Erin Stone
is a reporter who covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published December 10, 2025 12:58 PM
An oil pumpjack in the Inglewood Oil Field, which sits near the neighborhoods of Baldwin Hills, View Park and near homes in the Inglewood Oil Field, Los Angeles, California.
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Gary Kavanagh
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iStockphoto
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Topline:
L.A. County has sued four oil companies operating, or who have operated, in the Inglewood Oil Field near Baldwin Hills and Ladera Heights, alleging they’ve failed to properly clean up hundreds of depleted and idle wells.
What the lawsuit says: The county alleged in the court filing Wednesday that the companies have failed to properly plug more than 200 idle or depleted wells, which are prone to leaking dangerous chemicals such as benzene. That harms the health of more than 1 million Angelenos who live within 5 miles, the county says.
The background: The lawsuit is part of ongoing efforts by the county (as well as the city of L.A. and Culver City) to phase out oil drilling over the next two decades. Both the city and county of L.A. passed ordinances in recent years to phase out urban drilling. Those were later overturned after lawsuits against them were won by oil companies.
“Every time a law has been passed or the county has adopted an ordinance, the oil company, instead of complying, they've filed lawsuits and they've dragged it out in court,” said assistant county counsel Scott Kuhn. “So now we're moving forward with a litigation effort.”
Oil company's response: Erin Gleaton, general counsel for Sentinel Peak Resources, which is the current operator of the Inglewood Oil Field, told LAist that the lawsuit's claims "are entirely without merit. This suit appears to be an attempt to generate sensationalized publicity rather than adjudicate a legitimate legal matter. We have full confidence in our position, supported by the facts and our record of regulatory compliance."
What’s next: LAist has reached out to the other three oil companies named in the suit for comment. They include Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas; Plains Resources; and Chevron, all of which were past operators. Chevron declined to comment.
If the companies don’t plug the wells, taxpayers will be on the hook.
Julia Barajas
explores how college students achieve their goals, whether they’re fresh out of high school, pursuing graduate work or looking to join the labor force through alternative pathways.
Published December 10, 2025 3:36 PM
Cal State Dominguez Hills faces significant budget pressure.
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Julie Leopo
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LAist
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Topline:
Faculty, students, alumni and community partners are demanding the California State University, Dominguez Hills, administration withdraw a proposal to eliminate six academic programs.
Why it matters: In addition to fewer academic options, according to the California Faculty Association — the union that represents CSU professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches — an estimated 40 jobs will be eliminated at Cal State Dominguez Hills if this plan is approved.
What the university says: "The university’s current financial constraints limit our ability to invest in new or expanded programs that could meet those needs," university spokesperson Lilly McKibbin said via email.
She added that no final decisions have been made and that the process to end a program would give faculty a chance to "review data and hear from the campus community."
What educators say: “These programs are not expendable — they are essential,” said Stephen McFarland, a labor studies professor at the campus and a CFA executive board member. “Eliminating them would narrow students’ opportunities at a moment when they need more pathways, not fewer.”
The backstory: The CSU system is facing a $2.3 billion budget gap, despite tuition increases. The gap is rooted in cuts to state funding and increased labor costs. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sophie Kinsella, who wrote the massively popular "Shopaholic" book series, has died. The writer, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, was 55 years old. Last year, she announced she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022.
'Shopaholic' series: Kinsella's novels were a sensation; they sold tens of millions of copies and were translated into dozens of languages. The first two books in the Shopaholic series were adapted into the 2009 movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.
Read on ... for a 2019 interview with Kinsella.
Sophie Kinsella, who wrote the massively popular Shopaholic book series, has died. The writer, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, was 55 years old. Last year, she announced she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022.
Her death was announced on Instagram on Wednesday: "Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed — to have such wonderful family and friends and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received."
Kinsella's novels were a sensation; they sold tens of millions of copies and were translated into dozens of languages. The first two books in the Shopaholic series were adapted into the 2009 movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.
In an NPR interview from 2019, she said her novels focused on young women and their travails, even though she was herself a mother with five children.
"I just think there's something exciting about the time of life where you're on the lookout for opportunities in all directions. You're looking at your career. You're looking at finding someone to love. Everything is ahead of you," she said. "And for me, the — kind of the wide, open horizon is so exciting. There is something exhilarating about meeting a stranger in a coffee shop and thinking, 'Where's this going to go?'"
Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California — events, processes and nuances making it a unique place to call home.
Published December 10, 2025 2:29 PM
The Alphabet Streets neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. Pepperdine's Disaster Relief Clinic assists survivors with an array of legal issues as they recover and rebuild from January's fires.
Why it matters: Faculty, students and volunteers at Pepperdine University were on the ground within days of the Eaton and Palisades fires offering free legal assistance and relaunching its Disaster Relief Clinic, which provided pro bono services after the Thomas and Woolsey fires in 2017-18.
Why now: “We provide really good legal help for people that have been damaged by the fire[s],” David A. DeJute, the clinic’s director, told LAist. “It makes me feel like I'm providing something of value and worth back to the community.”
The backstory: Since then, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law's Disaster Relief Clinic has assisted more than 300 fire survivors with hundreds of hours of free legal services, according to the university.
Read on ... to learn more about the Disaster Relief Clinic.
Faculty, students and volunteers at Pepperdine University were on the ground within days of the Eaton and Palisades fires offering free legal assistance and relaunching the Disaster Relief Clinic, which provided pro bono services after the Thomas and Woolsey fires in 2017 and 2018.
Since then, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law's Disaster Relief Clinic has assisted more than 300 fire survivors, according to the university. The clinic has helped recover at least $750,000 in FEMA assistance and millions more from insurance claims.
“We provide really good legal help for people that have been damaged by the fire[s],” David A. DeJute, the clinic’s director, told LAist. “It makes me feel like I'm providing something of value and worth back to the community.”
About the clinic
The clinic is designed to help fire survivors with a wide variety of legal issues they may face as they go through the recovery and rebuilding process, including having to find rental housing, working with remediation companies to clean up ash and navigating insurance policy limits.
Pepperdine University faculty, students and volunteers were on the ground within days of January's fires, offering free legal assistance to survivors.
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Courtesy Pepperdine University
)
DeJute, who’s also an adjunct professor with Pepperdine’s law school, said the weeks after the fires were a “little like triage” as the clinic focused on helping people prioritize their next steps.
“When you have someone in your family die, you experience trauma and shock and remorse, and nobody is surprised that it affects your mood and your ability to process information,” he said. “Same thing happens when you've lost your home.”
DeJute said some of the most common legal issues that come up at the clinic have to do with FEMA applications, landlords and price gouging.
If a survivor needs more help than the clinic can handle, like with litigation, it will refer them to other lawyers who’ve agreed to take clients pro bono, according to Pepperdine.
The clinic also has trained around 600 lawyers to bring free legal services to their own communities after a disaster, according to the university. DeJute said that includes a student who stepped in to help after the deadly flash flooding in Texas this summer.
A survivor’s story
Pergrin Jung’s family home was “completely destroyed” in the Palisades Fire in what he described to LAist as “the worst days of our lives.”
Jung, like many other survivors, wasn’t sure how to start picking up the pieces.
“Not only were we in a state of shock,” he said. “But also, none of us really knew what the next steps would be.”
Jung reached out for help with an insurance claim for his homeowner’s policy and said the clinic was a “staple” every step of the way. He said students and staff helped explain the legal system, gave feedback on letters he sent to the insurance company and guided his strategy throughout the process.
“Having this resource made all the difference to us,” Jung said. “They were invaluable.”
The clinic is run by Pepperdine faculty, staff and law students who get hands-on experience operating as attorneys under DeJute’s supervision.
The students are tasked with communicating with clients, diving into details of their legal needs, pushing back against price gouging and managing issues with mortgage companies, to name a few.
Taylor Wedlock, a third-year law student, said the clinic was an opportunity to do her part for the community, especially after her father, an L.A. fire captain, spent about a week fighting the Palisades Fire.
“We weren't just doing FEMA appeals or applications,” she told LAist. “We're going to … help to get this survivor his instruments back so he can so he can start his, you know, his musical career again.”
Wedlock said the clinic helps students apply what they learn in law school textbooks and lectures while exploring the more personal aspect of being a lawyer.
Wedlock recalled the relief in her client’s voice when she got approved for FEMA rental assistance after more than six months of denials, for example. She said she considers that one of her major wins of the semester.
“It may seem impossible to come back from such devastation, but there are options,” Wedlock said. “There are a lot of people who are willing to help.”
How to get involved
People seeking disaster-related legal assistance from the clinic can fill out the request form here. (Please note: A staff attorney or law student will respond to each request, but filling out the form doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship, according to Pepperdine.)
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published December 10, 2025 1:30 PM
Sunset in Long Beach
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Screenshot, City of Long Beach web site
)
Topline:
Long Beach was recently recognized as one of the country’s top digital cities for its digital equity work and programming, something officials say is an effort that won’t lose steam in 2026 despite federal funding cuts.
What were they recognized for: Long Beach was among five cities nationwide to grab high marks in the Digital Cities Survey, which looks at how local governments use technology to address social challenges. The survey from the national research and advisory institute, the Center for Digital Government.
Digital equity progress: Long Beach has organized community workshops to teach residents how to protect their data and has helped residents navigate online services. The city is working to create its own fiber-optic network by 2027 to offer free Wi-Fi in public places in an effort to save residents money and get them online.
Read on … for the risks that digital equity programs are facing.
Long Beach was recently recognized as one of the country’s top digital cities for its digital equity work and programming, something officials say is an effort that won’t lose steam in 2026 despite federal funding cuts.
The survey was from the national research and advisory institute, the Center for Digital Government, which focuses on policies and practices in state and local governments. Long Beach was among five cities nationwide to grab high marks in the Digital Cities Survey, which looks at how local governments use technology to address social challenges.
Lea Erikson, Long Beach’s director of technology, credited the recognition to the city’s approach to digital equity.
“We're not relying on federal funds to advance our work. And so even though it does definitely minimize what we can do, I'm really proud of what we have been able to do despite that,” Erikson said.
Why was Long Beach named?
Over the years, the coastal L.A. County city has grown into an epicenter for digital equity to grant more residents access to the internet.
According to the survey, the city advanced digital equity, among other things, through programs such as its “Pitch Long Beach!” — an initiative that allows the public to submit pitches on how to implement and explore technology as a way to improve city services.
Long Beach has also partnered with the California Emerging Technology Fund to launch a multilingual internet service enrollment hotline to help residents navigate telehealth, job searching and online learning.
“One of the things I think makes Long Beach a leader in this space is we have a dedicated staff to digital inclusion, and they're not dependent on federal funds, so they're actually funded by local government resources,” Erikson said.
The cancellation put a stop to programs all over the country, including digital courses for seniors and laptop distributions in rural areas.
The Federal Communications Commission voted in September to end E-Rate discounts to libraries and schools for hotspot lending and school bus Wi-Fi. Officials said the initiatives “exceeded” or were “inconsistent” with the commission's authority. This decision effectively shut off funding for digital loaning programs.
Erikson said federal headwinds won’t stop the city’s digital equity work.
The city is working to create its own fiber-optic network by 2027 to offer free Wi-Fi in public places in an effort to save residents money and get them online.
“We're hoping to have that go out to bid … next year. We would hopefully have that done in about a two-year timeframe, so it might be a little delayed, but we have local funding for that as well,” Erikson said.
