The Brief

Good news for one of nature’s rarest and unlikeliest species: The critically endangered Devils Hole pupfish has been making a resurgence after a very close brush with extinction last decade.

The fish — whose full natural habitat consists of a hole in Death Valley National Park with a surface area of about 10 feet by 60 feet, little oxygen and very warm water — has been central for conservationists and biologists interested in how the species managed to develop in such extreme conditions.

So it was with guarded optimism that officials announced a few weeks ago that the spring pupfish census had counted 191 of the silvery fish, which measure little more than an inch long. That's a far cry from the 35 counted in 2013, when the species was at its closest to the brink since being studied.

Back from the brink

Before the population started declining a few decades ago, roughly 200 to 250 specimens were counted each spring by scuba divers. Typically, the population roughly doubles for the fall count, Death Valley National Park aquatic ecologist Kevin Wilson said, because sunlight starts to reach the water in the hole in the late spring and summer. That allows for algae to grow as a food source.

However, the species has faced a series of challenges. First, development in the 1960s threatened the fish’s habitat, which is connected to an underground aquifer that started being tapped in the desert for agricultural purposes. And even after protections were put in place to save the endangered fish, the population started declining in the mid-1990s before reaching its low point in 2013.

Although the population’s been on the rise for a few seasons, officials said they wanted to be cautious before publicizing the upswing since the count is prone to major swings, with fall typically having much higher numbers than spring.

This pupfish’s unique habitat

Devils Hole is located within Death Valley National Park, though it’s easy for visitors to miss since it’s located in an exclave of the park across the Nevada border, about 10 miles from Death Valley Junction. The hole itself is at least hundreds of feet deep — its bottom has never been mapped.

“It's not a flowing spring. It's not a bubbling spring. It's just kind of this geological fault that opened up this cave, and you're looking at the aquifer,” Wilson said. “It's kind of a strange term for folks, but you're just looking at water that's underground and we just have a window to see it.”

It’s in this unlikeliest of spots that the Devils Hole pupfish managed to take root, eventually evolving into a separate species from other local pupfishes, with a tolerance for extreme conditions and no pelvic fins.

“There's a lot of species that we don't expect to survive because humans have manipulated the environment to the extent that we have driven them to extinction,” said Michael Schwemm, senior fish biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Service. “What's unique about this one is the isolation. The fish managed to get [to Devils Hole] during times of high water and evolve independently and go on their own trajectory.”

Devils Hole as pictured from above.

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Courtesy National Park Service/Kim Stringfellow

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Other than the isolation and unique evolutionary developments, Devils Hole pupfish are remarkable for another reason: Wilson said they live in the smallest habitat for any known vertebrate species.

You can actually see the pupfish for yourself: Just keep in mind that the hole is fenced off to protect the fish, so you may need to bring binoculars.

A conservationist flashpoint

The Devils Hole pupfish isn’t just notable from a biological perspective, it was also at the center of a debate over water use and conservation in the late 1960s and 1970s.

“A local landowner put a well in right on the boundary of National Park Service land, turned it on, and the water level went down right away and the pupfish population declined,” Wilson said.

The debate got contentious enough that bumper stickers that read “kill the pupfish” or “save the pupfish” were popular.

The battle made it all the way to the Supreme Court in 1976, when the court decided in Cappaert v. United States that the federal government could restrict pumping of the aquifer that feeds Devils Hole in order to preserve the pupfish population. This set the precedent for the federal government to claim the rights to not just water sources on federal lands, but also adjacent aquifers in order to protect endangered species.

The future of the Devils Hole pupfish

Conservation biologists have been working to restore the pupfish population since the decline started, which Schwemm called one of the “smallest population sizes that a population has ever rebounded back from in a completely natural setting.”

Scientists routinely monitor the pupfish in Devils Hole.

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Kurt Moses

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National Park Service

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Though scientists want to keep the Devils Hole pupfish in its natural environment, they’ve had a little intervention: Owing to the population decline and scarce food sources, scientists started to feed the fish in 2007, and the population numbers have been monitored via diving expeditions for decades.

According to Schwemm, the fish is of great interest to researchers as they work to understand how the fish evolved to survive in high-temperature water with low levels of oxygen and food.

But even if the species’ natural habitat changes and becomes unviable for the fish in the years to come – which is possible with climate change – scientists have instituted a stopgap measure. A nearby tank mimicking the natural conditions of Devils Hole, including a 93-degree water temperature and very low oxygen, has managed to sustain a separate pupfish population.

And since pupfish populations appear to be stable or growing in both the natural and artificial habitats, officials are looking forward to being able to study the fish without devoting most of their energy to survival.

“It really opens up the door for future research,” Schwemm said. “We were really limited on our ability to do research before, and I think that's going to really help us.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

East Los Angeles will undergo months of soil testing and excavation after May’s crude oil spill, with the cleanup expected to continue into early 2027, according to county officials.

County agencies gave an update on recovery efforts during an L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, which they say has shifted from emergency response to long-term remediation. 

Officials said much of the work is contingent on a report due on Aug. 31 by pipeline owner Plains All American that will detail the results of soil testing and other data points to understand the spill’s impact on the surrounding community and the L.A. River.

“There is still some oil contamination at Cesar Chavez and Eastern Avenue,” said Mario Tresierras, chief of the L.A. County Fire Department’s Health Hazardous Materials Division, one of the lead agencies overseeing the cleanup effort. 

What lies ahead is months of soil sampling, air quality monitoring and, eventually, excavation and removal of the contaminated soil, Tresierras said.

According to L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella, the scope of the excavation cannot be determined until after the county reviews Plains’ Aug. 31 report, but he expects the work to be completed by January 2027. 

“January of ‘27 would be a conservative completion date … I’d expect it to be done before then,” Pestrella said. “This is going to be a fairly involved cleanup and construction project.” 

How the spill happened 

Crews clean the scene along Cesar E. Chavez and Eastern avenues, where gallons of crude oil spilled onto the street.

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Andrew Lopez

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Boyle Heights Beat

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An estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled on May 22 after crews conducting directional drilling for a fiber-optic line struck the 16-inch petroleum pipeline. Initial reports placed the spill at about 2,400 gallons before the pipeline operator revised the volume.

Much of the oil seeped into nearby streets and soil, and a “significant” amount also made its way into the storm drain system and the L.A. River, Pestrella said.

State and federal agencies completed cleanup of the river and storm drains on June 23, according to L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

Public Health says no ongoing health impacts detected 

Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said there are no ongoing health impacts related to the spill and the noxious odors that caused headaches and nausea for some residents have subsided.

Ferrer said the department has not detected elevated levels of benzene, a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant, despite community concerns. Though odors may return during excavation work, the department does not anticipate dangerous benzene levels during remediation, Ferrer said.

Solis proposes community meetings 

At the meeting, Solis asked county departments, including Public Works, the L.A. County Fire Department and the Department of Public Health, to hold a community meeting “to ensure that residents are fully aware and updated on the status and recovery while we’re preparing, and then after the report.”

The request comes after months of demands from community groups calling on Solis to host a community town hall and provide greater access to environmental testing results, public health guidance and cleanup updates. Those calls for transparency were reignited following the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, with residents calling it another example of the environmental injustice faced by Eastside residents.

As of Wednesday, Solis’ office had not yet determined any dates for the meetings but said they expect the departments to host them as soon as possible.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

A local outbreak of flea-borne typhus is spreading in the Pico Union neighborhood, according to health officials. Five cases have emerged in the city of Los Angeles with all five patients being hospitalized and recovering. 

The outbreak is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health who are hoping to minimize the spread of the infection.

Infections occur when feces from infected fleas are rubbed into cuts or scrapes on the skin or rubbed into the eyes. 

Symptoms include fever, body aches, headaches, nausea and rashes. They can appear within one to two weeks after becoming infected. There is no vaccine for flea-borne typhus but it can be effectively treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early.

According to the DPH the best way to prevent illness is to reduce exposure to fleas and animals that may carry them. This includes stray animals, rodents, and other wildlife such as opossums. 

“Community members can help protect themselves and their neighbors by keeping pets on flea control year-round, avoiding stray animals, and making sure wildlife cannot live in or around their homes,” Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a statement.

Flea-borne typhus has increased in Los Angeles since 2010, with an all time high of 220 cases in 2025. The highest ever number reported in L.A. County.

The DPH advises residents to protect themselves and their pets by routinely using flea control products, keeping pets indoors as much as possible, and using EPA-registered insect repellent labeled for protection against fleas when outside.

They advise keeping pet food indoors to not attract wild or stray animals, as well as not feeding or touching any free-roaming animals.

Keeping yards free of debris and free of overgrown plants or bushes can also help wild animals avoid the area. It is recommended to keep trash in tightly closed containers, and to close off crawl spaces and openings where animals can enter, hide, or find food.

Infected animals do not typically show signs of illness and flea-borne typhus does not spread from person to person. Animal owners can be infected by touching their infected pets or if infected fleas are on the animal.

In 2025, nearly 90% of people diagnosed with flea-borne typhus required hospitalization, according to the DPH. All age groups are susceptible to catching typhus with documented cases in people ranging in residents from 1 – 85 years old, according to officials.

The county advises residents to get checked sooner rather than later, and to continuously be on the lookout for wild animals. The city will look to deal with an increase in cases since 2024.  

Residents can learn more about flea-borne typhus and prevention: ph.lacounty.gov/Typhus

Dating is not cheap, especially in a place like greater L.A. And costs are rising.

The overall average date is running $189, according to a BMO Real Financial Progress Index. That’s up 12.5% from last year. We asked listeners of AirTalk, LAist’s daily news show, to share how they find ways to date without breaking the bank.

Head outdoors

A number of listeners said hikes are their go-to cheap date.

“ I like going into an area where you get into a canopy, a lot of trees, so you don't get too warm,” Adrian in Corona said.

There might even be some science behind Angelenos’ love of hiking dates. Dating coach Damona Hoffman said there are benefits to doing something active while on a date.

“It boosts your endorphins… when you do something physical, you can sort of transfer some of those feelings of excitement to the person that you're with,” she said.

Kiz in Beverly Hills recommended Los Leones Canyon in Pacific Palisades — which is open after the Palisades fire — where he went on an early first date with his wife, adding that it’s also kid-friendly.

LAist host Austin Cross pointed out this may not be the best idea for a first date though.

“If the conversation's not hitting, but you're two miles into this hike, you still gotta walk back with them,” he said.

Take advantage of the arts

Heidi in Los Feliz recommended taking an art class, specifically at Heavy Manners Library in Echo Park.

Read more: Beloved Heavy Manners Library in Echo Park is moving — and it’s looking for a few good volunteers

“During the summer, the Hollywood Bowl has $6 seats for the symphony,” Adriana in Hollywood said. “You can take in your own food, you can bring in a bottle of wine, you can sit under the stars, listen to the LA Phil, and to me, that is just the most romantic, gorgeous way to spend a summer evening.”

Simplicity can be a good thing 

Durie in Lomita said he and his wife like to go watch planes at the In-N-Out by LAX. He said it would even make a good spot for a first date.

“ It lends a lot to discussion of what you want in your future,” he said.

Elizabeth in San Bernardino suggests meeting up at a bookstore.

“Conversation came organically through looking at the type of books that we liked,” she said of her experience.

Cross used to go to IKEA on dates back in the day.

“It was also a fun cheap date because you could see a person in so many different settings,” he said. “You could see if they were game to pretend to play house.”

The beach triumphs as an all-time cheap date spot

 Diane in West L.A. said — even after 41 years of marriage — eating dinner on the beach never fails.

“One of you can carry the basket, one of you can carry the blanket,” she said.