A La Costa Canyon Mighty Mavericks' player scores a touchdown during a Pop Warner football game against the Valley Center Mighty Jaguars in Carlsbad, in 2012.
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Mike Blake
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Reuters
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Topline:
Some California youth football leagues ban Guardian Caps. Three former football players in the Legislature think parents and children should have the option of wearing them.
The backstory: Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, a former tight end for San Jose State, had mixed feelings last year when he voted to support a short-lived proposal that would have banned tackle football for preteens. While he credited football for enriching his life, Valencia, a Democrat representing the Anaheim area, said he believes the game is too dangerous for young players’ developing brains. Gov. Gavin Newsom ended up taking the rare step of intervening in the Legislature to quickly spike the proposal.
Why now: This year, Valencia has a new measure that he thinks could help protect young players’ heads, short of a ban on tackling. His Assembly Bill 708 aims to prevent youth football leagues from prohibiting players from wearing the mushroom-shaped padded helmet add-ons that are sometimes worn by concussion-wary NFL players during games.
Read on… for more details of assembly bill 708.
Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, a former tight end for San Jose State, had mixed feelings last year when he voted to support a short-lived proposal that would have banned tackle football for preteens.
While he credited football for enriching his life, Valencia, a Democrat representing the Anaheim area, said he believes the game is too dangerous for young players’ developing brains. Gov. Gavin Newsom ended up taking the rare step of intervening in the Legislature to quickly spike the proposal.
This year, Valencia has a new measure that he thinks could help protect young players’ heads, short of a ban on tackling. His Assembly Bill 708 aims to prevent youth football leagues from prohibiting players from wearing the mushroom-shaped padded helmet add-ons that are sometimes worn by concussion-wary NFL players during games.
In an interview with CalMatters, Valencia said the “evidence is substantially clear” that tackle football puts young players at risk of concussions and the long-term problems that come with repeated blows to the head. With the prospect of a ban on tackle football off the table while Newsom is in office, he thinks his measure allowing the equipment sold under the Guardian Cap brand is the next best thing.
“I think this is the direction that I feel most comfortable in, which is trying to make the game as safe as possible, while also providing the opportunity for parents and young people to play this game if they so choose,” Valencia said.
The bill is in response to some youth leagues forbidding the equipment’s use, citing concerns that the add-ons could negate helmet safety certifications. Helmet manufacturers and the organization that certifies them as safe for players reportedly have concerns the padding could alter how their equipment is designed to perform, making youth leagues vulnerable to lawsuits if players get hurt.
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment announced in November that attaching products to a certified helmet voids its safety certification unless the add-on has been tested and separately certified.
Two other former college players weigh in
Valencia has support from two other former college football players in the Assembly, Democratic Assemblymember Steve Bennett, a former linebacker and team captain at Brown University, and Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa, a former tight end and special teams player at Valencia’s college rival, Fresno State.
Bennett said helmet technology has improved dramatically from when he was a player in the ’60s and ’70s. When he was in high school, Bennett fractured his skull under his helmet while playing, he said.
Assemblymember Steve Bennett speaks to lawmakers during an Assembly floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Oct. 1, 2024.
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Fred Greaves
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CalMatters
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Bennett supports the steps leagues are taking to make football safer, and he said he believes Valencia’s bill could help. He didn’t have a chance to vote on the proposed tackle football ban before Newsom killed it, but he said he would have had reservations about a ban.
“Some people say, ‘Hey, you know, we shouldn’t have a sport at all,’ etc.,” he said. “And I would just say that the benefits of the sport have for so many youth … outweighed those risks. So you have to try to minimize those risks.”
Tangipa disagreed with Valencia last year with his stance on the proposed ban. Tangipa hadn’t yet been elected to the Assembly, but he showed up at a rally urging lawmakers to kill it, he said.
But on Valencia’s bill, he agrees that parents and players should have the option of using the add-ons. He hopes the technology helps “bring back hard-hitting football again.” The NFL and other football leagues have changed their tackling rules to try to limit helmet-to-helmet collisions to reduce concussions. Some complain it’s made the game less exciting.
“Look, we went from leather helmets to hard-shell helmets,” he said. “There probably was, you know, grumbling that happened for that, and now we’re going to be adding an additional layer. I don’t think anybody should be bothered by that, especially if it protects our kids.”
There’s been no formal opposition to Valencia’s measure, which sailed through the Assembly and appears likely to do the same in the Senate.
David Tangipa, right, during football practice at Fresno State on March 31, 2017.
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Kiel Maddox
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CALMATTERS
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Medical groups support measure
The bill has support from the California Medical Association, the California Academy of Family Physicians, the California Neurological Society and the California Orthopaedic Association, which support taking steps to reduce concussions in young players.
But whether the helmet pads work as advertised is less clear.
The Guardian Cap manufacturer as well as the NFL say the caps have helped reduce concussions, matching lab studies showing the helmet pads reduce impacts. But other studies, including from Stanford and Wisconsin universities, found they had no effect on the rate of concussions or other head trauma.
Citing the lack of evidence, the Concussion Legacy Foundation reluctantly supported the measure but said it would prefer to see youth tackle football banned outright.
The group also noted “there is limited evidence that soft-shelled helmets have reduced the number of diagnosed concussions or will reduce the risk of football players developing CTE,” the acronym for the debilitating brain condition caused by repeated blows to the head.
“However, if the state is going to allow children to play, we agree that they should have the option to wear soft-shelled helmets,” their letter reads.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published January 8, 2026 4:33 PM
The Original Saugus Cafe's neon sign.
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Konrad Summers
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Creative Commons on Flickr
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Topline:
The Original Saugus Cafe, L.A. County's oldest restaurant since 1886, was supposed to have closed Sunday, with lines around the block. But this week a sign on the door said it was reopening under new ownership. That was news to the Mercado family, who had previously run the business for nearly 30 years. It's turned into a legal dispute between the Mercado family and the owners of the property, who are laying claim to the name.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights the precarious position of small business owners who operate under informal agreements with their landlords. For nearly 30 years, the Mercado family ran the restaurant on a handshake deal with property owner Hank Arklin Sr. After he died, the Mercado family is facing losing not just their location, but potentially the business name and legacy they've built.
Why now: Hank Arklin Sr., a former California assemblyman with multiple properties, died in August at age 97. New management presented the Mercado family with written lease terms they found unfavorable, triggering negotiations to sell the business that ultimately fell apart.
Lines stretched around the block Sunday at the Original Saugus Cafe in Santa Clarita. It was supposed to be the restaurant's last day before closing after 139 years — making it the oldest continually operated restaurant in Los Angeles County.
But earlier this week, a sign was posted on the door saying, "Reopening under new ownership soon," although there were few details about who would be running it.
The sign was a surprise to the Mercado family,who have operated the restaurant for nearly 30 years. The family now is in a legal dispute with the Arklin family, who owns the property, about the potential re-opening and who owns the historic name.
The background
Alfredo Mercado worked his way up from bartender to restaurateur, purchasing the business in 1998. Since then Mercado and his daughters have operated the restaurant, leasing from the Arklin family. For most of that time, according to the Mercado side, the two families maintained good terms. Property owner Hank Arklin Sr., a former state assemblyman who owned other properties in the area, kept a verbal month-to-month agreement with the Mercados — no written lease required.
That changed when Arklin died in August at age 97.
New terms, failed negotiations
Larry Goodman, who manages multiple properties for the Arklin family's company, North Valley Construction, took over the landlord relationship. In September, the Mercado family say they were presented with a new written month-to-month lease.
Yecenia Ponce, Alfredo's daughter, said the new terms included various changes to the existing agreement, including a rent increase and charges for equipment.
Months of back and forth negotiations about different options, including selling the business, ultimately fell apart. Their attorney, Steffanie Stelnick, says they are being forced out, without proper legal notice, and has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Goodman saying the family has plans to continue running the business.
LAist reached out to Goodman for comment repeatedly Wednesday and Thursday by phone but did not hear back.
Goodman told The Signal, a Santa Clarita valley news outlet, that Alfredo Mercado had changed his mind several times in recent weeks about keeping the business.
“I said, ‘Fine,’ then I got out and got someone to take it over,” Goodman said.
He said he'd been in contact with Eduardo Reyna, the CEO of Dario's, a local Santa Clarita restaurant, and that the cafe could re-open as soon as Jan. 16.
Who owns what?
The dispute also focuses on who owns the rights to the Original Saugus Cafe name.
Ponce said when her father purchased the restaurant in 1998, it was called The Olde Saugus Cafe, but the name was then changed to The Original Saugus Cafe. State records show that name registered as an LLC under Alfredo Mercado.
After Arklin’s death, however, the Arklin family filed a pending trademark application to lay its own claim to the name.
The Mercado family is resisting.
"As long as they don't buy the name from us, we're not handing it over," Ponce said.
Ponce said the family had no idea the landlord planned to continue operations.
"We truly did think we were closing," she said. "We were not aware that they had plans to continue."
She apologized to customers for the confusion.
Whether the decades-old restaurant name survives — and under whose control — may ultimately be decided in court.
Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California. She has a special place in her heart for eagles and other creatures that make this such a fascinating place to live.
Published January 8, 2026 4:22 PM
The roughly 550-pound male black bear has been hiding out under an Altadena home.
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CBS LA
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Ken Jonhson
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Topline:
A large black bear has finally crawled out from under a house in Altadena where he’s been hiding for more than a month.
How we got here: The roughly 550-pound bear, dubbed “Barry” by the neighbors, had been holed up in a crawlspace beneath the home since late November.
Why now: Cort Klopping, a spokesperson with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, confirmed to LAist Thursday that the bear had left and the access point had been secured.
The backstory: This wasn’t the first time the bear hid out under a house in Altadena. The same bear was lured out from another crawlspace in the area and relocated miles away to the Angeles National Forest after the Eaton Fire last year. Wildlife officials said they believed he'd been back in Altadena for several months.
Why it matters: Officials encourage residents to secure access points around their homes. One suggestion is to cover crawlspaces with something stronger than the wire mesh Barry has broken through, such as metal bars.
What you can do: Bears are extremely food motivated and can smell snacks in trash cans on the curb from 5 miles away, Klopping has said. He suggested putting trash cans out the same day they get picked up and bringing pet food sources inside, including bird feeders. You can find tips on how to handle a bear in your backyard here and resources from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife here.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Libby Rainey
is a general assignment reporter. She covers the news that shapes Los Angeles and how people change the city in return.
Published January 8, 2026 2:15 PM
A protester displays a poster as tear gas is used in the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.
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Eric Thayer/AP
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FR171986 AP
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Topline:
Community leaders and politicians in Los Angeles are responding in outrage after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.
What are some groups saying? Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising. " Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist.
Read on... for how local politicians are reacting.
Community leaders and politicians in Los Angeles are responding in outrage after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising.
" Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the shooting, saying Good was trying to run agents over with her car. That account has been disputed by eyewitnesses, the mayor of Minneapolis and other officials. Bystander video also challenges the federal narrative, according to MPR News.
L.A. politicians have joined a chorus demanding justice for Good. Mayor Karen Bass posted on X, saying that ICE agents are waging "a purposeful campaign of fear and intimidation" on American cities.
"The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred," she said in the post.
The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred. And it happened because of the brutal and racist policies of the Trump administration that unleashed these agents in…
Nereida Moreno
is our midday host on LAist 89.3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Published January 8, 2026 2:05 PM
Crystal Hernández is the violinist for the Mariachi Rams and the only woman in the group.
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Courtesy Los Angeles Rams
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Topline:
As the Rams head to the NFL playoffs this weekend, we’re shining the spotlight on a beloved fan favorite: the Mariachi Rams. Violinist Crystal Hernández, the only woman in the band, tells LAist it’s exciting to see how fans — even those cheering for the opposing team — have embraced their presence at SoFi Stadium. She said it shows how involved and integral Latino culture is to L.A.
“There's no boundary. There's no border,” she said. “It’s all about love and joy and bringing excitement to the game.”
Why it matters: The Rams are the first NFL team to have an official mariachi. The group was formed in 2019 by Hernández' father, the renowned mariachi Jose Hernández. Since then, a handful of teams, including the Houston Texans, have begun incorporating mariachi bands as part of their cultural programming.
Game day: The Mariachi Rams’ musical flare has captivated audiences, blending hip-hop and rock-and-roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout the game, starting with a Mexican classic like “El Rey” and segueing into local favorites like “Low Rider” from the Long Beach band War and Tupac’s “California Love.”
The Mariachi Rams blend hip-hop and rock and roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout each game.
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Courtesy Los Angeles Rams
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Keeping traditions alive: Crystal Hernández also works with L.A. County students at the nonprofit Mariachi Heritage Society. She said it’s important to pass the tradition down to kids — and especially young girls who may not otherwise see themselves represented onstage.
“If you're a mariachi, you're also an educator,” she said. “It's our responsibility to teach the next generation so this beautiful Mexican tradition doesn't die out.”
