The Brief

This year’s Greater L.A. Homeless Count, which kicks off Tuesday, will give us the most concrete data we have yet to understand whether the region is making progress on reducing homelessness. There are big stakes — in particular for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who took office in late 2022 on a pledge to make reducing homelessness her top priority.

Whatever the official results are, the policies pursued in the future — and the people we put in charge to implement them — will also depend heavily on how Angelenos feel about the way things are going.

We wanted to take a temperature check on where those feelings stand. So last year, we distributed a survey.

Among the questions we asked: Do you feel like homelessness across L.A. has improved or gotten worse since Mayor Bass took office?

More than two-thirds of respondents told us it’s stayed the same or gotten worse.

An important note: This is by no means a scientific survey and nowhere near representative of a city of 4 million. That said, we heard from about 500 respondents. The answers help us get a better sense of whether Angelenos are seeing any changes and what they think of the direction the city is taking.

Here’s a breakdown with some insights from the wide range of answers we received. For transparency, we’ve included a map at the bottom of the story showing where these responses came from.

How has homelessness changed in your neighborhood?

First, the official data: Last year’s homeless count, conducted in January 2024, showed a 10% drop in the number of people sleeping outdoors across the city compared with the year before. There was a nearly 18% increase in sheltered homelessness, reflecting a shift in people moving from the streets to being indoors. The overall number of people experiencing homelessness in L.A. city, and across L.A. County, essentially remained flat.

But the degree to which you might notice any difference depends on where you are. The visibility and experience of homelessness varies across neighborhoods and even street to street.

So it’s no surprise that most of the survey responses we got were extremely mixed, even from within the same neighborhood. However, some trends did stick out.

Downtown L.A.

In downtown L.A., the vast majority of respondents said they felt homelessness had either stayed the same or increased.

Here’s what some of our readers said when asked for more detail:

• “As camps have closed in other areas, we have seen an increase in homeless and drug trafficking in DTLA. Specifically, the area surrounding the 7th Street Metro station entrances on Fig, Flower and Hope.” — Ralph P.
• “I used to pass two encampments when walking west on 3rd Street between Central Avenue and Main Street for years. They are now gone. Even in Skid Row, there are less tents blocking sidewalks. The bridge on Los Angeles in Chinatown passing over the 101 [Freeway] is now clear on both sides. ... Although there are still many people living on the street completely unsheltered (not even tents) and tented, downtown neighborhoods have improved significantly.” — Catherine Z.
• “It's heartbreaking, and it seems that no matter how much we spend or how many programs launch, nobody ever comes to help these souls.” — Ryan H.

Mar Vista

In Mar Vista, a handful of our readers said homelessness had noticeably decreased.

• “Many of the larger encampments have had their members housed temporarily in motels and hotels, and thus the local parks, sidewalks and freeway underpasses are no longer populated by our homeless community members. There are still encampments reoccurring in previously [cleared] sites, and areas with RVs and tents remain in some sites. Some homeless are now housed and seeking employment, and gaining medical and mental health services.” — Richard H.
• “We now have a few older homeless people, by themselves, on Venice Blvd. and adjacent blocks. We used to have several encampments (with 10-20 people), on Venice and just off Venice Blvd. ... These are gone.” — Kristin K.

Hollywood

In Hollywood, responses were almost exactly evenly split.

• “Same encampments all over Hollywood Blvd., from the 101 all the way to Gower.” — Patrick O.
  
• “Hollywood has had several successful Inside Safe operations — in specific spots where there were encampments, there are now none. They received housing. Of course, there are still many unhoused people in Hollywood — but this represents a tremendous win.” — Marian B.

• “I live in central Hollywood. I don’t just see our unhoused neighbors, I know their faces. I talk to them. I walk, don’t drive, and take the Red Line subway. Dramatically fewer folks are on streets or in parks in July ‘24 vs March ‘24, versus any point in 2023, and then in 2022/2021 similarly. Dramatically fewer.” — Rob

Below are some highlights from other neighborhoods.

Most respondents don’t think we’re making progress overall

While our readers had varying thoughts on how homelessness is affecting specific neighborhoods across L.A., a majority of the survey respondents agreed that, citywide, homelessness was about the same or worse from when Bass came into office. Here’s the breakdown of responses we received.

We asked respondents to elaborate and categorized those responses into a couple of themes. Among those who thought things were improving, most attributed it to personally seeing a decrease in homelessness in their neighborhoods. Others expressed confidence in the city’s approach and policies and said things were generally going in the right direction.

• “Well, I'm both appreciative and wary. The drop in encampments has legitimately improved our quality of life. We had two encampments that cut off our pedestrian access to Hollywood. I couldn't send my teens down to the farmers market on Saturday without supervision, and now I feel better doing so. But can it last?” — Gabrielle P., Hollywood
• “Mayor Bass' Inside Safe program is instrumental in bringing people indoors. Direct outreach to encampments is absolutely necessary to make contact with people in the encampments. Medical services, mental health services are necessary to keep those individuals from becoming more ill. The program is not perfect because social services are stretched thin, but it is a program on the right track.” — Jane D., Eagle Rock

Among those who thought things had not changed or were getting worse, most said their answer was based on not having seen any real signs of progress, be it long-term housing solutions or a decrease in visible homelessness. Others said government officials needed to focus more on other aspects of the crisis, like housing affordability, mental health and drug treatment.

• “I see no increase in the quality of life for homeless or those who share their communities with homeless.” — Daniel D., West L.A.
• “Unhoused people seem to be dislocated, but that just means they move to another location, and on and on. While I notice fewer people in my neighborhood, I haven't seen that translate to significant changes in the citywide landscape, as moving a person from one neighborhood just means they go to another.” — Amanda C., Echo Park
• “I don't think this is necessarily Mayor Bass' sole fault — our systems to address homelessness in LA City and County are highly dysfunctional. But the main reason is that we have not built enough housing in this city.” — Shikha B., Westlake

Who responded to the survey?

The survey received a total of 521 responses. Sixty-five of them came from outside the city of L.A., so Mayor Bass does not govern their neighborhoods. Here’s a map of where the responses came from. The survey opened on June 27, 2024, and remains open. The results reflect responses submitted between June and November 2024.

Take the survey yourself

If you read through these results and want to chime in with your own thoughts, we’re still collecting responses.

Fill in your answers below and we’ll have a fresh update on these results after the 2025 Homeless Count numbers are released.

The Trump administration on Thursday released its plan to open up federal waters off the coast of California to oil drilling, taking a momentous step that state leaders and environmentalists had long expected.

The Interior Department’s proposal, which sets up a direct confrontation with Sacramento on energy and climate change, would also allow drilling in federal waters off the coast of Alaska and the Southeastern U.S. It would rip up a ban on new offshore drilling in most of these places that President Joe Biden signed a few weeks before he left office.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing that ban on his first day in office in January, and last month, a federal judge in Louisiana ruled Biden had overstepped his authority.

Administration officials argued that the move to open federal waters to new oil and gas leases will help restore energy security and protect American jobs.

“By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a press release.

Gov. Gavin Newsom previously said the plan would be “dead on arrival” and promised attendees at an international climate conference last week that California would immediately sue.

On Thursday, his office quickly blasted the proposal as “idiotic” and “reckless.” He added that it “endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians.”

Companies have drilled very little oil off the coast of California since the 1969 Union Oil platform blowout spilled 4.2 million barrels of crude into the waters 6 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, catalyzing an environmental movement.

Newsom’s press release included a photo of a bird covered in crude oil, with a caption that said, “If Trump gets his way, coming to a beach near you soon!”

Numerous California lawmakers, including Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Jared Huffman, hastily convened a media call to push back on the plan.

Padilla called it “another outrageous announcement” from an “out of control administration.”

Rep. Jimmy Panetta compared the proposal to Trump’s controversial renovation of the White House.

“The California coastline is not the East Wing of the White House,” he said.

The Democratic lawmakers are supporting legislation that would prohibit new oil and gas leases off the West Coast.

The public will have a 60-day window to comment on the plan when it appears in the Federal Register on Monday.

Orange County isn't where you'd expect to find your next great bagel. But that's exactly what's happening in Irvine and Costa Mesa, where bakeries are proving that the future of bagels isn't about replicating New York — it's about reinventing it with California's best ingredients.

Three shops have quietly been reinvigorating an old formula, taking inspiration from traditional East Coast-style bagel shops while using farm-sourced ingredients to create something unlike anything else in Southern California (or the country).

Read on and enjoy these maximalist offerings.

RISE Bagels (Irvine)

The One Fish from RISE Bagels in Irvine, featuring a bright, silky lox bagel layered with sweet yellow tomatoes, pickled onions, and plenty of dill.

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Ron De Angelis

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Chef John Park's bagel philosophy stemmed from his desire for something lighter than traditional, heavy New York bagels. Park and his team opened RISE Bagels earlier this month in an upscale Irvine business park, tucked away like an oasis among pristine high-rise buildings.

Park aims for bagels with a crispy crust and more air pockets. These aren't special sourdough or crazy fermentation projects — just a focus on achieving lighter crust and crumb.

RISE offers signature open-face options like the One Fish ($20), featuring smoked salmon with citrus notes (orange, lime, lemon, dill, coriander, fennel, black pepper), a balanced sweet-salty ratio, and pickled onions with yuzu kosho, a fermented paste containing chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt. The Two Fish ($23) adds dashi-marinated salmon roe for a touch of sweetness and smokiness.

Closed sandwich options include Get Jjigae With It ($18), with beef bulgogi, kimchi jjigae, scrambled eggs, American cheese, sesame leaf, soy-pickled radish, cucumber, and ssam jang schmear made from fermented soybeans and chili paste. The Jersey Boy features Taylor ham, soft scrambled egg, American cheese, ketchup, and Tokyo Negi schmear — a Japanese long onion spread sourced from Girl and Dough farm in San Diego.

On my recent visit, the One Fish delivered a level of freshness that nearly knocked me off my feet — a touch of salty brine as if it had just been harvested from nearby San Clemente beaches. The Jersey Boy brought me back to land with sweet, gooey flavors from soft scrambled egg, melty American cheese, and ketchup, with just the right amount of salty notes in between.

Boil &  Bake (Costa Mesa)

Boil & Bake in Costa Mesa features fresh figs over cream cheese with a heavy drizzle of hot honey and a scatter of sesame seeds on their black and white sesame bagel.

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Gab Chabrán

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Carlos Perez's bagel education began at 8, working under his father, also named Carlos, when the family took over Shirley’s Bagels, an Orange County staple. But the son of Guatemalan immigrants wanted to move beyond Restaurant Depot products and machine-made dough. After working his way from dishwasher to manager at local restaurants, he felt ready to open his own place. He connected with Chef Luke Bramm, who'd trained in fine dining kitchens and specialized in curing meats, through a mutual chef friend. Together, they opened Boil & Bake in Costa Mesa, developing a three-day sourdough process and strict farm-sourcing philosophy, seasonally editing the menu — removing items entirely when local ingredients aren't available.

The menu splits between open-face bagels and sandwiches, emphasizing California ingredients and house-made products. The O.G. features Guatemalan-style longaniza sausage with cilantro aji crema (a nod to Perez's heritage), while The Dodger pairs Native Cure smoked salmon with pickled onions instead of traditional capers. The Fully Loaded Lox ($20) goes maximalist with house-cured fish, cucumber, radish, and sprouts. The M.F. takes a more inventive route with maple-fennel sausage and sweet-onion Aleppo aioli. Valdivia Farms heirloom tomatoes and La Bahn Ranch eggs appear throughout, reinforcing the local-sourcing philosophy. Most items range from $14 to $17.

On my visit, I ordered a black-and-white sesame bagel topped with black figs and hot honey, that day's special. Quartered black figs with their deep purple-red flesh glistened under a drizzle of hot honey. It feels more California farmers market than traditional East Coast bagel shop, with fresh-tasting, light flavors that work well together.

Deli Seoul Bagels (Costa Mesa)

A beautifully chaotic egg, tofu, and cheese combination — runny, melty, and nestled inside an egg bagel, made with Irene's chili mayo from Deli Seoul.

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Also in Costa Mesa is Deli Seoul, a mother-and-son operation run by Jun and Irene Wang. Irene opened Deli Seoul in 2008 in a busy shopping center off Harbor Boulevard as a traditional bagel shop. Jun joined later after leaving the tech industry. It was only in the last year that the family decided to lean into their Korean heritage in bagel form.

The breakfast menu operates on a build-your-own model: customers start with a bagel or bread ($7.50 base, $9.85 with protein), then add cheese and protein. Korean options set it apart: Seoul steak with a sweet sauce, spicy pork, sweet-glazed Spam and marinated organic tofu sit alongside traditional bacon and sausage. Specialty bagels include coconut, pineapple, and Asiago. Sauces range from standard mayo to Irene's Korean chili mayo and chipotle mayo. It's customization that appeals to both traditionalists and adventurous eaters.

Jun Wang and his mother Irene pose together in the kitchen area of Deli Seoul in Costa Mesa.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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By my third stop that day, I was experiencing a bit of bagel burnout, despite my love for them. So I ordered something different: a bagel sandwich with scrambled egg and marinated tofu, with Irene's Korean chili mayo on an egg bagel. The combination was surprisingly light and flavorful, perfectly summing up what Deli Seoul offers — a delightfully diverse array of flavors from an approachable perspective that still represents what's happening with bagels in Orange County.

Infant formula linked to a botulism outbreak that has sickened dozens of babies across 15 states may still be on store shelves even after being recalled, federal health officials say.

As of Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, 31 cases of suspected or confirmed infant botulism have been reported in babies who consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula and got sick between August and mid-November.

No deaths have been reported. But all 31 babies were hospitalized with the illness, which can cause a potentially life-threatening form of gradual paralysis in infants less than a year old.

"Epidemiologic and laboratory data show that ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which is causing infant illness in multiple regions of the country," the FDA said.

ByHeart Whole Nutrition recalled two batches of its infant formula earlier this month before expanding the recall to all of its products — which include cans and single-serve packets — last week. They are sold at major retailers — including Target, Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods — and online nationwide, with some products shipped to customers outside the U.S.

ByHeart, which describes itself as a "next-generation baby nutrition company," first hit the market in 2022. The FDA says its products make up "approximately 1%" of all infant formula sold in the U.S., so it does not have concerns about a potential shortage.

In an apology note to parents, ByHeart says it is cooperating with the FDA and "investigating every facet of our process" to identify the cause of the outbreak.

In the meantime, the company — along with the FDA — is urging adults to stop using the formula and monitor their babies for symptoms of botulism. The FDA is also asking stores to stop selling the product.

But in its Wednesday update, the agency said it had "received reports that recalled formula is still being found on store shelves in multiple states." NPR has reached out to the FDA for more information but did not hear back by publication time.

The FDA says it is working with state partners and retailers "to ensure an effective recall" as its investigation into the outbreak continues.

ByHeart infant formula was removed from shelves at a Walmart store in Temecula, Calif..

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JoNel Aleccia

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What we know about the outbreak

As of Wednesday, the FDA said the 31 cases had been reported in 15 states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

The outbreak has grown since the FDA first announced its investigation on Nov. 8. At that point, it said that out of an estimated 83 cases of infant botulism reported nationwide since August, 13 of the infants had consumed ByHeart formula at some point.

That raised red flags because botulism is uncommon in dairy products and "there is no historical precedent of infant formula causing infant botulism," the FDA said.

In response, ByHeart promptly recalled two batches of its products. The next day, it announced that the California Department of Public Health had tested a sample from one of those batches, and the result came back positive for Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes infant botulism.

That sample came from an opened can, which ByHeart originally said did not prove that its product was to blame (as the bacteria can occur naturally in places like soil and dust). But in an FAQ on its website, it now says further testing by a third-party group identified the bacteria in some samples of unopened formula, too.

ByHeart says the FDA informed it in a "late-night call" on Nov. 10 that it had found two more cases of infant botulism in babies that had consumed its formula. The next day, ByHeart, citing "too many unanswered questions," recalled all of its products and released information for parents about how to switch to a different formula brand.

What to know about infant botulism 

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium botulinum. When a baby swallows the spores, "they grow in the gut and make toxin," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms can appear three to 30 days after consuming the bacteria, and generally start with constipation, poor feeding, difficulty swallowing and loss of head control.

"If untreated, infants with infant botulism experience a progressive, flaccid paralysis that can lead to breathing difficulties and require weeks of hospitalization," the CDC says.

Treatment for infant botulism involves an antitoxin known as BabyBIG, which is administered through an IV.

The CDC says parents should stay vigilant for several weeks after their baby last consumed ByHeart formula. They are advised to wash contaminated surfaces and label any leftover powder "DO NOT USE" and store it safely for a month, in case their infant develops symptoms and the state health department wants to test it.

The CDC says parents should seek immediate medical care if they see any concerning symptoms, and also directs them to an infant botulism outbreak hotline from the California Department of Public Health set up specifically to respond to this outbreak.

What the company is doing 

ByHeart says it is conducting its own "extensive testing" and giving the FDA "complete and unrestricted access to all of our facilities and products for their investigation."

The company has released more resources for customers in the days since the recall, like a 24/7 support hotline and refunds for purchases since October.

It has also pledged to implement stronger safeguards and testing in the future, saying that Clostridium botulinum was "not among the pathogens routinely tested for across the industry" — until now.

In the meantime, several affected family members have taken legal action.

The parents of two four-month-olds who were hospitalized with infant botulism — in Arizona and Kentucky — filed separate federal lawsuits last week. They accused ByHeart of negligence and are seeking compensation for medical bills and emotional distress after both their daughters required hospitalization. A separate class-action suit filed in New York alleges deceptive marketing.

ByHeart told NPR over email that it cannot comment on litigation, but reiterated its commitment to supporting families and the FDA's investigation.
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