The Brief

At a single-family home in the L.A. suburb of Canoga Park, installers are parading in and out of Jake Olson and Amy Ball’s house, tossing anything that uses water, and installing brand new fixtures.

Olson applied to be part of a pilot project after seeing an ad in a utility newsletter. His is one of 30 homes in Los Angeles chosen for the project. Half stay the same. The other half get free, brand new water-efficient appliances, faucets, showerheads and toilets, plus detergents and cleaning supplies optimized for low water use. In exchange, Olson has released full access to his household’s water usage data.

“I was in an apartment for 17 years and didn’t have a water bill. They paid the water and then we got this house and we were watering grass and water bills would come and I was like, ‘Wow, how is this reality? What is this life? I do not want this,'” he said.

The people looking at his data are part of an international coalition of companies, water agencies and nonprofits called 50L Home. And they have a bold claim: It’s possible to reduce water consumption to just 13 gallons per day — or 50 liters — and not feel like you’re sacrificing anything.

“We’re doing behavioral analysis, we’re looking at every end use. We’re in their homes kind of on a regular basis,” said project manager Maureen Erbeznik with the United States Green Building Council California.

The World Health Organization says each person needs a minimum of 13 gallons of water a day to meet basic needs such as drinking, bathing, washing dishes and cleaning clothes. But the average American uses more than 80 gallons of water per day. In many parts of the country, that’s simply unsustainable.

Since this project is all about seeing how little water a typical family can use while behaving typically, Ball and Olson were under strict orders not to try harder to save water. They were already trying pretty hard. They replaced their lawn with drought tolerant plants, they try to only run the dishwasher when it’s full. Although, Ball admits she tends to “luxuriate” in the shower.

“I like to turn up the heat really hot and just be in there,” she said. Olson said that with a toddler in the house, some of the only alone time they get is while showering.

One year later, the homes in the study used half as much water as the average home in Los Angeles. Olson did notice some differences in the appliances. But he said none of them were bad.

“The showerhead itself is actually two inches larger than the one that we had before. And honestly, that’s one of my favorite things that got swapped out. The water pressure is the same, if not better,” Olson said.

But that reduction still wasn’t enough to hit that 13-gallon mark. After a year, they were using about 23 gallons per person.

“Our name is definitely aspirational. There’s a lot more savings to be had. We are just getting started,” said Gregory Holliday, director of 50L Home. “We didn’t tell anybody about how to use these products. We didn’t encourage them to try to save water.”

Holliday said this study isn’t over yet. In phase two, it will introduce recycling water to get that usage number down even more.

Congrats to Big Bear's celebrity bald eagle couple.

Jackie and Shadow have two new chicks this Easter Sunday. Thousands of fans have been watching their eggs hatch on the popular nest livestream that made the eagles famous.

The first eaglet arrived last night around 9:30 p.m., the second followed around 8:30 a.m.

The nonprofit that runs the livestream, Friends of Big Bear Valley, says dad Shadow showed up after the second hatch and saw his two chicks for the first time.

Mom Jackie is is showing a natural behavior that’s actually a good sign. The nonprofit says she's salivating more — which helps provide electrolytes and antibodies her chicks need.

The two eggs each showed signs of a pip — or first crack — on Friday and Saturday.

Topline:

Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, as opposed to the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."

In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."

Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.

The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.

What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.

The Hollywood Burbank Airport is advising flyers to arrive at least two hours earlier than usual for the next 60 days because of construction slated to begin Monday.

Road closures: One lane of traffic on the southbound side of Hollywood Way next to Thornton Avenue will be closed during construction. The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way between Winona Avenue and Thornton Avenue will also be closed.

When: Construction will occur Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through June 6.

Why: Airport spokesperson Mike Christensen told LAist crews are building a retaining wall as part of Hollywood Burbank's passenger terminal construction project.

Alternatives: Officials recommend passengers use the Empire Avenue entrance or take Thornton Avenue to get to the airport.

While living in L.A., I’d been hearing about this thing — “the desert.” Seemed a bit odd to someone who lived on the Westside next to the ocean, but OK, you can also see mountains from my house, so why not throw in an entire landscape food group?

A few years ago, I figured it was time to try it out, and my family and I headed to Joshua Tree for the weekend.

We began driving east and were soon in that vast no man’s land around the 10 Freeway. On one side, I could see a moving train, with all those boxcars. I was watching, entranced, waiting to see it go past. And it kept going. And going. It was like a vibrant desert serpent, wending its way through the landscape, each boxcar a different hue. It seemed so romantic, and then I thought “in each one, there’s a whole load of hanging car air fresheners, dental floss and Japanese waving cats” and suddenly the spell was broken. Ah well.

The eerie, alien Joshua Tree.

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Sean Gallup/Getty Images,

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Getty Images North America

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As we got nearer, I said “Huh, what's that weird thing that looks like an alien?” and my husband said, “Yes, that’s a Joshua Tree.”

What? Wait, stop the car. There’s an actual Joshua Tree? First, who knew, and second, that is no tree. That, sir, is a weird misshapen cactus, with multiple crooked arms reaching into the air, each with its own spiky fur muff. Kinda like one of those waving inflatable guys if they were static. (Ah, I've been in L.A. too long).

Bougie smores

The vast desert sky.

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Steve Holtzman

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Courtesy Suzanne Levy

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We finally arrived at our destination, a campsite — OK, a glamping campsite, a whole bunch of airstream trailers laid out with firepits. I knew it was bougie when I went to buy a smores kit from the shop and came back with 70% dark chocolate, artisanal graham crackers and single origin marshmallows. (I made that marshmallow one up, but it really is just a matter of time).

We made a fire, marveling at the gorgeousness of the sunset, the morphing colors and the vastness of the sky. I sat afterwards watching the flames, the cold air on my skin, under a blanket of stars. Tears pricked my eyes.

In the morning we headed to Joshua Tree National Park. When we got out of the car, the vista hit me, with that bright, bright sun, strange looking rocky outcrops, and nothing but Joshua trees as far as the eye could see. I thought: I have never seen anything like this. I couldn’t have even imagined something like this. In London, if you go on a day trip, you can go back in time, say to the thatched roofs of the Cotswolds — but not to a different planet.

What an extraordinary continent this is, I think. I am awestruck by its endless, varied landscapes — the plains, the Rockies, the oceans and the forests. And there’s something particular about the desert — its simplicity, its reduction to just three or four elements, which relaxes you, chills you out.

I remember heading back to L.A. after the weekend, happy and mellow, smiling as we drove west into the setting sun. It’s a cliche, but the desert does call you back. And I hope to get back there very soon.