Topline:
Firefighters continue to gain control over the Mountain Fire, increasing containment to 60% on Wednesday, aided by weaker winds.
What we know so far: The Mountain Fire broke out in the Somis area around 9 a.m. Wednesday and almost immediately prompted mandatory evacuations in Ventura County. It's grown to more than 20,600 acres.
Keep reading... for more on evacuations and weather conditions.
This is a developing story and will be updated. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Firefighters continue to gain control over the Mountain Fire, increasing containment to 60% on Wednesday, aided by weaker winds.
Some evacuation orders and warnings have been downgraded or lifted, but several areas are still affected.
Since breaking out last Wednesday in Ventura County, the fire has destroyed and damaged more than 250 structures and forced thousands to flee.
Of the more than 20,600 acres that’ve been affected by the fire, over half are in agriculture.
Winds are expected to return Tuesday and Wednesday, but officials said the conditions won’t be nearly as extreme as when the fire started.
“This is a good thing because we get a wind test, and it's good to get a wind test when you have 2,000 firefighters in your neighborhood,” Ryan Walbrun, National Weather Service incident meteorologist for the fire, said at a news conference Monday evening.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Friday to support ongoing response and recovery efforts after he proclaimed a state of emergency in Ventura County.
Last week’s dangerous conditions — gusty, dry and widespread — haven't been seen since 2020, according to the National Weather Service. Conditions are reminiscent of what we saw during the devastating Woolsey Fire in 2018 which ignited almost exactly 6 years ago on Nov. 8.
The Mountain Fire broke out last Wednesday morning at around 9 a.m. near Moorpark at Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road. It was currently 60% contained as of Wednesday morning.
“We rank No. 1 in the state for avocados, and sadly, avocados have been hardest hit in this fire so far,” Korinne Bell, Ventura County agricultural commissioner, said at a news conference Monday evening.
All together, Bell said they’re looking at more than $6 million in damages.
However, she noted they’re only a quarter of the way through their survey, so they “expect that number to go up exponentially.”
Several evacuation orders remain in effect for the city of Camarillo, unincorporated Camarillo, Somis, Santa Paula, and Fillmore as of Monday. Officials said these areas can't be considered safe due to various utility hazards.
Some of the hardest hit areas in Camarillo Heights also aren’t able to fully reopen at this time.
However, residents were able to access the area between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
A handful of evacuation warnings are in effect, including around Santa Paula, Somis, and the Moorpark Country Club.
When an evacuation order is downgraded to a warning, as at least two areas were Tuesday, that doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. Firefighters could still be mopping up hot spots and controlling other hazards.
There’s still a chance that an evacuation order could be reissued if the dangerous conditions come back.
Officials recommend doing a thorough inspection when you return home after a wildfire, and you can find a checklist here.
For those who will be cleaning up ash around their homes or other areas, you can find more information on how to do it safely in English here, and in Spanish here.
Dustin Gardner, Ventura County fire chief, said at a news conference Monday that they’re moving into the recovery stage, which he warned is going to be long and complicated.
“Be patient with your neighbors, be patient with the crews you see out in the communities,” he said. “And just remember, this is Ventura, and Ventura is strong, and the 805 is resilient. So stay with it.”
A community meeting will be held 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Drive, Camarillo.
Anyone impacted by the Mountain Fire is invited to attend.
City and county leaders will share information about the Local Assistance Center opening in Camarillo to support residents and business owners. Officials will also give guidance for requesting property tax deferrals, environmental health info, and about the rebuilding planning process.
All Ventura County schools are expected to open as usual Wednesday.
The following Ventura County schools were closed Tuesday:
At least 20 Ventura County schools and districts were closed last Friday, including all locations of the Hueneme Elementary School District, Oxnard School District, and Somis Union School District.
An “unsafe water alert,” meaning it's not safe to drink or boil, has been issued by Pleasant Valley Mutual Water Company and the County of Ventura, Water & Sanitation for District 19 - Somis.
Pleasant Valley customers can call 805-482-5061 for more information.
County of Ventura, Water & Sanitation customers can call 805-378-3000 for more information.
Both companies will have to make repairs and send lab samples to ensure the water meets state requirements, which could take several days to a week.
Note: California American Water lifted its unsafe water alert on Tuesday.
Crestview Mutual Water Company lifted its unsafe water alert on Monday. Crestview customers, which included all homes on Ramona, La Cresenta, La Patera, Avocado, La Marina, Crestview, Via Zamora, Sereno Place, Valley Vista, Marine View, Vista Del Mar, Fairway Drive, and Alviso Drive, can now use their water normally.
The Mountain Fire broke out in the Somis area around 9 a.m. Wednesday and almost immediately prompted mandatory evacuations in Ventura County.
It's grown to more than 20,600 acres and jumped Highway 118, with half a dozen injuries confirmed.
Standing on top of a hill near a temporary evacuation center at Padre Serra Parish, Cheryl Sabato said she had evacuated her home in the Somis area earlier Wednesday morning.
“It was pretty harrowing,” Sabato told LAist as she watched Camarillo burn down below.
“This is crazy. We get this every year, but not to the point where it went over the ridge,” she added, surprised that the fire had jumped Highway 118.
Helicopters dropped water on the flames Wednesday afternoon in an effort to save houses on hillsides in Camarillo. Residents watched on, hoping their homes would be spared.
VC Fire has at least six strike teams on scene, with more crews helping from L.A. City.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday afternoon that it had authorized the use of federal dollars to aid California in fighting the Mountain Fire. That money can go toward field camps, materials, equipment use and other firefighting expenses.
Topline:
Something unusual is happening with only a few days remaining before the U.S. men's national team opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay: Tickets for the match are not sold out.
More details: Although numbers fluctuate regularly, FIFA's ticketing website still shows 132 tickets left to sell for a game that's set to take place in Los Angeles on Friday. Meanwhile, resale platforms such as StubHub and SeatGeek — and FIFA's own marketplace — also show thousands of tickets on sale.
Why now: Ticketing experts widely agree on the reason: the prices. FIFA dramatically jacked them up for the tournament — especially for high profile games. The most expensive regular seats for the U.S. opener against Paraguay are priced at $2,735 — more than the final cost for the 2022 World Cup final — while the cheapest are $1,120.
Read on... for more on the opening matches.
Something unusual is happening with only a few days remaining before the U.S. men's national team opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay: Tickets for the match are not sold out.
Although numbers fluctuate regularly, FIFA's ticketing website still shows 132 tickets left to sell for a game that's set to take place in Los Angeles on Friday. Meanwhile, resale platforms such as StubHub and SeatGeek — and FIFA's own marketplace — also show thousands of tickets on sale.
The number is even higher for Canada's opening match against Bosnia Herzegovina in Toronto on the same day, with 226 tickets left in FIFA's website and a high number of tickets available in resale markets.
That's unusual for high-profile events such as the opening matches of the World Cup — traditionally among the hardest to get tickets in the tournament. This year will feature three hosts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — but so far only Mexico's opening match against South Africa on Thursday looks to be virtually sold out.
Ticketing experts widely agree on the reason: the prices. FIFA dramatically jacked them up for the tournament — especially for high profile games. The most expensive regular seats for the U.S. opener against Paraguay are priced at $2,735 — more than the final cost for the 2022 World Cup final — while the cheapest are $1,120.
Even President Trump said he wouldn't pay those prices.
"I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn't pay it either, to be honest with you," Trump told the New York Post in a recent interview.
The other two remaining games for the U.S. national have far fewer tickets available, given that prices are well below the ones for the opening match.
There are not only plenty of tickets left to sell — a number of them are also available below FIFA's face value. According to Ticketdata, which tracks prices across the resale platforms, the cheapest pair of tickets for the opening match for the U.S. and Canada was $951 as of Monday morning, while in FIFA's resale platform, tickets were available for as low as $690.
Other games across the 104-match tournament also still have many tickets left to sell — despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino's claim that every match is "already sold out." That's especially the case for lesser well known teams such as the Jordan against Algeria match, which still had hundreds of unsold seats in the FIFA's web site.
Demand for high-profile tickets such as Argentina and Portugal was far higher, however, with many of those games looking largely sold out.
Whether eventually the U.S. and Canada opening matches will sell out is hard to answer. Throughout the sales process, FIFA has closely guarded how many tickets it has actually sold and how many are left to sell, making it virtually impossible to gauge.
In addition, like other teams, FIFA could also sell tickets in other platforms including third-party ones such as SeatGeek, which can further obscure how many tickets are left to sell.
FIFA and organizers, however, are hoping for a surge in excitement that leads to a last-minute rush of sales for the opening matches as well as for those such as Jordan against Algeria that look far from being sold out.
Ben Shields, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, says perceptions so far of the tournament have been shaped by how expensive tickets and travel has been for a tournament taking place across an entire continent.
That, he says, "does not seem to sit well with many."
But that could change.
"The hope or bet — for FIFA is that once the matches start — and the greatest players in the world compete for the most prestigious prize of them all, the sport as business lens will fade into the background and the World Cup will be seen and experienced as the enduring global institution that it is," Shields says. "We shall see."
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
Orange County’s top elected leaders on Tuesday are set to discuss what to do with $3.7 million recovered from the Andrew Do corruption scheme.
The backstory: Do is now serving a five-year sentence in federal prison after he admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for awarding millions in tax dollars meant to feed needy seniors and people with disabilities in his district. As part of the plea deal, Do acknowledged taking over $800,000 in bribes through his two daughters, including a down payment on the house his youngest daughter Rhiannon Do later forfeited to resolve the criminal case. The scheme was first uncovered by LAist.
What they want: Ahead of Tuesday’s discussion, Do’s successor — Janet Nguyen — said the funds should support residents of his former district who were deprived by Do and his alleged co-conspirators. Other supervisors have advocated a broader view of how they’d want to use the money.
Orange County’s top elected leaders on Tuesday are set to discuss what to do with $3.7 million recovered from the Andrew Do corruption scheme.
Do is now serving a five-year sentence in federal prison after he admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for awarding millions in tax dollars meant to feed needy seniors and people with disabilities in his district.
As part of the plea deal, Do acknowledged taking more than $800,000 in bribes through his two daughters, including a down payment on the house his youngest daughter Rhiannon Do later forfeited to resolve the criminal case. The scheme was first uncovered by LAist.
Federal officials recovered money from seized bank accounts and two properties connected to Do’s scheme — including the Tustin house his daughter bought.
The county Board of Supervisors is expected to publicly discuss plans for the recovered funds as they make decisions on the overall county budget at their meeting Tuesday. Public comment will also be taken.
Ahead of Tuesday’s discussion, Do’s successor said the funds should support residents of his former district who were deprived by Do and his alleged co-conspirators.
“For the past five years, every other district in Orange County has benefitted from the same community funds to support their cities, nonprofits, civic projects which strengthens their communities,” Supervisor Janet Nguyen wrote in a mass email to constituents last week. “However, our district went without because Do stole what belonged to our residents.”
“This money was stolen from the First District, and it must come back to the First District,” Nguyen added.
Nguyen was Do’s mentor and former boss more than a decade ago, before the two had a bitter falling out by 2016.
She encouraged residents of her district to send letters to the board and to speak during public comments.
Several county supervisors told LAist they supported a similar approach, one in which the recovered money goes to support the original intended recipients: seniors and people with disabilities in Do’s former district. Some supervisors have since advocated a broader view of how they’d want to use the money, noting that it was meant to address disruptions caused by the pandemic. Now that years have passed since the initial COVID-19 outbreak and lockdowns, some supervisors argue community needs have changed.
“We are so many years on, and the problems that money originally was to address (mostly Covid impacts) are now behind us, that I think we should have a discussion about how and where to spend it,” Supervisor Don Wagner told LAist via text message in March. “The budget is so tight and the needs so great across the county.”
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said he’d work toward a fair distribution of the funds to best serve residents, with a focus on current needs.
“We will definitely consider what areas of the County were harmed by Do’s scheme, but we must also remember that the funds were intended for relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, a threat we are no longer facing,” he said in March. “We also need to consider addressing the current needs of residents with any dollars returned to the county.”
The amount of taxpayer money recovered so far is less than half of the $7.9 million Andrew Do admitted was diverted from specific meal contracts.
In a lawsuit seeking to recover funds, the county alleges the total amount lost in the scheme was even larger: $13.25 million. The county’s suit — scheduled for trial in November 2027 — covers all of the money Do gave to two nonprofits accused in the scheme, Viet America Society and Hand to Hand Relief Organization.
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is ngerda.47.
That leaves more than $4 million — and possibly much more — not yet recovered.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted they have an ongoing criminal case against Do’s alleged co-conspirator Peter Pham.
“Assuming we obtain a conviction in that matter, we would expect to seek restitution,” the spokesperson, Ciaran McEvoy, said.
Pham left the country on a flight to Taiwan in late 2024 and remains a fugitive, according to McEvoy. The case against him also includes charges against another alleged co-conspirator, Thanh Huong Nguyen, who led the Hand to Hand nonprofit.
Topline:
More than 6,000 fans watched a U.S. Men's National Soccer Team practice Monday morning at their base camp at Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine. It's the only time the team will practice in public during the World Cup.
Why it matters: For fans of the US Men's National Soccer Team, it's a rare chance to see them without an expensive ticket. Thousands signed up for a lottery, with many left disappointed.
What's at stake: The U.S. men’s team is representing co-host country USA in this 2026 World Cup, a country that has millions of youth in soccer leagues nationwide but that is often bested in international play by much smaller countries.
Why Irvine: The team will use the soccer field and stadium at the Great Park as their training facility during the team’s three group play matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The backstory: The U.S. men’s team has not made it to quarterfinals in the World Cup since 2002.
What's next: The U.S. plays Paraguay on June 12, Australia on June 19, and Turkey on June 25 in group play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Fans of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team swelled the stadium at the Great Park in Irvine on Monday to watch players practice for the first time since arriving at the training facility they’ll call home for the first round of the 2026 World Cup.
“Seeing them play right now… it was really cool to see how they play and how they practice,” said Mila Ran, who came with her mother from nearby Mission Viejo.
“This whole time she’s saying, 'I want to go shoot, I want to go play,'” said Mila’s mother, Farah Ran.
They were among about 6,000 people who won free entry to the practice in a lottery that received more than 30,000 entries, according to Irvine officials.
The team’s biggest stars — Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and others — showed off their ball handling skills, honed over years of play on U.S. youth fields and overseas in professional leagues. Fans yelled, waved U.S. flags, held up homemade signs, and did the wave several times.
After the roughly 45-minute practice, some players walked to the sidelines to take selfies with fans and sign autographs.
The players know it’s going to take more than this, however, to live up to expectations during the World Cup.
“To be in a position to train in front of these people today… is such a unique opportunity and one that none of us take for granted,” said backup goalie Matt Freese before the practice. “We’re working as hard as we can, as focused as we can to leave the next generation inspired."
The U.S. men’s team and their training staff will use the Great Park facility over the next several weeks as the team plays Paraguay on Friday, Australia on June 19, and Turkey on June 25 in group play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Topline:
Jury selection began Monday for the trial of the man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures.
The charges: Jonathan Rinderknecht is charged with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of setting timber afire. He could face up to 45 years in federal prison.
How we got here: Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht set brush alight near a popular hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains on New Year’s Day, starting the Lachman Fire. Firefighters initially thought they put out the fire, but it remained smoldering underground for several days. High winds then brought the embers to the surface, sparking the Palisades Fire, which burned more than 23,000 acres.
Jury selection began Monday for the trial of the man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures.
Jonathan Rinderknecht is charged with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of setting timber afire. He could face up to 45 years in federal prison.
Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht set brush alight near a popular hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains on New Year’s Day, starting the Lachman Fire. Firefighters initially thought they put out the fire, but it remained smouldering underground for several days. High winds then brought the embers to the surface, sparking the Palisades Fire, which burned more than 23,000 acres.
In a court filing in April, prosecutors allege Rinderknecht displayed “extreme anger, indignation, and frustration” because he had to spend New Year's Eve alone. After driving around for Uber, Rinderknecht hiked up a popular trail and set chaparral alight in a clearing, according to prosecutors.
“He then started calling 911 multiple times, hiked down the hill, and fled the area in his car before firefighters arrived. Defendant returned to the area after he saw fire trucks arriving and then took videos of the firefighting efforts,” prosecutors wrote.
The filing also states that Rinderknecht threatened to burn down his sister’s home.
Prosecutors are expected to argue that Rinderknecht started the smaller blaze knowing it could turn into a bigger inferno.
U.S. District Court Judge Anne Hwang has previously expressed the government’s position could confuse jurors.
Defense attorney Steve Haney previously told reporters that prosecutors were trying to blame Rinderknecht for a fire that started days before the Palisades Fire.
"Well what about what happened between Jan. 1 and Jan. 7?" he asked. "Jonathan wasn't out there with a fire hose putting that fire out at the Lachman location, the Fire Department was. So why are they blaming him for whatever the Fire Department didn't do?"
