The Brief

Thousands of people have turned to GoFundMe for help in the wake of the L.A. County wildfires.

It allows communities to quickly respond to people’s needs by donating funds online. But if you’ve been affected by the fires and set up a campaign yourself, you may want to tread with caution.

GoFundMe campaigns and other crowdfunding platforms can affect how much federal disaster relief you could be eligible for, depending on how you word them.

How the donations interact with FEMA 

Federal law prohibits FEMA from “duplicating” benefits you receive from another source, which include the crowdfunding site. Brandi Richard Thompson, a public affairs officer with FEMA, shared a scenario with LAist.

Let’s say you apply for assistance through FEMA because your vehicle was damaged and then you put up a GoFundMe campaign clearly saying that you need help getting your car replaced.

“Just like we can’t give you money for your vehicle that you get from any other source like insurance, we can’t do it for GoFundMe either,” Thompson said. “That’s the challenge. It really has to do with how people explain their needs on GoFundMe.”

In a video posted to X, she told viewers to “carefully consider” how you describe your needs when creating a GoFundMe page.

Former California state assemblymember Wendy Carrillo posted an Instagram video with suggested ways to protect yourself.

Navigating federal disaster aid

If you’ve already made a campaign, there is a silver lining to keep in mind.

Thompson said these funds can be used to offset whatever funds you could receive from FEMA — so you’re not immediately ineligible if you’re gathering funds.

If your donations are under their maximum limit, you may still be able to apply for certain programs. FEMA also has multiple types of disaster aid available. If you have a campaign online for a specific need, you may still be eligible for something else.

The agency encourages everyone in need to apply for assistance so they can make the determination.

FEMA agents are stationed at two disaster recovery centers in L.A. County to help fire victims navigate the forms and ensure they apply for the right aid programs. Here’s where to find them:

• UCLA Research Park
  
  • Where: 10850 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064
  • When: Every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Pasadena City College Community Education Center
  
  • Where: 3035 East Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107
  • When: Every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson contributed to this story.

After 15 years starring in CBS sitcoms like Mike & Molly, Bob Hearts Abishola, and Young Sheldon, Billy Gardell is back doing what he’s always done best: stand-up comedy.

The actor and comedian brings his “Less Is More Tour” to the Shore Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks on Friday. He shared details about his 173-pound weight loss, why he’s rooting for Gen Z, and what he thinks we all have in common on LAist’s Morning Edition.

Once a standup, always a standup

Gardell’s been doing standup for almost four decades. But even after all that TV success, he couldn’t stay away from the stage.

“During my second show, Bob Hearts Abishola, I thought maybe I’m done with standup,” he said. But then he went to see a friend perform at the Irvine Improv and got “that weird twitch” in his shoulder. He said his wife immediately knew he was going back.

Rooting for Gen Z

Part of Gardell’s act focuses on his 22-year-old son and the challenges young people face today. He said, unlike some comedians, he’s not here to bash the young’uns.

“They’re dealing with stuff that we never dealt with,” he said. “Look, I’m from Gen X. We were feral cats, and we overcompensated and raised a generation of house cats. Now we can’t be upset that they’re not great at dealing with stuff.”

Finding what connects us

Gardell steers clear of politics in his act. He said he focuses on the human condition. With AI looming and social media fracturing our sense of community, he sees “an erosion of decency and kindness.”

“When you give an opinion, you’re just lecturing somebody,” he said. “But when you share experience, now you’re including somebody.”

So what does he think we all have in common?

"We're just looking for a hand to hold, a roof to live under, and a job to pay for it. And when you keep it that simple, you bring people together," he said.

The show closes with an homage to his father, weaving together stories about love, forgiveness, and common sense — what Gardell calls “connective tissue” that people are “thirsty for.”

The “Less Is More Tour” will be at the Shore Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks on Friday. Get tickets here.

Warmer temperatures are on tap through Wednesday, but don't worry, cooling will return for Thanksgiving.

Low clouds and some fog will cover the beaches Tuesday morning, but that will clear by the afternoon. Along the Orange County coast, expect highs of between 68 and 74 degrees. For L.A. County, highs will be from 70 to 78 degrees.

More inland, valley communities will see highs of up to 81 degrees in some areas. Temperatures for the Inland Empire will range from 74 to 80 degrees.

In Coachella Valley, expect daytime highs of up to 79 degrees. The Antelope Valley will be cooler, with highs reaching 67 degrees.

Santa Ana winds forecast

Santa Ana winds are returning, which means it will be breezy all day in most areas. Gusts could reach up to 25 mph in the foothills, around 30 mph for the 5 Freeway corridor and Santa Clarita Valley, and up to 35 mph for the San Gabriel Mountains.

If you’ve noticed more wildlife visiting your yard in recent years — maybe digging up your vegetable garden or even drinking from your pool — you’re not alone.

A recent study from UCLA found that larger predators like mountain lions and bears are more likely to interact with humans and travel closer to population centers in drier years. To determine this, the researchers analyzed state data collected on reported property damage, nuisances, conflicts and sightings.

“It kind of runs the full gamut of how people interact with wildlife around their neighborhoods and their homes,” said UCLA postdoctoral researcher Kendall Calhoun, the lead author on the study.

It's not just P-22. Mountain lions across the whole state are forced to leave their habitats for survival.

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Courtesy Kendall Calhoun

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Different motivations for different animals

As you might expect, different animals might have different reasons for entering populated areas. But in large part, Calhoun said, it comes down to animals’ survival instincts.

The primary motivator for many herbivores is likely to be food. That’s because with less precipitation, there’s also less plant material for them to eat. (Don’t forget: even with all the rain we’ve had recently, much of Southern California is still in a drought.)

“ Deer and elk might be pushed to find those food resources in places that they normally wouldn't go, like agriculture, crops, things from people's yards, persimmons from your tree,” Calhoun said.

And as herbivores get pushed toward humans, the animals that prey on them are too. In fact, the species that saw the highest increases in clashes with humans were omnivores and carnivores, specifically mountain lions, coyotes, black bears and bobcats.

But even these animals have varying reasons for getting close to people.

“Mountain lions might be more inclined to look for supplemental food in livestock — that might be a sheep or a goat,” Calhoun said. “Black bears may be more willing to go into your trash to look for food to help supplement what they're missing in their resource-scarce natural areas.”

Meanwhile, animals of all kinds might enter a yard even when they have enough food to look for standing water.

About the data

Researchers analyzed data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that were reported over the last several years as part of a citizen science initiative.

One important caveat is that the researchers primarily looked at conflicts between wildlife and residents, and there may be differences in how these interactions are reported.

For example, you might not report a deer eating fruit from an overloaded tree as a nuisance, but even a peaceful black bear digging through your trash could raise alarm bells.

 "People also really value having wildlife living alongside them," Calhoun said. "It really is important for us to try to strike that balance where there's pros for both sides, without some of the negative interactions that come with living in close proximity with wildlife species."

Learn more about human-wildlife interactions

There’s more background on the research on UCLA’s website, and you can find the full study here.

You can also learn much more about interactions between humans and wildlife in LAist’s Imperfect Paradise podcast series, “Lions, Coyotes, & Bears.”