Topline:
Christmas Tree Lane residents and volunteers have begun putting up holiday lights on the trees along the famous Altadena landmark.
Why does it matter: Residents debated whether to continue the century-old tradition this year after the devastations of the Eaton Fire.
What's next: A tree lighting ceremony is scheduled to take place Dec. 6.
For 105 years Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena has been bringing holiday spirit to locals and countless tourists who make their way to Santa Rosa Avenue for a glimpse of its famous holiday lights.
In January, when the devastating Eaton Fire rolled through the tight-knit community, lights were still wrapped around the Deodar cedars on each side of the mile-long pathway.
Now this weekend, residents have gathered once again to get started on the work to bring back the more than 100-year-old tradition.
"Some of the lines were burned but not many, for as big of an event this was in terms of fire damage," said Scott Wardlaw, president of the Christmas Tree Lane Association.
In a typical year, all the lights usually come down in February, after the rainy season, to make sure it's safe to scale the trees. This year, the fire and recovery efforts pushed back removal to mid-Spring. To ensure safety, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health provided volunteers with hazmat suits.
"We had a really good turnout, actually. We got it done way quicker than we usually do. They came from hither and yonder to come out and help us," Wardlaw said.
After the Eaton Fire, there were questions as to whether or not the lights would even go back up this year, given safety concerns. A county assessment alleviated initial concerns of toxic ash.
Then, there was the question of whether it was too quick of a return to the tradition given the devastation of the fire. Members had lengthy discussions on timing.
"A number of the board members lost their homes. We almost lost our house. We want to be sensitive to the community," said Rob Caves, a board member of the Christmas Tree Lane Association.
Ultimately they moved forward.
"It's just been an overwhelming amount of support that people want the lights on, they want one of the last things that Altadena is known for that didn't burn down," Caves said. "So we want to keep the tradition going."
Over the next 10 weeks volunteers will continue their work to outfit more than 150 trees along the lane. Wardlaw said damaged lights have been replaced, in part with donations from Disney.
" We will be adding lights to these trees as we go along," Wardlaw said, "which we've always wanted to do, but we couldn't do without that help."
The group is also seeking more volunteers.
The association's winter festival and tree lighting ceremony — scheduled to take place Dec. 6 — will include a special ceremony memorializing what was lost in the Eaton Fire, along with their usual slate of carolers, hot chocolate and free pictures with Santa Claus.
The group hopes the winter tradition will bring a return to normalcy for the community — and light its way for a brighter future.
Christmas Tree Lane Association lights hanging
Santa Rosa Avenue, Altadena
Every Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 6
8 a.m. to 12 noon
Find out how to volunteer here
What to expect: Sunny with highs in the mid-70s to mid-80s. Breezy Santa Ana winds continue.
Read on ... for more details.
Temps will climb a few degrees today with highs now reaching the mid-80s.
Along the Orange County coast, temperatures will range from 72 to 80 degrees, and between 79 and 85 degrees for inland areas.
The L.A. County beaches will see temperatures from 72 to 77 degrees, and between 80 and 83 degrees inland.
Temperatures in the valleys and the Inland Empire will stay in the mid-80s. Daytime highs in the Antelope Valley meanwhile will remain in the upper 60s to mid-70s range.
Topline:
Facing legal challenges, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development withdrew a policy Monday that Los Angeles-area homelessness officials say would have caused thousands of people to lose their subsidized housing.
Federal policy: Most federal funding for homelessness programs flows into the L.A. region through HUD’s Continuum of Care grant competition program. Last month, HUD changed its funding rules, limiting how much local governments can spend on permanent housing to 30% of their award totals. The region currently spends about 90% of its more than $200 million budget covering people’s rent, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Why it matters: The HUD policy that was withdrawn would have caused more than 5,000 households to lose their rental subsidies, officials said.
Read on ... for details about how HUD's funding rules could affect Angelenos.
Facing legal challenges, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has withdrawn a policy that Los Angeles-area homelessness officials say would have caused thousands of people to lose their subsidized housing.
Most federal funding for homelessness programs flows into the L.A. region through HUD’s Continuum of Care grant competition program. Last month, HUD changed its funding rules, limiting how much local governments can spend on permanent housing to 30% of their award totals.
The region currently spends about 90% of its more than $200 million budget covering people’s rent, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
The HUD policy that was withdrawn Monday would have caused more than 5,000 households to lose their rental subsidies, officials said.
In recent weeks, California and other states sued HUD, claiming the new federal policies “guarantee that tens of thousands of formerly homeless individuals and families will be evicted back into homelessness.”
A U.S. district judge in Rhode Island was poised to consider an emergency request to block HUD’s controversial policy when the agency announced it would revoke it.
HUD authorities said they plan to issue a revised notice about the funding soon, according to a statement posted on the agency’s website.
LAHSA spokesperson Ahmad Chapman told LAist that the agency anticipates most of the HUD rule changes to remain in the revised notice. He also said LAHSA plans to keep moving forward with its funding application and reallocating more than $100 million away from permanent housing and toward other interventions. The submission deadline is Jan. 14.
“LAHSA will continue to monitor this situation closely and may extend or even cancel the process as circumstances warrant," Chapman said.
Sarah Mahin, director of L.A. County’s Department of Homeless Services and Housing, said the HUD policy would redirect funding from programs with proven track records and that have helped move people off the streets and into safe, permanent homes.
“We hope officials heed the warnings from countless homelessness and housing experts nationwide and continue to invest in what we know works: permanent housing accompanied by the supportive services that help people stay housed,” she said.
Topline:
Raul Malo, the leader of the country band The Mavericks and one of the most recognizable voices in roots music, died Monday night, according to a representative of the band. The guitarist and singer had been battling cancer.
Why it matters: Over a career that lasted four decades, The Mavericks lived up to the band's name, challenging expectations and following a roadmap crafted by Malo's expansive musical upbringing as the son of Cuban immigrants in Miami.
Why now: He was hospitalized last week, forcing him to miss tribute shows staged in his honor at the Ryman Auditorium over the weekend. He was 60 years old.
Raul Malo, the leader of the country band The Mavericks and one of the most recognizable voices in roots music, died Monday night, according to a representative of the band. The guitarist and singer had been battling cancer.
He was hospitalized last week, forcing him to miss tribute shows staged in his honor at the Ryman Auditorium over the weekend. He was 60 years old.
"No one embodied life and love, joy and passion, family, friends, music and adventure the way our beloved Raul did," read a statement released by his family.
Malo's group, The Mavericks, mourned the loss of their leader in a social post.
"Anyone with the pleasure of being in Raul's orbit knew that he was a force of human nature, with an infectious energy," the statement read. "Over a career of more than three decades entertaining millions around the globe, his towering creative contributions and unrivaled, generational talent created the kind of multicultural American music reaching far beyond America itself."
Over a career that lasted four decades, The Mavericks lived up to the band's name, challenging expectations and following a roadmap crafted by Malo's expansive musical upbringing as the son of Cuban immigrants in Miami.
"I grew up in a very musical household. There was all kinds of music around always," he told WHYY's Fresh Air in 1995. "We listened to everything from Hank Williams to Celia Cruz to Sam Cooke to Bobby Darin. It didn't matter."
In 1992, Malo told NPR that his widespread influences weren't always understood or appreciated in his South Florida hometown, but he said that his struggle to fit in taught him to trust his instincts. Malo had become the guitarist and lead singer for The Mavericks in 1989, alongside co-founders Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin, and his roaring, sentimental voice defined the band's sound and remained its constant as the group's catalog moved from slow, tender ballads to full-throttle rock songs. In 1995, the band released its biggest hit with "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down," a swinging country song featuring an assist from Tex-Mex accordion legend Flaco Jimenez.
As the band grew in members and devoted listeners, The Mavericks continued to push the boundaries of American music, weaving a richly layered tapestry of textures and stories. With more than a dozen studio albums, The Mavericks collected praise and recognition from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association and the Recording Academy. Although they took a hiatus for several years, Malo never stopped making music — and returned to his bandmates with renewed inspiration.
Following its 30th anniversary, the group released its first full-length Spanish album in 2020, aptly titled En Español. The record reimagined Latin standards and folklore-tinged popular tunes; it also made an implicit political statement about Latin music's contributions to American culture.
"In our own little way, if we could get somebody that perhaps is on the fence on issues and hears us singing in Spanish and perhaps reminds them of the beautiful cultures that make up what this country is trying to be and what it should be, so be it," Malo told NPR at the time. "Yeah, I'm OK with that."
The following year, the Americana Music Association recognized The Mavericks with the Trailblazer Award. In 2024, the band released its last studio album, Moon & Stars. The release coincided with news of Malo's cancer diagnosis, which he discussed openly with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe.
Before being hospitalized last week, Malo had been scheduled to perform with The Mavericks at a pair of tribute concerts held this past weekend at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Over 30 artists, including Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale and Steve Earle, still gathered to pay tribute to Malo, with some of the proceeds of the night going to the cancer prevention organization Stand Up To Cancer.
According to his spokesperson, though Malo was too ill to attend, the concert was streamed to his hospital room Friday night.
Copyright 2025 NPR
Topline:
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has mostly blocked efforts to investigate misconduct within its ranks, according to the county inspector general, who announced his retirement Tuesday after 12 years on the job.
Why now: In an open letter, Max Huntsman cited examples of how the county has thwarted his efforts to watchdog the department, which in the past has been plagued by accusations that deputies use excessive force and lie on the job. Huntsman said one example is former Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s misuse of criminal enforcement powers to discredit critics, such as opening an investigation into former County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
“My requests for investigation were rejected,” Huntsman’s letter reads. “Even after receiving an official subpoena, the Sheriff’s Department has failed to turn over records regarding the improper surveillance.”
He added: “Sometimes members of the public wonder if frightening new surveillance techniques will be used for improper purposes under the guise of criminal investigation. Sadly, the answer is yes.”
County response: Asked to respond, the Sheriff’s Department issued a statement saying it valued the office of the inspector general and all county oversight bodies and that it wished Huntsman and his family well in his retirement. The department said it “continues to make great strides in advancing the Department in a transparent manner.”
LAist also reached out to the county CEO and county counsel for comment, but they declined.
Read on ... for more information on Huntsman's letter.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has mostly blocked efforts to investigate misconduct within its ranks, according to the county inspector general, who announced his retirement Tuesday after 12 years on the job.
In an open letter, Max Huntsman cited examples of how the county has thwarted his efforts to watchdog the department, which in the past has been plagued with accusations that deputies use excessive force and lie on the job.
Huntsman said one example is former Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s misuse of criminal enforcement powers to discredit critics, such as opening an investigation into former County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
Villanueva was sheriff from 2018 to 2022.
“My requests for investigation were rejected,” Huntsman’s letter reads. “Even after receiving an official subpoena, the Sheriff’s Department has failed to turn over records regarding the improper surveillance.”
He added: “Sometimes members of the public wonder if frightening new surveillance techniques will be used for improper purposes under the guise of criminal investigation. Sadly, the answer is yes.”
Before becoming inspector general in 2013, Huntsman, 60, was a deputy district attorney who specialized in public corruption. He told LAist on Tuesday that the inspector general job wasn’t something he wanted initially.
“I didn’t want to go work for politicians,” he said. “But the need to provide some kind of independent reporting and analysis was significant.”
The Sheriff’s Department issued a statement saying it valued the Office of the Inspector General and all county oversight bodies and that it wished Huntsman and his family well in his retirement.
The department said it “continues to make great strides in advancing the department in a transparent manner.”
LAist also reached out to the county CEO and county counsel for comment, but they declined.
In the letter, Huntsman says the state of California has come a long way in strengthening the power of local law enforcement oversight bodies, in part because of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
After widespread protests — and lobbying by Huntsman — the state provided authority to inspectors general to enforce subpoenas requiring law enforcement agencies to hand over documents and authorized external investigation of police misconduct, including deputy gang conduct.
The Sheriff’s Department — backed by county lawyers — has resisted.
“Los Angeles County may not follow those laws, but it will not be able to avoid them forever,” Huntsman wrote. “The county refuses to require the photographing of suspected gang tattoos in secretive groups that the undersheriff has identified as violating state law.”
“Just a few weeks ago, we requested some information regarding an investigation, and a pair of commanders refused to give it to us,” Huntsman said in an interview with LAist.
The Inspector General’s Office was created by the county Board of Supervisors in 2013 in response to a scandal that included former Sheriff Lee Baca covering up the abuses of jail inmates.
Baca went to federal prison.
Since then, the office has issued dozens of reports with recommendations for improving living conditions inside jails that some have described as “filthy,” stopping abuses of juveniles inside juvenile halls and providing shower privacy for inmates as part of the requirements under the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
“All of these abuses were reported by the Office of Inspector General and recommendations were ignored,” Huntsman wrote. Often, it took court orders to enact change.
“When we first blew the whistle on the torturous chaining of mentally ill prisoners to benches for 36 hours at a time, it was only a court order that ended the practice,” he wrote. “Time and time again, this pattern repeated itself.”
Huntsman wrote the county has permitted the Sheriff’s Department to block oversight and defunded the Office of Inspector General by removing a third of its staff.
“It's not surprising the county has driven out two successive chairs of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission,” he wrote.
“Government always claims to value transparency and accountability, but shooting the messenger is still the most common response to criticism,” Huntsman wrote.
Huntsman told LAist on Tuesday that he was proud of his career as a public servant.
“I’ve really enjoyed the work and I’m sad to have it end,” he said.
It’s a sentiment he echoed in his letter, adding that despite the setbacks and roadblocks, he was proud of the people with whom he shared the office.
“It has been my honor to work with a talented, brave and tireless group of public servants to ensure that the public knows what its government is doing,” he wrote.
He noted the inspector general’s reports are fact-checked by the office and public.
“When government abuses occur, they are sometimes kept secret, but that is no longer the case for much of what is happening in Los Angeles County,” Huntsman wrote. “What you do about it is up to you.,”
Huntsman’s last day is Friday.
