Lucy Copp
is a producer for AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, delivering conversations that offer an array of voices and topics.
Published August 23, 2023 3:01 PM
The Olympic Auditorium in April 1970.
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Courtesy Theo Ehret Estate
)
Topline:
A brand new exhibit at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown Los Angeles explores the history of the famed boxing, wrestling and roller derby palace — the Olympic Auditorium.
Why now: At the center of the exhibit is the 2021 documentary 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story from writer/director Steve DeBro, who co-curated the exhibit along with boxing historian Gene Aguilera.
The backstory: When it was built in 1925, the Grand Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles was a cutting-edge sports venue and quickly became known as the Madison Square Garden of the West. But within a year of opening, the venue had essentially gone bust, and aside from a stint in the spotlight as a venue in the 1932 Olympics, it had not lived up to its grandiose expectations. That changed in the early 1940s when the L.A. Athletic Club sent Aileen Eaton to find out why it was failing. Eaton not only turned the venue into one of the most iconic boxing venues in the country but also made herself the most powerful boxing promoter in the country in the process.
What's next: The documentary is available on Blu-Ray and on-demand for rental or purchase on Amazon Prime. The exhibit is open now at La Plaza and runs through May of 2024.
When it was built in 1925, the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles was a cutting-edge sports venue and quickly became known as the Madison Square Garden of the West.
Now, a brand new exhibit at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes titled "18th and Grand: The Olympic Auditorium," recounts the 80-year history of the Grand Olympic Auditorium. The historic venue, once the epicenter of L.A. fight nights, was designed to attract and host some of the biggest matches in boxing, wresting, roller derby and music.
The boxing card for a match between World Welterweight Champion Carlos Palomino and challenger Mando Muniz at the Olympic Auditorium on Jan. 22, 1977.
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Courtesy of Gene Aguilera
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"The Olympic was like a rite of passage for a boxer," said Latino boxing historian Gene Aguilera, who co-curated the exhibit. Cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, gamblers, beer drinkers — Aguilera emphasizes just how memorable an event at the Olympic could be.
Popcorn, cigar smoke, and a night out at The Olympic
At the center of the exhibit is the documentary 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story from writer and director Steve DeBro, who co-curated the exhibit with Aguilera. DeBro, along with LA Plaza senior curator Karen Crews Hendon and Aguilera joined Larry Mantle on LAist's daily news program AirTalk to discuss the documentary, the new exhibit and the indelible impact of the Olympic.
Ruben Navarro (left) and Ray Adigun (right) trade punches during a boxing match at the Olympic Auditorium on July 25, 1968
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Courtesy of Theo Ehret Estate
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Allan Armstrong, Honey Sanchez and the T-Birds in a roller derby event at the Olympic in 1971.
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Courtesy Kevin Haupt
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Mil Máscaras and Ernie Ladd wrestle at the Olympic Auditorium in 1970.
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Courtesy Theo Ehret Estate
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Big Jay McNeely and his band perform on stage at the Olympic Auditorium in 1951.
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Courtesy of Bob Willoughby Estate
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Patrons gather outside the Olympic Auditorium in 1974.
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Courtesy Theo Ehret Estate
)
"The Olympic was pretty unavoidable back in the day," DeBro says. With only a handful of TV channels to choose from, the nationally televised weekly match at the Olympic helped cement the venue as a cultural juggernaut. It was also a training ground and coming-out venue for many Mexican and Mexican American fighters to make their name and be featured in headline events. "Whether it was wrestling, roller derby or boxing, it was part of daily life in Southern California," DeBro said.
It wasn't all bright lights and sold out events for the venue. Within a year of opening, the venue had essentially gone bust, and aside from a stint in the spotlight as a venue in the 1932 Olympics, it had not lived up to its grandiose expectations. That changed in the early 1940s when the L.A. Athletic Club, which owned the Olympic, sent Aileen Eaton to find out why it was failing. Eaton not only turned the venue into one of the most iconic boxing venues in the country, but also made herself the most powerful boxing promoter in the country in the process.
The exhibit
Boxing robes on display at the “18th and Grand: The Olympic Auditorium,” exhibit installed on the first floor of LA Plaza in July 2023, including boxing shorts and a robe worn by Alberto Dávila.
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Courtesy LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
)
Hendon remembers the Olympic Auditorium story as one we all share. "It's our cultural history. We're telling cross border stories where people of color were made into local and cultural heroes in and out of the ring, which really created a legacy of hope, identity [and] representation that really has forever remained in our memories," she said.
Photography, hand-stitched robes, punk rock fliers, roller derby ephemera — Hendon describes the experience of the exhibit as being "thrown into the environment" that captivated so many hearts and minds. "It's a slow look of the fast visual details one can see in the documentary," she said.
Roller skates on display at the “18th and Grand: The Olympic Auditorium,” exhibition installed on the first floor of LA Plaza in July 2023.
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Courtesy LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
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The exhibit is equipped with a boxing ring that is aimed at creating an immersive experience for patrons. A timeline of photos introduces you to local wrestlers and the famed luchadores of Mexico. For those who never made it to the Olympic for a live event, there is a living room set up with a TV to honor those who were captivated from home.
Photos and roller derby jerseys on display at the “18th and Grand: The Olympic Auditorium” exhibit installed on the first floor of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in July 2023.
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Courtesy LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
)
The exhibit will also open a recording studio where people can record Olympic members in a way that DeBro said "has never been done before."
The exhibit is open now at LA Plaza, and runs through May 2024.
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32:24
Olympic Auditorium’s Storied History Venue On Display At New La Plaza De Cultura Y Artes Exhibit
By Christopher Weber and Amy Taxin | Associated Press
Published September 8, 2026 5:09 PM
Emergency vehicles repond to the chemical leak in LA Habra on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
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Jae C. Hong
/
Associated Press
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Topline:
A slow leak from a chemical tank smeared an orange cloud across the sky of a Southern California neighborhood on Tuesday, but authorities said they quickly got it under control.
Why it matters: Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Aaron Katon said authorities responded to a La Habra business that makes cleaning products after receiving a call shortly before noon about the cloud. Police evacuated a nearby middle school as a precaution, Katon said.
The chemical: They do not yet know what the chemical was, but all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, Katon said.
What's next: The regional air quality management district has deployed staff to the area to investigate, said Connie Villanueva, a spokesperson for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
A slow leak from a chemical tank smeared an orange cloud across the sky of a Southern California neighborhood on Tuesday, but authorities said they quickly got it under control.
Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Aaron Katon said authorities responded to a business that makes cleaning products after receiving a call shortly before noon about the cloud. Police evacuated a nearby middle school as a precaution, Katon said.
They do not yet know what the chemical was, but all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, he said. The regional air quality management district has deployed staff to the area to investigate, said Connie Villanueva, a spokesperson for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The company, Shepard Bros., could not immediately be reached for comment.
Three company employees reported minor respiratory irritation and declined further treatment, Katon said.
The leak occurred in the city of La Habra near a mix of residential neighborhoods and industrial warehouses about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Anaheim.
Keary Godinez, who works in a nearby restaurant, said she saw what appeared to be a dark yellow cloud spread across the sky. The 20-year-old said she watched students across the street board buses to evacuate, but police told her the eatery could remain open.
“It looked like pollen dust,” Godinez said, adding she didn’t detect a smell from the cloud. “It just kind of smeared in the sky and started going away.”
La Habra Mayor Jose Medrano had urged residents to shelter in place and said some streets were being evacuated.
Luis Gomez, who manages a nearby pickleball program, said earlier Tuesday he saw the cloud, called police and was told anyone within a mile radius of the location was under an evacuation order.
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson celebrates after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals.
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Christian Petersen
/
Getty Images North America
)
Topline:
The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Phil Jackson outside their downtown arena next year. The Lakers announced the plan Tuesday to honor Jackson, who led the Lakers to five championships and seven NBA Finals appearances during two stints totaling 11 seasons as their head coach.
The backstory: After his famed tenure leading Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to six championships, Jackson joined the Lakers in 1999 and immediately began another era of major success for the 17-time NBA champion franchise. His first three teams in Los Angeles won championships behind the dynamic duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers added two more titles in 2009 and 2010 led by Bryant and Pau Gasol. His Lakers also made the NBA Finals in 2004 and 2008.
What's next: The statue will be unveiled April 9 before the Lakers’ home game against Minnesota.
The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Phil Jackson outside their downtown arena next year.
The Lakers announced the plan Tuesday to honor Jackson, who led the Lakers to five championships and seven NBA Finals appearances during two stints totaling 11 seasons as their head coach.
The statue will be unveiled April 9 before the Lakers’ home game against Minnesota.
After his famed tenure leading Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to six championships, Jackson joined the Lakers in 1999 and immediately began another era of major success for the 17-time NBA champion franchise.
His first three teams in Los Angeles won championships behind the dynamic duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers added two more titles in 2009 and 2010 led by Bryant and Pau Gasol. His Lakers also made the NBA Finals in 2004 and 2008.
Jackson set the Lakers franchise record for coaches with 610 victories while leading his teams to the playoffs in every year of his tenure, which ended in 2011.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. After he accepted my dad’s invitation to join the Lakers, Phil’s unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come. It is a great joy to be able to mark that achievement with the statue he so richly deserves.”
Jackson will be the ninth person associated with the Lakers to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza outside their arena. He joins Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bryant, O’Neal, broadcaster Chick Hearn and former coach Pat Riley, whose statue was unveiled earlier this year.
Jackson’s 11 championships as a head coach are the most in NBA history. The North Dakota native and former New York Knicks forward is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published September 8, 2026 3:25 PM
Clouds form over Venice Beach in August. Tropical moisture from Hurricane Marie is currently causing extreme humidity in Southern California this week.
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Apu Gomes
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for much of Southern California from Wednesday morning through Thursday.
The details: This week’s combination of heat and humidity could be worse than it has been all summer. Forecasters say temperatures will peak on Wednesday. Highs could get up to the triple digits. Overnight lows will also stay elevated. They may only get down to the 70s in places, offering little relief from the heat.
The humidity: Climate experts say the humidity this week could be some of the highest on record in Southern California, even after a summer marked by repeated humid heatwaves. The moisture in the air, combined with the extreme heat, makes it increasingly difficult for the human body to cool down, especially when outdoors. It’s also driving scattered rain and thunderstorms that will continue for the next few days.
The backstory: The tropical moisture is due in large part to the leftovers of Hurricane Marie hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. On top of that, record high ocean temperatures off the Southern California coast are adding to the humidity.
Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published September 8, 2026 2:22 PM
Mari Barke, photographed at the California Policy Center in Irvine in 2024.
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Courtesy of Mari Barke
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Topline:
An O.C. Superior Court judge increased the economic penalties for Orange County Board of Education member Marilyn “Mari” Barke for failing to report millions of dollars in economic disclosure filings. She will now have to pay more than $100,000 in penalties, according to court documents.
Why it matters: Barke was elected in 2018 to the Orange County Board of Education, which oversees and approves the county’s education budget that serves around 450,000 students.
Background: In 2024, the Fair Political Practices Commission found Barke liable for failing to correctly report income, resulting in a $3,200 penalty. But a judge in July said the FPPC’s settlement didn’t fully address Barke’s actions.
What are the penalties? Barke will have to pay $101,800 in penalties, as well as attorney fees, for incorrectly filling out economic disclosure statements and for failure to correct amended statements. She will be credited the $3,200 paid to the FPPC. Barke’s lawyer did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What changed? Orange County Superior Court Judge H. Shaina Colover handed the decision on Sept. 3. Colover said in a final statement on the decision that “substantial civil damages are warranted” to enforce the Political Reform Act and prevent future violations.
Officials say: The complaint was filed by Lynne Riddle, a retired judge. Riddle’s lawyers said in a statement to LAist that the court’s ruling is a “landmark” outcome for public trust and that the high penalty fees show how serious the offenses were. “We hope this result reminds every public official in California that transparency is not optional, and that the public has both the right to know and the tools to hold them accountable when transparency is ignored,” Riddle’s legal team said.
