The Brief

It doesn't matter what diet or plan of eating you're trying to follow — Paleo, Primal, Keto, WeightWatchers, Noom, you name it — there's a pretty good chance it involves trying to get more veggies on your plate. And you might be trying to eat less meat, too.

That quest gets a little easier with the arrival of Big Vegan Flavor, a monster of a cookbook that seems destined to become the new bible for vegan and plant-based cooking. It's huge, weighing over five pounds and contains over 150 recipes aimed at making it deliciously easy to embrace vegetables as well as venture further into plant-based eating.

While the title may say vegan, omnivores are welcome here, said San Diego-based author Nisha Vora, a Harvard Law School grad who left law to become one of the biggest names in vegan cooking.

(Her family was initially skeptical. They are now onboard, and make humorous cameos in her online content).

Vora's Rainbow Plant Life brand has over a million followers on YouTube and almost as many on Instagram, and estimates that 50% of her audience is not vegan. But all are on the hunt for tasty plant-based meals and ways to level-up their veggie intake.

"I wrote this book for anyone who enjoys and appreciates good food and wants to enjoy and eat more vegetables," she said. "As long as you are open to eating plant-based foods, I think you’ll find something in this book."

The cover of the new cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor. At right is the author, Nisha Vora.

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Photographs by Nisha Vora, edited by Rosana Guay

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Photographs by Nisha Vora, edited by Rosana Guay

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Big Vegan Flavor is very much a "How to" book that you'll want to read as much as cook from: There are chapters and sections on food textures, food pairings, coaxing flavors out of your greens, how to menu plan and so on. The cookbook is full of glorious photography, which is helpful for new cooks.

The author, who became vegan as a young adult, said she struggled at first because she was just shoveling in the vegetables and then wondering why she didn't feel satiated.

“Instead of asking, ‘How many vegetables can I fit onto this plate?’ I started asking, ‘How can I build flavor at every step of the cooking process so that this vegetable tastes as delicious as possible?” she writes.

Sticky coconut milk braised tofu, served over rice, is a personal favorite of the author. She says it will transform the way you think of tofu.

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Photographs by Nisha Vora, edited by Rosana Guay

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Trying it out

I made three recipes from the cookbook — lemon-garlic brussels sprouts with rosemary, a pomegranate molasses vinaigrette, and smashed cucumbers with a yogurt tahini sauce drizzled with a jalapeño faux honey. It's a testament to the flexibility of the recipes that in all three cases I didn't quite have all the ingredients on hand. I used regular yogurt instead of vegan yogurt, for example. And I used dried rosemary instead of fresh and I had to sub in lemon zest for the preserved lemon called for in the vinaigrette.

But all the recipes turned out great, and I'd make them all again.

Vora approved of my substitutes. She said she wants her cookbook to be a guide, an inspiration and a framework for those leaning in to plant-based eating. It will prepare you for walking into the farmers market or a supermarket and picking up some seasonal fresh veg with the confidence that you can riff off of one of her recipes and create a meal around your purchase.

"I really want my audience and anyone who buys the book to feel confident in the kitchen and to feel creative and to feel like they can cook a delicious nourishing meal, even if they're not following a recipe," she said. "And I want them to have the groundwork knowledge of cooking good food without dairy or meat."

Jammy plantain tacos with pickled onions, served with guacamole: A recipe from the new cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor.

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Photographs by Nisha Vora, edited by Rosana Guay

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Her big tip

Asked if she had one single tip to help us all eat more veggies and less meat, Vora had a genius answer: Flavor boosters.

Um, what's a flavor booster?

Well, she has an entire chapter dedicated to them — think sauces, vinaigrettes, crunch toppers and the like — that can "jazz up" a bland meal. A few examples from her cookbook are Italian basil and parsley salsa verde, a whipped pistachio butter, a Korean BBQ sauce and a Caesar salad dressing. She says that she likes to spend some time on the weekend whipping up some of these flavor boosters so she has them at the ready.

Then, when the work day goes long, or the lunch hour is short, she can grab some basic pantry ingredients or some leftovers in the fridge and still get something tasty on the table.

Even if you're not vegan you can see the brillance of this method. Scramble up some eggs, make a basic grilled cheese, or toss a salad with the veg wilting in the back of your fridge: If you have an extra special salsa or dressing waiting in the wings, you're more likely to eat in than order in. That has to check some "healthier eating" boxes right there!

Or, as Vora puts it: "It's going to be like, 'Oh, I'm looking forward to eating this salad that came together really quickly because past me was thinking about future me and did a little bit of upfront work."

Shifting your mindset

Simple sauces and toppers are also an easy way to begin experimenting with trying vegetables you might not be familar with, she added. A simple sauce, a simple cooking method — like roasting in a hot oven — and you're done.

"I feel like there's this temptation to just try to shove vegetables into stuff because they're good for you or to sneak them into things, instead of letting a vegetable shine and really showcase the flavor and the texture of that specific vegetable," she said.

She added that we need to shift our mindset around what vegetables are and what space they can take up on our plate.

"We shouldn't eat them just because they're good for us," she said. "We should also eat them because they can be fantastically delicious. And I think once people start to understand that by having vegetable dishes that taste amazing, they'll start to move more in that direction of like, 'Oh, I want to eat cauliflower.'"

Make a note now: This cookbook would make a great holiday gift, especially for those just heading off to college, setting up their very first kitchen, or just trying to level up their eating — or for yourself.

L.A. County leaders on Tuesday greenlit public transparency about payouts to county executives in response to LAist revealing a secretive $2 million settlement with the county’s CEO.

County supervisors unanimously approved a proposal by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath to have the county proactively inform the public about such settlements once they’re finalized and to look into creating a public website to describe them.

Among other things, the approved motion requires that all future settlements with county executives include language making it clear the agreement will be proactively disclosed to the public.

The backstory

The directive cited coverage by LAist revealing that two months ago, county CEO Fesia Davenport had quietly gotten a $2 million settlement payment from the county. As reported by LAist, Davenport’s settlement deal was labeled “confidential” and was not publicly reported out by the county.

The settlement was in response to her claims the supervisors harmed her reputation and caused her distress by putting a measure before voters — which was approved — that will create an elected county executive position. It’s among multiple reforms to restructure county government under last year’s voter-approved proposition, known as Measure G.

Davenport did not return a message for comment.

‘Public trust’ cited

“Transparency is central to strengthening public trust, without exception,” Horvath said in a statement after Tuesday’s vote. “Since joining the board, I have actively taken steps to ensure the public is included in the work of the county, especially concerning the use of public funds.

“Creating a clear process for department executive settlements is a commonsense action fundamental to good governance.”

David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, commented on the decision, calling transparency the "oxygen of accountability in government."

“There is no reason why the county should not be proactive about posting and disclosing settlements that have been reached, especially with former executives or staff,” Loy said.

Davenport was one of several county executives to receive sizable settlement payouts over the past few years. Four additional county executives received payouts, according to Davenport’s claims that led to her settlement.

Costco now is one of the largest companies to sue the Trump administration over tariffs, hoping to secure a refund if the Supreme Court declares the new import duties illegal.

The Supreme Court is weighing the future of President Donald Trump's tariffs on nearly all imports. Justices seemed skeptical about their legality during last month's oral arguments. Lower courts previously had found Trump improperly used emergency economic powers to set most of the new levies.

Dozens of companies across industries have filed lawsuits to seek refunds in the event the Supreme Court finds Trump's tariffs illegal. The list includes makeup giant Revlon, the canned foods maker Bumble Bee and Kawasaki, which makes motorcycles and more. Now Costco has joined the queue.

"This is the first time we're seeing big companies take their heads out of the sand publicly," said Marc Busch, a trade law expert at Georgetown University. For the most part, small companies have been leading the legal action against tariffs, he said, adding, "It's nice to finally see some heavyweights joining in the fray."

In its suit filed with the U.S. Court of International Trade, Costco did not specify how much it's already paid in tariffs, but the retail giant worries that even if the Supreme Court eventually unravels Trump's tariff regime, it may not be able to recoup all that money.

Costco executives in May had said that about a third of what is sold in the U.S. comes from abroad, predominantly non-food items.

NPR's Scott Horsley contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 NPR

The L.A. City Council voted 8-4 on Tuesday to continue allowing the Los Angeles Police Department to be armed with 40 mm foam bullet launchers and tear gas.

California law enforcement agencies are required to track and publicly document how they use military equipment, including less-lethal bean bag shotgun rounds, drones and armored vehicles, under state law AB 481 passed in 2022. The law also requires city leaders to approve or disapprove military equipment use annually. That vote came in front of the council Tuesday.

Another law passed after the George Floyd protests of 2020 restricted the use of crowd-control weapons, including tear gas and foam bullets, unless specific criteria are met. In 2020, a federal judge also imposed an injunction restricting LAPD’s use of force at protests, citing the “unfortunate history of civil rights violations by LAPD officers.”

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez — who introduced an amendment asking city leaders to ban the LAPD’s use of 40 mm foam bullet launchers and tear gas — said military equipment use is allowed only in specific instances but that the police department has deployed the weapons “in ways that should make everyone here on this body pause.” He cited examples of weapons used against journalists and protesters during this summer’s protests against federal immigration activity in L.A.

“In recent months, we’ve watched this equipment deployed in ways that echo the same intimidation tactics we condemn in ICE raids — tactics that erode trust and violate basic legal protections,” he said. “Our residents should be able to exercise their rights without being met with [foam] bullets or tear gas.”

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell countered that such weapons are "a de-escalation tool, short of using deadly force. The last thing we want to use is deadly force."

He continued: "Taking a tool like this away from us puts us in a very bad position relative to city liability and relative to protecting our officers and the public that we serve.”

In 2024, Los Angeles was liable for more than $50 million in payouts related to civil rights violations and unlawful use of force by the LAPD, according to the city controller’s office.

 ”Rather than be swayed by emotion or swayed by the loud voices of a relative few," McDonnell said Tuesday, "we're here to protect 4 million residents of Los Angeles and all the visitors who come here."

How we got here

After this summer’s anti-ICE protests, the LAPD once again came under scrutiny for its use of foam bullet launchers and tear gas.

An LAist investigation found LAPD used crowd-dispersal tools on people who did not appear to pose a threat and, in some cases, did not appear to be protesting at all. LAist reporters witnessed LAPD officers firing less-lethal munitions into crowds and at protestors running away from police. They did not hear clear warnings about the use of crowd-dispersal weapons during some of the protests and could not locate evidence that adequate warning was provided during subsequent protests.

But at Tuesday’s council meeting, McDonnell said, these weapons are deployed as “a last resort to be able to restore order” and after people have been given time to leave.

The Los Angeles Press Club sued the LAPD after June’s protests, citing violations of journalists’ rights while covering protests. After a judge issued an injunction in that case prohibiting the use of force against journalists, the LAPD filed an emergency motion asking the judge to lift the injunction, stating it required “operationally impracticable standards.” The judge denied the LAPD’s request.

How to watchdog your police department

One of the best things you can do to hold officials accountable is pay attention.

AB 481 requires police departments — including those at transit agencies, school districts and university campuses, sheriff’s departments, district attorney’s offices and probation departments — to provide reports about the use of military equipment.

So how do you know if they're in compliance? It’s simple. Search for the law enforcement agency name and "AB 481" on any search engine, and a public page should pop up. Here’s the LAPD’s.

The city of Los Angeles has been working on major changes to its charter, which is basically the city’s constitution. The changes could bring sweeping reform to how the city works.

The Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission has been meeting for several months on a wide range of topics, including City Council expansion, ranked-choice voting systems and land-use planning changes.

“It is weedy. It is academic. But the charter touches Angelenos’ everyday lives,” said Raymond Meza, who chairs the commission.

This week, the commission will host a town hall meeting in Echo Park in an effort to get more people involved in the process. It will take place outside on the northeast lawn of the park — weather permitting.

Despite getting a slow start, the commission is hosting multiple meetings in an effort to meet an April 2 deadline to submit proposals to the City Council. It’ll be up to the council to decide whether to place reform proposals on the ballot next November.

The commission has broken reform down into four subject areas, with committees for each.

They are:

• planning and infrastructure
• government structure
• better government
• personnel and budget

“We’re in an exciting moment,” said David Levitus of L.A. Forward, an advocacy group.

“Looking at the charter for reform is long overdue”

Reform Commission

The L.A. City Council created the commission last year after a series of scandals rocked City Hall. Former Councilmember Jose Huizar went to prison on federal corruption charges and secret audio tapes revealed backroom dealing on redistricting.

The panel is made up of four appointees by Mayor Karen Bass, two by the council president and two by the president pro tempore. Those eight selected an additional five through an open application process.

On Thursday, the full commission is expected to take up proposals for a two-year budget cycle and an expedited city hiring process. Advocates of the changes say extending budget planning from one to two years will allow city leaders to better anticipate spending and revenue.

They say the city hiring process is slow and byzantine.

Meza said the Echo Park meeting Saturday is an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the process and speak at length with commissioners.

“We absolutely want to hear from people what is important to them as residents of the city of Los Angeles when it comes to their expectations of their city government," he said.

How to get involved

For a list of all upcoming meetings, go here.

To submit a public comment, you can email reformLAcharter@lacity.org.

There’s also a survey on the commission’s website at reformlacharter.lacity.gov.