The Brief

Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria" and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53.

His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig's disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world," said a statement that requested privacy for his family. "Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he's received."

Dane developed a devoted fanbase when his big break arrived in the mid-2000s: He was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021.

Although his character was killed off on the show after a plane crash, Dane's character left an indelible mark on the still-running show: Seattle Grace Hospital became Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

In 2019, he did a complete 180 from the charming McSteamy and became the troubled Cal Jacobs in HBO's provocative drama "Euphoria," a role he continued in up until his death.

Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world's population, in the TNT drama "The Last Ship." In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.

In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.

ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients die within three to five years of a diagnosis.

Dane became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. "Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as 'Grey's Anatomy,' which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS," he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.

Dane was born on Nov. 9, 1972, and raised in Northern California. His father, who the actor said was a Navy veteran and an architect, died of a gunshot wound when Dane was 7. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, landing guest roles on shows like "Saved by the Bell," "Married...With Children," "Charmed" and "X-Men: the Last Stand," and one season of the short-lived medical drama "Gideon's Crossing."

A memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in late 2026. "Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments" will be released by Maria Shriver's The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane's memoir covers key moments in his life, from his first day at work on "Grey's Anatomy" to the births of his two daughters and learning that he had ALS.

"I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart," Dane said in a statement about the book. "If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling."

Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and their two teen daughters, Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart and Dane wed in 2004 and separated in September 2017. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, but later filed to dismiss the petition. In a December essay for New York magazine's The Cut reflecting on Dane's diagnosis, Gayheart called their dynamic "a very complicated relationship, one that's confusing for people." She said they never got a divorce, but dated other people and lived separately.

"Our love may not be romantic, but it's a familial love," she said. "Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I'm going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that."
Copyright 2026 NPR

The U.S. Supreme Court said President Trump's tariffs policies under IEEPA are unconstitutional, dealing a major blow to the president's signature economic policy.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the 6-3 opinion. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

At issue in the case was the implementation of Trump's campaign pledge to impose massive tariffs on foreign imports. After his inauguration, Trump issued an executive order that initially imposed a tariff of at least 10% on goods from most countries doing business with the United States. Goods from countries like China have been hit with much higher tariffs — up to 145%, though they have since come down. Imports from allies like Canada and Mexico have been taxed at 25%; Canada's rate was later increased to 35%. 

But the up-and-down, fluctuating tariffs around the world spooked American businesses, prompting a court challenge, contending that the president had exceeded his authority in imposing the tariffs.

In some two dozen previous cases, the Supreme Court has been largely receptive to Trump's claims of presidential authority, but those victories came on the Supreme Court's emergency docket, allowing Trump policies to take effect on a temporary basis while the litigation played out in the lower courts.

In contrast, the tariff cases are the real deal, with the court having ordered full briefing and expedited arguments in the case, and offering the justices the first real opportunity to say "no" to the president.  

On Friday, the justices did just that.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Copyright 2026 NPR

A funk band plays their first show after the release of their debut album. The band is signed to a small-time record label owned by the co-lead singer’s brother. However, tension comes to a head when an executive from Columbia Records looks to sign away the band during the show.

This lore is what leads Brassroots District: LA ‘74, a live show that’s half concert and half immersive theater located at Catch One on Pico Boulevard.

This story concept is the brainchild of musician Ari Herstand and music executive Andrew Leib.

The genesis of the idea, according to Herstand, came from two experiences: a trip to New Orleans where he was inspired by the city’s funk and soul music scene and a trip to New York where he watched the city’s Sleep No More immersive play. He took the idea back to Brassroots District’s co-creator Andrew Leib and formed the show’s first iteration during the COVID pandemic as an outdoor show in a parking lot pegged to a fictional venue.

“ The concept of this was — the year’s 1973. Brassroots District is this hot band in L.A. on the rise,’” Herstand said. “We get our big break opening for Sly and the Family Stone at the fabulous Orbit Arena in L.A. But we're not opening inside the arena. We're opening the parking lot tailgate hang outside the arena, but it's our big break because a record label’s coming to check us out.”

Transforming into the 70’s & what theater-goers can expect

Audience members attending this latest iteration of the show are encouraged to dress in 70’s style threads. When they arrive at Catch One, they’re asked to put their phones in black bags to avoid using them during the show. (Don’t worry, the phones will still be on your person).

From there, patrons enter the venue and meet “Gem,” who guides the experience of the show. The show, directed by DeMone Seraphin, engages people to participate in activities all throughout the venue, including group dances led by fan club leader “Cassie the Brassie,” backstage breathing exercises, call and response in songs and a soul train line on the dance floor.

The music is performed by a nine-piece funk band led by co-lead singers “Copper Jones” (played by Herstand) and “Ursa Major” (played by Celeste Butler Clayton). And the music pays homage to popular 70’s bands like Sly and the Family Stone.

 ”My whole family definitely is stuck in the seventies, so it was really nice to come. Like I grew up with this type of music," said audience member Brandon Lipsett.

Meanwhile throughout the night, different storylines show tension on the dance floor between the two label owners, the band and many side characters.

At a recent performance, before Brassroots District came onstage, LAist talked with “Barry Baker,” a reporter embedded within the show who’s looking to uncover a big story brewing throughout the night all on his vintage Sony tape recorder.

“ There's a lot of big personalities in the band, so I'm hoping it goes smoothly for them,” he said, alluding to the tension between the record labels throughout the night. “But if it doesn't, it's kind of good for us.”

The storylines all play out simultaneously, which Brassroots District organizer Herstand explains are by design.

 ”[It] is a reason for you to come back because there's no way that you'll be able to pick up all the different scenes and storylines just attending one time,” Herstand said.

References to Los Angeles

Beyond historical tidbits on Richard Nixon and Vietnam that dominated the news in 1974, characters in the show make references to the Southland, including the Malibu Pier and Crenshaw Boulevard.

“ It's very important to us to honor the tradition of Los Angeles, of music, of cultures,” Herstand said, “like what is happening in Los Angeles in 1974, politically, socioeconomically, culturally, racially, all of that… And then the allusions to the bands that are coming up in L.A., the clubs in L.A. like the Troubadour, these institutions of Los Angeles. So, because we love L.A. so much and L.A. is our home now, we wanna honor all of that and really pay tribute to the history.”

And the character of Gem pays homage to Catch One’s original owner Jewel Thais-Williams, who was known for helming the L.A. nightclub as a safe space for the Black LGBTQ+ community.

 ”We wanna respect and continue the legacy of the space that we're in. We believe that [in] this venue, the walls can speak and they're alive,” Herstand said. “And so there is a bit of her legacy that is written into this current script with Catch One.”

Brassroots District: LA ‘74 runs until March 28. Learn more about the show here.

We're going to wake up to a chilly and cloudy morning, courtesy of yesterday's winter storm. There's still a chance that some light snow will dust lower elevations, including the Grapevine for this morning.

Once the sun moves in, temperatures will warm up to mid-50s to around 60 degrees from the coasts to the valleys. The Inland Empire could see frost and dense fog in the morning, followed by temperatures from 50 to 57 degrees.

The warmest area will be the Coachella Valley, where highs will reach up to 66 degrees. Meanwhile in the Antelope Valley, it's going to feel crisp with daytime highs from 41 degrees to 50 degrees.

A new analysis finds Black children are less likely to enroll in transitional kindergarten than white children.

Only 60% of eligible Black children in the state enrolled in TK compared to 68% of eligible white children in the 2024-25 school year, according to an analysis of state education data by the advocacy group EdTrust-West.

This despite officials praising the rollout of the new grade as a way to increase equity and opportunity.

“We’ve seen that the lack of support in and training in ensuring that there are culturally affirming spaces for children has been a barrier to children of color receiving equitable access to TK,” said Natalie Wheatfall-Lum, director of TK-12 policy at EdTrust-West.

California requires every school district to offer TK to all 4-year olds, but uptake in the free preschool program has been uneven.

EdTrust-West looked at parent survey data from the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, and found Black parents and caregivers were most likely to list wanting to keep their kids in their current child care arrangement as the primary reason they don’t enroll their child in TK.

A quarter of Black families also said that TK hours do not cover the hours they’re at work.

The preschool workforce is also much more diverse than the TK-12 system, Wheatfall-Lum pointed out. And she said that there’s mistrust among families because Black children have faced disproportionate discipline in the public school system.

“ TK sets the tone for a child's school experience. It's the entry point for school for young children,” she said. “ There's a lot of hesitancy and there's a lack of feelings of safety and having their little 4-year-olds enter what can be, and what has historically been, a hostile environment for Black families in particular.”

The findings in uptake mirror other research that found that the introduction of the universal program hasn’t increased participation among children from underrepresented communities. A study last year found that enrollment has grown fastest among middle to upper-income neighborhoods in the state.