David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, a place where the lack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness.
Published January 20, 2026 4:49 PM
Workers respond to calls for homeless services at the L.A. County Emergency Centralized Response Center.
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David Wagner
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LAist
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Topline:
Los Angeles officials gathered Tuesday for a media event to launch the county’s newest department. The new entity faces a daunting mandate: solve the region’s deeply entrenched homelessness crisis.
The transition: The new L.A. County Homeless Services and Housing department takes the mantle from the embattled L.A. Homeless Services Authority, which until now has overseen the funding and administration of homeless services across a county where more than 72,000 people experience homelessness on any given night.
The accountability: County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said transferring responsibilities from LAHSA — a joint powers authority created in 1993 by the city and county of L.A. — to one centralized agency will reduce finger-pointing.
“For a long time, it is LAHSA blames the county, the county blames the city, the city blames LAHSA — we all blame each other,” Barger said. “Accountability now ends with the [Board of Supervisors]. ... The buck is going to stop with us.”
Read on … to learn why sales taxes are up but revenue for the new department is down.
Los Angeles officials gathered Tuesday for a media event to launch the county’s newest department. The new entity faces a daunting mandate: solve the region’s deeply entrenched homelessness crisis.
The new L.A. County Homeless Services and Housing department takes the mantle from the embattled regional L.A. Homeless Services Authority, known as LAHSA, which until now has overseen the funding and administration of homeless services across a county where more than 72,000 people experience homelessness on any given night.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said transferring responsibilities from LAHSA — a joint powers authority created in 1993 by the city and county of L.A. — to one centralized agency will reduce finger-pointing.
“For a long time, it is LAHSA blames the county, the county blames the city, the city blames LAHSA — we all blame each other,” Barger said. “Accountability now ends with the [Board of Supervisors]. ... The buck is going to stop with us.”
Department launches as volunteers count LA’s unhoused
The launch coincided with the first day of the region’s homeless count, which is still being overseen by LAHSA. Last year, the county decided to pull hundreds of millions of dollars from LAHSA and entrust that annual funding to the new county department.
The decision came shortly after a series of audits uncovered spending and oversight problems at the agency. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said she hoped reducing LAHSA’s responsibilities would help the agency better execute its core duties, such as the annual homeless count.
“Now that the focus and scope of what they're doing has been narrowed, hopefully that's where they've been focusing their time, effort and energy,” Horvath said.
Sarah Mahin (center) speaks about the launch of the new county homelessness department she will direct. Standing behind her are L.A. County Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath.
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David Wagner/LAist
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Revenue for the new department comes from Measure A, the half-cent sales tax voters opted to double from the previous quarter-cent tax in November 2024.
Why sales taxes are up, but overall revenue is down
Despite the increased sales tax revenue, officials say overall funding is down because of federal and state funding losses, plus allocations of sales tax revenue to a separate entity, the L.A. County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency.
The county’s new homelessness department has a $635 million draft spending plan. It comes with proposed cuts of more than 25% to homeless services.
“Cuts are painful for everyone, but we are making thoughtful and responsible decisions,” said Sarah Mahin, the new county department’s director. “We are prioritizing the most vulnerable people and the programs that we know work. And we're actively working with our partners to secure other funding and solutions to fill gaps.”
One program that will see cuts is Pathway Home, which clears encampments and offers residents spots in interim housing. Mahin said spending on the motels that serve as that interim housing will go down, dropping the number of annual encampment clearances involving motels from 30 to 10.
Frank Stoltze
is a veteran reporter who covers local politics and examines how democracy is and, at times, is not working.
Published January 20, 2026 5:34 PM
A preliminary hearing on corruptions charges facing Curren Price began Tuesday.
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Jonathan Leibson
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Getty Images
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Topline:
A court hearing for Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price got underway Tuesday, with a focus on allegations Price was married to another woman when he collected city health insurance benefits for his wife — which prosecutors say amounted to embezzlement of city funds.
Backstory: In addition to facing five counts of grand theft by embezzlement of public funds, Price faces four counts of conflict of interest related to votes he took on projects connected to his wife’s business and three counts of perjury by declaration related to allegations he failed to disclose financial interests related to his wife’s business.
The details: Price has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles County Superior Court. At the end of the preliminary hearing, which is expected to run several days, a judge will be asked to determine whether there’s enough evidence for the case to go to trial. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 11 years behind bars.
What's next: Ex-employees of both Price and his wife are expected to testify.
A court hearing for Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price got underway Tuesday, with a focus on allegations Price was married to another woman when he collected city health insurance benefits for his wife — which prosecutors say amounted to embezzlement of city funds.
In addition to facing five counts of grand theft by embezzlement of public funds, Price faces four counts of conflict of interest related to votes he took on projects connected to his wife’s business and three counts of perjury by declaration related to allegations he failed to disclose financial interests related to his wife’s business.
Price has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles County Superior Court. At the end of the preliminary hearing, which is expected to run several days, a judge will be asked to determine whether there’s enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 11 years behind bars.
On Tuesday, prosecutors called an analyst with the city’s Personnel Department to testify and presented him with documents that showed Price placed his current wife Del Richardson on his city-issued healthcare plan from 2013 to 2017, before they were legally married.
Deputy District Attorney Casey Higgins then showed the analyst a 1981 marriage certificate showing Price’s marriage to Suzette Price. The analyst said his office never saw the certificate.
“We most likely would have asked questions,” said Paul Makowski, chief benefits analyst with the city’s Personnel Department.
Prosecutors say Price bilked the city out of tens of thousands of dollars in health benefits for Richardson.
Price has said he thought he was divorced from his wife when he signed Richardson up for the benefit. He and Suzette Price had been separated since 2002. His attorney Michael Schafler noted Price never sought benefits for both women at the same time.
Prosecutors say the conflict of interest and perjury charges relate to Price failing to recuse himself from votes on projects that benefited his wife’s business, which provides relocation services and community engagement on big projects.
For example, the Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles paid Richardson & Associates more than $600,000 over two years from 2019 to 2020. During that same time, Price voted to support a $35 million federal grant and a state grant application for $252 million for the agency, according to prosecutors.
In addition, LA Metro paid Richardson & Associates about $219,000 over two years from 2020 to 2021. Prosecutors say during that time, Price introduced and voted for a motion to award $30 million to Metro.
Price’s staff allegedly alerted Price about both transactions as potential conflicts of interest, according to prosecutors.
The preliminary hearing is expected to last six days.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published January 20, 2026 4:38 PM
The Original Saugus Cafe is open once again
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Courtesy Mercado Family
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Topline:
The Original Saugus Cafe, L.A. County's oldest restaurant, closed at the beginning of the year, causing unhappiness among its devoted customers. But this week, it's reopened under new management amid a legal battle over the business.
Why it matters: The 139-year-old business is a fixture in Santa Clarita, once visited by presidents and movie starts. But a dispute between previous management and the landlord forced the historic business to shutter its doors. Disappointed customers were able to eat once again at the restaurant Monday, albeit under a new operator, Eduardo Reyna, owner of nearby Dario’s Mexican Restaurant.
Why now: The reopening comes amid an ongoing legal dispute between the property's landlords, the Arklin family, and the family of Alfredo Mercado, who operated the cafe for almost 30 years. The two parties are fighting over rights to the name "Original Saugus Cafe," which Mercado established as an LLC in 1998. The Mercados filed a million-dollar lawsuit last week and are now adding Reyna to the suit for interfering with their business.
The backstory: Mercado and the original landlord, Hank Arklin, had a handshake deal with no written lease. After Arklin died last August, the relationship between the two families soured. According to the Mercado family’s attorney, Steffanie Stelnick, the landlords locked the family out and withheld their equipment and inventory. She says the liquor license remains in dispute and has not been transferred to the new operator.
What's next: The defendants were served Monday and have a set time to respond to the complaint before the case proceeds.
Keep up with LAist.
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Kavish Harjai
writes about how people get around L.A.
Published January 20, 2026 2:33 PM
Jonathan Hale was arrested in December at the corner of Wilkins and Kelton avenues in Westwood.
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People's Vision Zero
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Jonathan Hale said the city isn’t pursuing misdemeanor vandalism charges lodged against him after Los Angeles police arrested him in December for painting unauthorized crosswalks in Westwood.
The hearing: At the corner of Wilkins and Kelton avenues, Hale told reporters that his hearing Tuesday lasted just about 10 minutes. According to Hale, the statute of limitations for his charges remains open until Dec. 7, a year after the street safety activist was arrested. “So they can change their mind, and I do risk arrest if I do this again,” Hale said. The hearing had been rescheduled from its original date of Jan. 5.
The crosswalks: Police arrested Hale as he and a group of volunteers, known as Peoples’ Vision Zero, were painting the third of four crosswalk legs at the Westwood intersection. As of Tuesday, the city has not repainted, eliminated or finished the crosswalks at the intersection.
One of the four crosswalks at the Westwood intersection where Hale was arrested remains unfinished. Two legs of the crosswalk were completed by Hale and his group before the L.A. police arrested the street safety activist.
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Jonathan Hale
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What’s next: Hale said People’s Vision Zero would continue painting crosswalks if the city does not take concrete steps toward its goal of ending traffic deaths. One way Hale said the city could make progress is by creating a community-led initiative to paint code-compliant crosswalks.
And if you're comfortable just reaching out by email I'm at kharjai@scpr.org
Jonathan Hale said the city isn’t pursuing misdemeanor vandalism charges lodged against him after Los Angeles police arrested him in December for painting unauthorized crosswalks in Westwood.
The hearing: At the corner of Wilkins and Kelton avenues, Hale told reporters that his hearing Tuesday lasted just about 10 minutes. According to Hale, the statute of limitations for his charges remains open until Dec. 7, a year after the street safety activist was arrested. “So they can change their mind, and I do risk arrest if I do this again,” Hale said. The hearing had been rescheduled from its original date of Jan. 5.
The crosswalks: Police arrested Hale as he and a group of volunteers, known as People's Vision Zero, were painting the third of four crosswalk legs at the Westwood intersection. As of Tuesday, the city has not repainted, eliminated or finished the crosswalks at the intersection.
One of the four crosswalks at the Westwood intersection where Hale was arrested remains unfinished. Two legs of the crosswalk were completed by Hale and his group before the L.A. police arrested the street safety activist.
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Jonathan Hale
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What’s next: Hale said People’s Vision Zero would continue painting crosswalks if the city does not take concrete steps toward its goal of ending traffic deaths. One way Hale said the city could make progress is by working with his group to create a community-led initiative to paint code-compliant crosswalks.
The 2026 Olympics are set to be the most geographically widespread Games in history, the first to span multiple regions and two host cities: Milan and Cortina, which are about 250 miles apart from each other by road.
More details: Over the course of two and a half weeks, athletes in 16 sports will compete in events at 25 venues.
Where is it happening? The action is divided among four main clusters across northern Italy: Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme. Athletes will live in one of six Olympic Villages throughout the region: Milan, Cortina, Anterselva, Bormio, Livigno and Predazzo.
Read on... to see what's happening where in the Olympics.
The 2026 Olympics are set to be the most geographically widespread Games in history, the first to span multiple regions and two host cities: Milan and Cortina, which are about 250 miles apart from each other by road.
Over the course of two and a half weeks, athletes in 16 sports will compete in events at 25 venues.
The action is divided among four main clusters across northern Italy: Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme. Athletes will live in one of six Olympic Villages throughout the region: Milan, Cortina, Anterselva, Bormio, Livigno and Predazzo.
"This approach allows the maximum use of existing venues, reducing the need for new construction and, as a consequence, minimising the carbon footprint," states the International Olympic Committee on Olympics.com.
The venues span an area covering some 8,495 square miles. Getting between towns could take more than a few hours by car — especially on remote, wintery roads.
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, says spectators hoping to attend events in person should be realistic about the time and distance required to get between venues and should plan accordingly.
"I think this will be the classic 'pack your patience,' because there will be some travel time," she said.
Even if you're watching from afar, it's still helpful to know which events are happening where. Here's a guide to the 2026 Olympic venues.
Milan: Opening ceremony, skating and hockey
Milan's San Siro Stadium, site of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Feb. 6.
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Pier Marco Tacca
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Getty Images
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Milan is a major financial hub in Italy, not to mention a global capital of fashion and design. This is the first time it will host the Olympic Games, kicking off the opening ceremony and housing most of the indoor sports.
The opening ceremony on Feb. 6 will be hosted at Milan's iconic San Siro Stadium. The stadium — known as the Temple of Football — is home to the city's two main soccer clubs, AC Milan and Inter Milan, and marks its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Figure skating and short track will take place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, known as the Unipol Forum, located in the small town of Assago, less than 2 miles outside Milan.
Ice hockey is spread across two venues, the temporary Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena and the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The latter is the only new permanent venue constructed for the Games.
Speed skating will be hosted at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
Cortina d'Ampezzo: Sliding sports and women's Alpine skiing
Part of the Cortina athletes village, seen in December in Fiames, near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
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Stefano Rellandini
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AFP via Getty Images
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Cortina, a prestigious resort town in the Dolomite Mountains, is known for its Alpine scenery and winter sports. The "Pearl of the Dolomites" has hosted the Winter Games before, in 1956.
Alpine skiing will take place at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, named after one of the most dramatic mountain groups in the Eastern Dolomites. Many competitors will be familiar with the Olympia delle Tofane — the ski run became a permanent fixture on the women's World Cup circuit in downhill and super-G in the early 1990s and also served as the venue for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2021.
Curling events will take place at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, which hosted many of the indoor events at the 1956 Games. This time around, the venue will also host the Paralympics closing ceremony.
Bobsled, luge and skeleton are all happening at the new Cortina Sliding Centre, built on the grounds of the historic track used in 1956. It has already been chosen as a competition venue for the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
The biathlon will take place in the Antholz valley, about 30 miles north of Cortina, near the border with Austria. The Anterselva Biathlon Arena has the largest spectator capacity of any of this year's Olympic venues, set to accommodate up to 19,000 people per session.
Valtellina: Freestyle skiing, snowboarding, ski mountaineering and men's Alpine skiing
Ski slopes and jumps are shown mid-construction in Livigno Snow Park in December, in preparation for the Winter Olympic Games.
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Mattia Ozbot
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Valtellina Valley is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland, and is known for its skiing, cheeses and wine. The towns of Bormio and Livigno will host several outdoor events.
Men's Alpine skiing, as well as the new sport of ski mountaineering,are happening in Bormio, a historic ski resort in the Italian Alps. The Stelvio Ski Centre will crown the men's downhill skiing champions and host the one new sport making its Olympic debut this year.
Val di Fiemme: Cross-country skiing and ski jumping
A view of the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium during the Italian Championships Open ski jumping event, held in Predazzo in December.
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Mattia Ozbot
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Getty Images
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Val di Fiemme is a valley in the eastern Trentino province, known for its museums, hiking and cross-country skiing. Olympic events in the cluster are spread across two of its villages, Tesero and Predazzo.
Cross-country skiing and Nordic combined events —as well as Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing— will take place at the renowned Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, which has nearly 12 miles of trails and one of the bigger spectator capacities, at 15,000. It has been a landmark for cross-country skiing since it hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1991.
Ski jumping competitions and the jumping segment of the Nordic combined events will take place at the renovated Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium, which has two main competition hills, three smaller training jumps, a new judges' tower and a spectator capacity of 15,000.
Verona: The closing ceremony
The Verona arena will host the 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony on Feb. 22.
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Luca Bruno
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AP
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The medieval town of Verona, in the Veneto region, is perhaps best known as the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It will also be the closing site of the 2026 Olympics.
The closing ceremony on Feb. 22 will take place at the Verona Olympic Arena, Italy's third-largest Roman amphitheater, which was built in A.D. 30 to host gladiator battles. In a full-circle moment, the venue will also host the Paralympic opening ceremony on March 6.
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