The Brief

We'll be recapping what you need to know every Friday morning for the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Get more updates and analysis in the NPR Politics newsletter.

President Trump is continuing to move ahead with deportations and sweeping changes to the federal government. His administration is running into some obstacles in the courts but that hasn't stopped him from seeing just how far he can go.

Meantime, Trump's also dealing with a series of foreign-policy hotspots, while taking aim domestically at opponents.

Here are five takeaways from the week.

1. Running into the courts

Trump is testing the limits of the presidency, doing as much as possible without Congress. To this point, that's meant tackling a lot — like restructuring the federal government, laying off workers, dismantling agencies and taking over boards of once semi-independent outfits. But while Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, are eager to give Trump the reins, there is another equal branch — the judiciary.

This week saw the courts become speed bumps once again in what Trump is trying to do, from his immigration deportations, his ban on transgender military service members or his attempted termination of climate-related grants through the Environmental Protection Agency. The Trump administration is pushing back, and the president himself called for the impeachment of a judge in one of the cases. That didn't sit well with Chief Justice John Roberts, who said "impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreements concerning a judicial decision."

An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll from earlier this month found that 58% weren't confident Trump would follow court orders if they block his executive actions. And he will undoubtedly test just how far the courts will let him go with cases that presumably end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.

2. What to fight for

Democrats are not unified on how to oppose Trump (as evidenced by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's unwillingness to let the government shut down last week.) The courts are the avenue many on the left see as the best way to thwart Trump's agenda. But the right believes they have public opinion on their side on many of the issues landing in court.

As they see it: Why would Democrats be against deporting people the administration says are gang members; someone who, they say, was promoting Hamas' position on a college campus; or a doctor who allegedly had photos of a Hezbollah leader on her phone? Those on the left would argue it's not about what people are accused of, it's about adhering to court orders, regardless of what someone is accused of, an idea that's as old as the republic and John Adams defending British soldiers.

3. Waiting for Putin

Trump spoke separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hoping to get them on the same page for a ceasefire. Trump said he got a 30-day ceasefire on infrastructure agreed to, but soon after, there were more bombings, including from Russia on Ukrainian hospitals.

The two sides are still incredibly far apart. Russia, for example, wants no more re-arming of the Ukrainian military in addition to seizing four territories it doesn't have complete control over currently. The Ukrainian view — as well as many in Europe — is that Putin is stalling and likes the idea of being seen again as one of the big dogs on the international stage with a direct relationship with the United States.

So is Trump being played or will something tangible emerge? One thing is for certain, Trump's approach has broken with decades of bipartisan foreign policy, and he's upset many U.S. allies, who believe there will be consequences and Trump is unwittingly empowering China.

4. More foreign-policy challenges

The Russia-Ukraine war isn't the only high-stakes international challenge facing Trump. This week, he announced bombings of Houthis in Yemen for their attacks on commercial vessels. He also warned Iran to not help the Yemeni group and said the U.S. would "completely annihilate" the Houthis.

And that ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that the then-incoming Trump administration was so keen on taking credit for evaporated this week. Israel bombed Gaza in what was one of the deadliest single days since the war began.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Fox News on Monday night that Israel "consulted" the White House before the strikes. It raises the question of Trump's influence on the war — and what he really wants: Does he want it to end with peace between the two sides — or does he simply want Gazans to leave or be wiped out, as he's called for Gazans to be relocated and for a "riviera" to be created?

5. Trump continues to indicate he wants to go after political enemies

For all of the Trump administration's now-confirmed agency heads who said during their confirmation hearings that they would take the "political weaponization" out of government, there have certainly been a lot of moves that call those pledges into question.

Consider that, just this week, the Trump administration kicked out the South African ambassador for saying something perceived to be anti-Trump; Trump stripped the Biden children of Secret Service protection (even though Biden kept it for Trump's children) with part of the justification being that Hunter Biden had traveled to South Africa, a country whose government the Trump administration and South African-born adviser Elon Musk have accused of racism toward whites; Trump said Biden's pardons are "void" because Trump says Biden used an autopen (even though there's no rule about that), and in the same post, took aim at Jan. 6 committee members; and his administration suggested anger at Maine's governor for a terse exchange was influencing contract cancellations.

More from the past several days

Here's a day-by-day look at what happened this week as it relates to Trump and his administration (since our last post, last Friday, March 14):

Friday, March 14, 2025:

• Dr. Oz's Senate confirmation hearing to lead Medicare and Medicaid. 
• Johns Hopkins cuts 2,000 workers after USAID grant cuts. 
• Pelosi comes out against Schumer voting for the spending bill. 
• Trump takes birthright citizenship to the Supreme Court.
• Maryland federal court ruling that Trump firings are an illegal scheme. Temporary restraining order (through March 27). Holding preliminary injunction hearing March 26. Trump has appealed.
• Democrats' split is ripped open. House Democratic leaders hold a presser arguing for voting against the spending bill after Schumer said he'd vote for it. Jeffries pointedly doesn't answer if Senate Democrats need new leadership. 
• University of Michigan economic survey shows decline in confidence including among Republicans down 10 points since last month.
• U.S. and Israel reach out to African nations to take in Gazans, according to reporting by the Associated Press. (NPR has not independently verified the reporting.) 
• Trump lashes out at career prosecutors in speech at Justice Department. He is hotly critical of media outlets, says it has to be "illegal" what is said about him and that it will be "legendary" for those who expose the media. He also says Ukraine should not have picked on someone bigger than them — even though Russia started the war when it invaded three years ago.
• White House says Hamas "is privately making demands that are entirely impractical without a permanent ceasefire." Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, says Hamas is threatening a permanent ceasefire. 
• Arlington Cemetery scrubs links of Black and female veterans, later restoring some and attributing the removals to mistakes implementing the administration's anti-DEI policies.
• Dr. Rasha Alawieh, an H-1B visa holder, was not allowed to return to the U.S. after visiting family in Lebanon and was sent back. An order was issued halting her deportation as her plane sat on the tarmac, but the plane ultimately departed for reasons unclear to her family and colleagues at Brown. "They are treating her like a terrorist," said Dr. Basma Merhi, her lawyer and Brown colleague. "It is ridiculous. She is an accomplished doctor, she is treating patients, who is treated like a criminal. And she is following all the rules. She is not doing anything wrong. And her visa is valid."
• Black Medal of Honor recipient's page taken down, the URL changed to say "deimedal." 

Saturday

• A judge preemptively blocks five Venezuelans the administration alleged were members of a gang from being deported. The judge later extends the order to all alleged Tren de Aragua members.
• Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act to speed up deportations of Venezuelan gang members. The administration quickly deports many alleged members to El Salvador, in apparent contravention of the court order.
• All Voice of America and Radio Marti employees are locked out and broadcasts on the networks cease. Also severed were all contracts for the privately incorporated international broadcasters including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
• Trump announces action against Houthi rebels. 

Sunday

• Polls show Democratic favorable ratings at historic lows (CNN, NBC).
• The White House argues it didn't defy a "written order" in regards to deported alleged gang members but the judge's verbal order was: "Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States." They were deported to a notorious El Salvadoran prison.
• For his part, Trump, asked whether the administration had violated a temporary restraining order by deporting Venezuelans, Trump said, "I don't know. You'll have to speak to the lawyers. I can tell you this — these were bad people." On using the Alien Enemies Act to do so, a wartime law, he said they "invaded our country — so in that sense, it is war."
• After learning of the judge's order, the El Salvador president, Nayib Bukele posted, "Oopsie… too late." He posted a video later that showed what he said were 238 members of the Tren de Aragua gang arriving in his country and said they'd be detained for a year.
• Trump says he'll speak to Putin on Tuesday. "We're doing pretty well, I think, with Russia," he said. "We'll see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I'll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. … We want to see if we can bring that war to an end."
  

Monday

• Hearing in Boston before a federal judge unhappy with the Trump administration for defying a court order to not deport a kidney specialist, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, with a valid H-1B visa. Later in the day, Homeland Security said in a statement that Alawieh was openly supportive of a Hezbollah leader.
• Hearing on Alien Enemies Act. DOJ argues it didn't have to obey an oral order to turn planes around, because it wasn't in writing. And, they argue, that the judge didn't have jurisdiction because the planes were outside U.S. airspace. The judge argues he does because he has jurisdiction over the people. 
• Trump claims in social media post that all pardons issued by Joe Biden are void because he used an "autopen". It is not clear if Biden used a device, which would not invalidate the pardons. Trump claims pardons for those on the bipartisan congressional Jan. 6 committee are void, therefore potentially opening the door toward a justification for investigation. 
• Trump chairs meeting at Kennedy Center, says he doesn't like Hamilton and wants to improve the center structurally, says it's in "disrepair." 
• Dan Bongino begins at FBI as deputy director.
• Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer postpones his book tour citing security concerns.
• U.S. kicks out South Africa ambassador for saying there are "supremacist instincts" in the MAGA movement that led to Trump, in addition to being a reaction to demography. Rubio announces the ambassador's ouster via X. 
• Gaza ceasefire ends; Israel embarks on "extensive strikes" on same day Trump reportedly approves an Egyptian Gaza reconstruction plan. They are the largest strikes since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19. 
• Black Medal of Honor recipient's page restored. 
• Georgetown graduate student detained for alleged ties to Hamas and alleged spreading of propaganda.  
• Attorney General Pam Bondi says destroying Teslas could be classified as terrorism. 

Tuesday

• DC police usher in new head of U.S. Institute of Peace into the building after standoff with staff. 
• Judge demands more answers about deportation flights to El Salvador.
• Trump calls for judge's impeachment.
• Trump takes Secret Service protection away from Hunter and Ashley Biden, former President Biden's children.
• Some of the files related to President Kennedy's assassination are released.
• After phone call with Trump and Putin, Russia, they say, agrees to a limited 30-day ceasefire on Ukrainian energy and infrastructure. "The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure cease-fire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime cease-fire in the Black Sea, full cease-fire and permanent peace," the White House said in a statement. "These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East." The Kremlin also says there will be a prisoner swap of 175 prisoners on Wednesday. Putin says he does not want to see Ukraine's military rearmed in order to get a lasting peace.
• Judge orders that DOGE, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, reinstate USAID's functionality and says that the agency's closure likely violated the Constitution.
• Portraits of Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance are seen hanging in the Kennedy Center, breaking with past protocol.
• Vance becomes finance chair of the RNC, the first time a vice president has done so.
• Trump fires two Democrats on the Federal Trade Commission. One of them, Alvaro Bedoya, says Trump wants the FTC to be a "lapdog for his golfing buddies."
• Astronauts, stranded in space for months, touch down successfully back on Earth. 
• Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Trump's call for impeachment of judge. Trump responded saying the judge is "radical left." 
• IRS agents who investigated Hunter Biden given promotions, according to the Associated Press. NPR has not independently confirmed the reporting.
• Russia continues to hit Ukraine, including a hospital. There also were strikes by Ukraine. 
• Social Security Administration changes coming March 31. People will no longer be able to verify eligibility for benefits over the phone. It will have to be done online or in person. The Trump administration says it's to stop fraud. Critics say it may hurt people in rural areas most because of the distance to SSA offices. It also comes as SSA offices are being closed across the country because of DOGE.
• A federal judge issues a temporary injunction, halting Trump's ban on people who are transgender in the military. 

Wednesday

• Trump and Zelenskyy speak.
• Mahmoud Khalil case, a Columbia University graduate student and U.S. permanent resident detained by ICE, moving from New York to New Jersey. 
• Judge James Boasberg grants Trump administration another day to clarify the timeline of  deportation flights that went to El Salvador.
• Trump says Houthis will be "completely annihilated" in post warning Iran to stop supporting the Yemeni group. 
• Trump suspends $175 million to the University of Pennsylvania because of trans athletes policy. 
• Many of the erased images and web sites are being put back up, as agencies figure out what compliance with Trump's executive orders means, including a page with Jackie Robinson's army tenure and Navajo Code Talkers after public outcry.
• Trump considering renovations, potentially paving, the Rose Garden at the White House.
• Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., when asked by a town-hall attendee when he would call for Schumer to step aside, says: "[I]t's important for people to know when it's time to go."
• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick goes on TV and recommends Tesla stock. 

Thursday

• Trump signs executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department. "We're not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven't for a long time," Trump said. "We're going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs." Local municipalities already fund nearly all aspects of K-12 schooling. Trump also says the department's "useful functions" will be "preserved in full" but managed by other agencies, including things like Pell Grants and Title I resources for children with disabilities. 
• Judge orders Trump not to deport Georgetown postdoctoral student and visa holder. The government says he was spreading "Hamas propaganda" and has "close connections" to an advisor to Hamas. The man's wife is an American citizen and her father had been a political adviser to Hamas.
• Judge says government provided a "woefully insufficient" response to prior orders about deportation flights. He is now asking the government to explain by 10 a.m. Friday to give more details.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center have improved, but serious concerns remain, according to Rep. Robert Garcia, who represents Long Beach, and other members of Congress who visited the facility Friday.

At a news conference immediately following the visit, the representatives described unsanitary conditions in the showers and kitchen areas, food that looked inedible and inadequate access to medical care.

Improvements to water

Rep. Norma Torres of Pomona, who has visited Adelanto 25 times in an oversight capacity, said the only improvement she saw this time was that the facility installed water filtration systems in response to a July court order requiring ICE to ensure people held there have access to clean drinking water 24 hours a day.

Garcia told LAist he would leave it up to the independent monitors appointed by the court to determine if the facility was fully complying with the order. The monitor overseeing overall conditions at the facility released its first report, containing 12 recommendations for improvement, earlier this month. The federal government recently purchased the facility from the GEO Group Inc. for $950 million. GEO Group is still under contract to run day-to-day operations there.

The visit was unannounced

Garcia, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said officials at the facility kept the delegation waiting in the lobby for half an hour before starting the tour, despite a recent court order requiring the Trump administration to grant elected officials access to immigration detention facilities.

“We should have been allowed to visit immediately,” Garcia said. “That is the law.”

Garcia and other representatives said it appeared the facility had been cleaned just before the tour started. The representatives also said they were not allowed to speak with people detained at the facility because ICE officials said they were conducting a point-in-time count and people were confined to their cells.

What’s next?

The representatives said they will take recommendations back to the oversight committee and plan to continue unannounced visits to immigration detention centers, including Adelanto. Should Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in November, Garcia and other representatives said they will increase oversight of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. Attorneys representing people held at Adelanto in a class-action lawsuit have asked the court to enforce the July order requiring improvements to the facility based on the independent monitor’s first report and reports from people detained there.

In a rare move, Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia on Friday said his office issued a subpoena to Olympics organizing committee LA28, demanding it hand over documents detailing its finances, contracts and budgets for venue construction projects.

The action comes after LA28 failed to include a detailed list of its contracts in its recent budget report to the city, despite a contract requiring their disclosure.

The Games Agreement between the city and LA28 requires the committee to submit the name, type, amount, term and purpose of each contract it has entered into worth more than $1 million. It also requires the organizing committee to give updates on venue improvements, including schedules and budgets.

The controller issued a request for those details in a letter to LA28 in August, but said he turned to legal action because the organization still hasn’t satisfied its obligations. The city of Los Angeles is the financial backstop for the Games, and will be on the hook for cost overruns if LA28 doesn’t turn a profit.

“The Controller’s Office completed a review of all LA28 documents within the City’s possession and determined that the financial documents requested are either incomplete or wholly absent,” Mejia’s office wrote in a news release issued Friday.

The controller's office told LAist Friday that it worked with the city attorney on the LA28 subpoena and that it "has the full support and backing of the City Attorney’s office."

LA28 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There is precedent for city controllers issuing subpoenas, but they’re not common.

Former City Controller Ron Galperin told LAist that he only issued a subpoena while he was in office one time.

“It’s a power that controllers don’t necessarily exercise a lot, but when it’s the right time, it’s an important tool,” he said.

City officials have seen some of the documents Mejia is demanding, but only in passing. Sharon Tso, Chief Legislative Analyst and a top Games negotiator for the city, told a city council committee last month that she had seen a list of LA28's contracts in a meeting, but that the city didn't have hard copies due to concerns that public disclosure could harm negotiations sponsor deals.

After city councilmembers demanded to see the contracts, Tso and City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo requested LA28 submit its contracts. Tso told LAist in an email Friday that they were still waiting on LA28's response.

LAist has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:

• CalFire incident page
• Evacuation map
• OC Fire Authority
  

A brush fire near San Clemente spread to 465 acres Friday, burning at least four homes and prompting evacuation orders.

The Norte Fire ignited around 11:30 a.m. near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente, and was 0% contained as of 2:40 p.m., according to Cal Fire.

The fire was reportedly burning homes in the area of Avenida Calita, Via La Mirada, and Via De Agua in San Juan Capistrano, with evacuations ordered for San Juan Zones 4, 5 and 10, and San Clemente Zones 12 and 13. Television news footage showed multiple homes on fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fires have ignited across Southern California, including in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu, amid gusty winds and dry conditions. Red flag warnings are in effect through Saturday, with cooler conditions and a chance of light rain expected to take over in the next few days.

The basics

• Acreage: 465 acres as of 2:40 p.m. Friday
• Containment: 0%
• Structures destroyed: At least four homes
• Deaths: None
• Injuries: None reported
• Personnel working on fire: Multiple helicopters and water-dropping aircraft, along with ground crews
  

Evacuation map and orders

Orange County evacuation map

• SCL12
• SCL13
• SJC04
• SJC05
• SJC10

Evacuation shelters

San Juan Capistrano Community Center
25925 Camino del Avion,
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

San Clemente Community Center
100 N Calle Seville
San Clemente, CA 92672

Listen to our Big Burn podcast

Fire resources and tips

Check out LAist's wildfire recovery guide

If you have to evacuate:

• Why fire officials don't want you to stay and defend your home
• How to get packed up
• How to leave your house
• What evacuation terms mean and how to sign up for alerts

Navigating fire conditions:

• How to drive in high winds and fire danger
• How to prep for power outages
• How to navigate poor air quality

How to help yourself and others:

• Resources for fire victims, evacuees and first responders
• If you want to help fire victims, resist the urge to volunteer
• How to help find lost pets

How to start the recovery process:

• What to do — and not do — when you get home after a wildfire
• How to make an insurance claim
• How to safely clean up wildfire ash

What to do for your kids:

• How to talk to children about wildfires and losing a home
• What parents should know about wildfire air quality

Prepare for the next disaster:

• Fire season is here. Make sure you're signed up for these alerts
• Every day is now fire season. Let's get you ready for the next wildfire
• Yes, wildfires are getting worse. The history that got us to this moment

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time to honor the memory of loved ones who have died. The holiday’s most beloved traditions include building ofrendas at home or visiting cemeteries to decorate the graves of those who have departed. 

The celebration, widely observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries, also brings colorful, vibrant events to Los Angeles. On or before Nov. 1 and 2, cempasúchil-covered altars, intricately designed sugar calaveras and pan de muerto will spring up. 

We’ve rounded up a list of mostly free events on L.A.’s Eastside and downtown to celebrate the cherished cultural holiday.

Oct. 17: Día de los Muertos at El Sereno Community Arts 

El Sereno Community Arts presents its 17th annual Día de los Muertos community celebration with a day full of activities for the whole family. The event will feature free arts and culture programming, community altars, live musical performances and food from local vendors. The festival will also feature artwork and handmade catrinas made from the arts center’s community workshops. 

Oct. 17: What We Carry: East L.A. to Palestine at Tonalli Studio 

Tonalli Studio will open its Día de los Muertos exhibition and ofrenda to showcase how land, home and family are threatened today. What We Carry tells the stories of resilience across generations from the communities of East L.A. to Palestine. Guests are invited to add names, prayers or written statements to this year’s “East L.A. to Palestine” ofrenda. 

Oct. 18: Paint and Sip at Cafe Niña 

Join the beloved coffee spot for a morning decorating a miniature altar to add to your ofrenda at home.  Each ticket will include your choice of a coffee or matcha, a paint set with a miniature ofrenda and a light brunch. Tickets are limited, so be sure to grab yours through their Instagram page. 

Oct. 18: Crafting Party at Benny Boy Brewing 

Benny Boy Brewing is hosting its 4th Annual Día de los Muertos Crafting Celebration, featuring sugar skull decorating sessions. There will be an assortment of crafting materials to choose from and additional items include a clear box to display your completed sugar skull, ribbon, cempasuchil flowers and a customized tealight candle. Guests can purchase a small or large skull and get free face-painting. Please note that the event is for guests 21 and over. 

Oct. 24: Calavera LGBTQ+ Festival by Latino Equity Alliance 

The Latino Equity Alliance will celebrate its annual Calavera LGBTQ+ Festival with an evening of drag and musical performances, dancing, community resource booths and an altar. In collaboration with the Get Out the Vote Initiative, the festival will also feature a free, nonpartisan, L.A. County Mobile Voting Center located outside the venue for the public to access. 

Oct. 24 – Nov. 2: Día de los Muertos at Gloria Molina Grand Park 

For 10 days, Gloria Molina Grand Park will transform into an exhibition space honoring cultural traditions through art, community altars and remembrance. Kicking off the festivities with an opening ceremony, attendees can enjoy live musical performances from El Río, Grupo Bella, Anaís Azul, and Mariachi Arco Iris de Los Angeles. The celebration will honor indigenous roots by including a sacred processional and blessing from Ohtli Yollotl Collective. Guests can explore up to 17 unique altars from local artists and organizations on display and are encouraged to contribute to the event’s designated community altar by leaving a photo, note, or memento in remembrance of a loved one. This year’s theme is “The Power of One” and is curated by artist Consuelo G. Flores. Guests will be able to participate in family-friendly activities, including free face painting, sugar skull workshops and wellness offerings from community partners. 

Oct. 25: Family Day at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 

For an afternoon full of family-friendly activities and entertainment, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes welcomes attendees to participate in this year’s community celebration. Featuring three workshops that explore traditional practices, including painting skull masks, flower accessories and herb bundles. Food from Tamales Veracruz y Más and Sammy’s Elotes y Más will be available for purchase. This year’s celebration will feature a number of live entertainment acts, including Banda Filarmónica Los Alebrijes, Grupo Folklórico Princesa Donaji, and Los Elejidos de Asís de los Muertos. LA Plaza encourages guests to contribute to their Ofrenda Comunitaria.

Oct. 25: Las Fotos Project Community Wellness Day 

In partnership with Youth to the People, Las Fotos Project is hosting its bi-monthly community wellness day with a Día de los Muertos celebration. The event will feature family-friendly activations like art-making, including their signature vela decorating station, calavera or catrina face painting,  a community ofrenda, and a stylized portrait station. Guests can enjoy light bites and beverages and explore the free clothing swap station and community resources available, including special guest Soluna to discuss their free mental health resources. In partnership with Polo’s Pantry and Saticoy Food Hub, there will also be fresh produce available while supplies last. 

Oct. 27: Community Ofrenda at SuperNova Thrift 

Beginning Oct. 24, SuperNova Thrift invites the community to take part in the making of their Día de los Muertos altar. People are encouraged to bring a photocopy of their loved ones with their name, a letter, drawing, or memory, flowers, and small nonvaluable offerings. Participants are also welcome to join by being a helping hand in the making of the altar. The altar will be open for viewing at the storefront from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, with three special days of remembrance.

Oct. 30: 1st Street Community Block Party

The 1st Street Collective, a hub for the businesses along Boyle Heights’ 1st Street corridor, is back with its Día de Muertos Community Block Party at Mariachi Plaza. This year’s celebration will feature music, dancing, family-friendly activations and local vendors. Enjoy free face painting, live art installations, performances, a community altar and more for people of all ages. 

Nov. 1: Día de los Muertos at Plaza de la Raza 

Join Plaza de la Raza’s annual outdoor community celebration, which will include hands-on workshops, musical entertainment, art and local vendors. Attendees can join a variety of crafting workshops, from calaca puppet making to papel picado, alebrije making, and flower making with altarista Ofelia Esparza and family. Attendees can also walk through a vendor marketplace and explore the artwork and altar installations that will feature over 25 participating artists.  Live performances include members of Ozomatli, El Mariachi Manchester, Danza Divina de Los Angeles, Tiny Tots Folklorico, Plaza de La Raza Mariachi and Folklorico students, and Folkor Pasión Mexicana.  

The Boathouse Gallery will also be open for its “El Velorio” exhibit, featuring original work from over 200 local artists and curated by Superchief Gallery, Irene Hernandez and Manny Martinez. The exhibit will be on display from Oct. 10 to Nov. 7. 

Nov. 6 – 8: Every Altar Begins with a Story by Colibri Dance Theatre & Casa 0101 Theater 

This Día de Los Muertos, a contemporary theatrical dance production takes center stage at Casa 0101. Presented by the Colibri Dance Theatre, the performance will be full of stories of love, family, resilience, joy, grief, forgiveness and strength.  In this showcase, an altar comes to life as told through the eyes of CUENTOS characters “La Catrina,” “El Catrin,” “Alebrije,” and “Calacas.” Attendees can experience a night of movement, music, and poetry that honors Día de Muertos traditions and cultural practices. 

Nov. 7 : Cafecito + Little Piñata Workshop 

Join this community collaboration between Healing in Spanglish and Little Piñata Guy for a mini piñata workshop to dedicate and honor loved ones. Each attendee ticket includes coffee from Anhelo Coffee, Pan de Muerto by Repostería Aguilar, and materials to create your own mini piñata. Spend your morning remembering your loved ones and crafting with community. Tickets are limited. 

Nov. 7: Día de los Muertos at Self Help Graphics & Art 

To round out their monthlong community art workshops and events, Self Help Graphics and Art will host its 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos celebration. This year’s celebration is in partnership with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino. The communal gathering will begin with a procession at 2 p.m. at Mariachi Plaza led by Danza Azteca Chicomecoatl and will end on the corner of 1st Street and Anderson Street, outside Self Help Graphics, for the festivities. Attendees can shop through the “Muertos Market,” featuring local artists and artisans, local food vendors, Self Help Graphics prints for sale, face painting, and arts activities for all ages. The celebration will also include a main stage for live musical performances from Extra Ancestral, Chulita Vinyl Club L.A., Jimetta Rose and the Voices of Creation, La Santa Cecilia, The Red Alibi, Mendez High School Mariachi, and headliners, Los Lobos. 

Nov. 7 – 8: Floricanto’s Fiesta de Día de los Muertos

The Floricanto Center for Performing Arts and Danza Floricanto will host a Día de los Muertos-themed showcase for its 24th annual program. For one weekend only, the Center will be transformed into a cemetery, and a series of characters, including the show’s guide “La Catrina,” will lead audiences through an evening of storytelling and dance. The showcase will feature themes of love, death, mental illness, teen pregnancy and immigration. Show doors open 30 minutes before showtime.