Taste of Cambodia Town

Food

Exploring the Long Beach neighborhood

Gab Chabrán covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.

Published September 27, 2024 5:00 AM

A man with a medium-dark skin tone squeezes a lime over a white bowl of soup topped with white bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. Only the bottom part of his face is visible. He is holding a clear blue plastic water cup next to the bowl, and next to the bowl is a golden yellow piece of fried bread.

Beef Stew Noodle from Phnom Penh Noodle Shack in Cambodia Town in Long Beach.

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Julie Leopo

for LAist

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Topline:

Long Beach houses the largest population of Cambodians outside of the country, with Cambodia Town the location of some great restaurants. LAist food editor Gab Chabrán met up with James Tir, a Cambodian American food influencer, to learn more about the cuisine.

What’s on the menu? Charred fragrant beef sticks, Texas meets Cambodian BBQ, smooth and creamy noodles, a very bitter green and whole fried yellow catfish, to name a few.

How is it different to other South Asian cuisines? “It’s less about balance and subtlety and more about enjoying a broad range of experiences in one sitting, unabashedly playing with bitter and acrid flavors," Tir says.

I’ve lived in Long Beach for almost seven years. While I’ve eaten my way through many of the city’s food offerings, I’ve only made it to Cambodia Town's restaurants a handful of times.

Part of that was because it wasn’t something I knew much about. What should I order? How is it different from other Southeast Asian cuisines, like Vietnamese or Thai?

Unconsciously, I think I was holding out for a chance to experience the food firsthand from someone who understood its culture and origins.

So when James Tir, an Instagram food influencer, aka Long Beach Food Coma (LBFoodComa), reached out to ask if I wanted to take a tasting tour of Cambodia Town restaurants, I immediately said yes.

From left, LAist Food Editor Gab Chabrán and James Tir, food influencer known as LB Food Coma, share a meal at Monorom in Long Beach

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Julie Leopo

LAist

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Tir is Cambodian-American and grew up in Long Beach. He regularly covers a variety of food in the city and has the knowledge of Khmer cuisine I was looking for. He seemed the perfect guide.

When we met, he explained that Long Beach became a landing spot for Cambodians in the 1970s and 1980s after the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror. And, like many immigrants, they brought their traditional cuisine with them.

Cambodian cooking is influenced by rice fields, tropical jungles, and the Mekong River, using ingredients such as lemongrass, tamarind, and prahok (fermented mudfish).

Most people’s reference point for Southeast Asian cuisine is Thai or Vietnamese food, but Tir says Cambodian cuisine is distinctive.

“Its flavor profiles are less about balance and subtlety and more about enjoying a broad range of experiences in one sitting,” he says. “It unabashedly plays with bitter and acrid flavors and harmonizes with, rather than hides the intensity of, those dishes.”

With that quick education, we were on our way.

About Cambodia Town

Cambodia Town is a 1.2-mile stretch along Anaheim Street between Atlantic and Junipero Avenues.
It’s home to the largest Khmer (also known as Cambodian; the two terms can be used interchangeably) population in the U.S.
Many Cambodians arrived in Long Beach as refugees in 1980s after the overthrow of the totalitarian Khmer Rouge regime.

Battambong BBQ (Smoked Twako)

A close-up of a giant smoker painted black with both doors open. At the back you can see a glimpse of a man with a medium-dark skin tone, wearing a pale yellow cowboy hat and square sunglasses, tending to the two shelves of smoked meats on their own and in large aluminum trays.

James:

It’s hard to talk about Cambodian-American cuisine without mentioning Chad “The Cambodian Cowboy” Phuong’s take on Cambodian-Texan fusion.

His hardened journey from the war-torn countryside of Cambodia to the panhandle of Texas to the streets of Long Beach has instilled a uniquely Khmer twang to the smoke-encrusted meats of Texan-style barbecue. His brisket is kissed by the heat of Kampot black pepper (a sharper sting compared to the more citrussy ubiquitous Tellicherry); his pork belly is lacquered in a soy sauce, scorched sugar, ginger, and star anise-tinged dance on your tongue, and his twako is the showstopper.

The twako is a Khmer descent sausage comprising ground beef, galangal, and rice. The galangal effuses a depth that’s more floral than its cousin, ginger, whilst the rice ferments the sausage, adding a nice acidic bite to the affair.

The casing has a snap, but its contents spill from the tiniest toothy massage. Traditionally grilled, Phuong tosses them into a smoker adding an extra layer to the complex sausage.

An overhead view of a brown paper tray with checkered black and white paper on top. The tray is filled with various types of cooked meats and is placed against an unfinished wood surface. On the left side, there are two separate rectangular paper containers holding different kinds of vegetables.

Gab:

I’d actually sampled Battambong BBQ before our tour. Phuong has staged several pop-ups all over Long Beach since 2022 and can also be found at Smorgasburg, LA, every Sunday.

While we were there specifically to try the twako, Phuong didn’t miss miss an opportunity to showcase his battalion of ‘cue consisting of beef sausage, brisket, and tri-tip. The pork belly ends stood out for me; small rectangular cubes of pork belly with a sweetly coated caramelized outside and a succulent inside.

I inhaled the twako, though. It contained earthy umami notes, similar to hearty mushrooms, recalling morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) but with more sweetness. The addition of smoke catapulted the sausage to the next level entirely.

Location and Hours: Check Instagram

Phnom Penh Noodle Shack (Beef Stew Noodles)

James:

Sitting on the northwest border of Cambodia Town is the tiny but mighty Phnom Penh Noodle Shack. Opening in 1985, it was the first Cambodian restaurant in the region, serving up piping hot bowls of noodles to the Khmer community. The eponymous shack is famous for one thing: Phnom Penh noodles, a regionally distinct rice noodle dish that is a close cousin of Vietnam’s phở.

However spectacular that dish may be, the beef stew noodles (khor ko) might be my personal favorite. It has colonial French roots, drawing inspiration from beef bourguignon, but is punctuated by the flavors of lemongrass, star anise, and fish sauce, neatly commingling with the acidity of tomato paste. This collagen-thickened broth suspends tender chunks of tripe, tendon, and braised beef between delicate strands of rice noodles.

When paired with cha quai, a crispy, broth-sopping length of deep-fried bread, the dish is elevated to another level of satisfaction.

The interior of a small dining room inside a restaurant overlooks a larger dining area. Various groups are seated at tables of different sizes, enjoying their meals and engaging in conversation. The patrons have diverse skin tones and represent different genders. A woman with black hair and attire is sitting between both rooms and inputting an order into a computer. Framed artwork adorns the walls in both dining areas.

Gab:

James really took me to school with this dish. I thought it would be similar to Taiwanese beef noodle soup, but this was not that. It was a large bowl of deep red broth filled with rice noodles and tripe. At this point, James looked up from the bowl with a soft smile and said, “It’s like menudo.”

James, of course, was right on the money with his Mexican soup reference. The thick cuts of tripe and chunks of beef sop up the tangy, starchy taste of the rice noodles, and the collagen from the tendon adds to the soup's viscosity, delivering spoonful after spoonful of hearty comfort. The result tastes and feels like it has exceptional therapeutic properties — perfect for curing a hangover.

Location: 1644 Cherry Ave., Long Beach
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pho Hong Phat (Banh Sung)

James:

Pho Hong Phat is a Cambodian-owned phở restaurant serving some of the best Vietnamese noodles in the city. What betrays the facade of the primarily Vietnamese menu is the “not pho” section, which includes Phnom Penh noodle soup, Hainan chicken rice, and banh sung.

Banh sung is the Cambodian cousin of the Vietnamese bún chả giò, both of which are a vermicelli noodle salad with fried egg rolls. The aforementioned shares a bowl with leafy greens, a wealth of herbs, shredded carrots, and grilled marinated pork, resulting in a salad that involves a carousel of textures.

Like the bún chả giò, it’s served with sweet fish sauce, chili sauce, and crushed peanuts. Unlike bún chả giò, the Khmer variant also incorporates more than a splash of coconut milk steeped with chopped green onion. The last ingredient mellows out the intensity of the fish sauce, creating an experience that coats the palate with a bright umami.

A large white bowl is placed on a dark grey surface. Inside the bowl, there are cooked thin white noodles topped with two fried egg rolls cut into three pieces each, cooked brown meat, and sliced green onions. Next to the bowl, in the bottom right corner, is a small bowl containing opaque white liquid. In the upper right corner is a small container with a metal spout and a printed black-and-white label that reads "peanuts."

Gab:

I’ve eaten at Pho Hong Phat a few times, but I’ve inhaled the sweet smell of the pho broth simmering in the kitchen far more often.

That’s because they open at 8 a.m. for folks looking for hot breakfast soup. When I stop for coffee at the cafe across the street, Good Time, (a local favorite amongst locals, including myself and James), I often get an enticing whiff of the day’s cooking wafting over.

I had only eaten pho during my previous visits, but James opened my eyes to the “not pho” section featuring Khmer options. Adding the pleasant flavors of coconut milk brought a new depth to the cold rice noodle dish. The smooth texture and creaminess provided a nice balance with a mix of greens, peanuts, and sliced bits of eggroll, which are always a winner.

The exterior of a small, two-story corner restaurant is painted grey. It has white signage with red lettering that reads "Pho Hong Phat Restaurant." There is a light green pillar next to the glass door entrance, leading from the sidewalk. A row of parked cars is next to the sidewalk, and there is a person standing next to the car closest to the corner.

Location: 3243 E Anaheim St, Long Beach
Hours: Monday through Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Wednesday

A & J Seafood Shack (Lemongrass Beefsticks)

James:

At one point in my life, I worked many years both front and back of the house at Hak Heang, a banquet-style Cambodian-Chinese seafood joint in Long Beach that served as a hub for the Khmer community since the early 90s. Be it weddings or graduation parties, it was a special occasion spot, where you’d get wok-fired lobster or crab that’s been tossed in a medley of jalapeño heat and MSG to flex your wealth while downing generous shots of Hennessy cognac.

A & J takes this concept and serves these revered dishes (sans cognac, as far as I know) out of takeout boxes — allowing you to enjoy these special occasion experiences in a more casual context.

Though a seafood joint serving some Viet-Cajun boils, they are Khmer through and through, embedding both lemongrass beef sticks and twako on their seafood-studded roll call.

The beef sticks, in particular, are an item found on most Khmer menus. The beef is marinated in kroueng, a mortar-and-pestle bashed paste of lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves and chilies that’s pervasive throughout the cuisine. It’s then skewered on bamboo sticks and cooked over an open flame. The outcome is a supple treat that is crispy from the char of the grill.

It’s hard to beat the time-tested formula of meat on a stick.

A small outdoor shack is situated on a street corner. It is painted brown with red metal stools and tall, thin tables outside. A medium-sized palm tree is next to the sidewalk in the left corner. Two people are standing at the window where you can place an order. Above them is a blue awning affixed to the takeout window, with a printed sign that reads "A & J Seafood Shack." The sign features a red cartoon lobster and color photos of different food dishes.

The exterior of A&J Seafood Shack in Long Beach.

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Julie Leopo

LAist

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A clear plastic to-go container with its lid open is on a light grey concrete surface. The container is filled with cooked white rice topped with three skewers of brown meat covered with green cilantro leaves. In the right corner is a small portion of shredded white and orange vegetables.

The Beef Stick Rice dish from A&J Seafood Shack

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Julie Leopo

LAist

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Gab:

I featured A&J in my Cheap Fast Eats Long Beach edition. It’s a great option for their Cambodian dishes and various pan-Asian-inspired dishes, including their garlic shrimp plates, which take nods from shrimp trucks from the North Shore area of Oahu.

In my previous visits, I’ve opted for the beef stick sandwich, made with a demi baguette-style roll (similar to Viet Bahn mi or Khmer num pang) containing two beef sticks, green pickled papaya slaw, and Sriracha mayo. Per James's recommendation, we had the beef sticks on their own over a bed of rice and a side of slaw.

The ultra-savory flavors of the aromatic beef, mixed with the light char and forkfuls of jasmine rice, make for a great light meal.

Location: 3201 E Anaheim St., Long Beach
Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monorom Cambodian Restaurant (Prahok Ktis)

James:

Monorom, like A & J, also has a fantastic lemongrass beef stick. But they also have a catalog of traditional eats such as the prahok ktis (or prahok creme as they have it labeled on their menu).

One of the most common ways food is consumed in Cambodia is to have an assortment of in-season vegetables and a dip, precisely what you’d get with prahok ktis.

It’s ground pork married with the pungency of prahok paste, the omnipresent fermented mudfish product, and the creaminess of coconut milk. The prahok ktis are presented with a shallow basket carrying thin cross sections of raw Chinese eggplant, Thai eggplant, cucumber, yardlong beans, and cabbage.

The interior of Monorom

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Julie Leopo

LAist

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A plate with a white to-go wrapper contains two rows of uncooked Chinese eggplant and cucumber alongside a thick wedge of lemon and long green beans. Additionally, there are wedges of green cabbage and two red and green Thai chiles. In the foreground, on the right side, is a medium-sized ceramic bowl containing thick red liquid with thinly sliced red bell pepper and thinly cut-up green herbs added.

The Prahok ktis dish from Monorom

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Julie Leopo

LAist

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Gab:

During my previous food tour of Little Arabia with my colleague Yusra Farzan, there were a couple of moments when I entered small family-owned restaurant spaces and felt as if I were inside their living room.

Monorom carries a similar vibe with its seating setup. During our stop there, a multigenerational family was enjoying a meal together, adding to the personal nature of the atmosphere.

The extensive menu felt overwhelming. Luckily, we already had a plan to start with the prahok ktis.

The cut-up raw vegetables come with a side of the reddish-orange prahok paste containing loose bits of ground pork, which makes for an excellent dip. It made me think of that Northern Thai dish, nam phrig noom (a roasted green chili dip) served with crispy frieded pork skins, which is go-to order of mine and my family at Renu Narkron in nearby Norwalk.

Location: 2150 E Anaheim St., Long Beach
Hours: Monday through Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Wednesday.

Crystal Thai Cambodian (Trei Aundain Chean)

The small restaurant's dining area was filled with green vinyl booths, with small groups seated at them. A row of long tables and wooden chairs were in the empty room. The walls were painted bright orange, and modern blue light fixtures hung over each booth. In the background, a small counter space with a slight overhang built around it is painted purple on the outside. Various plants were placed throughout the restaurant, and framed artwork adorned the walls.

James:

Much more Khmer than Thai, Crystal Thai Cambodian is the quintessential spot for experiencing a traditional Cambodian meal — things you’d find in a Khmer home, where parents and grandparents have preserved culinary memories of a pre-genocide Cambodia.

Their menu is a voluminous encyclopedia of the Khmer greatest hits, ranging from the backyard party noodle nom p’jok (a thick rice vermicelli noodle dish that’s beset by a turmeric-stained catfish broth) to duck feet salad (a mélange of saccharine-vinegar slaw dotted with the cartilaginous webbed feet of waterfowl).

When I’m looking to impress the adventurous, I always order the trei aundain chean, which translates to whole fried yellow catfish. The catfish arrives at the table with a bouquet of greens, including slivers of green leaf lettuce, Vietnamese coriander, fish mint, bean sprouts, cucumber, and branches of sadao—the latter of which are the flower buds of the neem tree. Imagine the pithy florets of broccoli but with a medicinally astringent flavor. It’s bitter. Incredibly so.

You begin this meal by tearing into the catfish, peeling away the chicharrón crispy skin, and revealing a brilliant yellow flesh. The flesh is flaky, moist, and surprisingly clean-tasting despite the jaundiced pallor — not fishy. Then, you nest the contents into a leaf of lettuce, stack the herbs high, and roll yourself a wrap.

The wrap is accompanied by a sour and sweet tamarind sauce and green mango salad, creating a Russian doll-like flavor experience of slowly unveiling the entire roster of taste with each bite.

A light-skinned hand holds a white soup spoon as it dips into a small white bowl containing a thick, dark brown sauce with chopped bits of green onion. Next is a bowl of chopped vegetables and fruit, resembling a slaw or a salad. Above the bowls is a fried yellow catfish scored throughout its body. There are various green vegetables and herbs on a separate plate above the fish, including Romaine lettuce leaves and cucumbers. Behind the hand holding the spoon is a partially shown bowl of cooked white rice.

Gab:

I had heard tales of Crystal Thai and its bodacious bowls of nom p’jok, the yellow curry dish, for a while now. But James was down to explore the menu a little more.

I can’t remember the last time I had a whole catfish (maybe never, filets, sure). Arriving at your table the fish has been scored and deep-fried, along with a separate plate of greens. The sadao was the standout, given its striking appearance resembling wild baby broccoli. I assembled the the D.I.Y. lettuce wraps with torn chunks of the fish mixed with tamarind sauce and mango salad. It all paired together. Nothing short of memorable.

Location: 1165 E 10th St, Long Beach
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Note: Cash Only

News

Iran war update

Trump says U.S. will leave Iran within a few weeks

By NPR Staff | NPR

Published March 31, 2026 9:11 PM

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Leo Correa

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Topline:

President Donald Trump said today that the United States will be leaving Iran very soon, giving a two to three week timetable.

Why now: Trump's remarks came in response to a question about gas prices — which earlier today hit a national average of $4 a gallon. Asked what he would do about it, Trump said: "All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon, and they'll become tumbling down."
His timeline?: "I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three," Trump said.

Updated March 31, 2026 at 20:14 PM ET

President Trump said on Tuesday that the United States will be leaving Iran very soon, giving a two to three week timetable.

Trump's remarks came in response to a question about gas prices — which earlier Tuesday hit a national average of $4 a gallon. Asked what he would do about it, Trump said: "All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon, and they'll become tumbling down."

"I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three," he added.

Trump also appeared to reverse previous promises about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

"We'll be leaving very soon. And if France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, they'll go up through the strait, the Hormuz Strait, they'll go right up there, and they'll be able to fend for themselves. I think it'll be very safe, actually, but we have nothing to do with that. What happens with the strait? We're not going to have anything to do with it," he said.

Just on Monday, though, Trump offered this threat on social media over the strait reopening: "If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet 'touched.'"

The White House later said Trump would speak to the nation about the war at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Here are more updates from the war in the Middle East:

American journalist kidnapped in Iraq

Iraqi authorities reported a foreign journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad Tuesday. It turned out to be an American freelance reporter, Shelly Kittleson, according to Al-Monitor, a Middle Eastern news site for which she has written articles.

Iraqi security forces said they intercepted a vehicle that crashed and arrested one of the suspected kidnappers, but are stilling searching for the kidnapped journalist and other suspects.

U.S. officials say they're working to get her released.

"The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible," Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said on social media.

He said Americans, including media workers, have been advised not to travel to Iraq and should leave the country. The statement did not condemn the kidnapping or express concern.

Johnson said Iraqi authorities apprehended a suspect associated with Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, believed to be involved in the kidnapping.

This comes as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran enters its second month, and the fallout ricochets across the region.

Press freedom organizations expressed deep concern. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on "Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate Shelley Kittleson, ensure her immediate and safe release, and hold those responsible to account."

Based in Rome, Kittleson has reported on Iraq, as well as Syria and Afghanistan, for years, according to Al-Monitor.

Reporters Without Borders said she is "very familiar with Iraq, where she stays for extended periods."

"RSF stands alongside her loved ones and colleagues during this painful wait," the organization said.

Al-Monitor said in a statement it is "deeply alarmed" by her kidnapping. "We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work," it said.

U.S. defense secretary visits troops

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an undisclosed trip to the Middle East to visit troops over the weekend. He did not divulge the location for the troops' safety.

"I spoke to Air Force and Navy pilots on the flight line who every day both deliver bombs deep into Iran, but also shoot down drones defending their base. Many had just returned from the skies of Iran and Tehran," he told reporters in a briefing Tuesday.

He said he "witnessed an urgency to finish the job" and tried to draw a comparison with America's earlier drawn-out wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said the U.S. is improving bunkers and layered air defenses as a priority to protect troops and aircraft.

This comes after more than a dozen U.S. service members were injured, several severely, and U.S. aircraft were damaged in Iranian strikes on a base in Saudi Arabia last Friday. The Pentagon says 13 U.S. service members have been killed and 300 wounded in what it calls Operation Epic Fury.

He repeated the administration's assertion that the U.S. is negotiating with Iran, despite Iranian officials' denial that talks are happening.

He said the U.S. prefers negotiations, but would not rule out using ground troops.

"In the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs," Hegseth said. "Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge is in a better place if they make that deal."

President Trump told the New York Post he is in talks with Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Security Council meets after U.N. peacekeeper deaths

Countries denounced the killings of three U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon this week as they met for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

"These are sadly not the only dangerous incidents faced by UNIFIL's courageous peacekeepers," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of U.N. peacekeeping, said, using the acronym for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. "There has been a worrying increase in denials of freedom of movement and aggressive behavior."

Lacroix said initial findings suggested two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed Monday in a roadside explosion in southern Lebanon. A day earlier another peacekeeper from Indonesia was killed when a projectile hit a U.N. base, Lacroix said.

Their deaths came as Israeli forces have invaded Lebanon, intensifying a second front in the war in the Middle East. Israel says it is targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The U.N. has not pinned blame and is investigating the incidents.

Ahead of the Security Council meeting, Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, expressed condolences for the Indonesian peacekeepers' deaths.

Danon blamed Hezbollah for laying explosive devices that killed two peacekeepers on Monday.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz paid tribute to the Indonesian peacekeepers and urged Security Council members not to jump to conclusions but to allow the U.N. to investigate.

Indonesia's foreign minister called for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation.

Iran executions, Starlink arrests

Meanwhile, Iran says it has arrested 46 people who were selling Starlink internet connections — one of the few ways that people in Iran have been able to connect to the global internet while authorities block communication. Starlink allows users to connect directly to the internet via satellite, bypassing government firewalls.

Global internet monitor NetBlocks said the country's "internet blackout has entered day 32."

"Extended digital isolation is bringing new challenges for Iranians, from expired domains and accounts to unpatched servers on a degrading national intranet," it said on X.

Iran said it executed two people who had taken part in opposition activities as well as two citizens it accused of spying for the U.S. and Israel.

Rubio accuses Spain's prime minister of "bragging"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday responded to news that Spain had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war by lashing out at the NATO partner. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rubio answered a question about whether the EU and NATO countries had "betrayed the U.S." by focusing on Spain, a NATO member who has publicly adopted a position opposing the war in Iran.

"We have countries like Spain, a NATO member that we are pledged to defend, denying us the use of their airspace and bragging about it, denying us the use of our – of their bases," Rubio said.

Earlier on Monday, Spain Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the country had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war. It is unclear when the closure started — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had hinted at the measure during a parliamentary debate on March 25.

The weekend the U.S. and Israel launched the attack on Iran, flight records showed at least 15 in-flight refueling planes leaving two jointly operated military bases in the south of Spain after not being allowed to provide support for the military action in Iran. Robles later confirmed the decision by the Spanish Government. That triggered a spat between President Trump and Spain's leadership the week after the war started. Trump said from the Oval Office that he would cut off all trade with Spain if the Spanish government did not allow U.S. forces to use the jointly operated bases. In response, Sánchez doubled down on his stance on the war in the Middle East.

Sánchez has relied on his opposition to the war, making it his main platform at the domestic level. Sánchez's Socialist Party has struggled to keep a government coalition from breaking apart, as he faces pressure to keep his party's hopes alive ahead of a parliamentary election due in 2027.

Trump slams allies

President Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among others, on his social media platform.

"All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump had asked allies for help after Iran largely blockaded the vital waterway, sending up oil and gas prices. But they have been hesitant to join in the war, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeating again this week that Britain would not get involved.

"You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!" Trump's post concluded.

He also said France "wouldn't let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory." and called the country "VERY UNHELPFUL."

Dalai Lama calls for peace

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday posted an appeal for an end to war in the Middle East.

"History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace," he said on his official account on X.

"An enduring resolution to conflict, including the ones we see in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine, must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect — approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters," he said.

He said he was adding his plea to one made at the Vatican by Pope Leo during his Palm Sunday Mass, adding: "His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach."

Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv, Israel, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Jennifer Pak in Shanghai, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Miguel Macias in Seville, Spain, Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg, Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan, Quil Lawrence in New York, Giles Snyder, Michele Kelemen and Alex Leff in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR

Federal funds at risk

LAHSA manages hundreds of millions of federal dollars each year, through grants from the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.

O’Neill said the agency has been communicating with HUD officials regularly about the missed audit deadline and is “hoping for understanding.”

Janine Lim, LAHSA’s deputy chief financial officer, said she’s also been talking with HUD.

“They seem amenable to our situation and to our stated timelines,” Lim said. “So, we are hopeful that this will be a good outcome, despite having missed the deadline.”

HUD did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment Tuesday.

What went wrong

Measley said LAHSA’s financial statements should have been turned over around last December, but LAHSA only submitted them this month, after blowing through multiple extended deadlines.

Measley said he contacted LAHSA’s governing commission about the overdue documents March 3.

He said he also previewed his firm’s findings, noting one “significant deficiency” in its draft report, related to LAHSA’s timeliness in detecting accounting errors.

LAHSA could contest those findings, officials said. That would add additional back-and-forth between the homelessness agency and accounting firm before the audit report is ready to file.

Justin Szlasa, a LAHSA commissioner who chairs the audit subcommittee, told LAHSA’s CEO he’s concerned that there was no time provided for LAHSA’s governing body to review the audit report.

“Next year, we will absolutely do that,” O’Neill responded. “I think this year, we were under the gun, and so we felt it was the most important thing was to get it uploaded on time.”

O’Neill said the agency hired accounting firm KPMG to help modernize LAHSA’s financial systems, with a focus on its contractor payments.

“We have an outside, trusted voice to help us create a system that works going forward because the system we have is not working at all, in finance,” O’Neill said.

Civics & Democracy

Voting executive order

Trump wants lists of eligible voters from states

By Ashley Lopez, Benjamin Swasey | NPR

Published March 31, 2026 4:45 PM

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Godofredo A. Vásquez

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Topline:

President Donald Trump has escalated his efforts to influence American elections, signing an executive order that the White House says seeks to create a list of confirmed U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote in each state and use the U.S. Postal Service to "verify" mail ballots are for voters.

Why it matters: Trump has long railed — baselessly — about widespread illegal voting by noncitizens and mail voting fraud. The executive order comes as Trump's Justice Department is seeking sensitive voter data from states, and is engaged in more than two dozen lawsuits for that data. The administration claims it needs the data to enforce states' voter list maintenance. The order also comes as Trump pressures Republicans in Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election overhaul that would impose new voter identification and documentation requirements. That bill is stalled in the Senate due to Democratic opposition and the legislative filibuster.

What's next: Trump said he believes the order is "foolproof." But election experts have already said the order — which was first reported by The Daily Caller — would face immediate legal challenges.

Updated March 31, 2026 at 20:44 PM ET

President Trump on Tuesday escalated his efforts to reshape American elections, signing an executive order that seeks to create lists of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote in each state, and instructing the U.S. Postal Service to send mail ballots only to verified voters.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he believes the order is legally "foolproof." But election experts said the order was unconstitutional, and voting rights advocates and Democratic state officials quickly pledged to sue to block the order from going into effect.

A previous executive order on elections, signed about a year ago, has been blocked by federal judges who said the president lacked the constitutional authority to set voting policy.

The Constitution says the "Times, Places and Manner" of federal elections are determined by individual states, with Congress able to enact changes.

"This Executive Order is a disgusting overreach from the federal government and shows how little the Trump Administration understands about election administration," Adrian Fontes, the Democratic secretary of state of Arizona, said in a statement Tuesday. "We will not let this order stand without a fight and will meet the federal government in court," he added.

Arizona is among more than two dozen states Trump's Department of Justice has sued over access to sensitive voter data.

The Trump administration claims it needs the data to enforce states' voter list maintenance. Federal judges in three states have dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuits in those states.

In another case, a DOJ official admitted in court last week that the department plans to share that voter data with the Department of Homeland Security, to run it through the so-called SAVE system to search for noncitizens.

NPR has reported that some U.S. citizens have also been inaccurately flagged by SAVE.

How the executive order seeks to change voting

Trump has long railed — baselessly — about widespread illegal voting by noncitizens and fraud associated with mail ballots.

The new executive order — which was first reported by The Daily Caller — takes aim at both.

It instructs the Department of Homeland Security, working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, to "compile and transmit to the chief election official of each State a list of individuals confirmed to be United States citizens who will be above the age of 18 at the time of an upcoming Federal election and who maintain a residence in the subject State."

The order then "requires the USPS to transmit ballots only to individuals enrolled on a State-specific Mail-in and Absentee Participation List, ensuring that only eligible absentee or mail-in voters receive absentee or mail-in ballots," according to a White House fact sheet.

Trump's executive order claims that "additional measures are necessary" to secure voting by mail, a form of voting he has used himself — including last week — but also falsely maligned for years. In the 2024 general election, nearly a third of all voters cast mail ballots.

The Postal Service should also review the design of mail ballot envelopes to protect "the integrity of Federal elections," the order says.

Collectively, the provisions would be a significant change to how mail ballot programs are currently administered in American elections, which are largely carried out by state and local officials.

"Our government's citizenship lists are incomplete and inaccurate. The United States Postal Service is overburdened and inadequate. This combines a car crash with a train wreck," the Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for expanded voting access and sued to block Trump's 2025 election executive order, said in a statement.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert at UCLA, wrote on his blog that the order is likely unconstitutional. And regardless, he added, "the timing here makes this virtually impossible to implement in time for November's elections. … It seems highly unlikely any of this could be implemented for 2026, even if it were not blocked by courts."

The order comes as Trump pressures Republicans in Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election overhaul that would impose new voter identification and documentation requirements.

That bill is stalled in the Senate due to Democratic opposition and the legislative filibuster.

The Supreme Court is also expected to rule this year on whether Mississippi should be allowed to count mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received by election officials after Election Day.

The legal challenge, which could have sweeping implications for mail voting nationwide, was filed by the Republican National Committee and Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

News

ICE arrests in LA

Majority in 2025 had no criminal records

By Elly Yu and Jordan Rynning

Published March 31, 2026 3:50 PM

A federal agents guard is out of focus and stands in front of a stone building and an American flag.

Federal agents stand guard outside of a federal building and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in downtown Los Angeles during a demonstration in June.

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Spencer Platt

Getty Images

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Topline:

Federal immigration officials arrested more than 14,000 people in the greater Los Angeles area in 2025 — the majority of whom had no criminal record, according to an LAist analysis of new data from the Deportation Data Project.

What’s new: In 2025, federal officials arrested 14,394 people, up from 4,681 the year prior. Forty-six percent of people arrested had criminal convictions, 15% had pending charges and 39% had no criminal charges or convictions.

Why it matters: Federal officials have highlighted the arrests of the “worst of the worst” in the immigration raids that began in June, including "murderers, kidnappers, sexual predators and armed carjackers,” but haven’t published the details of the number of people who had criminal records.

Federal immigration officials arrested more than 14,000 people in the greater Los Angeles area in 2025 — the majority of whom had no criminal record, according to an LAist analysis of new data from the Deportation Data Project.

The data project, an initiative between UCLA and UC Berkeley, publishes federal data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

In 2025, federal officials arrested 14,394 people, up from 4,681 the year prior. Forty-six percent of people arrested had criminal convictions, 15% had pending charges, and 39% had no criminal charges or convictions.

In a December news release, the Department of Homeland Security said it had arrested more than 10,000 people in the L.A. area since immigration raids began in June of last year, including "murderers, kidnappers, sexual predators and armed carjackers,” but did not publish details of the number of people who had criminal records.

The data from the Deportation Data Project shows that arrests in L.A. spiked in June, and about two-thirds of people arrested that month had no criminal convictions.

More than 313,000 people were arrested by ICE nationwide in 2025, according to an LAist analysis.

In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said the agency has not “verified the accuracy, methodology or analysis of the project and its results” and said “this only reveals how data is manipulated to peddle the false narrative that DHS is not targeting the worst of the worst.” The spokesperson said 61% of people ICE arrested across the country either had criminal convictions or pending charges.

The agency has regularly published press releases identifying people they have arrested and who they have called “the worst of the worst,” including from the raids in L.A. in June. But an LAist investigation and reporting from other outlets has found that some of the people on those lists already has been in custody and were serving lengthy sentences.

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How the executive order seeks to change voting