Nick Gerda
is an accountability reporter who has covered local government in Southern California for more than a decade.
Published April 20, 2025 5:00 AM
Va Lecia Adams Kellum, CEO of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, at a news briefing at L.A. City Hall in June 2023.
(
Gary Coronado
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline: Public records experts say the L.A. Homeless Services Authority is wrongfully refusing to disclose allegations of high-level wrongdoing — including whistleblower retaliation — that led to $800,000 in taxpayer-funded payouts to settle the claims.
The context: Courts have repeatedly ruled these types of records must be disclosed to the public under the California Public Records Act, according to David Loy, a public records attorney at the First Amendment Coalition.
LAHSA's position: The agency argues that several exemptions allow it to withhold the whistleblower retaliation claims Kristina Dixon and Emily Vaughn Henry submitted to LAHSA after they were fired — including attorney-client privilege. But Loy says none of them apply.
Read more ... to find out how the records could potentially come to light.
A lot has been happening with the agency that manages homelessness funding for L.A. city and county.
One of the latest controversies is over public records about alleged wrongdoing at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
As
LAist revealed earlier
, LAHSA leaders and their attorneys at the County Counsel’s Office have repeatedly refused to release public records about allegations of high-level wrongdoing — including whistleblower retaliation — that led to $800,000 in taxpayer-funded payouts to settle the claims.
Legal experts told LAist the documents are being unlawfully withheld.
Courts have repeatedly ruled these types of records must be disclosed to the public under the California Public Records Act, according to David Loy, a public records attorney at the First Amendment Coalition.
The fact that the claims have been settled — and taxpayer money paid out — makes it even more clear that the public has a right to see them, Loy said.
The records “clearly should be available to the public,” he added.
LAHSA argues that several exemptions allow it to withhold the whistleblower retaliation claims Kristina Dixon and Emily Vaughn Henry submitted to LAHSA after they were fired — including attorney-client privilege.
But Loy says none of them apply. For example, attorney-client privilege is about communications between an attorney and their own client — not claims filed by an outside party.
The courts have been clear that legal claims, like the ones LAist requested, have to be disclosed to the public upon request, Loy said. He pointed to cases like
an appellate court ruling against Poway Unified School District
, which found that exemptions like attorney-client privilege do not apply to legal claims.
Legal claims are usually disclosed by local governments without any issue.
In fact, LAHSA itself says it has disclosed all other legal claims to LAist — except the ones over whistleblower retaliation filed by Dixon and Vaughn Henry.
How could the documents get released?
One way is LAHSA’s attorneys could change course and disclose them. But that seems unlikely, particularly after LAist’s repeated requests for disclosure.
Another way is if someone sues and a judge ends up ordering LAHSA to release the records. But such rulings can take months to reach, and can rack up attorney fees that are ultimately paid for by taxpayers.
Yet another way is that a majority of LAHSA’s governing commission could vote to override the attorneys and release the records.
The Santa Ana City Council did that years ago
with a report about alleged wrongdoing that the city attorney had withheld.
Half the 10-member LAHSA Commission is governed by Mayor Karen Bass and the people she appoints. The other half is governed by people appointed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
The commission can hold a special meeting for a vote as quickly as 24 hours after public notification.
Where does the commission stand?
That’s unclear.
LAist reached out to spokespeople for Bass and the five county supervisors, requesting comment from them and the LAHSA commissioners they appointed. They either didn’t respond, or declined to comment.
LAist has tried reaching out to the commissioners directly, using email addresses LAHSA staff provided. But most of those emails bounced back saying messages could not be delivered.
The email account LAHSA staff provided for Bass appears to be an old mayoral account that hasn’t been active for years.
LAHSA falsely said the records were released — then said otherwise
One of LAHSA attorneys, Skolnick, told LAist on Wednesday morning that she was disclosing the records for the two claims LAist asked for. A LAHSA official later said that the records had indeed been disclosed.
But they were not. And after repeated follow ups, Skolnick eventually said the claims will not be released.
Her supervisor, Katherine Bowser, later stood by the refusal to release the records, while declining to respond to Loy’s specific points about the law.
Immigrants sue over conditions in newest CA center
By Nigel Duara and Cayla Mihalovich |CalMatters
Published November 13, 2025 10:17 AM
The CoreCivic California City Immigration Processing Center in California City on Sep. 22, 2025.
(
Miguel Vasconcellos
/
CalMatters
)
Topline:
Immigrants in California’s newest ICE detention center allege they’re experiencing inhumane conditions and that they’re not getting access to lawyers. Until recently, the site was a state prison.
More details: Seven detainees at an
immigration detention center
in California City have sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging the facility is polluted by sewage leaks, infested with bugs and is denying people access to food, water and their lawyers.
About the detention center: ICE opened the immigration detention center at the site of a closed prison and began admitting detainees in August. On average, there were
about 480 people
held in the detention center each day in September, and the facility has the capability to house up to 2,560 people. The lawsuit asserts 800 people are now housed there.
Read on... for more about the lawsuit.
Seven detainees at an
immigration detention center
in California City have sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging the facility is polluted by sewage leaks, infested with bugs and is denying people access to food, water and their lawyers.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California also claims detainees do not have appropriate clothing for the chilly desert nights, nor appropriate medical attention for life-threatening conditions. The lawsuit alleges detainees with mobility issues don’t have access to wheelchairs, and in some cases are unable to bathe or dress themselves.
The plaintiffs are seeking to make the lawsuit a class action on behalf of all detainees housed at the California City Immigration Processing Center, which is about 75 miles east of Bakersfield and run by the private prison company CoreCivic.
“In their haste to warehouse hundreds of men and women in this isolated facility, defendants have failed to provide for the basic human needs of the people for whose lives and wellbeing they are legally responsible,” the lawsuit alleges.
ICE opened the immigration detention center at the site of a closed prison and began admitting detainees in August. On average, there were
about 480 people
held in the detention center each day in September, and the facility has the capability to house up to 2,560 people. The lawsuit asserts 800 people are now housed there.
A spokesperson for ICE declined to comment on the lawsuit for this story.
In September, a state disability rights group conducted a
two-day inspection
of the facility and found that its operators failed to distribute medication for life-threatening conditions and did not schedule timely surgeries for people that needed them.
CalMatters reported on conditions at the detention center last month. Ryan Gustin, a spokesperson for CoreCivic, in a written statement at the time said the site provides robust medical care. He said those services adhere to “standards set forth by our government partners.”
The detention center’s accelerated opening was part of the Trump administration’s plan to execute the
largest deportation program
in U.S. history. California City’s mayor previously told CalMattersthe federal government opened the facility without proper permits or a business license as required by state law.
“In the rush to expand capacity, ICE has cobbled together a patchwork system of county jails, private prisons, and newly converted facilities across the country. The rapid and haphazard growth of the detention system has outstripped any meaningful system of accountability or oversight,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit was filed by Prison Law Office, a nonprofit organization that focuses on conditions in California prisons; along with the American Civil Liberties Union, the advocacy group California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice and the law firm Keker Van Nest & Peters LLP.
Conditions in immigration detention facilities have long been the subject of
complaints and lawsuits.
Counties in California have the option to inspect immigration detention facilities, although few do. Three of the four counties in California that host the facilities have
not held inspections
.
Seventeen people have
died in ICE facilities
this year, two in California. The agency’s official list of
deaths in custody
documents 15. Two subsequent deaths — one each in California and
New York
have not yet been added to the ICE list.
One plaintiff in the lawsuit, Yuri Alexander Roque Campos, alleged that he has been denied medication for a heart condition for days at a time. The lawsuit alleges the lack of medication led to him being hospitalized twice.
“During the last hospitalization, a doctor told Mr. Roque Campos that he could die if this were to happen again,” the lawsuit alleges. “Mr. Roque Campos has yet to see a cardiologist and still does not consistently receive his medication.”
California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver's licenses given to immigrants after discovering the expiration dates went past when the drivers were legally allowed to be in the U.S., state officials said today.
Why now: The announcement follows harsh criticism from the Trump administration about California and other states granting licenses to people in the country illegally. The issue was thrust into the public's consciousness in August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people.
Where things stand: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy previously imposed new restrictions on which immigrants can qualify for commercial driver's licenses These new rules, announced in September, make it extremely hard for immigrants to get a commercial license.
Read on... for details on what's changing and what's next.
California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver's licenses given to immigrants after discovering the expiration dates went past when the drivers were legally allowed to be in the U.S., state officials said Wednesday.
The announcement follows harsh criticism from the Trump administration about California and other states granting licenses to people in the country illegally. The issue was thrust into the public's consciousness in August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that California's action to revoke these licenses is an admission that the state acted improperly even though it previously defended its licensing standards. California launched its review of commercial driver's licenses it issued after Duffy raised concerns.
"After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we've exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked," Duffy said, referring to the state's governor. "This is just the tip of iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses."
Newsom's office said that every one of the drivers whose license is being revoked had valid work authorizations from the federal government. At first, his office declined to disclose the exact reason for revoking the licenses, saying only they violated state law. Later, his office revealed the state law it was referring to was one that requires the licenses expire on or before a person's legal status to be in the United State ends, as reported to the DMV.
Still, Newsom's spokesperson Brandon Richards shot back at Duffy in a statement.
"Once again, the Sean 'Road Rules' Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader," Richards said.
Fatal truck crashes in Texas and Alabama earlier this year also highlight questions about these licenses. A fiery California crash that killed three people last month involved a truck driver in the country illegally, only adding to the concerns.
Duffy previously imposed new restrictions on which immigrants can qualify for commercial driver's licenses. He said earlier this fall that California and five other states had improperly issued commercial driver's licenses to noncitizens, but California is the only state Duffy has taken action against because it was the first one where an audit was completed. The reviews in the other states have been delayed by the government shutdown, but the Transportation Department is urging all of them to tighten their standards.
Duffy revoked $40 million in federal funding because he said California isn't enforcing English language requirements for truckers, and he reiterated Wednesday that he will take another $160 million from the state over these improperly issued licenses if they don't invalidate every illegal license and address all the concerns. But revoking these licenses is part of the state's effort to comply.
The new rules for commercial driver's licenses that Duffy announced in September make getting them extremely hard for immigrants because only three specific classes of visa holders will be eligible. States will also have to verify an applicant's immigration status in a federal database. The licenses will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant's visa expires sooner.
Under the new rules, only 10,000 of the 200,000 noncitizens who have commercial licenses would qualify for them, which would only be available to drivers who have an H-2a, H-2b or E-2 visa. H-2a is for temporary agricultural workers while H-2b is for temporary nonagricultural workers, and E-2 is for people who make substantial investments in a U.S. business. But the rules won't be enforced retroactively, so those 190,000 drivers will be allowed to keep their commercial licenses at least until they come up for renewal.
Those new requirements were not in place at the time the 17,000 California licenses were issued. But those drivers were given notices that their licenses will expire in 60 days.
Duffy said in September that investigators found that one quarter of the 145 licenses they reviewed in California shouldn't have been issued. He cited four California licenses that remained valid after the driver's work permit expired — sometimes years after.
Newsom's office said the state followed guidance it received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about issuing these licenses to noncitizens.
Copyright 2025 NPR
The federal government is reopening. But after 43 days on pause, things may not return to business as usual right away.
Where things stand: The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is officially over after President Donald Trump signed a bill passed by Congress last night.
But... some impacts could continue much longer than six weeks, whether that's national parks trying to make up for lost visitor revenue or taxpayers waiting longer for refunds from a backlogged Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There's also the looming threat of another potential shutdown in the not-too-distant future, since this bill only funds the government through Jan. 30.
The federal government is reopening. But after 43 days on pause, things may not return to business as usual right away. For instance, federal workers are still awaiting backpay and air travel disruptions are expected to linger.
And some impacts could continue much longer than six weeks, whether that's national parks trying to make up for lost visitor revenue or taxpayers waiting longer for refunds from a backlogged Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
There's also the looming threat of another potential shutdown in the not-too-distant future, since this bill only funds the government through Jan. 30.
Here's a look at where things stand for now.
Keep scrolling for updates, and jump by category here:
Federal employees return to work, awaiting back pay
Roughly 1.4 million federal workers have gone without pay for six weeks. Roughly half of them were required to keep working without paychecks, while hundreds of thousands of others were furloughed.
Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told agency heads to direct furloughed employees to return to work Thursday.
"Agencies should take all necessary steps to ensure that offices reopen in a prompt and orderly manner" on Thursday, Vought wrote in a
Wednesday memo
.
The timing of backpay is a different question.
After the government shutdown ending in January 2019 — then the longest in history — Congress
passed a law
ensuring back pay for federal workers "at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates."
But Trump appeared to
suggest otherwise
in public comments last month, leaving many feds worried.
The bill that Congress passed to end the shutdown guarantees back pay. It also reverses several agencies' attempted staffing reductions during the shutdown, which were
paused by a federal judge
, and prevents additional layoffs of federal employees through January.
Shaun Southworth, a federal employment attorney, said in an
Instagram video
that the timing of backpay will vary by agency based on their payroll providers, but most employees should start seeing deposits within days.
"Many employees historically saw deposits within the first business days after reopening," he says of the last shutdown. "A minority may roll to the next cycle if the system needs extra processing."
SNAP is back
The bill Congress passed to reopen the government funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through September 2026.
The program, which some
42 million Americans rely on
for food assistance, has been the subject of much uncertainty — and an escalating legal battle — in recent weeks. The Trump administration said last month that it would suspend SNAP funding in November due to the shutdown, prompting a wide outcry and a series of legal challenges.
While the administration initially said it would comply with two rulings requiring it to provide at least partial funding for SNAP in November, it balked — and ultimately appealed to the Supreme Court — after one of those judges said it must fund the program fully for the month. The Supreme Court paused that order (and
extended that pause again
on Tuesday, with the end of the shutdown in sight).
At this point, beneficiaries in some states have gotten their full monthly allocations, while others have gotten partial payments or nothing at all. Reopening the government means restarting SNAP, but it's not clear how quickly full payments will resume, since that varies by state. And, as
NPR has reported
, many who rely on the program are worried that benefits could be cut again.
Smithsonian institutions will reopen on a rolling basis
The Smithsonian, which encompasses 21 museums and the National Zoo, says its reopening will be gradual.
Its
website says
the National Museum of American History, as well as the National Air and Space Museum and its Virginia annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, will open their doors on Friday.
All other museums and the zoo — including its beloved
live animal cams
— will reopen to the public "on a rolling basis" by Monday.
This is a live story that will be updated throughout the day as we learn more.
See artists like John Mooney at Venice Open Studios.
(
John Mooney
/
Venice Open Studios
)
In this edition:
Benny Boy Brewery wants YOU to crush apples. Plus, Venice Open Studios and Baratunde Thurston in Long Beach.
Highlights:
CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both LA’s rising stars and established creative voices.”
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets.
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods, Venice, at Venice Open Studios. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals.
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach for an evening of laughs and community as part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series.
And celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples.
Though there's a myriad of fun things scheduled for the weekend, double-check all listings, as
the oncoming storm
may see some events canceled or postponed.
At least indoors, there are some really special music events this weekend, too. Miguel is playing a set at The Broad on Saturday afternoon, and Patti Smith is rocking through her landmark album Horses on its 50th anniversary at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Plus, Tyler, the Creator’s sold-out Camp Flog Gnaw is happening all weekend long at Dodger Stadium.
Licorice Pizza
has even more music listings for you.
Saturday, November 15, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Yaya Bey The Airliner 2419 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Ra.co
)
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets. Do some good to support those in our community struggling with SNAP benefit cuts and have some fun — a double win.
Friday, November 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Innovation Social: Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Music Center 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE WITH RSVP; MORE INFO
Dance meets immersive technology meets Afrofuturism in Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054, a performance from Faith “Aya” Umoh. Umoh, who won last year’s MIT XR Grand Prize, is also a Royal Shakespeare fellow who blends her theater and dance experience with motion capture, ancestral Nigerian dance, and AI. She’ll be performing (for free!) at this latest iteration of the Music Center’s Innovation Social series.
Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16 CONGRESS Vol. XII L.A. Dance Project 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $55; MORE INFO
More dance! CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both L.A.'s rising stars and established creative voices.”
November 15 to 23, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly Mountains of the Moon 1600 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica COST: $10; MORE INFO
(
Jay Blakesberg
/
Outside PR
)
Calling all Deadheads, flower children and tie-dye enthusiasts — and I mean all that in the best possible way. Artist, skier and filmmaker Chris Benchetler is launching Mountains of the Moon, an immersive experience set to the music of the Grateful Dead. The week-long premiere event, in partnership with Arc’teryx, includes the film itself and background on how it was made.
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grandma’s House Hollywood, exact location upon RSVP COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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1Community
)
Grandmas are the best. Enter this unique experience — part museum, part culinary adventure, all heart — which takes you into the homes of several real-life and much-admired L.A. grandmas. The team behind the Netflix film Nonnas has created a series of themed rooms curated by the women who share their stories, recipes and keepsakes in this walk-through experience. The grandmothers featured are:
Fran Jemmott
, co-founder of the California Black Women's Health Project;
Odilia Romero
, a pivotal figure in advocacy for Indigenous migrant communities; and Pauline Bunt, a doting grandmother of four with Sicilian and Neapolitan Calabrian roots. The experience also includes bites from Komal chef Fatima Juarez, sharing the flavors of her native Mexico City.
Sunday, November 16, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Venice Open Studios 2025 Multiple locations in Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods: Venice. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals like William Attaway (who did the shell mosaics on the Boardwalk) and Alejandro Gehry, and visit local favorite spots like Sunset Avenue gallery Arcane Space.
Saturday, November 15, 8 p.m. An Evening With Baratunde Thurston Carpenter Center 6200 E. Atherton Street, Long Beach COST: FROM $33.75; MORE INFO
Baratunde is coming to Long Beach.
(
Mathieu Young
/
Carpenter Arts
)
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. It’s part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series, and promises to be an evening of laughs and community.
Through January 10, 2026 Opening reception: Saturday, November 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Perspective and Plane Louis Stern Fine Arts 9002 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Louis Stern Fine Arts
)
Perspective and Plane is a group exhibition pairing works by Louis Stern Gallery artists with those of artists from a different era, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the relationship between past and present. The show includes paintings, photography and sculptures by artists like Lorser Feitelson, Helen Lundeberg, Karl Benjamin and Alfredo Ramos Martínez, as well as contemporary artists like James Little, Mark Leonard, Mokha Laget and Cecilia Z. Miguez.
Outdoor Pick
Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Native Bees with Krystle Hickman Los Angeles County Arboretum 301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia COST: $20; MORE INFO
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Aaron Burden
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Unsplash
)
National Geographic Explorer and community scientist Krystle Hickman leads a conversation about one of our most precious natural resources — bees — at the Arboretum. Her work centers on native bees and the ecosystems they call home.
Viewing Pick
Sunday, November 16, 5 p.m. Organist Roger Sayer: Interstellar in Concert First Congregational Church of Los Angeles 40 South Commonwealth Ave., Rampart Village COST: $33.85; MORE INFO
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Paramount Pictures
/
Facebook
)
While this is more of a listening pick than a viewing pick, I hope you’ll forgive the loose interpretation. The magic of the music of Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s 2015 epic space adventure, was a collaboration between Hans Zimmer and organist Roger Sayer, who is performing pieces from the soundtrack at the First Congregational Church. Those acoustics! Get it! The concert also includes additional space-themed pieces, like the opening theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and selections from The Planets by Gustav Holst. The concert *does* include a short documentary about the creation of the Interstellar soundtrack, followed by an audience Q&A.
Dine & Drink Deals
Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16 Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th Annual Applefest Fall Festival 1821 Daly Street, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Benny Boy Brewing
)
Celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples. Get hands-on in the harvest and help sort, crush and press apples on Benny Boy’s old-fashioned rack and cloth press to make a community cider. Nearly 500 volunteers have collectively crushed and pressed 3 tons of apples at the annual event!
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. 3 p.m. Joimo Kombucha 'Sips of Pure Joy' Tasting Event 1375 E. 15th Street, Arts District COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Joimo Kombucha
)
More fermentation is on the menu at Joimo Kombucha. Get a tour of the fermentation room, learn about the brewing process, and try free tastings of the pungent, sparkly, probiotic brew.
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