts of falsification of records and three counts of prohibited use of campaign funds. Asghari was charged with six counts of wire fraud. Diamantides-Abel was charged with two counts of wire fraud. All three defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy.
Public records show repeated deaths as advocates call for greater transparency and medical oversight
Authorities identified the woman as Katie Sarah Jackson of Fontana. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said deputies booked her into the Rancho Cucamonga facility earlier in the week.
Deputies later found Jackson unresponsive in her housing unit after a reported medical emergency. Life-saving efforts by staff and first responders were unsuccessful. Officials have not said whether Jackson requested medical care before she was found unresponsive, how long she remained that way, or what treatment she received while in custody.
The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office has opened an investigation and will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. Toxicology results are pending.
Jackson’s death now joins a growing list of in-custody deaths in San Bernardino County, a record that has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and prompted repeated calls for greater transparency and stronger medical oversight inside local jails.
A Pattern of Custody Deaths
Public in-custody death reports in San Bernardino County show repeated patterns across multiple years. In many cases, detainees experience medical distress within days of booking, when withdrawal symptoms and untreated conditions are often most severe.
Meanwhile, medical experts say many people enter jail with unmanaged chronic illness and limited access to regular health care. County jails often struggle to treat mental illness, substance withdrawal, and heart or respiratory disease. These challenges are especially pronounced during intake and overnight hours, when staffing is limited.
Compounding those risks, jail officials acknowledge that intake screenings can miss serious health conditions. Detainees may appear intoxicated, exhausted, or reluctant to report symptoms, making early detection difficult. Brief evaluations and limited staffing can further delay diagnosis and treatment.
Similar issues have drawn scrutiny in neighboring Los Angeles County, which operates the nation’s largest jail system. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice found that Los Angeles County jails failed to provide adequate mental health and medical care, citing delayed treatment and preventable deaths.
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More recently, in 2023, Rob Bonta and the California Department of Justice sued the county. The lawsuit alleged unconstitutional conditions and systemic failures in inmate health services. Court filings described detainees waiting hours for care and missed welfare checks.
Advocates say San Bernardino County records reflect many of the same warning signs. They argue that shared problems involving staffing, funding, and oversight extend across regional jail systems.
Against that backdrop, families throughout Southern California have filed wrongful-death lawsuits alleging delayed treatment and ignored medical complaints. Attorneys say obtaining medical records and surveillance footage often requires lengthy legal action.
In San Bernardino County, civil rights firms list custodial death cases among their main practice areas. Lawyers say many families lack the resources to challenge official findings. As a result, they often wait years for clear answers about how their loved ones died in custody.
Calls for Transparency
Lawmakers and advocates continue pushing for stronger oversight of county jails. They support independent audits, civilian review boards, and faster public reporting of in-custody deaths.
Assembly Bill 2761 took effect in 2023 and requires sheriff’s departments to post in-custody death reports within 10 days. Agencies must update those reports as investigations continue. Supporters said the law would strengthen transparency and improve public accountability.
Some cases lack updates long after initial postings appear online.
Similar delays appear in Los Angeles County records, where some in-custody death reports remain unresolved well into the following year. In several cases reviewed by state investigators and journalists, postings continued to list “pending” status while autopsy and toxicology results are still incomplete.
Officials have released limited information about Jackson’s death while the coroner’s investigation continues. Authorities have not disclosed her medical history, staff response times, or the care she received before she collapsed.
For Jackson’s family and others, that lack of detail raises doubts about whether jail safeguards, medical care, and oversight are enough to prevent future deaths.
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education is set to consider authorizing thousands of preliminary layoff notices today as the nation’s second-largest school system moves to address a projected structural deficit of $877 million in the 2026-2027 school year.
The proposal would allow the district to issue March 15 notices to around 2,600 contract management employees and certificated administrators and begin a reduction in force affecting 657 central office and centrally funded classified positions, according to the board report. It also includes reductions in hours for 52 positions and reduced pay for 22 others.
The proposal does not include any classroom teaching positions, a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson said Monday.
The spokesperson added that the total number of employees who will ultimately receive preliminary March 15 or reduction-in-force notices has not yet been determined. The roughly 2,600 management and administrative notices are separate from the 657 identified classified closures, the district said.
Labor groups have already urged the board to delay action. In a Feb. 6 letter to the Board of Education, United Teachers Los Angeles, SEIU Local 99 and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles called on members not to vote on reduction-in-force notices before updated state revenue forecasts are incorporated into the budget.
The unions argued that December and January state tax collections have “far exceeded projections in the Governor’s draft budget” and said the board should schedule a stand-alone meeting in early March to consider potential layoffs after a clearer picture of Proposition 98 funding — the state’s constitutional formula that guarantees minimum funding for K-12 schools — emerges.
“RIFs throw employees, our families, and our students into a cruel period of uncertainty, stress, and panic,” the letter states.
The district said it does not view the proposed notices as connected to ongoing contract negotiations with labor groups.
Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, which represents classified employees such as teacher assistants, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers, said in a statement Monday that the proposed reductions would harm essential school workers.
“Classified education workers are the backbone of this district,” Arias said. “You cannot talk about student achievement while cutting the very adults students rely on every day. If LAUSD truly prioritizes students, it must prioritize the workers who serve them.”
Arias also challenged the district’s financial framing, noting that classified employees made up 39% of the workforce but account for roughly 12% of the district’s budget. He said the district is holding nearly $5 billion in reserves and argued that it should prioritize investment in its workforce over cuts.
District officials say the action is necessary to comply with state Education Code deadlines and to address what they describe as a structural budget imbalance driven by enrollment declines and the expiration of one-time COVID-19 relief funds. In its First Interim Financial Report released in December, LAUSD projected a $877 million deficit — about 14% of its unrestricted general fund expenditures — for the 2026–27 school year, followed by a $443 million deficit the year after.
“It is worth noting that these are dangerously high deficit levels for a public education institution, and more importantly, signal a significant structural imbalance, not a temporary dip,” the board report states.
The report also warns that failing to authorize the notices now could require significantly deeper reductions next year, potentially affecting nearly 5,000 positions with an estimated value of $450 million if fiscal conditions do not improve.
While 657 classified positions have been identified for closure, the district spokesperson said the final number of layoffs has not yet been determined and is expected to be lower due to retirements and other personnel moves.
To comply with state law, however, the district must issue preliminary reduction-in-force notices to more employees than the number of positions ultimately eliminated because of seniority and “bumping” rules.
Under the proposed timeline, final layoff notices would not be issued until later this spring, after required hearings for classified staff and prior to the June 30 deadline outlined in the board report.
On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Southern California Catholics, and Christians of multitude denominations, will wait in line to get a smudge of ashes on their foreheads, and be reminded that they are sinners, yes, who can redeem themselves if they, as Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said in a recent homily, become “people who heal, make peace, and bear witness to his love.”
But for the millions of faithful in the archdiocese and at parishes and houses of worship from Orange County to Riverside all the way to Gomez’s downtown L.A. cathedral, the first day of Lent finds many in crisis: those undocumented in fear of or already in detention; those working to support them and their families; and Catholics who continue to support the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, abortion and same-sex marriage.
Still some Christians will enter this liturgical season grappling with deeply-held beliefs they say run counter to the government’s massive effort under the Trump administration to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
While that effort, federal officials say, has resulted in mass arrests of the most violent of criminal undocumented immigrants, it has also resulted in fear and anger over the actions of a federal dragnet that immigrants, their advocates and many religious leaders say has tipped too far into violence and cruelty.
Lent arrives as federal agents continue their actions, and many in local Southern California cities push back.
Gomez exhorted Catholics to “help America recover her soul,” during his homily at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Feb. 4, during a Holy Hour of Prayer for Peace in response to the shooting death by immigration agents of nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Archbishop Jose Gomez calls for a holy hour of Peace to renew the nation, emphasizing prayer as a vital step to healing a world wounded by division and violence on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Isaac Cuevas, director of immigration and public affairs for the archdiocese, heard Goméz call for upholding the rights and dignity of everyone in the United States and not “based on the color of our skin, or the language we speak, or for not having the proper documents.” He also voiced his support for the Dignity Act (HR 4333) in limbo in Congress.
When the Trump administration ramped up its immigration enforcement in Los Angeles last June, Cuevas said there was no question what the church’s response would be.
“We understood clearly that our role was to accompany, to inform, and to support. That has taken shape through ‘Know Your Rights/Risk’ efforts, connecting families with trusted legal support, organizing prayer opportunities, and preparing clergy and parish leaders to respond pastorally if situations arise.”
“The Church’s engagement in public life really begins with our mission, not politics,” Cuevas said. “Our role is to uphold the dignity of every human person and to accompany those who are vulnerable. At times that includes speaking into public policy, especially when laws or enforcement practices impact families, human dignity, or the common good.”
Unlike its Episcopal kin, whose social justice arm, Sacred Resistance, has been in the forefront of anti-ICE vigils and protests, Catholic leaders’ primary work remains pastoral, Cuevas said.
“We walk with people, provide resources, and help form consciences rooted in Catholic social teaching,” he said.
In these days where many in the community feel vulnerable that teaching goes beyond dogma into concrete action, such as standing with neighbors who are afraid, and responding with faith, not fear, Cuevas added.
In his Lenten message this year, Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino Alberto Rojas, invited people to pray “with your strength and sincerity” for people who are suffering.
He said the treatment of immigrants happening now is a “violation of human dignity.”
“While we as a Church do not condone unlawful entry into the country, the brutal way authorities are enforcing the law is unacceptable and does not recognize immigrants as human beings, much less as the children of God that they are.”
A season of fear
Fresh off marching with students who walked out of school recently in protest of the raids, Father Francisco Gómez, pastor of Our Lady of Soledad Parish in Coachella, is expecting a busy Ash Wednesday this year. But it’s the immigration raids themselves that have caused so much fear and anxiety among his parishioners that he thinks it’s likely his parish will not see numbers like last year — 10,000 strong who came to be marked with ash on their foreheads.
“It’s precisely because of the fear,” he says, as he reflects on the beginning of Lenten season in which many are anxious about immigration actions that have roiled communities.
Instead, his church has created little packets so people can observe Lent at home. There’s a little guide with prayers and readings, and a tiny bag with ashes inside.
Gómez has faith they’ll get to those people who are too afraid to physically go to church in person to receive the ash. Perhaps someone’s neighbor will deliver a packet. A family, a friend. Those packets will get to people who need them, he said.
Ash Wednesday packets that Our Lady of Soledad in Coachella has prepared for parishioners who cannot make the Ash Wednesday Mass in person. (Courtesy, The Rev. Francisco Gómez)
Gómez enters the season highly attuned to the symbols of Lent, precisely because of the immigration raids that have stirred his community and the nation. He’s also thinking about the impact on a democracy, one where he never thought he’d see such violence amid mass immigration operations.
“The primary symbol of Lent is the desert,” Gómez said, noting the nexus between the ancient tradition of 40 years in the wilderness to get to the promised land and the 40 days Jesus is said to have spent in the desert. “The journey of those 40 years is a journey of being in a place of slavery to being in a place of freedom.”
His message is that those being persecuted can also see themselves in a Christ who suffered, from a public who condemned him to his journey to crucifixion.
“Yet, there is a resurrection. There will be a resurrection,” he said.
Over the past year, Gómez said has seen the struggle play out in his community. And as a season of fasting, abstinence, prayer and almsgiving descends, he’s sensitive to the impacts.
“The cracks that I see are people hovering on the edge of despair,” he said, reflecting on the stress of potential arrest or deportation. “People who are considering suicide. Domestic violence. Students not going to school. Those are the cracks that I see.
“On the other side, I see solidarity. Neighbors who get groceries, helping others, creating spaces where people can talk out their fears.”
Prayer is ‘not passive’
Pasadena’s Clergy Community Coalition, made up of 200 church and community leaders, have regularly shown up at rallies and protests organized by No Kings, Indivisible and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON).
Sacred Resistance, the social justice arm of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, is supporting 60 families impacted by the ICE raids, and members accompany people to immigration proceedings, show up in court and detention centers, and organize public, peaceful actions to confront dehumanizing immigration policies, said Rev. Canon Jaime Edwards-Acton.
It’s a fight for the long haul, he added.
“We are a people of faith and conscience, standing together against injustice. Rooted in our call to resist evil and protect the vulnerable, we support immigrants, refugees, and marginalized communities through advocacy, accompaniment, and action.”
Diocese of San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas places ashes on the forehead of a church member Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, during a Mass in the chapel at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Cemetery in Colton. For Christians, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent that leads to Easter. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
For Catholics, Cuevas said there are both simple and meaningful ways to respond, especially during Lent, with its three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
“Prayer is central, but it is not passive,” he said. “We are encouraging people to stay informed, support reputable organizations providing legal and humanitarian assistance, accompany families when appropriate, and advocate in ways that are grounded in charity and truth. Even small acts of solidarity, like helping a family access resources or simply showing up with compassion, can make a real difference.”
Cuevas said his work brings him face to face with Catholics impacted by immigration enforcement who are looking to the church as a place of refuge and trust.
“There is deep gratitude for the church’s presence, but also an honest desire for continued accompaniment and clarity,” he said. “People want to know they are not alone, and that their church will continue to walk with them in both word and action.”
Catholic groups that have long championed migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers include CLINIC, or Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. LA Voice, a multi-faith group that organizes people “to reflect the dignity of all people,” and it often works with the archdiocese, as well as more than 500 congregations in 18 counties and 28 cities.
A church’s role in American life
Gómez, of Coachella, said he’s been pleased to see the Catholic Church’s stance on the immigration actions sweeping the region and the nation. But he noted that there is much work to do.
That includes continuing to reach out across divides in a polarized nation.
“The church is not against immigration enforcement but it will always be against violence,” he said.
The shooting deaths by federal agents of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis may have prompted a “real sense of questioning” that it’s gone too far, he said.
But even as church leaders urge compassion, this year’s Lenten season coincides with a political and cultural battle over immigration policy playing out from the Capitol to Southern California.
White House Press Secretary Katherine Leavitt, herself a practicing Roman Catholic, said during an October press briefing, that “I would reject there is inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States under this administration,” adding that the Biden administration’s more lax border security policy was a form of inhumane treatment of immigrants.
President Donald Trump himself has often spoken fondly of Catholics. A majority of American Catholics — nearly 60% — supported him for the office.
But on Friday, more than 40 Catholic Democrats in Congress released a statement listing ideals from Catholic social teaching they say informs their considerations of immigration policy.
“First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”
The statement came after House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump’s mass deportation agenda early this month. Citing Bible verses about a nation’s borders, critics called out Johnson, a Baptist, for espousing a dangerous Christian nationalism.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, signed the statement with other California Democrats, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Robert Garcia of Long Beach, Sam Liccardo of San Jose, Gil Cisneros of Covina and Nanette Barragan of San Pedro.
“As a Catholic, I follow Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 25:35,” Lieu said, referring to the Bible verse that begins, “For I was hungry, and you gave me food.”
“I believe in Christ’s teachings of advancing the common good by protecting the most vulnerable and individuals in need,” Lieu continued. “The Trump Administration has failed in these endeavors for those seeking refuge by exhibiting indifference and cruelty. We must continue to embrace ideals of justice, mercy, and human dignity while tackling the challenges of immigration.”
That congressional rebuke of Johnson comes after similar calls from U.S. religious leaders.
Protesters march as they pray and sing from a Catholic church to Montebello City Park, as a sign of solidarity with immigrant families impacted by ICE enforcement in Montebello on Aug. 7, 2025. (Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer)
On Jan. 28, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and considered a conservative leader, called for the Trump administration to be “generous in welcoming immigrants,” and encouraged other leaders to pray “for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where there are violations of fundamental rights, and for consolation for all who feel overwhelmed by fear or loss.”
Three Catholic cardinals protested Trump’sforeign policy on Jan. 19.
More than 150 Episcopal bishops on Jan. 31 called for the suspension of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota and anywhere in the country militarized enforcement is in place. Addressing the American people, the leaders encouraged people to use their community power, financial power, political power and knowledge to show up for each other and their neighbors.
Irreconcilable differences?
Sociologist Richard Wood, president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC, said both the Biden and current Trump administrations have included substantial numbers of Catholics in cabinet-level leadership positions, with the Biden administration encompassing slightly more.
“Nonetheless, both administrations experienced tensions with the Catholic Church — Biden especially around issues of gender and sexuality, abortion, and American support for the brutal Israeli assault on Gaza in response to the brutal Hamas assault of Oct. 7, 2023; Trump especially around immigrant rights, threats to Greenland, and attacks on democratic institutions,” Wood said.
Among the Catholics in the second Trump administration: Vice President J.D. Vance, Leavitt and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
But having the first American Pope lead the world’s Catholics takes away an oft-used excuse that a Pope “just doesn’t understand America,” supporters said, and lends his criticism of the Trump presidency more weight. Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers brushed away the Pope’s criticism of Trump and pointed to the president’s support among Catholics, saying in a Politico, that “in just 10 short months, the president has delivered unprecedented victories for Catholic Americans.”
Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Pope Leo has not backed down, saying two months ago, at an address at the Vatican, that “ever more inhuman measures are being adopted —even celebrated politically — that treat these ‘undesirables’ as if they were garbage and not human beings.”
What the effect this divide between the White House and the Vatican can be seen in recent polling data that show large declines in support of Trump administration policies on immigration among both Catholics and Evangelical Christians, Wood said.
But both political parties have elements in them with real issues with religion and secularism, he added.
“The Democratic Party, because significant sectors of the party see religion as a problem and embrace a narrowly secular worldview that sees no value in religion, almost a kind of ‘secular fundamentalism,” he said. “And the Republican Party, because significant sectors affirm a worldview that falls well outside of traditional religious respect for the common good, the human dignity of all, and a reasonable level of civility in public life and diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, Gómez, the Coachella priest, who belongs to a congregation of missionaries in the Catholic Church who work with the poor in the U.S. and Latin America, readies for Ash Wednesday.
As he prepares, he is reflecting on a mission that relentlessly serves the poor and the persecuted – which in this moment means meeting a moment to serve immigrants.
“We have pledged our lives to those who stand on those margins. And those on the edge of death,” he said.
Oak Park’s Khali Mitchell and Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson scramble for control of the ball during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Delaney White attempts a shot under the basket during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson attempts a shot during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Oak Park’s Maya Urteaga and Sierra Canyon’s Cherri Hatter race for the ball during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Cherri Hatter and Oak Park’s Karisma Flores scramble for control of the ball during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Cherri Hatter drives to the basket during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Oak Park’s Karisma Flores attempts a shot under the basket as Sierra Canyon’s Delaney White lies on the court beneath her during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Oak Park’s Karisma Flores controls the ball under the basket during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Emilia Krstevski attempts a shot under the basket while being defended during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Delaney White scrambles for control of the ball during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Cherri Hatter attempts a shot under the basket during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Cherri Hatter brings the ball up the court while being defended by Oak Park’s Karisma Flores during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Oak Park’s Maya Deshautelle attempts a shot under the basket while being defended during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Oak Park’s Diana Sorrondo brings the ball up the court while being defended by Sierra Canyon’s Payton Montgomery during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Oak Park’s Karisma Flores moves toward the basket while being defended during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
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Oak Park’s Khali Mitchell and Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson scramble for control of the ball during a CIF-SS Open Division pool play girls basketball game at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
It’s what the Sierra Canyon girls basketball team has been all season. It was no different against Oak Park on Thursday night in the first game of the CIF Southern Section Open Division girls basketball playoffs.
Five Sierra Canyon players scored in double figures and the Trailblazers did not relinquish a double-digit lead after the first quarter as they defeated Oak Park 77-51.
A trio of seniors led Sierra Canyon in scoring: Emilia Krstevski had 17 points, Jerzy Robinson scored 16 points and Payton Montgomery had 15 points off the bench.
Montgomery, who has flourished as both a starter and a reserve this season, provided a spark off the bench for her team Thursday night.
“She’s really sacrificed for the team. She should be a starter but we like her energy off the bench,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said about Montgomery. “We like her focus, we like what she brings no matter if she starts or doesn’t start.”
Robinson, who will play at the University of South Carolina next year, started the night with a step-back 3-pointer for the first points of the game.
She proceeded to find her teammates for easy buckets throughout the first quarter, smiling wide when one of her teammates would score.
Robinson had five assists in the first quarter, threading the needle with her passes and finding her teammates in the right spots.
“For me the biggest thing has been her growth,” Komaki said about Robinson. “We’ve talked a lot about getting joy out of other people’s success and finding your teammates. She’s going to be able to get a bucket anytime she wants, but she’s making those around her better and she definitely did that tonight.”
Sophomore Rosie Oladokun scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Sierra Canyon. Her sophomore counterpart Cherri Hatter had eight points.
Delaney White, who transferred from Oak Park to Sierra Canyon for her senior season, scored 10 points.
“Passing the ball, moving the ball, we have multiple threats on different levels,” Oladokun said. “Anybody can score. We have so many advantages everywhere. We can’t be stopped.”
After struggling for much of the first three quarters, thanks in large part to Sierra Canyon’s physical defense, Oak Park was able to knock down some shots in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles scored 26 points in the final quarter after scoring 25 points in the first three quarters combined, but it was too little too late. Sierra Canyon’s lead was too big to surpass.
Senior Karisma Flores led the way for Oak Park with 20 points, half of which came in the final eight minutes. Maya Deshautelle scored 10 points.
Sierra Canyon and Oak Park will both face Corona Centennial, the third team in the group, to round out pool play.
Oak Park will be on the road Saturday against Centennial and Sierra Canyon will be at home against the Huskies on Wednesday.
Firefighters responded Sunday evening to a two-story building in Artesia after smoke and flames were reported.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department arrived on scene at approximately 5:50 p.m. and quickly called for a second alarm at 6:00 p.m. as the fire intensified.
NewsChopper 4 images showed traffic in the area being blocked while emergency personnel battled the blaze.
No injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
After only allowing landlords to apply for cash assistance, a second round of Los Angeles County’s emergency rent relief program for survivors of the 2025 wildfires and for households impacted by federal immigration crackdowns begins on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
This time, tenants themselves can initiate the application, which can prompt awards for back rent and for payments owed utilities, such as electric power and water.
But there is a catch: Although the tenant can apply, their application must be accompanied by a second document from the landlord. If the tenant meets income eligibility requirements, and indeed owes back rent or utility bills, as long as the landlord agrees, the application can go through, according to rules from the county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA).
Each applicant can receive up to $15,000. All awards go to the landlords or property owners, who clear the back rents or pay the utilities of the tenant applicant. The window for tenant applications opens Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. and closes Wednesday, March 11 at 4:59 p.m.
“The County’s Emergency Rent Relief Program has reaffirmed what we already know to be true – Los Angeles County residents are navigating undue hardship and financial challenges due to emergencies like federal immigration enforcement and the 2025 wildfires,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor, Hilda L. Solis in a prepared statement.
For those affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, the rent relief includes those laid off if their place of employment was destroyed or their work hours were reduced, resulting in lost wages. Even more than a year later, those displaced by the fires still need help paying rent or mortgages and would be eligible for up to six months of rent relief, not to exceed $15,000.
The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed 11,000 homes and 2,000 businesses. Some groups report only about 30% are rebuilding. A majority are still paying temporary rental charges and allotments from their insurance is expiring.
“For families still recovering from the Eaton Fire, housing stability is essential to getting back on their feet,” said Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger in a prepared statement.
In the first round, which closed Jan. 23, a total of 4,644 applications were received, the county reported. It is not known how many awards were given out since most of these are still being vetted, said Keven Chavez, spokesperson for the DCBA. Small landlords in unincorporated areas whose units sustained damage are eligible for six months of rent relief not to exceed $15,000, as long as the units were returned to the rental market. Landlords may still apply in the next round.
For those tenants, including both in unincorporated county communities and in cities, who have sustained economic hardships such as a sudden loss of income due to federal immigration raids, are eligible for up to six months of rent relief not to exceed $15,000.
“The urgent need for housing stability and to keep people housed is the reason behind LA County’s Emergency Rent Relief program,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell in a prepared statement.
The reopening of the $30 million program so that tenants can apply directly comes at a time when families are losing income due to the arrest of main breadwinners placed in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, said Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
“My intent was always for tenants to be included because access to relief should not depend on who initiates the application. Allowing tenants to apply directly helps remove barriers and ensures assistance reaches families who need it most,” said Horvath.
“With the opening of Round 2, by expanding that access to allow tenants to initiate the process, that reduces the barriers, allows more people to get the process started, get them access and to the finish line,” Chavez said.
Marisa Prietto, a communications specialist and volunteer with The Rent Brigade, a grassroots group keeping track of rising rents in LA County, has found rents had increased in many areas by 300%, as landlords took advantage of the increased demand.
Prietto said even now, the rent relief program is necessary to help those displaced by the January 2025 fires in Altadena and the Palisades. But she said the county program is not perfect.
For example, many landlords who did not apply in the first round could more easily evict tenants, then rent out the unit at a much higher rent to a new tenant. Even with tenants’ applications, the landlords could simply look at the economics and not accept the deal and instead find a tenant willing to pay more per month, she said.
“The main problem with it is the eviction protections aren’t strong enough to incentivize landlords to use the program (which is voluntary),” she said.
The DCBA is hoping more tenants apply in this round than landlords did in the first round. But the application process is not yet open. The application will be open at the website: lacountyrentrelief.com
“This program is an important first step that will bring much needed relief to some of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Chris Baca, director of humanitarian & migrant assistance at Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA). “Our hope is for this program can bring relief to as many people who need it, and that it becomes a model of how to respond to the housing crises caused by disasters and other unforeseen emergencies.”
In the meantime, Chavez encourages all tenants who think they may be eligible to go to the website anyway and put in their preliminary information and get on the program’s notification list. They can become familiar with the questions they will be asked, such as income, living situation and how they’ve become affected by either emergency.
For those not tech-savvy, they can reach out to DCBA partners who can guide them through the application process. The following partners are available for help: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, (323) 697-3952, jcoria@cluejustice.org; Klimt Consulting LLC, (424) 265-1700, landlord@klimtllc.com; Chinatown Service Center, (323) 909-7385, socialservices@cscla.org; Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), (213) 341-9659, Angeln@mycielo.org or Info@mycielo.org.
“Rent relief is about stability — keeping people safe in their homes and making sure landlords stay whole,” said Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn in a prepared statement. “This is real help, not a loan, and it does not depend on immigration status.”
The 68th Grammy Awards aren’t just a night of music industry awards, but a rock star celebration of music itself.
There was a slew of showstopping performances at this year’s awards ceremony, hosted at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, one of which featured all seven nominees for the best new artist category inlcuding Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and Sombr.
Other performances included the in memoriam segment of the show, which featured country superstar Reba McEntire performing at the Grammys for the first time, the return of Lauryn Hill to honor the late D’Angelo and Roberta Flack, and a supergroup metal cover dedicated to the late Ozzy Osbourne.
Notably absent from the performance stage was Bad Bunny, who said he wouldn’t perform, likely because of his Super Bowl halftime show commitment, but that didn’t stop host Trevor Noah from trying to bait him throughout the night.
However, there were plenty of other performances that electrified the night at the Grammy Awards. Here are all the stars who took the stage.
Bruno Mars and Rosé — “APT.”
Bruno Mars and Rosé kicked off the 68th Grammy Awards with their collaborative hit “APT.” The song reached major milestones for the artists, becoming the most-streamed globally on Apple Music in 2025 and spending 19 weeks at number one on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Chart and 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Global 200 Chart. “APT.” also earned three nominations at this year’s ceremony for song of the year, record of the year, and best pop duo/group performance.
“I’m watching the 2026 Grammys and I’ve got some thoughts so this might be a long thread. They started off strong with Bruno Mars and ROSÉ performing ‘APT.’ The dancers in the front were so excited, jumping up and down and making it feel like an actual concert. That’s the energy award shows need fr. It was so short though,” a user on Threads wrote.
Sabrina Carpenter — “Manchild”
It’s not a Sabrina Carpenter performance without top-tier costume and set design, and she was ready to fly at the show. She descended from a baggage claim carousel out of an airplane, performed the lead single from last year’s “Man’s Best Friend” alongside dancers at the airport dressed in everyman garb, and tested how many F-bombs she could drop during the live broadcast. Carpenter was nominated in six categories for this year’s Grammys.
“I know that everyone complains that the Grammys don’t give out enough awards and that it’s all just performances, but that Sabrina Air number is exactly what we need in live shows like this. Like there are just not enough performers putting in that kind of EFFORT anymore and I appreciate her commitment to the character always,” a Threads user wrote.
The Marías — “No One Noticed”
Los Angeles’ own The Marías performed “No One Noticed” from “Submarine” in an ethereal, deep-ocean production set that has also been featured on stage at their various festival performances. Some fans of the group online pointed out that the group has been around for at least a decade and may not belong in the new artist category, but deserve their due.
“The Best New Artist contenders are always so interesting bc What do you mean NEW when The Marias have been around for like 10 years,” a Threads user wrote.
Addison Rae — “Fame is a Gun”
Addison Rae’s set began outside, with the singer dressed in a purple trench coat and standing on the back of a truck. She hopped off and dropped the coat, revealing a sparkly purple bra top and matching shorts that got plenty of cheers from the crowd, but some people online didn’t appreciate her being backstage.
“wow. they really made addison stay in the backstage area. that’s not cool,” a Threads user wrote.
Katseye — “Gnarly”
The K-Pop group followed Rae with their own coordinated dance moves, wrapped in a touch of combat gear. The group was nominated for best new artist and best pop duo/group performance.
Leon Thomas came out with one of the smoothest performances of the night with his single, “MUTT,” off the album with the same name. Thomas received nominations for album of the year, best R&B album, best new artist, best traditional R&B, best R&B song performance, and best R&B performance.
“Olivia, Katseye, and Leon have been the best part of this Best New Artist showcase,” a Threads user wrote.
Alex Warren — “Ordinary”
Alex Warren followed with the performance of his single “Ordinary,” off of his album “You’ll Be Alright, Kid.”
Alex Warren couldn’t hear his music and was completely off for the first half of his Grammy performance. Very unfortunate…
If the show wanted to be so ambitious having all the Best New Artist nominees performing all over the venue, they needed to make sure these *new* artists…
There was a change of pace when Lola Young took the stage for her ballad “Messy,” off of her album, “This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway.” The song was much slower than the dance hits in the category, but it conveyed a vulnerability that’s earned her a dedicated fanbase. Young was nominated for best new artist and best pop solo performance.
“Just 45 minutes into The Grammys and Lola Young has already made me cry. ✨️” a Threads user wrote.
Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
The winner in the best new category was Olivia Dean, whose performance showcases her groove and elegance with her assembled band, known for its brass section that warms her delicate yet mesmerizing vocals. Her nomination for best new artist was her first and is now marked with a win.
Olivia Dean is such a star. here’s her full Grammys performance of Man I Need pic.twitter.com/39W3XkFoXp
Sombr was the youngest solo artist in the best new artist category at age 20, and he delivered a pop performance in a crop-top mirror-ball suit of his hit “12 to 12” from his album “I Barely Know Her.”
“Anybody else really love Sombr?! I think he’s my fave new artist. And look at him all mirrorballed out!,” wrote a Threads user.
Justin Bieber — “Yukon”
In just a pair of boxers and socks, Justin Bieber came out with his guitar to deliver a performance of “Yukon” off his 2025 album “Swag.” The song earned him a nomination in the best R&B performance, and he picked up three additional ones, including album of the year, best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance.
“Justin Bieber just gave the type of performance that makes you shake your head and scrunch your face. Full body chills,” a user wrote on Threads.
Lady Gaga — “Abracadabra”
In true Lady Gaga fashion, the pop queen did not disappoint with her stage theatrics for her performance at the ceremony. Gaga performed “Abracadabra” with rock guitars and drummer Josh Freese, spending much of the performance behind a keyboard, dressed in red bird feathers, her face enclosed in a cage-like contraption that evoked a sense of dark magic.
Although Bruno Mars assisted with the night’s opening performance, he also showcased his latest solo music after a 10-year hiatus. The performance of his single “I Just Might” off of his upcoming release, “The Romantic,” was on par with his next album’s theme. Mars and a full band, complete with a horn section, performed in red suits against a heart-shaped backdrop.
Tyler, the Creator has established himself as a unique trailblazer in hip-hop since he first hit the scene in his Odd Future days. He took the stage to perform “Thought I Was Dead” and “Like Him” from 2024’s “CHROMAKOPIA,” dressed as a soldier leading a marching line.
The album earned him five nominations, including album of the year, best rap performance, best rap song, best rap album, and best album cover. He was also nominated for best alternative music album for “Don’t Tap the Glass” and performed “Sugar On My Tongue” at the show, wearing a red jumpsuit that was a signature of the album’s cover and also resembled Michael Jackson (his dance moves did too). The end of the performance unfolded at a gas station set that ultimately exploded, leaving Tyler slightly charred offstage.
“Seeing Tyler giving MJ Billie Jean vibes in his Grammy performance is so cool to see. Even the gas station scene reminded me of the video for ‘The Way You Make Me Feel.’ What a homage to the GOAT,” a Threads user wrote.
Reba McEntire — “Trailblazer”
Despite being a country superstar, Reba McEntire had never performed at the Grammy Awards until this ceremony. McEntire performed “Trailblazer” with Lukas Nelson to honor her step-son, Brandon Blackstock, who died in August from cancer. The rendition was beautiful and moved the crowd to tears, and left people at home wondering why McEntire had never performed at the awards show before.
Like what do they mean Reba’s first time performing at the Grammys?!
Post Malone, Slash, Andrew Watt, Duff McKagan, and Chad Smith — “War Pig”
As another part of the memorial, Post Malone, Slash, Andrew Watt, Duff McKagan, and Chad Smith performed a special tribute to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” in honor of the late prince of darkness and godfather of heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne. The Osbourne family was in attendance and visibly moved to tears by the supergroup’s effort.
— Cassandra “Cassy” Coelho R.🪬 (@IDontCareBear) February 2, 2026
Lauryn Hill — Mashup
The last time Lauryn Hill was on a Grammy stage was in 1999, but tonight she appeared at a special tribute to the late neo-soul and R&B artist D’Angelo and the legendary Roberta Flack, which surprised fans worldwide.
The female rapper has nabbed eight Grammys, more than any other female in that category, and, alongside a slew of megastars, performed “Nothing Even Matters” / “Brown Sugar” featuring Lucky Daye, “Lady” featuring Raphael Saadiq & Anthony Hamilton, “Devils Pie” featuring Leon Thomas, “Another Life,” “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” featuring Bilal, “Africa” featuring Jon Batiste; “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” featuring Jon Batiste “Compared To What” featuring Leon Bridges & Alexia Jayy “Closer I Get To You” featuring Lalah Hathaway & October London, “Where Is The Love” featuring John Legend and Chaka Khan, “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song” featuring Wyclef Jean.
Oh my @RecordingAcad Grammys, I just cried, rocked out, and went to church. Beautiful Reba and yes, I was crying for Ozzy, seeing his family there. Then D’Angelo. Omg. Still can’t believe that. But, then, that Queen Roberta Flack. I had to get more Kleenex.
Hip-Hop Pusha-T and Malice, aka Clipse, were joined by Pharrell Williams and a gospel backing group in black robes. The three singers performed “So Far Ahead” from “Let God Sort Them Out,” which earned the group five nominations: album of the year, best rap album, best rap performance, best music video, and best rap song.
Redondo Beach environmentalists this week celebrated the opening of a white seabass grow-out pen that’s set to help the fish grow healthily in a safe habitat before being released into the ocean.
City officials and environmentalists gathered this week to cut ribbon on the grow out pen and celebrate the official opening and its anticipated progress.
A new white seabass grow out pen just opened on the Redondo Beach harbor on Jan. 26, 2026 that’s set to help the threatened fish grow healthily in a safe habitat before being released into the ocean. (photo from Mark Hansen)
The grow-out, at the Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol Dock, will reinvigorate local efforts to raise this threatened fish population, Mayor Jim Light has said.
Local coastal builder Clark McNulty dropped the first batch of seabass, nearly 1,500 fish, into the pen on Nov. 20. McNulty’s Coastal Construction Group brought the latest project to life when crews installed the grow out pen that month.
The seabass are raised at grow out facilities until they grow to eight to 10 inches long, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, then released into the harbor.
The process, Light said, gives the fish a much greater chance of survival. It has helped white seabass polulation recover since its steady decline in the 1990s, he added.
A new white seabass grow out pen just opened on the Redondo Beach harbor on Jan. 26, 2026 that’s set to help the threatened fish grow healthily in a safe habitat before being released into the ocean. (photo from Mark Hansen)
Fully grown white seabass can reach more than four feet long, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The process of the hatchery program starts in Carlsbad, per the department, where juvenile white seabass grow to four inches before being sent to one of the 13 grow out facilities throughout the region, including the Redondo Beach grow out site.
The fish are held at the grow-out facilities until they are ready for release, typically at around 8 to 10 inches in length.
Volunteers are also needed to work one hour per week to feed fish, clean the pen and remove any dead fish from the grow out facility. A weekly schedule with assigned days will be released once sign ups are filled.
A car being pursued by California Highway Patrol officers early Sunday, Jan. 25 flew off the 105 Freeway and crashed to the ground below near Los Angeles International Airport, the CHP said.
The driver’s face was bloody, and he appeared dazed after El Segundo firefighters cut him out of a Chevrolet Camaro, as seen in a video by freelance news organization OnScene.TV. The man was arrested and hospitalized.
California Highway Patrol officers arrest a man who they say led them on a pursuit early Jan. 25, 2026, before crashing off the 105 Freeway near Los Angeles International Airport. (Photo by OnScene.TV)
The pursuit began when officers attempted to pull over the car for speeding on the westbound 10 Freeway at Vincent Avenue, CHP spokeswoman Megan Curtiss said. The driver failed to stop, and the crash happened around 2:07 a.m. near N. Nash Street and Imperial Highway, she said.
A California Highway Patrol officer looks down on a crash scene after a car being pursued flew off the 105 Freeway near Los Angeles International Airport early on Jan. 25, 2026. (Photo by OnScene.TV)
The OnScene.TV footage showed a red sedan that was apparently involved in a collision at the end of the pursuit. The video also showed a gun that the CHP had seized, as well as a saw and a computer device. No details about those items were available on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission this week adopted new transparency rules requiring commissioners to publicly disclose private communications with elected officials and their staff—a move supporters say is aimed at shoring up public trust as the panel moves toward an early April deadline to reshape the city’s governing charter.
The policy, approved unanimously at the commission’s Wednesday meeting, requires commissioners to disclose ex parte communications, or off-record discussions with elected officials or their staff about matters pending before the commission. The disclosure requirement took effect immediately on Jan. 21.
Under the new rules, commissioners must disclose any such communications at the next commission meeting following the interaction, including the date and time, form, duration, participants and a summary of the charter reform topics discussed. Any off-the-record conversations that occur during a public meeting must be disclosed before adjournment. Commission staff are also directed to maintain a public log of disclosures on the commission’s website.
The vote marks the commission’s first formal step to address growing concerns that behind-the-scenes conversations could influence charter reform recommendations outside public view. But while commissioners agreed on the need to disclose their own communications, they stopped short of extending the same requirement to commission staff, postponing a separate proposal that would have broadened the rule’s reach.
Commissioner Carla Fuentes, who introduced the motions, said the disclosure framework was necessary to protect the integrity of the commission’s work and ensure transparency at a moment when public confidence is critical.
“If the public is going to trust the outcomes of our charter reform process, it has to be transparent and credible,” Fuentes said during the meeting. “To me, this is about creating guard rails that match the magnitude of what we’re doing here by strengthening accountability and ensuring that the public record reflects the conversations that may influence our deliberations.”
She noted that the commission’s action would take effect sooner than a similar ordinance approved by the City Council earlier in the week, which still requires additional procedural steps before implementation.
The City Council ordinance, introduced by Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Imelda Padilla and approved on Jan. 20, similarly requires Charter Reform Commission members to disclose ex parte communications with elected officials and their staff. However, it is not expected to take effect for at least several weeks, following a second reading and other required procedural steps. The ordinance also does not extend disclosure requirements to commission staff.
In a follow-up email to this publication Friday, Fuentes said the commission could not afford to wait for the City Council’s ordinance to take effect, citing the panel’s limited lifespan and the April 2 deadline to submit their recommendations to the City Council.
“With each meeting, we’re closer to that deadline and transparency needs to be in place now for the public to have any confidence in the remainder of our work,” she wrote.
While commissioners ultimately approved disclosure rules for themselves, divisions emerged over whether the requirement should also apply to commission staff.
Commission Chair Raymond Meza said he supported commissioner disclosure but raised concerns that extending the rule to staff could sweep in routine or procedural communications.
“It is not uncommon for an elected official’s staff person to call one of our staff and say, ‘Hey, I heard a discussion that’s been taking place in the commission — did this commissioner really mean that,’” Meza said, adding that such exchanges could trigger disclosure even when no policy advocacy was involved.
With only seven of the commission’s 12 members present Wednesday, any dissenting vote would have been enough to block the motion. Meza said he would vote against the staff disclosure provision under those circumstances, prompting Fuentes to agree to separate the two proposals and bring the staff issue back at a future meeting when more commissioners are present.
Transparency advocates welcomed the commission’s action but said gaps remain—particularly around the decision to delay staff disclosure.
Chris Carson, chair of the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles’ Government Reform Committee, speaking in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the League, said Friday that the new rules still leave significant gray areas.
She pointed to the difficulty of distinguishing between “procedural” and substantive conversations, noting that routine check-ins or requests for clarification can easily slide into discussions that influence decision-making.
“It just raises a lot of questions about what you are defining as procedural,” she said. “And when does an inquiry about what is going to happen morph into something else.”
While the new rule requires commissioners to publicly disclose off-the-record communications, enforcement relies largely on self-reporting and internal commission oversight. The policy does not include an independent enforcement mechanism, and violations would not invalidate votes or recommendations already made by the commission. However, commissioners who fail to comply could face censure or a recommendation for removal by their appointing authority.
Still, Carson said disclosure requirements can meaningfully change behavior, even when they rely on voluntary reporting, by making secrecy riskier than transparency.
Drawing on her experience helping draft California’s independent redistricting reforms, she said the state’s citizens redistricting commission adopted a strict ex parte ban — prohibiting private communications altogether — and publicly disclosing any attempted contacts.
“The cleanest and most transparent way to go is to just have a ban on ex parte communication from everybody,” Carson said. “That way, the commissioners know maybe they’re not being gamed. The public knows that the commissioners are not being gamed. And it works.”
Created in 2024 following a series of City Hall scandals, the Charter Reform Commission is tasked with reviewing Los Angeles’ charter, often described as the city’s constitution, and recommending changes to the City Council. If approved by the Council, some proposals could go before voters as early as November.
LOS ANGELES — Federal immigration authorities allowed a suspect in a $100 million jewelry heist believed to be the largest in U.S. history to deport himself to South America in December, a move that stunned and upset prosecutors who were planning to try the case and send him to prison.
Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores was one of seven people charged last year with stalking an armored truck to a rural freeway rest stop north of Los Angeles and stealing millions worth of diamonds, emeralds, gold, rubies and designer watches in 2022.
Flores faced up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Flores in late December after he requested voluntary departure, prosecutors said in court filings.
ICE did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Flores’ attorney, John D. Robertson, motioned to dismiss the indictment against his client, asking for the charges to be permanently dropped and the case closed.
Federal prosecutors oppose the motion and say they still hope to bring Flores to trial, asking for charges to be dropped “without prejudice” to keep the door open for criminal prosecution in the future.
Despite Flores being a lawful permanent resident and released on bail, he was taken into ICE custody in September, according to court filings from his defense attorneys. Federal prosecutors say they were unaware Flores had an immigration detainer.
This was a violation of his criminal prosecution rights and warrants his case getting dismissed, Robertson said in his motion.
Flores opted for deportation to Chile during a Dec. 16 immigration hearing, according to court documents. The judge denied his voluntary departure application but issued a final order of removal, and he was sent to Ecuador.
“Prosecutors are supposed to allow the civil immigration process to play out independently while criminal charges are pending,” federal prosecutors wrote in their motion opposing the case dismissal. “That is exactly what they did in this case — unwittingly to defendant’s benefit in that he will now avoid trial, and any potential conviction and sentence, unless and until he returns to the United States.”
What happened to Flores is extremely unusual, especially in a case of this significance, former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson said.
Ordinarily, if a criminal defendant had immigration proceedings against them — which is common — immigration officials would inform prosecutors what was happening. In minor cases, a defendant can sometimes choose to self-deport in lieu of prosecution.
“It’s just beyond me how they would deport him without the prosecutors … being in on the conversation,” Levenson said. “This really was the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing.”
The infamous jewelry heist unfolded in July 2022 after the suspects scouted the Brink’s tractor-trailer leaving an international jewelry show near San Francisco with dozens of bags of jewels, according to the indictment. While the victims reported more than $100 million in losses, Brink’s said the stolen items were worth less than $10 million.
A lawsuit filed by the Brink’s security company said one of the drivers was asleep inside the big rig and the other was getting food inside the rest stop when the thieves broke in.
As Los Angeles’ Charter Reform Commission moves toward recommendations that could reshape City Hall for decades — from City Council expansion to changes in financial oversight — a growing dispute over transparency is raising concerns that some elected officials may be privately influencing the process outside of public view.
The debate has sparked a motion by Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Imelda Padilla, supported by civic transparency groups, that would require members of the Charter Reform Commission to disclose ex parte communications, or private discussions with elected officials or their staff that occur outside of public meetings.
Supporters say the safeguard is necessary as the commission, formed in 2024 after a series of City Hall scandals, prepares to submit its recommendations to the City Council by April 2, a step that could put major governance changes before voters as soon as November.
Rodriguez said she is concerned that key ideas are being developed through informal, undisclosed conversations, limiting meaningful public input before the commission’s work reaches the City Council.
“Voters are going to have items to consider without a fully vetted proposal, and that’s really problematic,” she said in an interview Thursday. “ Potentially it could do more harm than good for our city.”
She also argued that the commission’s structure heightens those concerns. With a majority of commissioners appointed by Mayor Karen Bass and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Rodriguez said the process risks being driven by “the will of two or three people,” rather than the public.
“There has been a lot of behind-closed-doors [discussion] with commissioners and elected officials,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of policy suggestions haven’t come forward in a formal manner.”
Padilla, who co-authored the motion with Rodriguez, said the proposal is aimed at strengthening public confidence in the commission’s work as it approaches major decisions.
“Independence and transparency can and should go hand in hand,” Padilla said in a statement Friday. “When proposals have the potential to alter the structure and function of our local government, there must be confidence they are being developed openly, not through informal or undisclosed conversations.”
Rodriguez also criticized the pace at which her ex parte disclosure motion has moved. Introduced in August, the measure was referred to the Council’s Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, where it remained for several months before being approved in December, but was not immediately scheduled for a full City Council vote.
With the commission facing an early April deadline to submit its recommendations, Rodriguez said the delay has narrowed the window for public debate.
“Without ex parte communications, which is a motion that I introduced over five months ago that Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the president of the Council, has sat on and refused to advance—[it hides] the disclosures of what communications are actively happening with elected officials and commissioners,” Rodriguez said. “What it does is it just exposes the lack of transparency that they’re operating here, and that’s a big problem.”
Rodriguez publicly raised those concerns during a Jan. 9 City Council meeting, accusing council leadership of allowing key policy discussions to languish without action.
Harris-Dawson chairs the Rules Committee and, as Council president, plays a central role in setting the City Council agenda, giving his office influence over when motions are heard in committee and when they advance to a full Council vote.
He did not respond to requests for comment. The motion appeared on next Tuesday’s City Council agenda, Jan. 20, as Item 33 on Friday.
The dispute has drawn a response from the Charter Reform Commission itself, whose chair pushed back on the idea that the body is operating without safeguards or public oversight.
Charter Reform Commission Chair Raymond Meza said the body is already subject to multiple layers of oversight and transparency, and that it operates under rules set not by the commission itself, but by the City Council.
“This commission was created by ordinance of the City Council and whatever rules the City Council puts in place, this commission will abide by,” Meza said.
Meza pointed to several existing safeguards he said prevent decisions from being made outside public view. The commission, he said, is bound by the Brown Act and the California Public Records Act, meaning deliberations and votes must occur publicly and records can be requested like those of any other city body.
He also noted that any formal recommendation requires seven votes from the full 13-member commission — not just a majority of those present — a threshold he said makes it difficult to advance proposals without broad agreement.
“You can’t spring things on people,” he said.
While commissioners may speak informally with members of the public, advocacy groups, department heads or elected officials, Meza said those conversations cannot lead to action unless proposals are introduced as motions, debated publicly and approved by seven of the commission’s 13 members.
Meza, a mayoral appointee, also rejected the notion that the commission is controlled by elected officials through appointments.
Under the structure approved by city leaders in 2024, he said, the mayor appoints four commissioners, the City Council president appoints two and the president pro tempore appoints two more. Those eight commissioners then selected five additional members through an open application process — a structure he described as unusual among city commissions and intended to promote independence.
Meza also said ex parte disclosure requirements are not standard across city commissions. Only Los Angeles’ Independent Redistricting Commission currently has such a rule, he said, and unlike that body, the Charter Reform Commission does not send proposals directly to voters.
“No council member put forward any amendments when this commission was created to put ex parte requirements or to change who appointed the commissioners,” Meza said, adding that many of the same council members who approved those rules are still on the Council today.
Supporters of the disclosure proposal, however, argue that the Charter Reform Commission — often described as the city’s constitution-writing body — warrants a higher standard of transparency, given the scope and permanence of the changes under consideration.
The League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles said ex parte disclosure rules are critical to maintaining public confidence in the charter process, particularly as the commission moves toward final recommendations.
“The charter is our constitution,” said Chris Carson, chair of the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles’ Government Reform Committee. “And the public has a right to know what is being done to influence the commission’s work behind closed doors.”
League officials said existing open-meeting laws do not replace disclosure rules that reveal how ideas take shape before they reach a public vote.
“We firmly believe that the best safeguard, the only real safeguard, is a ban on ex parte communications—private communications between an elected official and a member of that commission,” Carson said.
Others who have followed the commission’s work say the effects of those gaps in disclosure are already visible in how proposals take shape.
Asked what she believes is at stake in the Charter Reform Commission process, Jamie York did not hesitate.
“The future of the city,” said York, president of the Reseda Neighborhood Council.
She said the Commission’s work goes to the core of how Los Angeles governs itself — and whether it is willing to confront politically difficult issues in a meaningful way.
“It’s asking the questions about what kind of city we want to be, what kind of changes do we think that we need to have,” York said. “And contending with if this Commission is willing to do that work, and then be willing to ask the hard questions and address the tough topics.”
York said she has grown increasingly frustrated with what she described as a staff-driven process that, in her view, has limited transparency and public trust.
“There are two tracks for how things work in this city,” she said. “There’s the public process, and there’s the private process. And the private process tends to be what dominates the city. But the charter should be about what’s good for Angelenos, not about what’s good for politicians. So the entire process should be public.”
York said her Neighborhood Council submitted a community impact statement supporting the motion with amendments, urging that ex parte disclosure requirements apply to city staff as well as elected officials.
Supporters of the disclosure proposal have also pointed to recent commission debates involving City Controller Kenneth Mejia as an example of why transparency concerns have intensified.
On Jan. 10, Commissioner Martin Schlageter — an appointee of Harris-Dawson — introduced a proposal that would significantly restructure the city’s financial oversight system.
The plan would convert the City Administrative Officer into a chief financial officer role and transfer certain financial and administrative functions now handled by the independently elected City Controller.
After widespread public opposition at the meeting, commissioners agreed to advance portions of the proposal while continuing discussion of other elements in committee.
The dispute comes as the Charter Reform Commission approaches the final stretch of a process born out of City Hall’s own credibility crisis.
The Charter Reform Commission was created in 2024 in response to multiple City Hall scandals, including the leak of racist audio recordings involving former City Council President Nury Martinez. Tasked with reviewing the city’s governing document — often described as Los Angeles’ constitution — the commission is examining changes that could permanently alter how power is distributed at City Hall.
Under the current schedule, the commission is expected to submit its recommendations to the City Council by April. The council will then decide which proposals, if any, advance to the ballot — a step critics say further heightens the need for transparency at the commission level.
Among the ideas under consideration are proposals to expand the City Council, adopt ranked-choice voting for city elections, set standards for removing elected officials indicted on criminal charges, and allow the mayor to submit a two-year budget instead of the current annual cycle.
A spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass said the mayor’s office was preparing a response, but a statement was not provided by publication time Friday evening.
It is the gastronomic equivalent of a Taylor Swift residency at the Forum — exclusive, impossibly expensive and the most sought-after ticket in town.
Copenhagen’s renowned Noma, a restaurant that has claimed the title of “Best in the World” five times over along with three Michelin sparklers to boot, is officially landing in Los Angeles this March for a 16-week residency in Silver Lake. But as the countdown to the Jan. 26 booking release begins, a different kind of conversation simmers beneath the surface of the hype.
The price tag? A stratospheric $1,500 per guest.
While that figure includes beverage pairings, service and tax, it remains an eye-popping entry fee even for a city accustomed to paying $400 for omakase. Yet the demand at such a seemingly unreal price is undeniably real: More than 20,000 people have already reportedly chucked their hats in the ring (subscribing to newsletters and setting notifications) all hoping to secure one of the 42 nightly seats from March 11 through June 26, with midday seatings on Wednesday and Fridays.
Is this pop-up the ultimate celebration of California’s famed fruitful bounty, or is it a clumsy arrival at the worst possible time?
The ‘creative playground’
Rene Redzepi, chef and co-owner of the acclaimed Danish restaurant Noma, is coming to Los Angeles for a residency in Silver Lake that will charge diners $1,500 each for dinner. (Photo by Thibault Savary/AFP via Getty Images)
For Rene Redzepi, Noma’s visionary chef, the move to Los Angeles has been years in the making. In a statement explaining his choice, the Danish chef painted a romantic picture of California’s biggest city:
“There are melting pots, and then there is LA. It’s an epicenter of culture, art, and entertainment, with one of the most interesting and dynamic food scenes in the world. In one place, we can learn about ingredients from communities all over the world … Coming to LA as a team means we get to enter a new creative playground. There is a sense of possibility, of going into the unknown, with the hope of experiencing the power and creativity that come from collaboration across crafts, perspectives, and disciplines in even deeper ways than we have before. We’re going to LA to cook, to create and to see what’s possible.”
The California iteration of Noma will be “exploring everything within a 300 miles radius of LA” and build its test kitchen pantry “completely from scratch with hundreds of flavors developed on the ground.”
Jenn Tanaka, a food and travel writer who met Redzepi during a previous visit to the culinary bookstore Now Serving in Chinatown, recalled how the chef’s executive team was enchanted by the local landscape.
“He was so impressed that Southern California had all of these diverse communities,” said Tanaka, a contributor to Eater LA and Southern California News Group publications. “There’s a Chinatown, there’s a Koreatown, there’s a Little Tokyo. There’s amazing Armenian food in Glendale, and the Persian food he found on the Westside. Just the ingredients of California-grown produce blew them away.”
The price of a memory
From a chef’s perspective, the $1,500, while high, isn’t only about the food on the plate. Zach Scherer, co-chef and co-founder of Darkroom in Santa Ana, views the residency through the lens of artistry.
“It’s a tricky one for me because Rene is a hero of the industry and has done so much to really spotlight locality,” said Scherer, wondering, “The price is insane, don’t get me wrong, but it may be worth it?”
The noted chef, whose own eatery has earnedplauditsgalore over the last two years, compares the experience to a high-stakes concert. “Think of it this way: If you could see your favorite band in a small-capacity venue, play a show you thought they’d never play, how much would you pay? The $1,500 isn’t for food on the plate; it’s for a memory you may never get to have again.”
Similarly lauded spots, for example, like the French Laundry in Yountville, cost roughly anywhere from $900 to over $1,200 per person with beverage pairings.
Noma has attempted to bridge the accessibility gap by offering an “Industry Table” (i.e., free reservations for young hospitality professionals under 25) and pledging 1% of revenue to school lunch programs via the nonprofit MAD and Brigaid.
But for some, the math still doesn’t add up. Anne Marie Panoringan, Culture OC food writer, notes that even for seasoned gastronomes, the value proposition feels off. “We got the update to register, but decided at the last minute that it’s wasted on us,” said Panoringan. “[My husband] and I don’t drink enough wine. And it’s roughly the same price per guest as 21 Royal,” an $18,000 multi-course feast high above Disneyland’s New Orleans Square that comes with a park hopper, valet and a stone’s throw from Pirates of the Caribbean.
A city with PTSD
Not everyone is ready to give the Danish team a standing ovation. For Mona Holmes, James Beard Award-nominated editor of Eater LA, the optics of a 16-week, $1,500-per-head pop-up feels jarringly out of step with reality on the ground.
“The response is fairly negative,” said Holmes, when asked about the reaction to Noma’s residency, pointing to the feedback on social media. “I haven’t seen a single person be enthusiastic about Noma. The response, and I happen to agree with this, is that it’s remarkably tone-deaf.”
Indeed, the bulk of comments on Eater’s social media aren’t overwhelmingly positive on the upcoming pop-up, ranging from “Ugh” to “If you book Vespertine, Providence, N/naka and Kato all in the same night, it still comes out less expensive.”
Holmes points to a city still reeling from a series of body blows: the aftermath of horrific and fatal wildfires, the strikes that decimated the local economy, a restaurant industry struggling to survive post-pandemic malaise and skyrocketing costs, and ICE raids creating rampant fear and chaos.
“To come in and charge $1,500 feels remarkably tone-deaf and not particularly a part of Rene Redzepi’s principles around sustainability,” she said. “What are you contributing? I don’t really see what that is yet, and I think a lot of people are really [ticked] off. The majority of people here cannot afford it. So, why the hell are you coming?”
Holmes also questions the choice of Silver Lake, a Los Angeles neighborhood she suggests is in a state of flux. “Silver Lake … certainly doesn’t have the same status that it used to, especially on the main drag. A lot of restaurants have closed and haven’t reopened. Bar Moruno, which was a really great restaurant I loved, closed more than two years ago.” (For now, the exact Silver Lake location remains under wraps; the address and directions will be sent to guests once bookings are confirmed.)
For Holmes and many Angelenos, the arrival of Noma feels like an outsider misreading the room. “Right now, I’m sitting in my car looking at the mountains above Altadena and Pasadena, and they are still scorched from the Eaton fire,” she said. “You can see the burn scars. For someone to come in and try to make an impression on a population that is very much in a state of PTSD, I can’t imagine that this is going to go well. I really believe there will be protesters.”
Tanaka shares the same sentiment, noting the disconnect between city denizens and Redzepi’s ostensible ideology. “It’s frustrating because the communities here that he’s celebrating, like Koreatown or Little Ethiopia, might not be the type of diners that are going to be able to afford Noma.”
With the approach of Jan. 26 — the day when the Noma-fied lucky few learn their fate — the tens of thousands of names on the waitlist prove there’s no shortage of people willing to pay for a rarified memory. But as the literal smoke clears from the torched hillsides, the question remains whether Los Angeles really needs a $1,500 “creative playground” or a visitor who sees the scars beneath its fertile surface.
Three people, including a minor, were shot and killed in Lakewood on Thursday morning, Jan. 15, authorities said.
Deputies and Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel responded at about 7:55 a.m. to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 5800 block of Lorelei Avenue, near South Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
A man, a woman and a girl were found with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene. Their ages and identities were not immediately released.
A Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths. However, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said crews were dispatched after receiving a report of a gunshot victim at the location.
The investigation is ongoing, and no additional information was immediately available.
The Sheriff’s Department asked anyone with information about the case to call its Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
Airbnb announced a partnership with the nonprofit 211 LA on Tuesday aimed at streamlining efforts to provide emergency housing to people displaced by disasters in Los Angeles County, such as the wildfires that ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
The nonprofit 211 LA works with the county and other agencies to provide residents with referrals to available services in a variety of areas. The partnership announced Tuesday pairs that organization with Airbnb.org, a nonprofit founded by Airbnb to provide emergency housing during emergencies.
“Families deserve stability in the hardest moments of their lives,” Christoph Gorder, executive director of Airbnb.org, said in a statement. “Partnering with 211 LA allows us to mobilize quickly, work hand-in-hand with local responders, and help give more people a free, comfortable place to stay when they need it most.”
According to the nonprofits, the partnership boosts coordination and will enable “faster activation during the most critical early days of a disaster response.”
Under the pact, 211 LA will lead efforts to identify people in need of emergency housing, while Airbnb.org will link those people with free places to stay. Airbnb.org also committed $100,000 in housing credit to allow 211 LA to provide free emergency housing to those in need throughout 2026.
“During the wildfires, Airbnb.org’s flexible, family-friendly housing options made a real difference for displaced families, children, and even pets,” Maribel Marin, executive director of 211 LA, said in a statement. “By formalizing this partnership, we’re ensuring that our community can access practical, responsive support even faster during future emergencies.”
Even more than one year after her Eliot Arts Magnet classroom was destroyed in the Eaton fire, Mary Herrera nearly daily goes through a mini-emotional rollercoaster.
She’ll remember a folder filled with letters that her students have written her in her 20 years of teaching. And then she realizes she left that at Eliot.
“Every day, you still notice new things that you have lost or didn’t know you had left at work,” Herrera said.
Her place of work for the last three years was consumed by the catastrophic blaze.
The Eliot Art Magnet School auditorium along Lake Avenue in Altadena on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Since Jan. 7, 2025, Eliot has been housed at McKinley School in Pasadena and will be for the foreseeable future. Eliot and the handful of other campuses relocated due to the fire remain displaced from their home sites.
Herrera said she and her colleagues have experienced the last year in stages of acceptance. The first four months teachers grappled with the reality that their school and all their stuff was gone. The following few months the realization that this would be her classroom for awhile, but still a hesitance to fully settle in.
“Honestly, in the last month it has felt like a whole new realization that this is where we’re going to be,” Herrera said. “I’m going to teach here at this school for the next, what, five years at a minimum.”
Eliot teachers described their students as being crammed into a small number of classrooms and separate from the McKinley campus. Teachers shared the frustration over a lack of support from the Pasadena Unified School District when their new McKinley home is across the street from the PUSD central office.
Teachers said they’ve relied on community donations and Amazon wish lists to fill in the supply gap left by what some feel is a lack of district support.
“I don’t know how they can treat people who have had everything taken from them like that,” Herrera said.
Eliot teachers and staff have been waiting months to use portable rooms being installed at McKinley. The promises of when they would be usable started in the months following the fire and continue today and they are not ready.
McKinley officials could not be reached for comment.
Bungalows are being built for Eliot Arts Magnet at McKinley School in Pasadena where they have temporarily relocated to after their school was damaged in the Eaton fire. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
PUSD officials did not respond with an estimated time when teachers could move in. They did confirm that all schools that were displaced by the fire have not returned to their original campuses.
The district suffered damage or complete loss to five of its nine elementary and middle schools, all in Altadena. Eliot moved to McKinley, Aveson School of Leaders moved from its Noyes Elementary School campus to the Cleveland campus, Odyssey Charter South moved from the Edison Campus to the Arts Center and Rosebud Academy moved from Loma Alta Elementary School to Don Benito.
Mandi Holmes, a parent at Aveson, said students continue to be using combined classrooms at their relocated site.
“We have no idea what is happening with our campus or any plans PUSD has for us, if any,” Holmes said in an email.
Eliot Arts Magnet middle school at 2184 Lake Ave, Altadena has debris removed on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
During its debris removal operation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prioritized PUSD campuses and removed more than 174 tons of debris from campuses. Eliot represented one of the final debris removal projects the Corps of Engineers completed in Altadena.
While those campuses were destroyed in the fire, Altadena Arts Magnet did not suffer fire damage, but its students have been relocated to Allendale due to Altadena Arts’ proximity to the destroyed properties.
It was a year of upheaval for PUSD students at school and at home. According to the district, nearly 75% of PUSD’s 14,000 students evacuated during the fire and almost half of the district’s employees.
In addition, more than 980 families and 120 employees lost their homes in the fire.
District spokesperson Hilda Ramirez Horvath said the Board of Education adopted a resolution to rebuild Eliot and that the other impacted campuses will be part of the Superintendent’s Facilities Advisory Committee, which launches this year.
According to the district, the committee will provide, “coordinated, transparent and strategic oversight of the district’s long-range facilities planning and bond programs.”
“The Eaton Fire destroyed or significantly damaged five of our district sites, and it is vital that we align our bond and facilities planning to this new reality,” Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement. “This council ensures that every decision we make moving forward is transparent, data-driven, fiscally responsible, and aligned with our mission and community values.”
Herrera lost her home in the fire along with about a third of her students a handful of her Eliot colleagues
Despite the relocation and subsequent hurdles of the past year Herrera said Eliot students have continued to push forward and stayed positive throughout.
“I think we’re building a really special place and it would be so nice if the district let us know that they thought we were special, too,” Herrera said.
In addition to being a PUSD teacher on and off for about 15 years, Herrera is also a PUSD parent. Her daughter attends Altadena Arts Magnet, whose campus survived the fire but whose students have been relocated to the vacant Allendale campus due to the need for smoke remediation at Altadena Arts.
Herrera said Altadena Arts students have limited a play area space and lack basic playground equipment like a swing set or monkey bars.
“Loma Alta Park, they rebuilt their whole park and had a grand opening,” Herrera said. “People are there as we speak playing on it right now, and this district could not get a swing set put in?”
There was none of the strong winds that whipped embers into hungry flames at the place where the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center once stood. But on Tuesday night, on the eve of Jan. 7, about 400 people gathered under big white tent on North Altadena Drive, the first time the synagogue’s congregants have been together at the site.
“Tonight is our time to grieve for the loss we endured one year ago,” the temple’s Rabbi Joshua Ratner said. “This space is for all of us to mourn together, pay tribute to those we lost, and acknowledge the depth of our sorrow.”
Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center Rabbi Joshua Ratner speaks during a commemoration ceremony at the site of the temple which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Lanterns made by children from the Louis B. Silver Religious School sit outside a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Members of the Louis B. Silver Religious School carry lanterns to a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center Rabbi Joshua Ratner, bottom right, speaks alongside Cantor Ruth Berman Harris during a commemoration ceremony at the site of the temple which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Community members gathered with officials and faith leaders for a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Taylor Berke, 10, bottom left, wraps an arm around Noah Sandoval, 10, as they attend a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Children from the Louis B. Silver Religious School carry lanterns to a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Community members gathered with officials and faith leaders for a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Children from the Louis B. Silver Religious School carry lanterns to a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Heather Sandoval Feng, 42, of Altadena, attends a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Rabbi Ed Feinstein, center, speaks during a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger speaks during a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Vicky Balmot, 72, of Arcadia, right, attends a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center Rabbi Joshua Ratner speaks during a commemoration ceremony at the site of the temple which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Luca Shulman, 12, left, of Pasadena, wraps an arm around Connor Richardson, 10, of Arcadia as they attend a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
The empty lot where the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center stood before it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Noah Sandoval, 10, helps carry a lantern into a commemoration ceremony at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
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Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center Rabbi Joshua Ratner speaks during a commemoration ceremony at the site of the temple which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Ratner, who began his tenure at the temple in July, invited his congregation to rededicate the hallowed ground of their longtime sanctuary in many ways, including collecting colored stones to place at a Tree of Life, collecting testimonials of memories from the old campus, and having congregants grow trees that they can later replant when the synagogue and campus is rebuilt in three to four years.
The communal memorial gathering marks the one-year anniversary of the Eaton fire, which burned thousands of homes and killed at least 19 people.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who received an award at the event, acknowledged the next day’s anniversary will be a difficult one for her, even as she thanked the Jewish community for making her a better leader.
“Tonight, I look at this as a time of hope, of what can be done when we work together,” she said.
Mournful Kaddish were sung to tally the losses: the synagogue and campus, including the B’nai Simcha Community Preschool, which served 400 families, and the original building, which was constructed in 1941. About 15 member families lost their homes in the blaze, and many remain displaced.
“Many people haven’t even been able to handle driving by before tonight,” Melissa Levy, executive director of the temple, said of the temple’s 430 member units, which include individuals or families. The sacred space they knew looks different now, she added, but they can look at it as a clean slate.
Without its buildings, congregants celebrated Shabbat at donated spaces, such as Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, before renting offices at First United Methodist Church in Pasadena. The preschool has found new quarters at Frostig School down the street from their original site. Jewish holidays were celebrated in members’ homes or rented locations such as Caltech in Pasadena.
Cantor Ruth Berman Harris, her husband and a team of temple members saved the temple’s 13 Torah scrolls the night the blaze exploded. The Torah scrolls are now safely in the keeping of the Huntington Library in San Marino.
According to the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, between 45,000 and 59,000 Jewish households were affected bv the fires, or a total of about 147,000 people. The federation raised just over $9 million for its Wildfire Crisis Relief Fund, with about 70% of that total coming from out of state donors.
Theresa Brekan of Pasadena, is the operations manager for the temple. Her job now includes juggling two sites and any rentals they need for events and programs. Returning to the cleared lot of the temple for the first time since the fires, Brekan said she got chills.
“There were so many memories in this place, and I can still feel the love,” she said.
Santa Anita horse racing was canceled again Sunday as a rainy period in Southern California stretched to nearly two weeks.
The track in Arcadia had also called off racing Saturday. It’s scheduled to resume Thursday, the first of two Thursday cards added to make up for rainouts.
The announcement by Santa Anita management came shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday. As of 8:30, Los Alamitos hadn’t yet announced if its Sunday night quarter-horse and thoroughbred races would go ahead after Saturday’s were canceled.
Santa Anita’s winter-spring season was supposed to begin Dec. 26, but opening day was postponed to Dec. 28 after accurate forecasts of four days of wet weather starting Dec. 23. Racing also was rained out Dec. 31 — a scheduled makeup day — and Jan. 1 and 3. The track had planned to have seven days of racing by now but has been able to have only three.
It’s the most rainouts at Santa Anita in a short period since California began routinely canceling or postponing racing in wet weather after a spike in the number of horse deaths at the Los Angeles area’s largest track in early 2019 coincided with an extended period of rain. There was a similar period of rainouts in January 2023, a year Santa Anita ended up running four fewer days than scheduled during its season.
As of Sunday morning, AccuWeather’s forecast early Sunday for the Arcadia area called for a higher than 50% chance of rain in the morning hours, worsening to higher than 80% from 1 to 3 p.m. Santa Anita’s nine-race card, including the Las Flores Stakes, a Grade III sprint for fillies and mares, was scheduled to begin at noon.
After showers Monday, no rain is predicted for an extended period.
“We are grateful for the support of our stakeholders these last two weeks,” Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby said in Sunday’s announcement. “It hasn’t been easy, but the safety of the horses will always come first. We’re looking forward to building on the strong momentum from our first few days and getting back to business.”
The postponed opening day ended up drawing a crowd of 41,962, biggest since 2016 for a Santa Anita opener.
The nine races scheduled to start Thursday at noon include two stakes on turf, the Grade III Robert J. Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares and the Eddie Logan Stakes for 3-year-olds, both of which were originally scheduled for Dec. 28.
