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The most important stories for you to know today
  • Board reevaluates student, teacher tech use
    A hand with medium skin tone holds up a silver laptop with the image of an Apple and the text LAUSD on the back of it.
    LAUSD's current policy allows students 13 and older to use AI tools.

    Topline:

    The Los Angeles Unified Board is reevaluating how students, educators and schools use artificial intelligence as some parents call for an in-classroom moratorium. A new board committee on AI use meets for the first time Wednesday.

    Why it matters: Recent surveys indicate that many students and educators are using AI, even as research about whether the tools help students learn are mixed. LAUSD students 13 and older can use AI tools at their teacher’s direction and after they complete a lesson about “digital citizenship,” under current district policy. But a group of LAUSD parents who advocated for screentime restrictions wants the district to block all student AI use until more research is done.

    Why now: The Board voted to create the committee when it adopted student screentime restrictions in June. Committee Chair Kelly Gonez said the goal is to create AI policy recommendations that could then be voted on by the full board next year.

    Get involved: The first LAUSD board generative AI committee meeting is 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept.2, where district leaders are scheduled to give a presentation about AI in education. Community members can tune in to the meeting in-person, online or over the phone. Registration for public comment starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

    The Los Angeles Unified Board is reevaluating how students, educators and schools use artificial intelligence as some parents call for an in-classroom moratorium. A new board committee on AI use meets for the first time Wednesday.

    “I think that success will look like, in a quickly changing world, knowing that we are being proactive to protect our students and safeguard their health, their wellbeing, and their development first and foremost,” said Kelly Gonez, the committee chair. “But also ensuring that we are truly preparing our students for the world that they will emerge into once they graduate from our schools.”

    Gonez said the goal is to create AI policy recommendations that could then be voted on by the full board next year.

    What’s AI use like in schools?

    Recent surveys indicate that many students and educators are using AI, even as research about whether the tools help students learn are mixed.

    LAUSD students 13 and older can use AI tools at their teacher’s direction and after they complete a lesson about “digital citizenship,” under current district policy.

    The board voted to create the generative AI committee when it adopted student screentime restrictions in June. In addition to Gonez, the committee includes board members Nick Melvoin and Tanya Ortiz Franklin.

    A group of LAUSD parents who advocated for those restrictions wants the district to block all student AI use until more research is done.

    “I think the current policy needs to be discarded completely, and we need to start from scratch with the foundational question of what is the benefit of these tools in education?” said Anya Meksin, deputy director of Schools Beyond Screens and the parent of a district elementary school student.

    How to weigh in in LAUSD's AI policies

    The first LAUSD board generative AI committee meeting is 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept.2, where district leaders are scheduled to give a presentation about AI in education.

    Community members can tune in to the meeting online, over the phone or in person at board room at 333 S. Beaudry Ave.. Registration for public comment starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

    Meetings are also scheduled for the following Wednesdays at 10 a.m.:

    • Oct. 21, 2026
    • Dec. 9, 2026
    • Jan. 20, 2027
    • March 3, 2027
    • April 7, 2027

    Find Your LAUSD Board Member

    LAUSD board members can amplify concerns from parents, students and educators. Find your representative below.

    District 1 includes Mid City, parts of South L.A. (map)
    Board member: Sherlett Hendy Newbill
    Email: BoardDistrict1@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-6382 (central office); (323) 298-3411 (field office)

    District 2 includes Downtown, East L.A. (map)
    Board member: Rocío Rivas
    Email: rocio.rivas@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-6020

    District 3 includes West San Fernando Valley, North Hollywood (map)
    Board member: Scott Schmerelson
    Email: scott.schmerelson@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-8333

    District 4 includes West Hollywood, some beach cities (map)
    Board member: Nick Melvoin 
    Email: nick.melvoin@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-6387

    District 5 includes parts of Northeast and Southwest L.A. (map)
    Board Member: Karla Griego
    Email: district5@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-1000

    District 6 includes East San Fernando Valley (map)
    Board Member: Kelly Gonez
    Email: kelly.gonez@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-6388

    District 7 includes South L.A. and parts of the South Bay (map)
    Board Member: Tanya Ortiz Franklin
    Email: tanya.franklin@lausd.net
    Call: (213) 241-6385

  • Tenants allege negligence, harassment by landlord
    A complex of townhomes, painted light pink with gray shingle roofs, is seen nestled among trees and chaparral in San Pedro in this photograph taken from a nearby hill.
    Blue Butterfly Village, a complex of 74 townhomes nestled in a hillside in San Pedro, provides housing to formerly unhoused female veterans.

    Topline:

    When it first opened in 2015, Blue Butterfly Village was hailed as a rare sanctuary for women veterans overcoming homelessness. But some tenants now say conditions at the San Pedro townhome complex have become so bad, they’re willing to give up their taxpayer-subsidized rent and take their chances on finding a home they can afford on their own limited income.

    The allegations: Twelve current and former tenants filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week against Blue Butterfly’s nonprofit landlord, Volunteers of America. The tenants allege the organization has neglected the property, has failed to provide safe and habitable housing and has harassed residents who complain about worsening conditions. The Housing Authority of the City of L.A. has placed at least three units at Blue Butterfly Village under abatement in recent years, meaning they have withheld rental subsidies until housing violations are addressed.

    The landlord’s response: A Volunteers of America spokesperson declined an interview with LAist, but emailed a statement saying the organization could not comment on active litigation. “We regularly inspect our properties, including Blue Butterfly Village, and respond promptly to maintenance and safety requests from our residents,” the statement read. “We remain deeply committed to ensuring Blue Butterfly Village serves as a supportive environment for female veterans and their families, and we continue to collaborate with municipal partners and property management to address any outstanding maintenance or operational needs.”

    Read on… to learn what happened to one tenant after the townhome next to hers burned down.

    When it first opened in 2015, Blue Butterfly Village was hailed as a rare sanctuary for women veterans overcoming homelessness.

    But some tenants now say conditions at the taxpayer-subsidized San Pedro townhome complex have become so bad, they’re willing to give up their rental subsidies and take their chances on finding a home they can afford on their own limited income.

    “I’d rather be freaking homeless than continue to live [at Blue Butterfly],” said Jade Easley, who served in the U.S. Army for nearly a decade.

    She said that in 2024, the city’s Housing Department inspected her unit and found violations, such as faulty smoke detectors, defective stairs and bad plumbing. She said she frequently heard mice crawling in her walls.

    Easley said she told property managers last year that locks on one of her doors were broken. The next month, she suffered a break-in. Seven months later, she said, the door still hadn’t been fixed, so she paid out of pocket to repair it herself.

    Easley left Blue Butterfly earlier this year. She now lives with her two children in Tucson, Arizona. She said she moved there because rent is cheap enough to cover with her VA disability benefits. But she is now cut off from her social support system.

    “This was not a choice to live here," Easley said. “I’ve lived outside before. I’ve lived deployed. But I never experienced mice in my home for that long of a period of time, clawing at my walls as I'm trying to sleep, and my kids running to my room saying something’s trying to get them.”

    What happens after veterans get housed?

    Easley is one of 12 current and former tenants who filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week against Blue Butterfly’s nonprofit landlord, Volunteers of America.

    The tenants allege the organization and its affiliated groups have neglected the property, have failed to provide safe and habitable housing and have harassed residents who complained about worsening conditions.

    According to the lawsuit, the property — which is nestled in a hillside down a winding private street lined with other abandoned military housing structures — has become infested with snakes, insects and other wildlife. Coyotes have crawled under poorly maintained fences, tenants say, and black widow spiders have taken over their patios.

    Other alleged problems at the property include broken street lamps, sewage overflowing from defective septic systems, trash piling up as collections stopped and lax security that allowed one unit to operate as a “drug den” for years.

    “It really has been stressful,” said Alisa Randell, a Public Counsel attorney representing the tenants. “There have been impacts on folks' mental health because of all of these issues not being able to get their homes fixed and not feeling safe and secure at this property.”

    Raytevia Evans, a Volunteers of America spokesperson, declined an interview. She emailed a statement, saying the organization could not comment on active litigation.

    “We regularly inspect our properties, including Blue Butterfly Village, and respond promptly to maintenance and safety requests from our residents,” the statement read. “We remain deeply committed to ensuring Blue Butterfly Village serves as a supportive environment for female veterans and their families, and we continue to collaborate with municipal partners and property management to address any outstanding maintenance or operational needs.”

    A blurred orange car speeds past a blue street sign that reads "Blue Butterfly Way — Private."
    Blue Butterfly Village is located down a winding private road. Residents must drive past derelict former military housing in order to reach their homes.
    (
    David Wagner/LAist News
    )

    The allegations come at a time when L.A. has been making progress on bringing unhoused veterans indoors. According to this year’s regional homeless count, about 2,250 veterans currently experience homelessness across L.A. County on any given night. That represents a decrease of about 42% from levels of veteran homelessness seen in 2020.

    But veteran advocates said some of that decrease is the result of placing people in substandard housing where habitability concerns go unaddressed.

    Rob Reynolds told LAist the Blue Butterfly allegations are similar to complaints he has heard from veterans placed in new housing on the VA campus in West L.A. He said those complaints also involve alleged lack of security, frequent staff turnover, pests and broken plumbing.

    “I hope the plaintiffs in this case are successful in holding the defendants accountable, and I hope this leads to greater oversight and accountability for the property management groups operating veteran housing in Los Angeles,” Reynolds said. “They deserve better.”

    Units received public funding, then failed city inspections

    Easley said she spent about one year couch surfing and living in her car before moving into her unit at Blue Butterfly. At first, she said, her new home was “rainbows and sunshine,” describing it as a life-changing opportunity that gave her a reason to keep living.

    But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Easley said, the property managers changed and problems in her townhome were left to fester. At the time, she was running a licensed, in-home daycare.

    “I was actually pretty proud of myself because I finally was owning my own business,” Easley said. But she said neglect by the landlords left her home too unsafe to operate the daycare.

    “I didn't want to be in my own unit,” she said. “I didn't want other people to be in my unit, so I just stopped that completely.”

     A silver car with a popped hood is parked in a driveway outside of a townhome in San Pedro.
    A car with a popped hood is parked in a driveway outside of a townhome at Blue Butterfly Village in San Pedro.
    (
    David Wagner/LAist News
    )

    Disputes between landlords and tenants over habitability are fairly common in L.A. But the situation at Blue Butterfly is notable for how much taxpayer funding has flowed into the property.

    The property consists of 74 two-bedroom townhomes. They were repurposed from existing structures that previously provided housing to military families stationed at a nearby Navy base. That housing was closed in 1997. The complex was redeveloped in part with about $12 million in state and local funding, loans, waived development fees and donated land.

    Tenants living at Blue Butterfly typically pay up to 30% of their income on rent, with government-funded housing vouchers covering the rest. Some vouchers are administered through the HUD-VASH program, specifically targeted to housing veterans, while others are funded through mainstream Section 8 vouchers.

    When landlords fail to fix deteriorating conditions, the local governments that administer these vouchers can place housing units under “abatement,” meaning rental subsidies will be withheld until homes pass future inspections.

    LAist discovered through a public records request that the Housing Authority of the City of L.A. has placed at least three units at Blue Butterfly Village under abatement in recent years.

    In 2024, Housing Authority officials told a Volunteers of America subsidiary they would not provide rental subsidies until the landlord fixed a faulty toilet, a broken bedroom door handle, a damaged refrigerator and dishwasher, non-functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and cleared a mouse infestation.

    ‘It makes you feel like nobody cares’

    Anesha Aird, a U.S. Navy veteran, spent about two years without stable housing after retiring from the military. She said she was usually able to pay for short-term hotel stays, but she spent some nights in her car.

    Like Easley, Aird said her early days at Blue Butterfly were positive. But over time, her requests for maintenance and increased security on the property were ignored, she said.

    At first, “we had proper security that stopped you at the gate, asked you where you were going, checked your name against a ban list to ensure that you were allowed to be on the property,” Aird said. “All of that is gone.”

    A woman with dark skin tone, wearing sunglasses and a black Nike t-shirt, stands outside the front door of townhome in San Pedro.
    Anesha Aird stands in front of her townhome at Blue Butterfly Village in San Pedro.
    (
    David Wagner/LAist News
    )

    When the attached townhome next to hers burned down in February 2024, the unit was left as a burned-out husk for about nine months, Aird said.

    Before the repairs began, Aird said, she asked management to relocate her. She said she worried the construction noise and irregular work hours would disrupt her son’s home-schooling and trigger her post-traumatic stress disorder.

    She said management denied her request.

    “There are veterans here — veterans like myself with extreme PTSD and bad anxiety and depression,” Aird said. “It makes you feel like nobody cares.”

    Tenants say they faced retaliation after asking for repairs

    The tenants’ lawsuit alleges that Volunteers of America and other defendants violated the city of L.A.’s tenant anti-harassment ordinance by threatening to remove tenants and blaming them for conditions that landlords are responsible for maintaining.

    Randell, the tenants’ attorney, said the lawsuit asks the court to require the landlords carry out repairs, restore services, end alleged retaliation and pay damages to compensate tenants for alleged overpaid rent and emotional distress.

    “This site has a lot of promise,” Randell said. “We just want to see it live up to its promise.”

    A spokesperson for the L.A. Housing Department said it currently had no records of open complaints or violations at the property. Officials with the Housing Authority of the City of L.A. did not respond to LAist’s request for information on current conditions at the complex.

    Aird said she recently came home to find a three-day notice warning of a potential eviction on her door. She said she did not believe the threat would hold up in court. In any case, she plans to move out once she can find another building where she can use a housing voucher.

    “I served this country honorably for 20 years,” Aird said. “All I'm asking is that I get treated with that same respect.”

  • Sponsored message
  • A weekend's worth of standout meals
    Four spoons topped with a creamy spread and green caviar meet at the center of a textured plate.
    Head to Dom's Taverna for Chef Dominique Crisp’s Central Coast spin on Basque cooking.

    Topline:

    Angelenos have escaped to Santa Barbara for generations. While neighboring Santa Ynez Valley captured the culinary spotlight in recent years, the coastal strip is striking back with a string of buzzy new restaurant openings. Here is how to spend a gloriously food-centric weekend eating and drinking your way through Santa Barbara.

    What can I expect? Pristine seafood, unmatched seasonal produce and world-class wines. Oh, and Basque cooking, butter-laden Danish pastries and a signature Pickletini.

    Any local history? Try a 155-year-old hotel for brunch, the gorgeous grounds that hosted Jackie and John F. Kennedy on their honeymoon and life in Santa Barbara's early Chinese American community.

    Angelenos have escaped to Santa Barbara for generations. While neighboring Santa Ynez Valley captured the culinary spotlight in recent years, the coastal strip is striking back.

    Fueled in part by a surge in commercial and real estate investments, and bolstered by the expansion of the California Michelin Guide, Santa Barbara and neighboring Montecito are experiencing a hospitality boom. (The region received a similar jolt more than two decades ago when the film Sideways spurred interest in Santa Barbara County’s wines and restaurants.)

    A wooden sign reading "Dom's" hangs from an ornate metal bracket outside a building, with palm trees against a blue sky nearby.
    The Basque restaurant has been open for just a year, but is regularly packed.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    With a string of buzzy new openings this past year — like Little Mountain and Monte’s in Montecito and Dom’s Taverna in downtown Santa Barbara — and more high-profile debuts on the horizon, including the return of legendary chef Thomas Keller to Southern California at the Coral Casino, the current momentum shows no signs of abating.

    Underpinning this expansion are Santa Barbara’s long-standing institutions delivering genuine hospitality, alongside the region’s unrivaled bounty: pristine seafood, unmatched seasonal produce and world-class wines. This combination of heritage and innovation has transformed the American Riviera into a bona fide gastronomic destination.

    While experiencing every notable establishment would easily require more than 48 hours, this ambitious itinerary covers significant ground. It purposely bypasses some well-trodden staples already in heavy rotation among Angelenos — such as Loquita, Bettina, Caruso’s, Cold Spring Tavern, La Super-Rica Taqueria and the like — to focus on lesser-known gems and standout newcomers.

    Here is how to spend a gloriously food-centric weekend eating and drinking your way through Santa Barbara.

    Friday

    Happy Hour:

    A cocktail garnished with an orange peel and cherry on a pick sits on a dark napkin at a red bar counter.
    Arrive between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. to snag $2 off all drinks and food.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    Set your out-of-office message by midday Friday and escape north via the 101 or aboard Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner. Well-made drinks upon arrival are non-negotiable, and the veteran bartenders at The Pickle Room deliver exactly that.

    Arrive between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. to snag $2 off all drinks and food. Order a signature Pickletini or classic Old Fashioned, pair it with a fried-to-order Reuben egg roll and settle into a space steeped in history.

    The venue was once Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens, Santa Barbara’s last Chinese-owned business in its New Chinatown. When the Chung family closed the beloved restaurant in 2006, after 59 years, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation stepped in to buy the property. Today, Clay Lovejoy operates both the adjoining Three Pickles sandwich shop and the bar.

    For a slice of local Chinese American history, peruse the life-size photo exhibit dedicated to the founding Chung family along the bar’s back wall.

    A red-trimmed building entrance displays a wooden 'Cocktails' sign above a doorway, with bamboo plants growing nearby.
    Kick off the weekend with The Pickle Room's signature Pickletini or classic Old Fashioned.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    Location: 122 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara 
    Hours: Monday through Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.

    Dinner:

    The energy inside Dom’s Taverna is electric. Though open for just a year, the Arts District dining room is already packed with local couples, friends, and families.

    Most people are here for Chef Dominique Crisp’s Central Coast spin on Basque cooking.

    “It's intrinsically Basque to take whatever amazing ingredients are available, make them part of your menu, not really fuss it up,” Crisp said.

    A plate of glazed chicken bites topped with fresh herbs sits beside a swirl of green sauce dusted with paprika.
    Herbaceous smashed papas brava at Dom's Taverna.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    Backed by strong ties to regional purveyors like 805 Seafood and La Pluma Farms, the menu changes almost daily. On a recent night, locally caught bluefin starred in both a crudo and pasta special, while the day’s oysters hailed from Morro Bay.

    The menu is anchored by mainstays like wonderfully herbaceous smashed papas brava and arroza al forno made with morcilla from La Española Meats in Los Angeles’s South Bay. To drink, owner Raj Nallapothola’s Laie vermouth, served simply on the rocks with an orange slice and a green olive, cuts beautifully through the rich menu.

    For the finale, a spoonful of whipped housemade Basque cheesecake topped with Osetra caviar delivers a perfect, decadent balance of sweet and savory.

    Location: 30 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara
    Hours: Daily, 5-11 p.m.

    Saturday

    Coffee:

    The third-wave coffee scene in Santa Barbara and its surrounding communities is exceptionally stacked, anchored by trailblazing stalwarts like Dune Coffee and Handlebar Roasters alongside hip newcomers like Little King.

    Joining the lineup is Dawn, a breezy cafe attached to the State Street Drift hotel. With its central location and inviting indoor-outdoor seating, Dawn is a fetching option for classic espresso drinks, matcha, seasonal sippers — and prime people watching.

    Location: 524 State St., Santa Barbara
    Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    Breakfast:

    A large chunk of yellow butter with a knife stuck in it sits in a bowl, with loaves of bread on wooden shelves behind it.
    Treat yourself with French Bordier butter at Oat Bakery.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    Ease into the day at Oat Bakery, a serene Scandinavian-inspired shop located just off State Street, with additional locations in Goleta and Montecito. Inside the minimalist, jewel-box space, co-owners and spouses Louise Ulrich-Fontana and Lou Fontana showcase a tightly edited lineup of Danish breads and pastries baked with locally sourced grains and minimal added sugar.

    The dense, satisfying hygge buns are laced with cinnamon and packed with dates and walnuts, while the flaky frøsnappers feature an almond marzipan filling under a crust of toasty sesame and poppy seeds.

    For the ultimate morning fuel, order the Danish breakfast: a crusty sourdough bun sliced and slathered with French Bordier butter, layered with Gouda and brightened with apricot-jalapeño jam. Grab a loaf of the bakery’s signature sesame charcoal sourdough for the perfect edible souvenir.

    Location: 5 W. Haley St., Santa Barbara
    Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

    Lunch:

    A cracked whole crab with a fried onion ring sits on a white plate with lemon wedges and sauce.
    This family-owned restaurant draws crowds with its hyper-local catch, including box crab, sea urchin, and rock crab.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    Stearns Wharf is packed with touristy attractions, but the 46-year-old Santa Barbara Shellfish Co. is a refreshing exception. Perched on the West Coast’s oldest working wooden pier, this family-owned restaurant draws crowds with its hyper-local catch, including box crab, sea urchin and rock crab.

    Order the uni, and it comes plated alongside its outer shell, spines still subtly moving. Delicately steamed crabs arrive with drawn butter and hefty metal crackers for extracting their meat.

    Whether seated on the L-shaped patio with expansive views of the Pacific or along the dining room bar overlooking the busy open kitchen, there are no bad seats at this bustling pier-side eatery.

    Location: 230 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara
    Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

    Cocktail Hour:

    While staying overnight at Montecito’s storied San Ysidro Ranch starts at $2,500, the idyllic property, originally a Spanish land grant, has several food and beverage venues open to the public. Stroll the meticulously maintained grounds with a spritz, martini, or margarita in hand by ordering from the Garden Walk drinks menu available at The Speakeasy and The Stonehouse restaurant; live music starts at 5 p.m. daily.

    For a secluded, moodier affair, duck into the eclectically appointed cocktail bar The Speakeasy — cool stone walls, low wooden ceilings, plush red booths and bold animal prints — for rare spirits and expertly made drinks.

    Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are encouraged on Fridays and Saturdays.

    Location: 900 San Ysidro Ln., Montecito
    Hours: Daily, 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

    Dinner:

    A bowl holds diced raw fish topped with halved orange cherry tomatoes and herb-infused green oil.
    Little Mountain, a nine-month-old hotspot in Montecito’s Upper Village.
    (
    Cathy Chaplin
    /
    LAist
    )

    Chef Diego Moya may be new to the Central Coast, but he has quickly mastered the region's micro-seasons. At Little Mountain — a nine-month-old hotspot in Montecito’s Upper Village — the Chilean American chef dazzles diners nightly with a skillful, less-is-more restraint centered around a wood-fired kitchen.

    Moya trained globally at famed institutions like Paris’ L’Arpège and Bangkok’s Nahm, and most recently served as executive chef at Racines in New York.

    On a recent visit to Little Mountain, freshly caught local lingcod was transformed into an irresistible ceviche with burnt tomato and basil. A gorgeous flank of ruby-red tuna came lightly brushed with guajillo, and paired with ripe honeydew and a fermented pepper-and-melon gazpacho. Even simple koshihikari rice, fortified with housemade butter and white sesame seeds, becomes a main event under the chef’s care.

    Beverages — including wines, cocktails and spirit-free selections — mirror Moya’s culinary ethos, focusing on small-scale, sustainable and low-intervention producers.

    Little Mountain is an important opening not just for Montecito, but for all of Southern California.

    Location: 516 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito
    Hours: Wednesday through Monday, 5-9 p.m.

    Sunday

    Brunch:

    Wicker chairs and small tables line a covered porch strung with lights, overlooking trees at dusk.
    Bistro Amasa is tucked into the ground floor of the 155-year-old Upham Hotel — the oldest continuously operating hotel in Southern California.
    (
    Erin Feinblatt
    /
    Courtesy Bistro Amasa
    )

    Tucked into the ground floor of the 155-year-old Upham Hotel — the oldest continuously operating hotel in Southern California — Bistro Amasa is just the place for Sunday brunch.

    Executive chef Julian Martinez and restaurateur Jesse Gaddy, the hospitality pros behind local favorite Barbareño, opened the restaurant late last year, bringing chill yet refined vibes to the historic Victorian property.

    Grab a seat on the wraparound patio overlooking a quieter stretch of downtown and settle in for brunch classics done right. The shakshuka with vadouvan-spiced tomato ragu, over-easy eggs, and sautéed kale offers pure comfort; the grilled pan de cristal served alongside is ideal for sopping.

    For something sweet, a small stack of pancakes made with house ricotta is served with butter and preserved lemon syrup. A slate of whimsical cocktails is on hand for the boozy brunch crowd, including a requisite espresso martini and a summery strawberry shrub highball spiked with vodka.

    Location: 1404 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara
    Hours: Monday through Friday, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • Duane Davis convicted in 1996 killing of rap icon
    A bald Black in a dark suit looks to his right inside a courtroom.
    Duane Davis stands during a break in closing arguments during his murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026.

    Topline:

    A jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, marking the first conviction in a case that has gripped hip-hop fans for decades.

    Why now: The 63-year-old Davis was convicted Monday of a single count of murder with a deadly weapon and could be sentenced to life in prison. The jury deliberated for less than 3 hours after a weekslong trial in Las Vegas.

    The context: The panel of 16 jurors, four of whom are alternates, heard testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses over nine days.

    Read on... for more about the case and how we got here.

    A jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur, marking the first conviction in a case that has gripped hip-hop fans for decades.

    The 63-year-old Davis was convicted Monday of a single count of murder with a deadly weapon and could be sentenced to life in prison. The jury deliberated for less than 3 hours after a weekslong trial in Las Vegas.

    After the verdict was read, Shakur's sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, cried and hugged the prosecutors. Also in the courtroom was Davis’ son, who covered his face with one hand.

    Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors in closing arguments that Davis acquired a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight after they beat up Davis’ nephew earlier that night.

    Palal acknowledged that Davis’ accounts of the killing evolved over the years but argued those differences reflected Davis’ changing motivations and efforts to protect himself. One critical detail, he said, remained consistent: Davis repeatedly placed himself inside a white Cadillac from which the shots were fired.

    The panel of 16 jurors, four of whom are alternates, heard testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses over nine days.

    “The core facts remain. The material facts remain,” Palal said.

    The prosecution said Monday evening that the state would dismiss the gang enhancement part of the charge due to witness logistics.

    The decades-old case

    The trial brought to a head a decades-old case that for years has drawn the attention of hip-hop fans and true crime experts alike. Shakur, who was considered one of the most influential rappers of all time, was in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996, and stopped at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up beside him, and shots were fired. He died six days later from his wounds. Knight was also wounded but survived.

    For years, nobody had been charged in the rapper’s death until Davis began making public statements, saying he was in the Cadillac and gave the gun to others in the backseat. Davis described the shooting as an act of retaliation after Knight and Shakur’s entourage beat up Davis’ nephew hours before the shooting.

    Under Nevada law, someone who helps another person commit murder can be convicted of the crime. Davis is the only person still alive among the four men prosecutors say were in the Cadillac. The man who prosecutors say originally gave the gun to Davis is also dead.

    Prosecutor says Davis' statements didn't need to be corroborated

    Palal told jurors that if they believed Davis' statements, they did not have to be independently corroborated with additional evidence.

    Still, he pointed to the rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, the fight with Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson and testimony that members of Shakur’s circle identified Anderson and Davis as suspects the night of the shooting. Witnesses had testified to the heated gang rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, which were associated with dueling record companies Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records.

    “Who fired is not the question,” Palal said. Prosecutors haven't argued that Davis pulled the trigger, but instead that he was criminally responsible because he provided the gun and ordered the attack.

    Palal also argued the shooting was premeditated, pointing to testimony and Davis’ accounts that the group searched for Shakur before spotting him on the road and making a U-turn. “It’s a plan, not an impulse,” Palal said.

    Davis' own words are front and center

    Palal held up Davis’ 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” and played an interview in which Davis encouraged people to buy it to get the “real truth.” Although the book contains a disclaimer saying some facts were changed, Palal argued that names, hotels and other details changed while the central account did not.

    Palal also rejected the defense’s contention that Davis fabricated his accounts to make money. “It is an entirely different proposition to be profiting from a murder,” Palal said. “And that is what Mr. Davis is doing.”

    Sanft also turned to his client’s memoir during his closing argument. While reading an excerpt, he said the N-word aloud, prompting people watching in an overflow courtroom to recoil and shake their heads.

    In multiple interviews, Davis said he handed the gun to the back seat, but in others as well as in his book, Davis wouldn’t say who pulled the trigger.

    In a rebuttal argument, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo pointed to a scrapbook Davis kept containing articles about Shakur.

    “This guy's scrapbooking his murder, for God's sake,” DiGiacomo told jurors.

    The prosecution's witnesses included a gang expert who described Davis as the shot caller that younger gang members had to obey. Sanft asked jurors if there was any evidence that Davis had ever called the shots before or after the shooting.

    During the trial, investigators said a Las Vegas hotel bill was found at Davis’ residence during a police search, but it wasn’t clear when it was dated — or where that evidence is currently located.

    The case is nearly 30 years old, which has affected the kind of evidence presented in court. Prosecutors warned jurors that material collected in the ’90s is different from what law enforcement collects today, including hotel surveillance video from the night of the shooting.

    ___

    Landrum Jr. reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalist Rio Yamat contributed to this report from Las Vegas.

  • New 14-unit complex started for low-income renters
    A truck with a small home on it's trailer is parked in an empty lot
    The first of 12 modular home units was delivered Altadena for a Beacon Housing low-income development.

    Topline:

    The first modular unit was delivered in Altadena on Monday for a future low-income 14-unit rental complex. It would replace a former courtyard apartment complex which burned down, which was also reserved for those on low incomes.

    Why it matters: Former Altadena renters continue to struggle. A survey conducted last year by the Eaton Fire Collaborative found that 72% of renters are still in need of housing. Modular housing is much more affordable than traditional construction.

    Why now: On Monday, a large truck delivered a nearly 500-square-foot modular home that’s the first of 14 units in a housing complex to be reserved for low income renters.

    The backstory: After the fires, the owner of the property in West Altadena decided to sell the property, but wanted the future building to remain for low-income residents.

    What's next:  The rest of the housing units are set to be delivered this week and a lottery will be held in October to decide who the units will be offered to. The developer has created a “Pine Notification List” people can sign up for.

    Read on… to learn more about how this property avoided private development to create affordable rental housing.

    The large truck left Perris Monday morning to make a 70-mile delivery to Altadena. Its cargo: a nearly 500-square-foot modular home.

    “The stork delivered our big baby today… it’s kind of like hope on wheels,” said Candice Kim, project director of the Altadena Builds Back Foundation.

    It’s the first of a new, 14-unit rental complex reserved for low-income renters, like the ones who lost their homes when the original courtyard apartments on East Pine Street in West Altadena burned down.

    Kim said the prefabricated aspect of construction is an important step in the process.

    “The reason… our grantee chose modular, was that … it allowed us to create the rental housing much faster so we can get people back home faster,” Kim said.

    A lottery will be held in October to decide who the units will be offered to. The developer has created a “Pine Notification List” people can sign up for.

    Rebuilding is moving forward in Altadena as the public and residents weigh in with concerns about whether the area’s mixed economic and racially diverse character is gone for good.

    This project’s backers say the delivery of the first unit in this development for low-income Altadena residents is an important part of the effort to keep the area open to people with modest means, as it was before the fires.

    “If we have private developers come in, the concern is that rents will no longer be affordable,” Kim said, “and that could change the character of our community.”

    How it came together

    The owner of the property had managed it for years. After the Eaton Fire, she decided to sell it, but wanted the future building to remain for low-income residents. Eventually, the owner talked to Beacon Housing at an Eaton Fire Collaborative meeting.

    A modular house appears to be split in two. It rests on a dirt lot.
    One of the modular homes that will make up 14 housing units for low income residents at an Altadena complex.
    (
    Pavel Molokanov
    /
    Courtesy Beacon Housing
    )

    Eventually, the Altadena Builds Back Foundation helped put together nearly $6 million for the project, some of it from $72 million received in donations by the Pasadena Community Foundation after the Eaton Fire, and the other part from area philanthropist Molly Munger, who graduated from nearby John Muir High School.

    Many questions remain about the direction of Altadena’s rebuilding efforts. The state eased density limits at the same time that insurance payments continue to vex people whose homes were destroyed.

    Former Altadena renters also continue to struggle. A survey conducted last year by the Eaton Fire Collaborative found that 72% of renters are still in need of housing. That survey also found that the fires destroyed the homes of more than two-thirds of Altadena renters.