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Thousands of people across Southern California paused their daily routines on Monday to look up and take in a partial eclipse that saw roughly 50% of the sun blocked out by the moon.
Why it matters: The event was certainly one for the history books. According to NASA records, the most recent total eclipse in SoCal was in 1724 and another isn't forecast through the year 3000.
Read on... for photos of how people across SoCal took in the spectacle.
Thousands of people across Southern California paused their daily routines on Monday to look up and take in a partial eclipse that saw roughly 50% of the sun blocked out by the moon.
From the California Institute of Technology to Cal State LA, to local observatories, parking lots, school yards and beyond, it was good 30 minutes of SoCal collectively looking up with protective eyewear as the partial eclipse peaked at 11:12 a.m.
“It looks like a croissant!” said Lindsey Mai, an employee of Bub & Grandma’s Restaurant in Eagle Rock. About 40 patrons and staff gathered on the sidewalk outside the sandwich shop or set up blankets and chairs in the median on Eagle Rock Boulevard, where the team from Solarc Brewing next door played classic tunes, handed out glasses and served iced tea and chai.
The solar event was one for the history books. According to NASA records, the most recent total eclipse in SoCal was in 1724 and another isn't forecast through the year 3000.
Mary Paul and her husband Jermaine came out from Long Beach with the whole family to check out the viewing party at Caltech.
“What better way to make memories than through academics and the kids being engaged,” said Mary. “So we felt like let's go, let's go as a family.”
“We’re all supposed to be in school but we're not,” she added with a laugh, “we're out here learning about the eclipse and it's just a real special time.”
One of her seven kids, Judah, was especially excited for the eclipse, and he said it’s a lot more fun with the whole family around.
“It feels like a once in a lifetime thing, it feels so awesome to look at it,” he said.
At Carpenter Charter Elementary in Studio City, the eclipse offered an opportunity to rectify previous mistakes — just before the 2017 event, the school found out their viewing glasses might not be safe. This year's glasses were secured by a group of parents, per principal Joseph Martinez.
This is the second eclipse of the year for teacher Lauren Manning's students. Back in October, they made pinhole cameras so they could safely watch the annular eclipse at home on the weekend.
"Anytime you have something like an eclipse, even just a rainbow," she said, "it's an opportunity for students to get excited about science, experience this crazy phenomenon and then figure out why it happens."
Her fourth grade students had a lot of queries about space:
Ten-year-old Nathan Altamirano of Alhambra saw the eclipse at Caltech with his mom, Wendy Rodriguez, and aunt, Lorena Rodriguez. He was excited to get to witness the rare phenomenon, but mostly it was a moment that allowed him to appreciate his favorite planet — Earth.
“People say that we should start going to other planets, but we should start focusing on this planet and what we have to do here,” he said. “Because we are not keeping this planet healthy and we're polluting it, and when we see eclipses, we think what can we do to keep this here? Well, at least that's what I always think because everyone loves eclipses because everyone's here enjoying this moment. So we should try to do more to keep this here.”
They brought a cowskin drum and sound bowls to commemorate the moment and reflect on the family’s own Indigenous heritage, which has roots in El Salvador, Mexico and California.
“Without the sun, we wouldn't be able to have existence, not on Earth,” said Lorena. “And so being able to just pay respect to everything that happens in the universe and the little portion that we are a part of that and passing that down to our youth, it's important.”
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The Big Bear bald eagle believed to be Jackie remains in critical but stable condition. The Ojai Raptor Center, which is caring for her, said on social media Monday that positive news is coming soon.
The update: The center's update said Jackie is receiving round-the-clock treatment and is in intensive care. She experienced a “setback” on Saturday after receiving a blood transfusion and has shown improvement since then, according to the center. Her energy improved and has become more feisty during feedings.
Do we know what’s wrong? There is no definitive diagnosis at this time despite diagnostic testing and consultation with experienced wildlife veterinarians. The center's staff said cases like this can be complex and they will keep adjusting Jackie's treatment as new information becomes available.
Background: Jackie was rescued in Big Bear after a brief fight with two other eagles earlier this month, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the environmental nonprofit that runs a YouTube livestream of Jackie and Shadow’s famous nest. The eagle was taken in by the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue and transferred to a specialized rehabilitation facility for further care, according to county officials.
Go deeper… a fundraiser to buy land near Big Bear’s famous bald eagle nest surpasses $10M goal.
Live images get from the nest high above Big Bear Lake to your eyeballs via a pair of cameras — one that provides close-ups of the nest, and another trained on the tree Jackie and Shadow roost in.
Makenna Cramer contributed to this story.
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L.A. DJ icon Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his landmark debut album The Audience's Listening with an immersive listening residency at Only the Wild Ones in Venice. The final performance is Aug. 2.
The backstory: 20 years ago, Cut Chemist put out an album that asked a question nobody had quite answered yet: could the turntable be a lead instrument? Not just a tool, but the thing carrying the whole record? Two decades later, Cut Chemist, whose real name is Lucas McFadden, has been revisiting that record in a series called Expert of None. The immersive listening residency explores musical discovery and crate digging culture, revealing the records and influences that shaped the album.
L.A. on the ones and twos: “I was raised on L.A. radio,” said McFadden. "Being from here and being in groups like Ozomatli and Jurassic 5, I feel like those two groups couldn't exist anywhere else. They are such a byproduct of the city, coming from places like The Good Life in South Central. L.A. is such a melting pot, and I feel like my life in music is the same reflection of that as well.”
Upcoming show: Tickets for Cut Chemist’s at Only the Wild Ones in Venice are currently sold out, but you can join a waiting list.
Twenty years ago, a Los Angeles DJ put out an album that asked a question nobody had quite answered yet: Could the turntable be a lead instrument?
Not just a tool, but the thing carrying the whole record?
Lucas McFadden, also known as Cut Chemist, said “yes.”
His debut solo album, The Audience’s Listening, dropped in 2006 after years of work, sample clearances and a clean break from the group that made him famous. He was a founding member of Jurassic 5, and before that, Ozomatli.
Two decades later, he's been revisiting that record in a series called Expert of None. It’s an intimate show at Only the Wild Ones in Venice, where he traces the records that shaped him right up to this album. The final installment of the series is scheduled for August 2.
“It's a record that I periodically revisit throughout my life just to kind of see where I've been and to know where I need to go next,” McFadden said. “I always like to do something different from what I've done before. This is the year where I really go back and trace the steps of the building blocks that made that record and who I was as an artist leading up to that.”
Few fans know the behind-the-scenes work it takes for DJs and producers to track down sounds and then get the permission to use them. McFadden said finding and presenting music are two very different processes.
“I feel like a matchmaker, so to speak, because no one else would take things which are from completely opposite ends of the globe and put them together in the same composition,” McFadden said. “Then, you have to track down the artist to ask their permission. It's very interesting and rewarding when they say yes.”
McFadden walked away from the success of Jurassic 5 to devote his time to a solo career. He said the change gave him increased freedom but also increased pressure.
“It was very scary to leave something so successful and really at its peak to do something where I was responsible for both the failures and the successes on my own,” McFadden said. “I couldn't share that blame with anybody. It was all on me. So, I remember putting a lot of pressure on myself, because I was the one in the spotlight. Then the successes were twice as sweet in that regard as well.”
The result was his debut, The Audience’s Listening, which McFadden says is very much an L.A. record.
“I was raised on L.A. radio,” McFadden said. "Being from here and being in groups like Ozomatli and Jurassic 5, I feel like those two groups couldn't exist anywhere else. They are such a byproduct of the city, coming from places like The Good Life in South Central. L.A. is such a melting pot, and I feel like my life in music is the same reflection of that as well.”
McFadden has been tracing the records that led to The Audience’s Listening during his "Expert of None" events at Only the Wild Ones in Venice. The immersive listening residency explores musical discovery and crate digging culture, revealing the records and influences that shaped the album.
“It's been incredible,” McFadden said. “There's so many things about my life that I didn't realize until I sat down and thought about them in the context of discovering music.”
McFadden says his younger self would be very pleased with the legacy of The Audience’s Listening.
“People still regard it as an album that’s important to them for the DJ culture,” McFadden said. “When it came out in the mid-2000s, DJs were kind of fading away, at least turntablists were. Another type of DJ was emerging, which was a laptop DJ. That opened the door for a lot of people that in some cases probably shouldn't be DJs, but wouldn't if this technology didn't exist. So, it was a very confusing time to put out a DJ turntablist record. I feel like I did well, and after 20 years of thinking about it and living in that world, I'm happy where it stands.”
Tickets for Cut Chemist’s Aug. 2 event at Only the Wild Ones are currently sold out, but fans can join a waiting list.
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The Palisades Fire burned down historic buildings in Will Rogers and Topanga state parks. California State Parks wants to know what you think about how they should rebuild.
Why now? Now that both parks are partially reopened, the agency that oversees them, California State Parks, says it's ready for the next phase of recovery. Agency authorities say they're looking to solve big questions, such as how to honor Will Rogers’ legacy and address park needs today. The feedback is expected to help create guiding priorities.
The backstory: The Palisades Fire burned more than 8,000 acres between both parks. That included sites beloved by Angelenos, such as Will Rogers’ 31-room ranch house and William Randolph Hearst’s Topanga Ranch Motel.
How you can get involved: California State Parks is asking for the public to share memories and photos of the parks before the fire, which authorities say will help ground planning in the experiences of people who know the parks best. There's also a box where you can send in what's on your mind about recovery planning.
What's next: The agency will do virtual and in-person events, surveys and more to gather community feedback. That is expected to happen in the fall, according to park spokesperson Jorge Moreno. You can stay in the loop through the agency’s project page and by signing up for its email list.
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A judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence to put singer D4vd on trial in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after, authorities said, she had threatened to expose their relationship and crater his career.
Judge says probable cause met: Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. D4vd, the 21-year-old singer born David Burke whose career was steeply rising before the allegations emerged, has pleaded not guilty.
What's next: Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court that prosecutors are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty. Burke is to be arraigned Aug. 31.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence to put singer D4vd on trial in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after, authorities said, she had threatened to expose their relationship and crater his career.
Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
“The people have met their burden on all counts,” Olmedo said. She ordered that Burke continue to be held without bail.
D4vd, the 21-year-old singer born David Burke whose career was steeply rising before the allegations emerged, has pleaded not guilty. He showed no emotion when the judge issued her ruling. Defense lawyers declined to comment outside court after the ruling.
Olmedo emphasized that the probable cause standard for a preliminary hearing like this is much lower than the threshold at trial. However, prosecutors asserted the evidence was overwhelming.
“Based on the mountains of evidence presented,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, “all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required.”
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court that prosecutors are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty. Burke is to be arraigned Aug. 31.
Prosecutors on Monday wrapped up their case by giving a moment-by-moment account of Rivas Hernandez’s last night, showing that after a stream of text messages with Burke, her phone went permanently silent when she arrived at his home.
As she neared his Hollywood home shortly after 10 a.m. on April 23, 2025, in an Uber he had sent to pick her up, she sent her final text: “girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.”
Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed her to death when she came through the door.
The night before, the two argued via text about his relationship with a woman. She sent him an angry and profane text saying she will tell her dad so many lies about him and “i will end ur career and ur life.”
Prosecutors said that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, stabbed her to death when she threatened to report him and ruin his career, and cut up her body in his garage with chain saws.
Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke ordered chain saws and wading pools that he used to dismember her body in his garage, and that her DNA was found there on blood stains discovered when police served a search warrant.
They said he then drove around for weeks and even months with the body in the trunk. Her decomposing body was found in the Tesla registered to Burke that was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September, a little more than four months later.
Prosecutors said the car was parked around the corner from his house, and surveillance video will show he was the last person to drive it.
After the final witness on Monday, the defense argued that the evidence was insufficient and the murder charge should be dismissed.
“There’s no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez,” said Burke’s attorney, Marilyn Bednarski.
She said the communications between Burke and Rivas Hernandez showed “no threat, no evidence of a history of violence” and that he had “the opposite of homicidal malice” toward her.
She argued that a medical examiner ruling that her death was a homicide from two puncture wounds was too vague and inconclusive to be evidence of murder. The defense did not directly give an alternative theory on how she died and isn’t required to.
The defense showed several other texts from Rivas Hernandez threatening him about their relationship, and saying she would go to Burke’s mother, talk to his friends and “leak” information about them.
Under questioning from defense attorney Blair Berk, Farrell said he saw no indication that she ever threatened to go to police or pursue any legal action against him.
The defense also established that she had asked seven times to come to see him in the days before her death, and he reluctantly agreed only after she demanded it, and that she had threatened to kill Burke and to mutilate him.
The defense argued that all of the malice had come from her.
Silverman told the judge that “the defense tried numerous times throughout these proceedings to dirty up the victim” despite her being a child.
The detective also said under questioning from Berk that the parents of both Burke and Rivas Hernandez knew about their relationship, that he had attended church with members of her family and that her parents had given their consent for her to go to London with him for a week.
After her phone went silent, Burke sent her several other messages that night asking where she was, and expressing concern. Prosecutors allege those messages were sent as cover after he had killed her.
Prosecutors allege Burke dismembered the body in his garage. A police analyst testified earlier in the hearing that samples pulled from apparent blood stains there matched her DNA.
Her body was found in a Tesla registered to him nearly five months later.
In earlier testimony, Farrell recounted dozens of sexually explicit photos of Burke and Rivas Hernandez and years of text messages that described the same things, along with conversations that indicated she had gotten an abortion in 2024 at 13 after he got her pregnant.
Farrell described the photos that could not be shown in court, material so graphic that it left Rivas Hernandez’s mother in tears and prompted both parents to leave the courtroom on Friday. They were back in court Monday.
D4vd (pronounced “David”) became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays.
In 2024 he played the Coachella music festival and released his first full-length album, “Withered,” two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.
