Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., walks to the Senate chambers on Tuesday to deliver his first remarks on the Senate floor since he was forcefully removed from a DHS press conference last week.
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Anna Moneymaker
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Topline:
Sen. Alex Padilla returned to the Senate floor today to warn that the Trump administrations response to immigration protests in Los Angeles should "shock the conscience of our country."
Why now: The California Democrat emotionally described the moments that led to him being forcefully removed from a news conference last week focused on the Trump administration's response to the immigration protests in Los Angeles.
The backstory: The Department of Homeland Security initially accused Padilla of "disrespectful political theatre," charging that he did not comply with requests to back away. Secretary Noem said she and Padilla eventually spoke after the scuffle.
What Padilla said: "You've seen the video. I was pushed and pulled, struggled to maintain my balance. I was forced to the ground. First on my knees and then flat on my chest, and was handcuffed and marched down a hallway repeatedly asking, 'Why am I being detained?'" Padilla recalled. "Not once did they tell me why. I pray you never have a moment like this."
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to emotionally describe the moments that led to him being forcefully removed from a news conference last week focused on the Trump administration's response to the immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Padilla was in the same Los Angeles federal building last Thursday where Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was outlining President Trump's decision to send in National Guard troops and U.S. Marines in response to the protests. Padilla said that a meeting he had scheduled with a separate official down the hall was delayed by the Noem event, so he decided to attend.
Padilla said he asked to attend and was escorted into the press conference by FBI and National Guard officials. As he tried to question Noem, another set of officials grabbed him and removed him from the room.
"You've seen the video. I was pushed and pulled, struggled to maintain my balance. I was forced to the ground. First on my knees and then flat on my chest, and was handcuffed and marched down a hallway repeatedly asking, 'Why am I being detained?'" Padilla recalled. "Not once did they tell me why. I pray you never have a moment like this."
The Department of Homeland Security initially accused Padilla of "disrespectful political theatre," charging that he did not comply with requests to back away. Secretary Noem said she and Padilla eventually spoke after the scuffle.
In his remarks Tuesday — his first on the Senate floor since the incident — Padilla said his detainment marked a turning point in what he described as the Trump administration's "undemocratic crackdown" on protest.
"At one point," Padilla said, "the United States Secretary of Homeland Security said that the purpose of federal law enforcement and the purpose of the United States military was to, quote, liberate Los Angeles from our governor and our mayor. To somehow liberate us from the very people that we democratically elected to lead our city and our state."
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., is pushed out of the room as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a news conference regarding the recent protests in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 12.
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Etienne Laurent
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Padilla called the remark an "un-American mission statement."
He railed against President Trump's efforts to focus raids on regions led by Democratic officials, and urged his colleagues to fight back.
He took to the Senate floor surrounded by his Democratic colleagues. Several Senate Republicans, including Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and North Carolina's Thom Tillis were also in attendance.
Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, is an MIT engineering graduate who entered politics after marching with his parents for immigration rights. He was appointed to his seat in 2021 to fill the vacancy created after Kamala Harris became vice president and won election the following year. He is the first Latino to represent California in the Senate.
Over the course of his roughly 20-minute address, Padilla said his experience should "shock the conscience of our country." And he warned that if President Trump "can deploy the Marines to Los Angeles without justification, he can deploy them to your state too."
"No one will redeem America but Americans. No one is coming to save us but us," Padilla said. "And we know that the cameras are not on in every corner of the country. But if this administration is this afraid of just one senator with a question, colleagues, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans peacefully protesting can do."
Copyright 2025 NPR
Josie Huang
is a reporter and Weekend Edition host who spotlights the people and places at the heart of our region.
Published April 5, 2026 12:24 PM
Jackie and Shadow's new chicks.
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Screenshot of footage captured by Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Next Cam
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Topline:
Jackie and Shadow have two new chicks this Easter Sunday.
Details: The first eaglet arrived last night around 9:30 p.m., the second around 8:30 a.m. this morning.
Read on and look at footage of the new chicks from the nonprofit, Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Congrats to Big Bear's celebrity bald eagle couple.
Jackie and Shadow have two new chicks this Easter Sunday. Thousands of fans have been watching their eggs hatch on the popular nest livestream that made the eagles famous.
The first eaglet arrived last night around 9:30 p.m., the second followed around 8:30 a.m.
The nonprofit that runs the livestream, Friends of Big Bear Valley, says dad Shadow showed up after the second hatch and saw his two chicks for the first time.
Mom Jackie is is showing a natural behavior that’s actually a good sign. The nonprofit says she's salivating more — which helps provide electrolytes and antibodies her chicks need.
The two eggs each showed signs of a pip — or first crack — on Friday and Saturday.
The Writers Guild of America has announced a tentative four-year contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios, television networks and streaming services.
Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, longer than the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."
In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."
Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.
The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.
What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.
Topline:
The Writers Guild of America has announced a tentative four-year contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios, television networks and streaming services.
Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, as opposed to the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."
In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."
Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.
The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.
What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.
Keep up with LAist.
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A Southwest Airlines plane takes off from Burbank. Travelers are advised to arrive early.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The Hollywood Burbank Airport is advising flyers to arrive at least two hours earlier than usual because of construction slated to begin Monday and last for 60 days.
What’s closed: One lane of traffic on the southbound side of Hollywood Way near Thornton Avenue will be closed during construction. The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way will also be closed.
What’s the alternative: Officials are advising passengers to use the Empire Avenue entrance, or enter the airport westbound on Thornton Avenue.
The Hollywood Burbank Airport is advising flyers to arrive at least two hours earlier than usual for the next 60 days because of construction slated to begin Monday.
Road closures: One lane of traffic on the southbound side of Hollywood Way next to Thornton Avenue will be closed during construction. The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way between Winona Avenue and Thornton Avenue will also be closed.
When: Construction will occur Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through June 6.
Why: Airport spokesperson Mike Christensen told LAist crews are building a retaining wall as part of Hollywood Burbank's passenger terminal construction project.
Alternatives: Officials recommend passengers use the Empire Avenue entrance or take Thornton Avenue to get to the airport.
Suzanne Levy
is a senior editor on the Explore LA team, where she oversees food, LA Explained and other feature stories.
Published April 5, 2026 5:00 AM
LAist senior editor Suzanne Levy details her encounter with the iconic Joshua tree
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Mario Tama
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Courtesy Suzanne Levy
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Topline:
LAist senior editor, Suzanne Levy, who grew up in the UK, tells the story of the first time she went to Joshua Tree and experienced the desert's strange, out of the world landscape.
On seeing a Joshua Tree: "What? Wait, stop the car. There’s an actual Joshua Tree? It looks like an alien to me!"
On seeing a desert sunset: "I marveled at the gorgeousness of the sunset, the morphing colors and the vastness of the sky."
While living in L.A., I’d been hearing about this thing — “the desert.” Seemed a bit odd to someone who lived on the Westside next to the ocean, but OK, you can also see mountains from my house, so why not throw in an entire landscape food group?
A few years ago, I figured it was time to try it out, and my family and I headed to Joshua Tree for the weekend.
We began driving east and were soon in that vast no man’s land around the 10 Freeway. On one side, I could see a moving train, with all those boxcars. I was watching, entranced, waiting to see it go past. And it kept going. And going. It was like a vibrant desert serpent, wending its way through the landscape, each boxcar a different hue. It seemed so romantic, and then I thought “in each one, there’s a whole load of hanging car air fresheners, dental floss and Japanese waving cats” and suddenly the spell was broken. Ah well.
The eerie, alien Joshua Tree.
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Sean Gallup/Getty Images,
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Getty Images North America
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As we got nearer, I said “Huh, what's that weird thing that looks like an alien?” and my husband said, “Yes, that’s a Joshua Tree.”
What? Wait, stop the car. There’s an actual Joshua Tree? First, who knew, and second, that is no tree. That, sir, is a weird misshapen cactus, with multiple crooked arms reaching into the air, each with its own spiky fur muff. Kinda like one of those waving inflatable guys if they were static. (Ah, I've been in L.A. too long).
Bougie smores
The vast desert sky.
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Steve Holtzman
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Courtesy Suzanne Levy
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We finally arrived at our destination, a campsite — OK, a glamping campsite, a whole bunch of airstream trailers laid out with firepits. I knew it was bougie when I went to buy a smores kit from the shop and came back with 70% dark chocolate, artisanal graham crackers and single origin marshmallows. (I made that marshmallow one up, but it really is just a matter of time).
We made a fire, marveling at the gorgeousness of the sunset, the morphing colors and the vastness of the sky. I sat afterwards watching the flames, the cold air on my skin, under a blanket of stars. Tears pricked my eyes.
About this story
LAist Senior Editor Suzanne Levy writes about her experiences as a Brit in the U.S. in her ongoing series: American As A Second language.
In the morning we headed to Joshua Tree National Park. When we got out of the car, the vista hit me, with that bright, bright sun, strange looking rocky outcrops, and nothing but Joshua trees as far as the eye could see. I thought: I have never seen anything like this. I couldn’t have even imagined something like this. In London, if you go on a day trip, you can go back in time, say to the thatched roofs of the Cotswolds — but not to a different planet.
What an extraordinary continent this is, I think. I am awestruck by its endless, varied landscapes — the plains, the Rockies, the oceans and the forests. And there’s something particular about the desert — its simplicity, its reduction to just three or four elements, which relaxes you, chills you out.
I remember heading back to L.A. after the weekend, happy and mellow, smiling as we drove west into the setting sun. It’s a cliche, but the desert does call you back. And I hope to get back there very soon.
