The Brief

Third grader Lenny Rodriguez enjoys playing and reading in his school’s yard, but it can get extremely hot outside.

“Sometimes, I’ve experienced heat waves. My feet were burning even when I had my shoes on,” Rodriguez says. “The playground is missing some shade.”

A dire need

Rodriguez’s school, Beachy Avenue Elementary, is in Arleta, near Pacoima and Panorama City. The temperature in these neighborhoods can hit highs well over 100 degrees during different parts of the year. The asphalt in the San Fernando Valley has registered 142 degrees on its surface. But schools all over the Los Angeles Unified School District are feeling the effects of rising heat.

According to the Los Angeles County Climate Vulnerability Assessment, extremely heat-prone regions of L.A. could see 30 or more additional days with temperatures above 90 degrees by 2050.

And that hot weather could stretch further into the school year, says V. Kelly Turner, associate professor of urban planning and geography at UCLA and associate director of the Luskin Center for Innovation.

“That's just going to be how it is in the future,” Turner says.

Turner and her colleagues have studied extreme heat and the role design plays in how people experience it. They found that “schools are some of the hottest places in communities” as a result of how they’ve been built.

Campuses all over the district, from West Hollywood to Watts, are asphalt jungles, and fixing it, says Turner, is “not just as simple as putting up trees.”

The indoors are a problem too: Many schools still lack air conditioning.

Turner says it’s important to think about schools as community resources, especially for kids who come from historically disinvested and disadvantaged communities.

“If kids live in a home without air conditioning or a cool place to go on hot days, then come to school, which also lacks cooling inside and shade outside, their core body temperatures are never getting down to safe levels,” Turner explains. “That's going to cause them to have difficulty concentrating … and it's going to be very, very hard for a child to learn in that context.”

Research shows that heat can negatively impact students’ ability to learn, which results in lower academic performance. Conversely, other studies have found that students benefit from time spent in green spaces and that exposure to nature can help kids focus better.

The demand for cooler schools

Parent groups and climate advocates have been trying to bring attention to this issue for years — and many say action has been a long time in coming.

Robin Mark, the L.A. program director for Trust for Public Land, says it’s important for people to understand that greening schools is not a landscaping project, it’s about school infrastructure that supports student learning, well-being and climate resilience.

“It’s not a nice-to-have,” Mark says, “It’s not really cool that the yard is so pretty. That’s not what we’re going for. What we’re going for is that we’re creating environments for students to thrive.”

First graders at Brainard Elementary demonstrate the very lengthy process of lining up, socially distanced, outside.

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Kyle Stokes

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LAist

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The district's efforts so far

Last year LAUSD took a big step forward in addressing concerns. In June 2022, district officials allocated $58 million to outdoor education initiatives, including greening. A few months later, then-LAUSD board president Kelly Gonez authored a resolution calling for Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to develop a plan to ensure school campuses are at least 30% green by 2035.

But Gonez says she is still waiting. The plan was supposed to be given to the board in February.

"We need a systemic approach from the district," Gonez says. "Not to do this in a piecemeal fashion, because we know that's far from sufficient. It requires a really significant transformation in most cases because of the way the playgrounds have been set up. It's not aligned to the 21st century environment our kids live in.”

According to a district spokesperson, the Green Schoolyards For All Plan will be given to the board members in the coming weeks. It will include a prioritized list of the highest-need schools.

Since the pledge to green schools, district officials say they’ve met with stakeholders and experts, updated their data systems to include a pollution indicator and surveyed 349 people about what they think should be prioritized.

District officials say that there have been various greening projects underway that include modernizing campuses, creating school gardens and planting new trees. But the reality is that it will take a lot of money and a lot of time to reach the goals outlined by the Green Schoolyards initiative.

The funding challenge

More than 600 LAUSD campuses do not meet that 30% threshold. Even if the district prioritizes elementary schools, as promised, more than 200 of those campuses are less than 10% green. And some of the schools require infrastructure upgrades before greening can even happen.

LAUSD secured $400 million from Measure RR to modernize schools, including green efforts, and collected $100 million in other funds.

Funding has also come through partnerships with nonprofit groups and state grants, but it's nowhere near enough. District officials say it’s going to take an additional $4 billion to ensure all schools have enough green space and students are kept cool.

Officials say additional funding might have to come from another bond, which will require voter buy-in.

But even if LAUSD had all the money it needed, it would take decades to complete all of these projects. During a recent school board meeting, member Nick Melvoin estimated it could take up to 15 years to green the top 50 highest-need campuses, based on a district calculation that it would take about three to four years to update around a half-dozen schools.

“We are by no means mission accomplished,” Mark says. “There's a lot of learning on all of our sides about what we can do on a school campus, so that everybody's needs are being met, particularly the students and the teachers."

'Cool' pavement v. trees

While district officials have yet to provide the school board with a final plan for how they will achieve these green goals, some advocates have already questioned how the money is being spent.

For example, some of the ongoing bond investments include $300 million for "playground and campus exterior upgrades" that include the use of "cool pavement" coating that is designed to bring down surface temperatures. But parent advocates like Angelenos for Green Schools co-founder Aleigh Lewis argues that natural spaces should be prioritized.

She says understands the need for pavement for sports and other play but believes trees, grass and other natural surfaces should be prioritized over repaving surfaces with a reflective coating.

“You have all this money and you could do so much more for every school and cool them down,” Lewis says.

A community survey shared with the LAUSD school board in mid-October showed that stakeholders, including parents, teachers and students, want to prioritize trees and shade structures over other cooling efforts.

Gonez says there is room for all of it. Some schools have asked for the specialized cool pavement as part of much needed repaving but she agrees that the district “can't just do that alone.”

One small step to a greener school yard

Beachy Avenue Elementary, where Lenny Rodriguez goes to school, now has a new “reading garden” where students can sit outside in a cool, natural space. There are two blue circular platforms with a stretch of grass in between, and new trees that, once they are full grown, will offer shade for students.

Beachy Avenue Elementary's new reading garden is one of the first initiatives toward greening the school to meet the district's 30% goal by 2035.

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Aaricka Washington

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LAist

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“I think this project is really helping our schools get better with shade on global warming,” Rodriguez says. “So, overall, I think this is a good thing for us in this district. We’re going to grow up with it.”

But that garden was five years in the making, notes Beachy Principal Lisa Dachs-Ornelas. She says she called on Gonez, her district board member, to help secure more than $100,000 for the reading garden.

And, still, there’s so much more that needs to be done. According to the district’s Greening Index, Beachy is almost 80% asphalt.

“It is very hot out here and the kids sometimes don't play," says Dachs-Ornelas. “They'll go under a shade and then they'll just socialize with a friend because it's too hot to play kickball on the asphalt.”

Gonez acknowledges the district is coming late to the climate crisis. Though some LAUSD schools might have been able to add a garden or plant some trees, green campuses haven’t been a district priority, she says, largely due to other issues officials had to handle: overcrowding, aging facilities and the pandemic.

But now that there is some collective attention on the issue from the state and local officials, Gonez emphasizes: “I think we need to do more, and I think we need to do more faster.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

East Los Angeles will undergo months of soil testing and excavation after May’s crude oil spill, with the cleanup expected to continue into early 2027, according to county officials.

County agencies gave an update on recovery efforts during an L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, which they say has shifted from emergency response to long-term remediation. 

Officials said much of the work is contingent on a report due on Aug. 31 by pipeline owner Plains All American that will detail the results of soil testing and other data points to understand the spill’s impact on the surrounding community and the L.A. River.

“There is still some oil contamination at Cesar Chavez and Eastern Avenue,” said Mario Tresierras, chief of the L.A. County Fire Department’s Health Hazardous Materials Division, one of the lead agencies overseeing the cleanup effort. 

What lies ahead is months of soil sampling, air quality monitoring and, eventually, excavation and removal of the contaminated soil, Tresierras said.

According to L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella, the scope of the excavation cannot be determined until after the county reviews Plains’ Aug. 31 report, but he expects the work to be completed by January 2027. 

“January of ‘27 would be a conservative completion date … I’d expect it to be done before then,” Pestrella said. “This is going to be a fairly involved cleanup and construction project.” 

How the spill happened 

Crews clean the scene along Cesar E. Chavez and Eastern avenues, where gallons of crude oil spilled onto the street.

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Andrew Lopez

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Boyle Heights Beat

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An estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled on May 22 after crews conducting directional drilling for a fiber-optic line struck the 16-inch petroleum pipeline. Initial reports placed the spill at about 2,400 gallons before the pipeline operator revised the volume.

Much of the oil seeped into nearby streets and soil, and a “significant” amount also made its way into the storm drain system and the L.A. River, Pestrella said.

State and federal agencies completed cleanup of the river and storm drains on June 23, according to L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

Public Health says no ongoing health impacts detected 

Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said there are no ongoing health impacts related to the spill and the noxious odors that caused headaches and nausea for some residents have subsided.

Ferrer said the department has not detected elevated levels of benzene, a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant, despite community concerns. Though odors may return during excavation work, the department does not anticipate dangerous benzene levels during remediation, Ferrer said.

Solis proposes community meetings 

At the meeting, Solis asked county departments, including Public Works, the L.A. County Fire Department and the Department of Public Health, to hold a community meeting “to ensure that residents are fully aware and updated on the status and recovery while we’re preparing, and then after the report.”

The request comes after months of demands from community groups calling on Solis to host a community town hall and provide greater access to environmental testing results, public health guidance and cleanup updates. Those calls for transparency were reignited following the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, with residents calling it another example of the environmental injustice faced by Eastside residents.

As of Wednesday, Solis’ office had not yet determined any dates for the meetings but said they expect the departments to host them as soon as possible.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

A local outbreak of flea-borne typhus is spreading in the Pico Union neighborhood, according to health officials. Five cases have emerged in the city of Los Angeles with all five patients being hospitalized and recovering. 

The outbreak is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health who are hoping to minimize the spread of the infection.

Infections occur when feces from infected fleas are rubbed into cuts or scrapes on the skin or rubbed into the eyes. 

Symptoms include fever, body aches, headaches, nausea and rashes. They can appear within one to two weeks after becoming infected. There is no vaccine for flea-borne typhus but it can be effectively treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early.

According to the DPH the best way to prevent illness is to reduce exposure to fleas and animals that may carry them. This includes stray animals, rodents, and other wildlife such as opossums. 

“Community members can help protect themselves and their neighbors by keeping pets on flea control year-round, avoiding stray animals, and making sure wildlife cannot live in or around their homes,” Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a statement.

Flea-borne typhus has increased in Los Angeles since 2010, with an all time high of 220 cases in 2025. The highest ever number reported in L.A. County.

The DPH advises residents to protect themselves and their pets by routinely using flea control products, keeping pets indoors as much as possible, and using EPA-registered insect repellent labeled for protection against fleas when outside.

They advise keeping pet food indoors to not attract wild or stray animals, as well as not feeding or touching any free-roaming animals.

Keeping yards free of debris and free of overgrown plants or bushes can also help wild animals avoid the area. It is recommended to keep trash in tightly closed containers, and to close off crawl spaces and openings where animals can enter, hide, or find food.

Infected animals do not typically show signs of illness and flea-borne typhus does not spread from person to person. Animal owners can be infected by touching their infected pets or if infected fleas are on the animal.

In 2025, nearly 90% of people diagnosed with flea-borne typhus required hospitalization, according to the DPH. All age groups are susceptible to catching typhus with documented cases in people ranging in residents from 1 – 85 years old, according to officials.

The county advises residents to get checked sooner rather than later, and to continuously be on the lookout for wild animals. The city will look to deal with an increase in cases since 2024.  

Residents can learn more about flea-borne typhus and prevention: ph.lacounty.gov/Typhus

Dating is not cheap, especially in a place like greater L.A. And costs are rising.

The overall average date is running $189, according to a BMO Real Financial Progress Index. That’s up 12.5% from last year. We asked listeners of AirTalk, LAist’s daily news show, to share how they find ways to date without breaking the bank.

Head outdoors

A number of listeners said hikes are their go-to cheap date.

“ I like going into an area where you get into a canopy, a lot of trees, so you don't get too warm,” Adrian in Corona said.

There might even be some science behind Angelenos’ love of hiking dates. Dating coach Damona Hoffman said there are benefits to doing something active while on a date.

“It boosts your endorphins… when you do something physical, you can sort of transfer some of those feelings of excitement to the person that you're with,” she said.

Kiz in Beverly Hills recommended Los Leones Canyon in Pacific Palisades — which is open after the Palisades fire — where he went on an early first date with his wife, adding that it’s also kid-friendly.

LAist host Austin Cross pointed out this may not be the best idea for a first date though.

“If the conversation's not hitting, but you're two miles into this hike, you still gotta walk back with them,” he said.

Take advantage of the arts

Heidi in Los Feliz recommended taking an art class, specifically at Heavy Manners Library in Echo Park.

Read more: Beloved Heavy Manners Library in Echo Park is moving — and it’s looking for a few good volunteers

“During the summer, the Hollywood Bowl has $6 seats for the symphony,” Adriana in Hollywood said. “You can take in your own food, you can bring in a bottle of wine, you can sit under the stars, listen to the LA Phil, and to me, that is just the most romantic, gorgeous way to spend a summer evening.”

Simplicity can be a good thing 

Durie in Lomita said he and his wife like to go watch planes at the In-N-Out by LAX. He said it would even make a good spot for a first date.

“ It lends a lot to discussion of what you want in your future,” he said.

Elizabeth in San Bernardino suggests meeting up at a bookstore.

“Conversation came organically through looking at the type of books that we liked,” she said of her experience.

Cross used to go to IKEA on dates back in the day.

“It was also a fun cheap date because you could see a person in so many different settings,” he said. “You could see if they were game to pretend to play house.”

The beach triumphs as an all-time cheap date spot

 Diane in West L.A. said — even after 41 years of marriage — eating dinner on the beach never fails.

“One of you can carry the basket, one of you can carry the blanket,” she said.