Topline:
99 Ranch Market, the popular Asian grocer, introduced limited edition mini-tote bags at select locations for $2.99.
Sound familiar? Last year, Trader Joe’s limited edition mini-totes went viral, selling out within minutes of their debut.
Read on… to find out why these mini-totes represent a new kind of Asian American sensibility.
When Tiffany Luke saw a video of a limited edition mini-tote bag from her favorite supermarket chain on social media about two weeks ago, her impulse was to gun it to her local store.
"I told my husband … 'We need to get in the car right now because I want to go see if they have the tote bags,’" said Luke, who is Taiwanese American and lives in Irvine.
You'd be forgiven if you thought the bags in question were from Trader Joe's. Those went viral and sold out in minutes last year. Luke already has one of those.
The items she wanted were from 99 Ranch, the ever-expanding chain of Asian supermarkets that have been a staple of Chinese-speaking communities in Southern California for four decades.
Immigrants were once its primary clientele, but if these zeitgeist-y bags are any indication, 99 Ranch is no longer your parents' Tawa Supermarket.
Luke ended up getting six mini-totes at the Irvine store — for her sister and her mom too.
" I shop the most at 99 Ranch Market for my grocery store needs. So it was just really cool to have a little mini tote bag version," she said.
And being the seasoned influencer that she is, Luke quickly posted about her latest acquisitions.
There are many, many Asian supermarkets in SoCal, but for those living in areas where Chinese is a major language — even if you have never set foot inside one — you've probably seen or heard of 99 Ranch Market.
The chain was founded by Roger Chen, a Taiwanese immigrant living in Orange County who got so tired of driving to Chinatown for groceries that he decided to open his own supermarket for a growing population of transplants like him and his family. In 1984, his first store broke ground in Westminster — a precursor to 99 Ranch, or Tawa (大華) in Chinese. Today, the chain has more than 60 stores across the country, according to its Facebook page, with an outsized presence in California.
Wei Li, a professor at Arizona State University whose research focuses on immigrant communities, remembered going to the market's now shuttered Chinatown location as a doctoral student at USC in the 1990s.
"I really loved it," Li said. "Especially in traditional Chinatown, grocery stores are often very tiny and carry some items but not like a huge variety."
But when 99 Ranch opened, she said, "it's all of sudden like, oh my gosh, it's a huge supermarket, similar to mainstream supermarket, but tailored to Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants."
At the time, Li was doing research on the San Gabriel Valley — which she viewed as a new kind of ethnic suburb that was unlike Chinatowns or enclaves where immigrants traditionally gathered and lived, often in isolation from the rest of society.
Li called these new types of communities, such as Monterey Park, "ethnoburbs" — made up of more skilled, educated and economically mobile newcomers arriving through new U.S. immigration policies since the 1960s.
"They are more outward looking," Li said, adding that these ethnic suburbs are "multi-ethnic, multi-national, multi-lingual and often multi-racial."
Chains such as 99 Ranch are part and parcel of these spaces, launched by this new wave of immigrants catering to those with similar sensibilities seeking a more big tent experience.
As ethnoburbs evolve, so do their homegrown businesses, informed by the post-immigrant generations who are adept at navigating not just across cultures within the U.S., but beyond it.
"Folks who have grown up here in America, been socialized by American institutions, I can definitely see those generations bringing that influence back into these ethnoburb communities," said Samuel Kye, an assistant professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. " It seems like these totes are one example of that."
And some second- and third-generation Asian Americans are opting to stay in or move into these ethnoburbs.
Like Luke, who was born in San Dimas, grew up in Newport Beach, went to college in L.A., then moved to Irvine about six years ago to be closer to her immigrant parents. Occasionally, she travels to Taiwan to see her grandmother.
" Asian culture is a very big thing in Irvine," said Luke, who told her Vietnamese American husband recently that she was grateful to be living in the O.C. city. "We have within a five- to 10-minute drive five Asian supermarkets — like Korean markets, Chinese markets, Japanese markets."
99 Ranch is now run by Chen scions, who grew up watching their dad grow the family business. Their aim — to make 99 Ranch a household name across the country.
One way to do that is to ride the zeitgeist.
"A generation ago, you're mostly depending on word of mouth among ethnic community members to be able to bring audiences to these grocery stores," Washington University’s Kye said.
There are all kinds of mainstream cultural ways to get the word out, precisely because these businesses — as well as their clientele and the people who run them — comfortably straddle so many different worlds, he added.
"It's a combination of second-, third-generation immigrants who are both proud of their ethnic heritage, but also proudly American," Kye said.
The mini-tote, he said, could be thought of as "an item that symbolically represents both of those backgrounds."
Judging by the popularity of these now-sold-out totes, 99 Ranch is onto something.
"Growing up, 99 Ranch Market wasn't as big as it is now," Luke said. "Seeing that it has grown in popularity to the point where people see these tote bags and they get excited about it — makes me happy to see that too."
Topline:
A little-noticed provision in the sweeping "One Big Beautiful" legislation enacted by the GOP over the summer sharply limits the amount of federal student loans that students earning professional degrees — including medical school — can borrow.
Health fields: It also imposes even stricter borrowing caps for other health fields including nursing and public health. The Education Department does not consider graduate education in those fields "professional" education, though officials described that as a technical and regulatory decision, rather than a value judgment.
What's next: The loan changes will hit next July when an open-ended federal loan program known as Grad PLUS will stop making new loans.
Read on... for what these new limits mean for medical students.
A little-noticed provision in the sweeping "One Big Beautiful" legislation enacted by the GOP over the summer sharply limits the amount of federal student loans that students earning professional degrees — including medical school — can borrow.
It also imposes even stricter borrowing caps for other health fields including nursing and public health. The Education Department does not consider graduate education in those fields "professional" education, though officials described that as a technical and regulatory decision, rather than a value judgment.
The loan changes will hit next July when an open-ended federal loan program known as Grad PLUS will stop making new loans. From that point on, med students won't be able to borrow more than $50,000 a year — or more than $200,000 over the four years. Many private med schools already cost north of $300,000, including living expenses.
"That will automatically give a lot of people some pause to think about where they're accepted and what their finances are," said Vineet Arora, vice dean of education, at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine.
Given that most medical students already come from the upper 40% of family income, Arora added, "we already have fewer medical students coming from sort of middle class and lower income families." Lack of access to loans, she said, may well skew it even more.
On top of those new restrictions, a federal regulation posted October 30 — already facing a court challenge — adds new conditions to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which enables health workers who work in high needs areas and make payments for 10 years to erase debt.
The new Trump administration policy said loan forgiveness won't be an option for people working for an entity engaging in, among other things, illegal activities involving immigration, gender-affirming care, or "terrorism" aimed at "obstructing or influencing" federal policy. It will be up to the Education Secretary to decide which organizations will be ineligible.
These limits on how aspiring doctors or other health providers — nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, dentists and more — can finance their education likely foretell a more affluent, and less diverse, health care work force in the future, said Atul Grover, who recently stepped down from his long-time policy post at the Association of American Medical Colleges. He is now a visiting scholar at Stanford and a health sector consultant.
But champions of the legislation, including Senate HELP Committee chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, who put forth a version of this legislation earlier this year, have argued that it will bring about changes in higher ed financing that will push down tuition costs and protect people beginning careers from "from drowning in debt."
These new loan changes come on top of a slew of recent court rulings and administration policies that crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher ed.
Grover said the new policies will "disproportionately discourage and decrease the likelihood" that students from lower income families attend — or even apply — to med school.
"Once you tell them, 'Oh, you're going to have to borrow $300,000 to go to med school,' they're like, well, that's out, right?'" Grover said.
Since the landmark June 2023 Supreme Court ruling banning consideration of race in admissions, Black and Latino enrollment to medical school has dropped.
That trend, and the new Trump administration policies, could mean fewer young doctors practicing in underserved communities, both rural and urban. Some new doctors will of course still choose to practice there, including some who themselves grew up in such communities. But many may feel like they have to choose high-paying specialties over primary care to get out from piles of loans.
The Association of American Medical Colleges said the new loan limits will likely worsen the physician shortage, already forecast to hit up to 86,000 doctors by 2036 — on top of existing shortfalls in underserved communities.
"If future medical students face greater financial barriers — especially those from low-income, rural, or first-generation backgrounds — we risk shrinking the supply of qualified applicants. Fewer students entering medical school now means fewer residents and practicing physicians later," the AAMC said in an emailed statement.
The AAMC declined further comment, as did several administrators and spokespeople for med schools.
Along with physicians, the changes will affect students in dentistry, and various advanced pharmacy and psychology degrees considered professionals, along with chiropractors and podiatrists, according to an Education Department memo.
But advanced nursing degrees, along with health practitioners like occupational and physical therapists, are not on that list. And for these "nonprofessional" graduate school tracks, the annual loan limits would be $20,500. Organizations representing those practices hope to win some changes in policy before the regulations are finalized but they have not been successful during months of debate.
"Misinformation on TikTok has caused confusion about the Trump Administration's ongoing actions to implement student loan caps for graduate students," The Department of Education's Press Secretary for Higher Education Elle Keast said in a statement Monday. "The Trump Administration is implementing long-needed loan limits on graduate loans to drive down the cost of programs."
Nurses disagree.
"At a time when health care in our country faces a historic nurse shortage and rising demands, limiting nurses' access to funding for graduate education threatens the very foundation of patient care," American Nurses Association president Jennifer Menik Kennedy said in a statement. "In many communities across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas, advanced practice registered nurses ensure access to essential, high-quality care."
Making graduate training in the health professions less attainable could change the makeup of the health care work force.
That runs counter to mounting evidence, outlined in a major National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report last year called Ending Unequal Treatment , that a health care work force that looks like America is actually good for America's health.
It's not that a white doctor or nurse can't provide excellent care to a Black or Latino or Asian patient — or vice versa. That happens each and every day. But shared experience, the racial, linguistic and cultural matches between patient and provider known as "concordance," can improve doctor-patient communication. Some data show it improves patients' ability to manage chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension.
"What the data says is that when we have a diverse and inclusive workforce that is representative of the populations that are served, that we actually see improved health outcomes," said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, executive director of the Institute for Policy Solutions at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, who served on the National Academies panel.
"Across all the health professions," he said, "we see that there's underrepresentation in terms of the people that need providers who can bring to their practice their sort of lived experience." That can include speaking languages in addition to English to enhance communication with patients.
According to data from the AAMC and its osteopathic medicine counterpart reported in JAMA Network Open, since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling incoming Black or African American student enrollment fell 11.6% and Latino by 10.8%. Asian and White student enrollment rose.
A number of universities run assorted "pipeline" enrichment programs to help high school students, or even younger kids, explore and prepare for careers in science and medicine. Some of those are still ongoing, and structured to avoiding running afoul of the DEI rules.
But an approach that med schools used after the Supreme Court, sometimes called "holistic admissions," ran into opposition from the Trump administration. The idea was to look broadly at med school applicants -- at those who may have overcome adversity for instance, not just those with the highest MCAT scores.
That was encouraged under the Biden administration. But President Donald Trump in August issued a "presidential memoranda" outlining how the Department of Education should crack down on "overt and hidden racial proxies."
"Greater transparency is essential to exposing unlawful practices and ultimately ridding society of shameful, dangerous racial hierarchies," Trump wrote.
Many health educators say the primary problem though, is the high cost of education for health fields.
Champions of the changes, including Cassidy and the Department of Education, argue that as borrowing is limited, the pressure will mount on schools to cut tuition.
But some in the education field say that while they too would like to see education become more affordable, they don't think these policies will achieve that. With NIH support under threat, taxes rising on endowments on some large prestigious universities,, and feuds between the administration and elite institutions relief is not likely, Guilamo-Ramos noted
But more affordable education, he said, would be good for students – and good for patients.
"One way that we can optimize health for everyone and save money is by ensuring that we have the best workforce, which means it being representative and then motivating people, all different kinds of people, to pursue careers in health and not only ones that would be the most lucrative."
Copyright 2025 NPR
Topline:
The century-old partnership between the U.S. military and Scouting could be coming to an end.
Why now: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to sever all ties with Scouting America, saying the group once known as the Boy Scouts is no longer a meritocracy and has become an organization designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces," according to documents reviewed by NPR.
Why it matters: The proposal calls for the Pentagon to no longer provide medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree, which brings in as many as 20,000 scouts to a remote site in West Virginia. It also states that the military will no longer allow Scout troops to meet at military installations in the U.S. and abroad, where many bases have active Scout programs.
Read on... for more details about the documents.
The century-old partnership between the U.S. military and Scouting could be coming to an end.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to sever all ties with Scouting America, saying the group once known as the Boy Scouts is no longer a meritocracy and has become an organization designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces," according to documents reviewed by NPR.
In a draft memo to Congress, which sources shared with NPR but which has not yet been sent, Hegseth criticizes Scouting for being "genderless" and for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
The military has provided support to the Scouts for more than 100 years, assistance that was formalized in 1937. But in one memo, Hegseth says, "The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys."
The proposal calls for the Pentagon to no longer provide medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree, which brings in as many as 20,000 scouts to a remote site in West Virginia. It also states that the military will no longer allow Scout troops to meet at military installations in the U.S. and abroad, where many bases have active Scout programs.
A source told NPR the documents were being prepared at the Pentagon to communicate Hegseth's decision to Congress, but that they had not been sent yet. The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the documents.
In response to an inquiry from NPR, the Pentagon sent a statement attributed to "a War Department official" saying they wouldn't comment on "leaked documents that we cannot authenticate and that may be pre-decisional."
Scouting America released a statement saying the organization is proud of its long affiliation with the military and will work to continue it.
"Scouting is and has always been a nonpartisan organization," the statement read. "Over more than a century, we've worked constructively with every U.S. presidential administration — Democratic and Republican — focusing on our common goal of building future leaders grounded in integrity, responsibility, and community service."
Congress requires the Pentagon to support the scouting program's Jamboree, a gathering of thousands of young scouts held every three or four years. The U.S. military lends trucks, ambulances and medical teams, and puts on aviation and skydiving demonstrations, all at no cost to the Scouts. For the military, it's both a training exercise and an opportunity to recruit highly motivated, civic-minded kids.
But the law includes an exemption: the Secretary of Defense can withhold support if he determines providing it would be "detrimental to national security."
Drafts of a report to Congress obtained by NPR show Hegseth invoking that clause — accusing Scouting America of fostering "gender confusion."
His memo to the House and Senate Armed Services committees argues the Scouts have strayed from their mission to "cultivate masculine values." It also claims that with international conflicts and a tight budget, sending troops, doctors and vehicles to a 10-day youth event would harm national security by diverting resources from border operations and protecting U.S. territory.
President Trump, the honorary leader of Scouting America by nature of his elected office, praised the crowd at the Jamboree in West Virginia in 2017. "The United States has no better citizens than its Boy Scouts. No better," the president told the crowd. He pointed out that 10 of his cabinet members were former Scouts.
Hegseth was never a Boy Scout, and has said he grew up in a church-based youth group that focuses on memorizing Bible verses. Last year, as a Fox News host, he complained about the Scouts changing their name and admitting girls back in 2018.
"The Boy Scouts has been cratering itself for quite some time," Hegseth said. "This is an institution the left didn't control. They didn't want to improve it. They wanted to destroy it or dilute it into something that stood for nothing."
What Hegseth says about the Scouts echoes his moves at the Pentagon, cutting DEI programs and firing some senior female and African-American officers, while suggesting diversity hires weaken the organization.
A draft memo to top Pentagon leaders about Scouting America, which was also shared with NPR, picked up on that theme. "Scouting America has undergone a significant transformation," the memo states. "It is no longer a meritocracy which holds its members accountable to meet high standards."
NBC first reported in April that the Pentagon was considering breaking with Scouting America, citing sources familiar with the move. In a statement to NBC, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said, "Secretary Hegseth and his Public Affairs team thoroughly review partnerships and engagements to ensure they align with the President's agenda and advance our mission."
Banning Scout troops from meeting on military bases in the U.S. and overseas troubles Kenny Green. He's a retired Army Staff Sergeant who served as a sniper in Iraq and is the parent of three Scouts — two girls and a boy. Because of his military service, his family has moved frequently.
"We went from Louisiana to Alaska. From Alaska to Germany. From Germany to Texas," he said. But at every military base there was a Scout troop that could help ease the transition to a new home. "We don't have to say a word to them, let them go see the other kids, and they'll be immediately integrated in."
Green was surprised by the proposal to cut all Pentagon ties with the Scouts.
"It's gonna be kind of harsh the way I say this… It's kind of like they don't care about us more than they care about their perceived message. Scouting… It probably is not a perfect organization, but … I can't even say how vast their benefits are, especially for military families."
Scouting has long been a part of military recruiting efforts. As many as 20 percent of cadets and midshipmen at the service academies are Eagle Scouts, according to statistics from Scouting America. Moreover, enlistees who've earned Eagle get advanced military rank and better pay. That practice would end.
The potential impact is causing friction at the Pentagon. In one memo sent to the department's Undersecretary for Policy Elbridge Colby, Navy Secretary John Phelan warns the proposed new policy might be "too restrictive." Up to a third of the Navy's officers in training, he writes, have some scouting background.
"Passive support to Scouting America through access to military installations and educational opportunities aboard said installations serve as a crucial recruiting and community engagement tool for the [Navy]," Phelan wrote in the memo, which NPR also viewed. "Prohibition of access could be detrimental to recruitment and accession efforts across the department."
Whether Hegseth's argument — that supporting the Jamboree and allowing Scout troops on military bases harms national security — will pass muster with Congress is unclear. But the statute also requires the report be submitted "in a timely manner." Planning for next summer's Jamboree is already well underway.
Included in the documents NPR reviewed is a draft letter to the head of Scouting America, informing him that the Secretary has disapproved the use of DoD personnel and equipment for the Jamboree - detailing what will not be available. It concludes, "You have our best wishes for a safe and successful National Scout Jamboree."
Copyright 2025 NPR
Topline:
Billy Gardell brings his “Less Is More Tour” to the Shore Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks on Friday. He shared details about his 173-pound weight loss, why he’s rooting for Gen Z, and what he thinks we all have in common on LAist’s Morning Edition.
Once a standup, always a standup: Gardell’s been doing standup for almost four decades. But even after all that TV success, he couldn’t stay away from the stage. “During my second show, Bob Hearts Abishola, I thought maybe I’m done with standup,” he said. But then he went to see a friend perform at the Irvine Improv and got “that weird twitch” in his shoulder. He says his wife immediately knew he was going back.
Details on the event: “Less Is More Tour” will be at the Shore Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks on Friday. Get tickets here.
After 15 years starring in CBS sitcoms like Mike & Molly, Bob Hearts Abishola, and Young Sheldon, Billy Gardell is back doing what he’s always done best: stand-up comedy.
The actor and comedian brings his “Less Is More Tour” to the Shore Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks on Friday. He shared details about his 173-pound weight loss, why he’s rooting for Gen Z, and what he thinks we all have in common on LAist’s Morning Edition.
Gardell’s been doing standup for almost four decades. But even after all that TV success, he couldn’t stay away from the stage.
“During my second show, Bob Hearts Abishola, I thought maybe I’m done with standup,” he said. But then he went to see a friend perform at the Irvine Improv and got “that weird twitch” in his shoulder. He said his wife immediately knew he was going back.
Part of Gardell’s act focuses on his 22-year-old son and the challenges young people face today. He said, unlike some comedians, he’s not here to bash the young’uns.
“They’re dealing with stuff that we never dealt with,” he said. “Look, I’m from Gen X. We were feral cats, and we overcompensated and raised a generation of house cats. Now we can’t be upset that they’re not great at dealing with stuff.”
Gardell steers clear of politics in his act. He said he focuses on the human condition. With AI looming and social media fracturing our sense of community, he sees “an erosion of decency and kindness.”
“When you give an opinion, you’re just lecturing somebody,” he said. “But when you share experience, now you’re including somebody.”
"We're just looking for a hand to hold, a roof to live under, and a job to pay for it. And when you keep it that simple, you bring people together," he said.
The show closes with an homage to his father, weaving together stories about love, forgiveness, and common sense — what Gardell calls “connective tissue” that people are “thirsty for.”
The “Less Is More Tour” will be at the Shore Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks on Friday. Get tickets here.
What to expect: A sunny day with highs in the mid 70s, and up to 80 degrees more inland.
What about those Santa Ana winds? Santa Ana winds are returning, which means it will be breezy all day in most areas. Gusts could reach up to 25 mph in the foothills, around 30 mph for the 5 Freeway corridor and Santa Clarita Valley, and up to 35 mph for the San Gabriel Mountains.
What's next? Warmer temperatures are on tap through Wednesday, but don't worry, cooling will return for Thanksgiving.
Warmer temperatures are on tap through Wednesday, but don't worry, cooling will return for Thanksgiving.
Low clouds and some fog will cover the beaches Tuesday morning, but that will clear by the afternoon. Along the Orange County coast, expect highs of between 68 and 74 degrees. For L.A. County, highs will be from 70 to 78 degrees.
More inland, valley communities will see highs of up to 81 degrees in some areas. Temperatures for the Inland Empire will range from 74 to 80 degrees.
In Coachella Valley, expect daytime highs of up to 79 degrees. The Antelope Valley will be cooler, with highs reaching 67 degrees.
Santa Ana winds are returning, which means it will be breezy all day in most areas. Gusts could reach up to 25 mph in the foothills, around 30 mph for the 5 Freeway corridor and Santa Clarita Valley, and up to 35 mph for the San Gabriel Mountains.
