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We have liftoff!
Why it matters: Sunny, Big Bear’s beloved older eaglet, has flown from its around-the-clock livestreamed nest for the first time.
Why now: Sunny is about three months old, which is prime time for “Fledge Watch.”
The backstory: Eaglets usually fledge anywhere from 10 to 14 weeks old, so Gizmo still has some time.
What's next: Sunny is expected to stick around Big Bear Lake for a while, learning how to hunt and act like an adult eagle from Jackie and Shadow.
We have liftoff!
Sunny, Big Bear’s beloved older eaglet, has flown from its around-the-clock livestreamed nest for the first time.
Sunny is about three months old — prime time for “Fledge Watch.”
Gizmo, who is a few days younger, is still sitting in the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the organization that manages the popular YouTube livestream, said in a statement to LAist they are happy and sad at the same time, adding that they’re truly proud and elated by Sunny’s courage.
“We have never had two eaglets get to this stage before so we do not know when Gizmo will fledge or if this will encourage anything or not,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “She will go when she is ready. She did some catching up to Sunny yesterday by expanding her territory on the nest tree.”
Sunny didn’t fly too far — she’s been seen in the Roost Tree, one of Jackie and Shadow's favorites. And yes, Sunny is believed to be a female, the organization announced this weekend.
Eaglets usually fledge anywhere from 10 to 14 weeks old, so Gizmo still has some time. One of Jackie and Shadow’s previous chicks took even longer, fledgling at 16 weeks old instead.
But Sunny seemed eager to get out of the nest and onto its great adventure. The eaglet hovered in the air for nearly a full second during the first day of “Fledge Watch,” according to the nonprofit, and has been seen hovering and flapping her wings since.
Sunny is expected to stick around Big Bear Lake for a while, learning how to hunt and act like an adult eagle from Jackie and Shadow. Sunny may also venture back up the nest every now and then, but Steers previously said it might take a day or two to get its wing strength back.
"We expect to see her back at the nest at some point if past seasons are any indication, and Jackie and Shadow should be keeping a close eye out," the nonprofit said in a statement. "We will keep watching both cameras to see what happens next."
Go deeper: For more on Jackie and Shadow's journey.
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Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight on Monday launched a new tracking system to document possible misconduct and abuse during federal immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration, according to Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach, who is the ranking member of the committee.
The details: As of Monday, the the new dashboard listed 252 incidents dating back to Jan. 26. Only incidents verified by reputable media outlets or referenced in litigation are included, according to the committee website. Social media videos without corroboration are not included. Each incident is categorized as either under one or more of the following types of possible misconduct: "concerning use of force," "concerning arrest/detention," "concerning deportation," and an "enforcement action at a sensitive location.” Incidents involving U.S. citizens are categorized with a "U.S. Citizen" tag.
The backstory: Immigrant rights organizations and many Democratic leaders have long expressed concerns about the practices of federal immigration authorities carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan. “Our Dashboard shines a light on the harmful actions perpetrated against U.S. citizens and immigrants across the country,” Garcia said in a statement.
In-custody deaths: More than 40 members of the U.S. House, including 15 representatives from California, are also demanding answers from federal authorities about the record number of people who died in immigration detention this year. Fifteen people have died so far this year, including two at the Adelanto immigration detention center.
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A study from UCLA found that in drier years, larger animals are more likely to head closer and closer to where people live.
What’s driving this: It depends on the animal, but food and water are the main factors. Less rain means less standing water and less vegetation for herbivores. As these animals look for food and water in more populated areas, omnivores and carnivores also follow them.
What animals are affected: Among many others, deer, elk, squirrels, mountain lions, bobcats, and black bears are all inclined to leave their natural habitats to seek out supplemental food sources in yards and agricultural areas.
Read on... for more on what the data tells about our wild visitors and what are climate has to do with them.
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.
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 follow. 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.
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."
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.”
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Fast, affordable internet service in parts of L.A. County is expected to become available soon and organizers say now is a good time to sign up for alerts when the program goes live.
How much will the service cost? There will be different plans available — low income, market rate and small business — at different internet speeds and fixed price rates. The low-cost service plan will start at $25 per month for qualifying families. Those who don’t qualify could also purchase plans starting at $65 a month.
How will it work? The internet provider, WeLink, will install a Wi-Fi router inside a home and a 4-inch radio on the roof that will then connect to the internet network.
Why it matters: About 23% of households in East L.A. and Boyle Heights, and more than 40,000 households in South L.A., don’t have home internet.
Read on … for how to stay in the loop when the service rolls out.
Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of L.A. County at the end of this year, and organizers say eligible households can sign up for alerts when the service becomes available.
The service — a partnership between L.A. County and internet provider WeLink — is the latest project from the county’s “Delete the Divide,” an initiative meant to bridge the digital divide in underserved neighborhoods.
Major funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as a grant from the California Public Utilities Commission.
About 23%, or more than 20,000, households in the East L.A. and Boyle Heights area don’t have home internet, according to Delete the Divide.
The service will also soon be coming to South L.A., where more than 40,000 households were identified as lacking home internet.
There will be different plans available — including low-income, market-rate and small business options — at fixed prices. The low-cost plan will start at $25 per month for qualifying families. Those who don’t qualify could also purchase plans starting at $65 a month. Monthly rates are fixed until at least September 2027.
Every plan includes unlimited data, a router and parental controls.
WeLink will install a Wi-Fi router inside a home and a 4-inch radio on the roof to connect the household to the internet.
Interested households can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available here.
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A program that offers CalFresh recipients an extra $60 a month to spend on fresh produce at participating stores and farmers markets is restarting thanks to renewed state funding.
The backstory: The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project was most recently funded at $10 million, but that was only enough to run the program for about three months.
How it works: When CalFresh recipients spend money on fresh fruits and vegetables at participating locations, their EBT cards are immediately rebated the amount they spend, up to $60 a month.
Funding boost: Thanks to a boost of $36 million in state funding, program organizers are hopeful it will last about 10 months. The renewed funding comes after food banks and meal programs in Los Angeles were forced to scramble to serve a rush of people looking for help during the longest government shutdown in American history.
The quote: The continuation of the program was a priority for State Sen. Laura Richardson, who represents cities including Carson and Compton. “You know, people are hurting," Richardson told LAist. "The number one thing that we hear that people are concerned about is affordability."
Find participating locations: There are about 90 participating retailers and farmers markets. You can find a list here.
