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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • A train festival, 'Bring It On' anniversary & more
    A young child wears a railroad engineer's hat and neckerchief while standing near a train, pointing off camera.

    In this edition:

    A Thai food fest serves up eats on Santa Monica Pier, Union Station hosts a train extravaganza, One Man, Two Guvnors hits the stage at A Noise Within and more of the best things to do this weekend.

    Highlights:

    • Do the locomotion down to Union Station for a day of free railroad-themed fun for all ages at the Union Station Train Festival. There will be railroad equipment tours and displays, model train exhibits, interactive information booths, live entertainment and more!
    • Grab your pom poms and get ready for the cheer showdown that ended all cheer showdowns, the 2000 high school comedy Bring It On. The Kirsten Dunst classic is showing at Alamo Drafthouse for its 25th anniversary.
    • Thai food, music and cultural performances take over Santa Monica Pier at the Thai Fest by the Beach. It's free to explore, so head west and experience the delicious dishes and entertainment.

    We have a lot on the agenda this edition. First, make sure you get to the Jeffrey Gibson show at The Broad before it closes. It’s even free this weekend in celebration of the museum’s 10th anniversary! Gibson's vibrant, indigenous-inspired creations spark joy and meaning, and a special event on Saturday features a music lineup of all indigenous artists.

    Plus, French band Air performs their debut studio album Moon Safari with an orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, and Hacks and Too Much it-girl comedian Meg Stalter does her stand-up show, Prettiest Girl in America, on Saturday at the Largo.

    Explore even more available throughout LAist.com, where you can catch up on anything you missed at last weekend’s Emmy Awards, get excited for Christmas Tree Lane’s return to Altadena and find out what jazz legend Herb Alpert is doing to help local music students.

    Events

    Through Sunday, September 28
    One Man, Two Guvnors
    A Noise Within
    3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena
    COST: FROM $49.75; MORE INFO

    The best British farces feel like total escapes — slapstick comedies that are so out there and take incredible acting precision to pull off. One Man, Two Guvnors is one of those. James Corden won a Tony for the role he originated in London back in 2012. The Noise Within production stars Kasey Mahaffey as Francis Henshall, a down-on-his-luck Londoner in the 1960s tasked with working for two bosses at once. The L.A. Times says, “The wit is crisp and the comic routines are evergreen.”

    September 20-21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    Union Station Train Festival 
    Union Station 
    800 N. Alameda St., Downtown L.A.
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    A young Asian boy and older Asian woman make a peace sign and wave from the windows of a train.
    (
    Union Station Los Angeles
    )

    Do the locomotion down to Union Station for a day of free railroad-themed fun for all ages at the Union Station Train Festival. There will be railroad equipment tours and displays, including the steam locomotive Santa Fe 3751 of the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society. Plus, enjoy model train exhibits, interactive information booths, live entertainment and more. What better way to spend time in one of L.A.’s coolest Art Deco buildings?

    Saturday, September 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m. 
    Poems & Prayers Revivals Tour: Matthew McConaughey + John Mayer
    Saban Theatre
    8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills
    COST: $67.90; MORE INFO

    Alright, alright, alright. Book Soup is hosting this conversation between two of the most earnest performers out there — musician John Mayer and actor (and author) Matthew McConaughey. The pair will discuss McConaughey’s new book, Poems & Prayers, and — I am not making this up — “put a mirror to our souls to see if we recognize each other again.” I guess you will have to attend to figure out what that means.

    Saturday, September 20, 6 to 8 p.m.
    Upcycle Embellishment Workshop
    The Hidden Rivet
    8366 1/2 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    A woman sorts through a rack of patterned shirts.
    (
    Becca McHaffie
    /
    Unsplash
    )

    What’s old is new again. Show up with your tired t-shirts, jeans or tote bags, and go home with a whole new look, made by you. The Upcycle Embellishment Workshop at The Hidden Rivet will provide the flair to upgrade your look with things like grommets, vintage charms, mother-of-pearl buttons, beads, patches, rare textiles and more for just $15.

    With L.A.-based designer Kenzie and stylist Isa on hand, you’ll have pros helping you transform your wardrobe in just a couple of hours. They suggest bringing “items with stains or damage, and transform them before they hit the rag pile!”

    September 20-21, 4 p.m.
    Free Theatre in the Parks: Pericles 
    Kings Road Park
    1000 North Kings Road, West Hollywood
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    Summer is winding down, and so are your Shakespeare in the Park opportunities. But there are still a couple more chances to check out the free performance of Pericles, put on by The City of West Hollywood and Coeurage Ensemble in Kings Road Park. Seating is first-come, first-served.

    Friday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. 
    The Swell Season
    The Greek Theatre
    2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz
    COST: FROM $40.50; MORE INFO

    Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard of The Swell season smile and bump shoulders while performing on stage. Glen is playing an acoustic guitar.
    Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard of The Swell Season perform during the 2025 Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island.
    (
    Douglas Mason
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    Who hasn’t been in love with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová of The Swell Season since they charmed us in the Irish movie musical Once? Plus, Hansard's been in his band The Frames for even longer, of course. The Swell Season will be performing for one night only at the Greek Theatre during their current tour, featuring both old favorites and songs from their new album, Forward.

    Through Sunday, September 28 
    Luminous Streets: A Highland Park Theatrical Tour 
    The Pop-Hop 
    5002 York Blvd., Highland Park 
    COST: $20; MORE INFO

    Neighborhood favorite spots like Johnny’s Bar, Cafe De Leche, Moryork, Be Nice Have Fun and Pop-Hop Books become the set for Luminous Streets: A Highland Park Theatrical Tour, showcasing short plays by Jesse Bliss, Melissa Lugo, Tyree Marshall, Roger Q. Mason and Ligiah Villalobos. Directed by Bliss, the Roots and Wings Project event takes the audience into local businesses, gives them an opportunity to support them, and tells stories of women’s survival and pursuit of justice.

    Friday, September 19, 7 p.m.
    Pearl and the Oysters
    Farm House Collective 
    1393 University Ave., Riverside 
    COST: $26.22; MORE INFO 

    Farm House Collective is a very cool space in Riverside — a former 1950s motel that’s now a music venue, local business hub and food hall. KCRW-pick Pearl and the Oysters are playing a show with Dent May supporting. Take advantage of seeing them in a more intimate space.


    Outdoor Pick

    Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
    California Coastal Cleanup Day 
    Manhattan Beach Pier
    2 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach 
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

    A light green digital banner promoting Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 on Manhattan Beach Pier.
    (
    Roundhouse Aquarium Teaching Center
    )

    Join Roundhouse Aquarium for California Coastal Cleanup Day in Manhattan Beach, where you’ll pick up trash, meet some other conservation-minded folks and learn about marine conservation. All trash is weighed, and the data is sent back to the California Coastal Commission.


    Viewing Pick

    September 18-24
    Bring it On: 25th Anniversary Screening 
    Alamo Drafthouse Cinema 
    700 W 7th St., Suite U240, Downtown L.A.
    COST: $19.18; MORE INFO

    Five actors, including Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku in front, post in the middle of a cheerleading performance in the 2000 movie "Bring It On."
    (
    Universal Pictures
    )

    Grab your pom poms and get ready for the cheer showdown that ended all cheer showdowns, the 2000 high school comedy Bring It On. The Kirsten Dunst classic is showing at Alamo Drafthouse for its 25th anniversary. And has much changed? It does sometimes feel like we’re living in a cheerocracy.


    Dine & Drink Deals

    Saturday, September 20 
    Pacific Wine & Food Classic 
    Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina
    1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach
    COST: $199; MORE INFO

    Six glasses of wine being held up for a cheers.
    (
    Kelsey Knight
    /
    Unsplash
    )

    Chefs from across Orange County come together at the Pacific Wine & Food Classic in Newport Beach. Enjoy bites from restaurants like Luke’s Lobster, Red O, Salt & Lime, Scratch Bakery, The Crack Shack and dozens more. There will be wines from Paso Robles wineries and much more. It's currently sold out, but you can add yourself to the waitlist.

    September 20-21
    Thai Fest by the Beach 2025 
    Santa Monica Pier
    200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
    COST: FREE, MORE INFO 

    Thai food, music and cultural performances take over Santa Monica Pier at the Thai Fest by the Beach. It's free to explore, so head west and experience the delicious dishes and entertainment with the family!

    Sunday, September 21, 12 to 5 p.m. 
    AeroPress Championship 
    MICA Studios
    356 S. Mission Road, Boyle Heights
    COST: $10; MORE INFO

    A poster promoting the 2025 AeroPress Championship rounds in 5 cities, including Los Angeles on September 21. It features an illustration of a cake with a slice cut out.
    (
    @aeropress
    /
    Instagram
    )

    Full disclosure: I recently made my first AeroPress coffee, and while I’m definitely far from ready to compete in the AeroPress Championship, I do now get why this is a thing. If you, too, are a fan of the low-tech espresso maker, join some of L.A.’s best roasters and watch them compete for a spot to move on to the U.S. AeroPress Championship in San Francisco. Of course, great coffee will be on offer, plus food, drinks, music and more.

  • LA homeless agency had inaccurate financials
    An aerial view of a street with the downtown L.A. skyline in the distance. A set of red buildings are to the left, in front of a line of tents, canopies and shelters in a homeless encampment. Large piles of trash can be seen on the other side of the encampment along train tracks.
    An encampment in downtown Los Angeles, Sept. 25, 2025.

    Topline:

    Auditors are flagging major problems with the handling of tax dollars by the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.

    The details: The failures surround poor bookkeeping and accounting of taxpayer money at the agency — which spent over $800 million in public funds last fiscal year. The issues emerged despite previous audits flagging serious oversight problems in prior years. The latest audit was conducted by an outside firm hired by the agency to meet federal requirements.

    What they found: “Amounts initially included in the financial statements were not accurate, and adjustments were required,” auditors found in their review of LAHSA’s last fiscal year that ended in June 2025. The audit found that it stemmed from a "significant deficiency” in LAHSA’s “internal controls,” which are supposed to safeguard against financial inaccuracies and fraud.

    The context: LAHSA officials have blown the March 31 federal deadline to turn in the audit after management missed multiple extensions in January and February to turn over financial documents to auditors for the fiscal year that ended last June. Missing the March 31 deadline can put future federal funding at risk. LAHSA officials said they hope to submit the final audit report this coming Friday, about 3 ½ weeks after the deadline.

    The response: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who is the only elected official on LAHSA’s governing commission, did not respond to a request for comment through a spokesperson. At a public meeting Monday, LAHSA CEO Gita O’Neill told LAHSA’s audit committee that her team was working to implement a lot of the auditors’ suggestions.

    Auditors are flagging major problems with the handling of tax dollars by the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.

    The failures surround poor bookkeeping and accounting of taxpayer money at the agency — which spent over $800 million in public funds last fiscal year. The issues emerged despite previous audits flagging serious oversight problems in prior years. The latest audit was conducted by an outside firm hired by the agency to meet federal requirements.

    The agency’s financial statements initially included “significant” inaccurate amounts that needed to be adjusted late in the audit process, auditors found in their review of LAHSA’s last fiscal year that ended in June 2025.

    The findings are from the federally-required “single audit,” a draft of which was presented to LAHSA’s audit committee on Monday. It found the inaccuracies stemmed from a "significant deficiency” in LAHSA’s “internal controls,” which are supposed to safeguard against financial inaccuracies and fraud.

    The accounting failures contributed to delays in completing the audit — which was due to the federal government on March 31 — according to the draft report. Missing that deadline can put future federal funding at risk. LAHSA officials said at the committee meeting that they hope to submit the final audit report this coming Friday, more than three weeks after the deadline.

    At a public meeting Monday, LAHSA CEO Gita O’Neill told LAHSA’s audit committee that her team was working to implement many of the auditors’ recommendations, which she called “great suggestions.”

    The draft audit report now goes to the LAHSA Commission for approval on Friday. The audit committee was asked to approve it Monday but didn’t have majority support to move forward.

    L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who oversees the agency and is the only elected official on LAHSA’s governing commission, did not respond to a request for comment through a spokesperson.

    The backstory

    In response to previous audits that found major problems with LAHSA’s oversight of tax dollars, county supervisors decided last spring to withdraw all of the county’s $300 million-plus in annual funding of services through LAHSA and instead have the county directly manage it starting on July 1.

    Problems identified in the latest audit reiterate why the county pulled its funding, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement Monday.

    “LAHSA’s inaction and inability to meet its audit deadline is inexcusable,” Barger said.

    In a statement, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the “significant financial problems” found in the audit give “further confirmation” why the county decided to shift its funds out of LAHSA.

    “Accountability isn’t optional; it is required to end this emergency. Anything less is unacceptable,” Horvath said.

    The city is considering moving in a similar direction as the county. A key City Council panel — its homelessness committee — recently recommended the full council start shifting city homelessness funding out of LAHSA over the course of the next fiscal year. Bass has urged caution, saying moving too quickly to shift funding could disrupt services for unhoused people.

    LAHSA has long functioned as the L.A.’s homeless services department, with over $300 million in city money expected to flow through LAHSA this fiscal year.

    As of last summer, LAHSA had $380.5 million in assets and $381 million in liabilities, and received a total of $810 million in operating revenues during the last fiscal year, according to the latest audit.

    Other problems identified by auditors

    During Monday’s discussion, lead auditor Justin Measley said LAHSA did not disclose millions of dollars in payments to a service provider whose executive was married to LAHSA’s CEO at the time, Va Lecia Adams Kellum. The audit is required to list “related party” transactions, Measley said, which involve an organization with immediate family ties to LAHSA’s leadership. He said auditors only learned about it later through reviewing news media coverage.

    “The article is what triggered us knowing about this specifically,” said Measley, who works for the auditing firm CliftonLarsonAllen.

    LAist uncovered documents showing Adams Kellum’s signature was on a $2.1 million contract and two other contract amendments with Upward Bound House, the Santa Monica-based nonprofit where her husband Edward Kellum works in senior leadership. The contract named Adams Kellum as the LAHSA official authorized to administer it.

    A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].
    Va Lecia Adams Kellum, former CEO of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, at a news briefing at L.A. City Hall in June 2023.
    (
    Gary Coronado
    /
    Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
    )

    A LAHSA-commissioned investigation cleared Adams Kellum of wrongdoing in part because “her signature was unintentionally applied by her staff, not by herself,” according to a summary released by LAHSA. LAHSA spokesperson Paul Rubenstein previously told LAist that Adams Kellum herself “mistakenly signed” the agreements. LAHSA officials also previously distributed an email from Adams Kellum’s official account to a colleague about one of the contracts with her husband’s employer, which stated “Please delete the document that I signed accidentally.”

    Last year, state investigators at the Fair Political Practices Commission launched a conflict of interest investigation into the matter, which is ongoing.

    Monday’s audit committee meeting also included discussion of the auditors’ findings that LAHSA is locked into paying $75 million for long-term leases over the coming years that cannot be canceled. Those leases are largely through its master leasing program that started over the last couple of years, which leases 14 apartment buildings, totaling 772 units, to provide housing for unhoused people. LAHSA management says the master leasing program is currently significantly underwater financially.

    How to reach me

    If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is ngerda.47.

    A presentation last week by LAHSA management said the master leases are causing an annual budget hit of $10 million to LAHSA, which is prompting the agency to pull from other grants to pay for the leases.

    LAHSA’s lease accounting was at the center of a "significant” correction to the agency’s financial statements late in the audit process, the audit states in its findings.

    The auditors also found that LAHSA failed to comply with requirements for payroll costs that it charged to the federal government. The agency’s management failed to ensure timesheets for its employees were approved for three of the 40 timesheets the auditors reviewed, despite the law requiring federally-funded salaries to be based on accurate records of work, auditors found.

  • Sponsored message
  • LA mayor unveils $14.9 billion budget
    A row of American flags hang from a gray building against a sunny sky. A tall gray building is visible beyond in an angle looking up.
    Los Angeles City Hall

    Topline

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday unveiled a $14.9 billion budget that is significantly rosier than last year’s spending plan, when she suggested massive layoffs and service cuts to accommodate a billion-dollar deficit.

    The details: This year, because of a projected increase in revenues, the mayor is proposing no layoffs and a modest expansion of street services. The budget also calls for hiring police officers to keep up with retirements and resignations, maintaining Fire Department spending and holding steady funding for homelessness programs.

    Reserve fund: In Bass’ proposal, the reserve fund is 5.7% of the general fund, or $490 million. The budget does not dip into the reserves, in contrast to last year’s plan.

    Criticism: Bass is seeking re-election this year, and several of her challengers criticized the budget. “The budget the Mayor released today tells us the plan is to largely keep doing what we're doing — but what we're doing is not working,” Councilmember Nithya Raman said in a statement.

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday unveiled a $14.9 billion budget that is significantly rosier than last year’s spending plan, when she suggested massive layoffs and service cuts to accommodate a billion-dollar deficit.

    This year, because of a projected increase in revenues, the mayor is proposing no layoffs and a modest expansion of street services. Bass' budget also calls for hiring police officers to keep up with retirements and resignations, maintaining Fire Department spending and holding steady funding for homelessness programs.

    “This budget is about protecting the progress we have made and making clear that Los Angeles is moving forward and will not go backward,” Bass said at a news conference.

    In the proposal, the reserve fund is 5.7% of the general fund, or $490 million. The budget does not dip into the reserves, in contrast to last year’s plan.

    Bass is seeking re-election this year. The primary is June 2.

    Some of her challengers in the upcoming election, including Councilmember Nithya Raman, criticized Bass’ proposal as doing little more than maintaining the status quo.

    “The budget the Mayor released today tells us the plan is to largely keep doing what we're doing — but what we're doing is not working,” Raman said in a statement.

    Next, the proposal will go to the City Council for consideration. Budget hearings will be conducted in the coming weeks.

    Increasing revenue

    Among the reasons city officials say revenue will go up is the expected influx of thousands of visitors to World Cup soccer matches this summer. More travelers mean more people staying in hotels and paying hotel taxes, as well as more sales tax revenue.

    The budget projects a $412 million increase in general tax revenue, including $71 in business taxes, $34 million in sales taxes and $67 million in utility taxes.

    The budget would add 170 new positions in the department that handles street repairs and increase funding for street and sidewalk fixes, curb-ramp installation, street sweeping, bulky item pickup and dedicated illegal dumping enforcement throughout the city.

    The budget also proposes hiring 510 police officers, representing a target of 8,555 for the Police Department and enough to keep up with attrition, according to budget officials. Bass has set a goal of 9,500 officers.

    “It’s about preventing the shrinkage of LAPD,” Bass said.

    That proposal is likely to see opposition from some council members who want to see the department shrink and funding for unarmed response teams increase.

    Inside Safe

    The budget sustains citywide coverage for civilian unarmed crisis response, maintaining deployment of 500 crossing guards and expanding a program that aims to help children get to and from school safely and protect them from gang violence.

    Under the budget, funding for Inside Safe, the mayor’s signature program to address homelessness, would remain about the same — $104 million.

    The mayor touts an 18% drop in street homelessness as evidence of its success.

    The budget maintains funding for the city Fire Department. In November, voters are expected to decide whether to increase the sales tax by half a percent to pay for more firefighters and equipment.

    Criticism for the budget

    Bass’ challengers immediately criticized her budget as lacking vision.

    “This budget maintains a status quo of reduced services and higher fees, the direct result of fiscally irresponsible decisions made by this Mayor in prior years,” Raman said in her statement.

    In January, the council member voted against Bass’ plan to hire 170 more police officers.

    Adam Miller, a tech entrepreneur and another Bass challenger, said keeping the budget flat “implies that the status quo is working.”

    “That is tone-deaf to the city of Los Angeles as Angelenos overwhelmingly feel we need change," he said.

    The budget needs to be approved by the City Council and signed by the mayor by July 1, the start of the fiscal year.

  • Hundreds of positions to be eliminated
    People wearing "LAHSA" jackets stand by as a police officer and a city worker clear a homeless encampment.
    LAHSA workers observe L.A. city sanitation workers removing a houseless encampment during a sweep of an encampment in Venice Beach.
    Listen 0:37
    LA homeless agency to lay off 284 employees

    Topline:

    The L.A. Homeless Services Authority announced Monday that the agency will narrow its focus and lay off 284 employees at the end of June.

    Why now: The changes at the public agency, known as LAHSA, come after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted last April to withdraw more than $300 million in annual funding for the agency.

    The context: LAHSA interim CEO Gita O’Neill called the staffing changes a “necessary evolution," according to a news release announcing the move. “By narrowing our focus to macro-level governance, data management, and securing federal funding, we are stepping into our true role as a strategic architect of the region’s homelessness response system.” In December, a group of LAHSA employees wrote an open letter to the Board of Supervisors demanding they “ensure no County-funded worker is displaced.”

    Hundreds of layoffs: The agency will send layoff notices to the 284 employees on April 30, according to the news release. Another 130 positions that are currently vacant will also be eliminated in the transition. Some of the layoffs may be avoided, a LAHSA spokesperson said in the news release, “depending on the final details of the City of Los Angeles budget.”

    "I want to profoundly thank our staff for their unwavering dedication and hard work serving people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County," O’Neill said. "Our staff has been the driving force behind the historic reductions in street homelessness we've seen over the past two years.”

  • Chavez-DeRemer leaves post amid investigation

    Topline:

    Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving her post amid an internal investigation brought on by complaints about misconduct.

    More details: White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung announced the departure on X, writing "she has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives." Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer was taking a position in the private sector.

    Why it matters: Chavez-DeRemer is the third cabinet member to leave during President Trump's second term.

    Read on... for more on the resignation.

    Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving her post amid an internal investigation brought on by complaints about misconduct.

    White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung announced the departure on X, writing "she has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives." Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer was taking a position in the private sector.

    A senior official at the Labor Department not authorized to speak publicly about the departure said the secretary had resigned.

    Chavez-DeRemer is the third cabinet member to leave during President Donald Trump's second term.

    In early March, Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shortly after lawmakers on Capitol Hill berated her over her agency's handling of immigration enforcement — as well as its $220 million ad campaign featuring the secretary on horseback.


    A month later, Attorney General Pam Bondi left amid simmering frustration over her leadership of the Justice Department and her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

    While Chavez-DeRemer has played a far less visible role than Bondi or Noem in Trump's second term, her tenure has also been marked by controversy.

    In January, the New York Post first reported that the Labor Department's inspector general was looking into complaints that Chavez-DeRemer was having an affair with a subordinate, drinking alcohol on the job and using taxpayer-funded travel to visit with friends and family members.

    NPR has not independently verified the contents of the investigation.

    While in office, Chavez-DeRemer spent much of her time away from Washington. A year ago, she launched her "America at Work" listening tour, an initiative that took her to all 50 states.

    Chavez-DeRemer's chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, who had been on leave since January, resigned in early March. A third senior member of her staff, Melissa Robey, said in a statement issued March 26 that she had been fired a couple days earlier, after giving a four-hour interview to the Office of the Inspector General.

    Meanwhile, the New York Times was first to report that Chavez-DeRemer's husband, Shawn DeRemer, an anesthesiologist in Portland, Ore., had been barred from Labor Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., after at least two staffers reported he had touched them inappropriately. Washington, D.C. police and federal prosecutors closed the investigations without bringing charges.

    An unconventional choice

    Trump's selection of Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Labor Department was seen by many as a concession to Teamsters President Sean O'Brien. O'Brien had been friendly with Trump through the presidential campaign, taking a prime-time speaking slot at the 2024 Republican National Convention and later declining to endorse Trump's opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

    O'Brien had pushed for Chavez-DeRemer's selection, noting that she was one of only a few Republicans in Congress to have supported the PRO Act. That bill aimed to make it easier for workers to organize unions, including by overturning state Right to Work laws, which weaken unions.

    At the time, Trump wrote, "Lori's strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds."

    Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who has already been running much of the day-to-day operations of the Labor Department, has been named acting secretary, according to Cheung's post on X.

    Sonderling previously served at the Labor Department during the first Trump administration and at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the Biden administration, having been nominated by Trump during his first term to fill a Republican seat.
    Copyright 2026 NPR