The Brief

After years of closure following the Bobcat Fire in 2020, the U.S. Forest Service will reopen the Big Santa Anita Canyon -- which includes the popular Chantry Flat recreation area -- to the public on Oct. 2.

The re-opening follows thousands of hours spent by several volunteer groups to clear trails damaged in the fire and made worse by subsequent atmospheric rivers.

Estephany Campos, with the Forest Service, told LAist that volunteers young and old have come from all over the region and built a community around the trail restoration work. 

“For me it’s always about working in community and that’s how things get accomplished on our forest,” Campos said.

Erik Hillard was one of the many volunteers who answered the call. In the last few years, he traveled frequently to the burned area over to rehabilitate the Gabrielino and other trails.

“It’s the winters where water comes down and moves all kinds of sediment that cause a lot of damage. And the area is really changed dramatically when we get our heavy rains,” said Hillard, Board Director of the volunteer group Lowelifes Respectable Citizens’ Club.

It’s been rewarding work, he said, and like many others Hillard is looking forward to getting that part of the Angeles National Forest opened back up to the public.

“Everybody is out there to give back to the forest, to improve it. Some people would say that ultimately maybe I’m a bit selfish [because] I’m improving the trails for me to be able to use,” Hillard said.

Eric Mulfinger, a retired math teacher and volunteer with the Restoration Legacy Crew, said the work is at times therapeutic. 

His crew only uses hand tools to work on the trails, including Japanese kataba saws, which make quick work of fallen tree limbs. 

“We also use sledgehammers from time to time,” Mulfinger said. “Sometimes the boulders are just too big and we’ll try to smash them. And I always joke that that's the perfect therapy right there. ‘You’ve had a tough week? Go take it out on this boulder.’”

Damage from Bobcat Fire and rain 

The Bobcat fire tore through about 116,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains in 2020. It destroyed 171 structures and resulted in the evacuation of residents in Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Bradbury and Duarte.

The fire also burned down 17 primitive cabins in Big Santa Anita Canyon, many of them more than 100 years old. The cabins are relics from the great hiking era of the early 1900s. Now about 60 remain, although there are hopes to rebuild some of the lost cabins.

Gary Keene, President of The Sturtevant Conservancy said there have been some dramatic changes in the landscape, some of it brought on by the fire and some of it by the restoration work.

For one, a bridge that hikers might remember at the bottom of the paved path from the Chantry Flats parking area is gone.

“The winter storms last year blew that practically out of the canyon. It’s pretty extraordinary what happened down there. People... who have familiarity with it, are just awestruck,” Keene said.

At times, the work felt immense and never ending.

“You clear a section of trail and think you’ve done good. And then you come back the next week and do it all over again,” Keene said. “I still think one of these days we’re going to make the t-shirt that says ‘Team Sisyphus.’ That’s been the work.”

While Keene said he’s happy the public will soon be able to enjoy the area again, there are some things to keep in mind:

Know before you go (information courtesy of the USFS): 

• Situational Awareness: The Big Santa Anita Canyon/Chantry Flat area still continues to recover from wildfire. Be aware of your surroundings. Here are some additional safety tips.
• Visit the Angeles National Forest website at: www.fs.usda.gov/angeles, call 626-574-1613, or stop by one of their offices or visitor centers. 
• Fire danger is EXTREME. No grills (charcoal or gas). No smoking. 
• Please use only official Forest Service-designated trails. By the reopening date of Oct. 2, you will be able to see a trail map on information boards in the parking lot, as well as on the Angeles National Forest website.
• Restrooms are only available near the parking lot, unless hiking to Spruce Grove (where there is a another bathroom.) Plan accordingly.
• Pay close attention to “No Parking” signs. There is no parking along the main road into the site or in front of the gate by the road/trail that leads to Roberts Camp. Why? (Emergency vehicle access for medical emergencies or wildfire responses.)
• Follow Leave No Trace principles.
• More volunteers are needed: If you would like to volunteer, visit www.fs.usda.gov/main/angeles/workingtogether/volunteering

What trails are open or closed? 

CLOSED TRAILS:

• Zion Trail
• Sturtevant Trail closed to Mt. Wilson 
• Anything north of Sturtevant Camp is closed to Newcomb Pass

OPEN TRAILS:

• First Water Trail
• Upper and Lower Winter Creek trails
• Sturtevant Loop to Sturtevant Falls
• Gabrielino National Recreation Trail from Chantry Flats to Sturtevant Camp 

Student loan borrowers who enroll in automatic payments will get a much bigger discount on interest starting July 1, the U.S. Department of Education says.

Auto pay has long offered a modest discount off borrowers' interest rate — .25 percentage points — but after millions of borrowers opted out during the long COVID repayment pause, with some making no payments for years, the nation's student debt portfolio swelled to $1.7 trillion.

On Thursday, the department said it will temporarily increase its auto pay interest rate discount to one full percentage point. Practically, that means an undergraduate borrower with a loan at the current 6.39% would see their interest rate drop temporarily to 5.39%.

The rate cut will last for two years, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028.

Borrowers already enrolled in auto pay do not need to act. They will automatically receive the rate cut.

In a call with reporters on Thursday, Undersecretary Nicholas Kent said that, back in 2019, roughly 83% of borrowers were enrolled in auto pay but that by late 2025, that participation rate had dropped considerably, to just 40% of borrowers.

"This temporary incentive is designed to help borrowers pay down their balances more quickly," Kent told reporters, "take full advantage of new repayment benefits, remain on track for loan discharge opportunities and to strengthen the overall health of the federal student loan portfolio."

The department says borrowers will have until Sept. 30 to sign up for auto pay and qualify for the two-year interest discount.

July 1 ushers in a host of big new changes to the federal student aid world, including the introduction of two new repayment plans and controversial new caps on graduate student loans.

Edited by: Nirvi Shah
Copyright 2026 NPR

After fighting Sacramento for years, Huntington Beach finally approved a plan this week to allow for significantly more housing.

State law requires California cities and counties to plan for enough housing to meet the expected demand, with an emphasis on low-income units. For years, Huntington Beach has fought its allocation of some 13,000 new homes. But the city lost its final legal battle earlier this year.

The last stand?

The City Council voted 5-2 to approve a draft housing plan at its meeting earlier this week. Councilmembers said they had to comply with the court order, but would continue to fight for local control over housing and zoning decisions. “There’s still a couple moves on the chessboard on this one,” said Mayor Casey McKeon, without elaborating.

What’s next?

The state housing department still has to approve the city’s housing plan, so more back-and-forth is likely. It’s also unclear whether Huntington Beach voters will ultimately have to approve the plan. Voters passed a measure in 2024 requiring public approval of major zoning changes in the city.

The city of Long Beach on Wednesday unveiled early mockups for new lighting, historical markers, murals and a plaza that will mark the neighborhood along Broadway as a cultural district for the LGBTQ+ community.

The district, designated by the City Council in 2024, will stretch 1.4 miles, between Alamitos Avenue and Temple Avenue, in an area that’s historically been home to many gay bars and other LGBTQ-focused businesses.

The borders of Long Beach’s new LGBTQ+ cultural district.

Right now, the city does not have enough money set aside to fund a redesign of that whole stretch and initially focus on two blocks between Hermosa and Junipero avenues using $3.3 million they’ve so far socked away, Public Works Department spokesperson Jocelin Padilla said.

In the initial phase, the city will add color-changing festoon lighting between Hermosa and Junipero Avenues, wraps and banners on streetpoles, and murals. There will also be a Pride Plaza, situated at the corner of Junipero Avenue and Broadway, with historical markers and educational signs that draw on the city’s LGBTQ+ history.

Designs for the site, officials say, are based heavily on existing districts in San Jose, Chicago and Montreal.

Padilla said there is no date set yet for the work to start, though the city hopes to begin in early 2027 and finish sometime in 2028. A survey was launched this week to garner feedback on the proposed designs. Early renderings of the plaza, Padilla said, were intentionally vague, so that people could give further input on how it should look.

Long Beach unveiled proposed designs for a new Pride Plaza on Broadway as part of an LGBTQ+ cultural district on June 17, 2026.

Future phases will look to add foliage, decorative crosswalks, plaques, signage and construct a memorial to those who died from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It would be similar in design to memorials built in New York and Chicago.

This comes as multiple city-run surveys and workshops in October 2022 and 2023 found that many feel the area is poorly lit at night and doesn’t have enough tree shading in the day. There was also a high demand for murals, parking spaces and bike lanes.

City planners say the location, which includes Bixby Park near its center, is best suited for the district given its density of LGBTQ+ shops and bars, and as the location of the city’s yearly Pride parade.

“This corridor has long been a place that served as a home for gathering space and a source of pride for all the LGBTQ+ community,” said Councilmember Cindy Allen. “This corridor carries a powerful history of community advocacy, celebration, business, and resilience.”

“Together we are building a district that reflects your voices, honors your history, supports local businesses, and celebrates who you are, not just during Pride, but every single day,” Allen said.

You can see more renderings and give feedback here.

Think of pretty much any country, and you can likely find its cuisine in Los Angeles. But when we saw that Belgium was lined up to play Iran on Sunday, June 21, at SoFi Stadium, it gave us pause. Is there a Belgian restaurant in L.A.?

It turns out the answer is complicated. Liège waffles — the dense, caramelized, pearl-sugar version of the Belgian classic — have a real foothold here, with spots like Belgium Waffle Haus in the San Fernando Valley. There's also FRitēS-FReaK, an Orange County food truck devoted entirely to Belgian-style double-fried fries, piled high with toppings like fried egg and bacon.

But a full Belgian dining experience, the kind with mussels and frites and a wall of Trappist beers, is harder to come by. For that, you'll need to drive about 40 miles south down the coast, where Brussels Bistro — with locations in San Clemente and Laguna Beach — pays homage to the cuisine of the distinct but tiny country that's the size of Maryland.

Walk into the San Clemente location, and a marquee above the bar spells out a kind of Belgian shorthand — WE ♥ BELGIUM, CROQUETTES, WAFFLE, FRITES — more mood than menu. Near the entrance, a replica of the Manneken-Pis — one of Belgium's best-known symbols, the naked young boy happily urinating into a basin — sits on a shelf dressed in the Belgian national team jersey, an American flag planted beside him.

Chef-owner Thomas Crijns came from Ottignies, outside Brussels, in the early 2000s to consult on the Laguna Beach location — and never left. He runs the restaurant alongside his wife Carol, who is French-born with Persian heritage, a combination that will make the June 21 match particularly interesting in their household. When asked to describe the food of his home country, Crijns quickly quips: "Belgian cuisine is like French cuisine but with less pretension."

A World Cup match plays above the bar at Brussels Bistro, alongside a deep list of Belgian beers including Chimay, Duvel and Kasteel.

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The menu reads like a love letter to Belgian culinary tradition — mussels, waffles, and carbonnade à la flamande, a Flemish stew made with beer and mustard — alongside a draft list that includes Chimay, Duvel, Rochefort and Delirium Tremens.

But the dish Crijns is most proud of is one most Americans have never heard of. The shrimp croquette is a staple of Belgian brasserie culture, made here with North Sea shrimp — what he calls "the caviar of the North Sea" — flown in every Thursday from a Dutch supplier.

Four golden, breaded croquettes arranged on a white plate over a bed of fried parsley, with a lemon wedge and a dollop of sauce on top of one croquette.

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The croquettes arrived four to a plate, golden and perfectly formed, the exterior giving way to a creamy molten interior where the tiny shrimp created a texture unlike anything I'd had before — something close to squid, but more delicate. The kind of dish that makes more sense with a Belgian beer in hand and a side of frites within reach. The match, though, is a more complicated proposition in the Crijns household.

A taste of Belgium, one tap at a time, at Brussels Bistro in San Clemente.

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Carol would know better than most. Her uncle runs a Persian restaurant in Irvine, part of an Orange County Iranian community of nearly 37,000 — a concentration that rivals many a concentration that rivals many larger cities

On June 21, she expects fans from both sides to fill the restaurant.

"I'm gonna do everything I can to bring as many family members," she said. "To tease my husband as much as I can."

"I'm grateful that the tournament allows us to put aside our differences and bring people together."

Coming from almost anyone else, that might sound like a talking point. Coming from a French-Persian woman married to a Belgian chef, watching Iran play Belgium at their own restaurant — it sounds like something she's earned the right to say.