The Brief

LAist laid off eight employees Tuesday as it contends with ongoing financial challenges, including President Donald Trump’s recent order to eliminate federal funding for public media.

It’s the third round of staff reductions in three years at Los Angeles’ largest NPR station and amounts to a 5% staff reduction. Since 2023, LAist has slashed 61 positions through buyouts and terminations.

The multiplatform news and information organization that broadcasts at 89.3-FM receives $1.7 million — or about 4% — of its $40 million budget from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, an independent nonprofit chartered by Congress that partially funds NPR and PBS.

Because CPB has already distributed most of this year’s funds, the Trump order would likely be felt in 2026, when a new two-year funding cycle will begin.

Since last year, however, LAist has been grappling with a projected budget shortfall of $4 million to $5 million because of declines in advertising, digital monetization issues and overall cost increases. It relies on member contributions for the lion’s share of its operating revenue, along with philanthropic and corporate support.

The organization dipped into its management reserve fund this year to stay on budget, but those reserves “have been depleted to ensure continued operations,” LAist President and Chief Executive Alejandra Santamaria said in an email to staff Tuesday. “Given the additional risk of losing another $1.7 million annually from our CPB grant, it is unfortunately time to make difficult changes.”

Trump and other Republicans have long sought to defund NPR and PBS, arguing that their programming has a liberal bias that should disqualify them from taxpayer support. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes more than $500 million in taxpayer dollars annually to more than 1,000 public radio and TV stations across the country.

Trump also said he was removing three of CPB’s five board members, which would erase the quorum necessary for the board to take any actions. Former President Joe Biden appointed two, and the third was a Trump appointee whom Biden reappointed.

CPB has sued the president, alleging he lacks the authority to make such changes.

NPR vowed to resist the Trump administration’s assault on public media, calling it “an affront to the First Amendment rights of NPR and locally owned and operated stations throughout America to produce and air programming that meets the needs of their communities.”

The LAist layoffs follow similar retrenching at other local media organizations.

Last year, KCRW — the Santa Monica-based NPR member station broadcasting at 89.9-FM — lost 12 staffers through buyouts and canceled a daily news program, “Greater L.A.” Under the Trump order, it stands to lose $1.3 million from a $24 million budget.

The Los Angeles Times has laid off 129 newsroom staffers over the past 17 months, including 14 employees who were terminated last week; another 40 staffers accepted buyouts early this year. Adweek reported that The Times lost $50 million last year along with 10% of its subscribers who canceled their subscriptions after owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s decision to withhold the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

It is unclear how the latest round of layoffs will affect coverage at LAist, which has intensified its focus on local news and information in recent years as The Times and other local news organizations have lost revenue and cut staff.

“We’re saddened and extremely disappointed to learn that eight of our LAist colleagues are losing their jobs today, including at least four full-time members of the SAG-AFTRA bargaining unit,” LAist reporter Cato Hernández, shop steward for journalists, producers and hosts represented by SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement.

Hernández said the employees who lost their jobs this week worked in LAist’s podcast division, social media and photography, and include journalists “who brought acclaim to the organization through multiple awards this year — some of whom were actively working to bring new stories to our audience when they learned they were being laid off today.”

Hernandez continued: “The loss is truly devastating, not just for us, but for all Southern Californians who depend on LAist to keep them informed and connected to their community.”

Megan Garvey, LAist senior vice president for news and editor in chief, said the organization’s leadership did “everything we could to protect our ability to do original journalism in our newsroom.” She added that no reporters or newscast staff were affected.

“As hard as these changes are, I feel confident in our editorial team's ability to continue our core public service mission,” Garvey said.

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by freelance reporter Elaine Woo and edited by senior editors Dana Littlefield and Matt Ballinger.

Under LAist's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.