Patrick Martinez's work is on display through Saturday at the Charlie James Gallery.
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Patrick Martinez
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Charlie James Gallery
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In this edition:
Emma Straub on her new novel, Bob Baker Day, L.A. Climate Week, BagelFest 2026 and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
It’s back! The 12th annualBob Baker Day takes over the L.A. State Historic Park for a full afternoon of puppets, art, food and local vendors. Take a break at the L.A. Public Library’s “Rest Nest,” plus check out stalls from the Academy Museum, the Colburn School, Heritage Square Museum and many more. And, of course, check out puppet, music and clown performances all day long on two stages.
Settle the "best bagel in town" battle once and for all (or at least for now, until the next NYC or Montreal transplant arrives) at BagelFest West. From the Bay Area’s Boichik Bagels to local favorite Belle’s to Inglourious Bagels in Carlsbad and even Hey Bagel in Seattle, the West Coast doesn’t play when it comes to the delicious, holey breakfast delight.
Patrick Martinez’s neon signs with activist messages have become part of the L.A. landscape over the past several years. His work in neon responding to the immigration raids in L.A., plus new paintings, drawings, and sculptures, gets an inspiring solo show at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown — make sure to get there before it closes Saturday night.
If you’re also wallowing in disappointment about your L.A. Olympics tickets (preliminary handball, anyone?) or lack thereof, I’m right there with you. Let’s hope future drops have a few more reasonable tickets available for those of us who don’t have $1,000 to see Katie Ledecky swim her heart out.
Much more attainable? Couchella, the annual streaming event for Coachella, which is on this weekend and next, right in your own living room. And slap on that SPF if you’re desert-bound. This weekend is also the kickoff for L.A. Climate Week, with events ranging from a planet-friendly Food Day Festival in West Hollywood to a conversation on climate futures in Malibu; it’s also the last weekend for the Getty exhibit How to Be a Guerrilla Girl.
Through Saturday, April 11 Charlie James Gallery 696 Chung King Road, Chinatown COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Patrick Martinez
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Charlie James Gallery
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Patrick Martinez’s neon signs with activist messages have become part of the L.A. landscape over the past several years. His work in neon responding to the immigration raids in L.A., along with new paintings, drawings and sculptures, gets an inspiring solo show at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown — make sure to get there before it closes Saturday night.
LA Climate Week
Through Wednesday, April 15 Various locations COST: VARIES; MORE INFO
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Olivia Peay
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LA Climate Week
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L.A. Climate Week is here again, with dozens of events encouraging more planet-friendly living. Join the L.A. River Crawl through Elysian Valley on Saturday, check out Arts & Culture Day for a Living Planet downtown, taste healthy foods at the Food Day Festival at Plummer Park on Sunday or take on the tall order of making climate issues funny at the Let’s Not Die! Open Mic night at Frogtown Brewery.
The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville
Through Friday, May 1 Whitefire Theatre 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks COST: $40; MORE INFO
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Jeff Lorch
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Borne Identities
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Mamie Gummer (Emily Owens, M.D., The Good Wife) and Gigi Bermingham (Loot, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) take the stage at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks for the new Southern Gothic comedy, The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville. Written by Julie Shavers and directed by Daniel O’Brien, the play follows a woman returning to her hometown for the Fourth of July.
Bob Baker Day
Sunday, April 12, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 20 Los Angeles State Historic Park 1245 N Spring St., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE (SUGGESTED DONATION $25); MORE INFO
It’s back! The 12th annual Bob Baker Day takes over the L.A. State Historic Park for a full afternoon of puppets, art, food and local vendors. Take a break at the L.A. Public Library’s “Rest Nest,” plus check out stalls from the Academy Museum, the Colburn School, Heritage Square Museum and many more. And, of course, check out puppet, music and clown performances all day long on two stages.
BagelFest West
Sunday, April 12, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Audrey Irmas Pavilion 3643 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown COST: $69.40; MORE INFO
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Vicky Ng
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Unsplash
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Settle the "best bagel in the West" battle once and for all (or at least for now, until the next NYC or Montreal transplant arrives) at BagelFest West. From the Bay Area’s Boichik Bagels to local favorite Belle’s to Inglourious Bagels in Carlsbad and even Hey Bagel in Seattle, the West Coast doesn’t play when it comes to the delicious, holey breakfast delight. You can taste more than 20 different bagels with your ticket — so come hungry and ready to carb-load.
Emma Straub in conversation with Susanna Hoffs
Friday, April 10, 7 p.m. Skylight Books 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Straub in 2016. She'll be at Skylight this weekend.
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Desiree Navarro
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Getty Images
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Emma Straub’s novels are some of my smart, modern favorites — like All Adults Here and The Vacationers. She’s also the owner of a lovely bookstore in Brooklyn, Books Are Magic. She brings a little of that magic to Skylight Books in Los Feliz, where she’ll be chatting with absolute '80s icon and author Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles about her new novel, American Fantasy. You can also catch Straub talking about her books and career when she heads to the Clifton C. Miller Community Center in Tustin on Monday as part of A Slice of Literary Orange.
FusterCluck 6
Saturday, April 11, 7 p.m. The Earl Gallery 4408 W 2nd Street, Mid-City COST: $15 ADVANCE, $20 DOOR; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Earl Gallery
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Part art market and gallery, part stand-up comedy show, part excuse to eat fried chicken, FusterCluck gathers up-and-coming local comics for a stand-up show at The Earl Gallery.
Dar Williams
Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. Troubadour 9081 N. Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood COST: $44.84; MORE INFO
Dar Williams plays The Troubadour this weekend.
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Noam Galai
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Getty Images
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The 1990s are alive and well, as Lilith Fair favorite Dar Williams plays the Troubadour. The singer-songwriter’s latest (and lucky 13th!) studio album, Hummingbird Highway, draws on her more recent experiences as a playwright and songwriting instructor. I will now have "What Do You Hear in These Sounds" in my head for a week.
Gold Diggers: YEAR
Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. 5632 Santa Monica Blvd., East Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy PopCult
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Enter a mystery year once a month on Sunday night, kicking off this week at Gold Diggers in East Hollywood. Born out of a DJ night that started in San Francisco in 2008, the actual YEAR is a surprise until you walk in the door — it could be any time from 1963 till now. Curated by Dennis “The Menace” Scheyer, the night features a specialty cocktail, experimental films and art, and a surprise live performance. Here’s a hint for this month’s YEAR.
Courtney Eileen Fulcher
is the apprentice news clerk for AirTalk and FilmWeek, hosted by Larry Mantle.
Published June 29, 2026 5:32 PM
A 1938 photo of KNX's studios.
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Herman J Schultheis
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Los Angeles Public Library
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Topline:
With KNX's shift last month back to AM radio only, we asked Southern Californians to share their memories of listening to the radio.
Why now: Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced it was moving KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — off 97.1 FM, but keeping the long-running news format on 1070 AM where it's been for more than 100 years. The move officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station.
A radio time capsule: AirTalk, LAist's flagship daily news show which airs on 89.3 FM, asked listeners to share their favorite memories of listening to the radio.
Continue reading... for vintage photos from The Los Angeles Public Library's digital archive collections highlighting Southern California's rich radio history.
Southern California was built on radio.
"I can still hear the jingle KFWB News 98,” wrote Taline in Los Feliz, during a recent conversation on LAist's daily news show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM. “I grew up hearing that in my dad's minivan on the way to and from school. It has a special place in my heart.”
Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — was leaving the FM dial where it had simulcast on 97.1 FM since 2021. The station, which is also one of the oldest in L.A., is not budging from 1070 AM where it has been on the air for more than 100 years. The move away from FM officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station, which Audacy officials called an area of growth for advertisers in today’s media landscape.
The move is one in a long line of changes for radio and a reminder that before podcasts, playlists and algorithms, many Southern Californians built their days around radio broadcasts.
Radio, a daily ritual
The construction of KNX
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Herman J. Schultheis
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Los Angeles Public Library
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Michael Jackson, a well-known KNX, personality
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Los Angeles Public Library
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Larry Mantle, now in his 41st year hosting AirTalk, remembers being a kid and dreaming of what it might be like to be behind the mic at one of these radio stations.
“ I grew up with KNX," he said. “My dream job as a kid was to be an anchor on KNX or KFWB, the two local all-news radio stations, 'cause there was nothing like hosting AirTalk that even existed at that point.”
Mantle opened up the phone lines on a recent show to hear from his fellow SoCal radio lovers about the shows they miss and the memories they have. Here's what they had to say:
A love for radio, then and now
A pilot of KMPC's traffic alert helicopter pictured with his daughter and grandson.
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Los Angeles Public Library
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A 1963 picture of Valley State College (now Los Angeles Valley College) preparing to launch KVCM
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Larry Leach
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Los Angeles Public Library
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“When you'd walk down Hollywood Boulevard where the station was, you could hear it playing as you went down the street,” said Olivia in Glendale about KLAC 570 with Al Jarvis.
Larry in Yorba Linda shouted out KBCA Jazz for its 24-hour jazz, saying “When I first moved out here in '68 from Phoenix, which had like an hour a week, it was a real wonder.”
Mark in Glassell Park emailed that he loves KCRW’s Henry Rollins, writing, “I used to bristle at his unique DJ persona, but over time, I came to love him and his crazy eclectic playlists. I find his knowledge in history and punk rock fascinating. He's a gem and a legend."
"I'd like to give a shout-out to all the DJs working at KXLU, the college station at Loyola Marymount University, said Jeremy in Culver City in an email. “That station's been on the air for nearly 60 years. I believe it's one of the best examples of what's possible with radio."
"KFWB and KRLA back in the day when they were rock music stations — Dr. Demento, one of my favorite on-air personalities, also had eclectic music taste," said Carrie in Desert Edge.
“ Dr. Demento was must listening when I was a kid in junior high school at Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood,” Mantle added. “Every Sunday night on KMET, we would make sure we were listening to Dr. Demento and his funny records.”
The question remains…
An 11-year-old winning a car in a KMPC contest in 1963.
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Los Angeles Public Library
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Listener support is vital to any radio station, and it’s clear KNX has many lifelong fans. AirTalk listeners highlighted their support for household KNX names over the decades like Bill Keene, Melinda Lee, Mike Roy and Jackie Olden.
As KNX makes changes, many are watching closely and thinking about the future of radio.
Listeners like Tommy in La Quinta are left wondering if the radio dial will be the same…
“I’m a hardcore listener, but I don't know about casual listeners [and] if they'll tune to AM,” he said.
Libby Rainey
has been tracking how L.A. is preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Published June 29, 2026 5:02 PM
LA28 chair Casey Wasserman speaks with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on August 10, 2024.
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Luke Hales
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Getty Images
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Topline:
After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.
What's in the deal? The private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.
What happens now: The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the city council. The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.
Concerns remain: The contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.
Read on...for more on concerns over security costs for 2028.
After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.
According to the deal, the private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.
The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council.
The 2028 Olympics are intended to be privately financed, and an existing city agreement with LA28 states that the Olympics organizers, not L.A., will pay for extra costs for public services in support of the Games. But L.A. is the financial back-stop for the Olympics, meaning if LA28 goes in the red, taxpayers will pick up the bill.
Beyond that, the city services agreement presents another area where L.A. could incur additional unexpected expenses for hosting the Games. L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez warned LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover earlier this year that a bad deal could "bankrupt" the city.
Jacie Prieto Lopez, an LA28 spokesperson, and Paul Krekorian, who leads the city's office of major events, said in statements that the freshly inked agreement would help deliver a fiscally responsible Games.
"Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come. This agreement helps deliver that commitment," Krekorian said.
But the contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.
The federal government has so far allocated $1 billion for security costs for the Olympics. Exactly where those federal funds will go has not yet been determined, and there's no guarantee they will cover all of L.A.'s policing costs.
To address this, city officials have also proposed an amendment to a 2021 agreement between the city and LA28. That amendment would establish that if L.A. is not reimbursed by the federal government for all its eligible expenses, it could dip into LA28's contingency fund of $270 million before the private organizing committee could use those funds for any legacy projects.
But that bucket of money will first be used for any costs that Olympics organizers still owe if they run out of revenue — meaning if the Olympics don't turn a profit, the city's access to that money will depend on how much is left for the taking.
Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has been tracking the city's negotiations with LA28, told LAist the agreement was a "PR document" not a deal. She pointed out that if the federal government does not pay up for security spending as expected, L.A. could be in trouble.
" It leaves the taxpayers with a GoFundMe strategy," she said.
The city services agreement lays the groundwork for more negotiations between LA28 and the city. Each venue will require its own agreement, to be negotiated by July 1, 2027. Venues in the city of L.A. include Dodger Stadium, the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.
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Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published June 29, 2026 4:54 PM
Cleanup is underway now at the Boyle Heights food storage warehouse that spewed smoke around L.A. earlier this month.
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Alejandra Molina
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Topline:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a pair of executive orders Monday to ramp up efforts to clean the mess left by the fire that burned for a week at a Boyle Heights warehouse.
Why now: Since the warehouse fire was put out, the 85 million pounds of frozen food stored inside is now rotting, spreading foul smells throughout surrounding neighborhoods and raising concerns about an influx of pests. Residents have also been left with worries about air and water contamination after the fire and possible long-term public health effects.
Spoiled food removal: Bass and city officials said Monday the warehouse owner, Lineage, began moving food debris on Sunday to landfills in Ventura and Riverside counties. The company predicts it will take 5,000 truckloads to remove it all.
Reducing odors: Lineage plans to apply a chemical deodorizer, likely chlorine dioxide, to the food, debris and trucks leaving the warehouse. It’s also installing devices within the warehouse that will spray mist over the food inside until it is moved.
Pest control: Lineage is responsible for pest management inside the warehouse, while the city of Los Angeles is responsible for it outside the warehouse. Both have hired private contractors to manage pest control.
Air and water testing: The South Coast Air Quality Management District is overseeing efforts to measure harmful material in the air and posting data to its online air quality map. Lineage also hired private contractor Onterris to monitor air quality in the community surrounding the warehouse, with South Coast AQMD’s oversight. The Los Angeles Department of Sanitation has been monitoring water flowing from the site since firefighting operations began. It’s using a variety of methods, including containment tanks and catch basins, to divert the runoff into the sewer and prevent it from flowing into the L.A. River.
What’s next: Bass’ two executive orders are intended to accelerate cleanup efforts, protect residents and hold accountable the companies responsible for the facility and its safety. One order directs the Fire Department to report on its investigation into the cause of the fire within 90 days. The orders also include a number of provisions to help Boyle Heights residents and businesses, including free public transit, financial assistance and expanded public health resources.
Why it matters: Officials and advocates have called for transparency around the cleanup, especially because they say the neighborhood has been historically under-resourced and disproportionately subjected to environmental burdens. One of the orders signed Monday directs city officials to compile a report within 45 days on industrial areas across Los Angeles that sit close to homes and schools. The report also must include possible zoning and land use changes that would reduce negative health effects from existing and future industrial facilities.
Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published June 29, 2026 4:36 PM
Tents in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles on June 11, 2026.
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Apu Gomes / AFP
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Getty Images
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Topline:
L.A.’s lead homelessness agency, LAHSA, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday, asking a judge for relief from a federal funding suspension it calls unjustified.
How we got here: On June 11, HUD suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from federal grant activity pending an investigation into alleged mismanagement. The federal agency said the suspension means LAHSA cannot fulfill its role as collaborative applicant for the entire region’s application for federal homelessness dollars for the upcoming fiscal year. In its lawsuit, LAHSA says the suspension is the Trump administration’s back door attempt to eliminate the Continuum of Care program in L.A., which gives local officials discretion over homelessness projects submitted for federal funding.
LAHSA’s challenge: LAHSA says HUD has failed to identify any public agreement or transaction that LAHSA has violated or cite proper evidence of mismanagement. LAHSA also claims several inaccuracies and misrepresentations in HUD’s original suspension letter, including relying on reviews that LAHSA says were irrelevant to federal funding. “HUD supports its position with an amalgamation of uncorroborated hearsay information apparently cherry-picked from the internet,” the complaint states.
Legal argument: LAHSA's attorneys contend that HUD unlawfully suspended funding, arguing that the action violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Constitution's separation of powers principle, and the Tenth Amendment. LAHSA is asking for a stay of the HUD suspension pending judicial review and a permanent injunction barring head from suspending LAHSA or blocking the work of the Los Angeles Continuum of Care.
Why it matters: The deadline for the L.A. region to submit its application to HUD for regional homelessness grants is Aug. 26. LAHSA says the suspension jeopardizes $241 million in federal funding that supports more than 11,000 people across L.A. County. LAHSA says the HUD suspension could prevent the agency from other activities, including releasing the findings of its 2026 homeless count conducted in January.
