Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published April 23, 2025 5:00 AM
A prime example of how some vines can "can climb almost anything," in the words of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
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Noticed the yellow flowers cascading down the sound walls along the 110 Freeway lately? According to Caltrans, it’s called cat’s claw, and the vines were first planted in 1996 to block graffiti, mitigate heat and beautify the urban corridor.
The backstory: “Vines were field-tested to see which vines would flourish in a freeway environment where wind, glare, pavement temperatures, and road dust can damage a plant's health,” our region’s Caltrans landscape architecture team wrote in a statement. “They knew that a block wall would store heat during the day, reflect glare, and raise the ambient air temperature in the area. One way to mitigate this effect, which we call the heat island effect, would be to cover the walls in vines to cool the air in the surrounding area.”
Are they invasive? The climbing vine is native to the West Indies, Central and South America, but is now found around the world from China to Australia. In Florida the plants are illegal to buy and sell and are considered a “major nuisance” because they crowd out local flora.
Why it matters: Alessandro Ossola studies how plants can create greener healthier cities at the University of California Davis. One of his current research projects examines how vines can cool urban spaces. “The beauty of vines is that they grow fast — much faster than a tree,” Ossola said. “We can actually use the two of them together because if we want to green cities faster, the tree is your long-term goal, right? But the vines can be that stop gap measure to create shade fast.”
My 110 Freeway commute to LAist’s Pasadena office is lined with beige, concrete walls that (try to) insulate the surrounding neighborhoods from the din of my car and the thousands of others on the road.
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These yellow flowers cover the 110 Freeway walls. Here's how they got there
But on a recent morning, a thick garland of yellow flowers spilled over the top of the sound walls from the 91 through the South Figueroa Corridor and glowed in the early light.
I wondered what could grow, let alone thrive, in such an unforgiving place. So I put my journalistic powers to use and found more questions along the way.
As of 2023, there are about 338 miles of soundwall in L.A.and Ventura Counties according to Caltrans' office of environmental engineering (including one segment made from mulch in Long Beach.)
L.A. Metro and the State Department of Transportation collaborate to build the county's soundwalls, and Caltrans is responsible for their upkeep. I sent one of their representatives a photo taken from my car window and received an answer two days later.
Dolichandra unguis-cati. Common name: “cat’s claw” vine.
Cat's claw flowers engulf the sound wall on the westside of the 110 sound wall near Vernon Avenue on April 10, 2025.
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The Caltrans spokesperson ended their email with “please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.”
And I did have questions.
Because when you punch cat’s claw into Google, one of the top search results is a university article that calls the “showy but invasive plant” a “major nuisance” that is illegal to sell or buy in Florida.
“Invasive plants don't support our local fluttery and flying and crawling species — birds, bees, butterflies, caterpillars,” said Erik Blank, a horticultural educator at the nonprofit Theodore Payne Foundation. “They may out-compete the plants that do support those species.”
The climbing vine is native to the West Indies, Central and South America, but is now found around the world from China to Australia. Blank pointed me to a USDA report that estimated that cat’s claw could establish itself in about 20% of the United States.
“That tells me this plant is super adaptable,” Blank said. ”I admire plants like that, but I don't wanna… play with fire, so to say.”
In mid-April 2025, I noticed thick garlands of yellow flowers spilling over the top of the sound walls from the 91 through the South Figueroa Corridor.
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I thought about this the next time I drove on the 110 and noticed the plant had crawled up and obscured part of a diamond-shaped highway sign, which now read “____ WORK AHEAD.”
Changing the narrative on urban plants
Alessandro Ossola studies how plants can create greener, healthier cities at the University of California, Davis. One of his current research projects examines how vines can cool urban spaces.
“The beauty of vines is that they grow fast — much faster than a tree,” Ossola said. “We can actually use the two of them together because if we want to green cities faster, the tree is your long-term goal, right? But the vines can be that stopgap measure to create shade fast.”
He was familiar with the vine because it grows in the UC Davis greenhouse and features in a lesson on “vines and climbers.” His students, like me, are fans of the yellow flowers.
“It's really, really hard to find plants that can thrive in these [urban] environments,” Ossola said. “Particularly flowering plants that can also bloom and somehow beautify landscapes that otherwise would be just gray concrete.”
The plant's eponymous "claws" are specialized leaves that help the vine climb with—intention!
“They use another object in the landscape to be able to position themselves so they can maximize the amount of light that they can get,” Ossolsa said.
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Part of the reason the vine thrives along the 110 Freeway is that it doesn’t need much water, he said. Florida’s comparative abundance of moisture likely contributes to the plant’s invasive nature there.
Cat’s claw is not on California’s list of invasive plant species. Ossola said that Southern California’s frequent droughts and maintenance can help keep the plant in check.
“We need to change, a bit, the narrative where you plant and forget,” he said. “Plants need our care. They can provide us with a lot of benefits, beautifying our cities, providing cooling and so on, but they need a bit of care.”
Cat's claw flowers turn to string-bean like seed pods that eventually release brown seeds with "paper wings," according to the University of Florida.
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He said cities can benefit from a variety of plants, both native and exotic.
“The best solution will be to create a biodiverse landscape where you don't have only this particular species, but you have many different species,” Ossola said. “Even if one species fails or becomes invasive, then the rest of the ecosystem is somehow well balanced.”
Flourishing in a freeway environment
The Caltrans spokesperson forwarded my questions to the department’s regional landscape architecture team.
In a statement, the team wrote that the vine I saw was planted around 1996, “a boom time for soundwall construction.”
Around that time, I imagine it was becoming clear that while the walls are useful, aesthetically, they leave a lot to be desired.
The wide expanse of concrete is blank canvas for enterprising taggers and the walls can radiate heat into the surrounding community.
“Vines were field-tested to see which vines would flourish in a freeway environment where wind, glare, pavement temperatures, and road dust can damage a plant's health,” they wrote.
We need to change, a bit, the narrative where you plant and forget. Plants need our care. They can provide us with a lot of benefits, beautifying our cities, providing cooling and so on, but they need a bit of care.
— Alessandro Ossola, UC Davis professor of urban plant science
As to whether the plant could threaten the natural environment?
“Almost any plant, whether native or non-native, can be considered invasive in a pristine environment if introduced,” Caltrans wrote. “The vine in this landscaped area receives periodic maintenance, which keeps its growth in check."
It’s unclear why, but Caltrans couldn’t find records of the cat’s claw planted elsewhere in the region.
“There were a few previous locations, and due to construction, the vines were removed and never replaced in kind. To my knowledge, the cat's claw vine has not been used in over twenty years.”
I, for one, am grateful for the pop of color along my morning commute — and the reminder that a resilient environment is one that includes the contributions of many.
Eighth grader Leah created a sign with lyrics from Bad Bunny’s “LA MuDANZA,” a song that pays homage to the Puerto Rican artist's parents and his heritage. "He is ... showing how immigrants make America great, showing how immigrants are good for our communities," she said. "And that's really deep in my heart, being proud of where I'm from Mexico — Sonora, Obregón."
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Thousands more students joined walkouts on Friday to protest the Trump administration’s militarized crackdown on immigrants, detainment of children and violence against U.S. citizens protesting the raids.
Walkouts across the region: By mid-afternoon, nearly 12,500 students, from more than 85 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District had walked out, according to a district spokesperson. Hundreds of students, from Pasadena and the greater San Gabriel Valley to Orange County, also marched in the community.
Why it matters: In conversation with LAist, multiple students said they live in fear of being separated from their families. They also worry that their parents could be mistreated if they are detained by federal agents.
Thousands more students joined walkouts Friday to protest the Trump administration’s militarized crackdown on immigrants, detainment of children and violence against U.S. citizens protesting the raids.
By mid-afternoon, nearly 12,500 students from more than 85 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District had walked out, according to a district spokesperson. Hundreds of students in other districts — from Pasadena and the greater San Gabriel Valley to Orange County — also marched in their communities.
At Olive Vista Middle School in Sylmar, about 100 students—some as young as 11—walked out of their science, English, and math classes, then walked to a nearby park.
For many students, Friday’s walkout marks the first time they’ve ever participated in a protest. And after months of watching federal immigration agents violently detain people on social media, the students told LAist that protesting — on behalf of their communities and in honor of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — filled them with a sense of freedom and power.
Isaac, a seventh grader, walked out of science class.
“This felt like I was breaking out of some sort of chamber,” he told LAist. “I felt like I was being free for once.”
Many of the 12-year-old’s family members are from Mexico and he’s been worried about what could happen if they’re detained.
“I'm standing up for my family and my friends, our community, really,” he said. “The most we [can] do is what we're doing right now.”
After months of being scared every time his parents go to work, Isaac said the protest was a type of salve.
“It makes us feel better,” he said. “It makes us stronger.”
M, right, is a sixth grader at Olive Vista and organized the school's walkout.
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How to organize a middle school
A few weeks ago, M, an 11-year-old sixth grader at Olive Vista Middle School, asked her mom, Maritza Ocegueda, why students in Minnesota and elsewhere were walking out of school. LAist has agreed to refer to her solely by her first initial, after her mom raised concerns for her safety.
She made several lunchtime announcements about a walkout on Friday, Feb. 6 at 10:24 a.m.
“If you'd like to join, please come over here and if you have any questions, just ask me.”
Those announcements did not come easily to M, who is soft spoken and admittedly shy. “ I try to be the bravest I can,” she said. “ I want [my classmates] to understand how serious this [is] … [The federal government is not] letting people be themselves, like, they can't go to Home Depot without feeling unsafe.”
M, and several other students said some teachers and administrators discouraged their organizing. M said at one point she was pulled out of class for more than an hour to talk about the walkout.
“ One of the things I told the school [is] you dropped the ball because this is a learning moment,” Ocegueda said. However, she said she’s open to more conversations with school and district leaders on how to support students.
Maritza Ocegueda's daughter M organized Olive Vista Middle School's walkout. She said she's active in the community passing out food and clothes to unhoused neighbors and helping other people connect with resources.
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A Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson provided a statement that said students were informed that walkouts are not school-sponsored, there are spaces on campus for students to exercise their freedom of speech and that they would be marked absent for missed class periods. A similar message was posted to the school’s Facebook page Thursday afternoon.
“Administrators routinely meet with students to share safety information and clarify options for on-campus expression—not to threaten or discipline,” the statement read. “Leaving campus during instructional time without permission is discouraged; that message is about safety and supervision, not suppressing speech.”
Middle and high school absences may be excused for engaging in a “civic or political event” with prior notice.
M said that other teachers were more supportive and helped her spread the word about the walkout to other students.
“ What I've learned is students should not have to come protest 'cause that's what the adults should be doing,” M said. “Adults should know better to help out the community and students should not have to come out.”
Honks of support
By mid-morning, students began to trickle out of Olive Vista.
As students joined the group of young activists, those already outside cheered and passing cars honked their horns in support. One SUV had a Mexican flag poking out of the sunroof.
Out by the curb, some of their parents, including M’s mom, were waiting. The adults encouraged the students to stick together and made sure the group waited for the light to turn before crossing the street to Sylmar Park.
" What's in my heart is that my parents are Mexican and I wanna support," said Jayden, an Olive Vista 6th grader.
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Once they gathered, the middle schoolers marched to a nearby park, carrying homemade signs and flags of Latin America.
One student turned to a friend and nervously quipped: “I just really hope we don’t get shot or tear gassed.”
‘They don't understand how much we love our parents.’
In conversation with LAist, multiple students said they live in fear of being separated from their families. They also worry that their parents could be mistreated if they are detained by federal agents.
Eleven-year-old Alejandro, for instance, usually goes to Sylmar Park to play baseball. Today, he said, he went to the protest to honor his mom and dad, Mexican immigrants from the states of Michoacán and Jalisco.
To critics who think he should have stayed in class, he said: “They don't understand how much we love our parents.”
“I just don't like how Donald Trump is calling us ‘animals,’ when we're the ones working our asses off to live paycheck to paycheck, while he's up there sitting in his chair throwing out orders at Kristi Noem,” said eighth-grader Jesús, referring to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
“The little boy who was captured with his little bunny hat, he was captured and he was sent to prison,” Jesús noted. “And that's just crazy, because how are you going to let a little kid inside a prison?”
The federal immigration activity in the San Fernando Valley has also left him feeling nervous, even when he is on campus. “I'm trying to study and then I just get reminded: maybe there's somebody waiting outside to take us.”
Sixth grader Sophia’ said she walked out for her grandmother who’s from Mexico. "I wanna represent our people and show that we aren't bad," Sophia said. "We are actually, like, a great community."
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As the students chanted and waved their signs, adults passed out snacks, water and pizza purchased with money donated from the community.
“They're here with clear intentions and they're here for a purpose,” said Michelle, the parent of another young protestor who requested LAist only use her first name. “I’m just proud of them.”
Families who need assistance regarding immigration, health, wellness, or housing can call LAUSD's Family Hotline: (213) 443-1300
M, the organizer, said she wouldn’t have used that term to describe herself before the protest.
“Now that I'm looking at myself, I do see myself as a helper,” M said. She plans to continue helping her community, for example by distributing food and clothes to unhoused neighbors.
And she has some advice for any aspiring student organizers.
“ I was a shy kid, so I want them to be brave and speak up,” M said.
She said she planned to finish up the day at school after she ate.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published February 6, 2026 3:43 PM
The iconic King Taco sign at the original Cypress Park location, which opened in 1974 and is now being considered for historic-cultural monument designation.
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Topline: The original King Taco location in Cypress Park is being considered for historic-cultural monument status by the Cultural Heritage Commission, which would recognize its role in transforming Los Angeles' taco landscape and supporting Latino immigrant entrepreneurship.
Why it matters: King Taco helped establish the template for the modern L.A. taqueria — shifting the city's understanding of tacos from the hard-shell, Americanized version to soft tortillas filled with carne asada, carnitas and tacos al pastor. As the late food critic Jonathan Gold noted, King Taco "solidified what we all think of as the modern Los Angeles taco sensibility."
The backstory: Founder Raul Martinez launched King Taco from a converted ice cream truck in 1974, eventually opening the Cypress Park brick-and-mortar location that became the chain's flagship. The business grew to 24 locations across Southern California, becoming a model for immigrant entrepreneurship and establishing key Mexican dishes like tacos al pastor and carnitas as L.A. staples.
What's next: The Cultural Heritage Commission will determine whether King Taco's original location retains sufficient historic integrity and continues to convey its cultural significance. If approved, King Taco would become one of the few designated restaurant landmarks recognizing Latino culinary contributions.
Topline:
Topline: The original King Taco location in Cypress Park is being considered for historic-cultural monument status by the Cultural Heritage Commission, which would recognize its role in transforming Los Angeles' taco landscape and supporting Latino immigrant entrepreneurship.
Why it matters: King Taco helped establish the template for the modern L.A. taqueria — shifting the city's understanding of tacos from the hard-shell, Americanized version to soft tortillas filled with carne asada, carnitas and tacos al pastor. As the late food critic Jonathan Gold noted, King Taco "solidified what we all think of as the modern Los Angeles taco sensibility."
Why now: The nomination comes as part of the city's ongoing effort to recognize Latino cultural landmarks.
The backstory: Founder Raul Martinez launched King Taco from a converted ice cream truck in 1974, eventually opening the Cypress Park brick-and-mortar location that became the chain's flagship. The business grew to 24 locations across Southern California, becoming a model for immigrant entrepreneurship and establishing key Mexican dishes like tacos al pastor and carnitas as L.A. staples.
What's next: The Cultural Heritage Commission will determine whether King Taco's original location retains sufficient historic integrity and continues to convey its cultural significance. If approved, King Taco would become one of the few designated restaurant landmarks recognizing Latino culinary contributions.
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Matt Dangelantonio
directs production of LAist's daily newscasts, shaping the radio stories that connect you to SoCal.
Published February 6, 2026 3:36 PM
Yasiel Puig looks on from the dugout during the 2018 World Series. He was found guilty Friday of lying to federal prosecutors about bets he placed on sporting events through an illegal bookmaking operation.
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Former Dodger Yasiel Puig was found guilty today of lying to federal investigators about betting on sports through an illegal bookmaking operation.
The backstory: Puig was convicted on one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making false statements. The charges stem from a January 2022 interview he did with federal investigators who were looking into an illegal gambling operation. Federal prosecutors say during the interview, Puig lied about knowing a bookie named Donny Kadokawa, whom Puig texted sports bets to place with the illegal operation. When showed a copy of a cashier's check he used to pay off some of his gambling debt, prosecutors say Puig doubled down and said he didn't know the person who told him to send the money.
How it started: Federal prosecutors said that in May 2019, Puig began placing bets through Kadokawa, who worked for an illegal gambling operation out of Newport Coast. By June, they say he'd racked up nearly $283,000 in gambling debts. That same month, Puig withdrew $200,000 and bought another $200,000 in cashiers checks to pay off his debt so he could get access to gambling websites run by the illegal operation and place his bets himself. Prosecutors say Puig placed 899 bets between July and September of 2019, some of them at MLB ballparks before and after games in which he played. In the process, Puig ran up more debt, this time to the tune of $1 million dollars. He never paid it off.
What's next: Puig faces up to 20 years in prison if given the maximum sentence.
President Donald Trump's harsh immigration tactics are taking a political hit as new polls show a majority of Americans feel federal agents have "gone too far" in enforcing immigration laws. And it's not just Democrats who are concerned, but also independent voters who are expected to play a major role in the upcoming midterm elections.
Why it matters: After months of aggressive enforcement, Trump's signature issue that twice got him elected is now turning into a liability ahead of this year's midterm elections.
The context: The outcry over what many saw as militant tactics hit a fever pitch after the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by immigration officers in Minnesota.
What the numbers say: A new NPR/Marist poll shows that six in 10 Americans disapprove of the job federal immigration agents are doing. Even typically loyal Republican supporters have called on the Trump administration to make changes and rebuild trust with law enforcement.
It's not just Democrats who are concerned, but also independent voters who are expected to play a major role in the upcoming midterm elections.
"The base loves it, but it's an issue for the independent voters who decide elections in this country," said Alex Conant, a veteran Republican strategist. "Independents want a strong border and they want to deport criminals, but they're really uneasy with having masked federal agents going around in neighborhoods, deporting anyone that they see — as the Democrats are portraying it."
After months of aggressive enforcement, Trump's signature issue that twice got him elected is now turning into a liability ahead of this year's midterm elections.
The outcry over what many saw as militant tactics hit a fever pitch after the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by immigration officers in Minnesota.
A new NPR/Marist poll shows that six in 10 Americans disapprove of the job federal immigration agents are doing.
Even typically loyal Republican supporters have called on the Trump administration to make changes and rebuild trust with law enforcement.
"They, being the White House, need to recalibrate on what needs to be done to make sure that that respect is going to be re-instilled," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told conservative radio host Mark Davis.
Trump shook up the leadership of the Minneapolis operation, and directed his team to withdraw 700 federal officers.
"I learned that, maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch," Trump said in an interview with NBC's Tom Llamas. "But you still have to be tough. We're dealing with really hard criminals."
It's a bit unclear what a "softer touch" actually means.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt largely defended the administration's enforcement efforts Thursday and pointed to different polling — from a Harvard/Harris survey — that she said showed support for their "deportation agenda."
"Nearly eight in 10 Americans say criminal illegal aliens should be deported," she said. "A solid majority also support deporting all illegal aliens, regardless of additional crimes."
She also said the administration is now prioritizing criminals who are in the country illegally.
Theresa Cardinal Brown, who worked on immigration policy under two presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said there may be an "operational pause" as the administration retools its efforts, both from a policy standpoint and a public relations standpoint.
"Operationally, you're not really thinking about politics as you're putting together an operation, said Brown, now a member of the Council on National Security and Immigration. "But politics comes into everything, right?"
She points to the announcement that body cameras would be deployed to federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, noting that while video can uncover when officers are doing something wrong, body cameras can also vindicate officers when they have done the right thing.
"I do think that probably the administration is thinking, 'Well, if we had body cam footage of our own, we could put our own perspective on it,' " she said.
Trump has a big incentive to get a handle on this crisis — and to do so quickly.
Conant, who previously worked on Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, said Trump has left an opening for Democrats to sound more reasonable on immigration ahead of the midterms.
"If he loses the immigration issue as a political winner, it's a real political problem," Conant said, "not just for Trump, but Republicans more broadly."
