Libby Rainey
has been tracking how L.A. is preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Updated August 6, 2025 8:39 PM
Published August 6, 2025 1:55 PM
A man stands in the parking lot of the Westlake Home Depot, the scene of Wednesday's immigration sweep involving a rented moving truck.
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David Wagner
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LAist
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Topline:
Federal agents detained 16 people in a Westlake Home Depot parking lot early Wednesday, despite a court order temporarily halting indiscriminate sweeps in the region.
What happened? Agents arrived in a rented Penske moving van, according to a Fox News reporter who accompanied the agents.
What is the government saying? Officials called the action "Operation Trojan Horse." A federal prosecutor wrote online that immigration enforcement had not stopped in Southern California and that “there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.”
The backstory: Last week, a federal appeals courtupheld a lower court's temporary restraining order blocking the federal government from detaining people based on factors such as their ethnicity, the language they speak, where they are and the work they do. Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued the restraining order in July, citing a "mountain of evidence" that agents were violating the Constitution.
ACLU responds: Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney at ACLU Foundation of Southern California, the lead plaintiff in that case, said in a statement that the action "raises serious concerns that the federal government may be in violation of the federal judge's July temporary restraining order."
Read on … for Penske’s response.
Federal agents detained 16 people in a Westlake Home Depot parking lot early Wednesday, according to a government statement. The action comes despite a court order temporarily halting indiscriminate sweeps in the region.
The agents arrived in a rented Penske moving van, according to a Fox News reporter who accompanied the agents. Video posted on social media by the reporter shows men in U.S. Border Patrol vests who appear to be hiding in the van's closed cargo area. The rolling back door then opens and the agents run into the parking lot just east of MacArthur Park.
U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino, who is leading operations in L.A., and the Department of Homeland Security called it "Operation Trojan Horse." A Homeland Security statement said the people arrested were from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. It did not say whether the agency had arrest warrants.
The people arrested were day laborers and street vendors outside the Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles, the group's executive director said.
Last week, a federal appeals courtupheld a lower court's temporary restraining order blocking the federal government from detaining people based on factors such as their ethnicity, the language they speak, where they are and the work they do. Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued the restraining order in July, citing a "mountain of evidence" that agents were violating the Constitution.
Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney at ACLU Foundation of Southern California, the lead plaintiff in that case, said in a statement that the action "raises serious concerns that the federal government may be in violation of the federal judge's July temporary restraining order."
"As shown at every step in the case thus far, the government seems unwilling to fulfill the aims of its racist mass deportation agenda without breaking the law," Tajsar said.
Talia Inlender, deputy director of the UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, said it's hard to imagine that Wednesday's action didn't violate the court order on indiscriminate sweeps. And she said she expects that the ACLU and the others who sued the government would go back to court.
LAist asked Homeland Security about the ACLU's contention that the action violated the temporary restraining order. The agency emphasized that Wednesday's action was "targeted."
Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said his organization had spoken with witnesses and families of people detained at the parking lot.
" The video and and witness testimonies indicate that there was no mention of a warrant. There were no specific interventions that would lead us to believe that this was a targeted enforcement activity," he said. "Instead it looks very random.... That is called racial profiling."
The operation comes after months of aggressive immigration enforcement across the L.A. area. Agents have descended on car washes, parking lots and other public places, prompting accusations of racial profiling.
"For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on social media. "The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government."
Penske Truck Rental said in a statement that it "strictly prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances," and that it would reach out to the Department of Homeland Security to "reinforce its policy."
In response, the Department of Homeland Security mocked the truck rental company on social media.
Kavish Harjai
writes about how people get around L.A.
Published September 1, 2026 11:09 AM
Forest Lawn Drive, which has become a contentious street safety topic in the run up to the mayoral election, provides access to Griffith Park.
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Robyn Beck
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/AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
A bill that threatens a long-planned project to slow cars on Forest Lawn Drive near Griffith Park in Los Angeles passed both chambers of the California legislature on Monday. It now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.
The bill:Senate bill 194 contains several provisions related to transportation. On Friday night, legislators added language to the bill specific to the city of Los Angeles. That language would require L.A. to hold a public hearing and gain approval from the City Council and the mayor before reducing “the number of vehicle travel lanes on a street that provides the only access to two or more adjacent cemeteries.”
The backstory: The L.A. Department of Transportation and the office of Councilmember Nithya Raman had planned to reduce the number of lanes on a 1-mile stretch of the Forest Lawn Drive, which has seen more than 95 collisions, including four deadly ones, since 2013. The project, which was slated to break ground earlier this summer, was paused in the spring by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who cited community opposition, including from two cemeteries along the road that have advocated against the project.
Status of the project: It’s unclear exactly how the city will address safety on the road without the lane reduction. In a statement, Bass’ office said city departments have proposed alternatives that include protected bike lanes and maintaining the number of driving lanes “with additional safety measures.” Her office did not respond to questions about what those additional safety measures would be. The L.A. Department of Transportation has not responded to requests for more information.
A fence is being erected around the entrance to the Jergins Tunnel in Long Beach on Aug. 21, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
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Long Beach Post
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Topline:
Fed up with people living in and starting fires in a historic tunnel under downtown, the city of Long Beach has started building a fortified metal fence to keep them out.
The backstory: The Jergins Tunnel below Ocean Boulevard has been sealed up for decades, but after the pandemic, when the city’s homeless population saw a sharp increase, it became a problem. People managed to get past the wood panels intended to block access, and firefighters had to douse fires inside at least four times since 2022. People’s charred belongings and makeshift bedding were often visible afterward.
More details: The city would not say how much the new fence is expected to cost. Padilla said $156,200 has been spent so far on materials and labor, and the project won’t be finished until mid-to-late September.
Read on.... for more on the historic Jergins Tunnel.
Fed up with people living in and starting fires in a historic tunnel under downtown, the city of Long Beach has started building a fortified metal fence to keep them out.
The Jergins Tunnel below Ocean Boulevard has been sealed up for decades, but after the pandemic, when the city’s homeless population saw a sharp increase, it became a problem. People managed to get past the wood panels intended to block access, and firefighters had to douse fires inside at least four times since 2022. People’s charred belongings and makeshift bedding were often visible afterward.
Brett Ales, who owns the nearby Beach Hut Deli, said it had gotten so bad that there was a noticeable smell if you got close to the tunnel’s entrance.
After a fire in September last year, the city put together plans for a heavy-duty fence to “improve site security, reduce the potential for vandalism and fires and help protect the structural integrity of the tunnel,” Public Works spokesperson Jocelin Padilla wrote in an email.
A fence is being erected above and along the Jergins Tunnel in Long Beach on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
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Long Beach Post
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The city would not say how much the new fence is expected to cost. Padilla said $156,200 has been spent so far on materials and labor, and the project won’t be finished until mid-to-late September.
What is the historic Jergins Tunnel?
The 181-foot-long, 30-foot-wide tunnel was built by local businessman Andrew Jergins in 1927. It allowed pedestrians to visit the old Pike amusement park without dodging cars on Ocean Boulevard.
The tunnel was used regularly until 1967, when Ocean Boulevard was widened and the tunnel’s two entrances were sealed off.
It sat underneath the Jergins Trust Building until 1988, when it was torn down.
The interior of the Jergins Tunnel in 2018.
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Brian Addison
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Long Beach Post
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It sat largely unnoticed by anyone — except for local history buffs — until it got a sudden burst of attention in 2022 when pop star Lana Del Rey released a song titled “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.,” with lyrics about the tunnel’s “mosaic ceilings” and “painted tiles.”
Instead of leaving it to decay, some locals have sought ways to revive the tunnel as a monument to Long Beach’s history.
What happened to the plan for a Hard Rock Hotel?
In 2023, city leaders promised a huge makeover. They said the Jergins Tunnel would become a speakeasy and music venue underneath a new 31-story Hard Rock Hotel at the corner of Ocean and Pine.
Construction was supposed to begin in the summer of 2024, with an opening date in spring 2027, but shovels have yet to hit the ground.
Mayor Rex Richardson announces that a Hard Rock Hotel is coming to downtown Long Beach at Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023.
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Brandon Richardson
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Long Beach Post
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It’s unclear what the holdup has been. The permits to build it are so old they’re about to expire, but the development company, Steinhauer Properties, has requested an extension, and the city has discretion to grant it, said Craig Nakano, a spokesperson for Community Development.
The city anticipates hearing an update on plans for the hotel as soon as the fall, Nakano said.
Steinhauer Properties did not respond to an email and phone message requesting comment.
More fences to block homeless people
The fence around the Jergins Tunnel is the second to be erected around a downtown landmark recently.
The city spent $811,449 building one around the Billie Jean King Main Library, blocking off much of its outdoor terrace that was often crowded with tents and sleeping bags.
City officials say fewer people are camping out on the terrace, clearing up space for outdoor library programs and saving them $70,000 so far on power washing the sidewalk.
A fence that was recently constructed around the Billie Jean King Library in Long Beach on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
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Long Beach Post
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Nevertheless, the fence became a flashpoint for residents concerned about how much it cost and a symbol of Long Beach’s failure to reduce homelessness.
A citizens’ advisory committee on homelessness policy wrote a letter to the mayor and City Council saying that money would have been better spent housing people than clearing them off a sidewalk.
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The largest hub of the Inglewood Transit Connector will be on the corner of Market Street and Florence Avenue in place of the current shopping center. The shuttle network will link the Metro K and C Lines to Inglewood's stadium district.
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Courtesy Inglewood Transit Connector
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Topline:
Inglewood plans to break ground next month on a $287.5 million network of stadium shuttle buses that are slated to roll out in April 2028, linking the city’s stadiums to the Metro system just in time for the Olympics.
More details: Four transit hubs will anchor the network with parking for cars and bikes along with drop-off points for rideshares. The four hubs include three on Market Street and one at Hawthorne Boulevard and 111th Street.
Read on... for more on the $287.5 million stadium shuttle network.
Inglewood plans to break ground next month on a $287.5 million network of stadium shuttle buses that are slated to roll out in April 2028, linking the city’s stadiums to the Metro system just in time for the Olympics.
Verona Burks, one of the owners of Little Belize Restaurant on Nutwood Street, thanked the city for working to improve the Market Street area.
“It has been a pleasure being there, watching it grow,” Burks said during the City Council meeting last week.
The shuttle network is designed to ferry visitors between the stadium and Metro K Line and C Line stations at the north and south ends of the city.
Four transit hubs will anchor the network with parking for cars and bikes along with drop-off points for rideshares. The four hubs include three on Market Street and one at Hawthorne Boulevard and 111th Street.
The Inglewood Transit Connector will link the Metro K and C Lines to Inglewood’s stadium district.
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Courtesy Inglewood Transit Connector
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The largest hub will cover nearly a full city block at the corner of Market Street and Florence Avenue. The intersection is currently home to a shopping center that the city is taking over and demolishing through eminent domain. Some business owners in the shopping center told The LA Local they weren’t ready to move.
Market Street and Florence Avenue hub: A pedestrian bridge across Florence Avenue will link the K Line’s Downtown Inglewood Metro Station to this transit hub, which will have a five-level parking structure with about 1,000 spaces and seven retail spaces between 90 and 270 square feet each.
Market Street and Manchester Boulevard hub: This hub will get a new 38-space parking lot and serve for rideshare drop-off or other transportation functions.
South Market Street and Hillcrest Boulevard hub: This hub will be focused on pedicab and bicycle services, and will have a reconfigured parking lot, refreshed lighting and landscaping.
Manchester Boulevard sidewalks: Wider sidewalks along Manchester will connect Market Street with Prairie Avenue, the stretch of road that gets heavy pedestrian traffic on event days.
Market Street and Queen Street streetscape: The corner of Market and Queen streets will get new sidewalks, seating, bike racks, landscaping and a shaded plaza.
The shuttle project layout leaves room for the city to revive its plan for a rail line in the future, if funding and needs align.
The largest hub of the Inglewood Transit Connector will be on the corner of Market Street and Florence Avenue in place of the current shopping center. The shuttle network will link the Metro K and C Lines to Inglewood’s stadium district.
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Courtesy Inglewood Transit Connector
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At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor James Butts said the transit network is the single largest project the city has undertaken itself.
“We’re building for opening day in 2028 and for every ordinary day after that,” Butts said. “We’ll have a new front door to Inglewood.”
All of the project’s budget is covered by a batch of state and local grants, according to the city.
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published September 1, 2026 5:00 AM
LAUSD's current policy allows students 13 and older to use AI tools.
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Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
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.
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.
