The Brief

Big Bear’s famous bald eagles — Jackie and Shadow — are often in the spotlight, but they’re not the only wild bird nests in Southern California starring in their own livestreams and capturing human attention.

There are dozens of bald eagles with more than 20 nests across the Channel Islands, clinging to cliffs and tree-like bushes from Santa Catalina to Santa Cruz off the coast of Ventura.

Among them are Jak and Audacity, the resident duo on Santa Cruz Island whose nest is featured in a livestream and followed by dedicated viewers.

“Before Jackie and Shadow, there was Jak and Audacity,” according to the Institute for Wildlife Studies. “Before Jak and Audacity was Chase and Cholyn.”

Several decades ago, there were no bald eagles left in Southern California, according to the institute.

But after years of work by the Northern California-based nonprofit, the population has returned to its historic coastal habitat and grown to an estimated 60 birds across five islands.

“Here's this great success story of nature coming back, and it's happening, you know, really close to one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the world,” said Brian Hudgens, vice president of the Institute for Wildlife Studies.

Lay of the land

According to the institute, the Channel Islands eagle population is stable and could grow. As many as 25 eaglets fledge, or leave their respective nests, each year.

But challenges linger for Southern California’s only remaining coastal population of bald eagles. Some pairs continue to have failed nests.

Jak and Audacity have struggled to produce fledglings “not even half” of the years they've tried to breed in their Sauces Canyon territory, according to Hudgens.

Other Channel Islands nests successfully lay eggs and raise chicks almost every year.

“The challenges that they face is this variation from territory to territory and how good they are, and it's one of those things that we don't yet understand,” Hudgens said. “One of the reasons why we want to keep doing this is we're trying to figure out what's causing some birds to do really well, and other birds to not do as well.”

Bringing the birds back

Bald eagles used to be found on all eight Channel Islands, but the population dwindled and eventually disappeared by 1960, according to the Institute for Wildlife Studies.

The damage was driven by long-term exposure to high levels of DDT, a once-popular synthetic pesticide.

DDT and chemicals were dumped in the ocean basins off the coast of Los Angeles starting around the 1940s. Thousands of pounds may have been dumped until 1972, when new environmental regulations were passed by Congress, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

The U.S. banned DDT in 1972, largely because of its environmental effects and toxicity to wildlife. For bald eagles specifically, DDT poisoned the birds and caused egg shell thinning that resulted in many failed nesting attempts, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

That’s where the Institute for Wildlife Studies comes in. In 1980, the nonprofit took on its first project — reintroducing bald eagles to Catalina Island by relocating wild birds from Pacific Northwest nests.

The first eggs from those early breeding pairs were laid on Catalina Island in 1987, but they broke soon after.

“They had problems with their eggshells still being very thin because these birds are now feeding in the waters that are contaminated by DDT,” Hudgens said, adding that the eggs had some of the highest levels of DDT on record.

To help the reintroduced Catalina Island population, wildlife biologists removed the fragile eggs from eagles affected by DDT and replaced them with decoy eggs so the adults would continue to incubate.

The real eggs were then artificially incubated in special chambers, Hudgens said. The chicks that hatched were fostered back into nests on the island, as were chicks from wild eagles and those from the San Francisco Zoo’s Avian Conservation Center.

Peter Sharpe of the Institute for Wildlife Studies places a 2-week-old bald eagle chick in a nest on Catalina Island as part of the Bald Eagle Recovery Program via helicoptering to cliffs.

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Dozens more juvenile bald eagles were released to Channel Islands National Park, and by 2006, some of the birds started hatching eggs on their own. It marked the first known natural nest hatching on Santa Cruz Island since 1950, according to the institute.

“So we stopped going in and interfering because the idea is always to do as little as we need to,” Hudgens said. “Ever since then, they've been hatching well and [the] population has been growing quite steadily.”

SoCal’s ‘unique’ coastal habitat

The Channel Islands are now home to 60 bald eagles and nearly two dozen breeding pairs, according to 2022 estimates from the Institute for Wildlife Studies.

Institute for Wildlife Studies biologists work on banding a bald eagle on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park in July 2004.

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A biologist with the Institute for Wildlife Studies carries a juvenile bald eagle to a hack tower on Santa Cruz Island in 2005.

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Erin Weiner, the nonprofit’s eagle project lead, told LAist the islands’ largely undisturbed coastal habitat is "pretty unique," especially for California.

Rather than sticking to tall trees as seen in Big Bear or Alaska, a lot of the Catalina eagles nest on cliffs, using sticks to shield from the sheer drops, Weiner said. On Santa Rosa, some of the birds build their nests in bushes.

“On the islands, you get a lot of, like, gigantism,” Weiner said. “So, things that are bushy and small on the mainland become tree-like on islands, and so you have eagles nesting in these tree-like bushes.”

As part of the organization’s efforts to study the Channel Islands eagle population, Weiner hikes around all the known historic territories during breeding season to research the adults, eggs and chicks.

Trail cameras are set-up to keep track of the nests when humans aren’t around. Weiner occasionally has to repel down cliffs to maintain the equipment when the birds are no longer breeding.

There are also livestream cameras on a few nests through a partnership with Explore, featuring eagle pairs like Chase and Cholyn in Two Harbors or Andor and Cruz in Fraser Point.

Cruz was the first known chick to hatch naturally on the Channel Islands in decades, but Jak and Audacity in Sauces Canyon are probably the most famous pair right now, Hudgens said.

“I really appreciate the people who spend the time to watch those birds, and often they're telling us what's going on before we have any idea,” he said with a laugh.

The bald eagle population has spread to other islands in the area, including Santa Rosa and Anacapa. Some have flown as far as British Columbia, while others are setting up territories in places like Anaheim Hills in Orange County, Weiner said.

A bald eagle arrives with a fish to feed two chicks in north Orange County in 2023. The tag indicates it's part of the Institute for Wildlife Studies project to rebuild the bald eagle population on the Channel Islands, was hatched in 2013 at Santa Rosa Island and given the name La'i.

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This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.