The Brief

It seems like only yesterday that hacking fast food meant ordering off the menu. The most famous in recent years was the Starbucks pink drink, where customers would order a strawberry acai refresher and substitute the water for coconut milk.

The drink went so viral on social media that Starbucks eventually added it to its permanent menu… making you pay more in the process.

(Let us also not forget The McGangBang (actual name, apparently), which combined a McChicken and a McDouble into one ridiculous sandwich in the 2010s.)

Now, with food influencers trying to outdo each other, menu hacking has gone even further.

Instead of ordering from just one menu and modifying it, now you can order two items and combine them, or even order items from two different fast food chains and mash them up into one meal.

(Driving from one place to another means the result is anything but fast, but hey, this is creativity).

While I’m a little concerned about where this amalgamation could end — Three restaurants? Four? — I figured I’d pull together some hacks that caught my eye, show you how to make them, and then rate them. Call it public service. You’re welcome.

The In-N-Out Patty Melt

The In-N-Out patty melt made with their Flying Dutchman burger and two toasted buns.

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Sean Vukan

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What to order

• One Flying Dutchman 
• Two buns on the side, toasted

The assembly

For the uninitiated, the In-N-Out Flying Dutchman is not a pirate ship but rather two beef patties with a slice of cheese between the patties and on top of them.

It also comes with grilled onions. (It’s my personal favorite of the In-N-Out off-menu items. It's just a great combination of gooey melted cheese and classic In-N-Out hamburger patties.)

Order one of those, and two toasted buns. Now invert the buns — what’s facing the inside on a traditional burger will now be facing outward. (It’s what makes it a patty melt). Finally, carefully peel off the Flying Dutchman from the paper it’s sitting on and place it in between the toasted inverted hamburger buns. Get ready to enjoy a drive-thru version of a diner classic.

Does it work?

A patty melt is at its best when the bread, hamburger patty, onions, and cheese are all griddled together in perfect harmony. Unfortunately, the bun lets this version down.

When I tried it, the bread was dry, whereas on an actual patty melt, all the juices from the onions and meat have had a chance to seep through to the rye or sourdough. This version was fine, though, and if it came cooked as one, it might have yielded a different result.

Score: 6.5/10 There are better versions of this diner classic throughout Los Angeles, but it’s a fun, newer In-N-Out hack that doesn’t involve using grilled onions as a substitute bun for your burger. Oh, and it does double the trash you’d normally produce, but that kind of goes with all these mash ups.

The Baja Blast Float

A McDonald's soft serve cone dipped into the signature Taco Bell soft drink, Baja Blast. Things are about to get messy.

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Sean Vukan

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What to order

• A large Baja Blast from Taco Bell
• A soft serve cone from McDonald's

The assembly

Because you’re dealing with ice cream, it’s best to get the Taco Bell exclusive soda first, so there’s a small amount of time between dunkage of ice cream and soda.

This also allows time to drink some of the soda to somewhere about the halfway to three-quarters point. Why? Because sticking an ice cream cone into a full cup of soda will cause it to overflow. Once the soda is at an acceptable level, scoop the soft serve from the McDonald's cone into the soda and swirl it around at the same time, allowing the ice cream to mix in partly with the soda.

Does it work?

Yes. But a Baja Blast from Taco Bell has been my personal go to drink from The Bell since it was launched in 2004, so I may be a bit biased. The ice cream combination mixed with the citrusy, tropical lime flavor of the soda was really good and comes off as sort of like a millennial version of an orange soda float.

Score: 8/10 Was I questioning my journalistic choices in the parking lot of a Walmart on a Sunday morning as I was slowly dunking and drinking while balancing the Baja Blast to keep it from spilling everywhere? Absolutely. But the end result made me glad that I followed through with it. This would be a great treat just in time for summer.

The In-N-Out/Dave's Hot Chicken Sandwich

A collection of Dave's Hot Chicken, fries and a burger bun with no meat from In-N-Out. This is about to become a sandwich.

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What to order:

• Cheeseburger w/no meat from In-N-Out
• The Two Tender Combo from Dave’s Hot Chicken, OR ask for one tender a la carte if you don’t want the fries and extra tender. The spice level varies depending on preference.
• Honey packets, spread, Dave’s sauce (optional).

The assembly

Ordering the cheeseburger with no meat saves you the question from the attendant at In-N-Out asking if you want the grilled cheese plain or with the veggies, which you absolutely still want, and in some cases, they may not ask you, so better to be on the safe side and order the cheeseburger with no meat. For the Dave’s portion, the first time I asked for one tender they obliged, but looked at me kind of weird (journalism, folks) so the second time I just ordered the #1 combo, which is the two tenders.

Place a tender between the meatless burger and congrats; there’s now an In-N-Out chicken sandwich.

Does it work?

Look, Dave’s Hot Chicken already has a chicken sandwich so there’s absolutely no need for this to happen unless you’re aching for tomato, grilled onions, and Thousand Island dressing to be a part of it. But welcome to the world of fast food influencers, folks. A world where putting a clickbaity title like “In-N-Out Chicken Sandwich?” on a title card in an attempt to rack up views because you think something new has been launched, but in reality, it’s all a ruse.

Score: 7/10 The original concoction of this called for a Chick-fil-A cutlet to be used, but since I don’t eat at Chick-fil-A and prefer a hotter chicken anyway, I opted for a tender from Dave’s. This was fine. Not mind-blowing in any way. Would it have been different if Chick-fil-A chicken were used instead? Probably not. But to each their own. Order the In-N-Out first because the line will probably be long, and it is probably best to be in an area where a place that serves crispy chicken cutlet sandwiches or tenders is somewhat nearby an In-N-Out.

Del Taco Birria Nacho Fries

The contents of a birria quesadilla placed upon an order of Del Taco nacho fries.

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Sean Vukan

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What to order

• Birria quesadilla or birria combo burrito
• Plain crinkle-cut fries or the special nacho cheese fries
• Hot sauce
• Ask for sides of sour cream and jalapeños

The assembly

Scoop the contents out of the quesadilla or burrito onto the fries. The nacho fries are currently a special that Del Taco is running, which is their crinkle-cut fries topped with nacho cheese.

Depending on your preference, the birria quesadilla is just the Del Taco birria and that classic orange shredded cheese they put on, like, 90% of the items at Del Taco. The birria combo burrito comes with birria and refried beans, but I found the chunks of birria in the quesadilla to be more hearty and meaty than the ones in the burrito.

Once the fillings have been placed atop the fries, top with the sour cream, jalapeños, and drizzle the hot sauce of your choosing atop it.

Does it work?

Yes. I got the idea for this from my friend and fellow food writer, Sarah Mosqueda of the L.A. Times. I texted her prior to the assignment to ask if she knew of any under-the-radar menu hacks or mashups that people wouldn’t know about.

She said that while working at an old restaurant of hers, she would bring in Del Taco fries and pour braised lamb over them for a staff meal. While braised lamb from fast food isn’t necessarily a possibility, it got me thinking that Del Taco could be a possibility for a menu hack whereas initially it wasn’t, and specifically their fries or nachos.

Del Taco currently has their recently added birria in tacos, a burrito, in a cup with consomme, and atop nachos. However, they missed an opportunity to place it on their crinkle-cut fries, even though they already offer the fries with ground beef, chicken, and steak.

Score: 7.9/10 The tender beef birria was a great addition to the fries, allowing just enough of the juices to soak up into the crinkle-cut potatoes. Granted, these are light on diced tomatoes or guac, and I did get the smaller, cheaper version of the fries because I was told the larger option with more toppings couldn’t be modified with the birria. Still, it was really good. The pickled jalapeños and sour cream add acidity to help cut through the hearty beef and potatoes.

Behold the Hammer Boi pizza featuring flatty beef patties, pickles, ‘Hammer sauce’ from Hammer Burger, atop a Focaccia Boi pepperoni pizza.

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Sean Vukan

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Mashups for the soul

When all is said and done, the best mash-ups you can support are those your local small businesses create. Post-pandemic, more and more pop-ups and small restaurants are joining forces for special releases and the results are usually home runs. Here are some of my recent favorites:

• The recent Paradise Dynasty/Pho-Holic mash-up, where OC beef pho restaurant Phoholic had a pho xiao long bao at South Coast Plaza’s Paradise Dynasty — an absolutely genius combination that tasted as good as it reads.
  
• The ongoing A’s BBQ/Quarantine Pizza collab at Smorgasburg Los Angeles on Sundays, where East LA pitmaster and sausage king Alan Cruz of A’s BBQ provides his famous al pastor sausages to Quarantine Pizza for an al pastor sausage pizza.
  
• Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano has been using Burritos La Palma tortillas for his brisket tacos for the past few years.
  

• The recent collaboration between Orange County purveyors, Hammer Burger and Focaccia Boi. Usually in Anaheim, Derek Bracho and his Focaccia Boi pizza has been taking over the kitchen every Wednesday at Loosie’s Pizza in Downtown Santa Ana. Loosie’s also happens to be a stone’s throw from Orange County’s first smash burger truck, now turned restaurant, Hammer Burger.

  The result of this team up? A limited number of slices of The Hammer Boi pizza: flatty beef patties, pickles, ‘Hammer sauce’ from Hammer Burger, atop a Focaccia Boi pepperoni pizza.

The overall verdict

Save the corporate mashups for the influencers just looking for clicks. They’re not struggling. Follow your favorite pop-up, food truck, or small restaurant on social media and be on the lookout for their next collab or mash-up with another local favorite.

Because a pizza burger just might end up being delicious.

When CBS fired Scott Pelley on Tuesday night, the new 60 Minutes executive producer, Nick Bilton, told Pelley it was for insubordination at a staff meeting the day before.

The veteran correspondent argues he was defending the DNA of 60 Minutes and the integrity of its journalism.

The battle royale over the network's most prestigious and profitable news program is part of a broader fight over the direction of CBS News.

And given CBS's acquisition by a billionaire family whose business interests have become intertwined with the political interests of President Trump, it reflects a larger war over control of the media in the current moment.

That father and son, Larry and David Ellison, bought CBS' parent company, Paramount, last summer. In January, they became co-owners of TikTok's U.S. operations. Now they're seeking approval from Trump's regulators to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.

A glamorous show shorn, for now, of most its stars

CBS fired Cecilia Vega, a correspondent, and Tanya Simon, the executive producer, from "60 Minutes" last week. They are shown in this photo at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on April 25, 2026 in Washington, D.C.

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But the specifics of this individual episode matter — for 60 Minutes, CBS, its audience of millions, and even the news business itself.

The program has been the most glamorous post in broadcast news. The correspondents are the stars of the show. And now, there are just three of them.

Anderson Cooper left last month, concerned over the direction of the network's coverage. Last week was a virtual bloodbath: correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were fired. So were a producer and two show executives — including Tanya Simon, a longtime staffer who had stepped up as executive producer when her predecessor resigned in protest before the Ellisons' takeover.

With Pelley's ouster, only correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim remain. Now they are considering whether to resign, according to two associates with knowledge.

Their brand-new boss, Bilton, was previously a tech reporter for The New York Times and an investigative reporter for Vanity Fair. He executive-produced a documentary for Netflix about a couple accused of laundering Bitcoin and has been a producer on several other films.

Notably, he has no experience in television news.

Neither does Bari Weiss, whom David Ellison installed as the network's editor in chief last October. The Ellisons also bought her center-right views-and-news site, The Free Press.

She has maintained that the network of Walter Cronkite needs a makeover for the digital moment. She has also contended for years that CBS, along with the rest of mainstream media, is too reflexively anti-Trump, anti-Israel, and too woke.

A rejection of CBS News executives' overtures

The new executive producer of "60 Minutes," Nick Bilton, has been a tech journalist and documentary filmmaker, but lacks experience in broadcast news.

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Bilton attempted to set a conciliatory tone at Monday's meeting — his first with the show. Pelley, a formidable veteran correspondent and former CBS Evening News anchor, wasn't having it.

Pelley called Bilton unwelcome and unqualified. And Pelley said that Weiss was attempting to "murder" the program.

In firing Pelley on Tuesday, Bilton said the journalist had hijacked the meeting and rejected overtures to work constructively through their differences. (NPR obtained a copy of the firing notice.) Bilton wrote that Pelley's "antipathy to the future of the show came through loud and clear."

In his own statement late Tuesday evening, shared with NPR, Pelly accused CBS's new news leadership of killing 60 Minutes' DNA and pushing him "to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story" and "to include assertions that are unverified."

The accusations, to which CBS has not yet responded, echo those made by Alfonsi and Vega, the two correspondents fired last week.

Earlier this year, Alfonsi publicly complained after Weiss held one of her stories at the last minute, and kept it frozen for weeks, demanding an on-camera interview with a Trump White House official that never played out. It ran, unchanged from the intended version, with additional statements from the administration tacked on to the end.

After being fired, Vega said in a statement obtained by NPR that her team had "experienced efforts to insert political bias into our stories."

"Let's call this what it is: censorship, both censorship and self-driven" Vega continued. "It is dangerous for the show and dangerous for democracy."

Weiss previously rejected Alfonsi's and Vega's allegations. (CBS said Vega's claims, for example, were "not based in reality" while expressing appreciation for her work.)

Weiss and Bilton say digital threat requires a 60 Minutes overhaul now

In a meeting this morning, Weiss said that Pelley chose his own path — that is, to be fired rather than to find a way to work through his concerns, according to attendees. The network and Weiss have not yet publicly addressed Pelley's accusations of interference. 

Bilton and Weiss say they respect the show's traditions, its accomplishments and its legacy of enterprise reporting, extended interviews and visual storytelling. It rose in the ratings 9% over the past season under Simon.

The two news leaders say, however, 60 Minutes needs to be overhauled before it becomes increasingly irrelevant in the era of streamers and other sources of news, information and entertainment in the digital age.

Interviews with 12 current and former CBS News staffers, from producers to executives, suggest great reservations and suspicions remain about Weiss' judgment and her ability to handle the prominent and even famous journalists on whom her division relies.

Weiss had initially sought to reinvent the CBS Evening News, dropping a two-anchor format that had sagged in the ratings. Cooper turned down Weiss' overtures to anchor it and left the network altogether, concerned about her approach, according to associates. (They spoke on condition of anonymity because Cooper has not chosen to speak publicly on the matter.)

David Ellison became chairman and CEO of CBS' parent company, Paramount, after buying it last year.

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The ratings have continued to sag under new anchor Tony Dokoupil. And some CBS journalists, including producers who have left the Evening News, have publicly accused Weiss of making editorial decisions driven by politics. She has rejected those claims.

The decision to take on overhauling two key shows — one listing, one highly profitable, both high profile — carries significant risks for Weiss and the network, even apart from other considerations.

But the Ellisons' presence cannot be ignored.

When Shari Redstone was negotiating the sale of CBS's parent company, Paramount, to the Ellisons' Skydance Media last year, the network announced the end of Stephen Colbert's late night show. He had been one of the president's most biting and acerbic critics.

David Ellison also made a series of concessions directly to Trump's chief broadcast regulator, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, gutting CBS's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and appointing a conservative ombudsman to field complaints of bias against its news reporting.

Carr and other regulators approved the Paramount deal last summer.

The accommodations echo those made by other media titans.

Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos remade the editorial pages of the Washington Post, which he owns, into a far more hospitable zone for Trump at the outset of his second term. So did Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a noted medical device inventor. Amazon and Blue Origin have multi-billion dollar contracts with the federal government. Soon-Shiong's medical research firm routinely has patent applications up for review with federal regulators. One was approved Tuesday.

The Ellisons are hoping to win approval from federal regulators next month for their purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valued at more than $110 billion. It would include Warner Bros. Studio, HBO and CNN, among other properties.

As Weiss routs CBS News' old guard, the question of what role she might play at CNN — and what changes that portends at CBS — hangs over journalists at the two networks. The fate of 60 Minutes serves as a high-stakes case study for both.

Copyright 2026 NPR

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

When he thinks back to June 2025, Melchor Moreno remembers the empty streets outside of his restaurant. 

Neighboring businesses closed early or sometimes wouldn’t open at all. One weekday, he made just $500, hundreds short of what he needed to cover his overhead. 

Moreno owns and operates La Chispa de Oro, a traditional Mexican restaurant on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue that’s been a Boyle Heights staple for more than 30 years. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations disrupted his and other Eastsiders’ businesses last summer, survey data collected by Boyle Heights Beat showed a sharp drop in sales; Moreno marked losses at around $7,000 per month that summer. But even when the raids slowed, the business never bounced back, Moreno said. 

“People still have it in the back of their mind that ICE may come at any time or any minute and streets are not back to normal like they should be,” Moreno said. “You can see that businesses are not the same, especially for restaurants. Even a year later.”

The economic fallout of the increased immigration enforcement over the last year has hit independently owned restaurants and retail businesses hardest — especially those in communities with Latino immigrants, Spanish speakers and noncitizen workers, according to the L.A. County Economic Development Corporation, or LAEDC, the nonprofit that promotes and studies the region’s economy. 

Street vendors, day laborers, and sellers at popular clothing districts have been forced to adapt to a new cycle: an intense and unexpected immigration operation, then an economic lull as potential customers stay home out of fear. Even just a rumor of ICE activity can start the cycle over again. Business owners selling skateboards, records and supplements have noticed fewer people walking through their doors. And with many businesses still financially recovering from the COVID pandemic or wildfire impacts — and now grappling with tariffs and increased fuel costs — the economic chill that resulted from the raids could alter industries across L.A. for years. 

“Economists love to pretend like they have a crystal ball,” said Shannon Sedgwick, vice president of research at LAEDC, “but I think one of the most damaging things to our economy related to any kind of federal policy shift that has been taking place lately is the degree of uncertainty that surrounds it all.”

A ‘climate of fear’ and depressed economic activity

Soon after the raids began, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors asked researchers with LAEDC to find out the economic impacts of the raids and the weeklong curfew that followed citywide protests. 

It was clear that the operations targeting undocumented immigrants would have an impact: LAEDC estimates undocumented workers are responsible for about 17% of the county’s economic activity. But researchers found an even farther-reaching effect, Sedgwick said, with additional communities and industries becoming collateral damage.

“It creates a broader economic ripple effect that extends beyond direct enforcement actions,” Sedgwick said. 

Of the 178 small businesses interviewed, 82% said they were negatively impacted by the raids, citing reduced daily sales, decreased customer traffic or changes to their workforce. Some of the most vulnerable areas, according to the report, include the L.A. neighborhoods of Westlake, Echo Park and Boyle Heights, as well as southeast L.A. cities such as South Gate, Pico Rivera and Bell. 

According to Sedgwick, small businesses are more vulnerable to shifts in their customer base and feel sharper impacts than their chain or franchised counterparts. Of the businesses interviewed for LAEDC’s impact survey, 15 had closed by December 2025.

It’s not clear when the local economy will return to its normal patterns, Sedgwick said.

“It’s that unsettled climate of fear that’s really impacting people’s activity and, as a result, our economic activity,” she said. “If that uncertainty, unsettled feeling and fear about what’s happening, if that subsides, then this will kind of shift back. But in the interim, we’re already seeing some of the fallout.”

Feeling the financial pinch in Westlake and Pico Union

At Leo’s Tacos near Venice Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Pico Union, the tacos al pastor that the truck is known for still cost $2.50 each, but they’re not selling like they used to. 

Manager Maria Martinez said that business is still down about 30% after dropping significantly last summer, though the truck has tried to avoid passing down its financial strain to customers. The business is surviving because of tourists and loyal fans stopping by, she said, but there are simply fewer people coming each day. She said some of the people detained this year were longtime customers, while others have told them they’re still afraid to go out — both of which have hurt business.

Maria Martinez works at Leo’s Tacos, which is known for its tacos al pastor.

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“The people who are afraid don’t walk around the same anymore, they don’t circulate the streets like they used to,” she said in Spanish.

Not even the FIFA World Cup, which soccer officials predict will bring more than $892 million in economic activity to L.A., has so far been able to reverse the reduced foot traffic for some small businesses. 

Luis Sanchez, who sells jerseys and sports apparel at a store called Sports in Westlake, said sales have remained flat over the past six months. 

Sanchez, whose business sits near MacArthur Park, said jerseys for Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and the U.S. national team remain popular, but demand still has not risen the way it did during previous tournaments. 

“In other years, you could already see the increase around this time,” he said. “But because of the raids, things haven’t been the same.” 

Sanchez added that many customers appear more focused on politics and economic concerns than soccer. “Politics are overshadowing sports,” he said. “There are people who think the World Cup should even be canceled.”

Along the El Salvador Corridor, street vendors say that ongoing fear — and the lack of foot traffic that comes with it — continues to shape their daily lives and affect how their businesses are doing.

Mirna Lopez has run a stand called Cocteles Acajutla since 2013, where she sells ceviche made with clams, shrimp and octopus. She said the fact that raids are still ongoing has made it difficult for sales to recover.

“I think people are still scared because they keep hearing on the news that raids are still happening,” Lopez said in Spanish. “People don’t know what’s true anymore or what’s going to happen. I hear about many people who say they are returning to their home countries.”

At Cocteles Acajutla, Mirna Lopez said sales are still about half of what they were before the raids began last year.

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Lopez, who works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, said that before the raids, she would typically make around $400 a day, but nowadays she doesn’t even reach $200.

“I don’t bring as much anymore, just what I think I might sell, and even then I still don’t sell it all,” she said. “I haven’t thought about offering promotions because I don’t want people to get used to that. Everything is expensive right now to do that. It’s hard to invest your money and not make it back.”

Sergio Jimenez, a senior community organizer with Community Power Collective, said the downturn affecting vendors right now cannot be separated from years of economic instability impacting immigrant communities across Los Angeles. 

“It’s been a really tough four years for vendors,” he said, pointing to the pandemic, inflation, rising housing costs and the raids. “It has created ongoing fear and insecurity, and foot traffic has dramatically slowed down, especially among working-class Latino immigrants, who have traditionally been the main customers for street vendors because it’s such a big part of the culture.”

Jimenez said many vendors have adapted by working shorter shifts, taking less merchandise to avoid major losses and relying on community networks to warn each other about immigration enforcement activity. 

In some cases, he said teenagers stepped in to help support their families financially. 

“I saw youth. I saw a second or third generation of street vending families, having to go out and substitute for their parents because of fear and ensuring that they could bring money into their homes,” Jimenez said.

Adjusting to the new normal in LA’s Eastside

At La Chispa de Oro, Moreno was forced to cut hours for his employees at the peak of the raids. He had to help wash dishes and cook meals in the kitchen. Now, he plans to permanently alter his business hours to open up later and close earlier to save.

Sales have slowly increased from their lows, but only once the community stopped hearing rumors of agents being around. But all it takes is one rumor to keep customers away, Moreno said.  

La Chisa de Oro plans to cut its hours to make up for business lost since the raids surged.

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In East L.A., Herbs of Mexico, a longstanding herb and supplement shop, saw a 75% reduction in business last summer, according to owner Martin Lopez. Lopez described the impacts of the raids as a “pile-on” that exacerbated the already unsteady business brought upon by tariffs, inflation and the recent hike in fuel prices

“We’re getting squeezed in a lot of different ways,” Lopez said. The owner was forced to make hard decisions over the last year.  He’s laid off staff, ordered fewer products and even spent his own money to buy things like toilet paper and coffee for his employees working out of the office.

“The problem that we are experiencing is the catch-up. It’s hard to catch up. It’s hard to stay ahead because you’re always behind in regard to [the raids],” Lopez said.

Lopez reported a return of some business, but said he’s still making 30% less than he did in the summer of 2024 by comparison. He agreed that mere rumors of ICE agents being nearby can devastate business for short periods of time.

“One person can say one thing, and then it just spreads like wildfire on social media,” Lopez said. “And then we don’t see anyone come in because they said, ‘I saw something here at this corner. I saw ICE.’ And then that entire region just shuts down, and no one comes in. That happened so many times from June on.”

Recommendations to local leaders

Even before the research showed the scale of economic fallout from the raids, Sedgwick said county entities were activating services for impacted business owners. 

Departments within L.A. County moved to produce resource guides for businesses and individuals and put together a business resiliency fund, Sedgwick said. 

Council District 1 representative Eunisses Hernandez launched a program to support vendors and brick-and-mortar businesses with grants up to $10,000 during the raids.

In CD 14, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado worked with the Community Investment for Families Department and the Economic and Workforce Development Department to create the Ysabel Jurado Microenterprise Grant Program. The program is set to provide up to $3,000 in direct relief to impacted small businesses across the district to fund basic operating costs like rent, utilities, payroll, insurance, and inventory.

At the direction of L.A. County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, the L.A. County Department of Economic Opportunity launched a Small Business Resiliency Fund in September 2025 to offset financial and workforce disruptions brought upon by increased immigration enforcement. 

The program provided up to $5,000 in direct relief to brick-and-mortar restaurants, street vendors, independent contractors and some home-based businesses. Applications ended last fall and, to date, the fund has granted $5.4 million to more than 1,300 businesses countywide. 

It’s unclear how those grants compare to the need. Sedgwick and her colleagues at LAEC are continuing to research the “longer, lasting effects still at play” considering that increased enforcement is still taking place. 

“It hasn’t gone away. Initially, the flashpoint and the severity of it was very in your face. But it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening still,” Sedgwick said. 

The uncertainty of when another ICE raid will come to East L.A. continues to test Lopez and other business owners, and he said he also wonders if some other crisis could be next. 

“If another event surfaces from this administration, it’s going to continue to pile on and put other businesses at risk for failure and bankruptcy … A lot of people cannot pay back their [Small Business Administration] loans that they got from COVID because they just can’t make it. So everyone is struggling,” Lopez said.

Near his shop, a market and a retail store have closed for good.

“It’s tough to see those things,” Lopez said. “It’s a daily struggle, and it does affect us from a mental health perspective because we don’t know where the shoe’s going to drop. We have to maintain our health and sanity just to keep going these days.”

Who’s winning California’s statewide races? Here’s what we know so farBy Kate Wolffe, CalMatters

A voter marks their ballot at the Chico Masonic Family Center in Chico on June 2, 2026. Photo by Salvador Ochoa for CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

California's primary election included more than just deciding who voters want to see in the governor's office.

Californians also voted on several statewide offices, ranging from the governor’s second in command to the regulator for the state’s embattled insurance market.

The top two vote-getters will go on the general election ballot, and voters will make the final call in November.

Attorney general

Attorney General Rob Bonta is heading to the general election and will face a challenge from Republican Michael Gates for the role of California’s top cop. Gates is a former trial attorney who served as Huntington Beach city attorney and a deputy United States Attorney. Bonta and his predecessor, Xavier Becerra, used their office to file dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration.

State superintendent

Veteran Democratic lawmakers Anthony Rendon, Josh Newman and Al Muratsuchi jumped into the race to become California’s next superintendent of public instruction. In a surprise, two of the most influential education organizations in the state — the California Teachers Association and the California Charter Schools Association — bypassed the veteran lawmakers and instead endorsed Democrat Richard Barrera, the president of the San Diego Unified School District. Sonja Shaw, the former Chino Valley Unified School Board President, will advance to the general election in November. Shaw was endorsed by both Republican gubernatorial candidates.

Who’s ahead: With 55% of votes counted as of 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Shaw is advancing to the runoff with 25% of the vote. Barrera has netted 19% of the vote.

Lieutenant governor

The role of gubernatorial second in command is largely ceremonial, with the largest responsibility involving standing in when the governor is out. The lieutenant governor also sits on several boards and commissions, and has the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote if the state Senate is gridlocked. Three Democrats netted the most money: Josh Fryday, a member of Newsom’s cabinet, followed by state Treasurer Fiona Ma and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. Republican Gloria Romero, who served 12 years in the state Legislature as a Democrat, ran a close campaign with gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.

Who’s ahead: With 55% of votes counted as of 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Romero leads with 20% of the vote, trailed by Ma (19%) and Fryday (14%).

State controller

Democratic incumbent Malia M. Cohen is heading to the general election to defend her seat as the state’s chief accountant. Herb W. Morgan, a Republican who ran on a promise of exposing fraud in government, will be her challenger. Meghann Adams, a school bus driver from San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood also ran for the seat on a progressive platform as a member of the Peace and Freedom Party.

Secretary of state

Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber is heading to the general election in November for the role of the state’s top elections official. Republican Donald P. Wagner, an Orange County supervisor, will be her challenger. Wagner supports requiring voter ID at the polls and criticized Weber for the state’s slow ballot-counting process. Weber was appointed to her role by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 after eight years in the Assembly, and won a four-year term in 2022. She has overseen the implementation of universal mail-in voting in the state, and has pledged to further expand voter access.

Treasurer

Democratic candidates dwarfed Republicans in fundraising for the role of state treasurer, California’s chief banker. The role requires managing and investing unspent taxpayer money and overseeing the state’s borrowing and debts. Anna Caballero, most recently the chair of the state Senate’s powerful Appropriations Committee, and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis both raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from large donors, including unions, tribes, and businesses. Kounalakis will advance to the general election.

Who’s ahead: With 57% of votes counted as of 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Kounalakis is heading to the November ballot with 34% of the vote. Republican candidate Jennifer Hawks, a retired businesswoman, has 27%.

Insurance commissioner

Californians get a chance to weigh in on who should regulate the state’s embattled insurance market, which has been grappling with how to cope with insurers leaving the state amid growing wildfire risks. Current and former state Democratic lawmakers Ben Allen and Steven Bradford are among the candidates, as is Democrat Patrick Wolff, a financial analyst whose campaign is largely self-funded. The Republican Party has endorsed insurance agent Stacy A. Korsgaden.

Who’s ahead: With 57% of votes counted as of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim has the lead with 24% of the vote. Allen is next with 19% of the vote, and Korsgaden has 18%.

Board of Equalization

This five-member group is the nation’s only elected tax board. It advises county assessors, sets the taxable value of property owned by utilities and railroads, and hears some taxpayer appeals. Four districts are up for election this year: District 1, covering much of inland California; District 2, coastal California north of Los Angeles; District 3, representing the Los Angeles area; and District 4, which encompasses the San Diego area.

Who’s ahead in District 1: With 54% of votes counted as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove has the lead with 37% of the vote. Democrat Nelson Esparza is in second with 30%.

Who’s ahead in District 2: With 52% of votes counted as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Democratic incumbent Sally J. Lieber will be advancing to the general election with 53% of the vote. Democrat John Pimentel is in second with 15%.

Who’s ahead in District 3: With 71% of votes counted as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gipson has the lead with 26% of the vote. Democrat Samuel P. Sukaton is in second with 14%.

Who’s ahead in District 4: With 57% of votes counted as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Republican Denis Bilodeau has 49% of the vote and will advance to the general election. Democratic State Sen. Tom Umberg is in second with 20%.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

State superintendent

Veteran Democratic lawmakers Anthony Rendon, Josh Newman and Al Muratsuchi jumped into the race to become California’s next superintendent of public instruction. In a surprise, two of the most influential education organizations in the state — the California Teachers Association and the California Charter Schools Association — bypassed the veteran lawmakers and instead endorsed Democrat Richard Barrera, the president of the San Diego Unified School District. Sonja Shaw, the former Chino Valley Unified School Board President, was endorsed by both Republican gubernatorial candidates.

Who’s ahead: With 46% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., Shaw is leading with 24.7% of the vote. Barrera has netted 19.7% of the vote.

Lieutenant governor

The role of gubernatorial second in command is largely ceremonial, with the largest responsibility involving standing in when the governor is out. The lieutenant governor also sits on several boards and commissions, and has the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote if the state Senate is gridlocked. Three Democrats netted the most money: Josh Fryday, a member of Newsom’s cabinet, followed by state Treasurer Fiona Ma and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs.

Who’s ahead: With 46% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., Ma leads with 20.6% of the vote, trailed by Romero (19.6%) and Fryday (14.3%).

State controller

Democratic incumbent Malia M. Cohen is heading to the general election to defend her seat as the state’s chief accountant. Herb W. Morgan, a Republican who ran on a promise of exposing fraud in government, will be her challenger. Meghann Adams, a school bus driver from San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood also ran for the seat on a progressive platform as a member of the Peace and Freedom Party.

Secretary of state

Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber is heading to the general election in November for the role of the state’s top elections official. Republican Donald P. Wagner, an Orange County supervisor, will be her challenger. Wagner supports requiring voter ID at the polls and criticized Weber for the state’s slow ballot-counting process. Weber was appointed to her role by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 after eight years in the Assembly, and won a four-year term in 2022. She has overseen the implementation of universal mail-in voting in the state, and has pledged to further expand voter access.

Treasurer

Democratic candidates dwarfed Republicans in fundraising for the role of state treasurer, California’s chief banker. The role requires managing and investing unspent taxpayer money and overseeing the state’s borrowing and debts. Anna Caballero, most recently the chair of the state Senate’s powerful Appropriations Committee, and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis both raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from large donors, including unions, tribes, and businesses. Kounalakis originally ran for governor, but dropped out at the end of 2025.

Who’s ahead: With 47% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., Kounalakis has the lead with 36.3% of the vote. Republican candidate Jennifer Hawks, a retired businesswoman, has 26.6%.

Insurance commissioner

Californians get a chance to weigh in on who should regulate the state’s embattled insurance market, which has been grappling with how to cope with insurers leaving the state amid growing wildfire risks. Current and former state Democratic lawmakers Ben Allen and Steven Bradford are among the candidates, as is Democrat Patrick Wolff, a financial analyst whose campaign is largely self-funded. The Republican Party has endorsed insurance agent Stacy A. Korsgaden.

Who’s ahead: With 47% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim has the lead with 24.1% of the vote. Allen is next with 20.3% of the vote, and Korsgaden has 17.5%.

Board of Equalization

This five-member group is the nation’s only elected tax board. It advises county assessors, sets the taxable value of property owned by utilities and railroads, and hears some taxpayer appeals. Four districts are up for election this year: District 1, covering much of inland California; District 2, coastal California north of Los Angeles; District 3, representing the Los Angeles area; and District 4, which encompasses the San Diego area.

Who’s ahead in District 1: With 45% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove has the lead with 36.1% of the vote. Democrat Nelson Esparza is in second with 30.5%.

Who’s ahead in District 2: With 45% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Democratic incumbent Sally J. Lieber has the lead with 53.7% of the vote. Democrat John Pimentel is in second with 14.5%.

Who’s ahead in District 3: With 53% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gipson has the lead with 27% of the vote. Democrat Yvonne Yiu is in second with 13.9%.

Who’s ahead in District 4: With 49% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Republican Denis Bilodeau has the lead with 47% of the vote. Democratic State Sen. Tom Umberg is in second with 20.8%.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle from "Aladdin," has died. He was 75.

His family said in a statement that Bryson died Tuesday evening, days after having a stroke.

"While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit," the family's statement said. "His legacy and music will live on for generations to come."

Internationally celebrated for his Disney classics, Bryson also built a career over five decades as one of R&B's premier balladeers, recording hits including "Feel the Fire," "I'm So Into You" and "Can You Stop the Rain."

"For more than five decades, Peabo's extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life's most cherished moments," the family's statement said. "His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration."

Peabo Bryson smiles at the European premiere of "Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon," in London, Nov. 2, 2011.

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Joel Ryan

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AP Photo

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Born and raised in South Carolina, the singer, songwriter and balladeer launched his career with the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display in the 1970s. Shortly afterward, Atlanta label Bang Records signed him as a solo artist.

He recorded for Capitol, Elektra and Columbia Records and became one of music's most sought-after duet partners. Aside from Belle and Dion, he also collaborated with artists including Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole.

His duet with Flack, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," became one of the defining love songs of the 1980s, while "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" helped expand his audience beyond R&B radio. He later scored No. 1 R&B hits with "Show & Tell" and "Can You Stop the Rain."

Beyond music, Bryson appeared in stage productions including "Raisin," "The Wiz" and "Porgy and Bess." In 2018, he returned with "Stand for Love," his 21st studio album, produced by hitmaking duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Bryson had a stroke in late May and was placed under medical care.

"At this time, the family requests privacy as they navigate this deeply personal moment together," a statement from his representative read at the time. "The thoughts, prayers and love of friends and fans are welcomed and deeply appreciated."

In 2019, Bryson made a full recovery after having a heart attack.

Comedian and television host Loni Love said she worked with Bryson on a cruise ship last year and spoke with him for hours on the deck one night after she noticed him sitting alone.

"He shared incredible stories, spoke passionately about his music, and had such a deep love for his craft," she wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "I am so grateful to have had that special moment with him."

Bryson's family said memorial and celebration-of-life arrangements will be announced at a later date.
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