The Brief

The city of Carson in the South Bay will be taking its place on the world stage in 2026 as one of the practice session sites for the FIFA World Cup.

Top teams from across the globe will be training at Dignity Health Sports Park, the home of the L.A. Galaxy soccer team, which is expected to draw huge crowds.

But there’s one thing the city is lacking — reliable broadband.

While there are some areas with good coverage, other areas are spotty. At just 19 square miles, one might assume that 100% coverage shouldn’t be a problem. But Gary Carter, the city’s director of IT and security, says the community has “historically been redlined as far as broadband goes.”

“There's just a few pockets of the city where our current duopoly providers [like AT&T and Spectrum] have provided service that would be standard in other areas of L.A. County,” Carter said. “But a large swath of the city is either unserved or underserved.”

He says existing providers are “not really targeting cities like Carson” for service the way they do wealthier areas because it’s not considered as profitable. The median household income for the area is $65,000. But he says residents are “hardworking folks" from "extremely diverse, low and middle-income neighborhoods” that deserve an opportunity to get connected.

To correct this, Carter is helping the city apply for $8 million in grant money, part of California’s Broadband for All project, to create its own new broadband fiber optic network. The pilot project would serve about 1,000 unserved households and 372 businesses, with City Hall, the Civic Center and Cal State Dominguez Hills serving as anchor institutions. Winners could be announced as early as June.

The city plans to complete its pilot project in about 18 months. Carter says the money would help ensure public safety during large-scale events, as well as offer an opportunity to have “something to provide to our residents who will weather hundreds of thousands of tourists coming through,” he said. “I think it’s only fair.”

A soccer game takes place at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.

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Carter previously helped the city of Santa Monica launch a publicly owned and operated fiber network. The success of the project “serves as a model” for how U.S. cities can help foster competitive broadband speeds and rates.

Affordable broadband

Carson City Manager David C. Roberts Jr. said internet access became a priority for the city during the pandemic. He said it all began when Jawane Hilton, a then-City Council member who is now mayor pro-tem, saw a young girl studying in a fast-food parking lot.

“[She was] utilizing her computer trying to connect to the Wi-Fi so she could get her schoolwork done,” he said. “And so that became a clarion for our city.”

The new pilot program hopes to offer Carson residents reliable, affordable broadband, perhaps as low as $40 per month.

For Misael Contreras, that would be a huge benefit, because she’s bracing for her internet bill to double in May.

She currently pays $40 a month thanks to a federal discount program. But that’s about to shut down, increasing her bill to nearly $80. That would be a stretch for Contreras, who lives with her family in a mobile home park near City Hall. But she says her grandson needs Wi-Fi for schoolwork and to stream entertainment. They may soon need to explore new service options.

“What I pay now seems very fair to me,” she said.

Bel-Air mobile park in Carson.

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Last-mile

The grant fund is part of California’s Broadband for All plan, a multi-billion dollar state and federal investment to expand internet access in communities with little to no access.

In a stroke of luck, the city of Carson landed right on the path of what's known as the "middle mile" — 10,000 miles of high-capacity fiber lines currently being built across the state.

The "last-mile," as it’s known, is what will connect that infrastructure to homes and businesses, and it’s money for that that Carson is applying for.

Larger companies like AT&T and Spectrum operate their own private middle-mile networks and charge whatever rates they want. But with the state’s help, cities like Carson and other community-based providers could save on construction costs and gain internet access at wholesale prices.

But advocates say that ultimately depends on who wins the grant money, which is up to the California Public Utilities Commission to decide.

$105 million has been set aside for projects in Los Angeles County. Telecom giant AT&T applied for $35 million in taxpayer dollars — and LAist recently found it plans to use part of that money to serve wealthy areas like Bel Air and the Pacific Palisades. Spectrum applied for $2.5 million to serve people in the Antelope valley.

But Carter is staying optimistic. “I believe we'll have a shot,” he said, adding that he hopes the majority of funds would be directed at projects that approach the issue in “novel ways.”

Gary Carter, Carson's director of IT and security, tries to take a call inside Carson City Hall.

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The CPUC is expected to announce the first of “one or more” additional funding rounds this summer, but the process could take years. The agency says it will award additional points to projects that commit to using the state’s new middle-mile network, as well as applicants that offer low-cost plans and other criteria.

LAist will spotlight additional project applications, including an effort to connect more residents in the rural areas of Catalina Island, in the coming weeks.

L.A. County health officials Wednesday confirmed the county's seventh measles case this year — a traveler who passed through Hollywood Burbank Airport on the morning of June 17.

They're warning people who may have come in contact with the person of possible exposure to the highly contagious virus.

What you should know: Public health officials say the infected traveler arrived on Southwest Airlines Flight 4245 Gate A4 on June 17 at the Hollywood Burbank Airport. Anyone who was at that gate between 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. may have been exposed.

Officials also noted that people who were at the Thrifty Rental Car Service on June 17 from 9:20 to 10:20 a.m. and on June 18 from 10:25 to 11:25 a.m. may have been exposed. That's located at 2627 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank.

What if I was on the flight? Public health officials say passengers sitting next to the traveler will be notified by local health departments and should monitor for symptoms. Keep in mind those symptoms could appear up to three weeks after you were exposed.

Symptoms to look out for: Common symptoms include runny nose, fever cough, or a rash. It's also important if you develop these symptoms, don't just walk into a health care center without calling ahead first.

For people exposed on June 17, the last day to monitor for symptoms is July 8. For those exposed on June 18, the last day to monitor for symptoms is July 19.

How can I protect myself?: It's important to check if you are vaccinated against the measles. As health officials noted in the news release reporting the latest case: "The most effective way to protect yourself and your family is with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine."

The Los Angeles Unified Board voted unanimously to appoint Andres Chait, a longtime district administrator, as superintendent days after his predecessor resigned.

 “This board's decision reflects the confidence in Mr. Chait's leadership, his decades of service to Los Angeles Unified, and his demonstrated ability to guide the district during this period of transition,” said board President Scott Schmerelson.

The board met privately to discuss the district’s top job three days after Alberto Carvalho resigned. Carvalho wrote in a letter that he was leaving “because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction.”

The board placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave following FBI searches of his home and district office in February and appointed Chait acting superintendent. Carvalho has not been charged with a crime and has maintained his innocence.

Who is Andres Chait?

Chait rose through the ranks from teacher to administrator at LAUSD over nearly three decades. The responsibilities of his most recent role, chief of school operations, included overseeing school safety, athletics and the district’s office of emergency management.

Chait thanked the board, the community and his family after the announcement Wednesday and reflected on his first day as a kindergarten teacher 30 years ago. “ I was probably more nervous than the kids were, but I knew then that this was a place where I could make a positive difference in the lives of students and families,” Chait said. “I've always known that there is no greater accelerator of change and opportunity than the schoolhouse, and that is still true today.”

What is the superintendent responsible for?

LAUSD is the country’s second-largest school district, employs 83,000 people and enrolls more than 400,000 students across more than 1,000 schools. Despite recent gains in student test scores, the majority of students are not proficient in reading and math skills for their grade level. The district also faces looming financial challenges from declining enrollment — which is tied to state funding — and federal investigations into programs designed to help underserved students succeed.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A former state parks superintendent who oversaw Orange County beaches was charged Wednesday with secretly filming naked male lifeguards and other workers inside the locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach. The former superintendent, Kevin Pearsall, is also accused of sending some of the images to two other men.

What charges does he face?

Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, faces five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 18 years and eight months behind bars.

Scott C. Thomas, a defense attorney representing Pearsall, declined to comment in the wake of the charges being announced by the Orange County District Attorney's office. Pearsall is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 6 and could enter a plea at that time.

Details of the investigation

In July 2025, a California State Parks officer discovered a USB stick with a hidden camera in the men's locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters. The officer contacted California Highway Patrol, which launched an investigation.

The investigation found Pearsall allegedly had recorded numerous secret videos in the locker room over an 11-month period beginning in August 2024, according to the DA's announcement. Pearsall retired from his job shortly after CHP served search warrants in the case. He turned himself in earlier this week.

State Parks reaction

Marty Greenstein, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told LAist the agency “takes these charges very seriously and has fully cooperated with law enforcement through every step of the investigation.” Greenstein declined to comment further, citing the active criminal investigation.

Making your way through South Coast Plaza — the sleek consumer cathedral in Costa Mesa, a sort of mall of malls — past Uniqlo window displays and Pop Mart blind boxes, there's a good chance you'll eventually land at Tiny's, the new casual restaurant from Chef Sang Yoon.

The burger shack-meets-Asian convenience store is the latest from Yoon, best known for Father's Office, the Los Angeles institution where he's spent two decades running one of the city's most uncompromising kitchens — no substitutions, no exceptions.

Tiny’s marks Yoon’s first venture into Orange County — a deliberately accessible entry point for a chef who has spent decades at the top of L.A.'s gastropub scene.

The concept

Tiny's is the place Yoon wanted to exist as a kid.

Inside, you're greeted by shelves stocked in the style of a konbini, the beloved Japanese convenience corner store, with cilantro-flavored Doritos from China, elote-flavored Turtle Chips from Korea and, for the purists, the requisite Japanese Kit-Kats and Pocky too.

At the counter, a friendly employee greets you beneath a letterboard menu anchored by Yoon’s signature 30-day dry-aged beef burger. Starting at $9 for a plain burger, up to $12 for the Tokyo Dog dressed in bonito flakes and furikake, there's also salt and vinegar tots, french fries, miso mac 'n' cheese and soft serve that runs from Straus vanilla to Pineapple Dole Whip, available as a swirl, cup, cone or float. That's the menu, streamlined by design.

Chef Sang Yoon's cheeseburger and Tokyo Dog at Tiny's, his new fast-casual concept inside South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa

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For Yoon, the son of Korean immigrants who grew up between two worlds, the idea of opening a burger stand with a konbini was about tapping into the happy place of his memories: after school with friends, trying out the latest snacks to hit the market to Friday nights with the entire family celebrating after a long week of grinding it out with burgers and chili fries.

"The corner burger stand is where life happened. ... What if those two of my favorite things were under one roof?" said Yoon.

Tiny the dog

Inspiration for the name Tiny’s came from a somewhat unlikely place: Yoon’s beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Yoon describes her as appearing extremely cute and friendly, but in reality, she was actually sassy and judgmental. Illustrations bearing Tiny’s "don't mess with me" vibe can be seen throughout the restaurant.

“People would rather hear this from a sassy, cute dog than me. So I decided that we should channel Tiny. And let this belong to her," Yoon said.

The food

The cheeseburger itself is simple: a thin patty topped with melted American cheese and Tiny's signature sauce — a blend of Kewpie mayo, caramelized gochujang, ssamjang and tomato — finished with pickle chips and a bed of lettuce.

What sets it apart is what you can’t see, the same 30-day dry-aged chuck Yoon has used at Father’s Office for over 25 years.

“I still don’t think there’s any product superior to that for the purpose of a hamburger,” he said.

The spread at Tiny's includes the cheeseburger, miso mac 'n' cheese, chicken nuggets, tater tots, fries and a jammy egg sando — a konbini staple in Japan.

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The nuggets ($10) had a crispy, craggy exterior finished with visible seasoning crystals, a small but deliberate touch, and came with a fresh herbaceous dipping sauce. As for the chili fries ($8), the chili itself was sufficient as an L.A.-style chili (think Tommy's), but since Lao Gan Ma chili crisp was promised in the name, I was expecting that distinctive, crunchy, fermented kick — but left wanting more of it. It felt more like a whisper than a statement.

The miso mac 'n' cheese ($6) was a highlight of the meal, especially for someone who doesn't usually order mac 'n' cheese. Fresh ridged elbow pasta with a proper chew in each bite, and salty morsels of miso folded into a tight cheese sauce had me picking up forkfuls until it was mostly gone. Consider my position reconsidered.

Encouraged, I went back and ordered a Dole Whip ($7). The electric, tangy flavor, paired with the soft creaminess, served as a suitable exclamation point for my lunch that day.

With Tiny's, Yoon has built his most personal restaurant — accessible in price, but uncompromising in intention.

Could mall food now be on a new trajectory? Perhaps we've finally transcended corn dogs at Hot Dog on a Stick and cinnamon rolls at Cinnabon.

After dining at Tiny’s, all signs point to yes.