The Brief

People and pets are being warned to avoid all water contact at Lake Elsinore after a harmful algal bloom that could pose a serious health threat was detected in five different areas.

The Riverside County lake has shown extremely elevated levels of toxins, triggering a “danger” advisory, the highest warning available.

Harmful algal blooms are associated with several health risks, including rashes, headaches, and even abnormal breathing if swallowed while swimming.

Marisa Van Dyke, a senior environmental scientist with the State Water Resources Control Board, told LAist that dogs and children are most sensitive to this issue, so it’s safest to stay on dry land until further notice.

“We really recommend if you're going out with your family or with your pets, to take a extra look and see if there's anything unusual going on,” she said.

What you should know

A “danger” advisory is issued when testing shows 20 micrograms per liter of microcystins, but the latest results from Lake Elsinore show levels far beyond that — 36,750 micrograms per liter.

“That's about 1,800 times greater than the advisory levels threshold, so this is very alarming results to get,” Van Dyke said.

Officials say you should stay out of the water entirely, including on boats, jet skis, and paddle boards.

You shouldn’t eat any fish or shellfish from the lake, and if you’ll be camping or picnicking in the area, avoid using the water for drinking or cooking.

“For harmful algal blooms, we know boiling water doesn't help,” Van Dyke said. “And then most filtering systems that you can get for backpacking are not adequate for filtering out this concern.”

You should steer clear from water that has an odd color, suspicious scum, or smells.

Signage warns that Lake Elsinore is closed on Aug. 25, 2022.

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People who swallow or come into contact with it may experience congestion, hives, vomiting, earaches, and irritated eyes within two days of exposure. Children are considered more at risk because of their smaller size, higher chance of swallowing while swimming, and tendency to stay in the water longer.

If you do start showing symptoms or feeling sick, get medical treatment immediately and contact the Riverside County Department of Public Health.

“Danger” signs have been posted around Lake Elsinore to warn people, but Van Dyke said you should always scan the water before jumping into your favorite swimming spot.

You can also always check California’s harmful algal bloom map to see if any outbreaks have been reported in the area.

What about furry friends?

Animals can get very sick, or even die, from being exposed to harmful algal blooms.

Dogs, like children, are most susceptible to exposure. The slimy material from the water can get in their mouth while playing fetch or get stuck to their fur, Van Dyke noted.

Bring bottled water for your dogs to drink, and if they do get in with a bloom, don’t let them lick their fur until they’ve been thoroughly cleaned off.

If your pet starts showing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or seizures after coming into contact with water — call your veterinarian right away. You can also share this fact sheet with the vet to help identify the illness.

Why this water

The harmful algal blooms that pop up in lakes and rivers are often caused by cyanobacteria, which are small microbes that live in just about every habitat.

“But there's certain conditions that we experience in California that really drive their growth in some at-risk waterways, and when they grow a lot, and you can see them with the naked eye, then we call these blooms,” Van Dyke said.

Some cyanobacteria can produce harmful toxins, and according to the State Water Resources Board, Lake Elsinore’s shallow waters and warmer temperatures has made it particularly vulnerable to outbreaks, especially during this time of year.

The city of Lake Elsinore regularly tests for harmful algal blooms as part of its “Lake Watch” program and shares satellite pictures of the water conditions.

More resources

If the water seems suspicious and you’re not sure if it's a harmful algal bloom, you can submit a report here.

You can also report a bloom by calling the toll-free hotline 1-844-729-6466, emailing cyanoHAB.reports@waterboards.ca.gov, or by contacting your public health department.

“People are really, you know, our best kind of like line of defense and letting us know where to go take a look at, because we have so many lakes and river beaches in the state, it is challenging to be able to monitor them all proactively,” Van Dyke said.

She added that the State Water Resources Control Board is normally able to respond to online reports in one business day to let you know if the water is worth worrying about, especially if you include photos.

You can find more information about harmful algal blooms here.

Thousands of immigrants who are lawfully in California are set to lose their food assistance benefits, known as CalFresh, starting this month.

The new restrictions stem from H.R. 1 — also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — which Congress passed last year.

The changes remove eligibility for certain noncitizens, including people with refugee status and victims of trafficking. It also applies to immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan who have special immigrant visas for helping the U.S. government overseas.

 ”These are folks … many of whom have large families that we have a commitment to as a country because we welcomed them and invited them here to find a place of refuge,” said Cambria Tortorelli, president of the International Institute of Los Angeles, a refugee resettlement agency. “They’re authorized to work and they’ve been brought here by the U.S. government.”

The federal spending bill, H.R. 1, made sweeping cuts to social safety net programs, including food assistance and Medicaid. In signing the bill, President Donald Trump said the changes were delivering on his campaign promises of “America first.”

Officials estimate 23,000 people in Los Angeles County will be affected. The state estimates about 72,000 immigrants with lawful presence will be affected across California.

CalFresh is the state’s version of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Undocumented immigrants have not been eligible to receive CalFresh benefits.

State officials say noncitizens who are currently receiving benefits will continue to get them until it’s time to renew their benefits — adding that people might be able to receive benefits again if their legal status changes to lawful permanent residents.

Who the changes apply to:

• Asylees
• Refugees
• Parolees (unless they are Cuban and Haitian entrants)
• Individuals with deportation or removal withheld
• Conditional entrants
• Victims of trafficking
• Battered noncitizens
• Iraqi or Afghan with special immigrant visas (SIV) who are not lawful permanent residents (LPR)
• Certain Afghan Nationals granted parole between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023
• Certain Ukrainian Nationals granted parole between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sep. 30, 2024

Nearly every student in the California State University system has used artificial intelligence tools, but most don’t trust the results, are worried about how AI will affect their future job security and want more say in systemwide AI policy.

That’s according to results of a 2025 survey of more than 80,000 students enrolled at CSU’s 22 campuses, plus faculty and staff — the largest and most comprehensive study of how higher education students and instructors perceive artificial intelligence.

Nationwide, university faculty struggle to reconcile the learning benefits of AI — hailed as a “transformative tool” for providing tutoring and personalized support to students — and the risks that students will depend on AI agents to do their thinking for them and, very possibly, get the wrong information. Educators want a say in how and which AI tools are used. Students across the CSU system want to be included in those discussions.

Some professors teach students how to use AI and encourage students to use it, while others forbid its use in the classroom, said Katie Karroum, vice president of systemwide affairs for the Cal State Student Association, representing more than 470,000 students.

“Both of these things are allowed to coexist right now without a policy,” she said.

Karroum said that faculty practices are too varied and that what students need are consistent and transparent rules developed in collaboration with students. “There are going to be students who are graduating with AI literacy and some that graduate without AI literacy.”

In February 2025, the CSU system announced an initiative to adopt AI technologies and an agreement with OpenAI to make ChatGPT available throughout the system. The system-wide survey released Wednesday confirms that ChatGPT is the most used AI tool across CSUs. The system will also work with Adobe, Google, IBM, Intel, LinkedIn, Microsoft and NVIDIA.

Campus leaders say the survey and accompanying dashboard provide much needed data on how the system continues to integrate AI into instruction and assessment.

“We need to have data to make data-informed decisions instead of just going by anecdote,” said Elisa Sobo, a professor of anthropology at San Diego State who was involved in interpreting the survey’s findings. “We have data that show high use, but we also have high levels of concern, very valid concern, to help people be responsible when they use it.”

Faculty at San Diego State designed the survey, which received more than 94,000 responses from students, faculty and staff. Among all responding CSU students, 95% reported using an AI tool; 84% said they used ChatGPT and 82% worry that AI will negatively impact their future job security. Others worry that they won’t be competitive if they don’t understand AI well enough.

“Even though I don’t want to use it, I HAVE TO!” wrote a computer science major. “Because if I don’t, then I’ll be left behind, and that is the last thing someone would want in this stupid job market.”

Faculty are divided about the impact of AI on teaching and research. Just over 55% reported a positive benefit, while 52% said AI has had a negative impact so far.

San Diego State conducted its first campuswide survey in 2023 in response to complaints from students about inconsistent rules about AI use in courses, said James Frazee, vice president for information technology at the campus.

“Students are facing this patchwork of expectations even within the same course taught by different instructors,” Frazee said. In one introductory course, the professor might encourage students to use AI, but another professor teaching the same course might forbid it, he said. “It was a hot mess.”

In that 2023 survey, one student made this request: “Please just tell us what to do and be clear about it.”

Following that survey, the San Diego State Academic Senate approved guidelines for the use of generative AI in instruction and assessments. In 2025, the Senate made it mandatory that faculty include language about AI use in course syllabi.

“It doesn’t say what your disposition has to be, whether it’s pro or con,” Frazee said. “It just says you have to be clear about your expectations. Without the 2023 survey data, that never would have happened.”

According to the 2025 systemwide survey, only 68% of teaching faculty include language about AI use in their syllabi.

Sobo and other faculty who helped develop the 2025 survey hope other CSU campuses will find the data helpful in informing policies about AI use. The dashboard allows users to search for specific campus and discipline data and view student responses by demographic group.

The 2025 survey shows that first-generation students are more interested in formal AI training and that Black, Hispanic and Latino students are more interested than white students. At San Diego State, students are required to earn a micro-credential in AI use during their first year — another change that was made after the 2023 survey.

Students in this year’s survey said they want training that will be relevant to their careers. “I want to learn AI tools that are actually used in my industry, not just generic chatbots,” a mechanical engineering student responded. “Show me what engineers are actually doing with AI on the job.”

The California Faculty Association, which represents about 29,000 educators in the CSU system, said in a February statement that faculty should be included in future systemwide decisions about AI, including whether the contract with OpenAI should be renewed in July.

“CFA members continue to advocate for ethical and enforceable safeguards governing the use of artificial intelligence,” the CFA said in the statement, asking for “protections for using or refusing to use the technology, professional development resources to adapt pedagogy to incorporate the technology, and further protections for faculty intellectual property.”

Many Southern California cities and institutions are dropping big, grabby news today. Before you go "what the what" — remember, it's the first day of April.

Here's a roundup of some of the April Fools' news dump items.

Irvine, the 'pickleball-only' city

Irvine announced that it'll be converting all tennis courts into pickleball courts by 2027. That's one notch for Team Pickleball in the ongoing turf war between tennis lovers and pickleball players over the fight for court space to engage in their beloved sport.

"Starting today, April 1, all tennis courts are being converted to pickleball courts as part of a citywide effort to make Irvine a pickleball-only City by 2027," the post stated. "We don’t just think this is a good idea … we dink it’s a great one."

Catch that? They "dink" it's a great idea.

All hail Queen Latifah in Long Beach

Over in Long Beach, Mayor Rex Richardson announced the city's reigning royalty, the Queen Mary, will be renamed after another queen.

"After careful consideration, I am proud to announce that the Queen Mary will officially be renamed the RMS Queen Latifah," he said. "Long Beach is stepping into a new era as a major music destination — with a new amphitheater, a deep cultural legacy and a future built on sound. It’s only right that our most iconic Queen reflects that energy."

In real-real news, LBC native and everyone's favorite Olympics commenter Snoop Dogg is headlining the grand opening show of the Long Beach Amphitheater in June. That's the new waterfront venue near the RMS Queen Latifah.

Prolific author gets his own library branch

Suspense writer James Patterson has more than 200 novels to his name, selling more than 450 million copies. If anyone deserves his own namesake branch, it would be Patterson, no?

The Los Angeles Public Library certainly dinks so, announcing today the James Patterson Canoga Park branch, "with wall to wall Patterson books and programming centered around this prolific author."

Eau de corpse flower

The opening of the corpse flower has become an annual event at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The event brings legions hoping to get a whiff of the famed flower's "pungent aroma."

The San Marino institution announced that it's bottling the scent, as part of its new "The Huntington's Stank Collection."

"A musky gym sock note opens this unique fragrance, with a sweet, rotten-egg base to ground it. Smells like you — but smellier," the post explained.

Adopt something you can just leave at home, always

Pasadena Humane got in on the fun with a special event — today only — where you can adopt a rock.

"Adoption ROCKS! And today only, you can adopt a friend you won't take for granite," the message said.