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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • Restaurant Week deals, Route 66 films and more
    A man in a cowboy hat plays a yellow electric guitar.
    Dwight Yoakam will take his Bakersfield sound to Pacific Amphitheatre.

    In this edition:

    Sign up for a Graffiti Towers walking tour, eat out with Dine LA Restaurant Week deals and check out some Route 66-themed films at the Norton Simon.

    Highlights:

    • When graffiti artists took over the abandoned luxury building project Oceanwide Plaza in 2024, the subversive move became an instant skyline icon for anyone driving east on the 10. The group Rent Brigade has started offering tours of the site, looking at the design of nearby L.A. Live, and the “history of speculation, displacement, and resistance in DTLA.” A debrief over drinks follows. This week is sold out, but check back as they are adding more dates.
    • Dine LA Restaurant Week is here again, so make your reservations now, because hot tables go fast. Ranging from $35 to $65, deals include tasting menus and specials at some of the most popular new spots and old favorites.
    • The Norton Simon is celebrating historic Route 66 with a themed film series. Saturday’s pick: The 1940 classic The Grapes of Wrath. Based on the John Steinbeck novel, the Oscar-winning John Ford film stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, who heads west from the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.

    I have family in town this week, and since they’ve been to L.A. many times over the years, I was trying to think of some new places for us to check out this trip.

    Our first stop was sister dreamer, Lauren Halsey’s “architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles” — and I can’t recommend it enough. The perfect detour on your way to or from picking up or dropping off someone at LAX (truly SoCal’s highest form of saying you love someone), the installation creates an oasis in the heart of South Central. Halsey’s portrait of the neighborhood is a feat of carving work that is part Getty, part street mural and part ancient Egypt, honoring both her neighborhood and artistic ancestors. Head to the corner of Western Avenue and 76th Street to check it out; the site is hosting regular events like jazz jams, yoga sessions and more. Plus, Halsey will join Erykah Badu at the Bowl for a show this September.

    Elsewhere on LAist, you can meet the local scientists creating a "Noah’s Ark" of tide pools or share your thoughts on whether dogs belong in restaurants.

    Music

    A light-skinned woman in a brown dress plays an acoustic guitar and sings onstage.
    Colbie Caillat plays the Pacific Amphitheatre on Saturday.
    (
    Jason Koerner
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    Licorice Pizza’s music picks for the week include:

    Wednesday 

    Thursday 

    Friday

    Saturday 

    Sunday 

    Monday 

    Tuesday

    Events

    Graffiti Towers Walking Tour

    Sunday, Aug, 16, 5 p.m. 
    1101 Flower St., Downtown L.A. 
    COST: SOLD OUT BUT MORE DATES TBD; MORE INFO

    Three high-rise buildings under construction, with exposed concrete and scaffolding, set against a clear blue sky.
    The so-called Graffiti Towers in 2024.
    (
    Mario Tama
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    When graffiti artists took over the abandoned luxury building project Oceanwide Plaza in 2024, the subversive move became an instant skyline icon for anyone driving east on the 10. The group Rent Brigade has started offering tours of the site, looking at the design of nearby L.A. Live, and the “history of speculation, displacement, and resistance in DTLA.” A debrief over drinks follows. This week is sold out, but check back as they are adding more dates.


    CHIMAC-FEST 2026

    Friday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16
    Great Park Live
    8000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine
    COST: FROM $17; MORE INFO

    A poster that reads 2026 Chimac Fest.
    (
    Courtesy Great Park Live
    )

    You had me at fried chicken and beer. CHIMAC-FEST takes the popular Korean pairing and raises it to the next level, while showcasing a wide range of Korean food, culture, live entertainment and more at Great Park Live in Irvine.


    SkyFest Big Bear

    Friday, August 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. 
    Various locations in Big Bear
    COST: FROM $15; MORE INFO 

    The Milky Way at night above pine trees.
    (
    Courtesy Big Bear
    )

    Allow me a little leeway to share something beyond our usual L.A. and Orange County limits this week and encourage you to take a ride to Big Bear. The mountain town hosts SkyFest, a three-day celebration of science and discovery, featuring NASA and Caltech astrophysicists and DarkSky experts. You’ll learn about black holes, NASA’s next space telescope and the search for life in the universe. The festival features shows at the immersive AstroDome, rides to stargaze from the mountain summit, guided night hikes, a mountaintop forest sound bath and special events for kids.


    Dine LA Restaurant Week

    Friday, Aug. 14 through Friday, Aug. 28
    COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

    A collage of various restaurant items with a circular logo that reads "Dine LA" over top.
    (
    Courtesy Redbird
    )

    Dine LA Restaurant Week is here again, so make your reservations now, because hot tables go fast. Ranging from $35 to $65, deals include tasting menus and specials at some of the most popular new spots and old favorites. A few that caught food editor Gab Chabrán’s eye:

    Broken Spanish Comedor (Culver City)
    Dinner ($55): Three courses
    MENU | PHOTOS

    Jyan Isaac Bread (Santa Monica)
    Lunch ($25): Pastry, sandwich and bread
    MENU | PHOTOS

    Redbird (DTLA)
    Brunch ($45): Two courses
    Dinner ($65): Three courses
    MENU | PHOTOS

    Citrin (Santa Monica)
    Dinner ($99): Amuse and four courses
    MENU


    Spring Arts Tower Takeover

    Saturday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
    The Last Bookstore
    453 S. Spring St., Ground Floor, Downtown L.A. 
    COST: $5; MORE INFO

    A row of books stacked inside a bookstore.
    The Last Bookstore in DTLA is just one of the many places to purchase and get lost a book that can be found throughout the city.
    (
    Jonathan Hoffman
    /
    LAist
    )

    There’s never a bad time to make a pilgrimage to The Last Bookstore, but this weekend you can see much more than books as the whole Spring Arts Tower is getting in on the action. There will be a pop-up market featuring hundreds of vendors across all 12 floors of the historic downtown building.


    Route 66 Film Series: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

    Saturday, August 15, 4:30 p.m.
    Norton Simon Museum 
    411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
    COST: FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION; MORE INFO

    Black-and-white image of a light-skinned man wearing a hat and holding onto a fence post.
    (
    Courtesy 20th Century Fox
    )

    The Norton Simon is celebrating historic Route 66 with a themed film series. Saturday’s pick: The 1940 classic The Grapes of Wrath. Based on the John Steinbeck novel, the Oscar-winning John Ford film stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, who heads west from the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.


    Fool in the Pool 

    Monday, Aug 17, 8 p.m.
    El Cóndor
    3701 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake
    COST: GA $25, VIP $40; MORE INFO

    An animated poster for a one-act karaoke play called "Fool in the Pool."
    (
    Kay DeMuco
    /
    Eventbrite
    )

    Fool in the Pool is an immersive karaoke play at El Cóndor. There's a live band, the audience sings as part of the narrative, and VIP ticket-holders perform on stage with the band. The story follows a washed-up child star turned karaoke host across one unraveling night — it opens as comedy and turns darker. No two performances are the same, and the night ends with open karaoke for everyone.


    Soul Jazz Sessions 

    Thursdays, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. 
    State Social House
    8782 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

    Soul Jazz Sessions is a new weekly live-music event on Thursdays. While the Sunset Strip may be better known for loud rock acts, check out this new — and decidedly more chill — jazz jam session at State Social House on Sunset Boulevard. There’s no cover (rare for a jazz set in this town!).


    Netflix's BEEF wellness-themed giveaways

    Through Friday, Aug. 14
    Various locations
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

    Four people, two men and two women, sit on couches facing each other.
    (
    Courtesy Netflix
    )

    We’re deep into FYC season, and that means only one thing for us normies: free stuff. Netflix’s series BEEF is taking the show’s calm-down lesson to the masses by offering free wellness treats and experiences. From a limited-edition “Yogi” smoothie at SunLife Organics to a sound bath in partnership with the Den at the London in West Hollywood, get in line early for your free dose of chill.


    Elizabeth Mitchell performances

    Garden Concerts for Kids: Elizabeth Mitchell
    Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16, 4 p.m.
    The Getty Center
    1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood
    COST: FREE with reservation; MORE INFO 

    Ida at Lodge Room
    Monday, August 17, 8 p.m.
    Lodge Room
    104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd floor, Highland Park
    COST: $32.50; MORE INFO 

    A medium-dark-skinned man, a light-skinned dark-haired woman, a blonde woman, and a medium-dark-skinned man stand in a row in front of a concrete bridge.
    (
    Courtesy Lodge Room
    )

    This week brings three opportunities to catch Elizabeth Mitchell’s varied talent. Bring the kids to the Getty this Saturday and Sunday afternoon for family concerts celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Smithsonian Folkways children’s music album, You Are My Little Bird. Joined by her husband Daniel Littleton and daughter Storey, Mitchell will put on performances that are true family gatherings, covering traditional songs and favorites ranging from Woody Guthrie to Bob Marley.

    On Monday, you can see Elizabeth and Daniel perform at the Lodge Room with Ida, the thoughtful and spare indie group they formed in 1991. Fun fact: While at Brown University, Elizabeth Mitchell played in a duo with Lisa Loeb, and she and Daniel later sang backup vocals on her hit “Stay (I Missed You).” — Roy Lenn

  • Timeline is agreed to shift from LAHSA to county
    An orange tent is seen set up in the dirt with buildings and LA city hall in the background.
    A homeless encampment along the 101 Northbound offramp is seen near City Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, August 21, 2026.

    Topline:

    The nonprofits that run the L.A. region's federally-funded homeless shelters, outreach teams and housing services will soon be overseen by a new government agency, under a deal a federal judge says he plans to approve next week.

    The significance: If approved, the shift will mark the biggest change in the control of federal homeless dollars in L.A. in decades.

    What it does: The proposed settlement would shift federal grants and duties from the troubled L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to the county government in stages, starting next month. LAHSA’s management of federal services dollars would end in June. The deal between LAHSA and the Trump administration keeps the region's request for roughly $240 million in new annual federal funding on track and adds tighter checks on how that money is spent.

    ‘Dereliction of duty’: “This has been an absolute past dereliction of duty by the federal government” and local governments, Carter said at a hearing Friday, referring to what he called decades of failure to properly oversee public homelessness dollars.

    The nonprofits that run the Los Angeles region's federally funded homeless shelters, outreach teams and housing services will soon be overseen by a different government agency, under a deal a federal judge says he plans to approve next week.

    If approved, the shift will mark the biggest change in the control of federal homeless dollars in L.A. in decades.

    The proposed settlement would shift federal grants and duties from the troubled L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to the county government in stages, starting next month. LAHSA’s management of federal dollars for homeless services would end in June. The deal between LAHSA and the Trump administration keeps the region's request for roughly $240 million in new annual federal funding on track and adds tighter checks on how that money is spent.

    U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said at a Friday hearing he would likely sign it Monday, ending LAHSA's lawsuit over the Trump administration’s June suspension of the agency.

    “This has been an absolute past dereliction of duty by the federal government” and local governments, Carter said, referring to what he called decades of failure to properly oversee homelessness dollars.

    “I choose now to turn this back to the proper governing bodies,” Carter said. "But please, this can never happen again."

    Citing past audits and reports, Carter said “HUD’s been on notice since 2007” of LAHSA’s oversight failures and “abandoned” its own oversight role.

    “I termed it a partnership in failure,” he added. “Local government turned an absolute blind eye to the distribution of these funds and transparency and accountability for these funds.”

    “And what is so sad and disappointing is, these funds were meant to serve the absolute most vulnerable in our society,” the judge added.

    A man wearing a white cap looks off in front of another person and signage that says Los Angeles.
    U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, left, shown in West L.A. on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
    (
    Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
    /
    Los Angeles Times
    )

    LAHSA has faced major problems in recent years. Last year, an LAist investigation found the signature of LAHSA’s then-CEO, Va Lecia Adams Kellum, finalized a $2.1 million contract with the nonprofit where her husband was working in senior leadership, despite previously telling LAist she was “completely recused.”

    LAist also found the agency kept awarding millions in contract renewals to another nonprofit even after LAHSA’s own compliance team labeled it “high-risk” for, among other things, billing for services while reporting no enrolled participants. That group’s leader, Alex Soofer, recently pleaded guilty to diverting $2 million. Another nonprofit operator contracted with LAHSA, Michael Young, was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors with misappropriating millions of tax dollars, including allegedly siphoning $1 million into a high-end nightclub.

    Additionally, a 2024 L.A. County audit found LAHSA had mismanaged hundreds of millions in contracts for homeless services, often paying service providers late and failing to track whether services were provided.

    Under the deal, Carter would receive quarterly reports on progress and could intervene if one of the parties asks him to resolve a dispute.

    When control would shift

    The deal, on its own, does not change which nonprofits provide shelter, outreach and housing. It instead changes which government agency pays them and ensures they’re serving people as required.

    Here’s what the timeline will be if Carter follows through on approving the deal:

    • Within two weeks of this year's federal awards: Most new grants awarded to LAHSA will instead be managed by the county, not LAHSA.
    • Starting Dec. 1: Grants for programs that begin on or after that date move to the county before they start.
    • January 2027: LAHSA, which has overseen the homeless counts since 2005, runs the annual homeless count one last time. The county runs it after that.
    • By March 1, 2027: The county is approved to take over as the agency that applies for federal homelessness money for the whole region going forward, instead of LAHSA.
    • By April 1, 2027: The county takes over management from LAHSA of many federal grants for programs already underway that continue past June 2027.
    • By June 30, 2027: LAHSA finishes administering federal grants that end by this date.
    • By Dec. 31, 2027: The county takes over the region’s federally required database, known as HMIS, that tracks which homeless services each person receives. The county also takes over another system, known as CES, that matches people with taxpayer-funded housing. With that, LAHSA's last remaining federal roles end.
    • January 2028: The county conducts the annual homeless count, taking over that role from LAHSA.

    What the deal would mean for services

    The federal government’s attorneys said the goal is to have stronger oversight over homelessness spending, after many years of documented failures by LAHSA. Attorneys who struck the proposed settlement said in court Friday that the timeline was structured to ensure a smooth transition that doesn’t disrupt homeless services.

    The HMIS database and matching system, which caseworkers use to track clients and place them in homes, will switch over last to avoid disrupting services, said Shayla Myers, the lead attorney for the L.A. Continuum of Care, the body that coordinates federal homelessness funding and joined LAHSA in the lawsuit.

    For taxpayers, the deal adds safeguards on spending Carter has demanded for years. LAHSA must send invoices and spending records to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) before drawing grant money, and submit receipts afterward. A HUD contractor, Guidehouse, will review its books, and the county must follow the same rules for older grants it inherits. The parties will report to Carter every three months, until LAHSA no longer has any federal roles overseen by HUD.

    A man in a suit stands in front of wood paneling and government seals.
    Bill Essayli is the first assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California.
    (
    Allen J. Schaben
    /
    Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
    )

    First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, whose office represents HUD, told LAist after the hearing that the county is probably the best equipped to take over, and scrutiny will be crucial.

    “Do I have amazing confidence in the county? No,” he said, noting that LAHSA is a joint city-county agency.

    “But we're going to verify that they are going to be good stewards of the tax money.” With LAHSA gone, he added, “The buck's going to stop at the county.”

    Under the proposed deal, LAHSA agrees to cooperate fully with HUD's investigations. A LAHSA attorney told the judge on Friday the agency is cooperating fully with criminal investigations, adding that it was critical that HUD agreed not to reinstate LAHSA’s suspension, so that it can continue to manage federal dollars until they’re handed off.

    Judge wanted more 'teeth' for the court

    Carter spent much of the hearing asking attorneys for the parties what power he would have to enforce the deal after signing. The proposed settlement lets him settle disputes and receive reports, but he said that left him looking over shoulders without the authority to actually enforce it.

    “I have no jurisdiction. I have no teeth,” he said.

    He read aloud from 2024 hearings in a related lawsuit, known as L.A. Alliance, where he warned that bills without supporting documents should not be paid. Essayli said that the proposed settlement would be binding “and we'll vigorously enforce it.”

    Myers said the deal gives the court oversight to ensure that the problems federal authorities flagged “don’t exist.”

    Carter asked to have the ability to hire an expert, at about $150 an hour paid by HUD, to help him understand the quarterly reports on implementing the deal that transfers federal roles from LAHSA to the county. Essayli agreed.

    How the case got here

    HUD suspended LAHSA from federal funds on June 11, citing alleged failures in the agency’s financial management and conflict-of-interest safeguards. The move put roughly $240 million in expected federal homelessness funding for the region in limbo and held up federal funding HUD had already awarded.

    LAHSA, which is overseen by the city and county’s elected officials, sued.

    In August, Carter blocked the suspension, writing that LAHSA and HUD had been in “a joint partnership in failure,” and ordering a competition for LAHSA's federal roles. He deferred the selection to the continuum of care — the body designated by federal law to make that choice.

    In October, the continuum chose the county for all four, over objections from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and several City Council members who wanted the city to share control. The city then reached a tentative side deal giving it access to data on unhoused residents and a role placing people in city-funded housing.

    What happens next

    Carter said he expects to sign the proposed settlement on Monday.

    Myers said the deal lets the region “build a peaceful transition of power.”

  • Sponsored message
  • The latest information on the vote
    Four signs in shades of blue reading "Re-Elect Joe,"  "Yes on W," "Elizabeth MOON" and JUDY ENNIS," are displayed on a lawn of grass.
    Campaign signs for Davis Joint Unified School District school board candidates are displayed outside a home in Davis.

    Topline:

    Left-leaning candidates running in three school board contests flagged by EdSource as races to watch are each leading comfortably in unofficial election results more than a week after a so-called “blue tsunami” swept the country. Unofficial results also show progressive candidates ahead in some races in the Inland Empire, a conservative stronghold where several far-right school board candidates ran on issues such as gender identity and parents’ rights. Counties have until Dec. 3 to certify election results.

    What else? In the Orange Unified School District, four moderate incumbents are far ahead of conservative challengers in separate races. One of them, board President Stephen Glass, defeated challenger Jack Chang, and has declared victory. The conservative candidates ran largely on parents’ rights and fiscal responsibility. All four incumbents are up by double-digit percentage points, Orange County election results show. The election follows last year’s recall of two conservative school board members.

    Read on... for more on the implications.

    Left-leaning candidates running in three school board contests flagged by EdSource as races to watch are each leading comfortably in unofficial election results more than a week after a so-called “blue tsunami” swept the country.

    Unofficial results also show progressive candidates ahead in some races in the Inland Empire, a conservative stronghold where several far-right school board candidates ran on issues such as gender identity and parents’ rights. Counties have until Dec. 3 to certify election results.

    In the Orange Unified School District, four moderate incumbents are far ahead of conservative challengers in separate races. One of them, board President Stephen Glass, defeated challenger Jack Chang, and has declared victory. The conservative candidates ran largely on parents’ rights and fiscal responsibility.

    “We won,” Glass said on social media. “We’ll keep putting students first and supporting every teacher, every classified professional and every family.”

    All four incumbents are up by double-digit percentage points, Orange County election results show. The election follows last year’s recall of two conservative school board members.

    In a race for the Davis Unified school board, an anti-transgender candidate who once stripped down to a bikini at a school board meeting, lost decisively, according to unofficial election results. Beth Bourne, president of the Yolo County chapter of Moms For Liberty, trails incumbent Elizabeth Moon by 89 percentage points, results show.

    In Palo Alto — where issues over academics dominated the race — newcomers Avery Wang and Linda Henigin are ahead in unofficial results for two seats. John Craig, who ran in tandem with Wang, conceded on election night. Wang ran primarily on retaining academic rigor, especially in math. “It’s the beginning of a movement,” Wang told Palo Alto Online.

    Henigin ran on a platform of improving student well-being following a recent spate of student suicides.

    Elsewhere in the state, school board candidates in conservative strongholds such as Chino Valley and Temecula fared poorly in local school board races.

    In Temecula, school board President Joseph Komrosky trails challenger David Sola by 10 percentage points, results show. Sola has declared victory. Komrosky had voted to ban critical race theory in district schools and attempted to ban teaching materials that mentioned slain gay rights icon Harvey Milk, drawing a sharp rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

    Komrosky’s apparent defeat was part of what The Press-Enterprise reported as “a seismic shift in local governance given recent elections that gave power to the Christian right.”

    In Chino Valley Unified in San Bernardino County, two conservative school board candidates are trailing far behind, results show. Chris Shaw, the husband of State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Sonja Shaw, trails Frank Gerdine by nearly 17 percentage points, while Meagan Lichthart is ahead of Shaun Smith, backed by Shaw, by 15 percentage points.

    This story was originally published by EdSource.

    EdSource is an independent nonprofit organization that provides analysis on key education issues facing California and the nation. LAist republishes articles from EdSource with permission.

  • State grant prevents deep service cuts
    Travelers with rolling suitcases wait on an outdoor train platform beside a gray, teal and black Metrolink locomotive numbered 922. In the foreground, a woman in sunglasses and a black hoodie stands with a blue suitcase topped by a patterned backpack, talking with a man in a gray hoodie. More passengers stand farther down the platform near double-decker passenger cars under an overcast sky.
    A Metrolink commuter train departs from the Moorpark Station on May 26, 2026 in Moorpark.

    Topline:

    Major service cuts at Metrolink, Southern California’s regional commuter rail service, are on hold for now thanks to a $20 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency. The Metrolink board of directors approved the agency’s $420 million budget on Friday.

    Why it matters: The previous budget proposal included slashing a third of weekday trains and 40% of weekend trains.

    Background: Metrolink staff have worked on this year’s budget since last September. The agency has pointed to slowing fare revenue, rising costs due to inflation and low ridership numbers for its budget troubles.

    Read on … for the latest on Metrolink’s budget.

    Major service cuts to Metrolink are on hold for now thanks to a $20 million grant from California’s State Transportation Agency. The Metrolink board of directors approved the agency’s $420 million budget on Friday.

    The previous budget proposal included slashing a third of weekday trains and 40% of weekend trains.

    “Thankfully, our customers were spared the disappointment and frustration of losing the service they rely on to travel the region for business and pleasure,” Tom Schamber, chief financial officer at Metrolink, said at the board meeting.

    How did we get here? 

    The Metrolink budget had been approved quarterly since June as staff worked out the annual budget.

    Metrolink staff have worked on this year’s budget since last September. The agency has pointed to slowing fare revenue, rising costs due to inflation and low ridership numbers for its budget troubles.

    “Fare box revenue ended the year $14 million under budget. This was sobering, and we realized that not only was fiscal [20]26 off, but our ridership expectations for fiscal year [20]27 would need to be recalibrated to this new baseline,” Schamber said.

    A majority of Metrolink’s budget is funded by Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties’ transportation agencies. For more than a year, Metrolink officials have been building a budget that member agencies, like the Orange County Transportation Authority and L.A. Metro, would approve.

    L.A. Metro and OCTA cut their subsidies to Metrolink by 3% and 10%, respectively.

    “The challenges ahead of us were becoming more evident,” Schamber said at Friday’s board meeting. “In addition to disappointing fare revenue and funding limitations, we must absorb inevitable cost increases in several of our largest contracts.”

    What we know about the grant

    The $20 million grant from the state comes with the expectation that Metrolink will retain the same service levels provided today, Schamber added.

    Metrolink CEO Darren M. Kettle said another expectation is that the agency must plan to maintain its services for the upcoming year.

    “We don't have a plan. We're working on a plan to make sure we have the funding to deliver the same level of service at a minimum,” Kettle said. “With respect to these conditions, based on what we know now, as of last evening, our staff is confident that Metrolink will be able to meet these conditions.”

    What’s next? 

    Kettle said staff got a head start on next fiscal year’s budget through the state grant application. Officials said the rail agency is also gearing up for the 2028 Olympic Games.

  • Transportation secretary says communications issue
    A Uniter Airlines plane on a tarmac near the terminal
    A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner sits on the tarmac earlier this year. Activity at Terminal 8 — United's main terminal — was disrupted Halloween morning due to a carbon monoxide leak.

    Topline:

    The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon because of communications problems at regional air traffic control centers. The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there is a communications issue affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centers that direct planes en route between airports nationwide. He said FAA technicians are investigating.

    What officials said: Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication yet that “this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunications outage.” “Everybody’s safe. There’s no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they’re flying,” Mullin said.

    The context: This is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023 when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Friday’s ground stop was different than the one after Sept. 11 because planes were not being told to land immediately and pilots likely were able to communicate with ground controllers at airports, Arroyo said.

    What's next: There is no timeline for restarting flights. Mullin said investigators will look at whether there is any link to the FAA’s nationwide rollout of a new artificial intelligence system to help identify problems and reroute planes. But that system operates out of one location near Washington, D.C., and just sends recommendations to the air traffic control centers.

    The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon because of communications problems at regional air traffic control centers.

    The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there is a communications issue affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centers that direct planes en route between airports nationwide. He said FAA technicians are investigating. This is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

    Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication yet that “this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunications outage.”

    “Everybody’s safe. There’s no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they’re flying,” Mullin said.

    There is no timeline for restarting flights. Mullin said investigators will look at whether there is any link to the FAA’s nationwide rollout of a new artificial intelligence system to help identify problems and reroute planes. But that system operates out of one location near Washington, D.C., and just sends recommendations to the air traffic control centers.

    The government has been working to overhaul the outdated technology that air traffic controllers rely on since Congress approved $12.5 billion for the project last year. Miles of old copper wires have been replaced with fiber optic lines and old radio systems are gradually being replaced at airports across the country.

    But much work remains. Duffy has said that another $30 billion will be needed to complete the work, and the White House has begun lobbying Congress to approve it.

    The problem appeared similar to a regional air traffic control communication outage in September that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said, except this time on a nationwide scale. It may be linked to the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers.

    “If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Arroyo, who is a former United Airlines pilot. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”

    Friday’s ground stop was different than the one after Sept. 11 because planes were not being told to land immediately and pilots likely were able to communicate with ground controllers at airports, Arroyo said.

    ___

    AP writer Mead Gruver contributed to this report from Fort Collins, Colorado.

    This is a developing story and will be updated.