According to the L.A. County Department of Public Health, two local cases - one fatal - have been linked to the multistate E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots.
The source: Investigations indicate that Bakersfield based Grimmway Farms was the common supplier of the organic carrots consumed by individuals before they got sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control. On Saturday, Grimmway Farms — which is one of the world's largest producers of carrots — initiated a recall for multiple sizes and brands of its organic baby and whole carrots.
That includes baby organic carrots with best-if-used-by dates that ranged from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12 and whole organic carrots that were sold in stores around Aug. 14 to Oct. 23.
Symptoms to look out for: The CDC said E. coli infections can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses. Symptoms usually show up three to four days after the bacteria is consumed. Most people recover on their own after five to seven days.
However, the infection can sometimes result in a serious health condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure, permanent health problems, and even death.
One person has died and at least 38 people have become ill following an E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots, according to federal health officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that cases emerged between Sept. 6 and Oct. 28 across 18 states, with Washington, Minnesota, and New York reporting the highest number of cases.
The CDC warned that the outbreak may have reached additional states and the actual number of infected individuals is likely much higher than reported.
This map shows the locations of the 39 individuals reported sick by the current E. coli outbreak. The CDC said the true number of infected individuals is likely much higher.
(
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
)
"This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli.," the agency said in a statement.
Investigations indicate that Grimmway Farms was the common supplier of the organic carrots consumed by individuals before they got sick, according to the CDC. On Saturday, Grimmway Farms — which is one of the world's largest producers of carrots — initiated a recall for multiple sizes and brands of its organic baby and whole carrots.
That includes baby organic carrots with best-if-used-by dates that ranged from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12 and whole organic carrots that were sold in stores around Aug. 14 to Oct. 23.
The recall applies to carrots sold at Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Sprouts, 365 from Whole Foods, Good & Gather from Target, Marketside from Walmart, GreenWise from Publix, Simple Truth from Kroger, and more. A full list is available on the FDA website.
Grimmway Farms, based in Bakersfield, Calif., said the recalled items are likely no longer sold in grocery stores, but they may be in customers' refrigerators or freezers. The company urged that customers with recalled carrots should discard them and sanitize any surfaces they touched.
Grimmway Farms added that the implicated farms are out of production.
The CDC said E. coli infections can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses. Symptoms usually show up three to four days after the bacteria is consumed. Most people recover on their own after five to seven days.
However, the infection can sometimes result in a serious health condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure, permanent health problems, and even death.
The Food and Drug Administration said the recalled products may have been contaminated with the Shiga toxin-producing type of E. coli. So far, of the 38 cases reviewed by the CDC, none have developed HUS.
AAA has been testing exactly how big an effect temperatures have on modern EV batteries. In its latest research, shared exclusively with NPR, it found that hot temperatures reduced range by an average of 8.5%. Cold weather cut vehicles' range by a whopping 39%.
Poor winter performance: AAA ran similar tests back in 2019 with a different vehicle lineup. Back then, the cold weather hit to range was approximately the same, while the high-temperature range loss was higher, 17%. The different slate of vehicles complicates direct comparison, AAA warns, but does suggest some improvements in how EVs handle the heat. But not the cold. "There's been a lot of technology changes," says Greg Brannon, the director of automotive engineering at AAA. New battery chemistries; more efficient EV designs; fancier software. But when it comes to winter range performance, "the electric vehicles actually didn't change all that much from back in 2019."
What the results mean for drivers: Electric vehicle batteries are a lot like people, in one important respect: They're most comfortable in temperatures around 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. When the weather gets much colder or hotter than that, a battery works less efficiently. It has to work harder, too, to keep the vehicle's cabin comfortable for its equally picky human occupants. Drivers need to be prepared for their real-world range to shrink in the winter — and to a lesser extent, at the height of summer.
Greg Brannon, the director of automotive engineering at AAA, at the Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles.
(
Courtney Theophin/NPR
)
What the results mean for drivers: These results show that drivers need to be prepared for their real-world range to shrink in the winter — and to a lesser extent, at the height of summer. EVs can still be practical choices in hotter or colder climates, as long as drivers adjust for predictable range loss. "It can be overcome," says Brannon. "But you have to plan for it."
A treadmill in a freezer
AAA conducts these tests at its own expense, part of a slate of research the group does into emerging vehicle technology for the benefit of auto club members. The tests are carried out at its Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles. Specifically, inside the historic headquarters of the Automobile Club of Southern California: a Spanish Revival-style building, all stucco and red tiles, built around a century-old Moreton Bay fig tree, with a courtyard filled with oranges, palm trees and fountains.
It's possibly the most picturesque place for a California driver to get a smog check. (Yes, AAA offers that here.) But it's not, at first glance, a likely spot for testing how vehicles perform in extreme temperatures, especially not on an April day in the mid-60s. (The locals complained about it as "jacket weather.")
The Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles, located inside the historic headquarters of the Automobile Club of Southern California.
(
Courtney Theophin/NPR
)
But tucked away inside this building is a room that's heavily insulated and packed with powerful heaters and coolers. It can be cranked down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or up to 95.
Inside, there's enough space for a single vehicle, parked very carefully on top of two giant steel rollers — each of them 4 feet in diameter — that are hidden beneath floor level.
This is a chassis dynamometer, or "dyno" for short. "For lack of a better term, I guess it's kind of like a treadmill for a car," says Megan McKernan, who manages the research center.
For each test, the two rollers are carefully positioned to match up with the wheels of the test vehicle. Then the car is driven right on top of them, making sure the wheels touch nothing else. The vehicle is tied down with heavy, bright-pink chains, so it can't move forward off the "treadmill."
A test vehicle is positioned on a chassis dynamometer. "For lack of a better term, I guess it's kind of like a treadmill for a car," says Megan McKernan.
(
Courtney Theophin/NPR
)
Now, it's time for Richard Gonzalez to "drive" the vehicle — without actually going anywhere. Once he gets inside and presses the accelerator, the wheels make those giant rollers turn. For hours.
This is about as fun as it sounds. Gonzalez much prefers other parts of his job, like track tests, where AAA evaluates how well cars can, say, automatically brake to avoid pedestrians. But podcasts help pass the time.
The point is to see how far the battery can go, under these controlled conditions, at a certain temperature.
Once the car's battery is drained so much that it can't maintain highway speeds, the test is over. And AAA has a new data point showing how well a certain model's battery can take cold or heat.
A small hit in the summer, a big one in the winter
EVs are not the only kinds of cars that suffer in the cold. AAA also tested hybrids this time around and found a nearly 23% average loss in fuel economy in the 20 degrees F test.
"Internal combustion engine vehicles also lose range in extreme cold weather," points out Ed Kim, the chief analyst with the research group AutoPacific, who was not involved in AAA's research. The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated a 10% to 30% drop in gas vehicle fuel economy in cold weather, depending on the type of trip. "This isn't a problem that's exclusive to EVs. This happens to basically any kind of vehicle when it gets really cold."
Electric vehicles are parked in Geiranger, Norway. The country has the highest rate of EV adoption in the world.
(
Martin Berry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
)
But in the U.S., it's a different story. Kim says that EVs have taken off much more in states where temperatures are warm or mild than in the chilly Midwest. State policies and charger availability also play a role, but Kim says fears about winter range — both valid concerns and misinformation-fueled myths — are a factor.
Still, Kim says even with a significant amount of range loss, many drivers in cold-weather regions would still find an EV more than sufficient for their daily needs. "How many people are actually driving more than 200 miles in a day?" he asks rhetorically.
Tips for getting the most from a battery, year-round.
Range loss from extreme temperatures is inevitable, but EV drivers can prepare for it.
First, pick the right vehicle to battle the temperatures where you live. Some are better than others at handling cold or heat. There are several guides; the most fun comes from a Norwegian auto club that does a head-to-head test every year on a wintry mountain.
A little forward planning helps, too, Kim and Brannon both say. For an EV driver who charges at home overnight and has a typical commute, reduced winter range likely won't affect daily driving at all. But if you don't have a home charger or you're going on a long trip, factor range reduction in when you think about when and where you'll charge. And if you're fast-charging, try to do it on a battery that's been warmed up; charging is slower on a cold battery.
Brannon also recommends that drivers start their climate control while their vehicle is still plugged in. "Pre-conditioning" like that means that when you warm up the car's battery and its interior, you pull power from the grid, not your battery. That saves your vehicle's juice for your drive.
McKernan notes that if you have heated or ventilated seats, using those instead of the air conditioning or heater can be a big boost. The AC and heat are a surprisingly big draw on a vehicle's energy.
And keep your tires inflated to the manufacturer-recommended level and drive at moderate speeds. That boosts your vehicle's efficiency no matter whether it runs on gas, a giant battery or both — and no matter the temperature.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Electric vehicle batteries are a lot like people, in one important respect: They're most comfortable in temperatures around 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the weather gets much colder or hotter than that, a battery works less efficiently. It has to work harder, too, to keep the vehicle's cabin comfortable for its equally picky human occupants.
The result? Electric vehicles can't drive as far or as efficiently in extremely hot or cold weather.
AAA has been testing exactly how big an effect temperatures have on modern EV batteries. In its latest research, shared exclusively with NPR, it found that hot temperatures reduced range by an average of 8.5%. Cold weather cut vehicles' range by a whopping 39%.
AAA ran similar tests back in 2019 with a different vehicle lineup. Back then, the cold weather hit to range was approximately the same, while the high-temperature range loss was higher, 17%. The different slate of vehicles complicates direct comparison, AAA warns, but does suggest some improvements in how EVs handle the heat.
But not the cold. "There's been a lot of technology changes," says Greg Brannon, the director of automotive engineering at AAA. New battery chemistries; more efficient EV designs; fancier software. But when it comes to winter range performance, "the electric vehicles actually didn't change all that much from back in 2019."
Greg Brannon, the director of automotive engineering at AAA, at the Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles.
(
Courtney Theophin/NPR
)
These results show that drivers need to be prepared for their real-world range to shrink in the winter — and to a lesser extent, at the height of summer. EVs can still be practical choices in hotter or colder climates, as long as drivers adjust for predictable range loss. "It can be overcome," says Brannon. "But you have to plan for it."
A treadmill in a freezer
AAA conducts these tests at its own expense, part of a slate of research the group does into emerging vehicle technology for the benefit of auto club members. The tests are carried out at its Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles. Specifically, inside the historic headquarters of the Automobile Club of Southern California: a Spanish Revival-style building, all stucco and red tiles, built around a century-old Moreton Bay fig tree, with a courtyard filled with oranges, palm trees and fountains.
It's possibly the most picturesque place for a California driver to get a smog check. (Yes, AAA offers that here.) But it's not, at first glance, a likely spot for testing how vehicles perform in extreme temperatures, especially not on an April day in the mid-60s. (The locals complained about it as "jacket weather.")
The Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles, located inside the historic headquarters of the Automobile Club of Southern California.
(
Courtney Theophin/NPR
)
But tucked away inside this building is a room that's heavily insulated and packed with powerful heaters and coolers. It can be cranked down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or up to 95.
Inside, there's enough space for a single vehicle, parked very carefully on top of two giant steel rollers — each of them 4 feet in diameter — that are hidden beneath floor level.
This is a chassis dynamometer, or "dyno" for short. "For lack of a better term, I guess it's kind of like a treadmill for a car," says Megan McKernan, who manages the research center.
For each test, the two rollers are carefully positioned to match up with the wheels of the test vehicle. Then the car is driven right on top of them, making sure the wheels touch nothing else. The vehicle is tied down with heavy, bright-pink chains, so it can't move forward off the "treadmill."
A test vehicle is positioned on a chassis dynamometer. "For lack of a better term, I guess it's kind of like a treadmill for a car," says Megan McKernan.
(
Courtney Theophin/NPR
)
Now, it's time for Richard Gonzalez to "drive" the vehicle — without actually going anywhere. Once he gets inside and presses the accelerator, the wheels make those giant rollers turn. For hours.
This is about as fun as it sounds. Gonzalez much prefers other parts of his job, like track tests, where AAA evaluates how well cars can, say, automatically brake to avoid pedestrians. But podcasts help pass the time.
The point is to see how far the battery can go, under these controlled conditions, at a certain temperature.
Once the car's battery is drained so much that it can't maintain highway speeds, the test is over. And AAA has a new data point showing how well a certain model's battery can take cold or heat.
A small hit in the summer, a big one in the winter
EVs are not the only kinds of cars that suffer in the cold. AAA also tested hybrids this time around and found a nearly 23% average loss in fuel economy in the 20 degrees F test.
"Internal combustion engine vehicles also lose range in extreme cold weather," points out Ed Kim, the chief analyst with the research group AutoPacific, who was not involved in AAA's research. The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated a 10% to 30% drop in gas vehicle fuel economy in cold weather, depending on the type of trip. "This isn't a problem that's exclusive to EVs. This happens to basically any kind of vehicle when it gets really cold."
Electric vehicles are parked in Geiranger, Norway. The country has the highest rate of EV adoption in the world.
(
Martin Berry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
)
But in the U.S., it's a different story. Kim says that EVs have taken off much more in states where temperatures are warm or mild than in the chilly Midwest. State policies and charger availability also play a role, but Kim says fears about winter range — both valid concerns and misinformation-fueled myths — are a factor.
Still, Kim says even with a significant amount of range loss, many drivers in cold-weather regions would still find an EV more than sufficient for their daily needs. "How many people are actually driving more than 200 miles in a day?" he asks rhetorically.
Tips for getting the most from a battery, year-round.
Range loss from extreme temperatures is inevitable, but EV drivers can prepare for it.
First, pick the right vehicle to battle the temperatures where you live. Some are better than others at handling cold or heat. There are several guides; the most fun comes from a Norwegian auto club that does a head-to-head test every year on a wintry mountain.
A little forward planning helps, too, Kim and Brannon both say. For an EV driver who charges at home overnight and has a typical commute, reduced winter range likely won't affect daily driving at all. But if you don't have a home charger or you're going on a long trip, factor range reduction in when you think about when and where you'll charge. And if you're fast-charging, try to do it on a battery that's been warmed up; charging is slower on a cold battery.
Brannon also recommends that drivers start their climate control while their vehicle is still plugged in. "Pre-conditioning" like that means that when you warm up the car's battery and its interior, you pull power from the grid, not your battery. That saves your vehicle's juice for your drive.
McKernan notes that if you have heated or ventilated seats, using those instead of the air conditioning or heater can be a big boost. The AC and heat are a surprisingly big draw on a vehicle's energy.
And keep your tires inflated to the manufacturer-recommended level and drive at moderate speeds. That boosts your vehicle's efficiency no matter whether it runs on gas, a giant battery or both — and no matter the temperature.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' Executive Order 17 prohibits federal agents from staging immigration operations from city-owned property. A sign photographed April 29, 2026, was recently installed near Echo Park.
(
Christopher Damien
/
The LA Local
)
Topline:
The LA Local recently spotted them at Hollenbeck Park’s parking lot and at various parking lots close to Echo Park. The mayor’s office told The LA Local the city has installed 500 of them at various locations, including at MacArthur Park, Lafayette Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and Metrolink stations.
More details: The city has received no reports that agents have used the city-owned spaces since the signs were installed. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that the city could sue for a restraining order if federal agencies violate the prohibition.
Why were the signs posted? Mayor Karen Bass ordered that these signs be posted on all city-owned property in February as part of her Executive Order 17. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said they placed the signs in locations “identified as more likely to be used for [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] operational activity.”
While deciphering posted parking regulations around L.A. lately, you may have noticed new signs.
“This property is owned or controlled by the city of Los Angeles,” the shiny red-and-white placards say. "It may only be used for its intended purpose and not used for immigration enforcement as a staging area, processing location, or operations base.”
The LA Local recently spotted them at Hollenbeck Park’s parking lot and at various parking lots close to Echo Park. The mayor’s office told The LA Local the city has installed 500 of them at various locations, including at MacArthur Park, Lafayette Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and Metrolink stations.
The city has received no reports that agents have used the city-owned spaces since the signs were installed. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that the city could sue for a restraining order if federal agencies violate the prohibition.
Why were the signs posted?
Mayor Karen Bass ordered that these signs be posted on all city-owned property in February as part of her Executive Order 17. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said they placed the signs in locations “identified as more likely to be used for [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] operational activity.”
Since the federal government began sweeping operations in Los Angeles last year, immigration advocates and community members have called for the city to do more to keep immigrant residents safer.
In response, Bass issued Executive Order 17, saying the “City must and can do more to protect our City and all who live, work and visit the City of Angels.”
A sign at MacArthur Park prohibits federal agents from using city-owned property to stage for immigration enforcement operations.
(
Courtesy City of Los Angeles
)
How have federal immigration operations involved city property and employees?
In July 2025, about 100 federal agents conducted an operation in MacArthur Park. Days later, Bass issued a separate executive order clarifying the city’s property and resources could not be used for federal immigration enforcement.
Meanwhile, LAPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell has made repeated statements that he doesn’t agree with or plan to enforce various state laws requiring federal agents to identify themselves and do their work without a mask. (After the Trump administration filed lawsuits, courts have blocked various provisions of those state laws in court anyway.)
Some advocates and Angelenos have called on LAPD to draw a clearer line between the local policing work they are responsible for and the immigration enforcement federal agents do.
Bass’ February order requiring the signs be installed came soon after.
The city has also prohibited its employees from working second jobs with federal immigration enforcement.
What else does Executive Order 17 do?
The order states that unless federal agents have a warrant or court order, they are not allowed to use city-owned or operated property to stage for operations. It also requires LAPD officers to identify federal agents and record their interactions with them. The police commission has since started to publicly report basic details about those interactions.
What happens if federal agents use the city spaces anyway?
The order does not establish what penalties federal agents could face if they are found to be using city property for staging. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that the city could sue or pursue a restraining order if federal agencies violate the prohibition.
“Any necessary response will be handled in accordance with the Executive Order and applicable City protocols,” the city statement said.
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Tiffany Ujiiye
is an editor on LAist's mighty and nimble daily news desk, leading coverage from bald eagles to local government.
Published May 1, 2026 10:58 AM
A Waymo car drives along a street on March 01, 2023 in San Francisco, California. The service is coming to L.A.
(
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
/
Getty Images North America
)
Topline:
California law enforcement will soon be able to issue traffic tickets to driverless cars, such as robotaxis and Waymos. The Department of Motor Vehicles announced this week that it adopted the new rules, which go into effect July 1.
Why are we ticketing robots? The rules are meant to enhance safety requirements, oversight and enforcement, according to the DMV. Driverless robotaxis, such as Waymo, have taken over parts of Los Angeles and caused outcry for crashing into parked cars in Echo Park or injuring a child near a Santa Monica elementary school. Other companies, such as Zoox, also plan to expand into Los Angeles. Waymo did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What are the rules: According to the new law, officers can issue a notice to the manufacturer if they see an autonomous vehicle break traffic laws. Manufacturers that don’t comply could have their permits restricted or suspended.
Other highlights:
Local emergency officials can issue electric geofencing boundaries to clear autonomous vehicles from active emergency zones.
Local governments can also issue temporary “do not enter” or “restricted” zones in response to public safety issues.
Carmakers must provide access to the manual override system on autonomous vehicles and allow two-way communication lines between operators and first responders.
Carmina Calderon Santos, from border of Koreatown and East Hollywood attends the May Day rally at MacArthur Park.
(
Mariana Dale
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Hundreds of organizations are rallying at MacArthur Park on Friday in one of many events recognizing May Day, which is expected to draw thousands of people.
The details: The rally began at 10 a.m. with speakers expected to take the stage, and then the event will march to City Hall around noon. Advocacy groups from different backgrounds, like immigrants’ rights, housing, LGBTQ rights, and economic justice, will unite for the cause of workers’ rights. Organizers are calling for a boycott and will rally under the banner, “Solo El Pueblo Shuts it Down – No Work, No School, No Shopping” with the march ending at Gloria Molina Grand Park at the foot of City Hall.
Read on... for more on the demonstration and what activists are calling for.
Thousands rallied in MacArthur Park Friday in one of many events recognizing May Day. Flags from various countries waved above the crowds as others sounded off with vuvuzelas, megaphones and speakers hyped up the crowd with chants of “¡Si Se Puede!”
The rally kicked off at 10 a.m. but some people arrived at the park long before the sun rose in Westlake.
By 9 a.m. throngs of people gathered, eager to support each other.
Rosemary Ibarra, 26, made her way to MacArthur Park from Lancaster.
“I’m here just to support all of our people here, all the working people, to say no more ICE,” she said. “And to say that we’re here, we’re stronger together. Power of the people.”
This year’s May Day rally marks the 20th anniversary of La Gran Marcha, when millions of people took to the streets around the country to protest proposed legislation that would have included making it a felony offense to be an undocumented immigrant.
Organizers on Friday rallied under the banner, “Solo El Pueblo Shuts it Down – No Work, No School, No Shopping.” The rally crowds marched to Gloria Molina Grand Park just before noon.
Some carried umbrellas, signs and others simply waved their flags above their heads.
María de la Luz Martínez, 62, said she attended the march to represent those who couldn’t be there because they are undocumented. She held split Mexican and US flag. She wore a dress in the colors of the Mexican flag and a colorful flower in her hair.
“I’m here to ask for justice for everyone and for people to understand that we are human, not animals,” she said in Spanish.
María de la Luz Martínez waves a flag that shows the colors of Mexico and the United States at the 2026 May Day rally in MacArthur Park.
The feeling is that some people are exhausted, but still eager to show up for their communities.
TJ Gonzalez, a Hermon resident, brought his parrot Pepe to MacArthur Park to support others . He rescued Pepe five years ago after finding him with a broken wing. Gonzalez said Pepe helps lift people’s spirits.
“When everybody is stressed out, they see Pepe and they get a smile on their face,” he said.
Throughout the morning, he walked around the park, letting people hold Pepe and take photos with him.
“It’s a hard time for a lot of people right now,” Gonzalez added. “I just hope Pepe can bring a little therapy to everyone who came out.”
Nearby, Carmina Calderon Santos, carried her 10-month old baby in a sling, as the child wore little baby earmuffs over their head.
“We’re the ones that move and make this city function. As workers, as people that have to find a means to support their families, I think it’s important to show our strength in numbers, the way that we make the city move,” Calderon Santos said, who lives on the border of Koreatown and East Hollywood.
“I think the protest, at least May Day, is just to show how many of us there really are, at one on one day, right, to uplift the worker and the people that again move the city. But again, protest is just a tool. It’s not the end all be all. After this, we’ve got to go show up at City Hall. We’ve got to do public comment,” she said. “We’ve got to educate our neighbors and everybody else.”
Lisa Navarro from Salinas, made the five-hour trek to the rally. She’s been attending May Day rallies since 2020, and was joined by her daughters.
“We came out here just to be part of the movement and take a stand, to protest, you know, the billionaires and everything going, everything that’s happening, but also to take a stand with our immigrant communities,” she said.
Her father was born in Michoacán, Mexico, “and I come out here to stand with him and my fellow brothers and sisters.”
Her daughter Sabrina, 17, came out to protest the Trump administration specifically.
She held up her sign with a cartoon cat and dog: “They’re eating the checks, they’re eating the balances,” a reference to Trump’s 2024 speech where he claimed without evidence that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating local cats and dogs.
The teen got active in politics during the first Trump administration. She encourages other young people “to use their voice to not be intimidated by the administration, to be intimidated by local officials, you know, anybody in power, and just to remind everybody that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power.”
TJ Gonzalez with his bird Pepe at MacArthur Park hopes that his pet can bring some calm to May Day attendees.
(
Hanna Kang
/
The LA Local
)
Fabric, newspaper and papier-mâché
More rallies are expected throughout Friday, including on the Eastside.
In Boyle Heights, Centro CSO said it is stepping up security for its rally at Mariachi Plaza, where crowds will begin gathering at 3 p.m. The event will include live music, resource tables and a march to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown.
Speakers will take the stage at 4 p.m. and the march is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Organizers say they expect families, older adults and people with disabilities to attend and want them to feel safe.
Other Eastside organizers are joining the rally at MacArthur Park. East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice will take to the streets with a 12-by-12-foot puppet they created using spray paint, fabric, newspaper and heaps of cardboard scraps. The piece symbolizes climate justice, community power and resistance.
“Puppets are … a very powerful art form, and I think that it’s going to be very meaningful to have a larger-than-life figure that is standing for climate sovereignty and community action,” said Diana Hurtado, the project’s artistic director.
The puppet made an appearance in Westlake and was expected to make the journey to City Hall.
Another puppet on display is a veteran of the May Day movement.
“The puppet was made by KIWA members more than 10 years ago for a May Day march,” Brady Collins said, organizer with the Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates. “It’s a traditional papier-mâché style you often see in Mexico, and we actually have many more of them.”
He explained that each puppet represents a different type of worker in Los Angeles. Collins carried around the puppet “Justice” with two long wooden piles.
‘We’re all immigrants to this country’
Charles Song works for an organization that provides legal aide to low-wage workers in San Francisco and found himself in a sea of people from different backgrounds and causes at MacArthur Park.
“I’m just, I guess really concerned about the way our country is treating immigrants. It’s just completely unacceptable.” Song said, who was born in Korea and immigrated to the US as a child. “We’re all immigrants to this country. People need to understand that and appreciate that we all came in different ways.”
Mike Konowitz and Matty Thorne, members of the LA chapter of Refuse Fascism, have been involved with the organization for about a year and are politically motivated to respond to the actions of the Trump administration.
“We really cannot rely on or wait for the midterms,” Konowitz said. “Brown people are getting picked up every day because of the color of their skin.”
Thorne was accompanied by his dog, Odie
“It’s dogs against fascism,” he said.
“All these causes, supporting ICE out, fighting for fair wages for workers, none of this is going to happen until this Trump regime is out of power,” Thorne said.
Near MacArthur Park lake, homecare provider Leilani Reed recounted the broader fight unions face.
“Once I went, it was like a fire just latched to me and when I understood when they were fighting for a $15 wage increase and then we would link up with other unions and solidarity, then I started understanding,” Reed said, who is a member of SEIU Local 2015.
‘Marching together as one voice’
Westlake is no stranger to International Workers’ Day, said Victor Narro, project director with the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center, which sits across the street from MacArthur Park.
“We’re dealing with so much this year, and I think May Day is going to be a chance for us to come together,” Narro told The LA Local ahead of the rally.
Juan Aguilar, a supermarket worker who came to the United States in 1989, participated in the 2006 march in downtown LA.
“I was really impressed by the number of people there. And I didn’t feel afraid. People weren’t afraid,” he said at a sign-making event for this year’s May Day rally at the Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates in Koreatown.
Friday was also Jay Lee’s first time participating in the May Day rally and march. The Korean American pointed to the role labor movements have played in shaping migration and identity within Korean communities.
“Korea’s got this huge history of labor,” Lee said. “The existence of the Korean diaspora here is inherently tied to the labor movement in Korea.”
For Lee, this year’s May Day is especially significant. It marks the first year South Korea has designated May 1 as a mandatory public holiday for all workers, including those in the public sector. Previously, only private-sector workers had the day off.
He said this year’s march is also about solidarity across communities.
“We’re going to be marching with Black workers, the Latino centers, the Filipino centers,” Lee said. “We’re going to be all marching together as one voice, and I think that’s really cool.”
