The Brief

The Trump administration has frozen $250 million in grants to a nonprofit helping companies replace diesel trucks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, part of a broad federal effort to claw back $20 billion in green energy funding.

The program by Climate United, announced last October, would offer affordable leases for new electric heavy-duty trucks operated by small fleets and individual truckers serving the ports.

Communities near the ports, including Wilmington, San Pedro and Long Beach, have been battling for years to clean up noxious fumes that waft into their neighborhoods from the long lines of trucks carrying cargo to and from the massive ports.

The freezing of the funds comes after California had to abandon a regulation that phased out diesel trucks because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump wouldn't approve it.

The grant, which would have funded about 500 electric trucks, remains frozen by Citibank, which holds the funds, as a legal dispute plays out between the EPA, the bank and Climate United, a nonprofit based in Maryland.

“We don't have any money at all, not even operational money,” Climate United spokesperson Brooke Durham told CalMatters in an interview. “We are having to raise philanthropic grants to be able to cover operational expenses and payroll…. and then all of the projects are in limbo.”

The EPA had threatened to terminate the contracts, and climate groups sued over not being able to access the money when it was frozen. The groups argued that the EPA and the bank were illegally withholding the money because Congress had appropriated it through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. A federal judge ordered Citibank to pay some of the funds, but then an appeals court blocked that decision as the case continues.

In a March announcement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin accused the $20 billion federal green energy grant program of "misconduct, conflicts of interest, and potential fraud…I have taken action to terminate these grants riddled with self-dealing and wasteful spending." The agency, however, has not produced evidence of those claims.

Zeldin has repeatedly referenced a video by Project Veritas, a conservative group known for recording undercover videos, which secretly filmed a man it said was an EPA employee under the Biden administration saying the agency was “throwing gold bars off the Titanic,” meaning it was seeking to disburse funds after Donald Trump was elected but hadn't taken office yet.

Known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund but also called the “green bank,” the grants are awarded to nonprofits, banks and other groups. The $20 billion was awarded for a variety of projects nationwide.

Climate United representatives said Zeldin's accusations don't apply to their programs; the money was allocated before Trump was elected.

Climate United had launched other programs nationwide in addition to the California electric trucks program, according to the lawsuit. The EPA also froze its grants for $31.8 million in loans for solar power projects in rural communities in Arkansas and $63 million for solar power plant projects in partnership with tribal governments and communities. Its initial tribal and community solar projects were supposed to be located in Eastern Oregon and Idaho, according to the suit.

In addition, $30 million to help communities plan projects that "improved energy independence, cut pollution and lower costs" was frozen. Climate United had awarded $6.35 million to 22 projects in 18 states, focusing on tribal communities.

When asked about the freezing of the funds for the port trucks, the EPA press office told CalMatters in an email that it “was not a party to grant agreements with subrecipients within the Biden-Harris ‘Gold Bar’ scheme, so we wouldn’t have that information.”

The freezing of the money has meant that the electric truck program cannot move forward at the nation’s busiest port complex. The investment was seen as a significant step toward electrifying California’s diesel trucks, which are among the biggest sources of air pollution in the LA basin.

The grants were intended to help small operators purchase cleaner vehicles in an industry that operates on a “razor thin profit model,” said Matt Schrap, chief executive of the Harbor Trucking Association.

Many small operators can’t afford electric trucks. An electric big rig can cost $400,000, compared to less than half that for a new diesel truck. What’s more, it’s often too difficult for small operators to get them financed, as they are a relatively new technology. Because there is currently no used market for them, banks have trouble assessing their value.

Residents of port communities have long complained of health effects, including asthma and headaches, from diesel trucks, which emit large quantities of soot and other pollutants linked to respiratory illnesses.

Cleaning up diesel exhaust “is a literal case of life and death for a lot of our community members and our loved ones,” Paola Vargas, a Carson resident and organizer with nonprofit East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, told CalMatters in December. “Every day matters. Every day we don’t have (truck emissions) rules…is a day wasted and a day of harmful impacts for us.”

California air quality regulators consider transitioning to zero-emission vehicles an important part of cleaning the state’s severe air pollution and reducing the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

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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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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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.