Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published August 16, 2025 5:00 AM
Two people talk printmaking.
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Courtesy International Printing Museum
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Topline:
A celebration of printmaking and the book arts is coming to Carson on Saturday. The annual Wayzgoose celebration at the International Printing Museum has its roots in the 16th century, when printers of old would get a break from work ... and often have a little too much to drink.
What to expect: The festivities will include hands-on demos with presses, surplus wood and metal type supplies for sale, gallery tours, and more.
The International Printing Museum houses one of the largest collections of antique printing presses in the country.
Books are physical: Museum executive director Mark Barbour says kids enjoy connecting with the physical media, and he’s seen an explosion in interest from younger generations over the years. “It connects them in a tactile way with their eyes, their hands, their ears. And it becomes this experience where it’s not just their eyeballs on a screen. And they love it!” Barbour told LAist.
The details: The letterpress surplus sale and Wayzgoose celebration will take place from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The International Printing Museum 315 W Torrance Blvd., Carson
Walmart will likely put its tariff refunds toward lowering store prices, executives said on Thursday, as they described shoppers who are increasingly anxious about the rising cost of fuel.
Why now: In recent weeks, visitors to Walmart's gas stations have begun to fill up with fewer than ten gallons for the first time since 2022, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told investors on an earnings call. Walmart executives warned that persistently high gas costs would eventually drive up the prices shoppers see at stores.
The context: The U.S. war with Iran has snarled tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for shipments of both fuel and fertilizer needed to grow food. U.S. inflation already jumped to its highest level in three years in April, with energy prices being a big driver. The average U.S. price of regular gas on Thursday was $4.56 per gallon, according to AAA. That's up $1.38 from a year ago.
Walmart will likely put its tariff refunds toward lowering store prices, executives said on Thursday, as they described shoppers who are increasingly anxious about the rising cost of fuel.
In recent weeks, visitors to Walmart's gas stations have begun to fill up with fewer than ten gallons for the first time since 2022, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told investors on an earnings call.
"That's an indication of stress," he said.
"We see with our customers that the high-income customer is spending with confidence," Rainey added later, "while the lower-income consumer is more budget-conscious and perhaps navigating financial distress."
The U.S. government last week began refunding tariffs payments to importers that paid higher customs fees imposed by President Trump last year before the Supreme Court struck down most of them. Walmart is now the largest retailer to suggest that it will put those refunds toward potential price cuts.
"We think that the single best return that we can have on a dollar of capital right now is to investment in the customer, invest in price," Rainey said, noting that Walmart's stores and gas stations have been drawing more shoppers looking for deals. U.S. sales grew 4.1% from February through April.
Shoppers' slightly bigger tax refunds this year seem to be offsetting some of the budget pain so far. That's according to rival retailers Home Depot, Target and Lowe's, which also held earnings calls this week. Sales at all three companies grew in the latest quarter.
The latest federal data shows spending at retail stores and online grew 5.2% in April compared to a year earlier, surpassing inflation. That means people may have spent more because of higher prices, but also because they bought more things. At gas stations, spending surged a whopping 21%, driven by higher gas prices.
Walmart executives warned that persistently high gas costs would eventually drive up the prices shoppers see at stores.
The U.S. war with Iran has snarled tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for shipments of both fuel and fertilizer needed to grow food. U.S. inflation already jumped to its highest level in three years in April, with energy prices being a big driver. The average U.S. price of regular gas on Thursday was $4.56 per gallon, according to AAA. That's up $1.38 from a year ago.
So far, major retailers have been absorbing their growing transportation and shipping costs. Walmart on Thursday reported a notable hit to its income from higher fuel expenses. Home Depot executives told investors on Tuesday that the company might use its own tariff refunds to offset its mounting fuel costs.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Levi's Stadium will host six 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in San Francisco.
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Ezra Shaw
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Sky-high prices for some matches and ongoing controversy over FIFA’s seating practices may push some fans to buy their tickets from unverified vendors. Officials are warning that doing so could increase scams.
Why now: The World Cup’s own governing body, FIFA, has drawn scrutiny from California state officials over changes to its ticketing system — following reports from ticketholders who say they have been assigned seats in a different category than advertised when they bought their tickets through FIFA’s own online portal.
What officials say: “We have laws in California against misleading or deceptive business practices,” said state Attorney General Rob Bonta, who sent a letter to FIFA last week requesting a list of ticket buyers who were assigned seats in a lower category than what they purchased. “We want to learn more from FIFA in order to assess whether what was done was lawful or not.”
What are some of the tips: Scammers often promise you “a better deal” if you make the payment using instant payment sites like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App. But fraudsters aren’t trying to save you money with this suggestion: They’re trying to make it easier for themselves to keep your money.
Read on... for more ways experts say can save you and your wallet.
With less than a month before the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off, soccer fans are scrambling to grab the last remaining tickets.
At the time of publication, there are still some tickets available for the six World Cup games hosted at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
But while the Bay Area hasn’t yet experienced the kind of ticket frenzy seen in other World Cup host cities, prices are still out of reach for many fans — raising concerns about how fans looking for a bargain could fall prey to scams falsely promising far cheaper tickets.
And most recently, the World Cup’s own governing body, FIFA, has drawn scrutiny from California state officials over changes to its ticketing system — following reports from ticketholders who say they have been assigned seats in a different category than advertised when they bought their tickets through FIFA’s own online portal.
“We have laws in California against misleading or deceptive business practices,” said state Attorney General Rob Bonta, who sent a letter to FIFA last week requesting a list of ticket buyers who were assigned seats in a lower category than what they purchased. “We want to learn more from FIFA in order to assess whether what was done was lawful or not.”
Bonta also expressed concern that sky-high prices could deter people from buying a ticket through FIFA’s official website or other verified vendors. Passionate soccer fans, he said, “may go into a site that isn’t as reliable and maybe they get taken advantage of.”
An Adidas FIFA World Cup soccer ball is seen on a FIFA x NFL chair in the Media Center on Feb. 4, 2026 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
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Matthew Huang
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Getty Images
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So how can you spot a scam when buying a World Cup ticket, or just make sure you get what you pay for?
Keep reading to learn what officials recommend about buying World Cup tickets online and what to do if you already bought a ticket on the official FIFA site but feel that the seat you were assigned does not match what you originally paid for.
And rest assured: there are still plenty of ways to watch the World Cup in the Bay Area for free — or for a fraction of the cost of a Levi’s Stadium ticket, real or fake.
Remember, if something’s too good to be true …
First off: If you’re feeling confused over what a World Cup ticket actually costs, that’s understandable, Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney James Gibbons-Shapiro said.
For this World Cup, FIFA adopted a pricing system known as “dynamic pricing,” where the cost of a seat changes based on current demand for that specific game.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup winner’s trophy is seen on stage at the Global Citizen NOW event in New York City on May 14, 2026.
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Charly Triballeau
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Getty Images
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Scammers often promise you “a better deal” if you make the payment using instant payment sites like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App. But fraudsters aren’t trying to save you money with this suggestion: They’re trying to make it easier for themselves to keep your money.
Talking to strangers on a resale or payments site that’s not verified puts you at greater risk of getting ripped off, Gibbons-Shapiro said. “The criminal is simply looking for someone desperate enough to go to the World Cup that they’re willing to send a lot of money right away to a total stranger,” he said.
In other words, he said: “It’s not that the country that you are supporting is going to lose — it’s going to be you that loses.”
How do I know if the World Cup tickets I’m being offered are real?
Scammers have become incredibly good at printing fake tickets that look highly realistic, Gibbons-Shapiro said. So much so, he said, that when sports fans ask him for advice on how to spot a fake ticket, he tells them that he doesn’t have any tips that reliably work — that’s how identical the scam tickets can physically appear.
The real pro tip here, Gibbons-Shapiro said, is “don’t go to the stadium to try to buy a ticket there.”
“Because the great likelihood is that you’re buying a fake ticket,” he said. “You’re not gonna be able to get in, and you’re going to lose all your money.”
Scalpers are actually not permitted on stadium grounds — and reselling tickets near the stadium is a misdemeanor crime in California.
That’s why it’s important to buy your ticket on a third-party ticket resale site that will deliver the ticket directly to you.
Footballs and jerseys are displayed during the opening day of the official 2026 FIFA World Cup merchandising store in Miami Beach, Florida, on May 18, 2026
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Chandan Khanna
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Getty Images
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Platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Marketplace usually will not verify if what’s being offered is what’s actually sold.
And even if you’re using reliable third-party sites like SeatGeek or TicketMaster, check the reseller’s refund policy to see whether they offer a guarantee regarding the authenticity and timely arrival of the tickets.
I just got scammed buying a fake World Cup ticket. What can I do?
First of all, make sure to document all your communication with the person who promised to sell you a ticket — and take screenshots of those messages in case they attempt to delete anything from their end of the conversation.
If you were scammed online or over the phone:
You can then report the situation to your local police department, as the city where you live is defined as where the crime took place.
If you bought the fake ticket in person from a scalper:
Contact the police department of the city where the transaction took place. “If that happened right outside the stadium, that would be Santa Clara Police Department,” Gibbons-Shapiro said.
Gibbons-Shapiro said his office is ready to prosecute anyone who tricks others into buying fake World Cup tickets, adding that he would consider that to be a felony.
“We have robust teams for consumer protection and theft enforcement,” he said. “We’re going to prosecute the scammers.”
I bought a ticket on the FIFA website, and I think I got seated in a different place than what I paid for.
If you bought your ticket from the online FIFA purchasing portal during the initial sales phase last October, Attorney General Bonta recommends that you keep a record of everything from that purchase. This could include, he said, “images of the map they were shown and the original receipt for the ticket that they purchased and what it says, and the existing ticket that they have.”
Bonta told KQED his office is still investigating what happened during this initial ticketing phase and hopes that FIFA provides the information he has requested by the May 29 deadline. “And if they don’t, we can ratchet up the level of severity here,” he said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a news conference in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (
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Terry Chea
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Associated Press
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“It’s not something that we want to do, but we always have an ability to send civil investigative demands or subpoenas,” Bonta said.
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment from KQED. However, the organization has told other media outlets that the initial maps consumers saw last year were meant to “provide guidance rather than the exact seat layout,” and seating arrangements could be subject to change — as happened when the organization introduced new seating categories in later phases of ticket sales.
But that could potentially be in violation of California law, Bonta said.
“The law in California is that businesses and organizations cannot justify misleading practices by pointing to the fine print or other terms that an everyday reasonable consumer would not have seen or understood,” he said. “If you’re told something, then you’re entitled to rely on the representation and to trust what you were told.”
The attorney general’s office could seek some civil penalty if its investigation concludes that the rights of California consumers were indeed violated, Bonta said. “Then we could help those individuals get the ticket that they actually purchased, not the one that they received after they were misled.”
But the investigation is still ongoing, he said.
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A veteran pays tribute to the Mexican American All Wars Memorial at Cinco Puntos during a Memorial Day commemoration in 2016.
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Erik Sarni
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for The LA Local
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Topline:
The Memorial Day tribute at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial at the five-point intersection connecting Boyle Heights and East LA returns Monday for its 80th year.
The details: The 80th Memorial Day ceremony at the Mexican-American All Wars Memorial in Boyle Heights at 3300 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, from 10 to 11 a.m.
Speakers: Elected officials, including LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Senator Maria Elena Durazo and Council District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, are set to give remarks. LA Mayor Karen Bass is also expected to attend. The event kicks off with a 24-hour vigil starting at 10 a.m. Sunday, when veterans will stand guard through the night ahead of Monday’s annual event.
At the five-point intersection connecting Boyle Heights and East LA, one Memorial Day tradition has brought the communities together for 80 years.
The Memorial Day tribute at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial returns Monday, giving veterans and their families a space to honor service members of Mexican descent who died in war.
The event kicks off with a 24-hour vigil starting at 10 a.m. Sunday, when veterans will stand guard through the night ahead of Monday’s annual event.
“Memorial Day in Boyle Heights and East LA is way different than any other memorial or ceremony because there were a lot of men and women who went to World War II and Vietnam from this area,” said Joe Diaz, a co-organizer for the event.
Elected officials, including LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Senator Maria Elena Durazo and Council District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, are set to give remarks. LA Mayor Karen Bass is also expected to attend.
LAPD officer and military veteran Kioni Smith is set to be the keynote speaker. A flyover from the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division and a colorguard performance are also scheduled.
Cinco Puntos was the starting location of the first Chicano Moratorium, a march in protest of the Vietnam War on December 20, 1969, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. The war memorial pays tribute to the strong presence of the veteran community on the Eastside, the L.A. Conservancy adds.
Event Details:
The 80th Memorial Day ceremony at the Mexican-American All Wars Memorial in Boyle Heights.
Yoko Ono gets her first solo museum show at the Broad.
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Courtesy The Broad
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In this edition:
Yoko Ono at the Broad, Flower Drum Song at East West Players, Scott Galloway on the markets and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
At 93, Yoko Ono finally gets her first L.A. solo show, one that explores the artist’s once-in-a-generation take on protest, peace, humanity and feminism. It’s all done with heart and humor, making the show extremely accessible for visitors of all ages.
Scott Galloway and Ed Elson’s popular Prof G Markets podcast comes to the Wiltern for a live taping this week. Expect special guests and some real talk about where the markets are, how the news influences them and what it means for you and your money.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song gets a fresh look from East West Players at this world premiere show featuring a cast entirely of Asian descent and a rewrite from Tony winner David Henry Hwang.
The band Lucius donned Lennon sunglasses and flowy black frocks, slipping unnoticed through the crowd as they made their way to the stage to perform at the opening of the new Broad exhibit Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind. The sound of dressed-up visitors hammering at the Painting to Hammer a Nail installation could be heard as you walked in, and a woman in a “John Lennon Broke up Fluxus” t-shirt reminded us that it’s past time to define Ono as a singular force. I love L.A.
There will be more music events at the Broad celebrating the exhibit (on through October) throughout the summer; for now, Licorice Pizza has your music picks for this week. Tuesday, rising UK pop star Rose Gray is at Pacific Electric, Skylar Grey is at the Grammy Museum, Ty Segall plays Venice West, and Australian folk-rockers the Paper Kites are at the Wiltern.
Wednesday, Argentina’s Los Fabulosos Cadillacs plays the Peacock Theater, Spanish singer-songwriter Leire plays the Belasco, and Ivy — the reunited indie-pop band Ivy founded by the late, great Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) — plays the Teragram. Irish indie-folk artist Dove Ellis also plays the first of his two nights at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Gen Xers will delight in Thursday’s lineup, as Digital Underground brings the Humpty Dance to the Regent and Fun Lovin’ Criminals plays the Troubadour. Plus, It’s A School Night! is on at its new location, the Airliner.
Elsewhere on LAist, you can find out how to hop on the beach bus this summer, eat the best British food in L.A. according to our resident Brit, Suzanne Levy, and yes, make your Voter Game Plan for the June 2 election.
Events
Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind
Through Oct. 11 The Broad 221 S. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: $21, FREE THURSDAYS 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Broad
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At 93, Yoko Ono finally gets her first L.A. solo show, one that explores the artist’s once-in-a-generation take on protest, peace, humanity and feminism. It’s all done with heart and humor, making the show extremely accessible for visitors of all ages. There are numerous interactive elements (like drawing in blue on the walls for Just Blue Like the Ocean, tracing a shadow for Shadow Piece, playing chess on an all-white board for Play It By Trust, or stepping into a black bag for Bag Piece) and video installations. Plus, there are moments from her entire life and practice, from her early years in Japan, through the Beatles era, and her impactful work in the decades since. Her instructions for art are instructions for life; my instruction to you is: Go see this show.
Gary Baseman's Off the Menu: Dining and Drawing in LA
Thursdays through Sundays, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. until June 14 Johnnie’s Coffee Shop 6101 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Baseman's Genghis Cohen menu drawing.
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Courtesy Gary Baseman Studio
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You don’t have to remind us that L.A. is one of the top food cities in the world — and always has been. Artist Gary Baseman takes it to the next level with an exhibit at Johnie’s Coffee Shop, featuring menus from historic L.A. restaurants that he’s drawn on over the years. Robert Garrova paid a visit to the show for LAist when it opened; check the site for hours before you head out, as they vary.
Jelly Dreamscapes
Ongoing Aquarium of the Pacific 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach COST: $44.95; MORE INFO
You can see the blue lion's mane jelly at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
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Josh Barber
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Aquarium of the Pacific
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Jellyfish are mesmerizing, with their look-but-don’t-touch gentleness and mysteriousness in the open sea. The Aquarium of the Pacific just opened Jelly Dreamscapes, a new immersive exhibition featuring one of the most diverse collections of sea jellies in the country.
Miles Davis birthday celebration
Tuesday, May 26, 8 p.m. 2220 Arts + Archives 2220 Beverly Blvd., Westlake COST: FROM $28.66; MORE INFO
Miles Davis would be 100 this year.
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STF
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AFP via Getty Images
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You won’t feel kind of blue at the Miles Davis birthday bash at 2220 Arts + Archives. The jazz master would be 100 this week, and a full lineup of “eclectic, electric” local artists are ready to celebrate. Focused on Davis’s "Big Fun" period, the event features DJs, video projections and more — in addition to all the jazz, of course.
Prof G Markets with Scott Galloway and Ed Elson
Thursday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. The Wiltern 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown COST: FROM $40; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Vox Media
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Scott Galloway and Ed Elson’s popular Prof G Markets podcast comes to the Wiltern for a live taping this week. Expect special guests and some real talk about where the markets are, how the news influences them and what it means for you and your money.
Flower Drum Song
Through Sunday, May 31 East West Players 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Little Tokyo COST: FROM $25; MORE INFO
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song gets a fresh look from East West Players at this world premiere show, featuring a cast entirely of Asian descent and a rewrite from Tony winner David Henry Hwang. Hwang first adapted Flower Drum Song at the Taper back in 2001 and is revisiting it in this new version, which aims to reclaim stereotypes set forth in the original and enliven the story about Chinese immigrants in 1950s San Francisco for a modern audience.
Bernstein’s Wall
Through Thursday, May 28 Laemmle Theaters COST: $14.50; MORE INFO
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Courtesy 4th Row Films
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A new documentary directed by Douglas Tirola (Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon) explores the life and work of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Using his 1989 Christmas Day concert in Berlin as a framework, the film explores his life through interviews, news footage, home movies, audio clips and personal letters. It’s on at the Laemmle Royal, Glendale and Town Center 5.
