The Brief

A ban on the sale or distribution of what’s known as expanded polystyrene took effect this week in the city of Los Angeles. The common trade name is Styrofoam, which is a type of plastic.

L.A. first approved the ban in 2022. It took effect last year for large food or beverage facilities and retail establishments with more than 26 employees.

On Tuesday, it expanded to all other facilities, even though Styrofoam products could still be purchased online provided that they're shipped from somewhere outside of L.A. The ban is part of the city’s march toward a “zero-waste” L.A.

A victory for environmentalists

Environmentalists, who lobbied for a polystyrene ban for more than a decade, hailed its final implementation.

“It's a huge problem in the environment,” said Emily Parker, coastal and marine scientist with Heal the Bay and co-chair of the Reusable L.A. Coalition. “Because it breaks down into small pieces so quickly, it's incredibly difficult to clean.”

Craig Cadwallader of the Surfrider Foundation added that wildlife often consume the tiny pieces of white polystyrene “thinking they are fish eggs.”

Polystyrene is also unsafe for humans, he said. “It leaches chemicals — styrene and benzene — into food,” he said.

Cadwallader said he hopes other cities that have been reluctant to impose a ban will follow L.A.’s lead.

“What happens in Los Angeles is watched worldwide,” he said.

L.A. County already enacted a similar ban in unincorporated areas last year.

Details of the ban

The wide ranging ordinance prohibits businesses from distributing, offering, providing, renting, or selling any polystyrene product. It also bans the use of polystyrene in shipping or packing material.

Chloe Brown with Californians Against Waste said the L.A. ordinance is important because it covers a large number of restaurants that use Styrofoam for pack to-go items.

“We’re really excited to see it expand,” Brown said. The city's many restaurants, including mom and pops, are expected to be affected.

Under the ordinance, retail outlets are also prohibited from selling polystyrene materials, including plates, cups and coolers. But there are a number of exemptions, including craft supplies and packaging or containers for drugs and medical devices.

Parker said the market offers many alternative materials to polystyrene, including paper, fiber-based materials, and tinfoil.

“This should not impact businesses in a big way,” Parker said.

The California Restaurant Association has lobbied against such bans, arguing the alternatives to polystyrene cost more. The association sued the city of San Diego, successfully delaying implementation of its ban.

The association did not provide comment on the L.A. ordinance.

The problem with Styrofoam

Polystyrene is used extensively in food and beverage and packaging industries because the material is lightweight, moisture-resistant, and has high shock absorbency. But it's highly problematic, according to the Department of Sanitation:

• It's not accepted in the blue bin for recycling, or the green bin for composting in L.A.
• It does not biodegrade
• It poses a risk to wildlife
• It can easily blow out of open garbage cans and trucks because it is so lightweight
• It can leach toxic chemicals into the environment when landfilled and has been classified as a possible human carcinogen

The larger push toward 'zero waste'

L.A. is looking at a wide range of other measures to reach its zero waste goal, including a Comprehensive Plastic Reduction Program.

Among the proposals included in the program: one that would require restaurants to use reusable dishes for dine-in customers.

“If you’re going to sit there and eat, you should be given something reusable that gets used again and again,” Parker said. “This is something that is most important for fast-casual establishments.”

Parker called it “low-hanging fruit” where the city could make a lot of progress as far as reducing the amount of single-use plastics.

The Los Angeles City Council would need to approve such a proposal.

After the Eaton Fire burned across Altadena a year and half ago, an unusual sight reappeared up amid the ashes and debris: a giant werewolf wearing a large T-shirt, with a big rainbow-colored heart that said, “I love Altadena.”

“Where he sits on that hill, the sun behind him when we were there in the evening, the sun was setting and the clouds were perfect. It was just such a weirdly hopeful thing,” said Taylor Jennings, who was visiting from Fresno last summer when he saw Norman standing over the fire-torn intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Mariposa Street.

“All around there’s devastation, and there’s an 8-foot [tall] werewolf. At that point, I realized how Altadena is feral, and he just seemed like the perfect mascot,” Jennings said.

Norman Jr., as the werewolf is affectionately known, appeared on this burned-out corner lot in West Altadena just days after the fire, replacing a previous werewolf that popped up on the property a few years earlier.

Both belong to Jubilee House, a large sober living home for men operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. One of the residents bought the original werewolf just in time for Halloween a few years ago and named him Norman — a nod to the home’s eerie resemblance to Norman Bates’ house in the 1960 classic slasher film Psycho.

Courage Escamilla hams it up with Norman Jr. on a recent weekday afternoon.

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House manager Brian Woodruff said trick-or-treaters would never stop by the house.

“Every year I bought candy, every year,” Woodruff said, laughing, as he stood on the cleared lot near Norman Jr. “And I always ended up being the one eating all the candy!”

That changed after Norman appeared on the front lawn. The trick-or-treaters came in droves, lured by the werewolf’s grinning fangs and gnarled outstretched arms. They’d stop and take pictures with Norman and leave gifts and thank you notes. So, the guys at the house decided to keep him up year-round and started creating new outfits for Norman to mark the changing of the seasons.

“Summer was coming up, we can get the Big-and-Tall catalog, we can order him a tank top,” Woodruff recalled. “And then I went online, and I found some oversized sunglasses,” he said, chuckling at the memory.

Then came the fire. All ten residents of Jubilee House got out safely, but the place burned to the ground. Among the debris lay the mangled pieces of Norman’s metal limbs.

“The first time I came up, I didn’t expect to be so disoriented, you probably experienced this, too,” said Pastor Tim Hartley, the director of the Jubilee House program. “I didn’t know where I was.”

A few weeks later, hoping to boost morale, Hartley started shopping for and found a replacement: Norman Jr.

“Once we put up that werewolf, it became this landmark [after the fire] that people could use for where they were in Altadena, as well as this source of hope for people,” Hartley said.

That’s what Norman Jr. came to symbolize for longtime Altadena resident Courage Escamilla.

“He’s kind of a symbol for people in town who for their whole life have struggled to ever feel like they fit in because they’re eccentric or different or stand out,” Escamilla said.

Rigoberto Gonzales runs through the extensive menu of his Mexican food truck.

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After the fire, he became an advocate and community booster, helping to organize rallies and fundraisers. Escamilla’s hard to miss, usually pulling up to community events on his motorcycle, sporting a red durag, with a raccoon tail dangling from the back of his waistband.

“You feel like you’re now in a community that embraces the weird, the unusual, and so for me, Norman represents the message that we embrace and appreciate the strange and unusual in this town,” Escamilla said.

After all, he said, fictional “monsters” are often just misunderstood.

“They’re often unfairly targeted, and I always felt like I related to that on some subconscious level and have always loved monsters for the fact that they can be loved,” Escamilla said.

“Symbols of things that were previously seen as repugnant are now seen as something that represents love and acceptance, and I find that rather special.”

Norman Jr.’s main character was another Altadena resident who lost her home. She stepped up to the task, creating new seasonal outfits and making sure he stayed upright when it was stormy.

On a spring day, she draped the werewolf’s plastic and metal body and articulated limbs in a form-fitting fake fur suit with a big red heart on its chest, hand-stitched for his frame.

With everyone from the sober living home scattered to new locations, Hartley welcomed her help.

“She honored this space in a way that I just appreciated,” Hartley said. “And then she’d say, he’s a little rickety, so I’m going to put out the word to have people come help me secure him, and these strangers would all gather to help, which I just loved.”

Norman Jr.’s caretaker declined to be interviewed and asked that we not use her name. But she did explain how Norman’s corner became a refuge for her after losing her home in the fire.

Pastor Tim Hartley shows off a Norman Jr. T-shirt, hand-screened by a local artist, to commemorate the Eaton Fire.

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Photos of the wolfman wearing the outfits she created started blowing up on social media, and life started returning to the neighborhood, with the pace of rebuilding picking up speed.

That’s when the little green taco truck from the San Fernando Valley appeared.

Behind the wheel was Rigoberto Gonzales. Also, a plumber who moonlights doing work on home rebuilds around town, Gonzales saw a need for food options that could appeal to the growing army of construction workers.

Knowing nothing about Norman’s story, he parked his lime green truck beneath the giant oak tree that shares the same corner. Norman’s caretaker was not happy. She asked Gonzales to move, even though his vehicle didn’t disturb or block access to the werewolf.

“Every time I see her, she was so mad, for no reason,” Gonzales said, as he took a break from the truck on a recent afternoon.

“Then she later tells me what’s the reason. She just doesn’t want me to be here.”

The conflict simmered for weeks. Gonzales said he felt unfairly targeted. He said he asked her why he needed to move.

“I mean, give me the reason [why] I have to move? And she only walked away,” he said.

The caretaker quit caring for Norman, claiming she felt unsafe. Gonzales insisted that not he, nor any of his staff or customers, ever harassed the caretaker in any way.

Then, a group of fire survivors, who never bothered talking to Gonzales or the property managers, rallied behind the caretaker. They accused Gonzales of exploiting a vulnerable, traumatized community and ruining the sacredness of Norman Jr.’s corner.

Then, it escalated. A disgruntled resident posted Gonzales’ license plate on social media.

Others threatened to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or LA County Public Health. In a community forum on Facebook, one person “joked” about putting nails under his tires. Another person suggested setting off “stink bombs.”

Local therapist and activist Melissa Lopez said a few people tied to that same Facebook group later showed up to hassle Gonzales in person. After that confrontation, they appeared to have backed off.

“That hurts, to see some of these violent reactions, to say they were going to bring a truck and wall off the area to him,” Lopez said. “People are gathering up pitchforks, and [it’s] scary.”

Things eventually cooled down, but not without some sore feelings. Norman’s caretaker still hasn’t returned.

But Norman Jr. continues to be looked after by his community of admirers — including Lopez, who just got a colorful Norman Jr. tattoo on her calf.

Lopez said she found some similarity between the friction over Norman Jr. and a recent monster movie, director Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein film. In the adaptation, she said, the scientist gives Frankenstein’s creature a voice, and the creature tells his story.

“It’s so beautiful because of that, because you get to see that he’s been dehumanized, that we created a monster,” Lopez said.” And I think that’s so true of society. We create the monsters, and how quickly we go to ostracize, to condemn people.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

An underground oil pipe ruptured overnight Friday in East Los Angeles, spilling crude oil onto nearby streets, into storm drains and the Los Angeles River, authorities said.

Firefighters responded to a hazmat incident at about 3:19 a.m. Friday at E. Cesar E. Chavez and N. Eastern avenues, according to L.A. County Fire Department Public Information Officer Pauline Ncgee.  Officials said early reports indicated a boring crew conducting directional drilling for a fiber optic line struck a 16-inch petroleum pipeline.

The pipeline was spilling at about 5 gallons per second before it was shut off, Ncgee said. Los Angeles County Fire Department public information officer Jonathan Torres said they estimate between 2,000 and 3,000 gallons were spilled.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis’ office said the spill later reached the Los Angeles River and was moving downstream toward Long Beach and the ocean.

“I am calling for an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident to determine how this occurred and to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable. The environmental consequences of this spill are deeply concerning, and every agency involved must respond with the urgency this situation demands,” said Solis in a statement.

Crude oil from a pipeline rupture reached the LA River on Friday, May 22, 2026.

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Cleanup crews from various agencies were at the scene, including the U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. LA County Fire said the surface-level cleanup was expected to be completed by the end of the day, but added that long-term cleanup and damage assessment will likely take days.

The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert for multiple streets surrounding the spill. Solis’ office said only one business was affected at the intersection and will remain closed until further notice.

The pipeline flows about 2,000 barrels of crude oil per hour and runs from Kern County to the Port of Los Angeles, Ncgee said. Authorities initially said the pipeline carried 4,600 barrels per hour but later corrected the number.

As of 8:40 a.m., a strong smell of gas lingered near the scene, which was about a block away from Esteban E. Torres High School.

Boyle Heights resident Cruz Flores said he was late dropping off his brother at Esteban E. Torres High School because of the street closures.

“A lot of students were late,” Flores said. “I’m just concerned about the students because you could smell it over there by the school.”

Flores said he saw Torres staff handing out masks to students as they entered the grounds.

A person at the front desk at Torres High, who did not want to provide their name, said the school remained open and the students and staff were provided with masks.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

WASHINGTON — Republicans struggled Thursday to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June.

The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Trump's military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it. It was the latest sign of the slipping support in Congress for a war that Trump launched more than two months ago without congressional approval.

"We had the votes without question and they knew it, and as a result they're playing a political game," said Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, who sponsored the bill.

Republicans in the Senate are also working to ensure they have the votes to dismiss another war powers resolution that advanced to a final vote earlier this week, when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote.

The actions by congressional leaders showed Republicans are struggling to maintain political backing for Trump's handling of the war. Rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict.

House Republican Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that the vote was delayed to give lawmakers who were absent a chance to vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson did not answer questions from reporters as he exited the House chamber.

Frustration with Iran war grows on Capitol Hill

On Capitol Hill, patience with the war has worn thin as the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global shipping and elevates gas prices in the U.S. Another House war powers resolution nearly passed last week, falling on a tie vote as three Republicans voted in favor.

Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he had the votes "locked in" this time around.

"People are beginning to finally listen to the American people who don't support the war in Iran, and I think there's a growing number of Republicans who see how devastating the war has been for our country," said Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state.

The lone Democrat who voted against the war powers resolution last week, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, has said he will vote in favor of the legislation next time.

In a joint statement, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and other caucus leaders said Republicans were "cowardly" to pull the vote.

"Even as we prepare to recognize our nation's fallen heroes on Memorial Day, House Republicans refuse to show up and be accountable to the brave service members that have been recklessly put in harm's way," they added.

Republicans have been broadly supportive of Trump's efforts to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, but some are now saying the president's legal timeline to wage a war without congressional approval has expired. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, presidents have 60 days to engage in a military conflict before Congress must either declare war or authorize the use of military force.

"We're past 60 days so it's got to be brought to us to vote on. We're following the law," said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, adding that he plans to vote for the war powers resolution.

The dispute over war powers

The White House argues that the requirements of the War Powers Resolution no longer apply because of the ceasefire with Iran. At the same time, Trump has said he was just an hour away from ordering another strike on Iran earlier this week, but held off because Gulf allies said they were engaged in negotiations to end the war.

Still, Trump said on social media that military leaders should "be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached." Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who has so far voted against the war powers resolutions, expressed frustration with the Trump administration's stance, especially from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

"The current status quo, Pete Hegseth demonstrates how incompetent he is," Tillis told reporters, adding that he would be willing to vote for an authorization for use of military force.

Earlier this week, Democratic senators rallied outside the Capitol Wednesday alongside VoteVets, a left-leaning veterans' advocacy group. They placed signs on the Capitol lawn noting that the nationwide average price of gasoline had risen to $4.53.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who served in the Iraq War with the Air National Guard, argued that the Iran war has amounted to a strategic blunder for Trump.

"Trump started a war, and he's made things worse than before," Duckworth said, pointing to Iran's new leadership and the country's willingness to put a chokehold on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Republican leaders praised Trump for taking what they said was bold action to directly confront Iran, a nation that has been a U.S. adversary for decades.

"I'm an American. I don't believe in getting hit and walking away and pretending as though it didn't happen," said Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

For Congress, the growing momentum to pass a war powers resolution could eventually lead to a legal showdown over who has the final authority over military conflicts.

The legislation before the House is a concurrent resolution that lawmakers said would take effect without Trump's signature if it passed both chambers of Congress.

But Trump has also argued that the 1973 law — passed by Congress during the Vietnam War era in an attempt to take back its power over foreign conflicts — is unconstitutional.
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