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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • The May 2 shooting was the 14th by LAPD this year
    An Asian man in his 40s wearing a black shirt and baseball cap stands next to an older Asian woman with short black hair wearing a black t-shirt who stands next to an Asian man with a patterned button up and glasses. They stand on a sidewalk in front of an apartment building.
    The Yang family questions the LAPD's tactics that led up to the killing of Yong Yang while he was in a mental health crisis.

    Topline:

    There have been 14 shootings by LAPD this year, three of which involved people the department said appeared to be dealing with mental illness or were having a mental health crisis at the time of the incident.

    The latest involved 40-year-old Yong Yang, whose family said he was in crisis on May 2, when they called the county Department of Mental Health for help. Yang, they said, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

    What happened: In this case, Yong Yang's family called county authorities — not city police — on the day of the incident, seeking a type of alternative crisis response that does not necessarily involve police officers. But police were called anyway, because a clinician at the scene said Yang had tried to attack him.

    Yang, who was armed with a kitchen knife, was shot and killed.

    The backstory: Between January and May of this year, the county dispatched teams to nearly 11,500 calls throughout the region, about 720 of which — about 6% — resulted in a mental health worker calling law enforcement.

    A recent LAist investigation found that between 2017 and 2023, 31% of shootings by L.A. city police involved a person perceived by officers to be living with mental illness or experiencing a mental health crisis, according to annual use-of-force reports.

    A family mourns: Min Yang told LAist he was sorry that the family's request for help led to his son’s sudden death. He and other family members

    “He didn’t know that’s going to happen. I didn’t know. He must have thought that he was well-protected in his parents’ home.”

    When a Los Angeles police officer fatally shot a 40-year-old man in his parents’ Koreatown home last month, it was clear to many, including officers at the scene, that he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

    Earlier that day, Yong Yang’s mother had called the L.A. County Department of Mental Health to get help for her son, who had gone to the parents’ home because he was feeling paranoid and unsafe, according to family members. Yang’s family said he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than a decade ago.

    The situation intensified after a worker with the Department of Mental Health — who had been dispatched to the scene — called 911, claiming Yang had attacked him.

    When police arrived, they tried to get Yang to leave the apartment, but he refused, according to police. A short time later, one of the officers shot Yang, who was in his parents’ living room holding a kitchen knife.

    Yang died at the scene.

    So far, there have been 14 shootings by LAPD this year, three of which involved people the department said appeared to be dealing with mental illness or were having a mental health crisis at the time of the incident.

    An important distinction in the Yang case is that his family called county authorities, not city police, on the day of the incident, seeking a type of alternative crisis response that does not necessarily involve police officers.

    But police were called anyway.

    An Asian woman with light skin tone and short black hair with bangs wearing a red and white striped shirt stands next to an Asian man with medium-light skin tone wearing a gray shirt and hat and glasses standing next to an Asian young man with a gray Lakers baseball cap and black jacket.
    Yong Yang pictured with his parents Myung Sook and Min Yang.
    (
    Courtesy of the Yang family.
    )

    “Everything went wrong. Mental health people, police, they were not in the mood to help,” Yang’s father Min Yang said in an interview with LAist. “And I was too naive and stupid that I trusted those people and put my son’s life in such a grave danger.”

    The Department of Mental Health said it could not comment on the specifics of the May 2 incident because it is still under investigation. But county authorities did provide an emailed statement in which they explained that crisis teams are trained to de-escalate situations without police, but sometimes they need assistance.

    Listen 0:42
    ‘Everything Went Wrong’: LA Family Called County Clinicians, Not Police, During A Mental Health Crisis. It Still Ended Tragically

    “In instances where de-escalation through clinical means is not possible, and the person in crisis remains an imminent threat to themselves or others, despite DMH’s efforts, law enforcement will be contacted to maintain safety and attempt to keep the peace,” the department said.

    Assistance For Mental Health Crises Or Support

    If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit the 988 website for online chat.

    For more help:

    Between January and May of this year, the county dispatched teams to nearly 8,870 calls throughout the region, about 550 of which — about 6% — resulted in a mental health worker calling law enforcement.

    A recent LAist investigation found that between 2017 and 2023, 31% of shootings by L.A. city police involved a person perceived by officers to be living with mental illness or experiencing a mental health crisis, according to annual use-of-force reports.

    The shooting in Koreatown

    Yang’s family members said they knew he was having a bipolar episode when they called for help on May 2. The night before the incident, they said, Yang was not sleeping, he spoke erratically in conversations and was possibly hearing voices.

    At some point that night, the parents left and went to Min Yang’s office and later slept in their car to give their son some space to calm down, the father said.

    The next day, Yong Yang’s mother, Myung Sook Yang, called the Department of Mental Health. She said she and Yang’s father were worried because Yang's condition did not seem to have improved and he seemed to not recognize her when she came to the apartment door.

    A clinician and a medical case worker with a Psychiatric Mobile Response Team went to the family’s home, according to the county.

    According to audio released by LAPD, the clinician called 911, claiming that Yang was “very violent” and tried to attack him and Yang’s father.

    Yang’s father told LAist he disputes that claim.

    It’s not clear from the audio what behaviors the clinician reported to police, and no video was released that shows what happened at the Yangs’ home before police arrived.

    Body-worn camera footage shows two police officers arriving on scene and speaking with Yang’s father. He tells the officers that his son needs to go to a hospital.

    A woman and man are at the top of stairs and entering an apartment. The woman is opening the door.
    Myung Sook Yang and Min Yang walk into their apartment where their son Yong was killed by an LAPD officer during a mental health crisis.
    (
    Samanta Helou Hernandez
    /
    LAist
    )

    One officer asks Yong Yang to open the door to the apartment. He can be heard in the video saying, “I do not invite you.” He does not open the door.

    About 20 minutes later, a supervising officer arrives and explains to Yang’s father that Yang “might get hurt” if police have to go into the apartment and forcibly detain him.

    The supervisor talks to Yang through the front door. A voice responds: ”I’ve already been killed multiple times.”

    Moments later, the officer says, “All right, we’re gonna have a use of force.”

    Later, an officer uses a key to unlock the door. The officer pushes it open, but someone appears to be pushing the door from the other side.

    Two officers eventually push the door open. They find Yang in the living room, holding a knife.

    “You’re gonna get shot!” one of the officers yells, according to the video. Officers tell Yang to drop the knife.

    He initially steps away from the officers but then takes a few steps toward them.

    A middle-aged Asian man with medium-light skin tone wearing a patterned button up and glasses sits a restaurant table next to an Asian man in his 30s or 40s wearing a gray shirt and gray sweatshirt and Adidas baseball cap.
    Yong Yang with his father, Min.
    (
    Courtesy of the Yang family.
    )

    Within 10 seconds of opening the door, an officer opens fire, hitting Yang. Police said they found narcotics at the scene, but did not provide details.

    The officer was identified as Andres Lopez. It wasn’t his first shooting while on-duty. According to the county District Attorney’s Office, Lopez shot and wounded 35-year-old Nakiea Brown in 2021 outside LAPD’s Olympic station. Brown was holding a BB pellet gun at the time of the incident.

    The shooting was not fatal. According to the D.A.’s Office, Brown had one prior contact with the LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit in May 2020.

    After reviewing the incident, the District Attorney's Office determined the shooting was justified.

    ‘It could have been avoided’ 

    In the interview with LAist, Yang’s family questioned why the officers did not use a bean-bag rifle, Taser or other tool to help them detain Yang without fatally shooting him.

    Based on the video footage, it does not appear that police used any less-lethal weapons to try to take Yang into custody. At least one officer appears to be holding a foam projectile gun.

    The LAPD has said its Mental Evaluation Unit was notified before the shooting, but it’s unclear whether a SMART unit, one of the department’s specially trained mental health crisis teams, arrived on scene. When asked for that information, the department said LAist would have to file a public records request to obtain it.

    LAist has submitted that request.

    Retired police Lt. Jeffrey Wenninger reviewed the LAPD’s video of the Yang shooting at the LAist’s request. He spent 30 years with the LAPD and said he has investigated hundreds of use-of-force incidents.

    Wenninger commended the officers for requesting backup soon after they arrived at the scene, but he said dispatchers and officers could have asked better questions about Yang’s mental health background and what might have worked to calm him down.

    Wenninger also questioned why officers decided to forcibly enter the apartment, especially because Yang was alone inside the home.

    “I would say in this case, a lack of planning certainly influenced the outcome here,” he said. “It was pretty predictable to a trained eye what was going to happen.

    “I 100% believe it could have been avoided.”

    Ed Obayashi, a Modoc County sheriff’s deputy and use-of-force expert who advises law enforcement agencies, also reviewed the video. He told LAist he believed lethal force was justified in this case because Yang was armed with a knife. He said the allegation that the clinician was attacked also changed the scenario.

    “In this situation there was an actual threat in the use of physical force, assault by the individual against innocent civilians, and at that point, yes, we need to address the situation,” Obayashi said.

    An Asian man in his 40s wearing a black shirt, black hat, jeans sits at a wooden table next to an older Asian woman with light skin tone wearing short black hair and black shirt while sitting in a wooden chair leaning her arm on the wooden table. Behind her is an older Asian man with medium-light skin tone and a patterned button up shirt and glasses. They are inside an apartment. On the wall behind them is a hanging photo of two young Asian men in the 90s.
    The Yang family questions the LAPD's tactics that led up to the killing of Yong Yang while he was experiencing a mental health crisis.
    (
    Samanta Helou Hernandez
    /
    LAist
    )

    ‘I would just suffer’ 

     
    In his parent’s dining room, steps away from the living room where Yang was shot, a photo of Yong Yang and his twin brother, Yin Yang, hangs on the wall. The photo shows the two young boys sitting together in the sunlight.

    “In Korean culture, they’re really big on the older brother, younger brother thing,” Yin Yang said. “They always said I’m older, because I’m two minutes [older], but in recent years he was the more respectable one.”

    An Asian man with light skin tone and short dark hair sits at a computer chair holding a wooden guitar.
    Yong Yang studied music production at the Musician's Institute – College of Contemporary Music in Hollywood.
    (
    Courtesy of the Yang family.
    )

    One of Yong Yang’s goals in life, according to his brother, was to make it as a musician and producer. He was a good singer, who loved electronic dance music. As a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he loved R&B singers, like Boyz II Men.

    He attended the Musician's Institute – College of Contemporary Music in Hollywood, where he studied music production, his brother said.

    Yang first started showing symptoms of mental illness about 15 years ago. His father said Yang was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 2012.

    Over the years Yang managed his bipolar diagnosis with meditation, exercise and his Christian faith, according to his family.

    Yin Yang said he thinks mental health professionals and the police could have done much more to try and calm his brother down before he was shot, and he is critical of the mental health care system, which he said doesn’t offer the support people need.

    The brother said he thinks law enforcement too often escapes any consequences for fatally shooting someone. “And it’s usually these mentally ill people because they don’t have the ability to stand up for themselves and there’s not a lot of, like, sympathy for them in the public,” he said.

    Earlier this month, Yin Yang organized a rally to call attention to the case. He also started an Instagram account to get the word out about his brother. He said many members of the Korean community in L.A. have been supportive of the family and their calls for answers from the city and county.

    “As his twin brother, it’s hard. Because I feel like he’s my other half. And it’s gone, it’s just taken from me,” he said.

    Yang’s father said he was sorry that his request for help led to his son’s sudden death. “He didn’t know that’s going to happen. I didn’t know. He must have thought that he was well-protected in his parents’ home,” the father said.

    Yang’s mother said she thought she was doing the right thing when she called for a mental health crisis team instead of calling 911. If she had another chance, she said, he would not have called anybody for help.

    “I would just suffer,” she said. “There are so many mentally ill people who need help. So now, where they can get help?”

  • Here’s where a big new state housing law applies
    A metro stop sign that says "Wilshire/La Brea" is shown with tall buildings and a blue sky in the background.
    The L.A. Metro's Wilshire/La Brea stop on the D Line is one of the stations listed on the SB 79 map.

    Topline:

    Starting July 1, a new state law will push cities to increase housing development in neighborhoods located near major transit stops. When the law was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, cities began taking their best guess at where exactly those sites would be.

    What’s new: Now, the list is out. On Monday, the Southern California Association of Governments published its official map showing where new housing density will be allowed under Senate Bill 79.

    Why it matters: The law’s impact on L.A. neighborhoods near transit lines — including those zoned only for single-family homes — has been heavily debated, especially in the race for Los Angeles mayor. The tallest buildings allowed under SB 79 will be nine stories, as long as they are located within 200 feet of a Metro B or D-line stop. More common will be the “Tier 2” zones around light rail and dedicated bus lane stops, which will allow buildings up to eight stories tall within 200 feet of the stop.

    Read on… to learn why Orange County is excluded for now, but will be added to the map soon.

    Starting July 1, a new state law will push cities to increase housing development in neighborhoods located near major transit stops.

    When the law was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, Southern California cities began taking their best guess at where exactly those sites would be.

    Now, the list is out. On Monday, the Southern California Association of Governments, known as SCAG, published its official map showing where new housing density will be allowed under Senate Bill 79.

    Elizabeth Carbajal, SCAG’s deputy director of land use, said local officials sought many clarifications from state leaders in order to be sure that the map would accurately reflect the Legislature’s intent.

    “There were a lot of questions after the statute was signed,” Carbajal said. “The clarifications helped further define bus service, as well as pedestrian access points.”

    SB 79 has become a political lightning rod

    The law’s impact on neighborhoods near transit lines — including those zoned only for single-family homes — has been heavily debated, especially in the race for Los Angeles mayor.

    Mayor Karen Bass asked Newsom to veto SB 79, and she continues to oppose adding apartments within the nearly three-quarters of city land reserved for single-family homes.

    City councilmember Nithya Raman, who is challenging Bass in the upcoming election, declined to oppose SB 79 and has said some single-family neighborhoods will need to accept more density.

    Spencer Pratt, the former reality TV star running for mayor, made waves on social media when he falsely claimed last year that SB 79 would bring high-rises to the Pacific Palisades, where his home burned down. The official SCAG map confirms that SB 79 will have no impact on the neighborhood.

    In response to SB 79, housing opponents in some areas have started focusing their efforts on killing plans for expanded public transit. Responding to public pressure, Burbank officials have stalled construction plans for local portions of a rapid bus line from North Hollywood to Pasadena. L.A. Metro is now suing Burbank over that move.

    Where will new housing go? And how much will be allowed?

    The rules of SB 79 are complex.

    The tallest buildings allowed under SB 79 will be nine stories, as long as they are located within 200 feet of a Metro B or D-line stop. These stations qualify as “Tier 1” stops under SB 79, which puts the tallest buildings near heavy rail lines, which in L.A. only applies to the B and D-line subways.

    More common will be the “Tier 2” zones around light rail and dedicated bus lane stops, which will allow buildings up to eight stories tall within 200 feet of those stops.

    Height limits step down in areas further out from the station. In “Tier 2” zones, buildings up to six stories tall will be allowed within a quarter-mile of the stop, and buildings up to five stories will be allowed within a half-mile.

    Neighborhoods near two Metrolink commuter rail stations, in Burbank and Glendale, will also qualify as “Tier 2” zones.

    Change won’t necessarily come overnight

    New housing won’t necessarily be coming to those zones immediately. Under SB 79, cities have the ability to put off full implementation until 2030 by making their own choices about where to allow more housing.

    “Cities can develop alternative plans and delay implementation,” said Philip Law, a SCAG deputy planning director. “The map is not intended to reflect those situations.”

    The city of L.A. has taken the delay approach, with the City Council recently voting to allow buildings up to four stories tall around 55 targeted transit stops. This would let the city put off full implementation of SB 79.

    The new SCAG map shows no impact in Orange County. The region does not yet qualify as an “urban transit county” under the state law. However, the impending completion of the OC Streetcar through Santa Ana and Garden Grove, expected later this year, will make Orange County eligible for SB 79.

    Once the OC Streetcar opens, SCAG plans to update their map to include Orange County, Carbajal said.

  • Sponsored message
  • Marilyn Monroe at 100, Angels Pride Night and more
    Two women pose against a red background that says Marilyn Monroe Hollywood Icon while a third woman takes a picture of them.
    Check out Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to celebrate the movie star's 100th birthday.

    In this edition:

    Pride Night at Angel Stadium, Marilyn Monroe at 100, Stop Making Sense and more of the best things to do this week.

    Highlights:

    • Celebrate the biggest Hollywood star of all time, Marilyn Monroe, on what would be her 100th birthday: June 1. The special exhibit Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon just opened at the Academy Museum and includes memorabilia, film clips and costumes that explore Monroe’s impact on the studio system, her iconic style and much more.
    • The Righteous Gemstones actress Edi Patterson brings her bold improv to the Largo for her new show, Playgirl — a full-length play completely improvised right on the spot. Yes, she’s playing all the characters. 
    • Kick off Pride Month with Pride Night at Angel Stadium as the Angels take on the Colorado Rockies. You’ll score an Angels Pride jersey and can enjoy the pregame Pride Village.
    • What, you think I’d let you miss an opportunity to see Stop Making Sense on the big screen? And lose all my indie cool cred? Never. Talking Heads’ classic 1984 music film (directed by the late, great Jonathan Demme) will be shown at Vidiots in 4K digital to celebrate 40 years of everyone’s favorite film nerd superstore.

    Tuesday is Election Day, so get ready to drop off your ballot or head to your polling place — but not before consulting the LAist Voter Game Plan if you still have some research to do about the most competitive races in your area, whether that’s city council, mayor or even the state-wide governor’s primary.

    And happy Pride! We’ll be featuring tons of LGBTQ+ events this month, so stay tuned.

    Licorice Pizza’s Lyndsey Parker has your music picks for the week, including: Monday, Las Vegas rockers the Cab will be at the Fonda Theatre, and Scottish indie-pop darlings Camera Obscura will play their first of two shows at Pacific Electric.

    Tuesday, new-wave legend Joe Jackson will be looking sharp at the Orpheum Theatre, British-Sudanese R&B artist Elmiene will play the Wiltern and Australian buzz band Vacations will begin their three-night run at the Troubadour.

    On Wednesday, alt-country harpist Mikaela Davis is at Sid The Cat Auditorium, and the Grammy Museum hosts a “Reelin’ in the Early Years of Steely Dan” panel featuring Licorice Pizza’s Jeff “Skunk” Baxter.

    Thursday’s a big night for new-wave fans with the triple-bill of the Human League, Soft Cell and Alison Moyet at the Hollywood Bowl, while Vince Staples is at the El Rey. Plus, at 4 p.m. Licorice Pizza is hosting a Q&A with legendary rock photographer Henry Diltz at the record store.

    Elsewhere on LAist, you can read up on artists working on post-fire projects in Altadena, and grab tickets to Tuesday’s The Moth at Los Globos and our annual LAist Night at Dodger Stadium on July 11.

    Events

    Angels Pride Night

    Wednesday, June 3, 6:30 p.m. 
    Angel Stadium
    2000 E. Gene Autry Way, Anaheim 
    COST: FROM $35; MORE INFO

    A Black man and a light-skinned man wearing red baseball uniforms hug a man with his back to the camera, also wearing a read baseball uniform with the number 28 and the name "Siri" on the back.
    Catch the Angels as they take on the Rockies for Pride Night.
    (
    Julio Aguilar
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    Kick off Pride Month with Pride Night at Angel Stadium, as the Angels take on the Colorado Rockies. You’ll score an Angels Pride jersey and can enjoy the pregame Pride Village.


    Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon

    Ongoing
    Academy Museum 
    6067 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile
    COST: INCLUDED WITH GENERAL ADMISSION, $25; MORE INFO

    A mannequin with its arms out to the side wears pink gloves and a pink dress.
    Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon is at the Academy Museum.
    (
    Emily Shur
    /
    Academy Museum Foundation
    )

    She may have sung happy birthday to Mr. President, but it’s Marilyn’s turn now. Celebrate the biggest Hollywood star of all time, Marilyn Monroe, on what would be her 100th birthday: June 1. The special exhibit Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon just opened at the Academy Museum, and it includes memorabilia, film clips and costumes that explore Monroe’s impact on the studio system, her iconic style and much more. From her costumes in Some Like It Hot to the pink dress by William Travilla in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to letters and personal materials, the exhibit takes a complete look at Norma Jeane’s legacy.


    Stop Making Sense

    Monday June 1, 7:30 p.m. 
    Vidiots
    4884 N. Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock 
    COST: WALK-UP TICKETS AVAILABLE; MORE INFO

    A light-skinned man in a gray suit plays electric guitar.
    (
    A24
    /
    FilmGrab
    )

    What, you think I’d let you miss an opportunity to see Stop Making Sense on the big screen? And lose all my indie cool cred? Never. Talking Heads’ classic 1984 music film (directed by the late, great Jonathan Demme) will be shown at Vidiots in 4K digital to celebrate 40 years of everyone’s favorite film nerd superstore.


    The Drop: Dogstar

    Tuesday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.
    Grammy Museum
    800 W Olympic Blvd., Downtown L.A.
    COST: SOLD OUT BUT WAITLIST AVAILABLE; MORE INFO

    A light-skinned man with a beard plays a blue bass guitar onstage.
    Keanu Reeves will perform with his band, Dogstar, this week.
    (
    Francesco Prandoni
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    Keanu Reeves’s other career — as the rockstar lead singer of Dogstar — has taken shape and developed a loyal fanbase over the years. Join the band for an evening of stories, music and conversation on the Grammy Museum rooftop as they release their latest album, All in Now.


    Edi Patterson: Playgirl 

    Wednesday, June 3, 8 p.m.
    Largo at the Coronet
    366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Melrose
    COST: $50; MORE INFO

    A light-skinned woman wearing a blue and gold striped shirt and a pink bow around her neck smiles at the camera.
    Edi Patterson will be improvising an entire play.
    (
    Marcus Ingram
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    The Righteous Gemstones actress Edi Patterson brings her bold improv to the Largo for her new show, Playgirl. No, she’s not improvising a pinup; rather, she’s doing something so much bolder — performing a full-length play completely improvised right on the spot. Yes, she’s playing all the characters.


    Wet Hot Amusical Summer

    Thursday, June 4, and various dates through June, 7:30 p.m.
    Three Clubs 
    1123 Vine Street, Hollywood 
    COST: $33; MORE INFO

    A group of nine people looking at the camera in front of a sign that reads "Camp Cherrywood."
    (
    Cherry Poppins
    /
    Eventbrite
    )

    A cult film if there ever was one, the 2001 David Wain film Wet Hot American Summer (starring Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler and many, many more) is ripe for a send-up stage treatment — and the folks at Cherry Poppins have delivered with Wet Hot Amusical Summer. The spoof of a spoof is sure to be an over-the-top send-up of what’s already a comedy legend; the show continues through the Hollywood Fringe Festival.


    The Big Run 

    Wednesday, June 3, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
    Johnny Carson Park 
    400 S. Bob Hope Drive, Burbank
    COST: $22.50; MORE INFO

    Several pairs of running legs on asphalt.
    (
    Miguel A. Amutio
    /
    Unsplash
    )

    Celebrate Global Running Day with friends in Burbank as The Big Run takes over Johnny Carson Park. Hosted by Fleet Feet Burbank in partnership with the Burbank Parks and Recreation Department, run the .4 mile loop as many times as you can in 30 minutes to compete!

  • Is Surf City ready to concede to Sacramento?
    An overhead view of single-family homes.
    The state wants Huntington Beach to make room for more homes, and the city has balked at being told how to do that.
    Huntington Beach will consider a citywide plan for more housing at its Tuesday meeting after a years-long battle against the state that resulted in a court order.

    The backstory: State law requires California cities and counties to plan for enough housing to meet the expected demand over an eight-year time period, including for low-income housing. They don’t have to actually build the housing, they just have to make sure their local zoning can accommodate it. Huntington Beach was told to make room for some 13,000 new homes. The city fought the allocation all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court — but lost.

    The current status: A San Diego court recently told Huntington Beach it needed to come into compliance, or pay $50,000 for each month it fails to do so.

    What’s next? The city council is scheduled to vote on the housing plan at its June 2 meeting.

    Huntington Beach will consider a citywide plan for more housing at its June 2 (Tuesday) meeting after a yearslong battle against the state that resulted in a court order.

    The backstory

    State law requires California cities and counties to plan for enough housing to meet the expected demand over an eight-year period, including for low-income housing. They don’t have to actually build the housing, they just have to make sure their local zoning can accommodate it.

    Huntington Beach was told to make room for some 13,000 new homes. The city fought the allocation all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to review the case last year.

    Mayor Casey McKeon estimates the city would actually have to plan for close to 40,000 new units to meet the state mandate, since most new developments include only a small percentage of affordable homes.

    Where things stand now

    A San Diego court recently told Huntington Beach it must come into compliance, or pay $50,000 for each month it fails to do so. The city responded by posting a revised housing plan on its website and asking residents for comment.

    Wider pushback

    The Orange County Grand Jury dropped a new report last week that is highly critical of the state’s methods of forcing cities to plan for housing at all income levels. The report said the state’s efforts have led to “growing tension between state directives and local realities” and had “led to minimal housing being built.”

    What’s next?

    The City Council is scheduled to vote on the housing plan at its Tuesday meeting. The state could still order the city to make revisions to its current plan. "We await their adopted plan next week," Alicia Murillo, a spokesperson for the California Department of Housing and Community Development, said in an email to LAist.

    How to attend Huntington Beach City Council meetings

    • Huntington Beach holds City Council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.
    • You can also watch City Council meetings remotely on HBTV via Channel 3 or online, or via the city’s website. (You can also find videos of previous council meetings there.)
    • The public comment period happens toward the beginning of meetings.
    • The city generally posts agendas for City Council meetings on the previous Friday. You can find the agenda on the city’s calendar or sign up there to have agendas sent to your inbox.

  • Our very own Jackie and Shadow
    A bald eagle is seen perching on a pine tree branch in Los Angeles County. Another bald eagle is seen next to it, but it is obscured by a branch. The sky behind them is clear and blue. The branches are grey and there are green pine needles growing out of them with pine cones nearby as well.
    A bald eagle couple has been spotted in Los Angeles County this past week.

    Topline:

    A pair of nesting bald eagles was spotted in Los Angeles County this past week, according to a social media post from the Department of Parks and Recreation.

    Why it matters: Nesting bald eagles are a fairly rare sight in Southern California, since they typically nest along the California-Oregon border.

    Why now: The birds mate between January and July or August, according to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife.

    The backstory: The Department of Parks and Recreation did not disclose the location of the birds, and reminded L.A. residents in their post that bald eagles are a federally protected species and disturbing their nests could “disrupt breeding and impact their success.”

    What's next: It takes about 35 days for bald eagle eggs to incubate. If the new visitors lay eggs, Los Angeles could have our very own eaglets as early as next month.

    Go deeper: Bald eagles have returned to SoCal’s coastal habitat. How are the Channel Islands birds doing now?

    A pair of nesting bald eagles was spotted in Los Angeles County this past week, according to a social media post from the Department of Parks and Recreation. (You can check out the full post and video on Instagram.)

    The Department of Parks and Recreation did not disclose the exact location of the birds.

    Nesting bald eagles are a fairly rare sight in Southern California, since they're more commonly found close to the California-Oregon border.

    Map of California shows green dots where bald eagles are known to next most of them in the northern third of the state.
    A look at where bald eagles typically nest.
    (
    Courtesy California Department of Fish and Wildlife
    )

    Of course, there are notable exceptions, including Southern California's most famous bald eagles: Big Bear's Jackie and Shadow, whose yearly attempts at parenthood have become big national news on occasion.

    Typically, bald eagles' mating season is from January through July or August, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

    What to do if you're lucky enough to see them IRL

    Park officials are reminding everyone that bald eagles are a federally protected species and disturbing their nests could “disrupt breeding and impact their success.”

    The history

    Bald eagles were once close to extinction in the lower 48 U.S. states. By the early 1970s, there were fewer than 30 pairs in California, all in the northern part of the state. The species has rebounded since being protected under federal and state laws.

    What's next

    It takes about 35 days for bald eagle eggs to incubate. If the L.A.'s new eagle residents lay eggs, Los Angeles could have our very own eaglets as early as next month.