Desert dumping

LAist investigates waste at Antelope Valley sites

Jacob Margolis covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters, as well as investigations and accountability.

Published May 19, 2025 5:00 AM

A green tractor is seen behind a large berm of what appear to be woodchips. Hills roll in the distance.

Tractors are regularly used to spread material, including at a 70-acre site LAist visited in Kern County.

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Jacob Margolis

LAist

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Topline:

One of Southern California’s largest waste companies has participated in what environmental officials describe as a large-scale illegal dumping problem in the Antelope Valley.

The problem: Illegal dumping in the high desert has gotten so bad that CalRecycle, the state agency in charge of waste, said in February that it has become an emergency that is degrading the environment, causing fires and posing a risk to human health and safety.

Who and what are affected: Local residents deal with bugs, stench and eyesores from the waste. Trash fouls the desert environment, heating and combusting into fires with noxious smoke.

Read on … to meet one woman who is fighting back with a lawsuit.

Drive along one of the Antelope Valley’s long, open roads and you’ll see wood chip-covered berms rising from the flat desert landscape.

Some piles are taller than single-story homes and stretch for more than a half mile.

Inside those piles you’ll find more than wood: thermometers, tampons, electronics, street signs, and bits and pieces of dismantled buildings.

Dirt looking material with wood chips and metal with mountains int he background.

“If we took one wheelbarrow full of this and put it in a yard in L.A., anywhere, it would be a $500 ticket,” Frank Lloyd, an Antelope Valley property owner, said at a community meeting last year.

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Diapers, concrete and construction debris. The open secret about trash in Southern California is that some of the waste people assume is being properly handled is actually being disposed of on remote sites in the California high desert. The state agency in charge of waste, CalRecycle, has said the scale of illegal dumping has become an emergency. LAist science reporter Jacob Margolis investigated several illicit sites in the Antelope Valley. His investigation raises questions about illegal dumping practices, accountability and the toll it all takes on nearby residents.

The dirty secret of trash: Illegal dumping in the Southern California desert

The problem goes well beyond one wheelbarrow.

“Now we have hundreds of thousands of tons,” said Lloyd, who added that the community has been complaining to L.A. County officials for at least seven years. “We’re killing our environment.”

Things have gotten so bad, that CalRecycle, the state agency in charge of waste, said in February that the scale of illegal dumping in the high desert has become an emergency that is degrading the environment, causing fires and posing a risk to human health and safety.

Yet large-scale illegal waste disposal in the desert is an open secret among government officials, first responders, waste industry experts and the people living nearby. It’s difficult to stop or hold anyone accountable — how to prove which pile of garbage in a remote location came from which facility 100 miles away?

A large white semi-truck turns into a property surrounded by short dry bushes and large piles of dirt.

The problem was generating outrage and lawsuits well before January’s firestorm brought new attention to what happens to debris left behind when homes and businesses are demolished.

Since last summer, LAist has been investigating the flow of debris to three desert sites. The dumping there in part spurred CalRecycle to issue its emergency regulations.

What are 'C&D fines'?

The residual material from construction and demolition projects, or "C&D fines," are a byproduct of the recycling process. After material arrives at a processing facility, things that can’t be recycled are sifted out. The so-called fines can include bits and pieces of asphalt shingles, concrete, metals, treated wood, insulation, electronics and drywall.
Multiple waste industry experts LAist spoke with said such material is supposed to go to licensed disposal facilities, such as landfills, in an effort to protect public health and the environment.

One site involves more than 182,000 tons of debris left over from the processing of construction and demolition material, which in waste industry parlance is known as “C&D fines.” The debris was processed at a Sun Valley facility called Crown Recycling Services, according to reports Crown submitted to the city of L.A. Crown is operated by one of Southern California’s largest waste companies, Arakelian Enterprises Inc., which also operates Athens Services.

Between September 2020 and February 2024, Crown sent that debris to a company called Cal-Spreading, owned by Sean Irwin of Ventura, according to the reports Crown submitted.

The address Crown lists for where the debris went is a Lancaster property known as Three Points.

Debris from Crown also ended up at another nearby dump site, not far from the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, according to interviews and L.A. County investigation records. Cal-Spreading operated at that property, which is owned by the same Sean Irwin.

Aerial footage shows waste piled next to Kristina Brown's property.

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Courtesy Colin Roddick

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Athens was told to stop sending waste to Irwin’s property in early 2024, according to a record of a meeting between L.A. County Public Health and Irwin. In that meeting, an official recounts that a law enforcement agent focused on regulating waste for the city of L.A. explained that the construction debris was not compostable and couldn’t be dumped there. Athens and Crown were not cited by the city for illegal dumping. Only Irwin was cited, in a county notice of violation, which described him as an “operator of an illegal solid waste operation” and required him to clean up massive amounts of waste.

At a third site in Kern County, officials observed Irwin facilitating the disposal of construction and demolition debris from an unspecified source, according to Al Rojas, code compliance officer for the county. In April 2024, not long after L.A. County’s violation notice was issued, Kern County Public Works told the property owner to clean it up because it “creates an immediate and ongoing threat to the health and safety of the public.”

A thermometer with other trash sits in a pile of wood.

Kern County is now preparing to fine the property owner and Irwin, Rojas said in April.

Rojas said Kern County has experienced large illegal dumping cases over the years. "This one would rank in the top 10," he said.

Irwin did not respond to a recent request for comment.

City of Industry-based Athens Services did not answer detailed questions posed by LAist. Through a spokesperson, the company said in a statement that it “disposes of all material from our processing facilities in a responsible manner that complies with state and local regulations."

The statement continued: "The material sent to Cal-Spreading was beneficial soil material that was appropriate for land application. It was not, as asserted in your question, C&D material not appropriate for land application. Any allegation to the contrary is false."

"Properties accept material from multiple waste processors, often at the same location, and it can be impossible to determine the source of any specific material," Athens continued. "However, as Athens does not improperly dispose of construction and demolition material or contaminated green waste, we can state with confidence that we are not the source of any such disposal. Athens is committed to full compliance with all applicable regulations concerning material disposal.”

Antelope Valley residents want to hold accountable those they believe are responsible for the dumping. They’re looking to do that in court, by suing Athens, Irwin and others, seeking compensation for lost property value, cleanup of the waste and punitive damages. (No court date has yet been set.)

One of those residents is Kristina Brown.

A woman standing in front of a large pile of what looks like mulch.

Site No. 1: ‘We live next to a dump now’

I first met with Brown and her ex-husband, Colin Roddick, in the summer of 2024.

The pair have owned a 12-acre property west of Palmdale for about a decade. Just a few miles from the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, fields of wildflowers and groves of Joshua Trees aren’t an uncommon sight.

Brown and Roddick spent years working on the bright white plaster walls and sparse interiors of a dozen 1940s adobe homes there, envisioning a go-to spot for photo shoots.

“ We live next to a dump now,” Brown said while sitting at her kitchen table with Roddick.

She reached out to me last year, desperate to tell the story of what had been going on next door. She was feeling helpless, having sent scores of emails to government agencies, which LAist reviewed, asking for help.

L.A. County investigative reports and satellite imagery show that between January and February of 2024, waste piles on the 160-acre lot next to Brown’s grew to more than 12 feet high and 20 feet wide. They stretched about a half a mile.

A timelapse of material being spread across Sean Irwin's property in 2024.

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Planet Labs

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When I visited, the sweet smell of fermented garbage reminded me of tailing a trash truck with my windows open.

“On days when that smell comes through, I get the worst headaches,” Roddick said. “Once it comes in, it’s just surrounding you. This is where I sleep, this is where I eat, and it's just constantly with you all day.”

They explained that the piles began appearing in January 2024, and it didn’t take long until dozens of trucks were showing up every day, dumping from early in the morning until late at night.

Light material next to dark material in a pile.

Though they looked to be depositing piles of wood chips from afar, Roddick found something different.

“I walked over to the edge of the property line to see what was in there, and that's where I ran into plastic buckets, old pieces of plywood, drywall composites that had been crushed up, and pieces of electronics wiring from your house,” Roddick said. “Basically anything that would come off a construction site.”

Out front, a sign read “Recycled Materials Diversion Project,” an operation run by Cal-Spreading, Irwin’s company. He owns the land as well.

Irwin said in an email to LAist last year that his company spreads mulch on agricultural properties.

“We take what we do seriously and operate with the upmost standards,” he wrote. He added that he provides “a service that reputable recycling companies pay for.”

Piles of material in the desert. Gray and brown.

California state law supports the spreading of wood chips on agricultural sites to improve soil health and to keep the material out of landfills. But the organic matter has to meet strict standards, including being virtually free from contaminants. It also can’t be piled higher than 1 foot in most instances, and CalRecycle’s recent emergency order dropped that limit to 6 inches.

What became clear to L.A. County investigators who visited Irwin’s property in January 2024 was that the material being dumped there didn’t merely fail to meet those standards. They also determined that Irwin was running an “illegal solid waste operation,” according to the county Public Health notice of violation letter addressed to Irwin.

The investigators reported finding stockpiles of construction and demolition waste, broken glass, styrofoam and plastic, covered with multiple feet of mulch, according to the records. CalRecycle says this is a tactic used to conceal illegally dumped materials.

Irwin acknowledged that he was paid by Athens-operated Crown to take the debris, according to an L.A. County Fire Department report. Irwin also said he was assured by the company that the waste was pure enough to be lawfully spread on vacant land, according to a letter he sent to L.A. County Public Health.

L.A. County Public Health told Irwin early last year to stop dumping and to remove the waste.

Berms extend into the distance on a desert landscape.

When I met with Brown and Roddick in July, Irwin was in the middle of that removal process.

Around that time, Irwin sent a text message to Roddick: “You can stop the squealing to the city. I don’t owe a thing, but I will inform you we are preparing to remove the material … So chill.” When LAist called the number the text came from, Irwin picked up.

By early September, Irwin complied with the order to remove the construction debris from his property, according to the Department of Public Health. Irwin has said in court papers that Athens helped with the cleanup. (He makes that assertion in a defamation lawsuit he filed against Brown.)

County officials report Irwin was also present at two other Antelope Valley sites contaminated with construction debris.

Site No. 2: Three Points

A picture of a pile in front of mountains with a road closest to the camera.

One of those sites is known locally as Three Points.

In July, Brown and I drove to Three Points, about 5 miles from her home. It’s the same site that Athens lists as the destination for more than 182,000 tons of material on reports they’re required to submit to L.A. city. In its statement, Athens said what it sent to Irwin's Cal-Spreading was "beneficial soil material that was appropriate for land application." In an email, L.A. City Sanitation told LAist the material sent to Three Points was "C&D fines."

As we approached, Brown pointed out where people were raising goats and tending beehives.

There were also the familiar berms — with gray construction waste mixed with wood chips.

A lighter colored material surrounded by darker material in a big pile.

“You can just see it goes on, and there's pockets of gray, and it's covered up by the mulch,” Brown said. “And plants have started to grow in. It's all Russian thistle, so it's all tumbleweeds.”

That worries her — the invasive weed feeds fires out in the desert.

As they did with the property Irwin owns next to Brown's last year, L.A. County Department of Public Health officials cited Three Points’ owners for operating what amounts to an illegal dump site. The citation lists construction and demolition debris, particle board, laminate countertops and ground up cabinetry as well as “trash, plastic bottles and aluminum cans.” Much of it hidden beneath mulch. Officials saw Irwin there while inspecting, according to that notice of violation.

When CalRecycle officials visited the site several months later, they documented construction and demolition debris dumped at the property and noted that trucks "come every 20 min[ute]s."

A test message saying "Fyi complaining is not anonymous, I know," from Sean Irwin to Colin Roddick.

In August, Roddick drove to Three Points and saw Irwin there, he told LAist. He then received a text message from Irwin’s phone number: “Fwi complaining is not anonymous, I know.”

Much of the land at Three Points is owned by Jung Min Shin and the Shin Family Trust, according to L.A. County assessor’s office records.

Jung Min Shin’s wife, identified by a company receptionist as Jenny Shin, told LAist she did not know much about the situation, but the family had passed the county’s citations to a tenant.

“My husband has a lot more information,” she said. After saying she would get back to LAist, she never did.

Her husband, a beauty company executive, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

As of last month, the Three Points site was under administrative and legal review by L.A. County Public Health investigators and had not been cleaned up.

At least two mulch-related fires have occurred at Three Points over the past two years, including one in July, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department records.

Site No. 3: Kern County

When Brown and I visited another Shin-owned property in Kern County, just about 5 miles from Three Points, I saw a street sign, an electric thermometer, a toothbrush and other garbage sticking out from towering berms, taller than a large SUV.

The site was more remote than Three Points or Irwin’s property, and Brown became concerned for our safety. She said she was worried about the “gnarly dudes” she called "guardians of the trash heaps.”

“ So there's usually somebody that's on site that's like a caretaker — the one here at this site screams,” she said. “He doesn't want anybody there, and he's very threatening.”

No one confronted us, but her concern may have merit.

A person standing on top of a pile of material.

Kern County in March 2024 began investigating the dumping of construction debris at the 70-acre site, where they saw Irwin facilitating dumping, according to Al Rojas, code compliance program manager for the county.

When the county sent contractors to assess how to clean up the dumping, someone tried to run them off the road.

“Suddenly they were being chased,” Rojas said. “And our contractor just used their truck to ram them."

Kern County is preparing to issue administrative penalties against Irwin and the Shins, potentially issuing daily fines until the mess is cleaned up, according to Rojas.

There’s money in the trash

The economics of waste disposal is a key driver of the problem.

“They're saving money by dumping in the desert — point blank — instead of dumping at a legal dump site,” said L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Herrera, who patrols the Antelope Valley area.

Public documents and postings at licensed landfills show fees from $60 to more than $120 per ton of trash.

“ To dump in the desert ... it's always significantly less than a legal dump site,” said Hererra, who said he has been told that material can be dumped for as little as $4 a ton.

Karen Tandler, a former L.A. County deputy district attorney who prosecuted illegal dumping cases until her retirement in 2023, agrees with Herrera.

“If you went to a legal dump site, you would be charged for that dump,” Tandler said.

Tandler spoke generally about the economics of dumping, not about Athens or specific cases.

In addition to cost savings, construction and demolition debris processors have another incentive to dump on private desert land. The state wants to keep as much material as possible out of landfills. And in L.A. specifically, waste contracts depend on it.

Athens, for example, must meet a minimum recycling rate of 70% or face potential decertification, according to L.A. city requirements. City sanitation officials credit Athens-operated Crown with an 83% recycling rate.

Various pieces of trash including plastic bags, a tennis ball and a soda can laid out on a white plastic bag.

That rate is calculated using reports waste processors submit to the city and indicates how much material is kept out of landfills.

According to the L.A. Sanitation Department, Crown's listing of material as “land application” on their reports should have instead said it was construction and demolition debris fines.

Material that should have gone to a landfill was instead spread on desert land and counted on the reports as though it were organic material meant to improve soil health.

If the material that was sent to the desert was instead sent to landfills, Crown’s landfill diversion rate would fall closer to 50%, according to calculations by LAist that were verified by a longtime waste industry expert.

Heather Johnson, spokesperson for the city of L.A. Sanitation Department, said in December that her department was aware of allegations that Athens-operated Crown was improperly disposing of construction debris and is “conducting a thorough investigation into Crown’s operations and other C&D facilities.”

Johnson wouldn’t comment further "until the investigation is complete” and didn’t respond to a request for an update this month.

Dumping under the cover of darkness

If the incentives are large, the disincentives are small.

An L.A. County task force to deal with illegal dumping in the Antelope Valley has been in place since 1996. But an LAist review of enforcement practices found landowners, not waste processors, are typically cited in cases of illegal dumping and required to rectify the problem.

Tandler, the retired prosecutor, said dumpers take advantage of the remote landscape and lack of law enforcement staffing across the desert, at times operating under cover of darkness.

Waste processors and dumpers are rarely held accountable, according to multiple industry experts and law enforcement officials LAist spoke with.

L.A. County Public Health said it doesn’t have the authority to take enforcement action against generators of waste, haulers or those who facilitate illegal dumping.

“The property owner has the sole legal responsibility for the proper removal and disposal of any unlawfully disposed solid waste onto his/her property,” an agency spokesperson wrote in an email to LAist in December.

CalRecycle’s emergency regulations are in part aimed at holding waste generators, transporters and dumpers responsible.

Neighbors have made emotional appeals to L.A. County officials to take strong action against dumpers and landowners who allow illicit disposal on their lands. They have raised concerns about potential health and environmental risks caused by waste being spread over open land in a region that experiences high winds as well as extreme weather.

In October, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion to increase fines for illegal dumping that can result in mulch fires and to strengthen county rules to hold scofflaws accountable.

The prospects for recovery

Even if the dumping were stopped tomorrow, swaths of the desert would still be covered in trash. And it’s unclear who’ll step in to pay for that cleanup.

“ That is one of the biggest problems,” Tandler, the former prosecutor, said. “Even when you catch and prosecute these illegal dumpers, what you've got left behind is a mess.” The dumpers say they can’t afford to clean it up, she continued, “and there is nowhere for people to really go to get the resources for cleanup.”

Wood, foam, cloth and rubber on what look like wood chips.

Lynn Barnes, an Antelope Valley apple grower, told LAist that he went into business with Irwin’s company four years ago, thinking he was going to have clean mulch spread on his farm to improve the soil.

But Barnes said that he found it all but impossible to use the land for farming because the material Irwin’s company dumped was so contaminated with trash.

Barnes said when he works on the land, he’s still pulling out pipe fittings, diapers, hammers, screw drivers, plastic decorations from aquariums, small toy cars and dolls.

“Anytime I disc or plow, that stuff comes up,” he said.

Kristina Brown, meanwhile, is waiting for her lawsuit against Athens, Irwin and others to move forward. A court date has not yet been set. Irwin has filed a defamation lawsuit against Brown, seeking $4.5 million in damages. Brown has asked the court to strike Irwin’s suit.

But she is determined to drastically curtail, if not completely end, the dumping that fouled her home for so long.

“I’d like environmental crime to be taken as seriously as other types of crime,” Brown said through her lawyers. “Companies won’t stop illegally dumping if fines aren't increased and jail time isn’t a real consequence.”

A landscape, a sunset and dust being kicked up by machines.

News

Record-high deaths

29 migrants have died in ICE custody since October

By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, Ximena Bustillo, Jasmine Garsd | NPR

Published April 18, 2026 1:13 PM

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Patrick T. Fallon

NPR

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Topline:

The number of immigrants who have died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody has reached an all-time high this fiscal year.

Where things stand: Twenty-nine people have died in ICE custody since October, the start of the federal government's fiscal year, already surpassing 2004's toll of 28, the previous record, according to government data. There are about 60,000 people currently in immigration detention.

Facilities in Texas and California are the deadliest: Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, Calif., and Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas have each reported the deaths of three detainees, the most out of ICE's sprawling detention operation.

The number of immigrants who have died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody has reached an all-time high this fiscal year.

Twenty-nine people have died in ICE custody since October, the start of the federal government's fiscal year, already surpassing 2004's toll of 28, the previous record, according to government data.

The most recent death was of 27-year-old Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a Cuban man held in ICE custody in Miami. According to an initial report released by ICE on the evening of April 16, Carbonell-Betancourt was found unresponsive in his cell on the morning of April 12. The report lists the cause of death as a "presumed suicide," but the official cause remains under investigation.

The report said Carbonell-Betancourt entered the United States in 2024 without valid documents and later released into the U.S. via a program known as parole, which allows noncitizens to enter the country without a formal visa, often for humanitarian reasons.

He was arrested for resisting an officer with violence in 2025, and then transferred into ICE custody earlier this year, according to the ICE release.

The rise in deaths comes as detention numbers have skyrocketed during the Trump administration. Detentions are up more than 70% under President Donald Trump compared to the first year of the Biden administration. The Trump administration has carried out an unprecedented crackdown on immigration. Immigration officers have arrested and detained criminals in the country illegally, as well as many people without a criminal record and some migrants who are in the country with temporary protections from deportation.

There are about 60,000 people currently in immigration detention.

In a statement to NPR, DHS denied there's been a spike in deaths and attributed the increase to the large number of people in detention. DHS said as of April 16, "death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.009% of the detained population."

The agency added that ICE provides migrants with access to medical care.

"For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives," the statement said. The statement went on to encourage detainees to self-deport. "Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App," the statement said.

During a congressional hearing also on Thursday, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said there are a high number of deaths this fiscal year "because we do have the highest amount in detention that ICE has ever had since its inception in 2003." Lyons added that the agency spent "almost half a billion dollars last fiscal year … to ensure that people have proper care."

He reiterated details noted by other DHS officials: that detainees get a complete physical within 14 days and are seen by a medical professional within 24 hours of being admitted.

"No death is what we want. We don't want anyone to die in custody," Lyons, who handed in his resignation hours after testifying, said. "I hope that's a policy of anyone that has to be tasked with detaining someone."

When asked how many people were still working in the Office of Detention Oversight, he was not able to provide a number.

Lyons was also asked about the delay in public reporting and tracking detainee deaths. On April 13, Georgia Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock sent a letter to Lyons and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin raising concern over the rising number of detainee deaths and noted that of the 49 deaths in custody at the time since January 2025, "ICE has issued an interim death notice within 48 hours in only 15 cases" and argued that reports contained less details.

"We are reporting. We are working on that timeline," Lyons said during the House hearing, agreeing that the detainee death reports were considered essential work even during the agency's funding lapse.

Facilities in Texas and California are the deadliest

Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, Calif., and Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas have each reported the deaths of three detainees, the most out of ICE's sprawling detention operation.

Listen 24:32

Rotten food, disease, isolation. What we know about conditions at the Adelanto ICE detention center

LAist's Julia Barajas reports on detainee experiences at Adelanto and how California lawmakers are trying to enforce accountability.

According to ICE's initial reports, the deaths of the six immigrant detainees were attributed to a number of causes, including suicide, alcohol withdrawal, liver failure and kidney failure. Other detainees displayed symptoms like shortness of breath.

One of the deaths at Camp East Montana was ruled a homicide by the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office.

Initially, DHS said that Geraldo Lunas Campos had died in Camp East Montana after experiencing "medical distress." It also claimed Lunas Campos had become "disruptive while in line for medication" and was placed in segregation. But later, the El Paso Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide due to "asphyxia due to neck and torso compression." The FBI is now investigating the death.Chris Benoit, an attorney representing the family, told NPR Lunas Campos came to the U.S. in the mid-1990s as part of a wave of Cubans immigrants during the balsero crisis after the fall of the Soviet Union.

"For all sense and purposes he is an American," Benoit said. "He's lived here for decades and raised his family here and his kids love him and miss him."

According to DHS, Lunas Campos had been convicted of multiple crimes, including petty larceny, unlawful possession of a weapon during a robbery and sexual contact with a child under 11.

In a court petition seeking eyewitness testimony, Lunas Campos' three children said they planned to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Rahul Mukherjee contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR

What's the link between agriculture and drug-resistant fungi?

Fungicides are used to protect plants against fungal disease. Everything — watermelons, maize, wheat, flowers — use lots of fungicides. If we didn't use the fungicides, you'd probably have a yield loss maybe of 30% or 40%.

The fungi which cause disease in humans are not causing disease in plants. So this is an unintended effect.

How does the resistance get from farms to hospitals?

So the molds – the hairy fungi – have spores which are released into the air. These spores travel long distances. It's not really well-understood but the idea is that they go right up to these jet streams, very high into the atmosphere and then can travel for continents. We inhale the spores all the time.

How serious are fungal infections?

With fungi you have two types of infections. First, we have very severe infections, and they usually occur in [hospitalized] patients who have some kind of defect in their immunity. So, yeast found in the bloodstream or mold in the lungs. Second, we have infections of the skin, the hair and the nails, which are irritating but are not life threatening.

In the past 10 to 20 years, we see more and more resistance in fungi in both those categories.

There are very few studies looking at the clinical impact. We did a study in the Netherlands, and we found that if you compare an infection [where azole antifungal drugs work] and where it's resistant. There's about a 20% difference in mortality — you're 20% more likely to die. So that's a significant impact. And there's the new skin disease [Trichophyton indotineae] where you don't have mortality but we've had patients who have been on treatment for four years and are still suffering from the infection.

Why is it hard to create new antifungals?

The main challenge is that fungi, if you look at the cell structure — how they are built up — it's very similar to the human cell. This is different from bacteria, because bacteria are much simpler. And viruses are even more simple because they don't even have a cell.

For fungi, because they're similar to human cells, it's quite difficult to find a drug which kills the fungus but does not harm the human cell. So in the past 75 years, we have developed only five classes of antifungals. The azoles are, by far, the most important.

The problem is that if you can't use one of these classes then maybe you'll have one alternative left. It's already causing problems. For instance, if the fungus is in the brain, you have a very few drugs which actually get into the brain.

What can be done?

At a mycology meeting we found a global community who wanted to collaborate [on this issue].

For example, you really want to know what people are using [on crops] and see if you can reduce that or if there's any unnecessary use. Another important factor is: If you introduce new fungicides, they [should] undergo an assessment to see their impact on human fungal pathogens. It's important to establish if there's a risk for cross resistance.

Are you optimistic?

I've worked in this field for a long time, and I think that it is changing.

WHO published a fungal pathogen list in 2022 for the first time — that had a major impact. A decade ago, when the World Health Organization came out with its global action plan against antimicrobial resistance, fungi were only mentioned twice. Now, after 10 years, it is being revised. And as a mycology community, we feel it is really important now that fungi are addressed.

The problem is, in fungi, we need to do the basic stuff: Develop the tools. Do the surveillance. Set up the [laboratory] networks. And it's sometimes difficult to get these basic things funded.

But overall, I think it's really changing. People are realizing this is not a local problem — it's really global.

News

Live Nation verdict

Artists respond to court's monopoly ruling

By Isabella Gomez Sarmiento | NPR

Published April 18, 2026 12:00 PM

an acoustic guitar next to an open laptop computer that says "live nation" on the screen

Live Nation issued a statement saying the verdict "is not the last word on this matter."

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Bloomberg

Getty Images

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Topline:

On Wednesday, a federal jury found that Live Nation engaged in anticompetitive practices that stifle competition and harm the live music industry.

The backstory: Live Nation owns, operates or works with hundreds of venues across the country. It also manages artists, promotes concerts, books tours and owns Ticketmaster, which is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world.

What artists are saying: Several artists and organizers NPR spoke with say they don't expect to see any immediate changes in the live music industry — but they see this is a first step in the right direction.

Read on ... for more on what the ruling means for the industry.

On Wednesday, a federal jury found that Live Nation engaged in anticompetitive practices that stifle competition and harm the live music industry. The verdict marked a major victory for more than two dozen states in the antitrust trial against the live entertainment company, and has the potential to transform the concert ecosystem in the U.S.

Live Nation owns, operates or works with hundreds of venues across the country. It also manages artists, promotes concerts, books tours and owns Ticketmaster, which is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world. Throughout the trial, an attorney representing 33 states and the District of Columbia argued that Live Nation wielded too much power over the industry at the expense of fans, venues and artists. Live Nation repeatedly denied those accusations, but the jury ultimately sided with the states, declaring that the company had an unfair dominance in the industry.

Afterward, Live Nation issued a statement saying the verdict "is not the last word on this matter" and pointed to several pending motions that the court still has to rule on. The company said it plans to appeal any "unfavorable rulings."

Several artists and organizers NPR spoke with say they don't expect to see any immediate changes in the live music industry — but they see this is a first step in the right direction.

Having this scale of a win is a huge development for artists.Downtown Boys member and UMAW co-founder Joey La Neve DeFrancesco
Joey La Neve DeFrancesco is a guitarist and vocalist in the Providence, R.I. punk band Downtown Boys. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the music industry, DeFrancesco founded the United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW), a grassroots union advocating for the wellbeing of artists. Since then, the group has organized campaigns focused on increasing streaming royalties, merchandising payouts and SXSW payment rates for musicians. DeFrancesco says UMAW heavily supported the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and was closely monitoring the trial.

"We were all ecstatic. It's been decades that artists have been fighting this company," DeFrancesco says, citing Pearl Jam's boycott of Ticketmaster in the early 1990s. "It remains to be seen what the judge is going to do with this verdict — if we're going to truly break apart this Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly. But having this scale of a win is a huge development for artists."

More than just ticket prices

The Live Nation verdict comes at a time when many working musicians say they're struggling to make ends meet. As the value of recorded music has decreased with streaming, there's an increased emphasis on touring and merch sales to make up the difference. But artists NPR spoke with say the rising costs of transportation, lodging, food and other factors required to put on shows are creating an untenable situation.

Conor Murphy is a St. Louis, Mo. based musician who spent more than a decade as the lead vocalist of the emo band Foxing and now continues to perform as Smidley. In the fall, Foxing announced it would be going on an indefinite hiatus. Murphy says there's a multitude of reasons for the break, but one of the leading factors is how financially unsustainable it's become to be a full-time musician. He says it's especially frustrating, then, to see fans spending more than ever on concert tickets. (As part of the Live Nation verdict, the jury found that Ticketmaster had overcharged fans in some states by $1.72 per ticket).

"My bands in particular, from my experience, we're not seeing the benefits of ticket prices being more expensive," he says. "We're not taking home more money at the end of tours."

Murphy's not alone Damon Krukowski is a writer, UMAW organizer and one-half of the indie-folk duo Damon & Naomi. He says he and his wife Naomi Yang recently sold out three performances in London, and still ended up in the negative.

"Three nights at our favorite club, sold out, and we lost money because expenses are so high right now," he says. "It's not the club's fault. We love that club and they're transparent about money and everything. It's not the fans' fault. But it's like, if you're charging normal money at a decent, normal club, it's not adding up right now."

Krukowski says he thinks the problem is a wider consolidation of power across the industry — that includes Live Nation, but also extends to streaming giants and recorded music companies. He says the industry looks completely different today than it did when he started playing music in Boston in the 1980s.

"We used to have such a wide variety of partners to work with as independent artists. We had venues that were independently owned. We had record stores that were independently owned," he says. "We had a network on the radio that was community and college radio stations, and we had a way of touring that didn't depend on these huge companies that are backed by enormous capital."

Impact on local scenes

All of the artists NPR spoke with say they hope the Live Nation verdict leads to lower ticket fees for fans as well as more robust competition and investment in small, local music scenes across the country. A study conducted by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) found that 64% of independent venues, promoters and festivals were not profitable in 2024.

It's a win for the fans and the artists that have suffered under Live Nation for way too long.Stephen Parker, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)
Stephen Parker, executive director of NIVA, tells NPR that the verdict is incredibly meaningful at a time when so many venues are struggling.

"It's not just a win for the states. It's a win for the small businesses and nonprofits that I represent," he says. "It's a win for the fans and the artists that have suffered under Live Nation for way too long."

In past statements to NPR, Live Nation has said that it promotes thousands of shows in independent venues across the country.

In Boston, Krukowski says the local landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years. Two major venues with over 3,500 capacity have been built in the city since the pandemic; one is operated by Live Nation and the other is owned by a partner of AEG Presents, which is Live Nation's biggest competitor. But small clubs and independent venues with much lower capacities have shuttered across the city.

"That means that my friends who play adventurous, independent music or improvised music have nowhere to play in Boston. So they don't," he says. "They go on tour and they don't play here."

Krukowski's not the only one who's noticed a shift. Online, some music fans on Reddit have posted about certain bands skipping Boston on tour, and touring in smaller markets instead. Krukowski says one such place booking notable lineups is Portland, Maine.

There, the Maine Music Alliance — a coalition of artists, venues, music industry workers and community members — has been leading a fight against Live Nation's proposal to build a 3,300-seat concert hall in the city. So far, the group has succeeded in getting a temporary moratorium on large venues in Portland, which was recently extended until September.

Scott Mohler is executive director and co-founder of the Maine Music Alliance. He says the verdict comes at a crucial moment for the group's ongoing battle against Live Nation.

"This is incredible legitimacy added to what I think a lot of people have thought are just a bunch of hippies and hipsters shouting about the corporation for the past year," he says. "I do think that it's going to certainly create more engagement and the council will be hearing from voices that they hadn't heard from before."

In the meantime, individual artists are doing what they can. Pop-rock singer Caroline Rose says they've been avoiding working with Live Nation as much as possible in recent years. They say the verdict is "a pretty amazing milestone" for now, but they're curious about what will actually happen next.

"We'll see how it pans out. I have a general distrust that things ever turn out in artists' favor," Rose says, laughing. "We've just been burned so many times."

In 2025, Rose released their album year of the slug exclusively on Bandcamp and in physical format. Since then, they've been focused on smaller solo tours in independent venues across the country. They say playing intimate rooms creates an incredibly rewarding, almost spiritual connection with the audience — and they say it's been refreshing to focus on those interpersonal connections rather than constantly trying to size up to the next biggest possible venue.

"By far, the most positive and nourishing experience has been working with the venue staff and the promoters that work at these independent clubs," Rose says. "It's a totally different type of show and a totally different type of experience, as opposed to when you get into the bigger rooms and you have better sound systems and maybe there's not a bathroom with no seats on the toilets anymore. But I do think it's important to pay homage to those venues and actively support them and treat them with respect."

News

Inglewood ICE activists

Push for protections ahead of World Cup

By LaMonica Peters | The LA Local

Published April 18, 2026 10:06 AM

A coalition of community activists and supporters held a vigil Thursday evening near the Home Depot on Century Boulevard to acknowledge those who were detained by masked agents earlier this year.

(

LaMonica Peters

The LA Local

)

Topline:

A coalition of community activists and supporters held a vigil Thursday evening near the Home Depot on Century Boulevard to acknowledge those who were detained by masked agents earlier this year.

The background: The vigil was organized by ING Fellowship, a grassroots organization founded in 2018 to address issues affecting Inglewood residents, where about 25 people gathered in the parking lot with flowers, candles and signs that read, “Boycott Home Depot” and “Inglewood Unidos.”

Why now: The event was part of the group’s week of action to demand stronger protections for immigrant families and more accountability from city leaders in the wake of ongoing federal immigration enforcement.

Read on ... for more on the push for immigrant protections ahead of the World Cup.

This post first appeared on The LA Local.

A coalition of community activists and supporters held a vigil Thursday evening near the Home Depot on Century Boulevard to acknowledge those who were detained by masked agents earlier this year.

The vigil was organized by ING Fellowship, a grassroots organization founded in 2018 to address issues affecting Inglewood residents, where about 25 people gathered in the parking lot with flowers, candles and signs that read, “Boycott Home Depot” and “Inglewood Unidos.” Each person briefly talked about why they came to the vigil.

“As a customer of Home Depot, I am outraged. We have normalized racial profiling on this parking lot,” Mars Marvilla said during the vigil. She told The LA Local that she now helps patrol the area near Home Depot when she’s driving for a rideshare company.

The event was part of the group’s week of action to demand stronger protections for immigrant families and more accountability from city leaders in the wake of ongoing federal immigration enforcement.

As part of their ongoing efforts in the city, activists are asking city officials to adopt the “Inglewood For All Act,” creating sanctuary city-style protections because “we felt like our local governments weren’t doing enough, so we started gathering to provide and fill those gaps,” said Yaritza Gonzalez, ING Fellowship co-founder.

The protections include ordinances that would prohibit city resources from being used in immigration enforcement, limiting any collaboration with immigration authorities and Inglewood Police Department and restricting access for immigration authorities to non-public areas of city property.

“With this policy, we’re hoping that the city would be more welcoming to not just residents, but to all the people who will be coming to Inglewood for major events like the World Cup, the Super Bowl and the Olympics,” Gonzalez told The LA Local.

a group of people stand in a parking lot holding up protest signs

The coalition is also encouraging residents to participate in know-your-rights workshops, rapid-response networks and demonstrations intended to show solidarity with those impacted.

The “Inglewood For All” campaign comes months after incidents like the Jan. 13 operation where masked federal agents detained workers outside a Superior Grocers construction site. The coalition of activists, including the Hill Network, said they have since tracked dozens of detentions in and around Inglewood, including near day labor hubs and retail centers.

“On January 13, 2026, our cousin was taken under false [pretenses] from Inglewood,” said Maritza Medina, an Inglewood resident. “Since then, I’ve committed myself to be more involved in our city and be as supportive as I can.”

The LA Local reached out to Inglewood Mayor James Butts for a response to ING Fellowship’s week of action but received no response.

The Inglewood For All Act also signals a growing grassroots movement, where community patrols, advocacy groups and informal networks have taken on the role of documenting enforcement activity and supporting affected families — even without formal backing from the city.

“This is just the start of this,” Gonzalez said during the vigil. “It’s an election year, and we’re hoping there is change.”

A protest at Inglewood City Hall took also place Friday after months of trying to meet with city officials, ING Fellowship said.

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More than just ticket prices

Impact on local scenes