Construction sites in the hallways of Keyes Elementary School in Keyes on Nov. 15, 2023
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Larry Valenzuela
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CalMatters/CatchLight Local
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Topline:
The money will pay for repairs and upgrades at thousands of K-12 school and community college buildings.
Why it matters: “This money is badly needed,” said Rebeca Andrade, superintendent of Salinas City Elementary District in Monterey County. “We don’t have the money to make the basic, structural repairs that are needed at every one of our schools. Students need safe spaces to learn if they’re going to reach their full potential.”
The backstory: The agreement comes after months of wrangling by lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had to choose between two competing school facilities bills – one that included four-year colleges and one that didn’t. Assembly Bill 247, sponsored by Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance, had the edge because it asked for less money and because four-colleges have their own means of raising funds.
What's next: The bond needs a simple majority to pass in November, but it’s not clear how receptive voters will be. In light of economic worries, 64% of voters said this is a “bad time” for state bonds, according to a survey released in June by the Public Policy Institute of California. At the same time, respondents said that K-12 education was their second-highest priority for state spending, just behind health and human services.
The Legislature announced today a $10 billion bond to pay for repairs and upgrades at thousands of K-12 school and community college buildings across California, some of which have languished for years with dry rot, mold, leaks and other hazards due to lack of funds. K-12 schools would get $8.5 billion and $1.5 billion would go to community colleges.
“This money is badly needed,” said Rebeca Andrade, superintendent of Salinas City Elementary District in Monterey County. “We don’t have the money to make the basic, structural repairs that are needed at every one of our schools. Students need safe spaces to learn if they’re going to reach their full potential.”
The agreement comes after months of wrangling by lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had to choose between two competing school facilities bills – one that included four-year colleges and one that didn’t. Assembly Bill 247, sponsored by Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance, had the edge because it asked for less money and because four-colleges have their own means of raising funds. The bond needs a ⅔ approval majority in both houses and Newsom’s signature.
Originally, the bill asked for $14 billion, which would have made it one of the largest school bonds in state history.
There were several potential bonds competing for room on the fall ballot, but Newsom hinted he was leaning toward the school bond in his revised budget proposal. That called for draining the remaining $375 million in an existing school facilities fund and eliminating a $550 million grant program that would have paid for new kindergarten and preschool classrooms. He noted in his proposal that a school facilities bond could fill both those funds. The proposal ended up as part of the final budget.
No dedicated funding system
Money to fix California’s schools is sorely needed. In 2020, voters rejected a $15 billion school facilities bond, leaving the state’s school repair fund – last replenished in 2016 – nearly empty.
“We need help. It’s become an issue of equity — our students deserve safe conditions for learning like everyone else.”
— REBECA ANDRADE, SUPERINTENDENT OF SALINAS CITY ELEMENTARY DISTRICT
Unlike most states, California doesn’t have a dedicated stream of funding to repair school buildings. Money comes from state or local bonds — a system that benefits more affluent districts, according to a recent report from the Public Policy Institute of California. State money usually requires matching funds from the district, which is easier to raise in wealthier areas where voters are more apt to approve bonds and where bonds raise more money because property values are higher. Rural districts and those with higher numbers of English learners, Latino and low-income students typically have the hardest time securing money to fix school buildings.
Plenty of research points to the link between student achievement and the condition of school buildings. Students whose schools are modernized, clean and safe tend to have higher test scores, lower suspension rates and higher rates of attendance.
The unequal way California distributes school repair funds prompted Public Advocates, a nonprofit law firm, to threaten to sue the state, claiming the system is unconstitutional. Public Advocates has been urging the state to adopt a sliding scale that would allow smaller and low-income districts to collect more state funds to make needed repairs. The bond does call for a sliding scale, but it was unclear today if Public Advocates would proceed with its lawsuit.
The bond needs a simple majority to pass in November, but it’s not clear how receptive voters will be. In light of economic worries, 64% of voters said this is a “bad time” for state bonds, according to a survey released in June by the Public Policy Institute of California. At the same time, respondents said that K-12 education was their second-highest priority for state spending, just behind health and human services.
'We need help'
Salinas City Elementary, where half the students are English learners and more than 75% are low-income, has struggled for decades with building repairs and upgrades at its 15 campuses. Walls are cracked, roofs leak, window frames are rotten, some schools lack air conditioning and wheelchair ramps are pocked with holes. The district lacks a large stage for performances, or a decent STEM lab. A recent survey of all needed repairs put the cost at $500 million.
In 2022, local voters overwhelmingly passed a pair of school facilities bonds, despite the fact that the bonds will raise property taxes in the predominantly low-income community. But the bonds will only bring in $149 million, not nearly enough to meet the need. That’s why the state bond money is crucial, Andrade said.
“This community is amazing. They value education and they trust us,” Andrade said. “But we need help. It’s become an issue of equity — our students deserve safe conditions for learning like everyone else.”
Immigrants who came to the U.S. as refugees could be detained within a year of arriving here under a new policy from the Department of Homeland Security.
More details: Refugees must either get a green card within a year, or "present themselves to the agency" to avoid detention, according to a Feb. 18 memo from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Why it matters: The move marks yet another attempt from the Trump administration to further limit legal pathways to resettle in the United States. The administration last year set the lowest-ever cap for refugees it would admit into the U.S.
Read on... for more about the new memo
Immigrants who came to the U.S. as refugees could be detained within a year of arriving here under a new policy from the Department of Homeland Security.
Refugees must either get a green card within a year, or "present themselves to the agency" to avoid detention, according to a Feb. 18 memo from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The move marks yet another attempt from the Trump administration to further limit legal pathways to resettle in the United States. The administration last year set the lowest-ever cap for refugees it would admit into the U.S.
And USCIS later announced that it would re-review the status of everyone who had been admitted into the U.S. as a refugee under the Biden administration, essentially reopening those cases and risking the loss of legal refugee status.
"This policy is a transparent effort to detain and potentially deport thousands of people who are legally present in this country, people the U.S. government itself welcomed after years of extreme vetting," said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS, one of the resettlement organizations. "They were promised safety and the chance to rebuild their lives. Instead, DHS is now threatening them with arrest and indefinite detention."
The memo was filed as a part of documents submitted in a federal court case tied to refugees who were arrested in Minnesota. In it, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow and ICE acting Director Todd Lyons direct their agencies to "detain and inspect" refugees who do not "voluntarily return to DHS custody for inspection and examination" to be a legal permanent resident at the one-year mark of being in the country.
The policy rescinds prior guidance that did not treat the failure to apply for a green card as grounds for deportation. It also states that refugees may be placed in immigration detention while their application for a green card is being considered. The agency leaders say the new policy is needed to prevent immigration fraud, identify national security threats and vet people for criminal histories.
"This detain-and-inspect requirement ensures that refugees are re-vetted after one year, aligns post-admission vetting with that applied to other applicants for admission, and promotes public safety," the memo states.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the policy.
The new policy sent shockwaves through an already weakened refugee resettlement system. In the past 12 months, the Trump administration has cut off key funding to organizations that assist refugees resettling in the U.S., including services that help with green card and citizenship applications. Refugees are required to apply for permanent residence, or a green card, after they've been in the county for at least a year.
Refugee resettlement organizations estimate this new policy could impact tens of thousands of refugees, mostly those who entered during the Biden administration. After going through extensive vetting to arrive in the U.S., they will now fear they could be affected by delays in processing at USCIS.
Shawn VanDiver, president of the organization AfghanEvac, called the memo "a reckless reversal of long-standing policy" that treats refugee admission as conditional.
"It breaks faith with people the United States lawfully admitted and promised protection," he said.
Groups that work with refugees warn there are several reasons why refugees may not have adjusted status quickly after arriving in the U.S., including a complex immigration system and backlogs at USCIS itself.
The memo was filed in Minnesota federal court as a part of an ongoing lawsuit over the revetting, arrest and detention of refugees who have not yet received a green card. Last month, a federal judge ordered the release of refugees in Minnesota and granted a temporary pause on detentions, which he said had been made "without warrants or cause," while the case played out.
The arrests came after USCIS in January launched an investigation into 5,600 refugees in Minnesota, who had not yet received their green cards, and swiftly began referring cases to ICE.
Makenna Sievertson
leads LAist’s unofficial Big Bear bald eagle beat and has been covering Jackie and Shadow for several seasons.
Published February 19, 2026 6:00 AM
Big Bear's famous bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, in their nest overlooking Big Bear Lake on Wednesday. Environmental organizations are launching a fundraiser to buy nearby land to preserve it from a planned housing project.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Topline:
Environmental organizations are launching a fundraiser to buy land in Big Bear Valley to prevent construction of a planned housing project some say would harm rare plants and wildlife in the area.
Why it matters: Instead, the organizations want the land to be placed under a permanent conservatorship. Officials say “Save Moon Camp” is the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of Friends of Big Bear Valley.
The backstory: Sandy Steers, the nonprofit’s late executive director, said last fall that Moon Camp would have a “severe detrimental impact” on the community’s plant life and wildlife, including bald eagles and San Bernardino flying squirrels. Steers died last week, and Friends of Big Bear Valley said the fundraiser now is in her honor.
Environmental organizations are launching a fundraiser to buy land in Big Bear Valley to prevent construction of a planned housing project some say would harm rare plants and wildlife in the area.
Instead, the organizations want the land to be placed under a permanent conservatorship. Officials say “Save Moon Camp” is the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Sandy Steers, the nonprofit’s late executive director, said last fall that Moon Camp would have a “severe detrimental impact” on the community’s plant life and wildlife, including bald eagles and San Bernardino flying squirrels.
Steers died last week, and Friends of Big Bear Valley said the fundraiser is now in her honor.
According to the nonprofit, the project would affect the bald eagles’ ability to raise chicks, and there is a “real possibility” Jackie and Shadow would leave the area altogether.
Jenny Voisard, the organization’s media manager, told LAist it’s a “moon shot to buy Moon Camp,” but it’s the most important thing the group's members and supporters could do for Big Bear Valley.
“And we're doing it for Jackie and Shadow,” she said, “because it will absolutely disrupt and devastate that area.”
The proposed project site can be seen from the nest livestream.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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The big picture
Friends of Big Bear Valley said Steers helped negotiate a signed agreement to buy Moon Camp from the property developer, RCK Properties Inc., with the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust. Friends of Big Bear Valley said negotiating the deal was the "most important priority Steers had."
RCK Properties didn’t immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
If the groups raise $10 million by July 31, the acres will be placed under a permanent conservatorship.
The eventual goal is to have the land be protected under the U.S. Forest Service. The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust has helped purchase hundreds of acres that were later added to the San Bernardino National Forest, according to the organization.
“We need everyone to be Jackie and Shadow's hero,” Voisard said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Donations should be made directly to SaveMoonCamp.org. The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust kicked off the fundraiser with a $50,000 gift, Voisard added.
Voisard said donations of all sizes are welcome. Large gifts can expect special recognition from Friends of Big Bear Valley, she added.
Friends of Big Bear Valley is managing the fundraiser, and if it raises enough, the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust would purchase the land for preservation.
Friends of Big Bear Valley will not receive any money in the effort, Voisard said.
The backstory
Moon Camp’s design in the unincorporated community of Fawnskin was first drafted decades ago, but the project has faced harsh criticism and legal challenges from Friends of Big Bear Valley and other environmental organizations.
Steers has argued Moon Camp would have a “severe detrimental impact” on the community’s plant life and wildlife. The project site is a foraging habitat for Big Bear’s famous feathered couple, their chicks and other bald eagles in the area, she said previously.
“ We're not trying to stop development or anything like that — we're trying to protect habitats,” Steers told LAist last September. “ We want this valley and the environment to maintain its integrity.”
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Moon Camp project in July 2020, according to a staff report, but it was challenged in court a month later.
The board voted unanimously again last September to approve parts of the project, with updates meant to address habitat and wildlife issues, according to the staff report.
Steers said before the board’s vote last fall that the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust being able to purchase the land “would be ideal”
“Then the developer gets their money, and nothing has to be destroyed, and the land can be protected,” she said last September.
Sandy Steers, the late executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, spoke against the Moon Camp project during the the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors meeting in September 2025.
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County San Bernardino
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YouTube
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'Echoes of Gen X' is at the Gabba Gallery through April 11.
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Courtesy Gabba Gallery
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In this edition:
Free museum day, Mardis Gras in Venice, the Galaxy kick off their season, the Bunny Museum welcomes Scanner and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
Scanner is a very large (read: 14-feet-tall, 1,100-pound) bunny created by Chinese artist Jessie Zhao that is about to sit, appropriately, outside the Bunny Museum in Altadena. Head to the unwrapping ceremony, and make sure to do the Bunny Bump!
Try new types of coffee paired with pastries, all curated by third-generation roaster Amy Tang. The Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center is hosting this Lunar New Year–inspired coffee salon that celebrates creativity, renewal and community.
To celebrate the opening of LACMA’s exhibition SUEÑO PERRO: A Film Installation by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the museum will host the Oscar-winning director for a screening of his directorial debut, Amores Perros on its 25th anniversary in a new 4K restoration. Museum director Michael Govan will join for the Q&A.
Be still, my Gen X, former SF-resident and regular-at-the-Fillmore heart. This sprawling show of band posters from the legendary Fillmore club is a trip down musical memory lane. Expect an excellent soundtrack at the opening event, or catch the show any time from now through April 11.
There’s no excuse not to head out to one of the city’s many excellent museums this weekend, as nearly 30 of them are free for all on Sunday. Some do require a reservation, so get clicking and plan your day here. If you’d rather be outside, the L.A. Bakery Walk is way overbooked, but who says you can’t plot your own epic doughnut walk across L.A.?
And get ready for summer — the Hollywood Bowl just announced its full season, which includes a special farewell to L.A. Phil Conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the Blue Note Jazz Fest lineup and much more.
A little sooner on the calendar (i.e., this weekend), Licorice Pizza has your listings, including a free Nikka Costa show in West Hollywood, Lady Gaga’s return to the Forum on Sunday, plus Lizzo settles in for her residency at the Blue Note. On Saturday, you can see Los Tigres del Norte at the Intuit Dome, the Pains of Being Pure At Heart at the Echoplex, Christopher Owens of Girls at Sid the Cat and Lights at the El Rey Theatre (she’s also playing Sunday). And the future is coming on, as Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s cartoon supergroup Gorillaz take over the Hollywood Palladium to play their much-anticipated ninth album, The Mountain, in its entirety on Sunday.
If you’re not familiar with Scanner, it's a very large (read: 14-feet-tall, 1,100-pound) bunny created by Chinese artist Jessie Zhao. And it's about to sit, appropriately, outside the Bunny Museum in Altadena. Monrovia’s Walter Zucco donated Scanner after last year’s wildfires burned the museum to the ground, and it's sure to bring joy to the community. You can say you were there at the beginning if you head to the unwrapping ceremony! Make sure to do the Bunny Bump!
LGBTQ+ Figure Skaters
Friday, February 20 Junior High Los Angeles 603 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Junior High Los Angeles
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While Heated Rivalry has put all eyes on ice hockey’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community, figure skating has long been seen as a haven for out athletes. But that hasn’t exactly been the case. Reporters Ari Saperstein and Chris Schleicher — who's also a former USA national team skater — will talk about their work covering the hidden history of queerness in figure skating. Perfect timing if you’re watching the Olympics and keeping up with all the skating drama on and off the ice!
California Pen Show
Thursday through Sunday, February 19-22 Torrance Marriott Redondo Beach 3635 Fashion Way, Torrance COST: FROM $20; MORE INFO
Fear not: The internet and computers have not taken away the mighty pen! The California Pen Show is happening this weekend, and it includes classes for folks new to fountain pens, intros to journaling, tutorials on advanced calligraphy techniques and more. Spill some ink.
Amores Perros with Alejandro Innaritu
Sunday, February 22 LACMA / Academy Museum Theater 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile COST: $10, SOLD OUT BUT ADDITIONAL TICKETS MAY BE RELEASED AT 9 A.M. DAY-OF; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Lionsgate
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To celebrate the opening of LACMA’s exhibition SUEÑO PERRO: A Film Installation by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the museum will host the Oscar-winning director for a screening of his directorial debut, Amores Perros, on its 25th anniversary in a new 4K restoration. Museum director Michael Govan will join for the Q&A.
Highly Favored: Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Black History Month Celebration
Saturday, February 21, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Los Angeles LGBT Center
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Celebrate Black History Month with this free, joy-filled dance party on the plaza at Hollywood’s LGBT Center. Centered on queer Black joy, the party honors Pose actress Hailie Sahar and filmmaker Elegance Bratton (Move Ya Body: The Birth of House).
LA Galaxy home opener
Sunday, February 22, 4 p.m. Dignity Health Sports Park 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson COST: VARIES; MORE INFO
Joseph Paintsil dribbles the ball during a game between Chicago Fire FC and Los Angeles Galaxy.
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Liza Morales
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ISI Photos via Getty Images
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The World Cup is still a few months away, but the 2026 MLS season kicks off with the L.A. Galaxy’s home opener against NYCFC. The rivals will have a few familiar faces on either side, including L.A. Galaxy legend Todd Dunivant, who is now NYCFC’s Sporting Director, and NYCFC homegrown midfielder Justin Haak, who has joined the Galaxy.
Echoes of Gen X: The Art of The Fillmore (1980s–2000s)
Through April 11, opening night Saturday, February 21, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Gabba Gallery 235 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Gabba Gallery
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Be still, my Gen X, former SF-resident and regular-at-the-Fillmore heart. I have a small collection of these myself, but this sprawling show of band posters from the legendary Fillmore club is a trip down musical memory lane. Expect an excellent soundtrack at the opening event, or catch the show any time from now through April 11.
Venice Mardi Gras parade
Sunday, February 22 The Waterfront Venice Beach COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Laissez les bons temps rouler at the annual Venice Mardi Gras Parade! Don your weirdest, most colorful attire, grab some beads, then head to the boardwalk for gumbo, live music and a party atmosphere!
Common Grounds: Exploring Coffee Through Art & Flavor
Saturday, February 21, 10:30 a.m. Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim COST: $28; MORE INFO
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Muzeo x Owlvericks
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Try new types of coffee paired with pastries, all curated by third-generation roaster Amy Tang. The Muzeo Museum is hosting this Lunar New Year–inspired coffee salon that celebrates creativity, renewal and community.
Diane Warren attends The Hollywood Reporter's Nominees Night at Chateau Marmont on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
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Leon Bennett
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Legendary songwriter Diane Warren has been nominated 17 times for the Academy Award for best original song. Her latest nomination is for the song "Dear Me," which — in a meta turn of events — Warren wrote for the documentary "Diane Warren: Relentless," about her life. In addition to her love of music, the illuminating documentary also explores Warren's love of animals.
The backstory: Warren is such a big animal lover that she started a private animal sanctuary called Mousebutt Rescue Ranch, named after her late, beloved cat Mouse and parrot Buttwings. Warren also is vegan and grew up in L.A. (Van Nuys) so she knows her local vegan restaurants.
Read on ... for Warren's take on the best vegan Vietnamese food and pizza in the city.
You probably already knew that Diane Warren — the creative mind behind hit songs like “If I Could Turn Back Time” (Cher) and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Aerosmith) — is one of the most successful songwriters of all time.
She’s an inductee into the Songwriting Hall of Fame, an honorary Oscar recipient and a Grammy and Emmy winner. According to the 2025 documentary, Diane Warren: Relentless — for which she’s nominated for another best original song Oscar (with “Dear Me,” her nominations now total 17) — she’s written songs for more than 450 recording artists, and her music catalog is valued at over a half-billion dollars.
The illuminating documentary about Warren’s life, love of music and approach to songwriting also explores her lesser known love: animals — from her own pets (like her late cat Mouse and parrot Buttwings) to the animals that live at her private sanctuary (fittingly named Mousebutt Rescue Ranch) in Malibu.
Warren also is vegan, or as she puts it, “pretty much 99.9% vegan,” to account for the possibility of something like an egg ending up in a pasta dish without her knowledge.
When Warren spoke with LAist host Julia Paskin about her latest Oscar nomination (as her birds Chicken and Charlie occasionally chirped from the other room), she also shared her favorite vegan restaurants in L.A.
Follow Your Heart
This Canoga Park cafe and market dates back to 1970 and Warren, who grew up in nearby Van Nuys, counts it as one of her favorite vegan restaurants.
Location: 8274 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood Hours: 4 to 10 p.m., Monday; noon to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Vinh Loi Tofu
Vinh Loi in Reseda, which specializes in Southeast Asian cuisine, Warren says is really good for takeout. They also have a location in Cerritos.
Warren also recommends Crossroads Kitchen (“I was there last night”), but she sometimes regrets her choices when she goes: “I eat way too much fried stuff.”
Location: 8284 Melrose Ave., Beverly Grove Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 p.m. Sunday
Julie Goes Green
“If you like pizza,” Warren says, Julie Goes Green has “the best vegan pizza in the city.”
