The Brief

The Eaton Fire didn't just take the Abdus-Shakoor family's home, business and two rental properties. It also destroyed the mosque they co-founded, Masjid Al Taqwa, the first mosque in the Altadena-Pasadena area.

And in the year since the deadly and destructive fire, the family has rallied to provide a place of worship and belonging for other community members who are also trying to make sense of the loss and devastation.

“ It's just been a devastating year, never-ending process of recovery, and a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs,” said Jihad Abdus-Shakoor, whose parents were among the mosque’s early founders.

Around 30 households from the Masjid Al Taqwa community were affected by the fire: Most lost homes; one woman’s daughter was killed.

Since July, the congregation has met weekly in a space rented from the Pasadena Covenant Church. But their goal is to rebuild the mosque on its original grounds.

The need to bring the community together

Days after the fire, they brought the community together for Jummah prayers (congregational Friday prayers) at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pasadena. A few weeks later, when Ramadan began, the Abdus-Shakoor family decided to find a place of worship.

What remained of Masjid Al Taqwa, the first mosque in the Altadena-Pasadena area, after the Eaton Fire.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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Jihad Abdus-Shakoor said he wanted a break to focus on personal losses, but his father, one of the mosque’s early founders, insisted that the community needed a space for Ramadan.

 "I believe he was correct in saying this: ‘Hey look, we have got to do this for the community,’” he said. “I think he needed it also. It was good for my mother as well.”

The family found a space at New Horizon School in Pasadena to provide congregants with daily iftars and even an Eid celebration, continuing their tradition of providing gifts to the children.

" We just had to kick into gear and try to carry on in a normal way, hopefully to bring the community back and have for them ... a place to still come as a community of Masjid Al Taqwa,” said Delores Abdus-Shakoor, Jihad Abdus-Shakoor’s mother.

But, there were moments, she said, when it felt like too much.

 ”Then all of a sudden, one day I looked up and I said, ‘No, it's not too much,’” she said. “It made me think about where the Qur’an talks about how Allah will not put a burden on you greater than you have strength to bear.”

The Abdus-Shakur family: Jihad Abdus-Shakoor; his wife, Desha Dauchan; mother Delores Abdus-Shakur; and father Aaron Abdus-Shakur.

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Having the space at New Horizons School during Ramadan offered some reprieve. The community had a space to break their fast and offer communal prayers, and she could focus on dealing with the mountains of paperwork from insurance companies, the L.A. County assessor and others.

After Ramadan, they rented temporary places for Friday congregational prayers.

The need for a permanent place was apparent.

People needed a place to pray, said Kameelah Wilkerson, who is on the mosque's board of directors.

"If you look around, you see people just hanging out and talking to each other," she said. "And see my son behind me sitting and talking to the katib [imam], and that is what this space is about."

Interfaith relations after the fire 

Jihad Abdus-Shakoor and Amir Siddiqui, a board member at the mosque, took on the work of finding a “temporary, permanent place.”

This is where interfaith relations nurtured after the fires kicked in.

The representatives of Masjid Al Taqwa asked Pasadena Covenant Church, which had previously offered them a space for Ramadan.

The church was very accommodating.

“ We had two rooms,” Jihad Abdus-Shakoor said. “We opened up the wall in between and made it a connected space, bigger, and just put in new carpet.”

The church also allowed Masjid Al Taqwa to repaint the building and remove furniture so it could look and operate like a mosque. It's a spacious room, with thick, blue and gold carpeting, the kind your feet sink into.

Flyers for a Christmas friendship dinner between the Pasadena Covenant Church and Masjid Al Taqwa.

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Aaron Abdus-Shakoor, Jihad Abdus-Shakoor's father, said the response after the fire showed "one humanity."

 "It went across religions, different religions. Everyone was trying to help, and we found kindness in humanity," he said. "And it was our oneness, our kind likeness that people emphasized, not our differences."

The church, he said, welcomes the community for regular dinners for fellowship. After the final Jummah prayers of 2025, Aaron Abdus-Shakoor made an announcement to the congregation: The Pasadena Covenant Church had invited them for a belated Christmas celebration in the new year, and they had even made accommodations for halal food.

The rebuilding process  

In January 2025, I visited Masjid Al Taqwa soon after the fire. All that remained then was soot, ash and the charred skeletons of chairs in a line pointing toward Mecca.

“It was very painful to go and look at the site and see it all burn down and try to wrap our minds around that,” Delores Abdus-Shakoor said about the first time she saw the ruins.

Since then, the lot has been cleared, Jihad Abdus-Shakoor said, and mosque leaders are in talks with architects to imagine the mosque’s new iteration.

" We’re in flux on whether we're going to just be rebuilding on the one lot or we're going to be able to have the opportunity to acquire the adjacent lot to expand the mosque,” Jihad Abdus-Shakoor said.

There are also ongoing talks about whether to add other components, such as transitional housing. But, Delores Abdus-Shakoor said, before any plan can be finalized, they will gather community input.

Kameelah Williams, Kameelah Wilkerson, Kamal Wilkerson and Jihad Abdus-Shakur grew up attending Masjid Al-Taqwa.

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Soon after the fires, the greater Muslim community rallied around Masjid Al Taqwa, helping raise just under $1 million to support affected congregants and the mosque.

And Jihad Abdus-Shakoor is confident he can rely on the community again when it comes to rebuilding.

 "We're going to need more support. We're going to have to do more fundraising,” he said.

And that, he said, is true for all of Altadena.

"It's going to take a lot longer to rebuild, and it's going to take more resources, more money to bring the city back,” he said. “Hopefully, people will not forget about us and look closer into what are the actual needs in the community.”

Kameelah Williams, a longtime Masjid Al Taqwa attendee, said she can't wait to see the mosque rebuilt so the community can be continued.

" I also hope to see a space that is welcoming to all in terms of maybe creating some type of business within the masjid, maybe a coffee shop," she said. " Maybe we have a community kitchen, maybe we can do a Meals on Wheels. In my profession, I'm a funeral director, so maybe a Muslim mortuary."

Najla Henderson and her son Zavian stands next to her parents Daarina and Rashad Abdus-Samad.

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Loss of a space she grew up in

While some in the community are staying put and hoping to rebuild, others like Najla Abdus-Samad, who was born and raised in Altadena and grew up attending Masjid Al Taqwa, have had to leave Altadena.

Her new home in Los Angeles is “beautiful,” she said, but there’s nothing like Altadena. And though she has found a new place of worship and community at Islah LA in South Los Angeles, she misses Masjid Al Taqwa.

“I  was born into Masjid Al Taqwa. The women there, the people there, I've known since I was a baby,” Abdus-Samad said. “There's absolutely nothing that can replace that.”

She went from living 5 minutes from Masjid Al Taqwa to about an hour’s drive away in L.A. traffic. But she still makes the trek when she can “for my self preservation.”

Nine Democratic House members from California are demanding information about how the Trump administration is treating unaccompanied migrant children who are pregnant and in federal custody. They’ve signed a letter, along with 39 other House Democrats, to Trump officials expressing their concern that the girls are not receiving adequate medical care or access to abortion.

The letter comes in the wake of an investigation by the California and Texas Newsrooms, public media collaboratives in those states. LAist is part of The California Newsroom.

The joint investigation found that the federal government is detaining pregnant migrant girls in a single group home in South Texas. Doctors and reproductive-health experts interviewed for the investigation said prenatal care is severely limited in that region.

The letter says the detention violates federal regulations because the children are “entitled to the full range of medical care, including reproductive health care.”

Rep. Gil Cisneros, who represents the central San Gabriel Valley, says he worries that pregnant migrants who are apprehended in California will be put at risk if they’re sent to a part of Texas that is short on obstetric care. Of particularly concern: High-risk pregnancies are common among minors.

“If they were in California," he said, "they would be able to have more choices of the type of health care that they would get when it comes to reproductive health care.”

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the West San Gabriel Valley, wrote in a statement that “this administration is so intent on restricting abortion that it is using immigration detention as a tool to control these girls’ bodies.”

Mark Betancourt is a regular contributor to The California Newsroom. 

The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how the Los Angeles Unified School District responds to educators accused of sexual misconduct with students.

The department accuses the district of maintaining a policy that “automatically” reassigns teachers to other schools when they are accused of sexual misconduct with students and cites a 2024 agreement with the teachers union.

A Los Angeles Unified spokesperson wrote in a statement that it’s “not true” that staff being investigated for sexual misconduct are reassigned to other school sites.

“‘Reassignment’ typically means an employee is directed to remain at home and away from students and schools during an investigation,” the spokesperson wrote.

United Teachers Los Angeles called the DOE's accusations a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the district’s reassignment policy.

“[Employees] are not reassigned to another classroom or to any other setting where they would interact with students,” read a statement provided by the union. “This policy protects both students and staff and creates conditions for a thorough and appropriate investigation of allegations.”

What to expect from the federal investigation

The federal investigation, overseen by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, will assess whether the district’s policy violates Title IX, a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.

Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a statement that Title IX requires schools to address claims of sexual misconduct in a “timely manner.”

“It is unconscionable that the district would simply ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements to protect teachers who cause life-changing harm to their kids,” Richey wrote. “The Trump administration will always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students and restore common sense to our schools.”

The Trump administration also has recently targeted LAUSD's desegregation policy and transgender student protections.

Last year, the office failed to resolve any cases related to sexual harassment, sexual violence or racial harassment, according to a report released by Sen. Bernie Sanders in late April. Sanders is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee.

In March 2025, the Trump administration pushed to cut over half of OCR’s nearly 600 staff members, which contributed to a growing backlog of cases. Those employees were placed on administrative leave pending the result of legal challenges, and many were later brought back.

The Education Department has also withheld records related to civil rights investigations, prompting a lawsuit from investigative nonprofit newsroom ProPublica.

What does LAUSD’s policy say? 

LAUSD protocol related to employee misconduct says administrators must remove accused employees from their classroom or worksite whenever there is a risk to the safety of students or staff.

The 110-page protocol document also lists several other requirements for allegations related to sexual misconduct, including contacting law enforcement and the agencies that license teachers.

“Los Angeles Unified takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety, dignity and well-being of every student and staff member in our care.” The statement also said the district follows Title IX procedures and continuously reviews its policies, training and reporting systems.

The UTLA settlement outlines several circumstances where an employee can be reassigned, including a law enforcement investigation of misconduct, sexual harassment of a student, behavior toward a student perceived to be motivated by a sexual interest and communicating with a student for non-school-related purposes.

School employees are “mandated reporters” who must, by law, notify local law enforcement or child welfare agencies of suspected child abuse or neglect. California Attorney General Rob Bonta reminded K-12 school district leaders in late April of their legal obligation to prevent sexual misconduct and protect students.

How prevalent is sexual misconduct in California schools?

There have been few comprehensive studies of sexual misconduct in schools. A 2004 report to the Department of Education estimated 1-in-10 students experiences sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate comments to physical abuse.

A new California law requires schools to train students and staff to recognize and report misconduct and write new policies on “appropriate behavior.” It also will create a new database of educators credibly accused of abuse.

More than 1,000 lawsuits related to sexual abuse that date to the 1940s have been filed against California school districts since the enactment of a 2019 law that gave victims a three-year window to sue.

LAUSD has authorized $750 million in bonds to pay for sexual misconduct settlements related to suits stemming from the law.

The LA County Library has begun its Summer of Soccer program to bring the excitement of the North American tournament to all Angelenos.

“Soccer has a unique way of bringing people together across cultures and communities,” Skye Patrick, director of the LA County Library, said on the library website.

The program kicked off May 1 with the library system offering limited-edition Summer of Soccer library cards, emblazoned with the library logo, the outline of a soccer pitch and a ball hitting the back of a net.

The new limited-edition Summer of Soccer library cards

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The cards are available for free for anyone signing up for the first time and for $1 for people who already have an LA County Library card.

From soccer story time to making circuit boards

There’s a whole range of Summer of Soccer events at branch libraries, from May 20 to July 9.

Highlights include a soccer-themed story time for 2- to 5-year-olds at Graham Library, north of Watts at 3:30 p.m. June 4, while at 3 p.m. the same day, the A C Bilbrew Library west of Compton hosts “Makey Makey for Teens,” which will lead youth through the steps to make their own game controllers and test them on a virtual soccer field. This and other programs repeat at other branches.

All Summer of Soccer events are free and are designed to support youth and families during the summer months when school is not in session.

The LA County Library serves more than three million residents through its 86 libraries and four Cultural Resource Centers, as well as Bookmobiles and other outreach vehicles.

Last weekend, a group of about 20 people chatted and drank wine on the sidewalk outside a small but packed gallery on Wilshire Boulevard. Inside, there was a display of black-and-white photographs showing the tunnels that made the first phase of the D Line extension possible and the workers who brought the vision to life.

Now, after a decades-long history of setbacks, the first phase of the extension will open to the public on Friday.

“ I think it's going to be a critical piece of the transit infrastructure going forward in L.A. and a game changer for those in somewhat of a transit desert,” said Auguste Miller, a transit rider and volunteer with transportation advocacy group Streets for All.

Workers on the D Line extension, standing in front of a tunnel boring machine.

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Kenneth Karagozian

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The exhibition is a celebration of the workers who built the extension, said India Mandelkern, a historian and author who curated the photographs by Ken Karagozian and wrote a book about the extension called Wilshire Subway.

Jenna Durrough, a union carpenter, helped build the concrete forms that became new station platforms and stairways.

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Kenneth Karagozian

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At the 1301PE gallery, which sits just a three-minute walk away from the future Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue station, union carpenter Jenna Dorrough reflected on her time building the concrete forms that became the new station platforms and stairways.

“When you're in the midst of just being a worker and just trying to do your job, you don't realize the bigger picture, like what you're really a part of,” Dorrough said.

The extension

The D Line train currently shuttles people from Koreatown to downtown L.A., largely running parallel to the B Line. The first phase of the extension cost more than $3.5 billion and was mostly funded by a countywide sales tax.

The approximately 4 mile-long extension will add three new stops along Wilshire Boulevard through Miracle Mile until Beverly Hills, providing direct rail access to places like The Grove, Museum Row and Beverly Center.

“Angelenos and visitors alike will love the extended service from Downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills, delivering greater access to the iconic and culturally diverse communities, institutions and destinations that define the deep history along Wilshire Boulevard,” L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said in a statement.

A trip from downtown L.A. to Beverly Hills will take just over 20 minutes on the new extension, according to Metro.

Unlocking Wilshire Boulevard

Bobby Downs is the general manager of All Season Brewing, a short walk from the La Brea Avenue stop. Downs said the brewery will offer a discount to people who show their TAP cards opening weekend and is preparing a double hazy IPA in celebration. The special brew is aptly called the D.

“Having a Metro coming in from downtown is gonna be beneficial in general for the area,” Downs said, adding that he believes it should alleviate some of the concerns from patrons and locals about parking in the neighborhood.

The extension’s opening coincides with the unveiling of the L.A. County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen museum galleries, which will be accessible via the Fairfax Avenue station.

“Connection, between the past and the present and between cultures, is a major theme within our new building,” Michael Govan, the museum’s director, said in a statement. “Metro's extension in the Miracle Mile will be an incredible resource that will foster greater inclusion and connection within our region.”

Jerry Blackburn, the senior manager and director of public events for the Fine Arts Theatre, said he’s looking forward to the opening of the train, which includes a stop close to the theater on La Cienega Boulevard.

“We’re hoping it will expose more people to the theater,” Blackburn said. The theater hosts private events and 70 mm screenings, including an upcoming Tim Burton double feature this Memorial Day weekend and DC Superhero series this summer.

A vision realized in fits and starts

As Mandelkern writes in her book, early concepts for a Wilshire Boulevard train date back to the 1960s. Familiar roadblocks that face transit planning today, including lack of financing and public support, stymied the initial attempts at building the train.

Construction was set to begin in the 1980s after L.A. County voters passed a half-cent sales tax to partially fund rail projects. Then a methane gas explosion in 1985 destroyed a Ross Dress for Less store on Fairfax Avenue and injured 23 people, leading to a ban on using federal funds to do the tunneling needed for the Wilshire Boulevard subway.

Decades later, Metro asked a panel of tunneling experts to weigh in on the safety of tunneling. The panel’s analysis, published in 2005, agreed that in the 20 years that had passed, tunneling technology improved. The panel concluded that it is “possible to both safely tunnel and safely operate a subway along the Wilshire Boulevard corridor.”

L.A. County voters approved another half-cent sales tax in 2008, which provided the local funding needed to materialize the idea of a train under Wilshire Boulevard. Approximately six years later, Metro held the groundbreaking for the extension with an estimated opening in 2023. Difficult tunneling conditions and contract disputes, among other expected hurdles uncommon to large capital projects, led to some cost overruns and delays.

John Yen, the vice president of operations for Skanska, the prime contractor on the project, said his teams had to work through gluey, asphalt-like tar sands and gassy conditions underground.

“The Fairfax station is actually the first in L.A. Metro history [that] we successfully excavated this tar sand,” Yen said.

Not the end of the line

Two more extensions of the D Line will bring the train through Beverly Hills and Century City to Westwood. Those future extensions are scheduled to open before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games.

In the meantime, you can check out the exhibition by Mandelkern and Karagozian until May 14 at 1301PE.

Over the next several weeks, Metro is hosting several D Line station activations, including basket weaving and salsa classes.