Topline:
We were at the El Rey in Mid-Wilshire recently. The occasion wasn't a gig, but an audition for a virtual K-pop group.
The backstory: The ubiquity of KPop Demon Hunters aside, virtual K-Pop idols are not new. But how do you cast for a virtual idol?
The audition: It takes motion capture technology and a giant on-screen avatar, but behind it all are real performers.
Read on ... to find out what the judges were looking for.
In three short decades, K-pop went from being pop songs made and listened to in South Korea to a globally consumed music — thanks in no small part to its knack for constant reinvention.
If the wild success of KPop Demon Hunters is any indication, the genre in its latest evolution has continued its cultural hold.
The Netflix animated film follows a K-pop girl group that also hunts demons. Said demons are disguised as their biggest rivals, a K-pop boy group. The movie has launched hit songs and the careers of the actors and singers who voice these fictional characters.
All that brings us to the El Rey in Mid-Wilshire last week, where K-pop agency Galaxy Corporation held an audition for its first virtual K-pop group. The venue, on this sleepy weekday afternoon, is hollow and quiet — save for three tables set up for judges in front of a giant screen that takes up the entire stage. On the screen is an avatar that bears a slight resemblance to Blackpink rapper Lisa.
Right now, she's just standing there, suspended in an odd inertia.
The publicity person tells me that's the virtual character the auditionees will bring to life. He then takes me backstage, where a motion-capture camera is set up to film the real people singing, dancing and rapping — animating the ginormous girl-vatar onscreen. (There's a boy-vatar, too.)
Auditions are an integral part of the talent pipeline for K-pop, with tryouts held both in South Korea and abroad, drawing throngs of hopefuls. To earn a shot to become a real-life K-pop trainee, participants are judged in a variety of skills — dancing, singing, rapping and modeling, among them.
Do the same standards apply to auditions for virtual acts?
"What makes us so different from other audition programs is that we have no age, no genre, no gender, meaning the participants can do anything they want," Gyuhyuk Song of Galaxy Corporation said through an interpreter.
"Dance, rap, vocal," Song continued, "if they're good at it, they're more than welcome to portray it."
The ubiquity of KPop Demon Hunters aside, virtual K-pop idols are not new. The girl group Aespa debuted in 2020, along with companion virtual avatars called æ. Three years later, the 2D boyband PLAVE came onto the scene — using motion-capture technology to power their singing and dancing. Also in 2023, MAVE made its entrance — a 3D CGI girl group created using AI.
As this incarnation of K-pop takes hold, it isn't so surprising to see companies like Galaxy casting for the next big thing.
But is it different to judge someone through an avatar?
"When I see a participant, I could usually tell within the first two to three seconds if this participant can have a future or not," said Song, who's been in K-pop for over a decade, including at the pioneering SM Entertainment. "Even virtual."
Soon, Song and the two other judges take their seats in front of the stage.
Next, a group of five people shuffles awkwardly toward the back of the stage — each holding a giant umbrella that covered everything except their shoes. The PR person said that's done so the judges won't be influenced by the contestants' looks.
Then the music starts — a song by the Fugees. The avatar on screen kicks into life as singing commences; her hand rises as her voice hangs a high note.
Slowly, I am making the connection between what's happening backstage and what I am seeing on screen. The movements are fluid, no lag — natural beyond virtual. When the hair of the girl avatar undulates, it looks great.
The music fades. That's the cue to end the performance.
Organizers said about 100 contestants showed up at the El Rey, from Los Angeles and as far away as South Korea and Germany, according to the company.
I stuck around for a half-dozen more auditions — watched people rap, dance, sing in all sorts of ways — acapella, playing a guitar and more.
Then it hit me — there are differences among the various performances. The voice, of course, also nuances like quivering eyelids or slight facial expressions that communicate a range of emotions from bliss to heartache.
It wasn't the technology that made it happen. It was the person behind it, performing.
Topline:
The Trump administration on Thursday released its plan to open up federal waters off the coast of California to oil drilling, taking a momentous step that state leaders and environmentalists had long expected.
What is the plan? The Interior Department’s proposal, which sets up a direct confrontation with Sacramento on energy and climate change, would also allow drilling in federal waters off the coast of Alaska and the Southeastern U.S. It would rip up a ban on new offshore drilling in most of these places that President Joe Biden signed a few weeks before he left office. President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing that ban on his first day in office in January.
California officials' response: Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted the proposal as “idiotic” and “reckless.” A senator and congressperson also came out against the proposal.
Read on ... to hear more from state officials.
The Trump administration on Thursday released its plan to open up federal waters off the coast of California to oil drilling, taking a momentous step that state leaders and environmentalists had long expected.
The Interior Department’s proposal, which sets up a direct confrontation with Sacramento on energy and climate change, would also allow drilling in federal waters off the coast of Alaska and the Southeastern U.S. It would rip up a ban on new offshore drilling in most of these places that President Joe Biden signed a few weeks before he left office.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing that ban on his first day in office in January, and last month, a federal judge in Louisiana ruled Biden had overstepped his authority.
Administration officials argued that the move to open federal waters to new oil and gas leases will help restore energy security and protect American jobs.
“By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a press release.
Gov. Gavin Newsom previously said the plan would be “dead on arrival” and promised attendees at an international climate conference last week that California would immediately sue.
On Thursday, his office quickly blasted the proposal as “idiotic” and “reckless.” He added that it “endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians.”
Companies have drilled very little oil off the coast of California since the 1969 Union Oil platform blowout spilled 4.2 million barrels of crude into the waters 6 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, catalyzing an environmental movement.
Newsom’s press release included a photo of a bird covered in crude oil, with a caption that said, “If Trump gets his way, coming to a beach near you soon!”
Numerous California lawmakers, including Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Jared Huffman, hastily convened a media call to push back on the plan.
Padilla called it “another outrageous announcement” from an “out of control administration.”
Rep. Jimmy Panetta compared the proposal to Trump’s controversial renovation of the White House.
“The California coastline is not the East Wing of the White House,” he said.
The Democratic lawmakers are supporting legislation that would prohibit new oil and gas leases off the West Coast.
The public will have a 60-day window to comment on the plan when it appears in the Federal Register on Monday.
KQED is a public media organization based in San Francisco and an LAist partner. This article originally appeared on KQED.org.
Topline:
Three bagel shops in Orange County are reinventing the New York bagel with California ingredients, sourdough fermentation and cultural fusion — signaling a shift from replication to innovation in Southern California's breakfast scene.
Why now: A new generation of bagel makers is opening shops in Orange County, moving beyond the chains and conventional East Coast replications that have dominated the market. RISE Bagels just opened this month in Irvine, while Boil and Bake (opened in 2023) and Deli Seoul (operating since 2008 but recently gaining attention) are building momentum in Costa Mesa.
Why it’s important: This shift shows that innovative food isn’t limited to urban centers like Los Angeles; suburbs like Orange County are also fostering culinary talent. Korean-American and Guatemalan-American chefs are reimagining Jewish deli staples, creating California-style bagels that blend tradition with new perspectives, reflecting how immigrant communities are shaping American cuisine today.
READ MORE: How Orange County became an unlikely bagel hotspot
Orange County isn't where you'd expect to find your next great bagel. But that's exactly what's happening in Irvine and Costa Mesa, where bakeries are proving that the future of bagels isn't about replicating New York — it's about reinventing it with California's best ingredients.
Three shops have quietly been reinvigorating an old formula, taking inspiration from traditional East Coast-style bagel shops while using farm-sourced ingredients to create something unlike anything else in Southern California (or the country).
Read on and enjoy these maximalist offerings.
Chef John Park's bagel philosophy stemmed from his desire for something lighter than traditional, heavy New York bagels. Park and his team opened RISE Bagels earlier this month in an upscale Irvine business park, tucked away like an oasis among pristine high-rise buildings.
Park aims for bagels with a crispy crust and more air pockets. These aren't special sourdough or crazy fermentation projects — just a focus on achieving lighter crust and crumb.
RISE offers signature open-face options like the One Fish ($20), featuring smoked salmon with citrus notes (orange, lime, lemon, dill, coriander, fennel, black pepper), a balanced sweet-salty ratio, and pickled onions with yuzu kosho, a fermented paste containing chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt. The Two Fish ($23) adds dashi-marinated salmon roe for a touch of sweetness and smokiness.
Closed sandwich options include Get Jjigae With It ($18), with beef bulgogi, kimchi jjigae, scrambled eggs, American cheese, sesame leaf, soy-pickled radish, cucumber, and ssam jang schmear made from fermented soybeans and chili paste. The Jersey Boy features Taylor ham, soft scrambled egg, American cheese, ketchup, and Tokyo Negi schmear — a Japanese long onion spread sourced from Girl and Dough farm in San Diego.
On my recent visit, the One Fish delivered a level of freshness that nearly knocked me off my feet — a touch of salty brine as if it had just been harvested from nearby San Clemente beaches. The Jersey Boy brought me back to land with sweet, gooey flavors from soft scrambled egg, melty American cheese, and ketchup, with just the right amount of salty notes in between.
Location: 2010 Main St., Suite 180, Irvine
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Carlos Perez's bagel education began at 8, working under his father, also named Carlos, when the family took over Shirley’s Bagels, an Orange County staple. But the son of Guatemalan immigrants wanted to move beyond Restaurant Depot products and machine-made dough. After working his way from dishwasher to manager at local restaurants, he felt ready to open his own place. He connected with Chef Luke Bramm, who'd trained in fine dining kitchens and specialized in curing meats, through a mutual chef friend. Together, they opened Boil & Bake in Costa Mesa, developing a three-day sourdough process and strict farm-sourcing philosophy, seasonally editing the menu — removing items entirely when local ingredients aren't available.
The menu splits between open-face bagels and sandwiches, emphasizing California ingredients and house-made products. The O.G. features Guatemalan-style longaniza sausage with cilantro aji crema (a nod to Perez's heritage), while The Dodger pairs Native Cure smoked salmon with pickled onions instead of traditional capers. The Fully Loaded Lox ($20) goes maximalist with house-cured fish, cucumber, radish, and sprouts. The M.F. takes a more inventive route with maple-fennel sausage and sweet-onion Aleppo aioli. Valdivia Farms heirloom tomatoes and La Bahn Ranch eggs appear throughout, reinforcing the local-sourcing philosophy. Most items range from $14 to $17.
On my visit, I ordered a black-and-white sesame bagel topped with black figs and hot honey, that day's special. Quartered black figs with their deep purple-red flesh glistened under a drizzle of hot honey. It feels more California farmers market than traditional East Coast bagel shop, with fresh-tasting, light flavors that work well together.
Location: 270 Bristol St., #114, Costa Mesa
Hours: Open daily, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Also in Costa Mesa is Deli Seoul, a mother-and-son operation run by Jun and Irene Wang. Irene opened Deli Seoul in 2008 in a busy shopping center off Harbor Boulevard as a traditional bagel shop. Jun joined later after leaving the tech industry. It was only in the last year that the family decided to lean into their Korean heritage in bagel form.
The breakfast menu operates on a build-your-own model: customers start with a bagel or bread ($7.50 base, $9.85 with protein), then add cheese and protein. Korean options set it apart: Seoul steak with a sweet sauce, spicy pork, sweet-glazed Spam and marinated organic tofu sit alongside traditional bacon and sausage. Specialty bagels include coconut, pineapple, and Asiago. Sauces range from standard mayo to Irene's Korean chili mayo and chipotle mayo. It's customization that appeals to both traditionalists and adventurous eaters.
By my third stop that day, I was experiencing a bit of bagel burnout, despite my love for them. So I ordered something different: a bagel sandwich with scrambled egg and marinated tofu, with Irene's Korean chili mayo on an egg bagel. The combination was surprisingly light and flavorful, perfectly summing up what Deli Seoul offers — a delightfully diverse array of flavors from an approachable perspective that still represents what's happening with bagels in Orange County.
Location: 1510 Adams Ave., Suite B, Costa Mesa
Hours: Open daily, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Topline:
Infant formula linked to a botulism outbreak that has sickened dozens of babies across 15 states may still be on store shelves even after being recalled, federal health officials say.
The latest: As of Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, 31 cases of suspected or confirmed infant botulism have been reported in babies who consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula and got sick between August and mid-November. In its Wednesday update, the agency said it had "received reports that recalled formula is still being found on store shelves in multiple states." NPR has reached out to the FDA for more information but did not hear back by publication time.
Advice for parents: The CDC says parents should stay vigilant for several weeks after their baby last consumed ByHeart formula. They are advised to wash contaminated surfaces and label any leftover powder "DO NOT USE" and store it safely for a month, in case their infant develops symptoms and the state health department wants to test it. The CDC says parents should seek immediate medical care if they see any concerning symptoms, and also directs them to an infant botulism outbreak hotline from the California Department of Public Health set up specifically to respond to this outbreak.
Infant formula linked to a botulism outbreak that has sickened dozens of babies across 15 states may still be on store shelves even after being recalled, federal health officials say.
As of Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, 31 cases of suspected or confirmed infant botulism have been reported in babies who consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula and got sick between August and mid-November.
No deaths have been reported. But all 31 babies were hospitalized with the illness, which can cause a potentially life-threatening form of gradual paralysis in infants less than a year old.
"Epidemiologic and laboratory data show that ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which is causing infant illness in multiple regions of the country," the FDA said.
ByHeart Whole Nutrition recalled two batches of its infant formula earlier this month before expanding the recall to all of its products — which include cans and single-serve packets — last week. They are sold at major retailers — including Target, Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods — and online nationwide, with some products shipped to customers outside the U.S.
ByHeart, which describes itself as a "next-generation baby nutrition company," first hit the market in 2022. The FDA says its products make up "approximately 1%" of all infant formula sold in the U.S., so it does not have concerns about a potential shortage.
In an apology note to parents, ByHeart says it is cooperating with the FDA and "investigating every facet of our process" to identify the cause of the outbreak.
In the meantime, the company — along with the FDA — is urging adults to stop using the formula and monitor their babies for symptoms of botulism. The FDA is also asking stores to stop selling the product.
But in its Wednesday update, the agency said it had "received reports that recalled formula is still being found on store shelves in multiple states." NPR has reached out to the FDA for more information but did not hear back by publication time.
The FDA says it is working with state partners and retailers "to ensure an effective recall" as its investigation into the outbreak continues.
As of Wednesday, the FDA said the 31 cases had been reported in 15 states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.
The outbreak has grown since the FDA first announced its investigation on Nov. 8. At that point, it said that out of an estimated 83 cases of infant botulism reported nationwide since August, 13 of the infants had consumed ByHeart formula at some point.
That raised red flags because botulism is uncommon in dairy products and "there is no historical precedent of infant formula causing infant botulism," the FDA said.
In response, ByHeart promptly recalled two batches of its products. The next day, it announced that the California Department of Public Health had tested a sample from one of those batches, and the result came back positive for Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes infant botulism.
That sample came from an opened can, which ByHeart originally said did not prove that its product was to blame (as the bacteria can occur naturally in places like soil and dust). But in an FAQ on its website, it now says further testing by a third-party group identified the bacteria in some samples of unopened formula, too.
ByHeart says the FDA informed it in a "late-night call" on Nov. 10 that it had found two more cases of infant botulism in babies that had consumed its formula. The next day, ByHeart, citing "too many unanswered questions," recalled all of its products and released information for parents about how to switch to a different formula brand.
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium botulinum. When a baby swallows the spores, "they grow in the gut and make toxin," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Symptoms can appear three to 30 days after consuming the bacteria, and generally start with constipation, poor feeding, difficulty swallowing and loss of head control.
"If untreated, infants with infant botulism experience a progressive, flaccid paralysis that can lead to breathing difficulties and require weeks of hospitalization," the CDC says.
Treatment for infant botulism involves an antitoxin known as BabyBIG, which is administered through an IV.
The CDC says parents should stay vigilant for several weeks after their baby last consumed ByHeart formula. They are advised to wash contaminated surfaces and label any leftover powder "DO NOT USE" and store it safely for a month, in case their infant develops symptoms and the state health department wants to test it.
The CDC says parents should seek immediate medical care if they see any concerning symptoms, and also directs them to an infant botulism outbreak hotline from the California Department of Public Health set up specifically to respond to this outbreak.
ByHeart says it is conducting its own "extensive testing" and giving the FDA "complete and unrestricted access to all of our facilities and products for their investigation."
The company has released more resources for customers in the days since the recall, like a 24/7 support hotline and refunds for purchases since October.
It has also pledged to implement stronger safeguards and testing in the future, saying that Clostridium botulinum was "not among the pathogens routinely tested for across the industry" — until now.
In the meantime, several affected family members have taken legal action.
The parents of two four-month-olds who were hospitalized with infant botulism — in Arizona and Kentucky — filed separate federal lawsuits last week. They accused ByHeart of negligence and are seeking compensation for medical bills and emotional distress after both their daughters required hospitalization. A separate class-action suit filed in New York alleges deceptive marketing.
ByHeart told NPR over email that it cannot comment on litigation, but reiterated its commitment to supporting families and the FDA's investigation.
Copyright 2025 NPR
Topline:
Metro’s Mobility Wallet riders can catch Waymo rides through L.A.’s 120-mile service area for a discount, starting today. The offer is only for two rides.
How it works: Riders get either a digital or physical “debit” card. They can access the funds digitally or by swiping and tapping. Mobility Wallet riders can get 20% off two Waymo rides.
What is the Mobility Wallet? The program was launched by Metro and the L.A. Department of Transportation in 2022. In the latest enrollment period, 2,000 people received $1,800 to spend on rail, bus rides, bike sharing and other modes of transportation. The Waymo rides now add to those options.
Officials say: “We believe that shared mobility is a team effort and are excited to partner with transit agencies like LA Metro to participate in an ecosystem in which shared, autonomous transportation is an accessible and affordable option," Arielle Fleisher, policy research and development manager at Waymo, said in a statement.
What if you don’t have a cell phone? The rides must be redeemed through the company’s app. Metro Mobility Wallet riders who do not have a mobile device and the Waymo app cannot book the discounted rides or use their transit stipend for Waymo trips.
Background: The expanded offer for Metro Mobility Wallet riders comes a week after Waymo announced that it will start offering freeway trips to users in L.A., San Francisco and Phoenix.
