Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters, as well as investigations and accountability.
Published July 3, 2025 5:00 AM
Fire debris washed up on shore following heavy rains on February 18, 2025 in Malibu, California.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
It’s been nearly six months since rains washed a whole bunch of contaminants from the Eaton and Palisades fire burn areas out to the ocean. For those worried about what that means for beach safety, experts have been running tests.
What testing showed: The levels of heavy metals and other chemicals weren’t high enough to pose health hazards to beachgoers.
Still, be careful: Avoid the sand and the water within 250 yards of ongoing debris clearing operations.
Read on … to learn what researchers tested for.
It’s been about six months since the Eaton and Palisades fires killed 30 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. Since then, contamination has been a concern for nearby communities, including those along the coast.
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Six months after the fires, are LA beaches safe?
That’s because after the fires came the rains, which sent hazardous material straight from those burned sites through creeks and storm drains into the ocean.
What the tests say
Shortly after the fires, the environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay and water quality officials gathered sand and water samples from Malibu, Palisades and Santa Monica beaches over several months, testing for hazardous forever chemicals, heavy metals and benzene.
“What we can say is that based on what has been tested and what those results are, the risk appears to be low,” said Tracy Quinn, chief executive of Heal the Bay, which analyzed the samples.
While tests at one point did detect chromium in sand samples, the good news is that follow-up tests didn’t find hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen.
Quinn said additional tests are being performed out of an abundance of caution.
Quinn added: ”Based on the fact that this is an unprecedented event and there may be contaminants that we're not thinking to test for that may be present, that is sort of the best that we can do as scientists right now.”
In early April, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health lifted the ocean water quality advisory that was in place for beaches after the fires.
It’s still best to stay several hundred yards away from any sort of debris removal operation, and to avoid any fire debris you see on the beach.
The potential long term effects of heavy metals and other contaminants on coastal ecosystems still hasn’t been determined.
Careful if you're swimming near the Santa Monica Pier. Public health warnings for bacteria are frequent there.
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Cavan Images
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Getty Images / iStockphoto
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Problems at some beaches
Public health agencies usually test for fecal indicator bacteria and shut down beaches when levels get too high.
See alerts about water quality and which L.A. beaches you should avoid swimming at here.
David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, a place where the lack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness.
Published January 23, 2026 4:23 PM
Apartment complexes in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles on Aug. 7, 2019.
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Anne Wernikoff
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CalMatters
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Topline:
Los Angeles voters could soon get another chance to weigh in on Measure ULA, better known as the city’s “mansion tax.”
The backstory: First approved by voters in November 2022, the measure has taxed real estate selling for more than $5 million. It funds tenant protection programs and affordable housing construction. But economists have found that because the tax also applies to apartments — not just mansions — housing developers are pulling back on building in the city relative to other parts of L.A. County. One UCLA study concluded the city would have more low-income units on balance if the tax did not apply to new apartments.
What’s new: Now, there’s a new effort brewing at City Hall to change how the “mansion tax” works. City Councilmember Nithya Raman, chair of the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, introduced a motion Friday to place a new measure on the ballot. It would ask voters to exempt recently constructed apartment buildings from the tax, among other changes.
Read on… to learn why tax supporters are calling the reform effort “irresponsible.”
Los Angeles voters could soon get another chance to weigh in on Measure ULA, better known as the city’s “mansion tax.”
First approved by voters in November 2022, the measure has taxed real estate selling for more than $5 million. It funds tenant protection programs and affordable housing construction.
But economists have found that because the tax also applies to apartments — not just mansions — housing developers are pulling back on building in the city compared to other parts of L.A. County. One UCLA study concluded the city would have more low-income units on balance if the tax did not apply to new apartments.
Now, there’s a new effort brewing at City Hall to change how the “mansion tax” works.
City Councilmember Nithya Raman, chair of the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, introduced a motion Friday to place a new measure on the June ballot. The ballot measure would ask voters to exempt recently constructed apartment buildings from the tax, among other changes.
“We've seen some real pressures on the market as a result of ULA,” Raman told LAist. “It was sold to voters and talked about as a mansion tax. I don't think it was intended to slow the construction of new apartments in a city with an acknowledged and widespread housing crisis.”
Supporters of the tax say it’s working as intended. They dispute claims that ULA is responsible for slower housing growth in the city.
No council votes have yet been taken.
Local reform effort follows failed state bill
Supporters say the tax has funded eviction defense and rent relief programs. It has also produced the city’s largest-ever pot of money for low-income housing development, though less than 200 apartments have been completed and leased so far.
Joe Donlin, director of the group United to House L.A., called the latest reform effort “irresponsible.”
The proposed tax exemption for apartments built within the last 15 years would be “a tax break for developers and billionaires,” Donlin said.
“That would be giving money away from ULA programs that are protecting renters, that are keeping people from falling into homelessness, and building affordable housing,” he said.
Raman’s motion would also cancel the tax on homeowners affected by the Palisades Fire. Another change would restructure certain financing terms in order to attract traditional lenders to participate in ULA-funded affordable housing projects.
Many of the changes are similar to those proposed by state lawmakers in a bill that failed to advance at the tail end of last year’s legislative session in Sacramento.
Dueling effort at repeal is underway
But those who support reform say without some changes, the tax could soon be thrown out entirely. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is collecting signatures for a separate ballot measure that would overturn not just Measure ULA, but similar taxes across the state.
Mott Smith, a reform proponent and the co-author of a UCLA study that found the tax had sharply reduced high-end real estate sales, said this is shaping up to be a tough political fight.
“I commend Councilmember Raman for doing her best to turn Measure ULA into something that might actually work before it goes away,” Smith said.
Some L.A. council members have already signaled opposition to the push for reform.
Alejandra Alarcon, a spokesperson for Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, said in a statement to LAist that Jurado opposes the motion as written.
“Voters overwhelmingly supported ULA to help build and sustain diverse communities,” the statement read. “Any changes to the measure should be made with community advocates at the table, not without them.”
What’s next?
The new City Council effort has a long way to go before any changes are made to the tax.
If a majority of the council approves it for the June ballot, a majority of local voters would need to sign off on changing a measure that received nearly 58% support from voters back in November 2022.
Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published January 23, 2026 3:00 PM
A computer rendering of the Inspiration' space shuttle mockup in its new Downey home
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Courtesy Columbia Memorial Space Center
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Topline:
On Saturday the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey will honor the 40th anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger as well as other pioneering missions.
The backstory: The event will honor Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher ever selected to go to space as well as other pioneering women astronauts. McAuliffe and her six fellow crew members were lost when Space Shuttle Challenger exploded a little over a minute after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986.
What to expect: The free event will include hands-on activities – such as air rocket building –and a panel discussion with engineers who worked on the Challenger mission. A local retired teacher who was trained on the same curriculum that McAuliffe would have delivered from the shuttle will also give a talk about how she’s kept the legacy of the lost mission alive.
How to attend: The Astronaut Commemoration Day event will be at the Columbia Memorial Space Center at 12400 Columbia Way in Downey from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Why now: “People are all kind of like nervous aunties and uncles,” Jenny Voisard, the organization’s media and website manager, told LAist. “So we just try to keep everybody calm.”
The backstory: By this time last year, Jackie had already laid the first egg of the season, with the second and third a few days later.
In recent months, they've been seen working on their "nestorations"— bringing in fresh sticks and fluff furnishings to the top of the Jeffrey pine tree they’ve claimed as their home, according to the nonprofit.
By this time last year, Jackie had already laid the first egg of the season, with the second and third a few days later.
Fans are once again eagerly watching the eagles for signs of an incoming clutch, which refers to a group of eggs in each nesting attempt, usually laid three days apart.
Jenny Voisard, the organization’s media and website manager, told LAist the Big Bear bald eagle fan community grew when the couple successfully raised two bald eagle chicks, Sunny and Gizmo, last season.
“The building of the nest, the bonding, the flirting, the mating, the bickering, the moving the sticks around, defending against intruders, you know, that's all been new for a lot of people,” she said.
“People are all kind of like nervous aunties and uncles,” she continued. “So we just try to keep everybody calm.”
As always, Jackie and Shadow are in charge. Fans will have to wait and see what this season will bring, Voisard said.
What to watch for
Friends of Big Bear Valley has been keeping track of the nesting season milestones, including a new daily record of at least 28 sticks delivered to the nest in November. The eagles’ previous single-day stick record was 25, according to the organization.
Other milestones include Shadow dropping off the first fluff in December, and the first mating a few weeks later.
“Pancaking” is a term Friends of Big Bear Valley uses to describe when the eagles lay flat in their nest bowl, before the eggs have arrived, for increasingly longer stretches of time.
The organization said Jackie had her longest “pancake session” of the season so far this week, laying in the nest for a little more than a half hour.
“That activity is a sign that we're getting closer to egg-laying,” Voisard said. “[Jackie’s] doing a few things, she's making the shape and she's testing it out.”
Jackie will likely also eat more fish from the nest so she has enough energy for the egg-laying process, Voisard said. Last January, the eagles brought two fish to the nest in the hours before the first egg was laid and three fish a day earlier, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley records.
When eggs are imminent, she said Jackie will “pancake” on the nest for long periods of time before rousing and puffing up her feathers. Then, Jackie typically makes a high-pitched, whistling tea kettle noise as she has contractions, according to the organization.
“She looks almost royal, because all of her feathers are out and it's just — I cry,” Voisard said with a laugh. “It's usually pretty amazing.”
But the eagles know best
While there are signs of new life coming to the nest, every season is different for Jackie and Shadow, and Friends of Big Bear Valley is encouraging people to be patient.
It was unseasonably warm in the area this past fall, and last season was the first time Jackie and Shadow successfully raised two chicks to fly away from the nest instead of just one. The organization has said both factors could delay this season’s egg-laying timeline.
“I'm sure [two] was a lot more work than with just one,” Sandy Steers, executive director of the organization, told LAist previously. “So I think that had something to do with them needing a longer break.”
Voisard said while we can’t predict what’s going to happen this year, fans don’t have to watch in fear or let human emotions get in the way of enjoying the eagle experience.
“We feel all of the feels with Jackie and Shadow … happiness, laughter, we get worried, we feel joy, we felt sorrow,” she said. “It's all OK, and Jackie and Shadow move forward, no matter what.”
The view from Big Bear's famous bald eagle nest on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
Protestors demonstrate in downtown Los Angeles against ICE.
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Julia Barajas
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LAist
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Topline:
Los Angeles joins Minneapolis today for a walkout at some schools and workplaces to protest immigration enforcement operations. Both cities have seen protests following recent shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Why it matters: The protest is part of a nationwide call to action that asks for an economic boycott.
The scene in LA: Around a couple hundred people took part in the demonstration at La Placita Olvera, including a lot of students from local high schools. Protesters described feelings of anger toward ICE agents as well as wanting to represent family members and friends who felt too scared to join.
