The Brief

Is it a dream? You walk into a store and are greeted with hundreds and hundreds of gorgeously designed high end chocolate bars and other offerings. Shelf after shelf, row after row. And yet, astonishingly, it is real.

The Chocolate Dispensary in Echo Park — part craft chocolate bar seller, part tasting room, part café — stocks over 1,000 chocolate products, from more than 100 chocolate makers across the world. That variety, according to co-owner Kala Maxym, makes it not only unique in L.A., but also, one of a precious few in the U.S. (And no, the name has nothing to do with marijuana. Though it's probably a great place to satiate the munchies).

The seemingly endless range of chocolate creations.

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On a recent visit to the store, which opened in December 2024, my husband and I quickly found our senses overloaded. Where to turn first? Rather than just organized by traditional "dark" or "milk" chocolate sections, the store uses quirkier categories: "hard core" (for super strong 80% - 100% cacao), '"vegan," (though chocolate is naturally dairy-free), "$12 and under," and "weird," among others. ("Weird" included things like a dill bar, a caramelized onion bar, and a tomato basil bar, in case you were interested.)

But the key, Maxym says, is to actually taste the chocolate, not just peruse the labels. She says she conceived of the store from the beginning as akin to a tasting room in a winery,  "a place that you could come in, and you didn't just buy it off a shelf and walk out, you could actually engage with it."

The store's drinking chocolate is in high demand.

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An "oasis" for customers

The genesis of the place came when Maxym, who had previously been an opera singer but had pivoted into wine and cheese tastings, was working at Silverlake Wine. And she thought “why isn’t there anything like this for chocolate?” That idea grew until one night she and her husband Dale Roy Robinson felt the entire project download on high from some creative cosmos when out to dinner.

Dale Roy Robinson and Kala Maxym outside their store.

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She still has the original notes on her phone, she says. "We wrote a business plan in about two weeks, and we opened nine months later," offering their vast selection of craft chocolate that's also ethically made and sustainably sourced.

A "$10 for 10" flight showcasing a range of chocolate makers.

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Maxym says the store has been successful from the beginning, and that it goes deeper than simply stocking excellent chocolate. The store seems to be a respite. Customers tell her "as horrible things in the world ebb and flow, we're an oasis for when they can't handle life right now."

She's developed strong relationships with chocolate makers around the world, speaking with as many as possible (as she says on the website, "time zones be damned") to ensure transparent sourcing.  Not to mention trips to countries like France and Italy where she and Robinson spend much of their days tasting top-of-the-line chocolate to bring home. (Cue the sound of the world's smallest violin.)

To help us through our paralyzing indecision, she proffered us a tasting flight: $10 for 10 bites. Genius. We carefully split each square in half, oohing and aahing as we found our favorites (he loved the one studded with coconut, I Ioved the one with rose petals and dried strawberries), and stared at each other quizzically as we found a few which weren’t quite to our taste (I swear there was one which tasted of curry).

To end our visit, she suggested we try one of the many options of hot chocolate. I took it, I sipped, I moaned with pleasure. It was French-style, unctuous and thick, and not too sweet. She said she makes it with a 100 percent cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and dark chocolate disks, which gives it the richness.

And yes, I did literally lick the whole cup before I was done.

Want to know what your government is up to? Be prepared to pay up.

A California state lawmaker wants to let public agencies charge an unspecified, uncapped fee if it takes their workers more than two hours to search for records to fulfill a public records request. The proposal is raising concerns among transparency advocates that the fees could deter Californians from accessing records they are constitutionally entitled to.

Assembly Bill 1821, authored by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, a Downey Democrat, would also allow the charge if government workers spend more than 10 hours within a month looking for documents requested by the same person. The proposal would apply to most people, with exemptions for journalists and educational or scientific institutions.

In a statement responding to CalMatters’ questions, Pacheco said public agencies have had to spend substantial time responding to a spike in the volume and scope of records requests.

“This bill is intended to address a narrow set of high-cost, resource-intensive requests that can delay agencies’ ability to respond to other records requests,” she said. “The goal is to ensure that agencies can continue to respond to all requests in a timely manner.”

The measure follows years of local government complaints that fulfilling extensive, sometimes duplicative records requests can be so time-consuming that it distracts government staff from other vital tasks, such as performing health insurance eligibility checks, responding to homeless encampments or conducting elections.

“The growing volume and complexity of requests creates real challenges for local governments — straining limited public resources,” said Ben Adler, spokesperson for the California State Association of Counties, which has not taken an official stance on the bill.

It becomes even more difficult for governments when someone “disgruntled” or “unreasonable” files requests maliciously, an attorney who represented public agencies in California wrote in a 2023 op-ed.

Pacheco said in her statement that one person submitted more than 100 records requests in the city of Fontana and stated that their goal was to disrupt city operations, resulting in more than $300,000 in legal and staffing costs. Another request received in Chula Vista, she said, could require 150 to 300 staff hours to fulfill.

“Requests of this size consume a disproportionate share of public resources and delay agencies’ ability to respond to other requests.”

Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco in the Assembly in Sacramento on March 13, 2025.

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But agencies already try to charge astronomical fees for public records, which has a chilling effect on the public’s right to know because “for most people … $100 is going to be too much,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition.

Applying the charge to most Californians threatens their constitutional right to government information, Snyder said.

“The California Constitution says that it’s a fundamental … right of everybody in this state to obtain records from their public agencies,” he said. “The underlying principle is that the government’s records are the people’s records. The government serves the people; not the other way around.”

State law allows public agencies to charge fees for making copies of public records but not for the time spent searching, reviewing or redacting them. In 2020, the California Supreme Court concluded that governments cannot charge for search and redaction and said such costs would undermine Californians’ right to access.

“Just as agencies cannot recover the costs of searching through a filing cabinet for paper records, they cannot recover comparable costs for electronic records,” the ruling said. “Even if higher costs to the agency mean slower disclosure rates or greater inconvenience to the requester, these burdens on access are insignificant if the alternative is no access at all.”

But several local governments tried to charge those fees anyway. Shasta County, for example, adopted an ordinance in January 2021 to charge $25 an hour for staff to find, review and redact records. A year later, Mendocino County established regulations to charge up to $150 an hour, in one case sending a local journalist an $84,000 bill. Both counties only repealed their ordinances after drawing widespread criticism and litigation threats from journalists and First Amendment advocates.

Under Pacheco’s measure, they wouldn’t have had to.

What is a 'reasonable' charge?

The measure would require the rates agencies charge for records searches to be “reasonable.” But without a dollar amount cap, that guardrail is meaningless, Snyder said.

“If it’s a large volume of body cam footage, that could be many, many, many hours of review time,” he said. “And if agencies are charging hourly, let’s say $100 an hour, you can see how those numbers can go up really fast.”

The proposal also doesn’t say who would determine what is a reasonable amount of time necessary to search and review records, which could further empower public agencies to justify expensive fees, Snyder said.

“It leaves an enormous range of variables up to agency discretion,” he said. “Many agencies unfortunately behave in a way that suggests that their goal is to not produce the records asked for.”

The measure would additionally give agencies more time to respond to and fulfill requests: While state law requires agencies to tell the requestor what’s disclosable within 10 calendar days and allows them to extend that deadline by no more than 14 calendar days, Pacheco’s measure would prolong those periods to 10 and 14 business days, respectively.

Pacheco said she will amend the bill to ensure it is “narrowly tailored” to establish “appropriate thresholds” for charging for public records, although she did not elaborate on what those thresholds would be.

Pacheco has pushed for several measures to limit disclosure requirements in recent years, including a law last year that made it easier for agencies to redact police misconduct records and another that allowed more public officials to withhold personally identifying information.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado has launched a cash assistance program for small businesses in Council District 14 to help cover up to $3,000 in expenses, including employee payroll, rent and utilities. 

Who is eligible?

To qualify for Jurado’s Microenterprise Grant Program, businesses must demonstrate financial need, be located in CD14, have five or fewer employees and generate $1 million or less in annual revenue. 

Business owners with multiple eligible businesses may only apply once. A full list of ineligible businesses can be found here.

According to Jurado’s office, businesses are encouraged to apply even if they are unclear whether they qualify.

How will grantees be chosen? 

Grants will be awarded to eligible businesses that create or retain jobs in the city and priority will be given to those that have not received financial assistance through city, state, or federal programs. The program will also prioritize businesses located in low-to-moderate income (LMI) census tracts, those with W-2 employees and those located in commercial “brick and mortar” locations. 

Finalists will be notified 30 days after the application closes.

How is the program funded?

The program is funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program provides grants to states, cities, and counties to “develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons,” according to the HUD website.

How to apply:

The application is available online here. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31.

Application assistance is available in-person at the local BusinessSource Centers listed below:

East Los Angeles (New Economics for Women)

Pico Union/Westlake (PACE)

The war in the Middle East ramped up on Thursday as Israel launched a wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in the central city of Isfahan, and said it killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's navy.

Iran hit back, firing two rounds of missiles at central Israel causing destruction and injuries. Israel was also under attack from a wave of rockets from Iran-backed fighters in Lebanon, and an Israeli soldier in Lebanon was killed.

On the diplomatic front, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country has been facilitating "indirect talks" between the U.S. and Iran by relaying messages between them. "In this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran," Dar wrote on social media.

Iran's foreign minister has denied the country is engaging in negotiations with the U.S., beyond the message exchanges. Iranian state media said Wednesday a senior security official rejected the U.S. proposal and submitted conditions in return.

President Donald Trump said Iran is "begging" to make a deal.

Pakistan, Trump and Iran have not mentioned if Israel is involved in the process. Israeli officials have told NPR their military seeks several more weeks of war to achieve its objectives in Iran.

Here are more updates on Day 27 of the Iran war.

To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:

Thursday strikes | Negotiation claims | Kharg Island | Germany slams the U.S. | Oil prices | UAE affected

Iran, Hezbollah and Israel trade strikes

Arab-Israeli residents survey the damage following a projectile strike in the Arab-Israeli city of Kfar Qasim on Thursday.

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NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv spoke to two military officials who said Israel wants to keep fighting and is hoping for several more weeks of war in Iran.

A person briefed on the operation told NPR the Israeli military is speeding up its targeting in Iran over the next 48 hours, focusing on trying to hit Iran's arms factories as much as possible — in case a ceasefire is declared.

The Israeli military said on social media it had completed a "wave of extensive strikes in Isfahan … targeting infrastructure."

Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said his country had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the head of Iranian Revolutionary Guard's navy, in an overnight strike. An official in Islamabad following the negotiations also said that Tangsiri was killed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it. Iran has not publicly commented.

Displaced Lebanese children play in the playground of a public school that has been converted into a shelter in the town of Dekwaneh, north of Beirut, on Wednesday.

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Israel also came under attack Thursday, with air sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and the Israeli military saying rescue crews were en route to the location of a strike at the center of the country.

The military reported a soldier on the ground in Lebanon had been killed, naming him as 21-year-old Sgt. Ori Greenberg.

Israel says its airstrikes continue in southern Lebanon, in advance of what Israeli officials say will be a "prolonged" ground invasion targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Hezbollah began firing rockets at northern Israel this month in support of Iran and after months of Israel's attacks in Lebanon despite a ceasefire. Israeli officials say a civilian woman was killed by their rocket fire this week. More than a dozen people in Israel have also been killed by Iranian attacks since the start of the war.

Israeli officials say they plan to take Lebanese territory up to the Litani River, which runs 10 to 20 miles north of the border with Israel. Hezbollah says it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers inside that area with a drone.

Trump repeats negotiation claims

In remarks at a Republican fundraising dinner on Wednesday night, the president insisted Iran was looking to do a deal but didn't want to admit it because they were afraid their citizens would turn on them.

"We're winning so big. Nobody's ever seen anything like we're doing in the Middle East with Iran. And they are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," he said. "They're also afraid they'll be killed by us. There's never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran."

Under a proposed U.S. plan Iran would end its nuclear program, stop supporting proxy militias in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and limit its missile program. In exchange Iran would get relief from sanctions.

People wave national flags and hold portraits of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as they march in support of the Iranian armed forces in central Tehran on March 25, 2026.

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But Iran rejected the proposal, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country wants to end the war only on "our own terms." Iran has given five conditions: "end to aggression by the enemy, concrete guarantees preventing the recurrence of war, clear determination, guaranteed payment of war damages and compensation, comprehensive end to the war across all fronts, incl. against all resistance groups, recognition of Iran's sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz."

Iranian officials have insisted they are not negotiating with the U.S., saying the countries have only exchanged messages via regional intermediaries.

Pakistan has emerged as a potential mediator for negotiations. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday would not confirm news reports that there could be U.S.-Iran talks in the coming days. "Nothing should be deemed official until it is announced formally by the White House, I would not get ahead of our skis on reporting about any talks this weekend, until you hear directly from us," she said.

An official in Islamabad told NPR, on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, that the Pakistani interior minister held a secret meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Pakistan Thursday.

And publicly, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar wrote on social media: "US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan," adding that Turkey and Egypt were also "extending their support to this initiative." He said Iran is deliberating upon a U.S. 15-point proposal.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also spoken to his Iranian counterpart, stressing the war "should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, not by force."

Will U.S. forces seize Kharg Island?

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

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The Pentagon is set to deploy up to 3,000 paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, and thousands of Marines are also on their way to the region.

NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam reports it comes as President Trump weighs whether to seize Kharg Island, the home of Iran's main oil processing facility.

Analysts say such an operation would be risky for U.S. service personnel.

It could also spark fallout if Iran steps up strikes on Gulf countries in retaliation.

Iran's Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, wrote on social media Wednesday that Iran's enemies were "preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands," with the support of a country in the region. "If they step out of line, all the vital infrastructure of that regional country will, without restriction, become the target of relentless attacks," he warned.

Germany's defense minister slams the U.S.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius gave a frank assessment of the war in remarks on a trip to Australia.

"To make it crystal clear, this war is a catastrophe for the world's economies," he told reporters.

"What really concerns me the most about that war is there was no consultation, there is no strategy, there is no clear objective and the worst thing from my perspective is that there is no exit strategy," he said.

He also criticized Washington's changing demands of Europe, noting the U.S. had asked Europe to ramp up its defense spending and told it to focus on its own backyard.

"That was before the war started against Iran. Now, the arguments are different. Now they are saying: 'Where are you, you are cowards, you don't help us,'" Pistorius said.

He was referring to Trump calling NATO allies cowards after they declined his request to help the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Pistorius said while Germany would not be getting involved in the war, they could help secure the vital economic waterway once a ceasefire is agreed.

Oil prices higher amid Strait of Hormuz standoff

Two Iranian state-affiliated news agencies, Tasnim and Fars, reported Iran's Parliament is planning to formalize fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

About one-fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait, but Iran has essentially blocked most traffic since the start of the war.

A oil tanker is docked unloading crude oil at the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province, on March 25, 2026.

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The strait, a narrow passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is considered an international waterway for ships to access freely.

But an Iranian Embassy social media post said the country has laid out as one of its conditions for ending the war with the U.S. and Israel the "recognition of Iran's sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz."

Iranian media quoted lawmaker Mohammadreza Rezaei Kouchi as saying that Iran's "Parliament is pursuing a plan to formally codify Iran's sovereignty, control and oversight over the Strait of Hormuz, while also creating a source of revenue through the collection of fees."

Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a bloc of Arab nations, said in a briefing that Iran is already charging fees for safe passage — in violation of international law.

Oil prices edged higher in Asia trading, with Brent crude trading around $100 a barrel. Asian and European stock markets also opened lower on Thursday.

UAE's stable reputation at risk

On Thursday morning alerts sounded in the United Arab Emirates. Two people were killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris after a successful missile interception, officials said.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry announced the interception of a drone in the Eastern Province, while Kuwait and Bahrain also reported attacks.

Airlines in what used to be one of the globe's busiest regions for air travel continue to suffer. Oman Air announced flight cancellations to numerous regional countries as well as parts of Europe until April 15.

Sultan al-Jaber, who heads the huge state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., accused Iran of "economic terrorism" for its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz.

In comments at Washington's Middle East Institute he said: "When Iran holds Hormuz hostage, every nation pays the ransom, at the gas pump, at the grocery store and at the pharmacy. No country can be allowed to destabilize the global economy in this way."

Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, Israel, Diaa Hadid in Mumbai, India, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Jackie Northam in Maine, Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg and Alex Leff in Washington contributed to this report.
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