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At a warehouse in Irwindale, around 250 people were hard at work on Boxing Day morning preparing for the New Year’s Day event.
About the volunteers: The volunteers are a mix of a seasoned pros as well as first-timers. For the last 36 years on Christmas Day, Victoria Boyd has boarded a flight from Illinois to Los Angeles.
“I keep coming back because I think I'm addicted. It's an art form. It's pleasurable,” she said. “It's meeting all the people.”
The floats that enthrall visitors at the Rose Parade don’t just have professionals working on them. Every year, thousands of volunteers spend hours painstakingly gluing seeds, fruits, vegetables, dried florals and, of course, fresh flowers on the floats.
At a warehouse in Irwindale, around 250 of them were hard at work on Boxing Day morning preparing for the New Year’s Day event.
One of the volunteers is Victoria Boyd. For the last 36 years on Christmas Day, she has boarded a flight from Illinois to Los Angeles. She volunteers her time to decorate floats for Pasadena’s 135th Rose Parade. Over the years, Boyd has made friends with other volunteers from places like Maine, Louisiana and Michigan, keeping in touch with them on Facebook.
“I keep coming back because I think I'm addicted. It's an art form. It's pleasurable,” Boyd said. “It's meeting all the people.”
This year, she’s helping decorate the float for the nonprofit One Legacy. It celebrates the culture of the Hopi tribe, native to the American Southwest. In her first year volunteering, she worked on a ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ float, where two little martians came out of the spaceship during the parade.
Dawn Hamilton is returning as a volunteer for her 31st year.
“I started when I was a freshman in high school,,” she said. “I don't do art for my job and so this is my one time a year I get to come out and use my art degree and I just love doing art and so this is like a giant paint by number, decorate by number and color.”
Hamilton took a bus from Torrance with her son Dakota to the Fiesta Parade Floats warehouse in Irwindale, where volunteers were decorating five floats that will be a part of the parade.
Dakota Hamilton said every year his mother would leave home to go work on the floats for a week. When he turned 13, he decided to join her. While his mother helps with the more intricate art projects, he helps out by running around and getting people supplies.
Working on the floats, he said, has helped him realize just how much time, work and “a lot of patience” goes into building them.
Twelve-year-old Destiny Peña is volunteering for the first time with members of her Girl Scout troop. She patiently added crushed parsley to the stem of a giant flower.
“It's fun. I like doing art stuff. I'm pretty good at drawing, so I'm interested in that kind of stuff,” she said.
Erica Vazquez drove 30 minutes from Long Beach for two reasons. “What brought me in this morning is my bucket list for wanting to help decorate the floats so it's always been, something I've wanted to do since I was younger,” she said. “So I came with my daughter, who's here to earn some service hours.”
Vazquez said she has cut up “thousands” of safflowers that will be used on the Louisiana Office of Tourism Mardi Gras-themed float.
“My goal is to obviously get over there on that float and help glue some of this stuff on there,” she said. “But I think just the experience is great.”
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The rate of high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has hit an all-time high nationwide. But, in California, FAFSA completion among U.S. citizens in mixed-status families has dropped—and so has their completion of the California Dream Act Application, which provides access to state-based financial aid.
Why it matters: The U.S. Department of Education uses FAFSA data to provide federal financial aid. Colleges also use this information to calculate how much students will pay to go to their campus. Schools then make offers to prospective students, which can be composed of grants, loans, scholarships and work-study. For many students, these packages determine where—and even if—students will go to college.
What’s the difference between the FAFSA and CADAA? Traditionally, undocumented students, DACA recipients, U Visa holders and students with Temporary Protected Status have completed the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) to access state-based financial aid. In 2024, the California Student Aid Commission began encouraging U.S. citizens in mixed-status families to consider CADAA as an option after learning that these students were encountering glitches and delays when trying to complete the revamped form.
Why now: College access advocates attribute the declining completion among students in mixed-status families to fear about how the Trump administration may use their data and misinformation about the type of aid that can be accessed through the two applications.
What's next: State lawmakers have introduced a bill to “clarify and ensure that [CADAA] can be used by any student eligible for state financial aid programs, regardless of their eligibility for federal financial aid.” According to Justin Hurst, government relations and advocacy manager at the commission, the bill is “ currently parked in appropriations." And “in the absence of any information on it being able to advance in its current form,” he added, the commission is advocating to have similar language included in a trailer bill to be passed as part of the state's budgeting process.
Go deeper: College students face dilemma: Applying for financial aid could expose undocumented parents
The rate of high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has hit an all-time high with the class of 2026, according to data from the National College Attainment Network.
But among U.S. citizens in mixed-status families — those where at least one parent is an undocumented immigrant — FAFSA completion in California has dropped. So has their completion of the California Dream Act Application, which provides access to state-based financial aid.
That difference is even more pronounced because California is otherwise a leader in how many students complete FAFSA, which gives them access to federal student loans, work study programs and grants.
According to the California Student Aid Commission, FAFSA completion among first-time applicants from mixed-status families dropped by over 3,000 students this past year. CADAA completion by students in mixed-status families fell by 910.
“That is not a small fluctuation,” said Nicole Kangas, a CSAC spokesperson, at a recent media roundtable. “That is a sharp and significant withdrawal from financial aid and higher education systems. Each one of these numbers represents a student who is a U.S. citizen and is eligible for federal aid, as well as state aid. And we should be concerned by any signs of application declines among this vulnerable group.”
The U.S. Department of Education uses FAFSA data to provide federal financial aid. Colleges also use this information to calculate how much students will pay to go to their campus. Schools then make offers to prospective students, which can be composed of grants, loans, scholarships and work-study. For many students, these packages determine where—and even if—students will go to college.
Traditionally, undocumented students, DACA recipients, U Visa holders and students with Temporary Protected Status have completed the California Dream Act Application to access state-based financial aid. In 2024, the California Student Aid Commission began encouraging U.S. citizens in mixed-status families to consider CADAA as an option after learning that these students were encountering glitches and delays when trying to complete FAFSA.
CADAA completion among undocumented students and students with temporary immigration relief picked up a bit last year. But, generally, completion rates for this group are on a downward trend, which immigrant advocates tie to the wind-down of DACA in 2017, during President Trump's first term.
“ California has spent years telling students that college is the pathway to opportunity. But for many immigrant students and [U.S. citizens in] mixed-status families, that message now collides with another reality: fear,” Kangas said. “Fear that applying for aid could expose a loved one to harm, and fear that the systems designed to support them may not be able to protect them. That fear is reshaping college-going behavior in California in real time, and if we do not respond with urgency, we risk losing an entire generation of students.”
“What we're hearing consistently is that students aren't opting out because they don't value college,” said Justin Hurst, government relations and advocacy manager at CSAC. “They're opting out because they're worried that applying could expose them or a loved one to immigration enforcement, or that their information could then be accessed or misused.”
For students who fear completing the FAFSA for the first time, CSAC has instructed counselors across the state to underscore that state-based aid through CADAA is still an option — and that the latter includes legal protections to safeguard student data under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, SB 54 and AB 21.
“Even when strong privacy protections do exist, confusion will often spread faster than any reassurance that can be provided, especially through social media, peer networks, rumors. So not applying often feels like the safest choice,” Hurst said.
Marcos Montes, policy director at SoCal CAN, a coalition made up of over 120 educational nonprofits, provided an example: Recently, he heard about a U.S. citizen who was inaccurately advised that if she submitted the CADAA, she would be considered for federal aid. The student, he added, was later confused about why her financial aid package didn’t include a federal Pell Grant, which provides up to $7,395 a year for low-income families.
Montes also noted that some college access advocates have wondered if CADAA completion declines among undocumented students are due to California’s population plateau. “But the best estimates available demonstrate that, every year, about 10,000 undocumented students graduate from California's high schools,” he said. Last year, 4,570 undocumented students completed the application, down from 8,833 in 2019.
“ The fact that we are also living in a post-DACA environment complicates things,” Montes added. “All of the students graduating from high school today are not eligible for DACA, and many wonder if pursuing higher education is even worth it if they would have very limited work opportunities during and after college.”
DACA, or the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals program, grants work permits for undocumented people who were brought to the U.S. as children. It’s also meant to provide temporary deportation relief. But, under the second Trump administration, at least 270 DACA recipients have been arrested — including one Californian who was detained and deported within 24 hours.
The role of advocates, Montes said, is to “empower students and families to make the best choice for them.” If students have older siblings who are in college, or if they’re renewing their financial aid applications, the federal government likely already has their family’s information, he said — this is also true for undocumented parents who pay federal taxes.
For some, completing a FAFSA might make the most sense. But “for a student who's just really afraid” of how the federal government might use their data, he said sticking to the state-based CADAA might be the best fit.
State senator Sasha Renée Pérez has introduced a bill to formally establish CADAA as an alternative to FAFSA.
According CSAC's Hurst, the bill is “ currently parked in appropriations." And “in the absence of any information on it being able to advance in its current form,” he added, the commission is advocating to have similar language included in a trailer bill to be passed as part of the state's budgeting process.
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Write-in candidates in Southern California are no joke. Election officials require them to qualify. While many are already in, Tuesday is the deadline to be considered. The full list will be released to the public Friday.
The rules: The city of L.A. requires write-in candidates to file a form and pay $300 or submit 500 valid signatures, while other cities may not require anything except paperwork. Qualified candidate names are sent to county election officials and will post the information Friday for voters.
Some write-in candidates: As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Registrar of Voters listed 20 write-in candidates who filed in California for a wide range of races, from state Assembly and state Senate to governor. Of the 20, 11 filed as write-ins for the governor’s race.
Why it matters: Most write-in campaigns are a long shot but some have won: Lisa Murkowski won an Alaska U.S. Senate seat in 2010; Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams was reelected in 2002.
Who gets counted: Only votes for qualified write-in candidates are counted and certified. Sorry, Mickey Mouse and George Washington.
What's next: Here’s the current list of qualified write-in candidates in L.A. County. Checking the box that says Show only Write In Records will show you write-in candidates. Orange County election officials say they have no write-in candidates.
Go deeper: Your LAist voter guide for the 2026 June elections.
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Several fires are burning across Southern California, with some destroying structures, threatening homes and charring pristine landscapes.
Where are the fires? A large fire is burning on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park. A fire in Simi Valley has destroyed one home and led to multiple evacuation alerts. Two fires are in Riverside County, and a small fire is in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The forecast: Warm weather and Santa Ana wind conditions have hampered firefighting efforts and are expected to continue through Wednesday this week.
Read on ... for details about the Sandy Fire, Santa Rosa Island Fire and others.
Several fires are burning across Southern California, with some destroying structures, threatening homes and charring pristine landscapes.
Warm weather and Santa Ana wind conditions have hampered firefighting efforts and are expected to continue through Wednesday this week. The National Weather Service forecasts cooler weather and "May gray" through the weekend.
Here's a roundup of some of the fires burning now.
(All dates refer to today, Tuesday, May 19, unless otherwise noted)
The fire is burning in Channel Island National Park territory. Firefighters traveled by boat with their equipment to get to the island, according to news reports. The island is home to rare and endangered plants and animals.
CalFire reported about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday that lessening winds allowed "firefighters to take full advantage of improved weather to strengthen containment lines and continue aggressive suppression efforts. Crews remain actively engaged both on the ground and in the air to gain additional containment and keep the fire within its current perimeter."
The fire started Monday in the southern part of Simi Valley. It eventually spread eastward toward L.A. County communities in the San Fernando Valley, but overnight conditions were favorable to firefighters, CalFire said. Several communities were under evacuation orders and warnings, and schools in the area were closed.
The fire was first reported around noon Tuesday, according to CalFire, near Jurupa Valley (east of the 15 Freeway and south of the 60). CBS News Los Angeles reported that four people have been injured.
The fire started Monday in a mountainous area north of the San Gabriel Reservoir.
Check out LAist's wildfire recovery guide.
Prepare for the next disaster:
If you have to evacuate:
Navigating fire conditions:
How to help yourself and others:
How to start the recovery process:
What to do for your kids:
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Citing a desire to prevent corruption within county government, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday established Los Angeles County’s first ethics commission.
The backstory: In 2024, voters approved Measure G, which called for the creation of an Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance. The measure came amid a series of corruption cases at L.A. City Hall but calls for reform spilled over into the county government.
The details: The motion by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and approved by the board Tuesday directs county departments to begin establishing the operational, staffing and legal infrastructure necessary to launch the commission in this year. It also directs staff to prepare a charter amendment for voter consideration on the November ballot to enshrine the commission in the charter.
Composition: Supervisors voted for a plan that calls for a seven-member commission. Initially, the chair of the Board of Supervisors, the county assessor and the Governance Reform Task Force would each appoint a commissioner, filling three spots. Those appointees would then select the remaining four members from a pool of applicants.
Opposition: Supervisor Janice Hahn supported the overall motion but opposed the composition of the commission, saying too many members were to be appointed by elected officials — the same people the panel would be charged with watchdogging.
History: The county has had its own campaign, lobbying and ethics laws on the books for years, but they were enforced by ethics officers in various departments. The latest proposal calls for a 54-member ethics office to enforce those laws and for the commission to impose fines if they are violated.
