The Brief

Roughly 11,000 Los Angeles city workers — from custodians to mechanics — walked off the job Tuesday for a one-day strike. Their union, SEIU Local 721, is planning picket lines across the city, from LAX, to City Hall and Griffith Park.

What the action is about

Union representatives allege that L.A.'s management has refused to bargain in good faith before their contract expires at the end of the year. SEIU 721 executive board member Simboa Wright on Tuesday said workers want to see change in the way L.A. fills its ranks to alleviate workloads.

"We need more staffing — just recruitment and retention. You can't keep people here and it takes so long for them to hire," said Wright, a wastewater collection worker for the city. "By the time you apply for the job, you'll get a job somewhere else because it takes so long."

Maria Puebla, who has worked as a custodian for 18 years and travels to downtown L.A. from Canoga Park each day to work the 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. shift, said she's also feeling overworked.

"The people who are retiring are not being replaced. They are not bringing in more people. There is too much work," Puebla said.

While she's retiring soon, Puebla said she was out striking to secure a fairer contract for future employees.

The last time city workers carried out a similar strike was more than 40 years ago.

Also joining in solidarity Tuesday were some members of United Teachers Los Angeles. That union's vice president, Julie Van Winkle, said one common denominator among the labor movements so far is the high cost of living.

"Rent is so expensive. Normal working people can't afford to live in L.A.," Van Winkle said. "So that's why you see all these people out on the picket lines because we're all feeling the same hardships and the same unsustainability that's happening in the city right now, especially in terms of housing and housing insecurity."

What the city is saying

Mayor Karen Bass has said that the city has been bargaining in good faith with SEIU 721 since January and that the workers "deserve a fair contract." And in a statement Tuesday, acknowledged that city services were affected, "but continued today."

"Public safety and homeless housing emergency services continue. City-operated summer camps and daycares are open. Services at LAX continue with limited impact to travelers. A number of public pools are open throughout the city. The Los Angeles City Zoo is open and so are our libraries. All of our animal shelters are open to the public and our 311 Call Center is taking calls. Trash pick up will resume tomorrow," she said.

Affected city services

For more anticipated disruptions, we have a list here.

A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11.

The order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett came as lawyers for the British broadcaster complained that Trump had delayed his appearance. Charles Tobin, attorney for the BBC, said that with two months left in the discovery period, “we still haven’t been able to depose the plaintiff.”

He noted there was an agreed-upon date of Oct. 16, but that Trump had canceled it for a “matter of national importance.” Tobin said the Republican president was in fact campaigning in Georgia that day. “He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin said.

Lett said Trump must sit for a deposition by Dec. 11, or face sanctions up to dismissal of his lawsuit -– unless the discovery period was extended past Dec. 18.

Discovery, where lawyers for both sides exchange documents and other evidence, is scheduled to end Dec. 18, and the BBC’s attorneys want to make sure they have Trump’s deposition before that deadline. Lett said only the presiding judge assigned to the case can alter the trial schedule, and the defense said it would be open to scheduling the deposition at a later time if the trial schedule was also moved back.

Trump, who has often avoided depositions, filed his lawsuit against the BBC last December. He accused the publicly funded broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices related to a documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance.”

The BBC acknowledged that filmmakers spliced together quotes from different sections of the speech Trump delivered to his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, to make it seem he was directly urging violence. The broadcaster apologized over the editing, and the head of the BBC and its top news executive both resigned. But the BBC has denied Trump’s claims that it defamed him.

Trump’s lawyers say Jack Smith lacks ‘personal knowledge’ of issues in the case

To bolster its defense, the broadcaster subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith earlier this month. Trump’s lawyers argued, in a joint filing asking for a hearing on the matter, that there was no good reason for Smith, who is not a party to the case, to appear.

Tobin, the BBC lawyer, told the judge Thursday that Smith has not objected to being deposed for this case, meaning the only objection is coming from Trump. Tobin said the BBC is not trying to relitigate the events of Jan. 6, but that Smith is one of the leading experts in what happened that day, and his deposition could lead the BBC to evidence that could help their case.

“We can argue later on whether his testimony is admissible,” Tobin said, “but we are entitled to that deposition.”

Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, said Smith has no personal knowledge of Trump’s Jan. 6 speech or Trump’s state of mind when he gave it. All of Smith’s knowledge about the case is secondhand, Brito argued, and the special counsel’s report, along with Smith’s testimony before Congress, is all public and available to the BBC’s attorneys, he said.

There was no immediate ruling with the hearing expected to resume in the afternoon after a lunch break.

Judge says the BBC can see membership records for Mar-a-Lago

Turning to the damages issue, the judge agreed that the BBC should be allowed to see records for the total number of applications for membership at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida from Jan. 6, 2020, through Jan. 6, 2026, as well as the total cost of membership and initiation fees for new applicants.

Tobin said one aspect of any defamation case is showing actual damages, and the popularity of Mar-a-Lago is a significant indicator of Trump’s reputation. The BBC’s lawyer described the private club as “a place where he exhibits his reputation in front of people who are important to him.”

Brito argued that Trump does not actually run Mar-a-Lago, and that his reputation is not associated with the club.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Get your costumes ready because the Halloween festivities are here!

From parties and scary movie screenings to galleries and trunk-or-treats, here are events to check out on the Eastside this spooky season. 

Halloween gallery at East LA Film Shop 

East LA Film Shop is partnering with Amigas Photogenicas to bring a Halloween-themed exhibit showcasing local photographers. The night will include music, giveaways, a photo booth, treats and more. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be awarded to the best-dressed.

Museum on Haunted Hill: A celebration of Vincent Price

The Vincent Price Art Museum will host a celebration honoring horror actor icon Vincent Price. Enjoy screenings of his films as well as a costume party, with music, a photo booth and access to the exhibitions.

Horror movie night at Birrieria Don Boni

Writer and director Glitzel Gonzalez is hosting a double feature horror movie screening of “Lost Boys” and “Trick R Treat” to help fund her film, “NecalliI,” which highlights generations of immigrants facing ICE raids. The night will also include horror trivia, a costume contest, vendors and themed drinks and food.

Halloween party at Eastside Luv

Enjoy a fun night out at Eastside Luv’s Halloween Party presented by Bad Taste and Last Rockeros. Live bands will perform sets of garage rock, punk, and rock en español. Vinyl DJs will also play a set. 

Boyle Heights: Most Haunted Tours 

Hollenbeck Terrace used to be Linda Vista Hospital.

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Alma Lucia

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Boyle Heights Beat

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Halloweenizate 2026

Join The Wall Las Memorias’ 4th annual Halloween celebration, a night of community, wellness and costumes created for LGBTQ+ adults. The event will feature food, dancing, performances, mental health and wellness resources, and prizes for best costumes.

Trunk or Treat at Wilson High School

Wilson High School’s 5th annual Trunk or Treat event will include spooky activities, surprises and treats for the entire family. Don’t miss the opportunity to take photos at the pumpkin patch and create something special at the arts and crafts table. 

Legacy’s Halloween Harvest 

Get your costumes ready because the Halloween festivities are here!

Halloween party at Lincoln Park

The Lincoln Park Recreation Center is hosting a Halloween party for the entire family. Enjoy a spooktacular night of carnival games, mariachi performances, jumpers and a costume contest that begins at 6:30 p.m. A screening of the movie  “Coco” will start at 7:15 p.m.

Halloween Slime Party

The El Sereno Walking Club and Amara Colectiva are teaming up to bring a slime party for kids this Halloween. The community event will include a slime station, music, treats and drinks for the kids. The event is free but space is limited to 30 kids, so be sure to register online here. 

Wababoo! Bash Halloween

The Wabash Recreation Center is hosting an all-ages Halloween costume party. Kids will have the opportunity to trick-or-treat, play games, do face painting and enjoy some food.

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” screening at Libros Schmibros Lending Library

Libros Schmibros will screen “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to mark the film’s 60th anniversary. Costumes are encouraged and free candy will be provided for those who attend. 

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

On a Friday evening in Boyle Heights, several dozen people gathered on Whittier Boulevard for a night out.

It was open mic night at InnerCity Struggle, but a crowd of about 60 got there an hour early. Elders, youth, Spanish and English speakers packed a room inside the community center with a larger mission in mind: They were training to become neighborhood vote protectors. 

Trainees were advised to encourage voters to stay in line. To observe, document and report any form of voter suppression. To know their First Amendment rights.

“These are your everyday community members … that came out for a common goal, which is to learn how to protect our community,” said Michelle Benavides, InnerCity Struggle’s director of civic engagement.

Voter education forums are being held across the state as California experiences a surge in immigration enforcement that community and labor organizations condemn as a coordinated campaign by the federal government to intimidate voters. That’s on top of the U.S. Department of Justice’s deployment of 1,000 federal election observers that State Attorney General Rob Bonta has labeled as “the source of interference.”

In Los Angeles, immigrant rights advocates and elected officials have urged residents to remain vigilant and to vote early, either by mail or by dropping their ballot off at an official ballot drop box as soon as possible.

“The timing of these actions, just weeks before the midterm elections, is no accident,” CHIRLA’s policy director Jeannette Zanipatin said at a convening with election leaders last Friday. “These tactics seek to silence immigrant communities, suppress civic participation and divide our neighborhoods.”

Commerce resident Martha Moya attended the training at InnerCity Struggle last Friday and shared an experience she had at a polling place some years ago when she was asked if she was a U.S. citizen as she prepared to drop off her mail-in ballot.

“It was ridiculous. If I wasn’t a citizen, then I wouldn’t have been there at all,” Moya recalled telling the worker. 

That experience emboldened her to fight for voter rights, she said.

A voter casts their ballot in the California Primary Election at Weingart East LA YMCA on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif.

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Dania Maxwell

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The LA Local

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The training on Friday was held in partnership with the nonprofit Catalyst California, through its coalition known as We Are California, which includes partners like CHIRLA and PICO California. The Can’t Stop California campaign is holding statewide vote protector trainings in Koreatown, the Inland Empire and the San Fernando Valley.

About 20 who attended the training signed up to monitor polls. Organizers said they can choose which poll locations they’d like to monitor. They’re encouraged to show up with a partner. Trainees will be provided with “NEIGHBORHOOD VOTE PROTECTOR” hats and T-shirts.

Residents were taught how to observe, document and report voter suppression at a training on Friday, Oct. 16 at InnerCity Struggle.

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Alejandra Molina

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Boyle Heights Beat

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Attendees of the training in Boyle Heights learned that intimidation tactics can include voters being blocked from accessing polling locations, being threatened with criminal actions or being questioned about their citizenship. People holding signs reading “Only Citizens Can Vote – We’ll Be Checking” are a form of voter intimidation, they learned.

The training covered how election workers are also at risk of intimidation if they’re disrupted from opening or closing polling locations or from counting ballots, and offered a hotline number to call if they witness any kind of suppression happening at their local polling sites.

Trainees discussed their First Amendment right to photograph or film anything in plain view, including law enforcement. However, they were told, filming anyone within 100 feet of a polling place could be interpreted as intimidation. 

Directing focus to voters and encouraging them to stay in line is key, they learned.

Kaylanie Santos, an 18-year-old first-time voter, attended the training. “There’s a lot more intimidation tactics than I realized,” she said. 

Santos said she planned to monitor polling sites on Election Day from a safe distance, despite the fear of being profiled.

“There should be people there protecting other people, help out the village, be there for another person even if you don’t know them. That’s your people. … It’s important to look out and defend,” Santos said.

Garbed in purple and holding signs that read “Fair contracts now!” and “Here to serve, not to starve,” thousands of state workers rallied at government buildings across California Wednesday to protest what they describe as unfair labor practices by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

SEIU Local 1000’s first strike in its 44-year history unfolded in several cities including Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The union — which represents about 100,000 workers, nearly half the state workforce — has been in contentious labor talks with the Newsom administration since its latest contract expired in late June.

Its members want a better raise than Newsom has offered as well as more flexibility to work from home. Newsom just a year ago demanded wage reductions from the union to help shore up a budget crisis. State workers have accepted pay cuts in three of the eight years Newsmom led the state.

“The budget is balanced on state employees’ backs,” said Local 1000 President Anica Walls. “It’s just showing how frustrated employees are with the lack of prioritizing us as people who really help California remain the fourth largest economy in the world,” she said.

Angela Musallam, a spokesperson for the California Department of Human Resources, which handles labor negotiations on behalf of the administration, said the department “remains focused on achieving a fair and responsible agreement and continues to be available at the bargaining table.” Both parties are scheduled to resume mediation talks on Oct. 30

In anticipation of the strike, operations at some state departments have been modified or limited, including at DMV offices and parks. Outside the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building in downtown Oakland, workers marched outside chanting “No contract, no peace.” They played drums, snacked on muffins and Little Caesar pizzas and cheered as cars honked along Clay Street in solidarity.

Amy Dickinson, an information technology associate at California Department of Industrial Relations’ Office of Information Systems, said she was striking “because the state has decided that we are not worth even bargaining with.”

“They have done nothing but say ‘no’ all this time. They won’t even give any counteroffers — that’s not bargaining, that’s a maximalist position,” said the San Leandro resident.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, who represents the East Bay Area,, spoke to the crowd in Oakland before joining them briefly in marching.

“Nothing happens without the workers,” said Simon. “For anyone to say that you don’t deserve wage justice, they haven’t looked at the rates of rent … at grocery prices.”

“There is enough for everything that you’re asking for. But the floor is respect.”

Unions, including Local 1000, traditionally are Newsom’s allies. They contributed to his campaigns and helped him defeat Republican opponents. But the Local 1000 strike is the second state worker walkout to occur on his watch. Previously, the California Association of Professional Scientists held a three-day strike in 2023.

Besides pay boosts, Local 1000 members are pushing for higher state contributions for healthcare coverage, and changes to Newsom’s four-day-a-week in-office mandate, which they argue costs workers and taxpayers money and increases traffic and pollution.

In Sacramento, Don Chaddock, a longtime analyst for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, wore a Santa costume and held a sign reading “Newsom + CalHR = Naughty List.” Chaddock, who volunteers as Santa during the holidays for rural schools in his foothills area, said he is frustrated by the state’s in-office policy, which has him commuting to a suburb south of Sacramento.

“I don't mind in-person if we’re actually doing something in-person,” he said. “Right now, I drive to Elk Grove to sit in a cubicle.”

State workers represented by SEIU Local 1000 strike outside the CalHR building in Sacramento on Oct. 21, 2026.

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Fred Greaves

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CalMatters

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Rebecca Bean, another employee who is against the return-to-office mandate, put it even more bluntly: “We’re not asking for stupid sh—.”

Bean commutes three hours a day by public transportation to Oakland as an analyst at the industrial relations’ office. She said the policy has made it more difficult to take care of her ailing mother who is in her seventies.

“Every time she has an emergency, I have to run all the way home. She won’t go to any medical appointments without me,” Bean said. Before the policy took effect in July, Bean scheduled appointments at the end or beginning of the day and was out only a few hours.

“Whereas here I have to schedule at least four hours to do something,” she said.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.