The Brief

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered lawyers for the Trump administration to explain why last week’s suspension of about 300 UCLA grants by the National Science Foundation does not run afoul of that judge’s June order barring the agency from terminating additional grants.

The California district court judge, Rita F. Lin, set a hearing for Aug. 12. Lin’s order is a response to a Monday filing from lawyers representing University of California researchers. They wrote in their filing to Lin that the science foundation must undo last week’s suspensions.

Their filing is part of an ongoing case that challenged the legality of the National Science Foundation’s terminating 114 UC grants this spring over alleged Diversity, Equity and Inclusion violations. Lin issued a preliminary injunction in June ordering the science foundation to restore the grants and barred the agency from additional terminations.

Lawyers for the UC professors believe their filing is the first legal challenge to the National Science Foundation’s decision last week to suspend UCLA’s grants. Federal Department of Justice lawyers representing the science agency argue the suspensions do not violate Lin’s June preliminary injunction.

The legal landscape

The latest dispute highlights the extent to which ongoing and new legal challenges feed off each other. It’s also the latest chapter in the Trump administration’s multi-pronged efforts to cancel university research funding and punish campuses for alleged DEI violations. Some federal judges have faulted the Trump administration for never defining what it considers DEI but cancelling funding to schools based on those violations anyway.

With last week’s suspensions, around $170 million in grant funding are on pause, and researchers at UCLA cannot use any remaining funding to conduct their experiments. The National Science Foundation is among the largest sources of science research grants to universities. Campuses rely on the funding to make scientific breakthroughs, provide graduate students training and sustain the research apparatus that has made the U.S. arguably the world’s leader in scientific discovery.

How we got here

The UCLA suspensions followed a federal Department of Justice report last week that accused the campus of not doing enough to address antisemitism, particularly related to events during last year’s pro-Palestine protests. The report came months after UCLA commissioned a task force to investigate antisemitism on campus and come up with recommendations that UCLA leaders said they’d implement.

The Department of Justice told UCLA it has until Tuesday, Aug. 5, to signal a willingness to come to an agreement to address antisemitism. Otherwise, the department said it will file a complaint with a federal court by Sept. 2.

How a June court case is related to UCLA suspensions

In June, Lin ordered the National Science Foundation to reinstate 114 National Science Foundation grants to UCLA that the agency terminated in the spring. She also barred the agency from freezing most other grants. Lin ordered two other agencies that terminated UC grants to do the same — the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The latter two agencies appealed that decision, but in the meantime all three agencies returned the grants to UC researchers by mid-July.

Lin’s order affected two types of grants: those the federal agencies cancelled with a termination form that used vague or generic language about the project not meeting agency priorities or those the agencies claimed ran afoul of President Donald Trump’s bans on DEI funding.

After the science foundation suspended UCLA’s grants on Wednesday, lawyers for the UC researchers wrote to the district court judge on Monday to argue the agency was violating her order because the grant funding was in effect halted by the suspensions.

In response, federal Department of Justice lawyers wrote to Lin on Monday that a suspension isn’t the same as a termination, which is what Lin barred in her June preliminary injunction. And they say that the suspensions weren’t based on Trump’s executive orders but instead on the science foundation’s accusations that UCLA uses race-based admissions, allows transgender women to compete in women’s sports and hasn’t done enough to address antisemitism on its campus. All three points were laid out in a letter a National Science Foundation administrator, Lisa Scott-Morring, sent to UCLA on Aug. 1.

How DEI and transgender policies come into play

California has barred public campuses from admitting students based on race since voters in 1996 ended the practice. Scott-Morring acknowledged in her letter to UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk that the campus maintains it doesn’t use affirmative action, but wrote that its “holistic review” admissions process is de-facto race-based admissions.

The National Science Foundation believes that “UCLA’s ‘holistic review’ admissions process, which considers factors such as an applicant’s neighborhood/ZIP code, family income, and school profile — and invites the disclosure of an applicant’s race via personal statements — is a transparent attempt to engage in race-based admissions in all but name,” Scott-Morring wrote.

While the Supreme Court in 2023 overturned the use of race in college admissions in a 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote on behalf of the majority that students are free to discuss their identities and overcoming hardships in admissions essays.

“Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise,” Roberts wrote.

All three criticisms in Scott-Morring’s letter match the policies Trump is pursuing through executive actions to reshape higher education and the federal government. They also resemble the policy playbook fleshed out in Project 2025, a conservative publication that has shaped Trump’s current term in office.

“NSF is willing to work with UCLA to identify corrective actions to bring UCLA into compliance. UCLA must acknowledge in writing its willingness to discuss these corrective actions by August 15,” Scott-Morring wrote.

Lawyers for the UC professors argued that the Scott-Morring letters aren’t strong enough justifications to suspend the grants. “Both letters entirely fail to explain why the specific project was found to be incompatible with the Agency’s priorities,” the lawyers wrote to Lin on Monday. They stress the lack of explanation for why individual awards were terminated because that was one of their winning arguments that led Lin to order the grants reinstated in June.

And they argue that the distinction between a termination and a suspension “is purely semantic” because either way, researchers cannot access their funding.

“NSF has violated the Preliminary Injunction and must immediately rescind the suspension of grants implicated in the July 30 and August 1 Letters,” the lawyers for the UC researchers wrote on Monday.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.