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The Jackie and Shadow live stream is facing a common issue among content creators: fakes.
Backstory: Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates the nest cam, started noticing fake social accounts a few years ago. But the knock-offs have exploded this year, after the eaglet hatchings.
Read on… for what options the nonprofit has to combat the fake accounts.
Imitation, it's often said, is the sincerest form of flattery.
But in the case of the internet's favorite bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, that has meant an explosion of fake social media accounts that have nothing to do with the official Big Bear Valley nonprofit behind the nest cam on YouTube.
Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, said fans started noticing copycat accounts on Instagram and Facebook a few years ago.
But as eaglets have emerged and endured (or not, in the case of one unfortunate chick) snow and wind, the imitators’ presence has grown.
According to the nonprofit, some 2.5 million unique visitors checked out the official Friends of Big Bear Valley website in the last 30 days. Their Instagram, launched in late 2024, has more than 80,000 followers. As for the live YouTube nest cam — that's at 588,000 subscribers and counting.
"Just this year is when everything started multiplying like crazy," said Steers, adding that the group has been filing takedown requests with social platforms when they spot imitators. "We're still working on a lot more. It's like they're popping up faster than we can keep a handle on it at this point."
Steers said there are knockoff accounts selling merchandise for a profit — and in some cases falsely claiming that the proceeds will go to the Friends of Big Bear Valley. And in others, they’re making up stories about the bald eagle family to gin up more clicks.
The Big Bear nonprofit that has made the parenting saga of Jackie and Shadow a must-watch stream is experiencing something that many successful content producers have had to grapple with — how to protect their content from exploitation.
Kristina Mitri is the vice president of social media and email marketing at Studio 3, an agency specializing in internet marketing with offices in Los Angeles and other cities.
Mitri said fake accounts is commonplace in the social media space. One tip for creators is to watermark or put an official logo over their content to prevent exploitation.
And once a copycat is identified, to let their fans and followers know. Finally, Mitri says to consider seeking legal counsel for protection.
"Social is ever evolving," Mitri said. "There's a lot of unknowns and so it's important to realize that each case is unique and to set a precedent. It could help others in this space going forward."
Given all the time and resources spent on the issue of fake accounts, Steers said the group is indeed looking into their legal recourse.
"That's taking away from our funds, taking away from our time that we could be helping other people to understand the eagles," Steers said.
With the live nest cam, the case of infringement might be hard to make, according to copyright expert Justin Hughes.
Hughes, a law professor at Loyola Law School, said that there are two conditions for copyright laws.
First, it requires fixation — meaning a work claiming copyright protection needs to be in a permanent or a semi-permanent form. Think a photograph or a painting.
"The phrase we use is 'fixed in a tangible medium of expression,'" Hughes said. " So a livestream by itself by definition is not subject to copyright."
But that condition could be met if the livestream is recorded — even if the recording is not made available to the public.
Now onto the second condition: human creativity.
"Copyright protects what we call original expression," Hughes said, citing Supreme Court precedents, "that shows a modicum of creativity."
In the court of law, the live eagles cam would unlikely be considered a work of "human original expression."
"Nothing that happens in the frame, nothing the birds do...it's not original expression," he said.
One possible argument, Hughes said, could be made over the angle or placement of the camera — but not if it's random or arbitrary.
"That there are unscrupulous people taking their video feed doesn't surprise me, and it saddens me," Hughes said. But "copyright is not going to give them much help.
Eleanor Musick, an attorney in San Diego who specializes in intellectual property law and who is representing the nonprofit, offers a different conclusion based on the inner workings of the nest cam.
The livestream is indeed recorded, she said. In addition, the two cameras capturing footage are controlled by someone at all time, Musick said, "who chooses when to zoom, when to pan, when to incorporate sound from a microphone on a separate camera and when to activate infrared lighting."
Such actions, she said, fits the definition of "original" expression.
Despite the prevalence and popularity of this type of content, Musick said, it's uncharted territory where the nonprofit has found itself in.
"I am aware of no court decisions to date regarding the copyrightability of trail camera or surveillance camera videos," Musick said.
As Friends of Big Bear Valley navigates these new terrains, Steers reminds new and longtime fans to keep an eye out.
"Anything that they see, you know, if they can just make a point of seeing what really is from Friends of Big Bear Valley and what is authenticated by us," Steers said.
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New rules on work hours, renewals and income limits could put your Medi-Cal at risk. Here's what you should know.
Why it matters: It’s a tumultuous time for healthcare. Federal and state budget cuts are changing the rules for public benefits. Most people with Medi-Cal won’t be affected, but it may be confusing to figure out whether your benefits will change.
If you’re afraid of losing coverage, do these things right now: Not everyone will be affected, and some people won’t need to do anything. If you’re required to report work hours or other information, you’ll receive a notice in the mail or through the BenefitsCal online portal if you have an online account: Check both regularly.
Read on... for more details on the upcoming changes.
It’s a tumultuous time for healthcare. Federal and state budget cuts are changing the rules for public benefits. Most people with Medi-Cal won’t be affected, but it may be confusing to figure out whether your benefits will change.
Tell us about your health coverage, and we'll share advice, information and updates.
The two most important things to do: Update your contact information with your county benefits office, and keep an eye out for any letters mailed from the county or state.
You can update your information by calling your local county office or online with a BenefitsCal account.
Here are the key changes, what they mean, and where to get help.
Non-citizens — undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and people with pending immigration cases — are the group most affected, even those with a green card. The state has an immigration status chart to help you check whether these changes apply to you. If they do, you’ll get a letter.
Promotoras, community health workers and legal aid groups can help answer questions about this.
About 5 million Californians gained Medi-Cal coverage when the Obama administration expanded eligibility to childless adults and those earning slightly above the federal poverty level. Now this group faces stricter requirements in order to keep their health coverage.
Beginning next March, the state will check Medi-Cal eligibility every six months for adults ages 19-64 and many immigrants, verifying income, work status, and other requirements. Renewal may happen automatically; if it doesn’t you will receive a letter asking for more information.
Starting July 1, 2027, seniors (65+) and people with disabilities cannot own more than $21,000 in assets, including savings accounts, cash and property other than a home and a car. For couples it’s $31,000 total. This limit also applies to non-citizens. Your county benefits office or a local legal aid group can clarify what counts; the state also has an FAQ about the new limits.
Not everyone will be affected, and some people won’t need to do anything. If you’re required to report work hours or other information, you’ll receive a notice in the mail or through the BenefitsCal online portal if you have an online account: Check both regularly.
The state doesn’t yet have a timeline for initial notices, but advocates say the best move now is simply keeping your information current. This is especially important because the rules keep changing.
“It’s so vital they watch the mail, look out for communications from the county, and are responsive to requests for information,” said Jack Dailey, director of health policy at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego.
If you get a notice: You should have plenty of warning before benefits are terminated – respond promptly to any notice of action.
If you get a notice that your benefits will be cancelled and you disagree with that decision, you can appeal and request a state hearing, which “allows you to temporarily freeze an adverse action and keep your benefits while your appeal is being reviewed,” says Alicia Emanuel, a staff attorney with the National Health Law Program.
If you’ve already lost coverage: You have 90 days to restore benefits without filing a new application. Submit the requested information in that window and, if you still qualify, you shouldn't see a coverage gap. After 90 days, you'll need to reapply from scratch.
Promotoras — community health workers trained through groups like Vision y Compromiso — can meet you in your neighborhood, explain benefits in plain language, and help with Medi-Cal applications. Rosa Lopez, a promotora in Long Beach, said many immigrants worry about losing coverage: “I tell them you don’t have status, don’t worry. The first thing is your health.”
Community clinics often have benefits counselors on staff, and legal aid groups offer free advice for confusing letters — call the Health Consumer Alliance at (888) 804-3536, or check its website. The state also runs a helpline at (800) 541-5555 and keeps its website up-to-date.
One more thing worth knowing: Medi-Cal eligibility isn't just one door — there are several ways to qualify, based on conditions such as income, age, disability, or pregnancy. Before the state can terminate your benefits under one category, it must check whether you still qualify through any of the others. “It's a really critical protection because sometimes an individual is in fact eligible through a different pathway,” Emanuel said. And by law, Medi-Cal must provide free language assistance for people with limited English proficiency.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
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The Los Angeles Unified School District Board planned to vote on firing former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho for cause before he resigned in June. Letters released to LAist in response to a public records request show the district accused Carvalho of violating district policy. The documents LAist received also show his lawyers contested the allegations.
What the letters say: The bulk of the allegations against Carvalho in the June 8 letter are related to not reporting gifts and outside payments for education-related consulting work. Board President Scott Schmerelson wrote that an ongoing investigation also allegedly found Carvalho bypassed district information technology policy and asked his district-provided driver to perform personal work.
Carvalho’s legal team responds: Lawyers with Holland and Knight, which is representing Carvalho, issued a 12-page rebuttal to the district’s claims and called the letter a “political hit job.” Carvalho’s attorneys wrote that the externally funded meetings, travel and other perks were public and often discussed with the district’s general counsel. The response also highlighted Carvalho’s recent contract renewal, which was unanimously approved by the board in September 2025.
The backstory: FBI agents searched Carvalho’s home and office on Feb. 25, 2026. A Department of Justice spokesperson said the agency had a court-authorized warrant, but declined to provide additional details. Within days, LAUSD’s board voted unanimously to place Carvalho on paid administrative leave “pending investigation.” The board appointed longtime district administrator Andrés Chait to the district’s top job first temporarily and then permanently after Carvalho resigned.
This is a developing story. LAist has reached out to LAUSD and Carvalho’s legal team for comment and will update this story with further information.
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The deadly and destructive Eaton Fire was caused by Southern California Edison equipment, the L.A. County Fire Department said in a report released today.
More about the report: The department's investigation into the cause of the fire found that arcing electrical lines ignited an unidentified material that fell to the ground in dry vegetation at the base of the utility’s Eaton Canyon transmission tower. Twelve seconds later, the Eaton Fire exploded under windy conditions.
The background: The fire, which began the evening of Jan. 7, 2025, ultimately killed at least 19 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 homes.
The deadly and destructive Eaton Fire was caused by Southern California Edison equipment, the L.A. County Fire Department said in a report released Tuesday.
The department's investigation into the cause of the fire found that arcing electrical lines ignited unidentified material that fell to the ground in dry vegetation at the base of the utility’s Eaton Canyon transmission tower. Twelve seconds later, the Eaton Fire exploded under windy conditions.
The fire, which began the evening of Jan. 7, 2025, ultimately killed at least 19 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 homes.
This article will be updated. Check back for details.
Topline:
The $16 million project converted a historic Craftsman home into 19 affordable housing units for veterans with other-than-honorable discharges who face barriers to housing.
Why now: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined housing advocates, city officials and nonprofit partners Monday to open the $16 million development, which she said demonstrates how smaller existing properties can be converted into affordable housing.
More details: The project, developed by Holos Communities on city-owned land, preserves much of the home’s original character. Rather than demolishing the historic Craftsman as originally planned, developers retained the facade facing the street and restored features including leaded-glass windows, high ceilings and a roof built with wood salvaged from the original home, while adding a contemporary three-story residential wing in the rear.
Read on... for more on the project.
This story first appeared on The LA Local.
Galen Banks spent years cycling through addiction and homelessness after leaving the U.S. Navy with an other-than-honorable discharge.
On Monday, standing inside the Koreatown home where he has lived since April, Banks said rebuilding his life has also helped him reconnect with his daughter after nearly seven years without contact.
“I feel good. My mental health is going well,” Banks said. “When I was out there … I was using crack, I was stealing, I was breaking into people’s cars. I wasn’t talking to my daughter.”
Banks, 50, who is recovering from drug addiction, is the first resident of a new affordable housing development that transformed a historic Craftsman house into 19 individual units for veterans, many of whom had experienced homelessness and, like Banks, were discharged under conditions that often leave them ineligible for Veterans Affairs benefits.
Banks served aboard an aircraft carrier before he was discharged in 1998 after being caught smoking marijuana. After leaving the military, his addiction worsened, leading to a four-month prison sentence in 2009 on a drug paraphernalia conviction.
He was later transported from Folsom State Prison to Los Angeles to address an outstanding warrant, but after a court gave him credit for time served, he had no way to return to Fresno, where he was required to report for parole.
“That’s actually when my homelessness started, because I had no way to get back to Fresno,” he said. “And eventually, I ended up on Skid Row.”
More than a decade later, Banks is one of 19 veterans living in the converted Craftsman house, giving him his first stable home in years and the opportunity to begin rebuilding his life.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined housing advocates, city officials and nonprofit partners Monday to open the $16 million development, which she said demonstrates how smaller existing properties can be converted into affordable housing.
“Affordable housing doesn’t always mean large, high-rise buildings,” Bass said. “We have to think creatively to reimagine some of the historic spaces that define our communities as we accelerate the creation of more housing.”
The project, developed by Holos Communities on city-owned land, preserves much of the home’s original character.
Rather than demolishing the historic Craftsman as originally planned, developers retained the facade facing the street and restored features including leaded-glass windows, high ceilings and a roof built with wood salvaged from the original home, while adding a contemporary three-story residential wing in the rear.
“It wasn’t just about historic preservation,” said Logan O’Phelan, director of operations for Holos Communities. “It also preserves resident well-being.”
O’Phelan said the building’s high windows, ceilings and porch encourage cross-ventilation and natural cooling. Retaining the house’s appearance also allows the development to resemble neighboring homes, he said, reducing the stigma sometimes associated with supportive housing.
Construction was delayed for years due to financing after Holos was awarded the site in 2019, according to O’Phelan. Ground broke in 2024.
Residents receive intensive case management, stable housing assistance and health care connections through The People Concern. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles committed 15 project-based vouchers for 20 years and expects to provide nearly $7 million in rental subsidies, according to officials.
Identifying 19 veterans took nearly a year because the development is specifically intended for people with other-than-honorable discharges, according to Lety Muro, a community development coordinator for Holos Communities.
On Monday, Bass said Los Angeles recently placed its 1,000th veteran into permanent housing through her House Our Vets initiative.
For Banks, having his own space has allowed him to focus on what comes next. He hopes to get a service dog and work in peer support, helping veterans and people recovering from addiction navigate struggles similar to his own.
After moving into the building in April, Banks said he found the confidence to reconnect with the daughter he feared had written him off during the years he spent unhoused.
“But it was totally the opposite,” Banks said. “She said, ‘Where you been? I missed you.’ Yeah, we got a good relationship today.”
