The Brief

The L.A. Metro Board has advanced a plan for a water taxi service between Long Beach and San Pedro during the 2028 Olympic Games.

Metro's board has for months been considering investing in a service to ferry spectators along the harbor for the Olympics, positioning it as a way to reduce traffic and increase access to the Games in the South Bay. Long Beach will host more than a dozen Olympic and Paralympic competitions.

The motion, introduced by L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, asks the Metro CEO to start identifying private and public operators that could deliver the water taxi program. It also directs the county executive to assess funding options, including sponsorship models and public-private partnerships.

At Metro's meeting Thursday, Hahn said passengers would be able to use their TAP cards on the water taxis.

" Other cities already run successful water transit systems," she told the board, naming San Francisco, Seattle and New York City. "There's no reason why we can't do the same here, especially with weather as good as ours."

A model for this type of passenger ferry already exists. Long Beach Transit operates water taxis each summer. A 40-minute trip between Downtown Long Beach and Alamitos Bay costs $5.

A feasibility study submitted to Metro this fall found that Metro launching and operating its own service on the water by 2028 wasn't feasible, instead recommending it pursue private operators or public-private partnerships to pull off the plan.

The report, put together by the Metro CEO's office, outlined four possible budgets and plans for a ferry program, including one using hybrid-electric vessels and three others using diesel ships.

The expected cost of operating the boats during the Olympic and Paralympic Games ranged from $750,000 for two 75-passenger diesel vessels and $1.34 million for two 350-passenger hybrid-electric ships.

The report also found that local funds likely would be needed to cover the bulk of the costs of a short-term water taxi service but suggested grant funding might be available for a service that would extend beyond the Olympic Games.

The water taxi is just one of many transit plans Metro is working on to deliver a "transit-first" Olympic Games. It requested more than $2 billion in federal funding for a fleet of thousands of buses to help get spectators around Southern California during the Games. Whether the federal government will deliver on that ask isn't clear.

Happy New Year! We here at LAist are wishing you all the best for a fun and safe New Year’s Eve. As you’re making those last-minute end-of-year donations, don’t forget to click that donate button so we can keep you in the loop on all the best things going on in L.A. in 2026 and for years to come.

Our friends at Licorice Pizza will surely be hitting the town this holiday week; they suggest checking out Faster Pussycat at the Whisky on Tuesday, or singer-songwriter Rocco Deluca at Zebulon that night. There’s also legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo at the Catalina Bar & Grill the same evening. On New Year’s Eve, you have a wide range of options, including The Roots at Disney Hall, funk band Lettuce at the Bellwether, Mike Posner at Academy LA or El DeBarge at the Blue Note. And, of course, there will be big dance parties all over L.A., from downtown’s free annual extravaganza at Grand Park to Hollywood’s Club Decades.

Elsewhere on LAist.com, Chef Roy Choi tells us the secrets to his Korean taco empire, and you can pick some shows to binge-watch before heading back to work after the holidays.

Events

Kwanzaa Celebration

Monday, December 30, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Expo Arts Center
4321 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Join the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach (AACCLB) for a vibrant and meaningful Kwanzaa celebration honoring African American heritage. The event will feature a candle-lighting ceremony, dance performances and a traditional Karamu feast.

Rose Parade float decorating

Through Tuesday, December 30 
Rose Bowl 
1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Thursday, January 1, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Rose Parade 
Pasadena 
COST: FROM $117; MORE INFO 

Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders participate in the 136th Rose Parade.

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Every year, I say I’m going to do it: I’m going to forgo New Year’s and decorate floats very, very early in the morning. I never do, but don’t be like me. Surround yourself with roses and get those floats all pretty for TV! This year, there’s a special float with the theme “Rising Together” to honor the one-year anniversary of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires. Or grab a ticket — free for fire survivors — and head up to watch the Rose Parade in person on New Year’s Day. Later in the week, on Jan. 2 and 3, there’s Float Fest, where you can check out the elaborate floats after their big hurrah.

NYELA Celebration + Community Collage

Wednesday, December 31, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. 
Gloria Molina Grand Park 
200 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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The annual fireworks and music celebration, with headliners Bardo and Ceci Bastida, in downtown’s Gloria Molina Grand Park will usher in 2026 in a big way. In addition to music and art, the event features a Community Collage activity with photographer Josh Madson, where attendees can take part in professional portraits — part of Community Collage’s initiative ahead of LA28, where the team “aims to photograph 40,000 Angelenos for future public art murals across the city ahead of The Olympics and Paralympics.”

Santa Monica Beach House New Year’s Eve

Wednesday, December 31, 8 p.m.
1212 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica
COST: $23; MORE INFO 

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Missing Burning Man? Celebrate New Year’s Eve with an “After Burn” party on the Third St. Promenade, featuring dance, drink and a party spilling out onto the street.

Jason Bentley’s Metropolis NYE

Wednesday, December 31, 9 p.m. Del Monte at the Townhouse
52 Windward Ave., Venice
COST: $40; MORE INFO

KCRW’s own Jason Bentley will be spinning all night at L.A.’s oldest bar, Venice Beach’s historic Townhouse.

New Year’s Eve with The Roots

Wednesday, December 31, 7 p.m. 
Disney Hall
111 S. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. 
COST: FROM $69; MORE INFO

Questlove performs with The Roots during the Back Cove Festival at Payson Park on August 02, 2025 in Portland, Maine.

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The biggest ticket on New Year’s Eve is for The Roots, fast becoming a Disney Hall tradition. Questlove and friends will get you revved up for 2026 with energy, a big dance party and the best acoustics in town.

Middle Aged Dad Band New Year’s Eve Blowout

Wednesday, December 31, 9 p.m. 
Lodge Room
104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd floor, Highland Park 
COST: FROM $65; MORE INFO 

The Middle Aged Dad Band show is sure to have some celeb appearances, karaoke go-tos, hilarious comedy moments and an all-around feel-good vibe. Embrace your inner (or outer) uncool dad mentality while still staying up till midnight at a show.

Fiorelli Pizza x Imperia Caviar kit

Preorder through Tuesday, December 30
8236 W. 3rd Street, Beverly Grove
COST: $140; MORE INFO

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Pizza and caviar? On the couch? For New Year’s? Don’t mind if I do. Beverly Grove's Fiorelli Pizza is partnering with Imperia Caviar for a fun DIY caviar pizza kit: a vodka sauce pizza with a side of crème fraîche, truffle potato chips and a full ounce of Imperia's caviar. Pre-order via email (lizg@fiorellipizza.com) or phone (424-466-7161); it will be available via delivery apps on Tuesday, December 30 (while supplies last).

Grand Kiev Ballet

Tuesday, December 30, 7 p.m. 
Wilshire Ebell Theatre
4401 W. 8th Street, Mid-City 
COST: FROM $44; MORE INFO  

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One more Nutcracker to wrap up the year, and this one is special. Acclaimed Ukrainian dance company the Grand Kyiv Ballet has danced through the war and is still able to blow audiences away with its dazzling production of The Nutcracker. Stay in the holiday spirit for a few more hours and enjoy this top-notch performance of Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic.

NYE Hike to the Wisdom Tree

Wednesday, December 31, 7 a.m. 
Griffith Park Merry Go-Round, Lot #2
Griffith Park
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

An intermediate hike hosted by 213 Hikers, this early morning walk is not for the faint of heart. Get up early and plan your pre-midnight nap accordingly while making your way to greet the last day of 2025 at the Wisdom Tree in Griffith Park — and maybe make some new friends to kick off 2026 right.

Flow Into the New Year yoga class

Thursday, January 1, 10:30 a.m. 
One Down Dog Yoga 
2150 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

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New year, same me telling you to go to yoga and set those 2026 intentions with a solid flow class. This one is at One Down Dog in Eagle Rock, but many local studios are hosting classes that are geared toward getting you out of your head and onto your mat for the new year. Ohm.

Brigitte Bardot, the international sex goddess of cinema in the 1950s and '60s, has died aged 91. Bardot's animal rights foundation announced her death in a statement to news agency Agence France-Presse on Sunday, without specifying the time or place of death.

Stylish and seductive, Bardot exuded a kind of free sexuality, rare in the buttoned-up 1950s. She modeled, made movies, influenced fashion around the world and recorded albums. She married four times. Her list of lovers famously included Warren Beatty, Nino Ferrer and singer-songwriter-producer Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she recorded the French hit Bonnie and Clyde.

Bardot's look was copied by women around the world, says Claire Schub who teaches French literature and film at Tufts University.

"Her fashion choices, her hair, her makeup, her pout ... She became this icon, this legend, all over the globe," says Schub.

But her image changed in her later years. Bardot was found guilty multiple times in her native France of "inciting racial hatred," mainly for comments attacking Muslims.

Bardot runs along the beach in Cannes, France, on April 28, 1956.

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As an actor, Bardot worked with some of France's leading directors including Henri-Georges Clouzot in La Vérité (The Truth), Jean-Luc Godard in Le Mépris (Contempt) and Louis Malle in Viva Maria!

Born Catholic to an upper-middle-class couple in Paris in 1934, Bardot studied ballet and modeled before becoming an actor. As a teenager, she appeared several times on the cover of Elle magazine, attracting the attention of Roger Vadim who was six years her senior. The two married in 1952. Bardot's parents made them wait until she turned 18.

Vadim, an aspiring director, has been credited with turning Bardot into the iconic sex symbol she became. In his 1957 film And God Created Woman, Bardot plays a provocative young woman on a quest for sexual liberation.

Bardot arrives at a Royal Air Force base in London in April 1959.

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Vadim wanted Bardot's appearances in his films to shake off sexual taboos. He once said that he wanted to "kill the myth, this odd rule in Christian morality, that sex must be coupled with guilt."

The New York Times panned the film but wrote that Bardot "moves herself in a fashion that fully accentuates her charms. She is undeniably a creation of superlative craftsmanship."

The media savvy Vadim made sure Bardot appeared often in the French press. Not that it took much convincing — Bardot's alluring images helped sell both magazines and movie tickets. "To be fair, if Vadim discovered and manufactured me," Bardot once said, "I created Vadim."

Bardot's liberating sexuality

While she was one of France's best known exports, she wasn't always beloved at home. She was often ridiculed by critics who derided her acting even as they gushed over her body.

Reviewing the 1959 film Babette Goes to War, in which Bardot does not bare all, one critic wrote, "In deciding not to reveal her body, Brigitte Bardot wanted to unveil only her talent. Alas, we saw nothing."

Bardot during a rehearsal of the TV program "Bonne année Brigitte" in which Bardot performed songs to ring in the new year in 1962.

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Despite the misogynistic comments and constant scrutiny of her private life, Bardot's popularity coincided with changing attitudes about sex. French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir took note of France's love-hate relationship with Bardot's sexual appetite.

"In the game of love, she is as much hunter as she is prey," de Beauvoir wrote in her 1959 essay for Esquire, "Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome."

Bardot was hounded by the paparazzi, suffered from depression and attempted suicide. "What I rejected the most during my life as an actress was the limelight," she wrote in her autobiography, "That intense focus...ate at me from the inside."

Bardot discusses a scene with director Louis Malle during the filming of <em>Viva Maria!</em> in February 1965.

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After starring in dozens of movies, Bardot retired from acting in 1973. She started an animal rights foundation.

Convicted for 'inciting racial hatred'

In her later years, Bardot became notorious for her racist and homophobic comments and her association with France's far right. Her fourth husband, Bernard d'Ormale, was an aide to Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front party.

In her 2003 book, Un Cris dans le Silence, she disparages immigrants, gays, French schools and contemporary art. She called Muslims "invaders" and railed against the killing of animals in the name of religion. She apologized in court in 2004 but also doubled down on what she called the "infiltration" of France by Islamic extremists.

In her biography of Bardot, author and French film scholar Ginette Vincendeau writes "the high priestess of freedom resents almost everyone else's rights to exercise it."

Bardot, the stunning, desirable beauty who once stood for sexual freedom for women, spent the latter part of her life at her home near Saint Tropez with her husband and a menagerie of pets.
Copyright 2025 NPR

A woman stands in front of Andy Warhol's "Brigitte Bardot" at Sotheby's auction house in London on May 12, 2012.

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There’s something about a library that’s inherently beautiful. Maybe it’s the silence or the history of the building. Maybe it's the idea of books being shared among countless readers.

Some of the most gorgeous libraries are reflections of their respective communities. Whether it’s seeing a mosaic from a local artist, or standing in awe simply from the architecture itself, these libraries hold countless stories and we become part of them whenever we walk through their doors.

The libraries listed here are just a small sample of SoCal’s offerings. Need a green space to unwind with your latest fiction read? Does being surrounded by art and color help ease the drudgery of a study session? Remote work with an ocean view?

We hope there’s something on this list for you.

East Los Angeles Library

• 4837 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles

West entrance of the East Los Angeles Library

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From its brightly-colored cylindrical towers to the mosaics that adorn the building’s entrance, the East Los Angeles Library is a tribute to Mayan designs, with a particular reference to their astronomical observatories.

Enter from the west — or parking lot — side, the red tower stands in for the sun. Above that entrance, visitors are greeted with a stunning mosaic mural by artist José Antonio Aguirre, carved out of limestone and comprised of Byzantine and Venetian glass. This exterior panel of the four-part mural shows an open book amid a sea of geometric shapes and images.

A view of the East Los Angeles Library’s east entrance adjacent to Belvedere Park Lake.

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Enter from the east or lakeside (yes, there’s a lake just steps away), the blue tower representing the moon.

East Tower, Mosaic Cycle Mural, “Our Legacy, Forever Presente”, “Arrival” movement by José Antonio Aguirre.

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The vast scope of Aguirre’s 2,000-foot-plus work unfolds as you continue your entry, and features prominent East L.A. figures such as Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, Edward James Olmos and the late former First District County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who commissioned the artwork.

East Los Angeles Library interior featuring Mosaic Cycle Mural, “Our Legacy, Forever Presente”, “Departure” movement by José Antonio Aguirre.

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Outside, the library is surrounded by Belvedere Park — approximately 30 acres of greenspace and a recreation center. If you decide to take a stroll around the nearby lake, you’ll find ducks swimming and see artist Rude Calderón’s “Leaping Fish, Nature's Cycles” water features–two sculptures of fish, one leaping out of the water, and one diving back in.

A view of Belvedere Park Lake outside of the East Los Angeles Library.

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Billie Jean King Main Library

• 200 W. Broadway, Long Beach

Billie Jean King Main Library exterior on Broadway in Long Beach.

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The Billie Jean King Main Library in Downtown Long Beach is a study in modern architecture. From Broadway, this building looks like row after row of glass panes, white window frames and caramel-toned wood.

The structure was designed with sustainability in mind, and is made up of renewable timber that’s been reinforced where needed with steel and concrete.

The central atrium of the Billie Jean King Main Library.

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The focal point of the building is its central atrium, a large, open space on the first floor with light pouring in from all sides. This room can be used for events, workshops or exhibits, including an exhibition showcasing work from the city’s Professional Artist Fellowship, a grant program that honors living Long Beach artists who have affected local communities.

From left to right “Ethereal Queen” and “Unbreakable Spirit” by artist Stephanie Rozzo is displayed in the atrium of the Billie Jean King Main Library.

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Grab a desk overlooking the first floor to get another perspective of the expansive, light-filled interior space. Or catch a window seat with a view of Lincoln Park on Pacific Avenue.

View from the Billie Jean King Main Library overlooking Lincoln Park in Long Beach.

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Manhattan Beach Library

• 1320 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach

A view of 14th street through the “Light Gate” sculpture by artists Mags Harries and Lajos Héder.

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The Manhattan Beach Library is a perfect example of how wonderfully spoiled we are by the weather here in SoCal. This two-story, 21,500-square-foot building on Highland Avenue offers panoramic views of the sun and the ocean of this beach city for all who enter.

View from the second story of the Manhattan Beach Library.

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The theme of ocean living is evident throughout, like an eye-catching sea kelp sculpture with 10-foot tall leaves that hugs the ramp to the library’s stairwell.

The sculpture consists of multiple elongated, organic forms arranged in a flowing, wave-like pattern across the surface.

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“Personal Archaeology” installation by Kathy Taslitz near the stairwell of the Manhattan Beach Library

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Or the row of jellyfish floating overhead when you climb the stairs.

“Prevailing Affinities” installation by Kathy Taslitz near the stairwell of the Manhattan Beach Library.

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Cerritos Library

• 18025 Bloomfield Ave., Cerritos

Exterior of the Cerritos Library.

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From its golden titanium exterior to the T-Rex fossil replica inside, the Cerritos Library offers its patrons an experience to remember with every visit. In fact, it was designed to be the first "Experience Library," with themed spaces like an “Old World” collegiate-style reading room, or its 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, which faces the entrance.

A view of the Cerritos Library’s 15,000 gallon aquarium, shot from the library’s children’s area.

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Like the rest of the libraries on this list, Cerritos regularly displays work from local artists. Its latest exhibition features Patrice Monteiro, who uses a technique called paper quilling, where strips of paper are placed together to create each piece. The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 30.

“Joy is a Revolution” by Patrice Monteiro, inspired by Nettie Beatrice’s digital art, on display in the Cerritos Library through December 2025.

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Perhaps the biggest draw to this library is its children’s area. Step through the passage of giant story books and you’re in an enchanted world that includes a rainforest tree, a space shuttle, a lighthouse and the aforementioned 40-foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton replica named Stan.

The Cerritos Library’s children’s area features a lighthouse, rainforest tree and 40-foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil replicas.

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After a decade of expanding health coverage and safety net programs, the Golden State took a sharp detour in 2025. As federal funding reductions and policy changes rippled through the health care system, California confronted service cuts, coverage losses and growing uncertainty.

During the summer, a congressionally approved spending plan slashed nearly a trillion dollars from the Medicaid program over the next decade. Funding cuts and new rules — such as work requirements — are expected to push 3.4 million Californians off their Medicaid coverage as changes take effect.

In Washington, a dispute over whether to renew enhanced premium subsidies that help keep Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance plans affordable prompted the longest shutdown in history. Absent federal action, hundreds of thousands of people could be priced out of Covered California insurance in 2026. More than 2,300 Dreamers in California have already lost access to the state marketplace: The Trump administration overturned a rule that had allowed undocumented people brought to the country as children to buy subsidized health insurance.

Federal immigration raids prompted undocumented people to skip care, and families reported worsening mental health, and federal anti-trans policies pushed providers to scale back on gender-affirming care.

Shifting federal policy forced the state the state to inject millions into Planned Parenthood to try to keep clinics afloat. Anticipating more restrictive federal immunization rules under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, California advanced its own vaccine guidelines.

Federal changes weren’t the only reversal. State budget constraints and overspending in the Medi-Cal program led California to freeze new enrollment for undocumented people and cut some costly benefits, such as weight loss drugs.

On affordability, Gov. Newsom delivered on his promise to cut down the cost of insulin. In 2026, diabetics will be able to purchase long-acting insulin pens at pharmacies for $11 a pen. After CalMatters shed a light on disappearing birth centers, state lawmakers approved a new law improving access in underserved areas, streamlining licensure requirements so that birth centers can more easily contract with Medicaid.

2026 outlook

The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects that Medi-Cal spending will continue to grow. Paired with the uncertainty of federal funding cuts, lawmakers may again seek ways to control costs and weigh priorities.

As federal spending cuts phase in, they’ll have implications for hospitals and other providers, such as an uptick in uncompensated care.

California has been distributing $6.4 billion from a voter-approved mental health bond. Starting July 1, the Behavioral Health Services Act will also require counties to spend revenue received from a 1% tax on incomes over $1 million on services and housing for people who are homeless.