A photo illustration shows the logo for Meta's Threads, an app that gained over 10 million users overnight.
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Stefani Reynolds
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Threads already appears to have a leg up on other Twitter competitors, gaining 30 million users in less than 24 hours.
Pros: There are two reasons Threads has an edge over those competitors: Data and scale. Meta already has more than 3 billion users across its stable of apps (which include Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp), and is making it easy for its existing users to start a new account.
Cons: "The terrible uncle problem is the issue that comes about when all of your relatives, your colleagues, your high school classmates are able to find you on social media," Greenwood told NPR's Bobby Allyn on NPR's Morning Edition. "Younger people, especially, are turned off a platform where they feel like they have to censor what they're saying."
That has sparked a host of challengers vying for Twitter's beloved throne, the latest of which is Threads, which was unveiled late Wednesday by Meta, the parent company behind Facebook.
Threads already appears to have a leg up on other Twitter competitors, gaining 30 million users in less than 24 hours.
But could it go all the way, banging the final nail in Twitter's coffin? It may not be so simple.
First things first: What makes Threads similar to Twitter?
Meta is positioning Threads as a new space for people to have real-time, public conversations. And though it's tied closely to Instagram (users need an Instagram account to sign up), the user interface looks and feels a lot like Twitter.
There are buttons to like, repost, reply to or quote a thread. The number of likes and replies on each post is displayed below its content. Accounts can be public or private.
In terms of function, the app opts for simplicity over flashy new features.
But it may be because of that fact, rather than in spite of it, that folks are flocking to Threads in droves.
OK, but how is this different from Mastodon, Hive Social, Blue Sky or any of the other Twitter dupes?
There are two reasons Threads has an edge over those competitors: Data and scale.
Meta already has more than 3 billion users across its stable of apps (which include Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp), and is making it easy for its existing users to start a new account.
After downloading the new app, existing Instagram users have the option of importing standard set-up functions, including their bio, username, profile photo and follow list.
As of midday Thursday, more than 30 million people had taken that step to join the app, nearly 30 times the number of people who are reportedly active on Mastodon and Post.
The users include celebrities like chef Gordan Ramsay, actor Zac Efron and pop star Shakira. Brands like Airbnb, Netflix, Marvel Studios and Spotify were using Threads, as were news outlets like CBS, Vox and Vogue.
The buzz even sent the word "Threads" trending on its rival platform, with over 1 million tweets on the subject. Some tech junkies are referring to the newcomer as the "Twitter killer."
How does that user volume compare to Twitter?
Twitter doesn't offer regular disclosures of its user numbers, especially since news broke in 2017 that it had long been over-reporting its monthly active user count. The company saw about 326 million active monthly users around that time.
One thing to note is that Meta's owner, Mark Zuckerberg, could've easily launched Threads around then, or even earlier. He tried to buy Twitter himself back in 2008, but Twitter wouldn't sell.
Since Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, he has struggled to transform the platform into a profitable venture, slashing the number of employees and implementing erratic policy changes that have alienated some of Twitter's most loyal users.
Just last weekend, Musk announced a temporary cap on the number of tweets that non-paying users could view each day. Twitter also made it impossible to view tweets unless a user was signed into the platform, a move that was quickly reversed.
Even after months of turmoil, each new policy change sparks a wave of tweets about leaving the platform, all at a time when advertising spending has cratered at Twitter, dropping nearly 60% from a year ago.
Musk has not yet responded to NPR's request for comment on the Threads launch, but he previously referred to its sister app, Instagram, as "weak sauce."
"It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram," he wrote in a tweet Thursday.
What would it take for a new app to truly beat out Twitter?
Tech titans Mark Zuckerberg (left) and Elon Musk are in a fierce business rivalry.
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Mandel Ngan
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AFP via Getty Images
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Threads is facing modern market challenges that an early Twitter didn't have to reckon with.
Escalating data privacy concerns blocked the app from launching in the European Union and are already sparking headlines across the U.S.
Threads doesn't currently display ads, but Zuckerberg said the switch to monetization would happen once the platform is running smoothly and "on a clear path to 1 billion people."
And then there's the fractured market share, the mess of apps vying to take Twitter's place.
Threads says it's aiming to have the app work in the so-called "fediverse," the federated universe of apps that share similar communication rules. This might be especially appealing to creators or those with a large following who are hesitant to start over on a new platform.
But in the end, the element that might make or break Threads could be outside its control: whether its users build it into the culture they're craving.
Can Threads recreate Twitter's role as the public square?
In some of his earliest missives on the platform, Zuckerberg said he was focused on making Threads "a friendly place," adding that that would "ultimately be the key to its success."
"That's one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently," he wrote.
Tech junkies might counter that Zuckerberg has played (and lost) this game before. He tried to replicate the ephemerality of Snapchat with Facebook's Stories feature, or the compulsive scroll of TikTok with Instagram's Reels. Neither feature successfully bested out the competition.
When it comes to getting users in the habit of posting on Threads, one of the app's biggest weaknesses may be the very thing that might make the launch a success: the strength of the Meta brand.
Tech analyst Faine Greenwood of Tarentum Consulting calls it the "terrible uncle problem."
"The terrible uncle problem is the issue that comes about when all of your relatives, your colleagues, your high school classmates are able to find you on social media," Greenwood told NPR's Bobby Allyn on NPR's Morning Edition. "Younger people, especially, are turned off a platform where they feel like they have to censor what they're saying."
She added, "They don't want to have to deal with literally everybody they know" being in their social spaces.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment reporter and brings you the top news you need for the day.
Published May 8, 2026 12:55 PM
L.A. County Department of Public Health officials are closely monitoring potential reports of hantavirus after three infected people died on a cruise headed to Spain.
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Joao Luiz Bulcao, Hans Lucas
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Getty Images
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Topline:
L.A. County Public Health officials said Friday they are closely monitoring potential reports of the hantavirus, and that there isn’t an increased risk to residents.
Why now? A cruise ship headed to Spain captured headlines this week after three people died from the virus. World Health Organization officials reported that as of Monday, seven cases have been identified, including the three deaths. Two travelers infected with the virus, and one more suspected of being infected, were evacuated from the cruise ship for treatment.
What is the hantavirus? The hantavirus is an illness typically carried by rodents, such as rats. People can contract the virus through breathing in or having direct contact with rodent poop. In rare cases, the virus can also be contracted through a bite. Symptoms start flu-like and can show up one to eight weeks after infection.
What does this mean for LA County? The L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement that it is closely monitoring the situation: “At this time, Public Health has not been notified that any of the passengers that disembarked the cruise traveled to Los Angeles County. There is no indication of increased risk to people in Los Angeles County."
Is there any treatment? There is no licensed treatment or vaccine, according to the World Health Organization. Patients are monitored for lung, heart and kidney complications and treated as necessary. The earlier that the infection is caught, the better the chance of recovery.
Tom Steyer (back left, in dark suit), the billionaire climate activist running for California governor, pauses for photos with members of the California Nurses Association, a progressive union that endorsed him in part due to his strong support of single-payer healthcare.
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Christine Mai-Duc
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KFF Health News
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Topline:
Today, leading Democrats in the wide-open race to succeed Gavin Newsom have embraced single-payer as a political necessity, an answer to voters fed up with rising premiums and other spiraling healthcare costs.
Why it matters: But with no clear front-runner, they are sparring among themselves in debates and political ads over who is most committed to a government-run model. No candidate has outlined how California would fund comprehensive health coverage for its 40 million residents, leaving voters unable to discern which candidate has a concrete plan for the nation’s most populous state.
The backstory: Healthcare and political experts said the concept of single-payer has shifted from progressive pipe dream a decade ago to today’s mainstream talking points in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1. Democrats have pledged the model as the best way to lower costs in an attempt to woo voters worried about affordability as ballots arrive for the June 2 primary. The top two Republicans, meanwhile, have dismissed government-run healthcare as a “disaster” and “socialism.”
Read on... for more on single-payer in this race.
When Gavin Newsom ran for California governor in 2018, his support for a state-run single-payer healthcare system was considered a risky move and earned him hefty labor endorsements.
Today, leading Democrats in the wide-open race to succeed Newsom have embraced single-payer as a political necessity, an answer to voters fed up with rising premiums and other spiraling healthcare costs.
But with no clear front-runner, they are sparring among themselves in debates and political ads over who is most committed to a government-run model. No candidate has outlined how California would fund comprehensive health coverage for its 40 million residents, leaving voters unable to discern which candidate has a concrete plan for the nation’s most populous state.
Healthcare and political experts said the concept of single-payer has shifted from progressive pipe dream a decade ago to today’s mainstream talking points in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1. Democrats have pledged the model as the best way to lower costs in an attempt to woo voters worried about affordability as ballots arrive for the June 2 primary. The top two Republicans, meanwhile, have dismissed government-run healthcare as a “disaster” and “socialism.”
“In many ways, single-payer healthcare has become a progressive litmus test,” said Larry Levitt, a former White House policy adviser and a healthcare expert at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
Few voters fully understand the term single-payer, let alone expect the next governor to achieve it, Levitt said. Rather, he added, the term has become more of a signal to voters about a candidate’s approach to healthcare reform.
Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, who for decades backed single-payer healthcare in Congress, has come under criticism from opponents for a nuanced but clear shift away from single-payer. It came after Becerra secured an endorsement from the California Medical Association, a powerful group representing doctors and a longtime opponent of single-payer healthcare bills in California.
At a May 5 debate put on by CNN, Becerra declared his support for “Medicare for All,” a proposal for a federally run system that’s been stalled for years, but he declined to say whether he’d pursue a California-led effort. He said his immediate focus would be on mitigating the drastic federal cuts expected to hit low-income and disabled enrollees in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, which covers more than a third of residents.
Becerra is counting on voters not to distinguish between the often-confused terms single-payer, Medicare for All, and universal coverage, noting during the debate that “Californians don’t care what you call it, so long as they have affordable healthcare.”
“A lot of people aren’t clear what single-payer is, and they need a metaphor to understand it,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic strategist and one of the lead pollsters for former President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who’s touted his self-funding as a signal he can’t be bought, has emerged as the race’s most vocal advocate of single-payer after opposing it during a short-lived 2020 presidential bid.
As governor, Steyer has said, he would pass legislation backed by the California Nurses Association that has failed to come to fruition under Newsom’s tenure. Pressed on how he would cover the estimated $731.4 billion cost, Steyer told KFF Health News that “God is going to be in the details.”
At a forum last year, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter said she didn’t believe achieving such a system was realistic in the near term, but the Orange County Democrat later told party delegates that she would “deliver single-payer.” Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Democrats who are trailing their competitors in the polls, don’t support single-payer. The top two vote-getters — regardless of party — advance to the November general election.
Some of the most seasoned politicians have failed to deliver single-payer. Newsom, who campaigned on the promise of being a “healthcare governor,” dialed back his ambitions upon taking office, choosing instead to pursue “universal access” to health coverage under a series of Medi-Cal expansions and efforts to contain healthcare spending.
The campaign bus for billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who has made single-payer healthcare a central pillar of his run for governor, in downtown Oakland, California. In 2020, Steyer ran for president opposing single-payer healthcare.
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Christine Mai-Duc
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KFF Health News
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Vermont, which remains the only state to pass a single-payer healthcare law, reversed course when leaders there couldn’t identify a funding source.
To enact single-payer, California would need permission from the federal government to redirect billions of dollars from Medicaid, Medicare, and other funding that currently flows to the system — approval not likely to come from the Trump administration.
More than half of adults nationally say healthcare costs will have a major impact on whom they vote for in November, according an April KFF poll.
What most California voters want to hear, Cendejas said, is how candidates plan to give them more immediate relief from higher premiums, expensive drug costs, and long waits to access care.
The high price tag doesn’t faze Jennifer Easton, a 63-year-old Democrat from Oakland, who said other countries with similar models have proved they can lower costs. She said she supports a single-payer health system because it’s clear to her that Americans have reached the limits of working within the existing system. But she isn’t expecting any of the current candidates to succeed in implementing one, and she hasn’t decided whom to support.
“No one can in four years,” she said. Seeing a candidate enthusiastically support the concept gives her a good idea of their philosophy. “It is, if we’re lucky, a 20-year, 25-year plan.”
Rob Stutzman, a Republican political consultant who advised former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said while Americans may be supportive of single-payer in polls, focus groups suggest that approval drops quickly when voters realize it could mean losing their current doctor or insurance plan.
At the CNN debate, Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate President Donald Trump has endorsed, said Californians would end up with subpar patient care and “taxes sky high to pay for it,” like in his native United Kingdom.
Instead, Hilton suggested the state stop providing “free healthcare for illegal immigrants who shouldn't even be in the country in the first place.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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All but one Cal State campus have Native American remains and cultural items that federal and state laws require them to return to tribes. In many cases, the process has been slow.
The backstory: Federal and state Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation laws require agencies and institutions with Native American remains and cultural items, such as the ancestors’ remains. While there was not a deadline for when collections had to be returned, federal law required campuses to complete an inventory of their collections by 1995.
Why it's been difficult to return Native artifacts; To move forward with repatriation, universities have to contact potential culturally affiliated tribes, based on geographic location or historical evidence, for consultation. Then, tribes can submit a request for repatriation. While the process can be slow, multiple tribal leaders said that the campuses are supportive and are up against federal and state rules that complicate returns for non-federally recognized tribes. There are also times of confusion over who exactly has authority to make those returns.
About the Cal State collections: Though the size of their collections varies, campuses like Cal Poly Humboldt and San Francisco State have made progress in returning human remains and cultural items, with Sacramento State having returned most of its Native collections. But others, like Cal Poly Pomona, have yet to see much progress and Cal State Bakersfield has not made any returns. The Cal State system holds the remains of more than 2,000 Native Americans and more than 1.57 million artifacts, according to the most recent list of the system's collections. Another 500,000 collections of items are still in storage awaiting proper tribal review to be cataloged.
All but one Cal State campus have Native American remains and cultural items that federal and state laws require them to return to tribes. In many cases, the process has been slow.
Though the size of their collections varies, campuses like Cal Poly Humboldt and San Francisco State have made progress in returning human remains and cultural items, with Sacramento State having returned most of its Native collections. But others, like Cal Poly Pomona, have yet to see much progress and Cal State Bakersfield has not made any returns.
The Cal State system holds the remains of more than 2,000 Native Americans and more than 1.57 million artifacts, according to the most recent list of the system's collections. Another 500,000 collections of items are still in storage awaiting proper tribal review to be cataloged.
Campus officials say they are working diligently to follow legal mandates to return items to tribes, but the road can be long and arduous.
Last February, members of the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu tribe reburied three ancestors whose remains had been held at Sacramento State since 1963. The Lake Concow Campground donated 10.7 acres of land to the tribe within their traditional territory in Northern California, where they were able to perform the reburials.
“During the process it’s a very, very heavy feeling,” said Matthew Williford Sr., the tribal chairperson and cultural resource director. “But when you receive the remains back, you feel lighter. It doesn’t feel like so much weight.”
If collections stay in storage, for Williford, it's as if "nobody knows that we were ever around."
"It's important for us to get that back, because we believe that those items still have spirit," he said. "They need to come back to the people."
Federal and state Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation laws require agencies and institutions with Native American remains and cultural items, such as the ancestors’ remains from Williford’s tribe, be returned to tribes. While there was not a deadline for when collections had to be returned, federal law required campuses to complete an inventory of their collections by 1995.
“La Memoria de la Tierra,” a mural by Judith Baca on the north side of Ackerman Union at UCLA in Los Angeles, on Nov. 9, 2022.
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Pablo Unzueta
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for CalMatters
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As of February 2025, Sacramento State had repatriated 89% of the human remains and 68% of the cultural items on their campus. That means control of the collections has been legally transferred to a culturally affiliated tribe, but collections may remain physically held by the campus if requested by the tribe. The figure also does not include what the campus holds for other state or federal agencies.
“Some tribes want us to hold on to collections, in which case we might do a held trust agreement, where we just are saying, 'We’re holding this for you until you’re ready to take it for repatriation,'” said Sarah Eckhardt, Sacramento State’s repatriation coordinator.
Eckhardt has been the repatriation coordinator for more than six years, overseeing the university's compliance with repatriation laws and policies. Eckhardt shared that the campus has a good relationship with local tribes, to whom the majority of their collections belong, allowing them to repatriate the collections effectively.
The amount of cultural items at Sacramento State decreased significantly from about 30,000 in 2024 to about 6,000 in 2025.
Why it's hard to return Native artifacts
To move forward with repatriation, universities have to contact potential culturally affiliated tribes, based on geographic location or historical evidence, for consultation. Then, tribes can submit a request for repatriation.
While the process can be slow, multiple tribal leaders said that the campuses are supportive and are up against federal and state rules that complicate returns for non-federally recognized tribes. There are also times of confusion over who exactly has authority to make those returns.
Sacramento State reported an increase in their collection of human remains from 171 in 2024 to 223 in 2025, which Eckhardt said was due to some confusion over who manages them.
“There were several collections that we thought were the responsibility of another agency, that they denied responsibility for and so we accepted responsibility for that,” said Eckhardt.
Near the end of 2024, 32 boxes containing three human remains and cultural items previously held at Sacramento State were returned to Williford's state-recognized tribe. But since they are not federally-recognized, federal law meant they'd have to partner with a federal tribe to claim the collections on their behalf, and also have local tribes sign off on the handover, said Williford. That process took about six months after a notice was published to the federal registrar, which informs other tribes in case any want to rebut the claim. To him, that was a quick timeframe.
“At least they’re trying… I think they need to up their game on helping nonfederal tribes with federal repatriation,” said Williford.
San Jose State has run into a similar situation. The university has returned all the remains belonging to federally recognized tribes, but still possesses remains affiliated with non-federally recognized tribes, posing the biggest challenge, according to Alisha Marie Ragland, the campus’ repatriation coordinator. As of December 2025, San Jose State reported having 514 human remains and more than 5,000 collections of stored items waiting to be reviewed.
“SJSU will continue to work with tribes to find appropriate and respectful means of sending the Ancestors home,” said Ragland via email.
So, why do some campuses struggle to make returns under their care?
“Repatriation can take years. Just for what we consider one artifact potentially could take up to a couple years,” said David Silva, the repatriation coordinator at Cal State Bakersfield.
Cal State Bakersfield is still in the process of consulting with tribes to determine what the boxes under their care contain, he said.
“There’s no direct timeline for our tribal partners to have to conduct consultation,” said Silva. “The only timeline is really when we start to submit notices or when we complete that inventory verification.”
A sign displayed behind glass at California State University, Long Beach, on Dec. 14, 2023.
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Jules Hotz
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for CalMatters
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Curtis Alcantar is a member of the Tejon Indian tribe and a tribal representative for the NAGPRA committee at the Bakersfield campus, working with Silva. Alcantar said he has had a good experience working with the university and other Cal State campuses and that he believes the system is moving in a positive direction.
Before, Bakersfield housed items in five different rooms spread throughout campus, creating a hassle for tribal members. They recently moved to a new building on campus, allowing tribes easier access to review collections.
When he first started helping with tribal consultations, Alcantar was troubled by how many Native American remains and cultural items were still in possession of museums and universities. Universities acquired Native remains and items through excavations and research often from anthropology and archeology disciplines. Some collections were acquired through donations.
At the time, it was difficult for him to understand how much Native American collections museums and universities still held and were refusing to give back, said Alcantar. But now, he says that people are more open minded and willing to repatriate.
The process does take a lot of research and time, he added. For him, the most helpful tool Cal State has provided is the campus collections map, making it easier to find which campuses have collections from Kern County, his home base. According to the map, eight different Cal State campuses have collections from Kern County and Cal State Bakersfield has collections from 18 California counties.
“The fulfilling part for me is seeing the objects go back home, watching the ancestors just finally get their journey back home,” said Alcantar.
Cal Poly Humboldt has repatriated about 39% of the 23,889 cultural items initially in its possession, according to figures provided by Megan Watson, the campus' NAGPRA coordinator. San Francisco State has repatriated roughly 36% of its original 44,000 collections of stored items, according to Robert King, the campus’ director of communications. The campus has about 250 remains, a number that hasn't budged much in recent years. Since November, it has returned two remains with about 260 collections of items, the official said.
Cal State updates list of Native collections
Cal State's updated list was released in December after, for the first time, all Cal State campuses completed an inventory review.
Sonoma State has more than 1.52 million cultural items, by far the highest count in the system. Meanwhile, Cal State Fullerton holds the most remains with 534 individuals counted, and San Diego State has the highest collections of stored items awaiting tribal review, totaling more than 426,000.
One reason for Sonoma State's high count is that it has a large facility to house those collections under proper care, said Samantha Cypret, a member of the Mountain Maidu tribe and executive director of the office of tribal relations for the Cal State Chancellor’s Office, which oversees NAGPRA compliance. Campuses with large anthropology or archeology departments also tend to have larger collections, she added.
Multiple members of Sonoma State’s NAGPRA team were contacted for comment. Some declined an interview while others did not respond.
Cal State revamps how it returns remains — with some delays
In November 2025, Cal State launched a systemwide NAGPRA policy providing campuses with a consistent approach for repatriations. The move came in response to Assembly Bill 389 – a 2023 amendment to the 2001 state NAGPRA Act – and a critical Cal State audit. The assembly bill required the Chancellor's Office to adopt a systemwide policy and committee, and that committees form at each campus.
Cypret said that the policy took time to enact after the audit was issued and the Assembly Bill passed because they wanted to make sure they were letting tribal voices take the lead, learning about what tribes wanted to see included in the policy.
“We also really wanted to make sure that we were centering tribal voices in the development, in the implementation of this policy, so we held over 30 tribal outreach sessions in about the year and a half that this policy took to create,” said Cypret.
The new system policy outlines responsibilities of each campus, such as employing a full-time repatriation coordinator, conducting ongoing surveys of holdings and forbidding the use of collections for teaching and research. Cal State allocated $3.7 million for campuses with Native American collections for the fiscal year 2025-2026 to support the costs of staffing repatriation coordinators, reburial costs, reimbursing tribes for travel costs, and other expenses related to repatriation.
The University of California system and community colleges also have Native American collections on their campuses. An audit of the University of California published in April 2025 determined that the system lacked urgency and accountability.
Williford said that his tribe has made formal requests to receive two woven baskets from UC Berkeley that are part of his tribe's dogwood collection. For him, helping return collections for his tribe has helped him feel connected to his dad who passed away in 2015. He said his dad was part of a “lost generation” that knew who they were but didn’t have a lot of cultural information. But today, the tribe's elders find meaning when returns are made.
“To see an elder’s eyes light up like a child’s, it’s something special,” said Williford.
Cal State will review its systemwide policy again in November 2026 after tribal consultations.
Brittany Oceguera is a contributor with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.
Andi Xoch in her Boyle Heights shop Latinx with Plants.
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Brian De Los Santos
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LAist
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Topline:
If you need a last-minute Mother’s Day gift and want to shop local, here are six Los Angeles shops that have you covered.
Why it matters: Let’s face it: Many people have procrastinated on gift-giving at some point. Life gets busy with work, family and other responsibilities, and special occasions can slip by. What better way to thank your mama—or someone who raised you like their mama — for giving you life and care, and probably sacrificing a lot to give you everything — than with a more meaningful, locally sourced gift that feels personal, rather than the standard flowers and chocolates. Yup, calling you out.
Let’s face it: Many people have procrastinated on gift-giving at some point. Life gets busy with work, family and other responsibilities, and special occasions can slip by. What better way to thank your mama—or someone who raised you like their mama — for giving you life and care, and probably sacrificing a lot to give you everything — than with a more meaningful, locally sourced gift that feels personal, rather than the standard flowers and chocolates. Yup, calling you out.
Echo Park-based startup Gallop offers an alternative to major online retailers that helps you shop local and find thoughtful, unique gifts — even at the last minute.
Customers browse the shelves at Burden of Proof, where wall-to-wall non-alcoholic spirits share space with a communal farm table and a miniature shopping cart — sober shopping, elevated.
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Cristabell Fierros
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The LA Local
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In the past six months, co-founders Anthony Abaci and Nic Clar have operated Gallop (formerly Giftphoria) a retail delivery platform that connects customers with independent small businesses across Los Angeles. The idea for Gallop stemmed from Abaci’s personal difficulty finding the right gifts, along with a goal to create a one-stop shop that delivers items within hours while supporting local businesses.
“A lot of these store owners, they’re competing with big-box retailers and need help with online sales, so we bring them new customers,” Abaci said.
In the early days, Abaci and Clar handled deliveries themselves, offering two-hour door-to-door service while also managing coding, store onboarding, customer service and marketing. The platform has since expanded to about 50 stores, from northeast Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley. It now offers express 3-hour and next-day delivery, employs a team of drivers and recently introduced gift wrapping for an additional fee.
“Moms are one of our biggest customer groups. They like using us as a convenient alternative to Amazon and Target,” Abaci said.
Even Gallop’s Instagram highlights shop owners and showcases their products.
The company recently featured Ibi Yoo, owner of Studio Ko, a Koreatown-based home goods store. Abaci said Yoo holds exclusive U.S. import rights for some of the store’s products.
Gallop’s mission centers on preserving local shopping culture and helping customers discover products not typically found at large retail chains.
But if you need a last-minute Mother’s Day gift and want to shop local, here are six Los Angeles shops that have you covered.
Studio Kō
Studio Kō is a Los Angeles-based shop founded by Ibi Yoo in 2018 that showcases high-end Korean home goods, ceramics and artisan-made lifestyle products. The Koreatown showroom highlights both traditional and contemporary Korean craftsmanship, offering a curated selection that brings Korean design and culture to a wider audience.
Koreatown 628 N. Avenue 64, Los Angeles
La Vecina
La Vecina is a women-owned neighborhood shop and community hub in Highland Park. Shoppers can find locally made greeting cards, mini dried floral bouquets, wellness products, coffee and tea bags and handmade candles. Or, create a custom Mother’s Day gift basket with La Vecina’s Mexican and Latin American pantry staples.
Northeast LA 628 N. Avenue 64, Los Angeles
Luca Essentials
Let’s face it: Many people have procrastinated on gift-giving at some point. Life gets busy with work, family and other responsibilities, and special occasions can slip by. What better way to thank your mama—or someone who raised you like their mama — for giving you life and care, and probably sacrificing a lot to give you everything — than with a more meaningful, locally sourced gift that feels personal, rather than the standard flowers and chocolates. Yup, calling you out.
Whether you visit Luca Essentials in Atwater Village or downtown Los Angeles, you’ll find a women-owned shop offering a wide range of products, including makeup, skin care, home goods, mother-and-baby items, jewelry and vintage clothing. The store’s plant-based, non-toxic items make it a good fit for moms who prefer natural products.
Downtown 5727 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles
Northeast LA 3608 Edenhurst Ave., Los Angeles
Burden of Proof
Let’s face it: Many people have procrastinated on gift-giving at some point. Life gets busy with work, family and other responsibilities, and special occasions can slip by. What better way to thank your mama—or someone who raised you like their mama — for giving you life and care, and probably sacrificing a lot to give you everything — than with a more meaningful, locally sourced gift that feels personal, rather than the standard flowers and chocolates. Yup, calling you out.
Burden of Proofis a nonalcoholic bottle shop and market in South Pasadena owned by married couple Dean and Obreanna. It offers an eclectic selection of nonalcoholic wine, spirits, beer, snacks, coffee and South Pasadena merchandise, making it a good gift stop for moms who enjoy a well-crafted mocktail or a sweet, fruit-forward wine alternative.
San Gabriel Valley 1012 Mission St. Unit B, South Pasadena
Latinx With Plants
Let’s face it: Many people have procrastinated on gift-giving at some point. Life gets busy with work, family and other responsibilities, and special occasions can slip by. What better way to thank your mama—or someone who raised you like their mama — for giving you life and care, and probably sacrificing a lot to give you everything — than with a more meaningful, locally sourced gift that feels personal, rather than the standard flowers and chocolates. Yup, calling you out.
Latinx With Plantsis a plant nursery known for its community-focused workshops and selection of plants, pots, soil, decor, Latinx merchandise and more. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the shop is offering two workshops Saturday: Bootquet and Molcajete Mamis.
Boyle Heights 2208 Cesar Chavez Ave., Los Angeles
The Chocolate Dispensary
The Chocolate Dispensary is a chocolate shop owned by partners Kala and Dale, offering a wide selection of chocolates from around the world, including truffles, cocoa powder, chocolate butter, bars and almonds. For Mother’s Day, the shop has selected a range of chocolates, including a rose petal bar, a wine and fig bar and assorted caramel chocolates.