ICE agents stand next to the security line at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Topline:
What should you know about ICE in U.S. airports right now? Keep reading for what we know about immigration officers, air travel and your rights around ICE officers.
The backstory: Since Feb. 14, Transportation Security Administration staff have worked without pay due to the ongoing partial government shutdown — and with many calling out of work, passengers across the United States have experienced hourslong security screening lines. This weekend, President Donald Trump announced that as of Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be deployed to airports to support TSA operations.
What airports have ICE been deployed to? According to reporting by The New York Times, 14 airports around the country will host ICE agents. CNN reported that these locations include Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports in New York and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. No California airports appear on CNN’s current list.
Can ICE make arrests at airports?: There have been instances of ICE arresting people at airports . But according to CNN on Tuesday morning, Trump said that agents will continue arresting undocumented people, but said of ICE agents in airports: “That’s not why they’re there; they’re really there to help.” Most TSA officers are not commissioned law enforcement officers.
Read on . . . for more about what you can do if you encounter ICE agents at an airport.
This weekend, President Donald Trump announced that as of Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be deployed to airports to support TSA operations.
San Francisco International Airport, the Bay Area’s biggest airport, has been spared long wait lines by the fact that its security screening is contracted by a private company rather than TSA.
While standing in line, open up the airline app and rebook yourself, says travel reporter Chris Dong.
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So what should you know about ICE in U.S. airports right now? Keep reading for what we know about immigration officers, air travel and your rights around ICE officers.
Bear in mind that the following information doesn’t constitute legal advice, and you should direct any specific questions about your individual situation to a lawyer.
CNN reported that these locations include Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports in New York and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
No California airports appear on CNN’s current list.
On Tuesday, a TSA spokesperson confirmed to KQED that ICE would be deployed to “airports being adversely impacted” by TSA callouts and resignations — and that none of these were in the Bay Area.
Why was ICE at SFO on Sunday?
In footage from around 10 p.m. Sunday that was posted to social media, men wearing dark clothing were filmed at SFO pulling a crying woman from an airport terminal bench and then pushing her into a wheelchair — as a girl of around 10 is heard crying nearby. San Francisco police officers were seen standing by as the arrest occurred.
The men are not wearing visible badges or agency markings, but the Department of Homeland Security said on the social media platform X Monday that they were, in fact, ICE officers.
According to a DHS spokesperson, the woman and her daughter were arrested at the airport and were being “escorted to the international terminal for processing” when the woman tried to flee. Read more about Sunday night’s incident at SFO. As reported by The New York Times on Tuesday evening, ICE had originally been alerted to the pair’s presence at SFO by TSA.
According to a statement released by SFO, the airport was “not involved in or notified in advance of this incident.”
“We understand federal officers were transporting two individuals on an outbound flight when this incident occurred,” the statement reads. “We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO.”
As of Monday afternoon, local immigration advocates said they were still assessing the situation and working to “confirm all the facts related to this incident.”
“After killing people in our streets and detaining U.S. citizens, ICE has lost all credibility and trust with the public,” Bay Area Rep. Kevin Mullin and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement. “We demand immediate answers as to the mother’s and her child’s condition and the grounds for their detainment.”
Jonathan Blazer, director of border strategies and senior advisor at the American Civil Liberties Union, said that there is “nothing that categorically prohibits ICE from going into an airport as an immigration enforcement agent.”
For example, Blazer said, ICE agents have used commercial flights in the past to transport individuals on deportation flights — or to transfer arrested people to immigration detention centers.
Travelers and their luggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
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Additionally, as first reported by The New York Times in December 2025, TSA has shared information about air travelers who are believed to be under deportation orders with ICE, enabling immigration agents to make arrests at the airport.
But Blazer said that this week’s deployment of ICE to airports — the “mere presence for this purpose, in an untargeted fashion, in large numbers” — was “unprecedented.”
According to CNN on Tuesday morning, Trump said that agents will continue arresting undocumented people, but said of ICE agents in airports: “That’s not why they’re there; they’re really there to help.” (Most TSA officers are not commissioned law enforcement officers.)
“Part of what’s so challenging here is that the Trump administration hasn’t really made clear what authorities they are vesting with ICE as part of this mission,” Blazer said.
In its roundup of risks of air travel, the National Immigration Law Center said that for people who are undocumented, have temporary immigration status or who are under a deportation order, there is “a significant risk of arrest at a U.S. airport.”
However, NILC also said that “all non-citizens face some risk” while traveling through U.S. airports, including those with green cards, if they have certain criminal convictions or who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.
Customs and Border Protection already regularly works in airports. What’s the difference between their powers and ICE’s?
ICE and CBP are both immigration enforcement agencies within DHS.
While ICE conducts enforcement within the U.S. and manages detention and deportation operations, CBP conducts inspections at all U.S. “ports of entry” — at land borders, seaports and airports.
ACLU’s Blazer said that while CBP has a lot of “power when they’re screening people coming in on an international flight,” that doesn’t apply to domestic flights. For example, CBP — and ICE — should not be able to check your electronic devices without a warrant for a domestic flight.
Nicole Hallett, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and a clinical professor of law at the University of Chicago, told the Washington Post that ICE cannot search a passenger’s personal belongings without a warrant — and can only do this if they are working on behalf of an agency that can, like CBP.
“If they’re acting as a TSA agent, they have to follow TSA rules. If they’re acting as a CBP agent and doing Border Patrol work, then they have the authority that Border Patrol has,” Hallett said.
“And if they are just merely standing in the airport as ICE officers, then they have the same legal authority that any ICE officer standing in a public location has,” she said. (Regardless, she said that ICE can approach passengers anywhere in the airport, including after security.)
What should I do if ICE approaches me in the airport?
At border checkpoints — including airports — officers can ask questions, carry out personal searches and detain people with wide latitude, Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the UCLA School of Law’s Center for Immigration Law & Policy, told NPR.
But Blazer said that in order for ICE to arrest someone for an immigration violation without a warrant, they would need to establish probable cause that the person is in the U.S. in violation of U.S. immigration laws — and that the person is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained for the arrest. There has been recent litigation across the country challenging some of ICE’s warrantless arrests, he said.
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ICE officers “have no additional authority in an airport,” Blazer said. But in reality, he said, the constitutional protections and rights people have can be “a lot trickier to make the choice to exercise them” in an airport setting for most people — who are dealing not only with the added pressures of catching expensive flights but also the impatience of other passengers in the security line.
For example, people — whether citizens or immigrants — have the right to ask an immigration officer, “Am I free to go?” If they don’t have a specific, individualized, reasonable suspicion that you’ve committed a crime, they can’t question you further and you can go, Blazer said.
“But let’s think about how that works in the airport context,” he said. “‘Am I free to go?’ and leaving means that I’m probably leaving the airport to get myself out of a situation, and I may miss my flight at that point.”
Do I have to answer ICE’s questions at the airport?
If an ICE agent asks you questions in the airport, you “have the same right to remain silent as you do on the street,” Blazer said. “Nothing changes just because you’re in an airport.”
But this is another example of how the pressures of the airport setting can affect your situation, Blazer said. If you choose to exercise your right to remain silent, the officer may pull you out of the security line and try to ask more questions.
“We have the same rights, but in that environment, there are additional costs associated with exercising those rights,” Blazer said. “Many people in that situation, out of their own self-interest … ‘go along to get along’ as much as possible.”
What if ICE asks me for ID?
According to reporting from USA Today, travelers do need to provide identification and comply with TSA screening to board a flight. But generally, citizens and immigrants have the right to remain silent when talking to law enforcement, including ICE.
Blazer said that federal law said people with lawful permanent residency or other visas that grant them lawful status must carry proof of their status with them — like their green card. “And it may be in their interest, in terms of avoiding further improper questioning or improper unlawful arrests, to answer those questions and to show that proof of status,” Blazer said.
“So even though you have a right not to, I want to make clear that people are going to need to make an individualized decision as to whether it’s in their interest to exercise that right,” he said. “Especially if they are an adult green cardholder or somebody else who is subject to a federal law requiring them to carry proof of their status at all times.”
Is it legal to film ICE?
“Taking photographs and video of things that are plainly visible in public spaces is a constitutional right — and that includes police and other government officials carrying out their duties,” the ACLU’s guidance reads.
And while there’s no Supreme Court ruling on an unambiguous First Amendment right to film law enforcement officers, “all of the seven U.S. Federal Circuit Courts that have considered the issue have pretty much said there is a First Amendment right to record the police and observe the police,” criminal justice reporter C.J. Ciaramella at Reason told KQED’s Close All Tabs podcast earlier this year.
Atlanta Police Department officers look on as travelers stand in long lines at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 23, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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But airports could be a potentially harder environment to film, Blazer said.
“It’s not as though the First Amendment doesn’t exist at airports, but airports are not traditional public domain in a way that parks [are],” Blazer said. For example, some TSA security lines have a sign nearby that says “no photos.”
“They rarely enforce that, but it just shows you that it’s already a more regulated environment in which they can impose certain restrictions,” Blazer said.
It is lawful to film law enforcement in “any open, visible place when they’re performing their duties,” Blazer said, echoing the guidance laid out in this thorough guide by the ACLU.
“But at the same time, it can be permissible for airport operators to impose certain reasonable rules, and those rules might include restricting photographing in particular areas of the airport,” Blazer said.
Practically, it could be hard to argue against an airport official who is telling you not to take photos in an area, Blazer said. And there may be a legal fight after the fact, “if a person doesn’t comply with that order and is arrested or is taken out of the line,” he said.
“But, I think, the practical reality is that” in an airport “environment, it gets harder to exercise that right,” he said.
Bystander videos also provide important counternarratives to official law enforcement accounts. After the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE officers in Minnesota earlier this year, Trump administration officials immediately claimed Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” intending to “massacre” officers — claims contradicted by the multiple eyewitness videos taken of the killing.
What do immigrant advocates say about traveling during this time?
San Francisco advocacy group Mission Action warns that noncitizens who do not currently have legal status “should carefully consider the risks of air travel, including domestic flights within the U.S.”
“Recent reporting suggests increased risks, including that TSA may be sharing traveler information with ICE, which could expose individuals to enforcement,” their social media post reads.
However, the organization cautions that “refusing to answer routine questions about the nature and purpose of your travel could result in delay and/or further inspection.”
Noncitizen visa holders and visitors who refuse to answer questions could face a delay or be denied entry. Lawful permanent residents, like green card holders, only have to answer questions about their identity and permanent residency, according to ACLU NorCal.
“Refusal to answer other questions will likely cause delay, but officials may not deny you entry into the U.S. for failure to answer other questions,” ACLU NorCal advised legal permanent residents — noting that green card status “may be revoked only by an immigration judge,” and warning, “Do not give up your green card voluntarily!”
The Asian Law Caucus also has a helpful chart on what people of differing statuses can expect in airports when it comes to their baggage, device searches and length of potential detainment.
What should I do if I think I see ICE in an airport?
Instead of posting possible ICE sightings to social media, immigration advocates highly encourage people to call them first instead. With these hotlines, advocates can fact-check these sightings, with the goal of preventing the spread of misinformation online.
You can also follow these organizations on their social media accounts to see if these are confirmed sightings or just rumors.
Immigration agents detained someone I know. How do I find them?
Typically, a person of any status can be detained up to 72 hours at a port of entry, according to the Asian Law Caucus. They can also be transferred to criminal or ICE custody.
According to the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, it may take a few days for a person to appear in the ICE database. If the name you’re searching for isn’t showing up in the ICE system — or if you’re concerned about their safety and possible deportation — you can seek out assistance from advocacy organizations such as Freedom for Immigrants.
This story contains reporting from KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti, Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Tyche Hendricks and Carly Severn.
What to know about CA's other tax the rich measure
By Carolyn Jones | CalMatters
Published October 21, 2026 11:00 AM
Teacher Emily Adams’ eighth-grade science class at Lawson Middle School in Cupertino on Aug. 26, 2025.
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Topline:
If Proposition 3 looks familiar, it’s because this is the third time the income tax measure has appeared on California ballots. But this time might be the last.
Why it matters: Prop. 3 would permanently extend an income tax on the wealthy to fund schools, healthcare and other state services. It first appeared on the ballot as a temporary tax in 2012 to help schools through the Great Recession, and voters renewed it in 2016. Now, its supporters are asking voters to make it permanent before it expires in 2031.
More details: Prop. 3 would extend a tax on individuals who earn more than $371,000 or couples who earn more than $743,000 annually. It generated between $5 billion and $15 billion a year, fluctuating with the stock market, interest rates and other factors that affect the income of the state’s top earners.
Read on... for more about Prop. 3.
If Proposition 3 looks familiar, it’s because this is the third time the income tax measure has appeared on California ballots. But this time might be the last.
Prop. 3 would permanently extend an income tax on the wealthy to fund schools, healthcare and other state services. It first appeared on the ballot as a temporary tax in 2012 to help schools through the Great Recession, and voters renewed it in 2016. Now, its supporters are asking voters to make it permanent before it expires in 2031.
“I can’t overstate how important this is,” said David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union and a primary supporter of the measure. “It’s only a tax on the wealthiest Californians, but it’s vital for our schools.”
Prop. 3 would extend a tax on individuals who earn more than $371,000 or couples who earn more than $743,000 annually. It generated between $5 billion and $15 billion a year, fluctuating with the stock market, interest rates and other factors that affect the income of the state’s top earners.
Top earners would continue paying an income tax rate of 12.3% if the measure passes. Tack on the state’s additional 1% tax on income over $1 million for mental health services and California’s highest-earners wind up with an income tax rate of 13.3%, the highest in the nation.
The bulk of the money would be funnelled through the state’s Proposition 98 funding mechanism, which guarantees 40% of the state budget be set aside for K-12 schools and community colleges. If the money surpasses a certain level, the extra would go toward a budget rainy day fund.
Prop. 3 would also pay for healthcare and other services because it frees up money the state would ordinarily spend on schools for other services, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Of the Prop. 98 money, 89% goes to K-12 schools and 11% goes to community colleges.
In flush years, the income tax makes up about 15% of the state’s overall K-12 education budget. If it doesn’t pass, school districts will be forced to lay off up to 50,000 teachers and make other cuts, Goldberg said.
Union’s big push
The teachers union is aggressively supporting the measure. It collected thousands of signatures to win a spot on the ballot and sent members to knock on more than 200,000 doors throughout the state. Goldberg described the campaign as “one of our biggest, most ambitious efforts yet.”
The powerful union as well as other groups have raised more than $40 million to pass Prop. 3. Opponents, which include taxpayer associations, have raised $5,500.
The measure appears to have an edge with voters. According to a Public Policy Institute of California poll conducted in September, 58% of likely voters said they planned to vote yes on the measure. Among Democrats, 82% said they favored it, while 18% of Republicans said they did.
Prop. 3 is not the only tax-the-rich measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. Proposition 40 would levy a 5% tax on Californians with assets of more than $1 billion, with 90% of the money going toward healthcare and the rest divided between schools, food assistance programs and other services. The teachers union opposes Prop. 40 because it argues schools wouldn’t receive enough of the money, Goldberg said.
“We’re not campaigning against Prop. 40. We’re just prioritizing Prop. 3,” Goldberg said.
The union decided to put the measure on the ballot now, more than four years before the current tax expires, because schools typically plan their budgets many years in advance and need plenty of advance warning of significant changes in revenues, Goldberg said.
‘Not sustainable’
Susan Shelley, vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, questioned whether schools need more money, considering the state’s recent investments and declining enrollment.
“We have fewer and fewer students. Does this mean we need fewer teachers? Maybe it does,” Shelley said. “It’s time to revisit some of these costs. Some districts have unaffordable labor contracts, fewer students … It’s not sustainable.”
In addition, she said, California already has the highest personal income tax rate – 13.3% – in the country. Adding more will only drive the wealthiest residents – and their money – from the state, which will have a disproportionate impact on state revenues, she said. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the state’s top 2% of earners pay about half the state’s income taxes.
California’s K-12 enrollment has declined steadily for at least a decade, with schools losing more than 500,000 students since the mid-2010s. Families are having fewer children, immigration is down and many families have left California because of the high cost of living.
Still, California has among the country’s highest student-to-teacher ratios. In 2022-23, California had one teacher for every 22 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The national average was 1:15. In New York, it was just over 1:11.
That’s why California schools need more money, said Rob Manwaring, senior policy and fiscal adviser at the advocacy group Children Now.
“Those ratios mean that students who need extra help aren’t getting it, which is why we have such a large achievement gap in California,” Manwaring said. “It’s dire.”
He also noted that federal budget cuts will continue affecting California, including its schools, and the state will need revenue to backfill those costs. The chance of an economic downturn in the next few years will also imperil school funding.
“No one wants to project out too far, but schools might see some very tight budgets,” Manwaring said.
State workers march along 16th Street during a SEIU Local 1000 picket outside the CalHR building in Sacramento on July 22, 2026.
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Topline:
California state workers say they're tired of governors balancing the budget "on their backs" and are beginning a statewide strike today.
Why now: The state workers who are planning the first-ever statewide walkout in 44 years this week once were on much better terms with their boss, Gov. Gavin Newsom. SEIU Local 1000, state government’s largest union, kicked in one of the single biggest checks to Newsom’s 2018 campaign, a $500,000 contribution. It followed up with $1 million more to help Newsom fend off a recall in 2021. That alliance made sense for the union, especially considering that Newsom’s Republican opponents were much less friendly to labor.
The backstory: Newsom at two key moments pressed public employees to accept pay cuts. The first happened in the panic of the early pandemic when the governor braced for a severe recession. Unions agreed to wage cuts of roughly 9% and in exchange workers received days off that they could save and bank for later. The second wage cut happened in 2025 when the governor sought to close a severe budget deficit. Most unions, including Local 1000, again accepted deals for two years of wage reductions in exchange for days off. They also agreed to defer raises until next year.
Read on... for more on the statewide strike.
The state workers who are planning the first-ever statewide walkout in 44 years this week once were on much better terms with their boss, Gov. Gavin Newsom.
SEIU Local 1000, state government’s largest union, kicked in one of the single biggest checks to Newsom’s 2018 campaign, a $500,000 contribution. It followed up with $1 million more to help Newsom fend off a recall in 2021.
That alliance made sense for the union, especially considering that Newsom’s Republican opponents were much less friendly to labor.
But today the two sides are far apart with Local 1000 preparing its first statewide strike since signing its first collective bargaining agreement in 1982 as it accuses Newsom of bad-faith bargaining. Its members are trolling Newsom online with memes likening him to infamous Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, caricaturing him as a sci-fi villain and mocking his presidential ambitions.
What happened to the labor love fest?
At the bottom line, Newsom was stingier with public employees than voters who think of him as a labor-aligned Democrat might assume. He demanded wage reductions from state workers over three years of his tenure and limited raises to 3% in financially flush times. He also took a hard line in calling employees back to the office four days a week after many grew accustomed to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The fact the state has refused to bargain in good faith is what got so many members active,” said Anica Walls, president of Local 1000. The union represents about 100,000 workers. “They’re just kind of tired of always feeling the budget is balanced on state employees’ backs.”
That feeling goes back more than 20 years for some California public employees. Like many workers, they accepted furloughs and wage reductions during the Great Recession. That period lasted from 2008 to 2013 under former governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown. But Brown then pressed for more concessions, including an additional paycheck deduction to fund retiree healthcare and higher worker contributions toward pensions.
Union leaders had high hopes Newsom would end the trend of temporary pay cuts and givebacks, as shown by the campaign contributions he gained in 2018.
It didn’t work out that way.
Here’s a look at some of the issues that led the state’s largest public employee union to break with Newsom and put him on the spot with its first statewide strike.
Money, money, money
California state government spending surged during the Newsom administration, climbing from $201.4 billion in the 2018-19 financial year to $321 billion in Newsom’s 2025-26 budget. That’s a 59% increase.
Payroll is up, too, but at a slower rate. Compensation for state workers hit $25.2 billion in 2025, about 32% more than 2019.
To be sure, Newsom gave bonuses to many public employees — especially prison staff — when the state was flush with money just after the pandemic. But he’s been thriftier with wage increases. They topped out 3% in most contracts.
Meanwhile, Newsom at two key moments pressed public employees to accept pay cuts. The first happened in the panic of the early pandemic when the governor braced for a severe recession. Unions agreed to wage cuts of roughly 9% and in exchange workers received days off that they could save and bank for later.
The second wage cut happened in 2025 when the governor sought to close a severe budget deficit. Most unions, including Local 1000, again accepted deals for two years of wage reductions in exchange for days off. They also agreed to defer raises until next year.
One union did not accept those terms, the California Association of Professional Scientists. The scientist union was the first to strike against Newsom, holding a three-day walkout in 2023. It viewed the contract it negotiated in 2024 as critical, and it didn’t want to give up its raises when Newsom asked.
But, just before an agreed-upon raise was supposed to take effect last summer, it learned that the state budget didn’t include money for the wage increase.
The conflict again angered public employees who expected a pay boost. The union appealed to state lawmakers, who funded the raises in a follow-on spending bill.
“We negotiated that collective bargaining agreement in good faith and believe a deal is a deal,” said the union’s vice president, Justin Garcia.
Working from home
California government changed overnight during the pandemic, when Newsom ordered employees to work from home unless the nature of their job required them to report to a prison or state hospital. That was a major cultural adjustment for a bureaucracy known for time cards, rigid schedules and a refusal to pay for workers’ office parking.
The Newsom administration commended workers for making the change and it publicized a dashboard that showed state employees were just as efficient at home as they were in the office.
But as time passed Newsom said he grew concerned that remote work stifled the in-person collaboration that he argued was important for a successful organization. He called employees back to the office two days a week in 2024, and four days a week beginning last summer.
Many state workers want more flexibility. They point to a 2025 state audit that found the state could save $225 million a year by allowing more remote work.
Retirement plans diverge
State workers hired before 2013 have a better retirement deal than public employees who joined since then. That issue is not front-and-center in the Local 1000 strike, but it’s bubbling up as newer workers learn about their colleagues’ benefits.
Former Gov. Brown championed the law that trimmed pension benefits. It came out of the Great Recession, which caused California’s major pension funds to hemorrhage billions of dollars and highlighted a generous pension enhancement that former Gov. Gray Davis had signed into law a dozen years earlier.
Now, public employees work longer and pay more of their own income toward their pensions. Newsom last month vetoed a bill that would have sweetened retirement formulas for police and firefighters, a proposal that likely will return to Newsom’s successor in the near future.
“What people thought before was a cush state job because we had good retirement, the ability to retire with a pension, that does not look the same to people who came after 2013,” said Walls, the Local 1000 president.
Where else can they go?
Local 1000 and other state government unions might be frustrated with Newsom, but they tend to get a better hearing from Democrats than Republicans. Schwarzenegger, after all, championed four failed ballot measures that would have stripped them of their power and influence.
“They (unions) have to make converts in the church in which they worship,” said Don Perata, a union-aligned Democrat and former Senate president pro tem who battled with Schwarzenegger.
He praised Local 1000 members for carrying state government through the pandemic and for taking on difficult jobs to serve Californians. He recognized governors and lawmakers have to pass balanced budgets, and said that means they should be more careful in running up the cost of programs that might eat away at funding that could be used to pay public employees better.
“It’s past time to show there’s recognition and not just by blowing smoke at them,” Perata said.
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Long Beach Search and Rescue team fills sandbags at the Claremont Lot for Long Beach residents on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
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Topline:
Two upcoming events at Long Beach City College will give Long Beach residents the chance to stockpile sandbags in advance of what is expected to be a particularly strong El Niño season.
When are the giveaways? On Saturday, Oct. 24, residents can pick up sandbags for free at the LBCC Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus (1305 E Pacific Coast Highway). A second distribution will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Lot M of the Liberal Arts College (4901 E. Carson St.). Each event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and community members will be able to drive up to the distribution sites, where staff will help them fill their cars with up to 10 sandbags. IDs will not be required to receive sand and sandbags.
Why now: At a recent press conference amid the waves fueled by Tropical Storm Rachel, Mayor Rex Richardson emphasized that residents all across Long Beach will likely feel the effects of storms and flooding this El Niño season.
Two upcoming events at Long Beach City College will give Long Beach residents the chance to stockpile sandbags in advance of what is expected to be a particularly strong El Niño season.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, residents can pick up sandbags for free at the LBCC Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus (1305 E Pacific Coast Highway). A second distribution will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Lot M of the Liberal Arts College (4901 E. Carson St.). Each event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and community members will be able to drive up to the distribution sites, where staff will help them fill their cars with up to 10 sandbags. IDs will not be required to receive sand and sandbags.
At a recent press conference amid the waves fueled by Tropical Storm Rachel, Mayor Rex Richardson emphasized that residents all across Long Beach will likely feel the effects of storms and flooding this El Niño season.
“Do not be caught off guard,” he said. “Prepare right now.”
Some of these effects will not be limited to the coast. Low-lying areas throughout Long Beach are especially susceptible to flooding, according to a city press release.
Richardson urged city residents to pick up sandbags before they need them — and to keep them throughout the rainy season, which typically lasts from December through March.
In addition to the upcoming distribution events, residents can also pick up empty sandbags at all neighborhood fire stations. (Station locations are available here.) Sand is available at stations 7, 12, 13 and 14, and residents are encouraged to bring shovels to fill sandbags themselves.
City officials encouraged community members to stay informed during the rainy season by signing up for Alert Long Beach and checking the city’s landing page for emergency updates. City Manager Tom Modica urged residents to take steps to fortify their properties, gather emergency supplies and develop plans for emergency weather.
Find additional resources on how to prepare for and navigate El Niño here.
Kool & the Gang will play Pershing Square's free "I Love Funk" festival this weekend.
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In this edition:
The L.A. Times Food Bowl, Venice Yoga Festival storytelling grand champions and more of the best things to do this weekend and beyond.
Highlights:
Try bites from the hottest restaurants in L.A. at the annual L.A. Times Food Bowl, this year taking place at the massive Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica. Roy Choi, Chainsaw, Baroo, Rustic Canyon and many, many more will have tastes and treats — all included in your ticket.
Get your vinyasa on, or just meditate by the ocean waves with fellow yogis and community members at the free Venice Yoga Festival at Muscle Beach. In addition to free classes with local practitioners, the day also features live music and kirtan, kids’ activities, workshops and talks.
Five Moth StorySlam and Grand Slam champs join forces at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse for It’s Funny NOW. True stories, live on stage and only the best — you really can’t go wrong, just don’t forget to bring the tissues.
While those of us closer to LAX wait around for the People Mover to finally make its much-delayed debut (oh, how I remember fondly taking a video of its virgin run around the terminals when I got off a plane a few months ago … ), those in the Valley and parts north have had the last laugh as the new Burbank terminal makes the area’s best airport even better. Sigh.
But who needs to go anywhere? We’ve got plenty going on right here. And remember to get your ballot in and use our voter guides as your one-stop-ballot-info stop. Election Day is Nov. 3!
Music
In music around the region this week, highlights from Licorice Pizza's recommendations include:
Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd., Expo Park COST: $25; MORE INFO
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Courtesy TriStar Pictures
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The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Movies Under the Microscope series is back with an ‘80s sci-fi flair, followed by a discussion about how movie science and real science overlap. This week, Val Kilmer (RIP) leads a pack of teen scientists building a laser for the government in the 1985 classic Real Genius. The screening is followed by a panel featuring Dr. David Saltzberg, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA and science consultant on The Big Bang Theory and Oppenheimer; Cody Ziglar, comic and writer for Futurama and Rick and Morty; Jason Patrick Galit, lead consultant for InterMyth and pop culture educator; and Beth Werling, the senior collections manager of history (Material Culture) at NHM. NHM’s Joel Quizon will moderate the panel.
Treasures and Trivia Thrifting Event
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 23-25 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena COST: $40; MORE INFO
Benefiting the Children’s Hospital of LA, Treasures and Trivia is an upscale thrifting event where you can find high-end clothing, furniture, art, housewares, holiday décor and more. Find your next prized possession among rows and rows of unique vintage items.
Side B: the sounds
Through Saturday, Oct. 24 David Zwirner Gallery 606 N. Western Ave., Melrose Hill COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy David Zwirner Gallery
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Did you know there’s a jazz listening room at David Zwirner through this weekend? "Side B: the sounds" is part of the current exhibition at the airy gallery space in Melrose Hill, Roy DeCarava: the sound i saw. There are a few events this weekend at the space, including a screening of the 1984 documentary Conversations with Roy DeCarava (Oct. 22), a reading by Harmony Holiday (Oct. 23) and a live jazz performance organized with the Sam First jazz club (Oct. 24). You can follow the full schedule of events here.
Grand Ave. Arts: All Access
Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Grand Ave. Arts
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Grand Ave. is the place to be on Saturday, when 14 leading arts and cultural institutions open their doors for the tenth anniversary of Grand Ave Arts: All Access. From the Ahmanson to Colburn, REDCAT to MOCA, DATALAND and more, all of the institutions along Grand Ave. are planning performances and exhibitions, including a special performance of ¡SÍ SE PUEDE! from Center Theatre Group, an instrument petting zoo at Colburn and Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos celebration. Plus, it’s all free!
Public Spirits: Festival of Performance Art
Friday, Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Various locations Chinatown COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The Performance Art Museum is hosting an all-day festival of interpretive art, with performances by Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo (Puppies Puppies), Pau S. Pescador, Da Ron Vinson and Ryat Yezbick. Each artist approaches performance “as a form of public speech and a means of intervening in civic life in a spirit of resistance and critical response to the political climate.”
City of San Fernando Día de los Muertos Festival
Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. San Fernando Recreation Park 208 Park Ave., San Fernando COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy the City of San Fernando
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Bring the whole family to experience the rich tradition of Día de los Muertos! This lively event honors the memories of loved ones, and the city of San Fernando asks you to join in the sacred tradition by building your own altar.
L.A. Times Food Bowl
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24 Barkar Hangar 3021 Airport Ave., Santa Monica COST: FROM $170; MORE INFO
Try bites from the hottest restaurants in L.A. at the annual L.A. Times Food Bowl, this year taking place at the massive Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica. Roy Choi, Chainsaw, Baroo, Rustic Canyon and many, many more will have tastes and treats — all included in your ticket.
It's Funny NOW: Five Moth Champions Live
Saturday, October 24, 8 p.m. Hermosa Beach Playhouse 710 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach COST: FROM $21.24; MORE INFO
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Courtesy RimoVision
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Five Moth StorySlam and Grand Slam champs join forces at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse for It’s Funny NOW. True stories, live on stage and only the best — you really can’t go wrong, just don’t forget to bring the tissues.
Venice Yoga Festival and block party
Saturday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. to sunset Venice Basketball Courts 1708-1978 Ocean Front Walk, Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Get your vinyasa on, or just meditate by the ocean waves with fellow yogis and community members at the free Venice Yoga Festival at Muscle Beach. In addition to free classes with local practitioners, the day also features live music and kirtan, kids’ activities, workshops and talks.
Blind Runner
Through Sunday, Nov. 8 South Coast Repertory 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa COST: FROM $41; MORE INFO
”Blind Runner” will be at South Coast Rep for a few weeks.
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Matt Stasi
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South Coast Repertory
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Mehr Theatre Group’s Blind Runner tells the story of three Iranians in a race against themselves — and time — using projection, immersive imagery and a story performed entirely in Persian with English supertitles. The unique show premiered at New York’s St. Ann's Warehouse in January 2025 as part of the Under the Radar Festival. With text and direction by award-winning Iranian theatre artist Amir Reza Koohestani, Blind Runner runs through Nov. 8 at South Coast Rep. Shows on Oct. 25 and 28 feature artist talkbacks.
