Topline:
“The Pitt” is the leading nominee at the upcoming Emmy Awards, with “Hacks,” another HBO series, garnering the second most nominations.
78th Emmy Awards: Winners will be announced at the 78th Emmy Awards on Sept. 14. On Tuesday NBC announced Mariska Hargitay will host.
Read on . . . for a list of nominees in this year's top catagories.
“The Pitt” is the leading nominee at the upcoming Emmy Awards, with numerous actors who play doctors on the drama series snagging nominations.
“Hacks,” another HBO series, got the second most nominations when the Emmy nominations were announced Wednesday in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, NBC announced that “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay will host the Sept. 14 ceremony.
“The Diplomat”; “The Gilded Age”; “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”; “Paradise”; “The Pitt”; “Pluribus”; “Slow Horses”; “Your Friends & Neighbors”
“Abbott Elementary”; “The Bear”; “Hacks”; “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”; “Nobody Wants This”; “Only Murders in the Building”; “Shrinking”; “Widow’s Bay”
“All Her Fault”; “The Beast in Me”; “Beef”; “DTF St. Louis”; “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette”
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”; Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”; Mark Ruffalo, “Task”; Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”; Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age”; Chase Infiniti, “The Testaments”; Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”; Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus”; Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Topline:
The former Pacific Palisades resident accused of starting a fire that led to last year’s destructive Palisades Fire pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new set of reduced arson-related charges, according to federal prosecutors.
Why it matters: Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, was arraigned on two charges in a downtown L.A. courtroom. He was originally facing three arson-related charges, but his first trial ended with a deadlocked jury in June. The judge declared a mistrial, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli vowed to retry the case before a new jury.
Why now: Steve Haney, Rinderknecht’s attorney, told reporters after the hearing that their defense strategy will mostly remain the same, as he argues Rinderknecht is innocent. "I've maintained all along that the charging was a little bit curious," Haney said, according to LAist’s media partner CBS LA. "[Prosecutors] still need to establish that there's some bridge between the two fires, the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1 and Palisades on Jan. 7, and I think that's a real challenge."
The backstory: Prosecutors have argued that Rinderknecht maliciously started the smaller fire Lachman Fire near a hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains just after midnight on New Year’s Day 2025. About a week later, it became the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.
What's next: The retrial was originally set for October, but it’s been continued to Nov. 2. Rinderknecht will stay in federal custody in the meantime.
Go deeper: Judge declares mistrial for man accused of starting deadly Palisades Fire
Topline:
Los Angeles County education leaders say Inglewood Unified is emerging from a financial crisis that started more than a decade ago. An estimated 5,000 students returned to district campuses this week for the start of what could be the last school year under the control of an outside administrator.
The backstory: Inglewood Unified entered receivership in 2012 after the district requested a multimillion loan from the state to balance its budget. As a condition of the loan, the state, and later Los Angeles County, appointed a series of outside administrators to run the district. To regain local control, Inglewood Unified must meet more than 100 standards related to finance, governance, staffing, student achievement and facilities and pay off the $29 million loan — with interest.
Why it matters: If the district maintains recent improvements to its financial and facilities management, as determined by the evaluation of a state agency, the elected board of education could regain the power to approve a budget and make other key decisions in 2027. County administrator Jim Morris told LAist he is “completely confident,” the district’s scores on the state evaluation will continue to improve.
Challenges ahead: Deficit spending was one factor that landed Inglewood Unified in receivership and the district's spending is expected to exceed revenue by $21 million this school year, according to the most recent report from the state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). Inglewood Unified, like other California districts, also expects enrollment to continue to decline. The FCMAT report found the district enrolls 67% fewer students than it did in the 2003-04 school year.
Read on… to learn more about the upcoming school year in Inglewood.
Los Angeles County education leaders say Inglewood Unified is emerging from a financial crisis that started more than a decade ago.
An estimated 5,000 students returned to district campuses this week for the start of what could be the last school year under the control of an outside administrator.
“ We spent the first day of school filled with joy,” said James Morris, the district’s county-appointed administrator since 2023. “Breakfasts were ready. Children were welcomed with balloons and red carpets.”
Morris said 95% of enrolled students showed up Monday and 96% on Tuesday— several percentage points higher than recent statewide attendance averages.
Last month, a state agency announced the district had met all the standards needed to regain local control, and if it maintains those improvements for another year, the board of education could again have the power to approve a budget and make other key decisions in 2027.
“This exit from receivership is something the community has been waiting for,” Morris said.
Morris told LAist he is “completely confident” the district’s scores on the state evaluation will continue to improve.
However, Inglewood, like other California school districts, faces continued budgetary and enrollment challenges.
Inglewood Unified became one of 10 school districts in California to enter receivership in 2012 after the district requested a multimillion loan — and ultimately borrowed $29 million — from the state to balance its budget.
As a condition of the loan, the state, and later Los Angeles County, appointed a series of outside administrators to run the district.
To regain local control, Inglewood Unified must meet more than 100 standards related to finance, governance, staffing, student achievement and facilities established by the state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT).
FCMAT’s July 2026 report found Inglewood Unified met all the standards. It now needs to maintain those standards for another year.
The district will continue to have additional oversight until it pays off the $29 million loan — with interest — and completes an external audit.
Overspending was one factor that landed Inglewood Unified in receivership and the district's spending is expected to exceed revenue by $21 million this school year, according to the most recent FCMAT report.
The district has outlined a series of budget cuts, including nearly $7 million in the 2026-27 school year, that includes eliminating certificated educators, support staff and administrators because of declining enrollment.
The FCMAT report found the district enrolls 67% fewer students than it did in the 2003-04 school year.
The district closed nearly half of its schools since the start of the receivership. Five shuttered in June 2025.
Inglewood Unified, like other California districts, also expects enrollment to continue to decline. The state distributes funding based on an average of how many students show up to class each day, so fewer students means a smaller multiplier for education dollars.
However, Deputy Superintendent Bernadette Lucas, says new programs could help stem enrollment losses.
“ Historically, the district has seen its greatest drop between middle school and high school, as parents and students look for options that align to their passions and their futures,” Lucas said.
In response, Lucas said high schools are creating pathways for students to earn career and technical education certificates. In 2025, Dr. Dre and producer Jimmy Iovine partnered with the district to open a new high school focused on design, technology and entrepreneurship.
“I'm not saying it's a huge wave, but students are coming back slowly, and families are expressing more interest,” Lucas said.
Watch or attend a board meeting
Five elected trustees represent Inglewood Unified residents. Even though the board doesn’t currently oversee the district directly, their meetings are where important decisions about finances, curriculum, school safety and other topics are discussed.
Community members can also share their experiences and ask questions during the public comment portion of each meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19. The public portion of the meeting is expected to start at 5 p.m.
The agenda, livestream link and schedule of upcoming meetings are online.
PTAs often organize fundraisers, student events and volunteer opportunities for their school. Parents, guardians, caregivers and other family members of students are welcome to join.
“ We're the fun arm of the school,” Marcie Brown, vice president of the Inglewood Council of PTAs, told LAist in July.
Several contests in November’s general election will shape the future of Inglewood schools.
There are elections for three of the district’s five board seats. The winners of these races will likely serve on the first board with decision-making power since the district entered receivership.
Voters will also decide whether to approve a new property tax to raise up to $396 million to pay for repairs and classroom upgrades.
LAist will have a guide to Inglewood Unified’s bond measure in our upcoming Voter Game Plan.
Topline:
As the Trump administration continues to add barriers to the U.S. naturalization process, the Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new rule that would make it more expensive to apply. Advocates in Southern California are responding to changes.
Why it matters: Immigrant advocates say they are already seeing a sharp drop in the number of people who are being scheduled for naturalization interviews.
What's next: The public has until 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026 to provide comments on DHS’s proposed changes.
Where to weigh in: If you would like to provide public comment, you can do so directly on the U.S. Government’s website by clicking on the green “SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT” button here.
Go deeper: What it’s like to teach a US citizenship prep class right now
Since fall 2025, the Trump administration has moved to make it more challenging for people to become U.S. citizens.
In the past, candidates for naturalization studied the answers to 100 questions issued by the federal government. During their civics test, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers would ask 10 questions from the list; to pass, candidates had to answer six correctly. Now, candidates must be prepared to answer 128 questions, and more correct answers are required to pass.
The Department of Homeland Security has also reintroduced “neighborhood investigations” into aspiring citizens — a discretionary practice that had been shelved since the 1990s.
About a year since those changes were implemented, advocates in Southern California say they are seeing additional barriers, including delays in the scheduling of naturalization interviews and heightened scrutiny of applicants who request waivers for testing requirements due to a physical, developmental, or mental disability.
DHS has also proposed changes that could make it significantly more expensive to apply for naturalization; more expensive for candidates to appeal denials; and eliminate fee waivers and reduced fees for low-income applicants.
The agency has said that these changes are needed to cover the cost of adjudicating naturalization applications.
For Dahni Tsuboi, CEO of the nonprofit Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, this claim rings hollow.
“When you compare the $240 billion that have been invested by Congress in the last 18 months on the enforcement side, and then, for the people who are taking all the steps to become citizens, we're just making that much harder, I think that's very alarming,” she said.
In recent months, local immigrant advocacy groups have seen a drop in the number of people getting scheduled for naturalization interviews.
At the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, “we still have folks who applied before the [changes to the civics tests were implemented last October] that are still awaiting an interview,” said staff attorney Shawntel Williams.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California has been doing naturalization work for 40 years, Tsuboi said. Typically, 5 to 10 of their clients get scheduled for naturalization interviews every month. Since April 2026, that number has dropped to zero.
According to the nonprofit, the total number of naturalization adjudications per month — including approvals and denials — went from 78,379 in September 2025 to 37,832 by January 2026.
Tsuboi fears that naturalization rates could drop even further if DHS’s fee changes are implemented.
The changes, she said, could have an outsized impact on Asian Americans communities, who make up the largest share of naturalized U.S. citizens. At the nonprofit she represents, Tsuboi added, “75% of the individuals who apply for naturalization use the fee waiver or the reduced fees.”
The public has until 8:59 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24 to provide comments on DHS’s proposed changes to naturalization fees.
If you would like to provide public comment, you can do so directly on the U.S. Government’s website by clicking on the green “SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT” button here.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California has also created a portal with a template, which will forward comments to the federal government.
To support immigrants navigating the evolving naturalization landscape, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’s Shawntel Williams and her colleague, Eugenia Kim, have been hosting free citizenship education workshops at the nonprofit’s offices in Westlake.
They also offer free pre-screening clinics for people who are interested in determining their eligibility.
For people with a physical, developmental, or mental disability, Kim said “we strongly recommend — more than ever — that if you believe that you qualify to apply for an N-648." The form is a medical certification that's completed by a doctor who has personal knowledge of your disabilities and has actually treated you over the years.
"We also recommend that applicants have that completed N-648 reviewed closely by an attorney,” Kim said.
She and Williams plan to continue hosting their legal clinics for the foreseeable future.
For aspiring U.S. citizens, Williams added, legal advice has become essential, as news of all the changes to the naturalization process could be discouraging.
“We don't want people to count themselves out,” she said.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a move that would fast-track construction on some temporary projects for the 2028 Olympic Games by bypassing planning and zoning requirements.
Why it matters: The ordinance is designed to “establish relief” from review for certain projects around the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics to help "successfully execute” the events. The exempted projects could include anything from training facilities to fan zones and security perimeters.
The City Council voted 13-0 Wednesday to approve the ordinance. Councilmembers John Lee and Hugo Soto-Martínez absent. Once council adjourns after its Friday meeting, the ordinance will head to L.A. Mayor Karen Bass for final approval, according to the city clerk's office.
Concerns from neighborhood groups: Some neighborhood groups pushed back against the proposal in statements to the council, including North Hollywood Northeast and Westside.
Casey Maddren, president of United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles argued in a letter earlier this month that there is no defined project — only broad categories — and that the plan violates the city’s zoning code. Maddren wrote that the “biggest problem with the ordinance is that it also allows the construction of permanent projects, which could be designated as permanent either before or after construction.”
Go deeper: LA considers fast-tracking construction of temporary structures for promised 'no build' Olympics
LAist's Libby Rainey contributed to this story.
